Another seven days in Movie Land, and a hell of an interesting one it was. We had Asian anime and fantasy, 90's exploitation action, 80's horror and award-hunting drama. There are some fantastic movies I would highly recommend from this week. Try your best to catch them on a high def screen, the bigger the better! Over half of the movies this week I was catching for the first time, and for most of them, it won't be the last. Onto the flicks...........
January 22nd - Shame
Otherwise known as the movie where 'Little Magneto' is the star of the show. This is a movie that had Oscar hunting written all over it, and I must admit I'm surprised that it has been nominated for next to nothing. The story follows Michael Fassbender (surely one of the best acting talents working today), and his descent into sexual addiction. A man who thinks he just has a healthy appetite for the ladies, gradually begins to crave physical contact in any form, in the end be it male or female. Love? Forget about it. Throw in an enfant terrible in the form of his sister, played by Carey Mulligan, and you have a recipe for disaster. Make no mistake, this is a tough watch. There is tons of full frontal nudity, coarse and sexual offensive language as well as same sex relations. It's one of those 'serious' films that runs classical music over the top of ridiculous imagery and it will be considered art. It has definitely left an impression on me, and I will be curious to check it out again in the future. But I'm in no rush. Definitely worth catching once though.
8/10
January 23rd - They Live
A John Carpenter movie starring the one and only Rowdy Roddy Piper. It does exactly what it says on the tin. And a little bit more. It starts out slowly enough, with Piper's Nada (literally 'nothing' - not sure if that's lazy or inspired writing!) arriving in Los Angeles, looking for work. He starts on a construction site and makes some friends, who put him up in a homeless community for the night. He sees some strange goings on at the church across the road, and decides to investigate. Inside he sees a band of people forming a resistance, and they happen to have some special glasses, which allow people to see the world as it really is.....At its base level, this is a simple 'Aliens taking over the world story', but it has hidden depths about consumerism and the effect of television and advertising on the waking world. The ideas are maybe a bit too big for its budget, but I guess that's part of its charm. Plus it has a 5 minute fight sequence between two best friends who are arguing over one of them wearing the special glasses for the first time. Choreographed by a WWF legend. And who doesn't want to see that?
7/10
January 24th - Woochi: The Demon Slayer
Now we are talking. This is another movie from the Cine Asia label, recently released on blu ray and two of the most fun hours of your life waiting to be discovered. The titular character is Woochi, a trickster and magician (trust me, he's definitely a cut above Gob Bluth) in 16th Century Taoist Korea. When his master is killed and he is the number one suspect, he is banished into a painting (yes, really) to be left inanimate forever. But when an ancient evil arises 500 years later, he is released, along with his faithful companion (a dog who takes the form of a man, and forever wishes to be only human), to catch all of the demons and bring peace back to modern day Korea. Throw in 3 useless and disaster laden immortal monks (surely an ode to The Three Stooges), a reincarnation of a 16th century princess and an ambiguous Stoic Villain, and once again Asia is showing so much more imagination than their Hollywood counterparts. This is equal turns farcial, funny, action heavy, heartfelt and sheer ridiculous moviemaking. I thought this was going to be my pick of the week until it was usurped on the last day. But it's a very, very close second.
9/10
January 25th - Collateral
Now this is the kind of movie Hollywood excels at. And when it gets it right, it's hard to beat. Jamie Foxx was nominated for Best supporting actor for his role as Max, an LA cabbie. But I think Tom Cruise was criminally overlooked for his performance as Vincent, a cold hearted assassin. Anyone who has read my blog up until now will know I'm a fan of the Cruiser (hell there's even another guilty pleasure coming up), and this is why. He's an actor who isn't afraid to take risks. Playing a thoroughly cynical and evil guy, he is almost unrecognisible from the matinee idol we are used to seeing. In this movie, Vincent has five hits to make in one night, and through a chance meeting, it is Max's bad luck that he has been chosen to be his driver. This is a great thriller, with some fantastic action set pieces thrown in. Hardly surprising, when you factor in Michael Mann as the director. This is second only to Heat in his repertoire, though Collateral also suffers a little in the same way as Heat, where they make the bad guy so charismatic that you want him to get away with it. But as we all know, Hollywood don't do bad guys not getting their comeuppance! Still though, great moviemaking.
9/10
January 26th - Desperado
I watched this at 2am, after a pretty long shift, and I just wanted to turn my brain off. In other words, I watched this at the perfect time. A couple of beers to go with it, this was Robert Rodriguez'sfirst major Hollywood flick, after the minor miracle that was El Mariachi. Antonio Banderas is hunting for the crimelord who murdered his girlfriend. And that is it. Well, we also have to factor in the outrageously hot Salma Hayek in her English language debut I guess....The action in Desperado is superb. It is extremely over the top, wholly unrealistic and hyper violent. It's actually the kind of violence you would expect to see in a comic book or anime, such is its ridiculousness at times. Will forever be one of my favourite action flicks, and was an example of Hollywood being able to match the action theatrics of Tsui Hark and John Woo. Has Rodriguez made a better film on his own since? I'm not so sure. (N.B. Sin City is undoubtedly better, but he only co-created it!)
8/10
January 27th - Cocktail
The guiltiest of guilty pleasures, I make no apology for enjoying this movie. Hot off the success of Top Gun, Tom Cruise was the biggest movie star on the planet. As the 80's were coming to a close, people were starting to wean themselves off of Arnie, Sly et al, and instead preferred a man who stands about 5 feet tall but has charisma to burn. Cocktail further endorsed that perception. It follows Bryan Flanaghan (don't you just love Hollywood scriptwriters attempts at names with an Irish heritage?), who comes back from a few years in the service with dreams of making it in New York. As door after door is shut in his face, he ends up working in a bar, taken under the wing of Bryan Brown's Aussie Coglan. A man who has seen it all and has a soundbite for all occasions (or Coglan's law if you will). After Bryan learns that Coglan's made a move on his girlfriend (a young Gina Gershon), he ups sticks for Jamaica (as you do), where he uses his bar skills and charm to woo the ladies. It goes on from there after he meets Elisabeth Shue, and ends up back in New York again, hoping to make 'Cocktails & Dreams' a reality. This is not just fluff piece, there are some genuinely dark moments (especially Coglan's eventual fate). But you know that Bryan is going to be treated kindly by the powers that be in the end. And isn't that what we all want in a guilty pleasure? A movie where the end is not in doubt, but makes you smile
8/10
January 28th - Redline
And so we come to my pick of the week. This is a Japanese anime movie, 100% hand drawn, and you can see the love and imagination in every frame. Incredibly, this movie took 7 years to make. That is some amount of dedication, and it doesn't go unnoticed as this is quite simply one of the most beautiful things your eyes will ever settle upon. I'm pretty sure if I took drugs and watched Driving Miss Daisy, this is what I would see. This is the movie all of the Fast and the Furious movies combined wish they were. The story follows JP, a reckless but amazingly gifted race car driver, who throws a race to help out his friend, but manages to qualify for the much heralded Redline Main Event by default (the two sweetest words in the English language Simpsons fans). The race will take place on a hostile planet, who are worried if the race is broadcast all over the galaxy, that their national defences and security will be exposed. So we have a war movie one minute, and a race car movie the next. And it all gels perfectly. I cannot recommend this movie enough. I have even put a trailer below, but it will in no way do it justice. For this, you need the blu ray, a big ass tv and the volume turned up to 11. My final tip would be to watch the English dubbed version as the voice work is actually very good, and you won't want to miss a single frame whilst reading the subtitles. Cracking soundtrack as well. This will be watched again, and pretty damn soon. Those damn Asians, they just keep blowing my movie watching mind......
10/10
And there we have it, almost a month down! Hope you guys are enjoying this as much as I'm enjoying the movies and also that you discover a few movies you maybe wouldn't have heard of before. Remember to click follow to receive updates. This week I have Brick, hopefully finally Warrior and Scarface on my radar.
See you back next week. Maybe not the same Bat time, but definitely the same Bat channel.
This week was a curious mix of comedy, superhero movies, animation and Foreign gems. It's almost become routine to watch a movie a day now, and I'm enjoying the hell out of it. Remember to click follow while you're here and get updates when they're ready. Some great recommendations this week, check it out.
January 15th - X-Men
Long before Batman Begins, Spiderman or Iron Man came along, there was Bryan Singer's X-Men. This was before Comic book movies had built in mass audiences, and Batman & Robin had seemingly killed off any desire of the movie going public to see them again any time soon. An unknown Aussie was cast as the iconic Wolverine, Shakespearean Thesps such as Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart were cast as Magneto and Professor X. The trailers slowly came out, and anticipation started to build. This could be the real deal. A $50 million dollar opening weekend later, and suddenly Superhero movies were cool again. This was no over the top, colourful kids movie. X Men was dark, dealt with the holocaust and themes of acceptance. It was a comic book movie made for adults, with the merchandising and toylines an afterthought instead of a priority. A standout movie at the time, it's still an entertaining flick. But the bar has been raised since and it may not be quite as good as you remember. It seems to me that just as it was getting started, the movie ended. X2 picks up beautifully and is clearly a superior movie (will make it my movie of the day soon), but there is no doubt of the important role that the original X-Men movie played.
7/10
January 16th - The Inbetweeners Movie
I've never been into The Inbetweeners. I caught one or two episodes and it always seemed to me to be trying too hard to be shocking and disgusting. Maybe I was just unlucky. There's always a time for disgusting humour, hell the Farrelly Brothers have made a career out of it. But the episodes I saw were just cringeworthy and not particularly funny. That being said, I caught the trailer to this a few weeks ago and wondered if you would have needed to be a fan to enjoy it. It turns out, you could come to this as a newbie like me and still enjoy it. The plot is the simplest in the world. Four friends from school all go off on a lads holiday in search of 'clunge' (that's women to you and me). And that's pretty much it. But it's always about the characters, and although The Inbetweeners are all cliched characters (thick one who's good with ladies, bragger who isn't, geek and the one who always wants to have a girlfriend), it's their friendship that comes across as genuine. It's a rites of passage movie, an American Pie for the Brits. And it's also disgusting and funny in equal measures. It doesn't always work, but if you don't laugh at the Headmaster's speech as the start, then I'm afraid you're a little dead inside.
7/10
January 17th - Jumper
An original superhero movie, not based on an existing comic book, but based on a book and adapted by one of the writers of X-Men 2? Where do I sign? Unfortunately, this is a movie where the ideas are fantastic, some of them are well executed, but it all just feels so underwhelming and undercooked. Hayden Christensen is actually on good form here (calm down Star Wars geeks, he's not that bad an actor!) as the cocky Jumper of the title. All he has to do is picture a place, and boom, he's there. Some of the imagery is fantastic, from standing on the clock hands of Big Ben to lunching on the top of The Sphinx. The only regret he's ever had is an unfulfilled crush from his childhood (isn't there always a girl?), so he goes off in search of her. At the same time, there are agents who are out to punish those who have this ability, citing that 'only god should have the power to be everywhere at once'. It's almost as if that line was written specifically for Samuel L. Jackson, as he chews the scenery as one of those agents. There are a couple of good action sequences, and the discovery of another Jumper who's played by Billy Elliot. There are hints at a bigger war and also mysterious family ties to this ability. But again, like X-Men, it seems to end just as it's getting going. The movie is only 85 minutes long, and you can't help but feel that another half hour of this would improve the movie dramatically. Well, that, or a sequel.
6/10
January 18th - Hot Shots Part Deux
Remember when Charlie Sheen was more known for being a movie star, with a range from dramatic to comedic, and not just a cheap punchline on Twitter? Don't get me wrong, I like many others, watched on intrigued by his very public meltdown. But here is a reminder of why he was once a highly bankable actor. Admittedly, Hot Shots Part Deux hasn't aged that well. The last time I watched it was years ago, and I remember it being side splittingly funny. And while that isn't the case anymore, there is still some fun to be had here, especially with Lloyd Bridges President Tug Benson. For similar movies I'd probably go with the Naked Gun movies now. Altogether now - 'I loved you in Wall Street!'
6/10
January 19th - Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame
How's that for a movie title? I first came across this movie as it was heavily advertised in DC Comics for the last few weeks. Being a creature of impulse I saw it was £6.99 on Amazon for the blu ray and just ordered it. So glad that I did. This is part of the Cine Asia label, that is collecting the works of Jackie Chan, Donnie Yen, Jet Li amongst others, and giving them a bit of spit and polish for Western blu ray audiences. These are unfortunately not movies that you will see inheriting your local multiplex. And that is such a shame as there is more inventiveness, innovation and breathtaking beauty in these movies than 95% of Hollywood's output. Detective Dee is set in 9th Century China, as they are about to inaugurate their first Empress. A series of murders start to occur, and even though he has been imprisoned for 8 years, there is no-one better than Detective Dee to investigate the case. Think of Sherlock Holmes meets Bruce Lee and you're almost there. The action is superb, the cinematography exquisite and it is funny as well. Highly recommended. Brilliantly bonkers filmmaking and the standout movie of the week.
9/10
January 20th - Batman: Year One
This is an odd title to review. The graphic novel by Frank Miller is iconic, and this sticks very closely to it. The animation is very good, and Bryan Cranston is perfect for Lieutenant James Gordon. But it just doesn't quite work. For one, having Ryan from The OC voicing Bruce Wayne / Batman is such an idiotic choice it's not even funny. And it all just feels so unnecessary. Batman Begins took a lot of inspiration from the graphic novel, and as a movie interpretation of the beginnings of The Dark Knight, Nolan's movie is pretty much the benchmark. Batman: Year One covers the first year of Batman, as Bruce Wayne returns from over 15 years in exile. In the comics, having the time and date jump around is pretty standard. In a movie, it's pretty jarring and some scenes are mere seconds long. As I say, it's a pretty faithful adaptation. But what works in comics, doesn't always translate well to the screen. Buy the graphic novel instead.
6/10
January 21st - Horrible Bosses
I actually caught this at the cinema. At the time, I was really looking forward to it being a fan of Jason Bateman, Kevin Spacey and Colin Farrell. I'll admit, I was pretty underwhelmed. There were bits and pieces that were funny but it just wasn't as good as I expected. So I approached a repeat viewing with a bit more caution. And although it wasn't amazing, it certainly held up. The story is basically three guys who would like to kill their bosses but don't want to spend 25 to life in jail. So they trade murders and go about trying to make them look like accidents. As I say, there is some fun to be had with the movie, but in places it feels like a missed opportunity. It needed more of Colin Farrell's scumbag boss, more of 'Motherfucka' Jones and maybe a bit less of trying to show everyone Rachel from Friends swearing and talking dirty. This is funny to a point, but I think they take it a bit far as it was probably their best marketing tool. As I say, above average but there are certainly better comedies out there.
6/10
And there you have it, week 3 done and dusted. Next week I have Shame, They Live and Woochi: The Demon Slayer (another from my new favourite label Cine Asia) lined up. May finally get round to watching Warrior as well! As I say, remember to click follow and I'll see you here next week!
So week 2 begins. I have indeed kept up to date with a movie a day. The only day where it became a struggle was after the 14 hour shift from hell on Saturday. Luckily, Ghostbusters will help me through any funk! I was also made aware during the week that this is in fact a leap year, therefore adding one extra movie to the slate. Just my luck! Any suggestions for February 29th? Best I've heard so far is Groundhog Day, feel free to top it. Just know that if you suggest the sh*tty rom-com that is in fact called Leap Year, you're no longer welcome to view my blog!
Anyway, to the movies!
January 8th - 50/50
Anyone who has kept up to date with my blog will know I'm a fan of Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He consistently makes interesting movie choices and has been in some of my favourites from the last few years - Brick, (500) Days of Summer and Inception to name but a few. Seth Rogen? Pretty much the opposite. I tend to avoid any movie he's in as he essentially just plays his role from Knocked Up Every. Single. Time. And Knocked Up wasn't even that great! But here, they make perfect best friends, dealing with Gordon-Levitt's character developing cancer. It's a strange balance the movie has to keep between humour and serious subject matter, but it just about manages it. It's also a movie with a lot of hope and an ending that will warm the heart. Just don't go into it believing that this is along the same lines as Superbad. It's much better than that. Definitely recommend you check this out.
8/10
January 9 - Rear Window
My birthday? Only one movie was ever going to be watched and that is Alfred Hitchcock's greatest cinematic achievement - 1954's Rear Window. The poster hangs proudly framed on my wall. It astounds me that this movie was made nearly 60 years ago. Back in a time where special effects were not the be all and end all of movie making. When the script was the most important aspect of any movie. When Hitch was at the height of his creative powers. James Stewart was the most bankable movie star on the planet, and Grace Kelly the most beautiful. There is not a single wasted frame, a single wasted line. Everything is just perfect. This is my go to movie whatever the occasion. It follows James Stewart's photographer, who after getting a little too close to the action at a racing circuit, is confined to a wheelchair with nothing to do but 'look out the window at the neighbours all day'. Naturally his mind wanders and he suspects one of them has killed his wife. As well as that there's the lonely woman a few floors down, a newly married couple to his left, a composer struggling with his latest composition to his right, and the biggest danger of all, a girlfriend who wants to tie him down. I really cannot recommend this movie enough. It has hidden depths yet is deceptively playful. Perfection.
10/10
January 10th - Up in the Air
This is a movie I've been wanting to catch for a while. I didn't even let the fact that the man responsible for making the atrocity that is 'Juno' directed this. Highly acclaimed, rewarded at the Oscars and it has George Clooney headlining. Personally I think it's unfair that a man as cool and good looking as George Clooney exists, but he is the definition of a movie star. And it is he who carries this movie. It is about a man who travels around America for 330 days a year, firing people from large companies and helping them through this transitional period of their lives. He is so good at it, that he actually is able to make it sound like he is doing you a favour. This all changes when his company modernises the way they can do their jobs, by firing people over skype and therefore saving themselves the thousands upon thousands of dollars they spend sending their employees in person. To a man who can fit his life 'into a backpack', this is not good news. He has no family close by, no wife or girlfriend and the most minimalist of apartments. It all changes, as ever, when he falls for a woman...I found this movie to be very uneven. The first half, dealing with this lifestyle and how good he is at living it, is almost playful and light. Then he goes home for a while and it changes into something else. Then he finds out the truth about the woman he has fallen for. Then the company changes their stance again and is going to send agents out on the road. It just switches focus and tone a few too many times for my liking. I enjoyed it to a degree, but certainly wouldn't be in a rush to watch it again.
6/10
January 11th - The Bourne Supremacy
Part 2 of The Bourne Trilogy. And these movies really do just get better as they go along. Paul Greengrass, director of United 93, had come on board to direct this installment and this is where it finds its groove. Bourne is living in India, off the grid, with his girlfriend Marie. He still suffers from crippling flashbacks as he tries to piece his life together from before he was shot. But he is doing so peacefully and staying far away from Treadstone. All this changes when Marie is shot and killed and Bourne is framed for a botched CIA operation in which agents were killed. Bourne sets out to find out what really happened, and find who killed Marie. Along the way he also discovers the details of the flashbacks he's been having of his first ever operation. The action here is fantastic, the story layered and intelligent and the ending strangely poetic yet perfectly fitting for a movie within this genre. It's actually surprising that it's a route that has never been taken before. Suffice to say that once I watched this, Ultimatum was not going to be far behind......ps I don't really think the Bourne movies are anything like the Bond movies, I just thought this was a perfect cartoon drawing of Matt Damon!
9/10
Day 12 - After the Sunset
Well, it had to happen somewhere. There had to be a stinker along the way. I really should have known when the words directed by Brett 'The Hack' Ratner (to give him his full name) popped up on screen, that I was in for a logic free zone, a continually poor attempt at humor (almost always from a homophobic standpoint where two men even being close to each other is supposed to be funny) and a mercifully short running time as ideas where thin on the ground. It all stinks of 'we're Hollywood, let's just get money and fly to paradise and make up a movie as we go along'. The worst thing is that the idea is pretty solid. Most heist movies end with the big score, this one starts with it, and then asks the question - 'what next?'. In a perfect world, this could have been a sequel to The Thomas Crown Affair, with Pierce Brosnan reprising his role, and a bit of grace and intelligence brought to the table. And certainly a better director. As I say, decent ideas, poorly executed. The mark below is almost just for Salma Hayek being in an assortment of bikini's for the whole movie. About the only thing Brett Ratner got right.
3/10
Day 13 - The Bourne Ulimatum
After the movie that I'd had to endure the day before, I needed to have my faith in movies re-established. Look no further than the concluding chapter in the Bourne Trilogy. I know they're currently making another Bourne movie, 'The Bourne Legacy' with Jeremy Renner. I'll reservce judgement until I know more. But at least it won't have Matt Damon in it and therefore this can remain an almost perfect trilogy. Bourne still hasn't put all the pieces back together in his life. He is having more crippling flashbacks of how this all began. A high ranking CIA official is out to sell company secrets, holding talks with a prominent Guardian journalist. Suffice to say, deep cover teams are assigned to take him out. But Bourne would like to question him before they can, and hopefully learn the truth about himself. The structure of these movies is interesting. As they move forward, they actually go backwards in Bournes story. 1st movie - Last assignment. 2nd movie - 1st assignment. 3rd movie - How it all began. Again the action is superb, a hand to hand fight scene my personal highlight. But the script is just so clever and full of ideas and that elusive thing for most Hollywood scriptwriters - logic. Best movie trilogy of all time? It's certainly in with a shout.
10/10
January 14th - Ghostbusters
A 14 hour shift on my first day back to work after a weeks holiday. Over 500 people served during those 14 hours. I was tired, and just glad to be home. I needed a pick me up, something easy to watch but damn enjoyable and worthwhile at the same time. Enter the perfect storm of Ghostbusters. This is a movie that is so revered because of it's 80's roots, and the perfect cast. If this was made today with state of the art effects and a cast of people like Seth Rogen, McLovin and Brett Ratner directing, it would be awful to behold. Luckily they got it perfect the first time and this timeless property should never have to be remade. Following three scientists who study the paranormal, they decide to go into business for themselves when the university they are working in cuts off their funding. Sensing this is a unique and lucrative market, they set themselves up as the Ghostbusters. Perfect timing too, as all the ghouls want to come out to play in New York City. Bill Murray of course, steals the show, but this is a collaborative effort with the script, direction and acting all just jiving to the letter. Altogether now - 'It's true your honour. This man has no dick.' Best putdown ever? May be hard to beat.
10/10
And there it is - week 2 down, only 50 more + change to go! Next week I have The Inbetweeners movie, Warrior, Shame and X-Men on my slate.
Remember to click follow on my blog at the side. Let me know I'm actually writing this for an audience of some kind!
I always have trouble coming up with New Years Resolutions. I don't smoke. I don't want to drink less. I don't want to go running 5 times a week. But on New Years Day this year I finally came up with a good one for a movie lover like me - Watch a movie a day.
It's not going to be easy. On January 3rd I had to watch a movie after a 14 hour shift. Went for Blade Runner as that is a movie that has no problem holding my attention. There may be days I'm not in the mood, but I'll soldier on and go for a movie with a shorter running time!
January 1st - The Bourne Identity
The first part of Jason Bourne's story. This is a trilogy with no weak links, and is one of my favourite trilogies ever made. It may even be the best, though Lord of The Rings, Back to the Future and Toy Story may have something to say about that! The Bourne Identity follow's Matt Damon's amnesiac spy, as he desperately tries to piece his life back together after he is found unconscious in the water with two bullets in his back. The story takes him from Marseille to Zurich finally ending up in Paris. This is a cut above your average thriller, with an intelligent script and great performances. It gave Matt Damon a new lease of life and made James Bond up his game. A great standalone movie which is made even better when watched with the movies that follow them.
9/10
January 2nd - Drive
Along with The Tree of Life, Drive was my favourite movie of last year. It's just so effortlessly cool. From the performances, to the soundtrack and direction. Everything is note perfect and it just washes over you as you watch it. What I think is great about it is that it could have succeeded just as much by following any of the plot threads. It could have been a sports movie about the Driver's Nascar career. It could have been one heist after another as his driving skills were showcased. It could have been a simple romantic movie where the protagonist has a dark secret. Instead they made a realistic Superhero movie with the Driver being indestructible in protecting a woman and her son. Any justice and this would be sniffing around the Oscars. But they don't tend to reward movies that have the main character stomping a man's head into pulp. But they should do.....
10/10
January 3rd - Blade Runner
Forget Star Wars, 2001: A Space Odyssey or E.T., Blade Runner is THE definitive Science Fiction movie. It features Harrison Ford's best ever performance as Rick Deckard (Given that this man played Han Solo and Indiana Jones, this is no small compliment). Deckard is a 'Blade Runner', a bounty hunter who specialises in 'retiring' replicants. Several of these replicants have escaped from a mining colony, and have integrated themselves in human society. Given they are human in appearance, right down to the fact they sweat, they are very hard to target. Deckard is on the case. But is he human or a replicant himself? What does it even mean to be human? Is it showing compassion like the last replicant shows to Deckard? Are all of our memories real or can they be injected? Does that make them any less real to that individual? Blade Runner asks some big questions, all the while being a damn entertaining and visually stunning movie. Science fiction just doesn't get any better. Though I would argue it has been matched since with Inception...
10/10
January 4th - Rocky IV
And I followed one 10/10 movie with another. Albeit a very different beast! I make no apology for my love of Rocky IV ie Rocky single handedly defeats Communism! This movie, better than any other I think, defines the 80's. Black and White heroes and villains. Big heavy synth soundtrack. Pro America messages. Montages. Passionate speeches about doing the right thing. It has it all. It's just one of those movies that gets your blood pumping. You know Rocky is going to win but that doesn't matter. It wears its heart on its sleeve. This is the kind of movie they just don't make anymore. Rocky Balboa was actually a great attempt at recapturing former glories, but it was never going to match this highpoint.
10/10
January 5th - The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada
This was the first movie I tackled that I hadn't seen before. I've actually owned it for quite a while as I'm a big fan of Tommy Lee Jones, but I just never got round to watching it. Turns out, it was a gem of a movie just waiting to be discovered. The story follows an old ranch hand played by Jones. He is befriended by an illegal immigrant, who is then killed in a tragic shooting accident by the local authorities. It is covered up and as no-one really knew Estrada, they bury him quickly and hope the whole mess will just blow over. Jones finds out, digs up the body and kidnaps the killer. He wants him to help escort the body back to Mexico, so that Estrada can be buried in his village. It's a very old fashioned piece and that is one of its strengths. It echoes the work of John Ford. It is exquisitely shot, the vistas of Texas and Mexico appearing stunningly beautiful, especially on blu ray. Makes me wish that Tommy Lee Jones would direct a bit more.
9/10
January 6th - Closer
Otherwise known as the movie where Natalie Portman plays a stripper. It's a very 'grown up' movie for lack of a better phrase. It deals with intertwining relationships in modern day London. The dialogue is at turns witty and laced with vitriol. There is genuine hatred between characters and it can be pretty brutal about relationships. It also has the benefit of having a scene where Clive Owen tells Julia Roberts to 'Fuck off and die', something we've all wanted to say for inflicting Mona Lisa Smile on the world. It's a pretty good movie, though I would have loved to have seen the play on which it was based. Might work better within that environment. But still, it's probably Jude Law's best ever performance, and also Julia Roberts. But be warned, it's not a movie to watch with your mother! The Anti-Rom Com.
8/10
January 7th - Chinatown
An undisputed classic. This is one of the finest movies ever made, in any genre. Jack Nicholson has never been better (Though his performance in The Shining does come close). Roman Polanski was at the height of his powers, and Robert Towne's script remains the template for budding scriptwriters (like me!). It's set in pre war Los Angeles, as Nicholson plays Jake Gittes, a private investigator. He is hired by Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway) to investigate her husband, who she suspects of cheating on her. The further down the rabbit hole Gittes goes, you just know he's not going to come out clean. Polanski apparently had a huge run in with the Towne, who wanted to change the films now iconic ending for a happier resolution. Years later, Towne admitted he was wrong. Note perfect filmmaking.
10/10
And there you have it. Week 1 complete! On my slate for the next week I have M:I 4 on IMAX, Warrior and Bourne Supremacy amongst others.
A John Carpenter movie starring the one and only Rowdy Roddy Piper. It does exactly what it says on the tin. And a little bit more. It starts out slowly enough, with Piper's Nada (literally 'nothing' - not sure if that's lazy or inspired writing!) arriving in Los Angeles, looking for work. He starts on a construction site and makes some friends, who put him up in a homeless community for the night. He sees some strange goings on at the church across the road, and decides to investigate. Inside he sees a band of people forming a resistance, and they happen to have some special glasses, which allow people to see the world as it really is.....At its base level, this is a simple 'Aliens taking over the world story', but it has hidden depths about consumerism and the effect of television and advertising on the waking world. The ideas are maybe a bit too big for its budget, but I guess that's part of its charm. Plus it has a 5 minute fight sequence between two best friends who are arguing over one of them wearing the special glasses for the first time. Choreographed by a WWF legend. And who doesn't want to see that?
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The guiltiest of guilty pleasures, I make no apology for enjoying this movie. Hot off the success of Top Gun, Tom Cruise was the biggest movie star on the planet. As the 80's were coming to a close, people were starting to wean themselves off of Arnie, Sly et al, and instead preferred a man who stands about 5 feet tall but has charisma to burn. Cocktail further endorsed that perception. It follows Bryan Flanaghan (don't you just love Hollywood scriptwriters attempts at names with an Irish heritage?), who comes back from a few years in the service with dreams of making it in New York. As door after door is shut in his face, he ends up working in a bar, taken under the wing of Bryan Brown's Aussie Coglan. A man who has seen it all and has a soundbite for all occasions (or Coglan's law if you will). After Bryan learns that Coglan's made a move on his girlfriend (a young Gina Gershon), he ups sticks for Jamaica (as you do), where he uses his bar skills and charm to woo the ladies. It goes on from there after he meets Elisabeth Shue, and ends up back in New York again, hoping to make 'Cocktails & Dreams' a reality. This is not just fluff piece, there are some genuinely dark moments (especially Coglan's eventual fate). But you know that Bryan is going to be treated kindly by the powers that be in the end. And isn't that what we all want in a guilty pleasure? A movie where the end is not in doubt, but makes you smile 
