I don’t know what to feel about this planned reboot, or the question as to whether it should draw from the comics and if these should be considered a sacrosanct part of Buffy history. A large part of me would prefer it if they let Buffy live in its time and all our memories as a truly great and revolutionary piece of television. It would be a huge shame if this memory became tarnished by a poor effort to simply cash in on nostalgia for it. But there is also a not so small part of me that would like to meet all those characters again, and learn about how life has treated them and what sort of adventures await them at a new and very different time of their lives - one which mirrors my own (more or less!). I tried reading the comics but was left disappointed by the direction they started taking, particularly with the massive change that occurred with Buffy very early on. It’s not that I had a problem with the change itself, just that it happened far too quickly and with no sense of development - which was not at all evident in the series. As such, I think there is a strong argument to say that comics themselves messed with what was “canon” in a fashion that was confusing and not very believable. So if they choose to dump the “history” founded in the comics, I see nothing wrong with this, but although it seems like a tall order, if they choose to use some of it, let’s see how well it is presented before making judgement.

The Phantom Tollbooth! I had entirely forgotten about this unique film (certainly for the time). I being enchanted by it when I first (and likely last) saw it as a little boy. But despite the fact I had forgotten about it, my memories of the movie came flooding back in sharp and emotive detail. I used to dream of being Milo and envied his portal into strange fantasy worlds, that so very much echoed my own childish flights of fancy - letters and numbers as living beings. Was also really pleased to see both Ladyhawke and Legend in this list. Magical.

I can’t speak of its HBO connections and release, but in the UK it was aired through the BBC, who didn’t need to sell it along any lines, other than its own merits. Whilst I don’t know how it shaped up in of viewing figures, anecdotal evidence suggests it was very well received and a total broadcasting triumph. It honoured its source irably, and everything about it was television quality of the highest order. The two leads were outstanding, especially Dafne Keen, who surely will go on to become one of the (if not “the”) greatest actors of her generation.

I thought this was easily the best of the three films, despite the flaws touched upon in this article. The characters were engaging and the pacing helped move things through obvious plot holes without making them detracting from the whole. I was disappointed Johnny Depp was so unjustly sidelined because of the whole Amber Heard debacle, but Mads almost ends up stealing the show. Excellent casting and performances all round.

Silent Running? Like other films mentioned, in relation to the development of AI, Silent Running was years ahead of its time in of its prescience regarding climate change. It is moving and beautifully filmed, whilst the special effects still carry the story, without jarring modern cinematic expectations.