2011 in Film

For the most part 2011 has been a dull year for movies. Some of the more interesting titles of the year weren't necessarily rewarded for their efforts with either box office success nor the praise of critics (as usual), and then by contrast, the films that were rewarded with fiscal success were remarkably undeserving of said success (Transformers: Dark Side Of Yer Gash, anyone?). But thankfully, this year, like every other, had just about enough decent offerings to remind us why we love movies in the first place. Now, obviously the year is not over yet, but with movies such as Harold and Kumar and Alvin and The Chipmunks scheduled to finish off the year's theatrical run, it's fairly safe to assume that the best movies of this year have already seen the light of day.

The following is my current opinion (subject to change) on the top movies of the year. So, what's best way to tackle this?... Top 5 countdown I reckon. Cliché, I know, but lets just get it over with shall we?

• 5 - Crazy, Stupid, Love

Wedged somewhere ambiguously between rom-com and drama, this movie features an impressive cast who all churn out solid performances. Couple that with an excellent script and a unique approach to an otherwise jaded "couple going through a rough patch" kind of story, throw in Ryan Gosling as an unbelievably suave player, and an interesting turn from the always delightful Marisa Tomei as a bat shit crazy school teacher, and there really was no way this movie could bomb. The funny moments are exceptionally funny (and not just by rom com standards), and likewise the drama is pulled off with a great deal of sincerity. My only complaint about this movie is that it is a good half hour longer than it should be, and that will be apparent to anyone who watches it. But otherwise, it's place in this list is rather justified.

• 4 - Limitless

For some reason, every year, without fail I find myself inexplicably liking a movie that doesn't necessarily deserve an awful lot of attention. Usually it's either an awful comedy or a big budget action blockbuster with no plot (a la "The Expendables"), that really has no business appearing in anyone's Top 5. This year, my guilty pleasure was Neil Berger's twisted yarn "Limitless", featuring a pilled up Bradley Cooper realising his full potential due to the discovery of a performance enhancing drug, which ultimately ends up consuming the people who partake and forcing them to a grizzly premature demise. It's essentially a glorified chase movie, with some funky sequences thrown in to illustrate just how Bradley Cooper's character performs while under the influence. It's nonsense really, but it's a visual feast. But on a side note, DeNiro's pug faced tough guy routine is starting to piss me off.

•  3 - Super 8

 Up until a month ago, this movie looked set to sit firmly in the number one spot on my list, and not because it is such a terrific movie or anything... but rather because it just so happens that two of the best movies of the entire year (or any year for that matter) were released within the last month. Super 8 is understandably regarded by many as some kind of a rip-off of the Spielbergian movies of the seventies and eighties, but if we're being fair, it's so much more than that. I think the best way to put it is that it is more of a love letter to fans of those innocent eighties movies than anything else. Does it borrow from templates like E.T and The Goonies? Sure it does... But it had been so damn long since anyone had seen a movie like this, that audiences were practically screaming out for a movie that reminded them of those aforementioned classics, and like it or not, Super 8 is the response to those screams. It had great pace, it looked beautiful, and Spielberg stamped his seal of approval all over that mother, which makes the creative sampling of his work acceptable in my book. I also thought it was great to see Kyle Chandler back on the big screen. For the sake of being balanced, if I was to pick something that I didn't like about Super 8, it would be the ludicrous volume of shots featuring lens flare. JJ needs to just build a bridge already. People didnt like the lens flare in Star Trek...what made him think it would be any more well received here?

• 2 - Drive

The movie that solidified Ryan Gosling as the man to lead the next generation of suave, intense protagonists is also quite possibly one of the single greatest thriller's of the last few years. It's a rare occasion that a character comes along that can be both shit cool and mysterious in equal measure, and it's even more rare that we go the entire movie without discovering the character's name. With very little dialogue from the main character, it's remarkable in retrospect that the movie is as gripping as it is. But the key plot points occur at just the right moments to keep you from losing interest in what's going on, and the pace is such that the entire movie (save a couple of utterly grotesque kill sequences) is an absolute joy to watch. The soundtrack is easily one of the finest of the year too, with some epic synth tracks from the likes of Kavinsky and Lovefoxxx. In essence, if I could sum up "Drive" in one sentence, it would be "Go see it!!!"

• 1 - The Ides Of March

Admittedly, part of the reason this movie ranked so high on my list is probably because it is the most recent. Regardless of whether I re-assess my decision to place "The Ides Of March" as my number one movie of 2011, the simple fact of the matter is, at the moment, this movie is the most gripping, enduring film that I've seen in a good long while. On paper it seems like quite a dull story about a young man who is single handedly keeping the presidential campaign afloat for his candidate, while managing potential scandals and ensuring that they don't make their way into the public domain. At this point, it probably goes without saying that there's a lot more to it than that and once again, as with "Crazy, Stupid Love", this movie succeeds with thanks in no small part to the superb performances from the cast. Clooney has certainly proven his directing chops at this point, and it would not be wise to discount this modern classic from next years Oscar race. Marisa Tomei is terrific in her role as the backstabbing journalist who is looking to sell anyone out for the next big scoop, and similarly, Philip Seymore Hoffman does his job more than adequately, playing the paranoid campaign manager for Clooney's presisential hopeful. But perhaps the one thing to take away from this list, is that 2011 belongs to Ryan Gosling. With three of the best picture's of the year under his belt, he can seemingly do no wrong at the moment, and he has built a serious amount of momentum going into 2012. On a side note, the musical score by Alexandra Desplat is exceptional.

Why don't they just use those animawhatsits?!?

Almost in some sort of synchronization, the changing of a decade often seems to coincide with the demise of one of cinema's dominant forms of special effects. If you think about it, the 80's saw the slow whittling down to an eventual (and almost un-noticable) halt of stop-motion animation within live action films. The special effects of Ray Harryhausen had more or less pioneered the idea of placing fictional and sometimes indescribable characters in the same scene with actual actors in the early sixties (a fact which probably blew the minds of cinema going audiences at the time)...but come the end of the 1980's, this form of special effects was more or less obsolete, with the exception of select scenarios where stop-motion made economic sense for the film-maker. Come the early ninties, a new wave of special effects (or trick photography for the real old timer's out there) rose to Hollywood prominence in the form of animatronic puppets and robots.

Of course there were earlier examples of animatronics in films, even going back as far as the mid seventies with Spielberg's "Jaws"...but hindsight shows the rubber, robotic shark from this classic blockbuster for what it really is...a rubber, robotic shark. Perhaps a better example of animatronics being put to work in movies came with the 1986 sci-fi comedy "Short Circuit". A prime example of style over substance, it is the animatronic self aware robot Johnny 5 that carries this otherwise lacklustre movie on his back... which is saying a lot, considering the success of the movie, and the fact that he is not even an actor, but pieces of twisted metal being controlled remotely by some bloke behind the camera. In yo' face Steve Guttenberg! Owned in the acting department by a piece of machinery!

The years following the end of his movie career were not kind to Johnny 5

But the early nineties finally saw the perfect mesh of live action, puppetry and animatronics which left audiences with dropped jaws, bated breath and a hankering for more. 1990 saw the release of one of the biggest financially successful movies of the decade in "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"... a movie which probably would not have seemed conceivable in the early eighties as there was no legitimate way to create these characters without them looking utterly ridiculous.

In 1979, Jim Henson created a company called "Jim Henson's Creature Shop". Although the company has since grown into something much larger, it was initially conceived to provide film makers with a means of creating a mix of animatronics and puppetry, tailor made to suit specific film and television projects. Their first major project Labyrinth was a huge success, and it became clear that the staff at the creature shop would be the ideal people to create four realistic walking, talking turtles, and a wise, decrepit rodent.

There really is no comparison here! The CGI turtles just look like absolute dog shit!

Surprisingly enough, the next film to successfuly combine these aspects of film making was also to be the beginning of the end for the mainstream use of the technology. The movie was the behemoth of Jurassic Park. Another Spielberg classic, where you genuinely feel like he probably sat back one afternoon, watched Jaws and thought "fuck...just imagine what I could do with this new animawhatsit technology!"

As well as combining puppetry (close up shots of the giant t-rex head), and robotics (the tar spewing peacock esque, giraffeneckasaurus), the film is also remembered by most as being one of the very first to incorporate mind blowing CGI into the mix, in order to make the pre-historic animals seem truly authentic.

Now THAT'S animatronics!

Slowly but surely after the release of Jurassic Park, puppetry was often abandoned entirely in favour of CGI, probably because some joker in Beverly Hills sat by his pool one day and shouted down the phone to the likes of Spielberg, Zemeckis and Jackson:- "IT'S WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT DAMMIT! Now CGI the shit out of everything from now on"

Is it fuck? I'd say Michael Bay shot his load when he heard this. I remember watching a documentary about Pixar a couple of years ago, and seeing John Lasseter aggressively defend his new form of animation by striking back at those critics who claimed that 3d animation was responsible for the demise of classical 2d theatrical movies. Lasseter simply responded by saying that if the 2d animations had featured good stories, people would go to see them, no matter what medium was used. Of course he was absolutely right, and my complaint about CGI does not extend to the entirely animated movies created by the likes of Pixar and Dreamworks. It is really more limited to the live action movies which attempt to incorporate over the top or often times just plain shoddy computer imagery in the form of big fuck off wanky explosions, or characters who just look super imposed into a scene. If I ever turn on the Sci-Fi channel again, only to be greeted with the likes of "Basilisk" or "Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus" remind me to rip my own eyes out, but not before cancelling my digital subscription.

If movie making techniques continue to go down the path that they're on, I can see myself being one of those bitter old-timers who just sits there yawning through every post 1997 movie, muttering "they sure don't make them like they used to" just to piss off whoever else is in the room at the time. But seriously...

...they don't.

But just to point out that every film making technique has its flaws if it is not treated with care and respect, here's a little scene from Jaws The Revenge that will leave you in hysterics.

Enjoy!

John Hughes' "Some Kind Of Wonderful"! S'alright!

I know I went on a major rant about what I refer to as the "Teen Wolf" syndrome in a post a few months back, claiming that it is the definitive example of 80's movie wankery where the subplot of the story revolves around the concept of a dim witted main character who is blind to the fact that he is the object of his best friends desires, all because he himself has designs on hooking up with a major league bitch who is certain to fuck him over at some point before the end of the film.

Perhaps I was a bit unfair to Teen Wolf, and this post is more of an ammendment than anything else because you can imagine my amazement when I finally got around to watching the John Hughes penned "Some Kind Of Wonderful"! Here is a movie that takes that exact theme, makes it the focal point of the entire story, leaves you with the taste of that predictable Hollywood ending in your mouth and yet somehow gets away with it.

Life ain't easy for Keith! He's ignorant and dumb, yet somehow still slightly arrogant!

To my unending astonishment, I actually really enjoyed it. Maybe there was a certain bias creeping in because I do like Eric Stoltz and Lea Thompson, and in all honesty, I've yet to see a John Hughes movie that I didn't at the very least like. It's pretty much lathered with all the traditional Hughes teen movie charm, and there's no denying that it's his work. I always find myself wondering when I watch his movies, if this was the way he lived during his teenage years. Did he base any of the characters off his own high school experiences...or did he create the stories based off a fantasy youth that he wished he had lead? Either way, the movies are very impactful, especially if you watch them for the first time as a teen yourself.

As far as the movie itself goes...it's everything that you'd expect and if you enjoy it, you'll do so in spite of yourself. If you take the subplot of Scott and Boof from Teen Wolf, and dip it in the "lets break down the class boundaries within our society" theme that lingered throughout Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles, baby you got a stew goin'...and that stew tastes a little something like "Some Kind Of Wonderful!"

Because that's what friendship means!

Once again, Hughes provides an early platform for showcasing the talents of a number of young actors who went on to achieve major stardom. Stoltz went on to appear in films such as Pulp Fiction and Two Days in The Valley, whereas Thompson (who had already been recongisable from her performance as Lorraine McFly in Back To The Future) would star in her own sitcom "Caroline in The City" in the late 90's! There's also an appearnace from Elias (Casey Jones) Koteas as a menacing skin head. What's not to like?

For the most part, it's pretty much recycled Hughes fare which doesn't quite rank up there with The Breakfast Club, or Sixteen Candles, and if the plot tests your patience, then rest assured that the performances within the film are enough to keep you more than thoroughly entertained.

It's miles better than St. Elmo's fucking fire!

500 Days of Summer? More like 95 minutes of Brilliance!

I just watched Marc Webb's magnificent "500 Days Of Summer" for the first time last night, and the movie was literally only playing for all of about six seconds before I knew that I was going to thoroughly enjoy it. The very first thought that came to mind was something along the lines of "now THIS is my kind of movie!" and it was pretty much directly prompted by this little gem of a note at the beginning from the author!

"The following is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

Especially you Jenny Beckman.

Bitch."

Perhaps one of the most welcome and endearing aspects of this quirky film is the fact that right from the outset, it is made perfectly clear that it does not have that traditional bullshit Hollywood ending that even the most enthusiastic movie fan has long since become jaded with. If nothing else, that alone serves to make it stand out from the contemporary rom-com crowd. Fortunately, however, there are many other (sometimes subtle, sometimes blatant) differences between this and your average romantic comedy. I can't exactly pin-point the specific characterisitics of the film that caused me to enjoy it so much...but all I can remember thinking through the entire 95 minute running time is that I never wanted it to end...and there honestly aren't very many movies out there that I've ever felt that way about. In fact usually it's quite the opposite. I'm often left thinking "this is good and all, but why is it two and a half hours long? I've desperately needed a piss for the last 20 minutes!"

I could sit here and attempt to analyse the film for hours on-end, but the simple fact of the matter is that it struck a chord with me, and for that reason, if no other, I feel like the movie will always be one of my favourites. With all the grace of a condor, it has literally and effortlessly swooped it's way into my top 10 movies of all time.

I think another thing that makes this little gem stand out from the crowd is the honesty in the scriptwriting. Maybe I mis-read it, or maybe I picked it up exactly the way the writer's intended it, but to me it seemed that there was nothing to confirm that either of the characters were at fault for the untimely demise of their relationship. Yeah at first you do believe that Summer (Zooey Deschanel) is to blame because she is introduced as being this cold, calculating, heartless wench...but then mere moments later, Tom (Joseph- Gordon Levitt) comes across as a jerk during an unrelentingly honest discussion with a blind date about whether or not Summer was in the wrong to end their relationship. This goes back and forth a few times to really remind us that there are two sides to every story..or rather sometimes there are three...His, hers and the truth!

The simple fact of the matter is, I'm sure that almost anyone out there who ever decides to watch this movie will be able to relate to it in some way (most likely in a big way), as I'm fairly certain that about 99% of us have found ourselves, at least once, in the position of Tom and/or Summer, and sometimes it will probably surprise you, just how much you see of yourself in the character you feel you can relate to most! I mean, we've all been here...

Only to find ourselves here shortly thereafter...

I remember reading the synopsis on the back of the dvd case for Cameron Crowe's "Singles" from 1992, which suggested that it is a movie "for anyone who's ever walked through the minefield called dating...and on occasion been blown up!" I can honestly say that since I've seen "500 Days of Summer", the torch has well and truly been passed, and THIS is now that movie, well, as far as this cat's concerned anyway.

Do yourself a favour, and go watch it if you've not seen it already.

Tomorrow's World!

I was looking at the television guide the other day out of sheer morbid curiosity, just to satisfy myself that I had made the right decision in stopping myself from watching any of the current serials that air in syndication around the world. The last television programme that I watched from start to finish was Boston Legal (2004 - 2008). It's so hard to commit to anything on television these days what with the likes of the buttfuckery of Glee, Desperate Housewives and The Big Bang Theory dominating the airwaves...and don't even get me started on the likes of 90210 or that pseudo-reality television shite "Jersey Shore".

Gone are the days of quirky television...where shows didn't necessarily have to appeal to the lowest common denominator of society. Where are the Frasier's, and the Denny Crane's of today's television? There are simply NO iconic characters out there at the moment, and with that being the case, what's the point in watching?

Occasionally looking through your tv guide, or even just by watching tv itself and noticing how bad it has become, your mind often wanders to the days when television used to excite you. Your mind is cast back to memories of shows that you thought you had forgotten. Shows that you would beg, borrow and steal to see back on the air just as an alternative to the contemporary shit that we are now force fed 24/7.

Admittedly, I had a soft spot for those early 90's teen angst drama's like the original 90210 or Party of Five (did nay really care for the likes of Dawson's Creek though), but just yesterday I was reminded of a show that was a little bit quirky, if not completely ridiculous (but it was the good kind of ridiculous). T'was a little program called "Early Edition"...you don't remember it you say? Allow me to summarise...

I can't really remember the specifics of certain episodes, but I do vividly remember watching this poor bastard risk life and limb in order to stop your run of the mill disasters from occuring. You know, piano's falling out of windows onto inoccent passers by, the odd train crash and fire, the usual like. It always astounded me that the character of Gary never really attempted to manipulate that whole "getting tomorrow's paper today" thing and use it to his advantage. He was a stock broker by trade...he could have cleaned up if he really wanted to...even if he treated himself and did the lottery once you'd think that'd be a just reward for going out of your way to save the lives of hundreds of complete and utter strangers. I know one guy who wouldn't be quite so selfless.

Give me a sports almanac any day of the week

This show makes you wonder what exactly you would do if you were in Hobson's position. You know full well what you'd do don't you? You'd milk it for everything it was worth and then donate the odd portion to charity just to quench your guilt. In fact, if I'm honest, I'd probably even try and sell that fucking cat that always used to show up with the paper for no apparent reason. Extra few quid in the pocket. Nice!

Streets of Hilarity!

Following my article earlier in the week looking back upon the Sega fuelled existance that was my childhood, I decided to write a few notes about the things that always amused me about one game in particular, and by game I mean franchise, because each game was as funny as the last. I'm talking of course about the epic win that is "Streets of Rage"!

Not for the feint of heart, Streets of Rage tells the story of a bunch of (more or less) vigilante's who decide to take it upon themselves to hunt down and destroy an entire band of criminals one by one by fucking one. And that is where the hilarity begins. Not only are we to believe that these three punks are capable of taking down organised crime with their bare hands, but we also discover that the characters in question are supposed to be teenagers. So essentially, it's a glorified video game of "Home Alone" with the gore amped way up.

More chortles are on offer in the form of phone booths that (once smashed to shit) offer goodies such as:

a piece of broken glass and other stabbing implements

a lead pipe

a beer bottle

or my personal favourite, edible goodies in the form of large apples or the occasional fully rolled and boned turkey.

And then I was all like "POW, LEAD PIPE TO THE FACE!"

The knives are the best, because not only do you look ridiculous when carrying them, but they also make this unmerciful sound like someone being battered with a plank of wood when you stab the bad guys. Not only that, but the characters who are knifed, leap back with a great deal of theatrics (a la professional wrestling) upon being attacked. And as if all of this weren't brilliant enough, when the bad guys get their hands on a knife, woe betide anyone who stands in their way...literally. They don't so much thrust the knife forward in a traditional stabbing motion, as much as walk forward holding said knife in front of them in the hopes that someone walks directly into their path. It's genius!

Another priceless little feature is the recurring characters. For example, you may encounter the same poor bastard about eight or nine times betwix the beginning and end of any one level. It really makes you admire one's persinstance. For example, you may beat the scuttering shit out of "Donovan" or "Slag" and leave him laying on his back, only for him to get back up, dust himself off, and attempt to attack you again about thirty seconds later...In fact, it is not uncommon for two or even three Donovan's to appear on screen together at once.

the many faces of Donovan

Another classic bit of comedy is the fact that when the going gets tough, you have a direct line to the fuzz who show up in a car (keeping a safe distance, mind) and fuck shit up with a bazooka. They absolutely nuke the scene and destroy whichever bad guys are causing you distress, unless of course it's a boss, in which case they cause him a minor inconvenience and then he continues to pound the shit out of you in an even more visceral manner than before.

VROOOOOM! Nice approach!

Aim could use some work...look, you even missed Slag and he's lying down.

The thing that I love the most is the fact that, if these teenagers have a direct line to the cops, then that means the police clearly know what they're up to...and obviously in no way disapprove... In fact it looks as though they're happy to let the stupid little bastards do the hard work for them. Classic, classic, classic.

Hedgehog With Attitude!

Remember the days? The days when THIS sound used to brighten your day regardless of the circumstance?!

If you were one of the kids of the 90s who had the luxury of growing up with a Sega Mega Drive in your house, you'll know what I mean when I talk about "Sega Nostalgia!" We were spoiled with the choice of games, such as the epic "Fifa 90", the chain swingin' "Road Rash", and "Bubsy" the bobcat along with sooo many others. Along with this privelige of owning a sega, came a certain degree of loyalty to the product too. It seems as though most of us with a Mega Drive in our posession, were often less likely to acknowledge the brilliance of Nintendo and their respected counterparts to everything that Sega had on offer. But to be honest, looking back on it now with more objective adult eyes, I still think Sega were on to a winner with the Mega Drive. It was hands down better than the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and it seems clear that the only reason that Nintendo won the battle between the two in the end was because of Sega's repeated "Dropping the ball" when it came to future consoles like the Saturn and the Dreamcast.

Fair enough, the SNES had Mario Kart, Mario All Stars, Mario Tennis and...uh...all those other fucking Mario spin-off's...but then on the other end of the spectrum, Sega were offering Streets of Rage, Golden Axe, Earthworm Jim and a whole mess of other shit that was just awesome at the time. The graphics looked dynamic, the gameplay was fun and for the most part the games were a hell of a lot more violent (and as such, fun) than the toddler friendly SNES games.

Dogpiling was common in "Streets of Rage", as was shooting, blowing shit up, random stabbings, and the police fucking shit up with a bazooka...which begs the question, "Why do the teenage characters need to be doing this to begin with?"

I remember whenever we were playing 2 player "Golden Axe", none of my mates (me included) wanted to play as the girl, and therefore, more often than I care to remember, there were arguments over who would get to play as "Santa"...Santa of course referring to the little white bearded Viking character who's only resemblence to jolly old Saint Nick was said white beard.

I guess he COULD be Santa...maybe...it is quite polite the way he chooses to bash the bad guy over the head with the butt of the axe as opposed to decapitating him with it ...Wouldn't want to make his naughty list regardless.

Now to be fair, not all the games were great...in fact a lot of them were absolute pants to put it mildly. Games like "Greendog", and "Daffy Duck in Hollywood" had no business sharing the same sacred console as the games mentioned above. Even this game was fucking legendary compared to the likes of Greendog!

Hold B and Backwards and you could even do the fucking moonwalk! No joke! This game was pure win!

But the thing that MADE Sega for me, the absolute be all, end all...the one thing that really made Sega stand out from the Nintendo, was Sonic The Hedgehog. In fact, the very first time that I was ever even sat down in front of a games console, this was the very frist image I saw.

I was mesmerised. There was no way anything other than Sonic the Hedgehog was going to occupy my every thought for the next coupole of years. I absolutely adored all things Sonic, including every conceivable cash-in they could think of. From the toys to the bed sheets, to the awful, but memorable cartoons. In fact I remember really liking the really colourful one more than the darker themed one that seemed to run simultaneously, but I do remember liking the theme song from the darker show better. Remember these?

Anyway, times change, and so do people... but this little guy will always represent some truly fond memories for me, and I went ahead and downloaded Sonic 4 for the XBOX 360 recently just for shits and giggles...turns out, it's nay half bad. Pretty much back to basics for Sega! A teeny, tiny step in the right direction.