Mat

MatBorn in the mid-70’s, Mat ‘Witchfinder’ Corne grew up as part of the Star Wars generation, and to be honest he’s still stuck there! If there’s some kind of geeky hobby that can be pursued then Mat is almost certainly interested, be it Retro Gaming, binge-watching Cult TV shows, collecting vintage Star Wars toys or checking out the latest action films at the cinema.

With an encyclopaedic knowledge of movies, TV, games and music, Mat is never short of something to say on any topic and is partial to a good rant about most things. Aside from the nostalgic hobbies he’s also a fan of football, rollercoasters and travelling the world, which he combines at regular opportunities! He lives in Stoke-on-Trent with his incredibly patient wife and a ridiculous Romanian rescue dog called Luca.

Mat is responsible for MovieMuse’s weekly Freeview Movies of the Week article and is co-editor of the MovieMuse podcast.


Mat's favourite things...

FilmsGamesTVMusic
The Empire Strikes BackBubble Bobble (Arcade)The X-FilesMaster of Puppets (Metallica)
Die HardGrand Theft Auto: Vice City (PS2)Twin PeaksSongs for the Deaf (Queens of the Stone Age)
Back to the FutureWizball (Commodore 64)The Walking DeadAppetite for Destruction (Guns n Roses)
Star WarsFallout 3 (PS3)Breaking BadEarth Vs The Wildhearts (The Wildhearts)
The TerminatorChuckie Egg (BBC Micro)24 (Seasons 1-4 only!)Rust in Peace (Megadeth)
RockyRock Band 3 (PS3)
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the RingStar Wars (Arcade)
HalloweenSonic the Hedgehog 2 (Megadrive)
FargoDonkey Kong (Arcade)
Pulp FictionGolden Axe (Megadrive)

Mat’s Reviews

Total MovieViews Found: 778, showing 25 per page
PosterMovieYearCommentsRating
Vantage Point 2008 Replaying the events surrounding an assassination from the perspective of different witnesses results in some repetition of scenes, but copying the 24 TV show formula in movie form works pretty well and has plenty of thrills and some unexpected twists. 7
When Jeff Tried to Save the World 2018 The nostalgic aesthetic makes this appealing from the start and while the comedy is fairly gentle, the story, character relationships and lack of a typical blockbuster ending contribute to a very pleasant film to watch. 7
Spinster 2019 Less zany than the marketing suggested but still enjoyable, with a pleasant performance from Chelsea Peretti and a witty story that quietly celebrates the benefits of being single as you get older. 6
The Ritual 2017 Well shot and creepy as hell for most of its running time, there's also some grim humour running through the film but it doesn’t quite keep the quality level going until the end. 7
The Hidden 1987 The true nature of the antagonist is given away way too early and there is a fair amount of 80s cheese, but the acting talent is good and there's a decent mix of action and black comedy in this cult favourite. 7
His House 2020 A creepy haunted house story that also dwells on the isolation and loss of identity experienced by asylum seekers, this probably tries to cram too much into a 90 minute film but the acting is excellent and the scary moments are well executed. 7
James vs His Future Self 2019 Daniel Stern is the star attraction as the deranged older version of a man trying to convince his younger self not to invent time travel. An amusing movie that is less about Sci-Fi and more about learning to enjoy the lighter side of life. 6
Kill Command 2016 There are few better films to take liberal influence from than Terminator, Aliens and Predator so while this may not be very original, it's actually quite entertaining with better special effects than expected given its B-Movie status. 6
Zombieland: Double Tap 2019 Does nothing that the first film didn't already do and is less impressive as a result, but still provides plenty of laughs, entertaining characters and its fair share of excessive violence. 7
An American Pickle 2020 A ridiculous premise and a typical Seth Rogen vehicle with plenty of digs at religion and politics, but it also has some heart and enough funny moments to make it enjoyable. 6
The Faculty 1998 Invasion of the Body Snatchers for the Buffy generation, with nods to The Breakfast Club and The Thing along the way, but with snappy dialogue and a cool cast to help it stand out from the glut of similar movies from this era. 7
The Call of the Wild 2020 Rendering the dogs entirely in CGI gives the film a cartoonish feel at times and takes some getting used to. Harrison Ford is excellent though, especially as narrator, and the story is sure to stir the emotions of any lover of dogs or adventure. 7
Blockers 2018 A fairly unique twist on the coming-of-age teen comedy, there are a few funny scenes and John Cena is entertaining, but most of the cringeworthy gross-out gags fall flat and the film's message is unclear. 5
Biggles 1986 An odd use of the Biggles license, mixing it with an 80s time travel story where nobody is at all concerned about being zapped 70 years into the past or future. There are a few good action scenes though and it helps that nobody is taking it too seriously. 5
Benny Loves You 2019 Takes liberal influence from other 'demonic toy' films and the low budget shows in the acting quality and cinematography, but the special effects are generally quite impressive and the story and dialogue are amusing in places. 5
Disappearance at Clifton Hill 2019 This could have been a decent mystery film as the set-up is good and the acting is fine, but it's spoiled by the over-complicated story and simply horrendous freeform jazz score. 5
Timecop 1994 The cheesy dialogue, over-acting and gratuitious nudity place it very much in the 90s, but despite those shortcomings, the time travel story is well written and the action sequences are good. 6
The Lighthouse 2019 Shooting in black and white was a perfect decision and allows for some superb visuals, but while both Pattinson and especially Dafoe act brilliantly, their descent into madness takes so long that it becomes equally maddening and tiresome for the viewer. 6
The Man Who Killed Hitler and then the Bigfoot 2018 Sam Elliott is his usual engimatic self in this film that takes a bizarre story and plays it dead straight, providing funny moments as a result. There's also some surprisingly heartfelt drama as the main character's back story is revealed via flashbacks. 7
Alpha 2018 A brave idea, set in prehistoric times and using a fictional language, and while some of the CGI is below-par, the landscapes are spectacular and the story of how wolves theoretically began their journey to become domestic dogs is interesting. 7
Dead Poets Society 1989 Not the kind of film I would ever choose to watch myself, but Robin Williams is brilliant as the teacher inspiring his students to think outside the box. It's just a shame the downbeat ending makes it a far less uplifting story than it could have been. 7
Last Shift 2014 Story-wise it is generic and confusing, but if you're looking for an endless onslaught of terrifying scenes that tick all the horror boxes then this delivers them in spades. 5
Say Your Prayers 2020 Amusing and a little tragic, this takes a very British look at religious fundamentalism and the lengths some people might go to doing their god's work, whilst also packing in quite a few funny scenes and some hilarious dialogue. 6
Nomadland 2020 Feeling almost like a documentary, the plot is pretty flimsy but Frances McDormand is excellent as usual in an intriguing look at an alternative way of living which is both sad and beautiful in its own way. 7
The Evil Dead 1981 The low budget shows in many ways and it is far less terrifying than it would have been 40 years ago, but some of the effects and camerawork are brilliant and the almost never-ending blitz of gruesome scenes is still quite something to behold. 6