Week 7, the movies just keep on coming........

Sorry for the late posting this week, have nearly finished week 8!  I did get complimented on my adherence to my New Year's Resolution this week.  Always nice to hear.......Anyway week 7 is a mixture of cop movies, stoner comedies, romance (Valentine's Day was this week after all) and funny Irishmen running amok in Belgium.

Enjoy!

February 12th - Tango & Cash

My favourite buddy cop movie and I make no apology for it.  Lethal Weapon is a great movie, but if you go back and watch it from the start, the first movie is pretty dark and depressing.  Devoid of any type of humour.  Sure it's a great movie, but it's not a six pack and pizza good ol' time of a movie.  Tango & Cash, on the other hand, has great action, a great pairing of Sly & Kurt and a really funny script.  It follows the two best cops in LA, who are causing numerous headaches for a scenery chewing Jack Palance.  He organises a set up in which they are exposed as cops on the take and are promptly sharing a prison with the felons they've sent down during the years.  Suffice to say they escape and it's all about clearing their names.  This movie is shamelessly 80's, in over the top action and corny one liners, but it just works.  They even have Sly taking the piss out of his other movies, calling 'Rambo a pussy'.  It's such a shame that a sequel was never made.  As a side note, I must have watched this movie a ton of times growing up, but only ever saw the TV edit on ITV.  Watching the original version was a nice surprise with a few extra jokes and more bone crunching action.

10/10

February 13th - A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas

I have to admit I was late coming to the Harold & Kumar movies.  Two of them had already been made before I even took notice of them.  But then, as a big fan of How I Met Your Mother, I heard about the 'greatest cameo of all time(tm)', with Neil Patrick Harris aka Barney Stinson, playing a surreal, coked up version of his real life self.  And I couldn't resist.  I wasn't sorry either.  They are crass, over the top and exceptionally juvenille, but they are also damn funny as well.  This is due in part to NPH of course, but also a great pairing of John Cho and Kal Penn.  Harold is career minded, Kumar a genius who only wants to get high all the time.  After the first two movies, this Christmas themed threequel begins with the two having drifted apart.  A package arrives at Kumar's apartment, so he sets out to deliver it to his former best friend.  And hilarity and chaos ensues.  You can never guess where these movies are going, as the writers must have been higher than any of the characters!  There are claymation segments, rides upon Santa's sleigh, Eastern European gangsters and Danny Trejo as a Christmas loving father in law.  Just watch it with a few beers and you'll be fine.  Oh, and of course the NPH cameo is legen - wait for it - dary!

8/10

February 14th - Serendipity

Well it was Valentine's Day, so I suppose conventional wisdom had me watching a rom-com (though I didn't exactly wait until December 25th to watch the previous movie!).  This is a genre I have a distaste for.  They are predictable, generic in the extreme, and often forget about the comedy part at the end of the genre definition.  However, every so often there is one example that slips through.  Serendipity is that movie due to the bromance of a pre Ari Gold Jeremy Piven and John Cusack, as well as the romance of Mr. Cusack and Kate Beckinsale.  It actually has the comedy to go with the romance.  The story follows two people who randomly meet in New York at Christmas, and despite both being attached, they feel an instant connection.   So they decide to leave it up to the universe to see if they are meant to be together.  He writes his name and number on a $5 bill and she puts her info into a second hand book.  Years pass, and they have both ended up with someone else, but they both still remember that fateful night.....This is not the kind of movie that will change the world, but it's well written, has a good soundtrack and some charasmatic actors.  Without going quirky or off centre (see Eternal Sunshine or (500) Days of Summer), this is about as good as modern rom-coms get.

7/10

February 15th - Timecop

Believe it or not, there was a time when JCVD was one of the biggest action starts on the planet.  Along with Arnie, Sly and Bruce Willis, his movies were hitting theatres and finding a pretty good audience.  Fast forward a couple of years, and he was languishing on direct to video movies and bargain bins.  And it's a shame, as given the right script and the right amount of talent involved, he made some quality movies.  The other two that instantly come to mind are Sudden Death and Hard Target.  But Timecop may have been the most crowd pleasing flick he ever got to star in.  Adapted from a graphic novel (before it became the norm in Hollywood), the story follows Walker, a cop who can be sent back in time.  And it's just as well, as an ambitious presidential candidate is using the technology to fund his push for the White House.  Timecop is packed with great ideas, certainly more than your average Blockbuster.  It has some inventive action sequences and a sweet love story at its core.  Holds up pretty well given that it was made nearly 20 years ago.  If you've never caught a JCVD flick, this is definitely a good place to start.

8/10

February 16th - In Bruges

Now this is a great movie.  Original, funny, sharp and heart breaking at the same time.  Tough trick to balance all those variables, but when it's done right, this is the result.  The story follows two Irish Hitmen (Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson), who flee to Bruges, when Farrell's character Ray accidentally kills a young altar boy when executing a priest.  Story wise, that's about it.  While in Bruges, they get mixed up with a movie star midget, a drug dealing sexpot, an alcove loving gun runner and everything in between.  It does a great job of selling Bruges.  Despite Ray's insistence that it's a 'shithole', it's actually a pretty enchanting place.  But it's the script and the characters that make this movie.  Colin Farrell has never been better, and Brendan Gleeson is the perfect foil.  The wise old head to the young, inexperienced pretender.  The script is hilarious in places, but be warned, if you're easily offended then this movie is not for you.  If however, you can del with plenty of vulgarity and non PC humour, then you're going to have a great time.  Oh, and ignore the terrible posters and taglines of 'shoot first, sightsee later'.  The studio clearly did not know how to market this movie.  Hardly surprising, it is a bit of an oddity.  But the very best kind.

9/10

February 16th - Naruto: The Movie

Naruto is an awesome Japanese anime.  It has been going for many years now, and has actually grown into Naruto: Shippudden, where the characters are far more experienced, much more skilled as Ninja and global conflicts have just grown and grown.  Naruto ran for almost 250 episodes.  Having seen them all, I'm now about 60 episodes into Shippudden.  It is quite a commitment, but I cannot recommend it highly enough.  Anyway, this was a nice throwback to when the show was much more innocent, the characters largely naive and optimistic, and the tone that little bit more playful.  The story has Team Kakashi (consisting of Naruto, his best friend/rival Sasuke, his crush Sakura, and his mentor Kakashi) escorting a famous actress back to the Land of Snow.  There are many people who are out to harm her, and this team is the best.  Being a movie, the animation is more extravagant, the action a little more intense, and the humour more over the top than usual.  This is a cracking movie in its own right, and serves as a great introduction to Naruto's world.  If you have even the slightest interest, then I highly recommend checking it out.

8/10

February 17th - Trainspotting

The greatest British movie ever made?  I'm sure lovers of The Italian Job, Lock, Stock and Harry Potter may have a different opinion, but for me this is perfection.  There is no attempt to dumb down the Scottish brogue, no attempt to pander to a larger audience.  There is not a typical love story running through the middle of it, and no happy ending.  Just a story following a bunch of drug addicts, psychos and thiefs.  And it is outstanding.  Coming from someone who has read the book (took at least 20 pages to get used to reading Scottish as opposed to just listening to it), Danny Boyle and his team could not have pulled off a better adaptation.  The casting is pitch perfect, the script perfectly placed and funny.  It's just one of those perfect storm movies where everything comes together.  Has there ever been a funnier character than Francis Begbie?   A better use of any song in a movie than Underworld's Born Slippy?  A more fitting ending?  This movie single handedly rejuvenated the British movie industry and put us back on the map.  If you haven't seen it, you owe it to yourself to do so as soon as possible.

10/10

And there's week 7 in the can.  Almost 50 movies.  As I say, this weeks post is pretty late, and I'm already knee deep in week 8 which includes Aliens, Rambo, Rocky and American Pie 2.

Check back in a few days and week 8 will be written up.  I promise it won't be as late as this weeks!

Until next time..........

Week 6, over 10% through my movie odyssey.....

Back again with an update on my movie watching.  For those new to this blog, I am attempting to watch a movie a day for a year.  As luck would have it I chose a leap year just to squeeze one extra movie in there.  This week I had a mixture of stone cold classics, comic book anime and teen comedies.  Feel free to sound off in the comments below if you agree or (more likely) disagree with any of my reviews.  Enjoy.......

February 5th - The Usual Suspects

'Give me the keys you fucking cocksucker'.  Undoubted classic scene in an undisputed classic movie.  There are certain movies that everyone in life should just see.  The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather and Goodfellas are just a few examples.  I would add The Usual Suspects to that list.  It came out about a year after Pulp Fiction, when there were so many crime movies trying to copy the lightning in a bottle genius of that particular Tarantino masterpiece.  In my mind, this is the only one that managed it. It's certainly the best movie any Baldwin brother has been in (not that hard admittedly).  It's the story of 5 guys who meet in a police line up, only to go on to pull a couple of heists together.  But were they put in that line up by luck or design?  Features one of the best endings of any movie you will ever see, and undoubtedly holds up to many repeated viewings.  Trust me, I've probably watched it at least 20 times!  Also, how cool is the poster up above?  To anyone who's seen the movie, they'll recognise the simplistic genius of it.

10/10

February 6th - American Pie

It's pretty hard to imagine given the glut of movies that Hollywood churn out now, but for most of the 90's teen comedies weren't in fashion anymore.  The days of Porky's and Animal House had long been and gone.  Then a script got floated around Tinstletown called 'Untitled Teenage Sexy Comedy That Can Be Made For Under $10 Million That Most Readers Will Probably Hate But I Think You'll Love' (How could they change that title?).  A cast of unknowns were found, a few apple pies were baked, a few beers desecrated and the rest is history.  Despite the fact the formula has been repeated to death, American Pie still stands up as a genuinely funny movie.  Mostly down to clever writing and Sean William Scott's iconic Steve Stifler.  Another sequel is on the way (groan...), but I have to admit that from the trailer I'm ready for another slice of pie.

8/10

February 7th - Fast & The Furious 5

Any movie series that lasts as far as five movies is usually exclusive to the horror genre.  Yet somehow, Fast & the Furious is still going strong.  I'm not really sure why as they are the very definition of generic and uninspiring.  There is some good action beats, but why they continue the stories of these characters is beyond me.  The only reason that this movie scores points is for the heist at the end involving the trailing of  bank vault through the streets of Rio and for the presence of the Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment, The Rock.  His relentless FBI agent is by the far the most interesting character and they should build any future installments around him.  The punch up between The Rock and Vin Diesel is actually pretty good as well but ends badly as there is no way that Flabby Riddick could beat down The Rock.  He'd People's Elbow XXX through the ground.

7/10 (Would be 5 if The Rock wasn't in it)

February 8th - Alien

It's enough that Sir Ridley Scott made one of the most definitive Sci Fi movies of all time in Blade Runner.  But to make two is just plain greedy.  And if Prometheus can live up to the hype he may just sign off with  hat trick.  Up until Alien, sci fi movies were pretty much monster movies.  Big scares, loud growls and bad make up.  Alien changed that.  It was a slow burn of a movie.  It took its time, establishing characters and relationships, before having them be picked off one by one.  The creature effects are still fantastic, even when compared to today's standards.  The chestbuster scene is still tense and shocking, a fact made even more so as the actor's were not fully expecting the Alien to come out of John Hurt's chest.   And a special mention must go to the Blu Ray transfer, that makes it look like it was shot yesterday.  I will admit that I actually prefer the sequel (James Cameron's Aliens), but this is almost note perfect filmmaking.

10/10

February 9th - The Thing

John Carpenter's best movie bar none.  And given that he made Halloween and Big Trouble in Little China, that's no small compliment.  Again, it followed a template laid down by Alien in favouring a slow burning atmosphere before the large scale set pieces.  The story follows six scientists in the Antarctic, who are confronted by a shape shifting alien.  It is able to assume the form of anyone it kills.  This is the central reason that The Thing is a great movie.  You're never quite sure who The Thing has killed.  You're not sure who is human and who is not.  Even Kurt Russell is under suspicion.  The scene where they test everyone's blood is tense and well paced, and has been imitated many times since.  The creature effects are all practical as well and that only adds to it.  I think some modern CGI is just too fake looking, whereas the slightly jerky movements of puppets and monsters only adds to their creepiness.  Remade recently, this is a classic that should have been left well alone.  PS I really want that poster!

9/10

February 10th - The Ice Harvest

A modern noir thriller starring John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton, directed by one of the writers of Ghostbusters and Groundhog day?  Where do I sign?  Sadly, the reality is that this is the definition of mediocre cinema.  The acting is all good, and the characters interesting enough, but the story is just lacking.  It is so generic, and there isn't one genuine twist to be found, normally a staple of the genre.  The story follows two men who steal money from a local mob boss and just have to survive the night in a small town, having been swamped in by the weather.  Can they trust each other?  Will they try to steal it all for themselves?  How predictable can one movie be?  In fact, I will admit there was one very good joke, as one of the small characters in the movie is called Peter Venkman.  Gotta love a bit of meta comedy.  But if that one second moment is as good as a movie gets then you know you're in trouble.

5/10

February 11th - Batman: Under the Red Hood

Warner Brothers continues to plunder the back catalogue of Batman graphic novels with this cartoon take on the story of The Red Hood.  If you read the graphic novel, it's a pretty dark piece.  It follows the death of the second Robin at the hands of The Joker.  Years later, a mysterious Red Hooded figure starts to terrorise the Gotham underworld, but unlike Batman, isn't afraid to kill.  All clues lead to Jason Todd, but how can he be alive after Batman saw him die?  It's an interesting story and it is handled here with care.  A lot of the darker moments remain such as The Joker getting a taste of his own medicine with a crowbar, the Black Mask and his crew set on fire, and the fight scenes are quite violent as well.  If you've read the story you won't find anything new here, but it's entertaining nonetheless.

7/10

And there we have it.  Onto week 7.  This week I have Tango & Cash, A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas and some sort of soppy Valentine's day movie lined up.

As I say, remember to click follow and feel free to leave comments below.

Until next time........

Week 5, almost a 10th of the way there!!!

These weeks are just starting to fly by.  A curious mix this week of comedies, modern noir, Bond movies and IMAX treats.  Obviously most of the flicks I catch are at home, and while a 42" HDTV is certainly not a shabby way to watch any movie, there's no substitute for going to the cinema.  Especially when said cinema is the IMAX in London, and that IMAX theatre is showing the prologue to my most anticipated movie of the year (possibly all time...???).

More on that in a separate column as I'm still trying to digest what I saw.  Suffice to say, Nolan did not disappoint.  But then again, when does he?  Onto week 5........

January 29th - Brick

I happened to catch this when I was living in LA after seeing the movie performing well at Sundance.  It was pitched as a modern noir, a nod to the classics of Bogart and Nicholson.  It was refreshing to see a movie set in a high school that wasn't a gross out comedy or a coming of age tale.  Instead, it was a detective story as Joseph Gordon Levitt's intelligent outsider investigated the murder of his ex-girlfriend.  Staples of high schools are all present - the loud mouth jock, the mysterious drama student, the druggies and even the nerds.  But it's all presented in such an original way and played totally with a straight face.  The early posters even had an urban dictionary attached to them so people would understand the slang the characters were using.  Intelligent, witty, well paced and with interesting twists and turns, this is highly recommended.  It's the movie that made Gordon Levitt a talent to watch, and director Rian Johnson a hot prospect for the future.  His upcoming time travel tale 'Looper', with Gordon Levitt and Bruce Willis along for the ride looks like one of the most interesting movies of 2012.

9/10

January 30th - Comedian

I'm a big fan of Seinfeld.  I was late in becoming a believer, waiting until the show had been finished 10+ years, before embracing its' genius.  And it really is fantastic.  I even shelled out £200 for 2 tickets to see the great man himself do a stand up show in London 6 months ago.  Worth every penny.  And the reason it was worth every penny is because it was 100% new material.  Comedians, they always have fall back jokes.  Jokes that will hit the funny bone, no matter who the audience are.  But Jerry Seinfeld did a show a few years back titled 'I'm telling you for the last time...'  It was his final show using said material, before putting it to rest once and for all.  I highly recommend checking it out as it is still comedic gold.  Thus, he decided to start all over again.  Testing new material in the smaller venues of his native New York.  And this forms the basis of Comedian.  In addition to those bits, there's another up and coming comedian, who is managed by Jerry's manager, and it follows his efforts to make it big.  The scenes with Jerry are great, following the genesis of a joke and it's evolution into a finished bit.  The scenes with the up and comer 'Orny Adams' are not.  He's a whiny, egotistical and frankly not very funny guy, who you cannot possibly root for.  Truly a movie of two halves.

5/10

January 31st - Infernal Affairs

Anyone who is reading this column will in all likelihood have seen Marty Scorsese's The Departed with Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon.  If not, why not?  Great movie, solid performances, the most fun Jack Nicholson has had in years and brilliant plotting.  Said plotting however came from this Asian classic, starring Tony Leung and Andy Lau.  The original version and for me, definitely the best.  The Departed for me was a little long, a little flabby, and threw in an unnecessary love triangle.  Infernal Affairs is sleek, polished with not a wasted frame or subplot.  It follows the lives of two men, one a cop infiltrating the mob and the other a mobster infiltrating the cops.  It's a story of dual identity, loyalty and honour.  It also boasts some of the most suspenseful scenes you will ever see as the two men try to flush each other out.  It spawned two sequels which expand significantly on the story, with one being a prequel and the other a direct continuation.  It is a great mythology all round and some of the best movies to ever come out of Asia.  I even forked out £50 to buy an original quad cinema poster (pictured above), and it hangs proudly on my wall.  Highly, highly recommended.

10/10

February 1st - The World is not Enough

Pierce Brosnan's third outing as 007 may well be his weakest (though the special effects laden and Halle Berry co-starring Die Another Day may have something to say about that), and it's such a shame, as the first half of the movie is very, very good.  It all starts out with one of the best ever opening sequences which takes Bond from Madrid and back to London, culminating in a pulsating boat chase down the Thames.  The story then gets personal as one of M's friends has been killed and his daughter, Elektra is the target of Robert Carlyle's madman.  There's a rich backstory established between Elektra, and how she had been kidnapped previously by the same madman.  It then all starts to go downhill.  I don't know if it's the idiotic casting of Denise Richards as a nuclear physicist, action scenes that aren't inventive or simply don't make sense, the presence of Goldie as a henchman or the totally underwhelming finale, but it all just feels like a missed opportunity.  Bond movies always require a suspension of disbelief but they're always still entertaining.  Unfortunately The World is not Enough is, well, not enough.

5/10

February 2nd - The Incredible Hulk

I have to admit that I'm a little sad that in The Avengers, we will be seeing a third different actor in a row filling Bruce Banner's purple trunks.  That's nothing against Mark Ruffalo, he's a fine actor.  But Eric Bana did a great job in a pretty mediocre movie.  And here, Edward Norton does a great job in a better movie.  Whether there's some truth to him being difficult on set, or demanding an input to the scripting phase I don't know, but The Incredible Hulk is an entertaining flick.  It's not quite at the level of Thor or Captain America, but I would put it on a par with Iron Man 2 with the last 20 minutes being an exercise in pure adrenaline action as Hulk and Abomination tear up NYC.  Bruce Banner is on the run, hiding out in Brazil as he desperately tries to find a cure to his...ahem...anger problems.  General Ross is determined to track him down and somehow weaponise his Hulk form. Throw in Betty Ross who still carries a torch for Banner and Tim Roth's angry mercenary with something to prove and you've got a great night with a bowl of popcorn.  Just don't bring your brain to the party....

7/10