Continuing on with my challenge, the first week has been completed and I needed to average 19 films. Did I do it? Read on my fellow bloghounds!
Films seen prior to the weekend:
Kingpin
The Money Pit
Coming to America
Tenacious D: Pick of Destiny
Apollo 18
Cedar Rapids
Blades of Glory
The Animal
Under Siege
Stir Crazy
Scream 4
House on Haunted Hill
Eraser
Hostel 3
Lost in Translation
Scott Pilgrim vs the World
So, 16 films seen prior to Saturday, leaving me with 3 films to watch Saturday in order to complete the 19 film average. Was it done? Of course it was! Here's what went down Saturday:
7th January 2012 - FANTASTIC FOUR
I've seen the unreleased Fantastic Four film (with the old guy from Police Academy) & it was pure drivel. How would this compare? Very well. For a comic book movie the effects were good, the story was good & Chris Evans was hilarious as Johnny Storm (Jessica Alba was as hot as always). Even Michael Chilkis didn't look like a scrotum for most of the film.
This was one set of comic book characters that I do remember as a kid (along with the Harlem Globetrotters - do they have a movie coming out at all?) so watching them take on Von Doom was awesome.
This was a film you can just switch your brain off to & look at the pretty colours. Sometimes I think I may be a child (or manchild as one of my workmates calls me) who pays little attention to the stuff on screen other than the bright lights.
7th January 2012 - FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER
So we get round to the sequel, immediately after watching the first film. This is almost a carbon copy of the first film, except with a surfer and & planet eating monster (who you never really see except for some plumes of smoke). Michael Chilkis does change from the Thing back into Ben Grimm (aka detective Scrotum), & Chris Evans does become the Thing - he makes it work too without throwing in the Christian Bale voice (aka the Batman gravelly throat vocal).
The best part of this film? Trying to see a cameltoe when Jessica Alba goes up in flame. Look closely, you may see it. I have, and I also found the cameltoe on one of Little Mix in the X-Factor final this year. Yes, I know, I have skills.
7th January 2012 - FINAL DESTINATION 5
I'm not going to lie. I like the Final Destination series. Granted, like Saw did, the franchise did away with the smartness of the 1st film & replaced it with people you dont care about who died in much more gory manners. With that in mind, I wasn't holding much hope for the 5th film, though word of mouth about it was very good.
The premonition is all about a bridge collapsing, and people dying horrificly. I hated most of the people in the film & wanted them all to die, but not Tony Todd, who was making his return following the 2nd film. Die they did, but in ways that actually had me squirming - the laser eye part was something I couldn't handle & had to look away, as was the acupuncture part.
Anyways, aside from some very dodgy acting, the story ended up being (SPOILER ALERT) a prequel to the first Final Destination film, witht he survivors ending up on the plane that explodes at the start of the first film. Ever wanted to see a man flattened by an airplane? Then watch this film. It is good. Trust me.
7th January 2012 - HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2
Having seen each & every Potter film so far, I was looking forward to the end of this "saga". Having loved the Chris Columbus style of the first couple of films - and loving the darkness of Prisoner of Azkaban - I was bored stiffless watching the Half Blood Prince & Deathly Hallows Part 1 (in which nothing happened).
I have to say I was quite surprised with the end of the Potter saga, it was full of action & that Hermione is looking hot! But it bugs me that Voldermort has no nose. He must be a bit peeved. He had a nose in the 1st Harry Potter film, I swear. Oh well, it had kinda a happy ending, and most of the supporting cast died, which is usually unheard of in a kids film.
I can't believe that it was over ten years ago that I went to the preview showing of the Philosophers Stone, and that I actually saw another of them at the cinema (Goblet of Fire) but it was a slow day in Australia then. I think I can actually hear kids crying at no more Potter films - surely they're old enough to appreciate the original Star Wars Trilogy now?
7th January 2012 - THE LAST EXORCISM
I put this on at just gone 11pm, making this the last film of the 1st week. This was the tale of a reverend from Baton Rouge Louisiana who was also an exorcist, but not really, as he faked everything. He would go across the country to "exorcise" demons from troubled children & livestock with the aid of a whole host of special effects, and he had roped in a film crew to document the fakeness just before he retired.
As you can imagine, the "exorcism" didnt work as the child in question (who actually looked like Michael Cera (from Scott Pilgrim) in a dress) was actually possessed by a demon & the reverend couldnt exorcise a fart. Strange things start happening, well, I say strange. I mean boring. Oh look the childs walking around. Oh look she's walking some more. Where is she? Oh she's over there walking around. Aside from attempting to drown a childs doll & slicing her deliverance brother in the face with a knife, she's about as scary as my nan sleeping.
What the flip was the point of this film? It didnt even build anything up during it, and its as if the director just said, make the camera as shaky as possible! Add to that the ending (SPOILER ALERT) which involved the whole community aborting a demon baby from the child & sacrificing it to fire, I wondered just when I would be able to get the last 90 mins of my life back. I would have rather watched PS I Love You than this drivel.
So week one is complete, with 21 films viewed. Time to kick into week 2, so another blog will follow!
Monday, 9 January 2012
Saturday, 7 January 2012
2012 1000 Film Challenge - Day 6
Continuing with my challenge, I am now up to 16 films so far in 2012. I need to average 19 a week, and am currently on track with that. So here's the latest update.
Films seen so far include:
Kingpin
The Money Pit
Coming to America
Tenacious D: Pick of Destiny
Apollo 18
Cedar Rapids
Blades of Glory
The Animal
Under Siege
Stir Crazy
Scream 4
House on Haunted Hill
Eraser
Hostel 3
6th January 2012 - LOST IN TRANSLATION
What can be said from this film other than Scarlett Johansson has a fantastic arse & Bill Murray is a comedy genius! Lets face it, this isnt a laugh out loud riot or a slapstick fans dream film, but it is a quirky view of life in Japan as told by a Ghostbuster pretending to be Frank Sinatra with intensity overload! Bill Murrays career is getting much better these days (check out Jim Jarmush's Broken Flowers for another slice of Murray awesomeness) &, as my housemate put it, she could just about tolerate the Johansson in this film.
In my view, any film that starts with a close up of a fantastic boty is sure to win plaudits from me. Plus there were gun shots & boobs so all was good for me - it just missed a good car chase to be a perfect film.
6th January 2012 - SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD
When I saw this a few months back I must admit I wasnt a fan. I figured you had to be a geeky mcgeek to have such a nerdgasm over this film which, whilst I did enjoy the retro gameyness about it, was pretty shit. In the pursuit of this challenge, I did sit down to watch it and was actually pleasantly surprised by it. Granted, it may have been better if I had ever read the comics, but Michael Cera does play the nerd well & Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Ramona reminds me of someone I slept with many years ago & used to have carnal thoughts about - she dressed the same way & had the same persona.
Coming from the director of Spaced, it was always going to include quick shots & retroness, but could I handle a whole 9-120 mins of it? Barely. Sex Bob-Bomb sucked balls - why not make some decent music you indie fuck wannabees!
So, as of the 6th January I'm up to 16 films. Just 984 to go. Plus I've already agreed with my housemates that the last film I watch to end this challenge has to be PS I Love You. Hopefully I'll still be semi-conscious by then...
Films seen so far include:
Kingpin
The Money Pit
Coming to America
Tenacious D: Pick of Destiny
Apollo 18
Cedar Rapids
Blades of Glory
The Animal
Under Siege
Stir Crazy
Scream 4
House on Haunted Hill
Eraser
Hostel 3
6th January 2012 - LOST IN TRANSLATION
What can be said from this film other than Scarlett Johansson has a fantastic arse & Bill Murray is a comedy genius! Lets face it, this isnt a laugh out loud riot or a slapstick fans dream film, but it is a quirky view of life in Japan as told by a Ghostbuster pretending to be Frank Sinatra with intensity overload! Bill Murrays career is getting much better these days (check out Jim Jarmush's Broken Flowers for another slice of Murray awesomeness) &, as my housemate put it, she could just about tolerate the Johansson in this film.
In my view, any film that starts with a close up of a fantastic boty is sure to win plaudits from me. Plus there were gun shots & boobs so all was good for me - it just missed a good car chase to be a perfect film.
6th January 2012 - SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD
When I saw this a few months back I must admit I wasnt a fan. I figured you had to be a geeky mcgeek to have such a nerdgasm over this film which, whilst I did enjoy the retro gameyness about it, was pretty shit. In the pursuit of this challenge, I did sit down to watch it and was actually pleasantly surprised by it. Granted, it may have been better if I had ever read the comics, but Michael Cera does play the nerd well & Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Ramona reminds me of someone I slept with many years ago & used to have carnal thoughts about - she dressed the same way & had the same persona.
Coming from the director of Spaced, it was always going to include quick shots & retroness, but could I handle a whole 9-120 mins of it? Barely. Sex Bob-Bomb sucked balls - why not make some decent music you indie fuck wannabees!
So, as of the 6th January I'm up to 16 films. Just 984 to go. Plus I've already agreed with my housemates that the last film I watch to end this challenge has to be PS I Love You. Hopefully I'll still be semi-conscious by then...
Friday, 6 January 2012
2012 1000 Film Challenge - Day 5
Continuing on from yesterday's blog (and this will be updated on a daily basis), I can add 2 more films to my list, leaving me just 986 films to watch...
From the 1st January until the 5th January, the following films have been viewed:
Kingpin
The Money Pit
Coming to America
Tenacious D: Pick of Destiny
Apollo 18
Cedar Rapids
Blades of Glory
The Animal
Under Siege
Stir Crazy
Scream 4
House on Haunted Hill
I can now add the following to this list:
5th January 2012 - ERASER
Arnie is back in one of his most underrated box office successes (& yes, this did do very well at the cinema), where he plays John Kruger (tho the credits of the film only confirm his name as Eraser) who handles entrants in the Witness Protection Program by "erasing" their past life.
Its thanks to films like this that game creators have decided to include movie moments in their games. Ever played Saints Row the Third? Wonder where the beginning of jumping out of an aeroplane only to have the aeroplane try to plow you out of the sky? Thats thanks to Eraser, as the exact same thing happens here. Granted, there is no alligator wrestling in the game, but I havent unlocked it all as yet, so I wont put it past them.
If you switch your brain off this will be a very enjoyable film - lots of car chases, explosions & deaths. Plus its Arnie, although there are no one-liners in it. But for bad italian stereotypes please watch this film!
5th January 2012 - HOSTEL: PART III
I saw someone's status a week ago mentioning Hostel 3. I thought, surely not. How wrong was I. In fact, this is a direct-to-DVD offering that, dare I say, is actually better than Hostel 2. Granted, theres not as much torture stuff in it, but if you want to see a man get his face cut and peeled off whilst still alive then this is the film for you.
Granted, it still involves a lot of people that you dont care about getting killed. Except now its set in America. A plus point is the abundance of boobs in it. The negative point? A crap ending. Watch this if you want to see a man with a gimpy leg get shot by crossbows. Thats what we all want out of a film right?
Anyhoo, thats a grand total of 14 films so far this year. Tonights line-up includes Scott Pilgrim vs the World & Real Steel (amongst others). Keep your eyes peeled for more updates over the next 360 days!
From the 1st January until the 5th January, the following films have been viewed:
Kingpin
The Money Pit
Coming to America
Tenacious D: Pick of Destiny
Apollo 18
Cedar Rapids
Blades of Glory
The Animal
Under Siege
Stir Crazy
Scream 4
House on Haunted Hill
I can now add the following to this list:
5th January 2012 - ERASER
Arnie is back in one of his most underrated box office successes (& yes, this did do very well at the cinema), where he plays John Kruger (tho the credits of the film only confirm his name as Eraser) who handles entrants in the Witness Protection Program by "erasing" their past life.
Its thanks to films like this that game creators have decided to include movie moments in their games. Ever played Saints Row the Third? Wonder where the beginning of jumping out of an aeroplane only to have the aeroplane try to plow you out of the sky? Thats thanks to Eraser, as the exact same thing happens here. Granted, there is no alligator wrestling in the game, but I havent unlocked it all as yet, so I wont put it past them.
If you switch your brain off this will be a very enjoyable film - lots of car chases, explosions & deaths. Plus its Arnie, although there are no one-liners in it. But for bad italian stereotypes please watch this film!
5th January 2012 - HOSTEL: PART III
I saw someone's status a week ago mentioning Hostel 3. I thought, surely not. How wrong was I. In fact, this is a direct-to-DVD offering that, dare I say, is actually better than Hostel 2. Granted, theres not as much torture stuff in it, but if you want to see a man get his face cut and peeled off whilst still alive then this is the film for you.
Granted, it still involves a lot of people that you dont care about getting killed. Except now its set in America. A plus point is the abundance of boobs in it. The negative point? A crap ending. Watch this if you want to see a man with a gimpy leg get shot by crossbows. Thats what we all want out of a film right?
Anyhoo, thats a grand total of 14 films so far this year. Tonights line-up includes Scott Pilgrim vs the World & Real Steel (amongst others). Keep your eyes peeled for more updates over the next 360 days!
Thursday, 5 January 2012
2012 1000 Film Challenge - Day 4
Continuing on from yesterdays blog, I can confirm that my film viewing has hit double figures! In just 5 days I have watched 12 different films. Here is the recap of what I watched prior to the 4th January:
Kingpin
The Money Pit
Coming to America
Tenacious D: Pick of Destiny
Apollo 18
Cedar Rapids
Blades of Glory
The Animal
Under Siege
4th January 2012 - STIR CRAZY
I hadn't watched this film for about 10-15 years, but I remembered this being pure hilarity. I originally watched this after seeing See No Evil, Hear No Evil. I appreciated the humour from Gene Wilder & Richard Pryor (lets face it, he was hilarious in most roles, especially Superman 3) & was expecting to be crying out loud with laughter.
Unfortunately, aside from a few funny moments, there really is nothing laugh-out-loud left in this film. A good start seems to be let down by the escape plot ending, which is a good ending (don't get me wrong), but it seems the funny stuff stopped about halfway through the film. Still worth watching, and I had wanted to watch this film for a while before I realised I didn't own it. Oh well, maybe I will re-appreciate this in a few years?
4th January 2012 - SCRE4M (AKA SCREAM 4)
Those that know me know I likes my horror films, and - being a Wes Craven fan - I loved it when he re-wrote the slasher genre with the initial Scream films. Scream 2 is also in my top 10 films of all time, & to me that was the end of the series (Scream 3 was wank).
I watched Scre4m (dyslexics must love this film) at the cinema early last year & wasn't sure what to expect after that steaming turd of a 3rd film. I was pleasantly surprised. Granted, I guessed the killers early on (they are so obvious, even moreso than the 2nd Scream), but I was actually under the impression that Sidney Prescott may die.
It was a good film that made me realise 2 things: 1) this may have been the last Scream film ever, & 2) having sex with someone dressed as ghostface could still be considered fashionable, if not a little creepy.
4th January 2012 - HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL
This was the remake with a very hammed up Geoffrey Rush trying to be Vincent Price. To be fair it was a lot of silly people I dont care about running around getting killed. It did have a good soundtrack but probably the worst monster in movie history - its just black gooey stuff. Lame ending. This movie could have been good, but that just sucked balls. It made me hate my fellow man for a short period of time, until I realised its only a movie, and that there are a lot more evil things out there. Like the Twilight films.
So, 4 days in & 12 films watched. That leaves 988 left to go...what to watch tonight? Suggestions welcomed (dependant on whether I own the films or not).
The only thing left to say is, please check out my friend Myles's Blog at (http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fmegamyles.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F01%2Fmovie-challenge.html%3Fspref%3Dfb&h=KAQE-c2ZNAQH5mgEbh_C5xGsb1mX_TV7zaeZWvFVgpj9iYQ) as he was the one who set down the challenge!
Kingpin
The Money Pit
Coming to America
Tenacious D: Pick of Destiny
Apollo 18
Cedar Rapids
Blades of Glory
The Animal
Under Siege
4th January 2012 - STIR CRAZY
I hadn't watched this film for about 10-15 years, but I remembered this being pure hilarity. I originally watched this after seeing See No Evil, Hear No Evil. I appreciated the humour from Gene Wilder & Richard Pryor (lets face it, he was hilarious in most roles, especially Superman 3) & was expecting to be crying out loud with laughter.
Unfortunately, aside from a few funny moments, there really is nothing laugh-out-loud left in this film. A good start seems to be let down by the escape plot ending, which is a good ending (don't get me wrong), but it seems the funny stuff stopped about halfway through the film. Still worth watching, and I had wanted to watch this film for a while before I realised I didn't own it. Oh well, maybe I will re-appreciate this in a few years?
4th January 2012 - SCRE4M (AKA SCREAM 4)
Those that know me know I likes my horror films, and - being a Wes Craven fan - I loved it when he re-wrote the slasher genre with the initial Scream films. Scream 2 is also in my top 10 films of all time, & to me that was the end of the series (Scream 3 was wank).
I watched Scre4m (dyslexics must love this film) at the cinema early last year & wasn't sure what to expect after that steaming turd of a 3rd film. I was pleasantly surprised. Granted, I guessed the killers early on (they are so obvious, even moreso than the 2nd Scream), but I was actually under the impression that Sidney Prescott may die.
It was a good film that made me realise 2 things: 1) this may have been the last Scream film ever, & 2) having sex with someone dressed as ghostface could still be considered fashionable, if not a little creepy.
4th January 2012 - HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL
This was the remake with a very hammed up Geoffrey Rush trying to be Vincent Price. To be fair it was a lot of silly people I dont care about running around getting killed. It did have a good soundtrack but probably the worst monster in movie history - its just black gooey stuff. Lame ending. This movie could have been good, but that just sucked balls. It made me hate my fellow man for a short period of time, until I realised its only a movie, and that there are a lot more evil things out there. Like the Twilight films.
So, 4 days in & 12 films watched. That leaves 988 left to go...what to watch tonight? Suggestions welcomed (dependant on whether I own the films or not).
The only thing left to say is, please check out my friend Myles's Blog at (http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fmegamyles.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F01%2Fmovie-challenge.html%3Fspref%3Dfb&h=KAQE-c2ZNAQH5mgEbh_C5xGsb1mX_TV7zaeZWvFVgpj9iYQ) as he was the one who set down the challenge!
Wednesday, 4 January 2012
2012 1000 Film Challenge - Days 1, 2 and 3
For those that aren't in the know, I have decided to challenge myself to watch a grand total of 1000 films in 2012. These can include films I have seen previously in my life, as well as brand new movies. I also aim to blog about the films I watch.
As its the 4th January now, I can blog about the films watched from the 1st to the 4th January 2012...so here goes!
1st January 2012 - KINGPIN
What better way to start my year off than watching this slice of comedy gold! WHO YOU CALLING A PSYCHO? One of the best lines in film history, and one that me & my friends still do on the odd occasion (usually after drinking). Woody Harrellson is awesome as Abu Hamza, whilst Randy Quaid plays a naive Amish man better than Harrison Ford ever could. Vanessa Angels boobs seem to be made out of jelly, but I did enjoy her wearing very little. Best part of this film? Bill Murrays hairline!
I loves a bit of gross out comedy, so watching Woody drink bull spunk was great, plus how can you be upset when the last line of the film is goodbye whore? Pure genius - shame the Farrelly Brothers went on to make Stuck On You...
1st January 2012 - THE MONEY PIT
I remember LMFAO to this film when it was released. Sure, its aged a bit but Tom Hanks still shows that he can look stupid & make silly noises in order to get cheap laughs. Shelley Long may have been good in Cheers but in this film her haircut angers me, yet I would still have sex with her...I'm a sick man, I know! This film was great for 2 scenes - the falling off the roof & the getting stuck in the floor scene. Both involve Hanks being the same character he's played for the past 20 years, so its good that he wasnt typecast after this. Is Shelley Long still alive? Does anyone have her number?
1st January 2012 - COMING TO AMERICA
This was coming to the tail-end of when Eddie Murphy was funny. As is usually the case with his films in the early-mid 90s, he tended to play numerous comedic roles in the same film. Most of which were not funny. Though I do have to say that he played an elderly hassidic white jew quite convincingly. This hear-warming tale of a rich man who pretends to be poor in order to marry a local girl (who, unlike the bride he has picked for him) won't obey his every command. Sex and Sandwiches on tap, or intelligence and conversation? Hmmm, tough choice, but I prefer Chicken & spicy mexican rice in my sandwiches love!
I especially loved how Eddie & Arsenio Hall actually blacked up more to play the barbers. Is that reverse racism? I dont know...Best acting in this film tho has to go to Cuba Gooding Jr, who lights up the screen with his first role as Barber Shop Customer. My how his career has fallen since this acting gig. Ever since Trading Places Eddie Murphy has fallen down shit creek. I only thank god I don't own the Adventures of Pluto Nash, as I never want to watch that drivel again.
Also, having James Earl Jones in this film deliver a Darth Vader line from Return of the Jedi? Genius writing. That made this film for me...
1st January 2012 - TENACIOUS D: THE PICK OF DESTINY
I'm not gonna lie, I loves the D! So watching them on the big screen had to be required. You know what tho, I'm not much of a fan of this film, I prefer the soundtrack. Maybe I'm growing up but I no longer find Jack Blacks over-the-top acting style that funny these days, and in this he is playing himself but on more drugs than usual. Best moment? The Satan rock-off. Best character? Definitely Tim Robbins. If you havent seen this, then give it a whirl, but only if you know the D.
2nd January 2012 - APOLLO 18
I wanted to catch this at the cinema, as this looked very good in the trailer. So I tentatively got round to watching it in the comfort of my own home. As is the case with these sort of films (see the Paranormal Activity series, as well as Insidious) the build up is very good but let down by the ending. I liked the premises that the Apollo 18 landing was cancelled but actually went through, yet we never knew it. Shame that the evil entity was nothing more than (SPOILER ALERT) rocks that hold crabs. Another good preise, another crap ending. When will Hollywood ever learn?
2nd January 2012 - CEDAR RAPIDS
I had trouble getting hold of this film - I wanted to see it upon its release but, as it wasnt a blockbuster movie none of my local cinemas would show it. I'm gonna get this out there now - I'm a big Ed Helms fan. I loved his stuff on the Office, as well as the Hangover films. Any cameo he has in a film (see Harold & Kumar EFGB & Walk Hard) is played so over the top you can't help but laugh. Add in John C Reilly to this film & you are laughing! A weird conference centre bonding weekend turns into a crack smoking, prostitute hugging weekend of debauchery. Not over the top funny but definitely chuckle funny. Plus, although Sigourney Weaver looks old, she still knows what to do in the bedroom...as does Anne Heche who gave up eating beef to move back in with sausage - yes, that last comment was referring to fanny & cock!
3rd January 2012 - BLADES OF GLORY
Will Ferrell beats John Heder in hamming it up by playing a sex addict figure skater (where does he come up with these ideas?). Its a Will Ferrell comedy so you're guaranteed funny moments left right & centre, plus Jenna Fischer is in it & she is hot! Whats funnier than watching one man getting kicked in the groin? Two men getting kicked in the groin. This film has that, and thats why I enjoy it. Seriously, Will Ferrell is a comedy genius.
3rd January 2012 - THE ANIMAL
Forgive me, please. Yes its Rob Schneider in a film without Adam Sandler (that isn't Deuce Bigalow Male Gigolo), & yes it is a bit crap. But this film does have its moments. Namely hearing the words Thats a Huge Bitch right at the start of the film. That kept me going until seeing Rob get kicked in the crotch by a goat. That got me through the remaining part of the film. I give props to Norm MacDonald though, for claiming he wouldnt want to be part of a mob that kills a black guy. When THATS what you're going for in films, you know a little part of you may have died inside...
3rd January 2012 - UNDER SIEGE
This film reminded me of Christmas - not because it plays any part of the holiday season, just because my Uncle Andrew wants his son Max to have a job that involves him being an ex Navy Seal cook for the Royal Merchant Navy that is also a forensic scientist, but can only handle drownings, who has a witty catchphrase (you just been drowned). I hadnt laughed so hard in ages. In essence, this is a film about an ex Navy Seal cook who kills terrorists who've taken over his ship. I dont know about you, but without a witty catchphrase I prefer my Uncles version of events...
More to come tomorrow peeps, as I update the 2012 1000 Film Challenge yet again!
Monday, 12 December 2011
My favourite films of 2011
I know that this year isn't yet over, and with 2-3 weeks left of the year to release a few new films this may change, but I decided to put together a list of the films released in 2011 that I had the pleasure of watching.
I have watched a total of 30 films released this year, and so begins my rundown from 30 - 21:
30. Hobo With a Shotgun
29. The Rite
28. Sucker Punch
27. Your Highness
26. Gnomeo & Juliet
25. Thor
24. Battle: Los Angeles
23. Insidious
22. Drive Angry
21. Transformers: Dark of the Moon
So we start off with Rutger Hauer murdering some crazies hamming it on screen. Why? Cos he wants a fricking lawnmower, thats why! What a homeless man would do with it (its not a sit-down & drive one) is beyond me, but tons of exploitative blood, guts & gore make for a good independent film. Plus Rutger Hauer is off his trolley!
We move on to the Rite, a film I found quite boring, but I like exorcism/possession films, so I stuck with it. It goes ahead of Hobo just because of the storyline. Sucker Punch, to some people, was an awesome film. I found it quite annoying but ladies with guns & minimal clothing keep it in there. Your Highness was a film full of cock & ball jokes, hence why I like it. Shit plot means it gets a lower place than it could have. Gnomeo & Juliet was a good little animation film for which the flamingo story almost made me shed a tear.
Thor was, in my opinion, an average comic book story. This could have been better than mediocre, but we will see what the Avengers brings us... Battle: Los Angeles was a rip-roaring ride that only failed to achieve a higher position due to way too much USA patrionism! It was cheesy and shmaltzy, and so Pro-USA that I felt I should be taking the pledge of allegiance. Insidious could have been better - a fantastic first half was let down by the 2nd half of the film, hence its position in my list.
Drive Angry started off well, explosions, limbs being torn off, & Nicolas Cage hamming it up. Unfortunately, it tailed off later on & lost my interest. Then to Transformers 3 - well, it was better than the 2nd film (which deserves to be forgotten) and was the only one to actually have a good story, but its letdown was the numerous explosions that werent needed. Someone please take Michael Bay off this series now!
20. Scream 4
19. Conan the Barbarian
18. The Thing (Prequel)
17. Paranormal Activity 3
16. The Green Hornet
15. Super 8
14. Green Lantern
13. Bad Teacher
12. Paul
11. The Hangover Part II
Scream 4 misses out on the top 10 due to predictability (aka me working the killers out within 30 minutes), but it gets no lower as its the Scream series which I love. Conan the Barbarian was full of hack & slash moments, and may have got higher if I had ever seen the originals, but commend it for the numerous topless wenches in it, as well as Ron Fucking Perlman.
The Thing Prequel was an entertaining film, that answered a lot of the questions raised in John Carpenters Thing, but it lacked the suspense of the original, and the CGI work was crap compared to the original. Still worth a watch though, but not worth a higher position. Paranormal Activity 3 was actually suprisingly good, with a few good ghostly moments (much better than the 2nd one) but let down by a crap ending. Hopefully this will be the end of it, but no doubt they will find enough of a story for Paranormal Activity 4...
The Green Hornet was Seth Rogens chance to shine & was enjoyable but the story wasn't great & what was the point of Cameron Diaz? Seth Rogen is a comedy genius so he gets away with it, but no higher position for the film... Super 8 had the potential to be amazing, and it was except for the ending which was Spielberg shmaltz at its finest, and was very predictable. How about an alien movie without a happy ending for once in a while? Green Lantern was a comic book film that actually reminded me of a comic book. Plus Ryan Reynolds is fricking funny. Shame it seemed to just start then end, and with bad press it looks likely that a sequel wont be made, which is a shame!
Bad Teacher is not like Bad Santa, but it does feature Cameron Diaz in minimal clothing after a boob job. I was put off by Justin Timberlake dry-humping her leg tho. Not a bad film but very similar to a film called Mr Woodcock (which starred Billy Bob Thornton, who was Bad Santa). Paul, on the other hand, was an exceptionally good film with a good story & good comedy, and narrowly missed out on a top 10 spot, mainly due to the Hangover Part II which I enjoyed immensely, although it was basically the first film set elsewhere. I ummed-and-ahhed about putting this in the top 10, but in the end a spot outside it just makes sense (at least to me).
10. Bridesmaids
09. Hall Pass
08. The Adjustment Bureau
07. Grave Encounters
06. Horrible Bosses
05. Limitless
04. Source Code
Bridesmaids was hilarious & proved to be the same sort of comedy as the Hangover Part II, but as it was fresh it just sneaked ahead of it and made the top 10. Kristen Wiig showed she can handle the lead in comedies after Paul, so more like this please! Hall Pass was one of those films where I thought I wouldnt enjoy it (slow start syndrome) but it was actually fricking funny, albeit with too much sausage on show. Well worth a watch, and Jenna Fischer is hotttttttt!
The Adjustment Bureau was an excellent thinker that I thought would be boring when I started watching it. It starts off as a political thriller but becomes this tale of fate & destiny where you can move between places with just the opening of a door. Missed out on the top 5 by just a smidgen tho, everything in the top 10 is close... Grave Encounters was a film that I wanted to see as soon as I saw the trailer - this has it all, scares, creepiness & some comedy, with the effects being amazing. It was let down by a less-than-stellar ending, but a good horror nonetheless, as well as being a satire on reality ghosthunt shows.
Horrible Bosses has many a star turn in it - Justin Bateman, Charlie Day, Kevin Spacey, Colin Farrell & Jennifer Aniston are all amazing in it, its funny as fuck & Jennifer looks amazing when she wears next to nothing, despite her left boob being saggier than her right one (keep an eye out for it, you will see it). Limitless was a fantastic story & I loved how the book was brought to screen. What I would do for one of those pills...Bradley Cooper shows that he can actually do more than comedy, and this film is well worth a watch! Source Ode was also fantastic, maybe cos I grew up watching Quantum Leap. This sci-fi tale of body-swapping & bomb-hunting was fantastic, but what do you expect from the director that brought us Moon. David Bowies son knows his stuff!
03. The Inbetweeners Movie
02. Captain American: The First Avenger
01. Rise of the Planet of the Apes
So, top 3 time, and the Inbetweeners Movie gets things going, with a good mix of gross-out and laugh out loud comedy. I will miss the show but I loved the way they ended the Inbetweeners world. I will be watching this tonight, as well as trying to bust out the dancing as often as possible...
Captain America was the quintissential superhero movie - the CGI in making Chris Evans weedy was amazing, and the story & geek out moments were fantastic! This was the first superhero movie I've seen in many years that had me hooked from beginning to end.
Finally, ny favourite film of the year, Rise of the Planet of the Apes. I didn't want to see this when the trailers came out, but I caved in and watched it at the cinema. Am I glad I did! It was an amazing film that answered so many questions & wasnt over the top as well. Andy Serkis does chimps proud with his take as Ceasar, and James Franco & John Lithgow give amazing performances. Its a shame that a Brit has to be the bad guy, but we do make good villains, so in the scheme of things its not that big a thing. Am looking forward to the sequel (I hear its been green-lighted) & can only hope that it improves upon this fantastic (and tear-jerking) film!
There were a number of films released in 2011 that I haven't had the chance to see as yet (though I do own some of these) that I may watch, so I can't comment on these quite yet, but they will be hard put to beat Rise of the Planet of the Apes as my favourite film of the year:
A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas
The Adventures of Tintin
Attack the Block
Cowboys & Aliens
The Dilemma
Drive
Fast Five
Fright Night (Remake)
Hanna
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Hop
Johnny English Reborn
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
The Muppets
Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides
Real Steel
Sherlock Holmes: a Game of Shadows
The Smurfs
Unknown
X-Men: First Class
I have watched a total of 30 films released this year, and so begins my rundown from 30 - 21:
30. Hobo With a Shotgun
29. The Rite
28. Sucker Punch
27. Your Highness
26. Gnomeo & Juliet
25. Thor
24. Battle: Los Angeles
23. Insidious
22. Drive Angry
21. Transformers: Dark of the Moon
So we start off with Rutger Hauer murdering some crazies hamming it on screen. Why? Cos he wants a fricking lawnmower, thats why! What a homeless man would do with it (its not a sit-down & drive one) is beyond me, but tons of exploitative blood, guts & gore make for a good independent film. Plus Rutger Hauer is off his trolley!
We move on to the Rite, a film I found quite boring, but I like exorcism/possession films, so I stuck with it. It goes ahead of Hobo just because of the storyline. Sucker Punch, to some people, was an awesome film. I found it quite annoying but ladies with guns & minimal clothing keep it in there. Your Highness was a film full of cock & ball jokes, hence why I like it. Shit plot means it gets a lower place than it could have. Gnomeo & Juliet was a good little animation film for which the flamingo story almost made me shed a tear.
Thor was, in my opinion, an average comic book story. This could have been better than mediocre, but we will see what the Avengers brings us... Battle: Los Angeles was a rip-roaring ride that only failed to achieve a higher position due to way too much USA patrionism! It was cheesy and shmaltzy, and so Pro-USA that I felt I should be taking the pledge of allegiance. Insidious could have been better - a fantastic first half was let down by the 2nd half of the film, hence its position in my list.
Drive Angry started off well, explosions, limbs being torn off, & Nicolas Cage hamming it up. Unfortunately, it tailed off later on & lost my interest. Then to Transformers 3 - well, it was better than the 2nd film (which deserves to be forgotten) and was the only one to actually have a good story, but its letdown was the numerous explosions that werent needed. Someone please take Michael Bay off this series now!
20. Scream 4
19. Conan the Barbarian
18. The Thing (Prequel)
17. Paranormal Activity 3
16. The Green Hornet
15. Super 8
14. Green Lantern
13. Bad Teacher
12. Paul
11. The Hangover Part II
Scream 4 misses out on the top 10 due to predictability (aka me working the killers out within 30 minutes), but it gets no lower as its the Scream series which I love. Conan the Barbarian was full of hack & slash moments, and may have got higher if I had ever seen the originals, but commend it for the numerous topless wenches in it, as well as Ron Fucking Perlman.
The Thing Prequel was an entertaining film, that answered a lot of the questions raised in John Carpenters Thing, but it lacked the suspense of the original, and the CGI work was crap compared to the original. Still worth a watch though, but not worth a higher position. Paranormal Activity 3 was actually suprisingly good, with a few good ghostly moments (much better than the 2nd one) but let down by a crap ending. Hopefully this will be the end of it, but no doubt they will find enough of a story for Paranormal Activity 4...
The Green Hornet was Seth Rogens chance to shine & was enjoyable but the story wasn't great & what was the point of Cameron Diaz? Seth Rogen is a comedy genius so he gets away with it, but no higher position for the film... Super 8 had the potential to be amazing, and it was except for the ending which was Spielberg shmaltz at its finest, and was very predictable. How about an alien movie without a happy ending for once in a while? Green Lantern was a comic book film that actually reminded me of a comic book. Plus Ryan Reynolds is fricking funny. Shame it seemed to just start then end, and with bad press it looks likely that a sequel wont be made, which is a shame!
Bad Teacher is not like Bad Santa, but it does feature Cameron Diaz in minimal clothing after a boob job. I was put off by Justin Timberlake dry-humping her leg tho. Not a bad film but very similar to a film called Mr Woodcock (which starred Billy Bob Thornton, who was Bad Santa). Paul, on the other hand, was an exceptionally good film with a good story & good comedy, and narrowly missed out on a top 10 spot, mainly due to the Hangover Part II which I enjoyed immensely, although it was basically the first film set elsewhere. I ummed-and-ahhed about putting this in the top 10, but in the end a spot outside it just makes sense (at least to me).
10. Bridesmaids
09. Hall Pass
08. The Adjustment Bureau
07. Grave Encounters
06. Horrible Bosses
05. Limitless
04. Source Code
Bridesmaids was hilarious & proved to be the same sort of comedy as the Hangover Part II, but as it was fresh it just sneaked ahead of it and made the top 10. Kristen Wiig showed she can handle the lead in comedies after Paul, so more like this please! Hall Pass was one of those films where I thought I wouldnt enjoy it (slow start syndrome) but it was actually fricking funny, albeit with too much sausage on show. Well worth a watch, and Jenna Fischer is hotttttttt!
The Adjustment Bureau was an excellent thinker that I thought would be boring when I started watching it. It starts off as a political thriller but becomes this tale of fate & destiny where you can move between places with just the opening of a door. Missed out on the top 5 by just a smidgen tho, everything in the top 10 is close... Grave Encounters was a film that I wanted to see as soon as I saw the trailer - this has it all, scares, creepiness & some comedy, with the effects being amazing. It was let down by a less-than-stellar ending, but a good horror nonetheless, as well as being a satire on reality ghosthunt shows.
Horrible Bosses has many a star turn in it - Justin Bateman, Charlie Day, Kevin Spacey, Colin Farrell & Jennifer Aniston are all amazing in it, its funny as fuck & Jennifer looks amazing when she wears next to nothing, despite her left boob being saggier than her right one (keep an eye out for it, you will see it). Limitless was a fantastic story & I loved how the book was brought to screen. What I would do for one of those pills...Bradley Cooper shows that he can actually do more than comedy, and this film is well worth a watch! Source Ode was also fantastic, maybe cos I grew up watching Quantum Leap. This sci-fi tale of body-swapping & bomb-hunting was fantastic, but what do you expect from the director that brought us Moon. David Bowies son knows his stuff!
03. The Inbetweeners Movie
02. Captain American: The First Avenger
01. Rise of the Planet of the Apes
So, top 3 time, and the Inbetweeners Movie gets things going, with a good mix of gross-out and laugh out loud comedy. I will miss the show but I loved the way they ended the Inbetweeners world. I will be watching this tonight, as well as trying to bust out the dancing as often as possible...
Captain America was the quintissential superhero movie - the CGI in making Chris Evans weedy was amazing, and the story & geek out moments were fantastic! This was the first superhero movie I've seen in many years that had me hooked from beginning to end.
Finally, ny favourite film of the year, Rise of the Planet of the Apes. I didn't want to see this when the trailers came out, but I caved in and watched it at the cinema. Am I glad I did! It was an amazing film that answered so many questions & wasnt over the top as well. Andy Serkis does chimps proud with his take as Ceasar, and James Franco & John Lithgow give amazing performances. Its a shame that a Brit has to be the bad guy, but we do make good villains, so in the scheme of things its not that big a thing. Am looking forward to the sequel (I hear its been green-lighted) & can only hope that it improves upon this fantastic (and tear-jerking) film!
There were a number of films released in 2011 that I haven't had the chance to see as yet (though I do own some of these) that I may watch, so I can't comment on these quite yet, but they will be hard put to beat Rise of the Planet of the Apes as my favourite film of the year:
A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas
The Adventures of Tintin
Attack the Block
Cowboys & Aliens
The Dilemma
Drive
Fast Five
Fright Night (Remake)
Hanna
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Hop
Johnny English Reborn
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
The Muppets
Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides
Real Steel
Sherlock Holmes: a Game of Shadows
The Smurfs
Unknown
X-Men: First Class
Tuesday, 6 December 2011
Christmas and the music associated to it
Its been a few weeks since I last blogged about anything, so I feel its high time to get back on the blogging horse and entertain the "masses" (by that, I mean the 2 or 3 people that read this blog). My choice of topic today? Christmas.
Now, I like this time of year. The dark evenings highlight the Christmas lights well, and I enjoy the practice of giving gifts (I think its more fun than getting anything, as I can pretty much buy anything I need these days). I know its more for the kids, but do you know the one thing that really grinds my gears? The lack of recent (and good) christmas songs.
Where did we go wrong? If you pick up the numerous Christmas Hits albums released at this time of year, you can guarantee that you'll have the same songs on there (Slade, Shakin Stevens, Roy Wizzard, Band Aid, The Pogues, etc). From 1990 onwards, the highlights of our Christmas songs are East 17 (Stay Another Day), The Spice Girls (2 Become 1), Mr Blobby (Mr Blobby) and Bob the fricking Builder (Can We Fix It).
Do record companies look at the UK and think "They're retards, they'll buy anything!"? I think Christmas 2009 proved them wrong with Killing in the Name of. But as each year comes around, I long for someone to release a truly great Christmas song. Or just re-release Zig & Zags classic Them Girls, Them Girls, They All Love Me. But no more Cliff Richard. Unless its the Living Doll version with the Young Ones.
For reference, my top ten favourite Christmas songs are as follows:
1. The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale In New York
2. Queen - Thank God Its Christmas
3. Elton John - Step Into Christmas
4. Slade - Merry Christmas Everybody
5. Band Aid - Do They Know Its Christmas
6. Wizzard - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday
7. Shakin' Stevens - Merry Christmas Everyone
8. Mel Smith & Kim Wilde - Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
9. John Lennon & Yoko Ono - Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
10. The Darkness - Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End)
More blogs to follow!
Now, I like this time of year. The dark evenings highlight the Christmas lights well, and I enjoy the practice of giving gifts (I think its more fun than getting anything, as I can pretty much buy anything I need these days). I know its more for the kids, but do you know the one thing that really grinds my gears? The lack of recent (and good) christmas songs.
Where did we go wrong? If you pick up the numerous Christmas Hits albums released at this time of year, you can guarantee that you'll have the same songs on there (Slade, Shakin Stevens, Roy Wizzard, Band Aid, The Pogues, etc). From 1990 onwards, the highlights of our Christmas songs are East 17 (Stay Another Day), The Spice Girls (2 Become 1), Mr Blobby (Mr Blobby) and Bob the fricking Builder (Can We Fix It).
Do record companies look at the UK and think "They're retards, they'll buy anything!"? I think Christmas 2009 proved them wrong with Killing in the Name of. But as each year comes around, I long for someone to release a truly great Christmas song. Or just re-release Zig & Zags classic Them Girls, Them Girls, They All Love Me. But no more Cliff Richard. Unless its the Living Doll version with the Young Ones.
For reference, my top ten favourite Christmas songs are as follows:
1. The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale In New York
2. Queen - Thank God Its Christmas
3. Elton John - Step Into Christmas
4. Slade - Merry Christmas Everybody
5. Band Aid - Do They Know Its Christmas
6. Wizzard - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday
7. Shakin' Stevens - Merry Christmas Everyone
8. Mel Smith & Kim Wilde - Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
9. John Lennon & Yoko Ono - Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
10. The Darkness - Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End)
More blogs to follow!
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