• 31Aug 08

  25 films to see before you die.

  Hey guys, remember me? It has been a while since I've done anything on the blog scene, there are reasons for my low activity, but they are no for in blog discussion... although I suppose I should explain why I have failed to comment your blogs and post blogs myself through the month of August. I have failed thus far to get to grips with the new gamespot community layout, as such I have been unable to find everyone's blog as easily, and so have been rather put off posting a new blog myself.

  But hey, you aren't here for excuses, so lets jump right into the list... the titles of films will be highlighted, this will send you to the imdb profile, this saves me the hassle of giving a plot synopsis, instead I will just say why I like the films and then I will provide you with the poster or DVD box... Oh and we still have the booby price of "Worst ever" at the bottom of the blog

  So here we go...

  25.

  Natural Born Killers : Oliver Stone's 1994 blood soaked film, is in my opinion highly underrated, the $tyle is difficult to access for a mainstream film, however I very much admire Stone's drive to actually put together a film like this one. And Robert Downey Jr is great as a TV presenter trivialising Serial murder. Also look out for possibly a career worst performance from Tommy Lee Jones.

  24.

  Kids : Larry Clark managed to put together one of the most harrowing films ever with Kids in 1995. It's upfront way of tackling a very serious issue makes it a very worrying picture. Although inferior to Larry Clark's later film "Bully" the fact that it tackles this issue which most people wouldn't touch with a barge pole means that it deserves it place in this list.

  23.

  This Is England : Shane Meadows' very distinct film making is present here, and Thomas Turgoose is a revelation. A deeply moving film that has put Meadows in the lime light... well at least in the UK.

  22.

  4 Months 3 Weeks & 2 Days : A beautifully made film that showed me that Romania is a real force in film making. It is a grim tale, but non the less has some very important things to say in its ever present social commentary. It is also a real eye opener as to living in a communist regime.

  21.

  Lost In Translation : Bill Murray shines through in this wonderful piece. It is funny, thought provoking and heart warming all at the same time, with a perfect ending. Also I'd like to mention the great soundtrack assembled by Kevin Shields, the use of "Just Like Honey" at the end is simply perfect.

  20.

  Rushmore : Hilarious, yet very real, Rushmore is the template for the Wes Anderson $tyle that followed, on par with The Royal Tennebaums Anderson uses his unique mix of comedy and drama to put together this film. A real must see for fans of cinema, it not only redefined Bill Murray as an actor, but also has become a very influential film in terms of $tyle Would we have Little Miss Sunshine or Juno without Rushmore? Perhaps not.

  19.

  Full Metal Jacket : Stanley Kubrick's stab at the war genre is astonishing. The first half, a great boot camp film, that culminates in a demonic Private Pyle, the second half a highly underrated war film. The second half is in my opinion every bit as good as the first. Harrowing, with a message, and let's not forget The Rolling Stones.

  18.

  Crash (1996) : David Cronenberg's 1996 film Crash is a vile film. Yet there is something about it, that is so cold, and alien and monotone that makes it so brilliant. It isn't a vibrant film, it is dark and some would say tasteless, but there is something poetic about it, something that I can't personally quite put my finger on that makes it so fantastic. It really has to be seen to be believed, but i think it is a love it or hate it type of film.

  17.

  Blue Velvet : David Lynch's take on suburban America is one of the greats of the 80s. Dennis Hopper provides an evil performance as Frank Booth. It is a challenging film, that makes your brain work hard, but in the end isn't that what you want from cinema...

  16.

  Short Cuts : What is for me, Robert Altman's best film, Short Cuts offers a brilliant look into the lives of several LA residents. It fits its 3 hour run time brilliantly and never is dull. Awesome acting all round and some brilliant stories to tell. I thoroughly recommend this picture if you are yet to see it.

  15.

  Elephant : A quiet film from Gus Van Sant, despite the fact it is mostly people walking down corridors it is endlessly captivating. Never exploitative, it doesn't provide answers to the questions it poses, it is simply a window into an event that is too shocking for normal people to explain.

  14.

  Apocalypse Now : Francis Ford Coppola's vietnam epic is truly awesome. It is disturbing, violent and in places, funny. Forget the redux version, it is the original cut that is truly excellent, the redux version is marred by unnecessary scenes, the original is brilliant through and through.

  13.

  Dog Day Afternoon : Sidney Lumet's C1assic stars Al Pacino and John Cazale (the man who could have been one of the greatest actors of all time). John Cazale gives what I believe is his finest performance on screen, and Al Pacino gives an equally good performance. Also the film has aged very well, some of the issues covered such as homosexuality are covered in a way that shows no bias, there is no pro or con, the character simply is. All in all a great great film.

  12.

  Se7en : Seven is David Fincher's serial killer flick. It is also the ultimate serial killer film. Intelligent, and well written, well acted and well directed. It keeps the viewer guessing til the final moments, and has one of the best twists in modern cinema. A particularly good performance from Kevin Spacey.

  11.

  Happiness : Happiness is anything but. It is a dark and deeply disturbing film, yet it has a sense of humour that makes it brilliant. The darkest comedy drama ever made? probably, pokes fun at things it shouldn't? definitely. No issue is left uncovered in this film, yet it plays out like a more daring American Beauty, perhaps not quite as good, but it stands out more. Philip Seymour Hoffman is particularly good in this film.

  10.

  Inland Empire : What is, for me, David Lynch's Magnum Opus. Gloriously weird, the most disturbing events unfold, that will leave your brain in thought for weeks after your first viewing. Well shot using digital filming techniques Inland Empire is Lynch's greatest work to date. Without question.

  9.

  Magnolia : Paul Thomas Anderson's 3 hour epic, follows the lives of several different people in need. It is a poetic film that is so deep it takes several viewings to truly appreciate. And the finale has to be seen to be believed. Also Tom Cruise gives an excellent performance, something which I thought he could never do.

  8.

  City of God : A harrowing tale of life in Rio. It is an important film, that brings to life real, but otherwise alien situations. Superbly directed, acted and the like.

  7.

  Fight Club : David Fincher's nilistic end of 20th Century Chuck Palahniuk adaption is brilliant. Everything has a dark tone, from the film $tyle to the story. Perhaps it trails off a tad towards the final act, but what a final act it is. The film is as good as the book and brings everything truly to life, the casting is perfect and the films ideals resonate with the view for a long time afterwards.

  6.

  One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest : This is the best example of perfect casting I can give. It seems as though every actor had their role written for them. Mix this with a beautiful story and some amazing direction and you have one of the greatest films of all time. When it reaches its climax, there won't be a dry eye in the house.

  5.

  There Will Be Blood : PT Andersons newest film shows he really is the next film maker to watch. The brilliance of his direction, the scope of his vision all make for an awesome film. Mix that with Daniel Day Lewis in an almost demonic role as Daniel Plainview and you have what is one of the best films of the decade.

  4.

  Blade Runner : Blade Runner is the be all and end all of Science Fiction films for me. The plot line is awesome and always provokative, the acting is stellar, and the direction is awesome. Ridley Scott's vision manages to create a whole city of the future, that is every bit as exciting now as it was 26 years ago.

  3.

  Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb : Stanley Kubrick's cold war comedy is probably the funniest thing ever committed to film. Peter Sellers shines is what is, for me, his best role(s). And its satire is every bit as important now as it was then. The cold war may well be over, but the possibility of mutually assured destruction is always existent. "Gentlemen, you can't fight in here, this is the war room!"

  2.

  Amores Perros : Alejandro González Iñárrit's first and so far best film. It is a film of real depth, relying heavily on symbolism and metaphors. Its story jumps around with true to life chaos, portraying the lives of several individuals brilliantly. It is in a way perfect, it also opened my eyes to actor Gael Garcia Bernal, who is excellent in everything I've seen him in since.

  1.

  Taxi Driver : Taxi Driver is a film you need to see. One mans view of a city that is sick, follow him down a dark and twisting route to the films climatic scene. I don't want to give anything away to those who are yet to see Taxi Driver. My recommendation should be enough to make you go right out and see it...You will not be disappointed.

  And now, for the worst films I've seen...

  5. Dunston Checks In

  4. The Three Ninjas

  3. Scary Movie 2

  2. Star Wars Episode 2 : Attack of The Clone(more a horrible disappointment)

  1.Batman and Robin

  So there you go, thats that. I thought I was never going to get round to doing my "25 ______ to _______ before you die" blogs... but there is a second one.

  I hope I inspire you to see some of the films mentioned there. If you do, give me feedback on them. Also tell me what you think of the list, are there any films I missed that you would have put in?

  It is what comments are for

  • Posted Aug 31, 2008 7:15 am PT
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• 3Aug 08

  OMG 10k post party...

  Find it here

  Enjoy

  Also, according to my tracked blogs, it would appear, I am tracking myself

  • Posted Aug 3, 2008 10:16 am PT
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• 26Jul 08

  The Dark Knight. Samwel_X's Afterthoughts.

  After a long wait I have finally seen the caped crusader's second outing.

  

  For those of you who have been living under a rock for the last 2 months, the plot is as follows. A new criminal is in town, this is of course, The Joker, he schemes to kill Batman by wreaking havoc throughout Gotham city. At the same time Gotham's White Night Harvey Dent aims to make Gotham a better place for everyone, meanwhile Batman himself is doing his own thing catching criminals, yet Batman soon turns his attention to the Joker problem. What unfolds is 2 and a half hours of tense action. The trailer can be seen here.

  Heath Ledger is the main talking point in the public eye at the moment. Far better than Jack Nicholson, Ledger plays the Joker as a sheer madman, bringing one of his better performances to screen. His performance in the Dark Knight would have thrust him into the mainstream as a much sought after actor, however earlier this year, as I'm sure you all know Ledger passed away. Although as far as final completed performances go, he has gone out on a great one. Yet there is talk of an Oscar for him, I do not doubt that he will get a supporting actor nomination (if not win it), but I'm not sure his performance (while it was brilliant) was Oscar worthy. The Joker as a character is completely insane, and as a result Ledger's performance lacks another dimension that it would have needed to make it his best performance, yet I cannot fault Ledger for that, rather it was a problem with the way the Joker was written all those years ago. That said Ledger plays what will become an icon. 10 years time and you will see T-shirts and posters with The Joker's face plastered across them. Much like Brandon Lee's make up laden face from his posthumous flick "The Crow".

  

  And now for the rest of the cast. I think Christian Bale was great as Bruce Wayne and Batman. As Wayne he has a sort of cocky nature, not too far removed from his Patrick Bateman character from "American Psycho". This arrogant type seems a far more likely character of a billionaire than the Wayne of Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer or *shudder* George Clooney. I'm pretty sure Bale will have the most overlooked performance of the year. Aaron Eckhart is equally good as idealist DA Harvey Dent. His initial character, and what he becomes in the films final chapter show a real depth to his acting. The shift in character is flawless and his actions at the end of the film become understandable through his acting, he carried the final scene with a manic streak that matched that of The Joker, showing that Eckhart was as good as Ledger, if not better, had Ledger still been with us, perhaps people would be saying it was Eckhart's show. Although in the second act he waived slightly and was less impressive...

  
  ***SPOILER***

  And he was a damn sight better than Tommy Lee Jones as Twoface

  
  

  ... Gary Oldman was on form as ever as Lt. Gordon. Although his lines closing the film seemed rather unlikely. Maggie Gylenhaal (which evidently I can't spell) was superior to Katie Holmes as Rachael Dawes, although her character seemed a little unfinished, and her decision between the two men she loved seemed lost some of the magic of her being torn between the two men. Yet, that choice was integral to Aaron Eckhart's performance so I can see why it was included., Morgon Freeman was okay reprising his role as Fox, but he failed to stand out, and I must say was the least memorable character this time around. And Micheal Caine was... well Michael Caine, but hey, who is better at playing Michael Caine than Michael Caine? He also once again got some of the funnier lines in the picture, and gave some comic relief to what was a fairly dark, and in places bleak film.

  Christopher Nolan has also assured a position up with the Hollywood main players with this film. Until Batman Begins he was flirting with the mainstream, but I think being behind this second Batman picture has finally given him the push he needed to settle into that Hollywood elite, taking an action film, and more importantly a comic book adaption and doing something different with it. Gone were all the cliche shots that seem to be the norm in all superhero films, and there was some fairly beautiful cinematography, brilliantly portraying Gotham as this grand and goth city, and it was in a way one of the more admirable aspects of this film. As the caped crusader gazes over the city the viewer can't help but feel a sense of awe at the city lights at night. The use of dim lighting was particularly effective in conveying a sense of tension, yet also managed to convey the idea of both Hero and Villain being neither Hero or Villain. Just being two people doing a dance of death with the city of Gotham at stake. Also he refrained from the over use of CGI which in today's fast paced action world is admirable. Hopefully it will come as a revelation to those CGI abusing action film scumbags... Although people saying Nolan will be the next Kubrick are wrong, that position is reserved for Paul Thomas Anderson. However, I could easily see Nolan becoming the next Michael Mann, take that as a complement or not, my views of Michael Mann are not important or relevant to this review.

  

  Yet the film's real strengths, and also it's biggest weakness lies with it's writing. The Nolan brothers have proved themselves as a good writing team, and for the most part of The Dark Knight it shows. The writing works because if you were to remove costumes and masks from the protagonist and antagonist, you would have a good thriller rather than a superhero film. Some people have stated that it "isn't a superhero film, it is a crime thriller". I disagree with that, it is a superhero film, but it could also double up as a crime thriller. As a result the film works on an adult level. While kids (although for a 12a or PG-13 it is very strong, and I personally wouldn't take anyone younger than 10 to see it) will love seeing Batman beat up bad guys, adults can enjoy the film from its writing point of view. The film is also very issue driven, bringing moral dilemma's to the fray regularly, but this is also the films downfall. Perhaps there were one too many moral dilemmas, the film just seems contrived in how many messages it gives across, and as a superhero action film I don't think it can quite carry the weight of its ideas. They contribute vastly to the films running time, and 2 and a half hours is a long time. Ultimately I think the Dark Knight could have got away with being 15 minutes shorter. Another problem is that there are some unnecessary characters, did Cillian Murphy really need to reprise his role as Scarecrow for 10 minutes? I didn't think so.

  

  All in all, despite several flaws The Dark Knight is really a fantastic film. And while it is far from perfect, much like it's flawed hero it still manages to be in the grand scheme of things for the greater good.

  8/10

  Although "The Crow" is still my favourite super hero film

  • Posted Jul 26, 2008 7:05 am PT
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