Tuesday 8 December 2009

#51 Top Films of the decade! Who will win?

So here it is. The last post of the decade and what a better way to finish it of but to post my top films of the decade and my personal favourite. Now first I want to say is that this is purely subjective. Obviously people will disagree but these are the films I personally thought where the best films of the decade.

Enjoy and comment.


2009 – Drag Me To Hell – Sam Raimi

Why- Raimi returns to horror since Bruce Campbell vs The Army or Darkness. This film was so good you can sign my up for Evil Dead 4.


2008 – Cloverfield – Matt Reeves

Why- Best monster movie of the past few decade. The great publicity and mockumentary style film making all contribute to it being one of the top films.


2007 – No Country for Old Men – Coan Brothers

Why- The brothers strike back with one of the best book to film adaptations ever. The pacing of the film and tension combined with Brolin’s fine performance and Javier’s bad hair equal a timeless thriller.


2006 – El laberinto del fauno (Pan’s Labyrinth) – Guilimo Del Toro

Why- Like Spirited Away, Del Toro shows that fairy tales aren’t just for kids. Even if El laberinto del fauno was certificate 15.


2005 – Kiss, Kiss Bang, Bang - Shane Black

Why- My favourite Robert Downey Jr film which Wikipedia summed up - "crime/black comedy film, whick engages many conventions of the classic film noir genre in a tongue-in-cheek fashion."



2004 – Side Ways - Alexander Payne

Why- A light and very mature comedy which grabbed and surprised me. Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church work great together as two friend dealing with growing old, responsibilities and playing golf.


2003 – Lost in Translation – Sofia Coppola
Why- A beautiful romance which doesn’t involve sex but two sad souls who need each other. Will we ever know what Murray whispered to Johansson.


2002 – Spirited Away - Hayao Miyazaki
Why- Hayao Miyazaki shows that animated films aren’t just for kids. The magical characters and landscapes are timeless more over then any Disney film.

2001 – Donnie Darko
Why- Richard Kelly’s sci-fi horror did very badly in America but well in Europe captured me with the twisted tale of teen angst and a guy in a bunny suit.

2000 – Memento – Christopher Nolan

Why- Memento has the best editing in any movie I have ever scene. The was so impressive it would inspire any new film-maker.


And Film of the Decade goes to-

Hayao Miyazaki’s SPIRITED AWAY

And there you have it folks. I’d like to thank Kid in the Front Row for all his help with my blog (he’s doing a great job) and I’d like to thank the few people who read this and enjoy it. And if you want to join the team contact me for further details.

Oliver J. Hunt and the New Film Blog out...

#50 Rounding the year up


Number 50! Let hope next year I can get it to #100 and beyond! And now onto the one year anniversary of the NEW FILM BLOG which is at the end of the month. And what a year 09 has been for films and my blog. Of course the roads been bumpy but I’m thinking about getting others on board to help the blog through 2010 but we’ll just see.

So here’s the years round up. I’ll be posting my scores, my new scores for the film and the scores for films I didn’t review. Then do my top three films of the year! So lets get going.

Bronson – * * * * *

New score- * * *

Comment- Interesting film which probably no one saw. Think Chopper meets

Clockwork Orange.

*

Curious Case of Benjamin Button - * * * *

New score- * *

Comment- A film about a guy who gets younger every day. Starts of well but looses it’s magic about half way.

*

Drag Me To Hell - * * * * *

New score- * * * * *

Comment- Sam Raimi returns to horror since Bruce Campbell vs The Army or Darkness. This film was so good you can sign my up for Evil Dead 4.

*

Låt Den Rätte Komma In - * * * * *
New score- * * * * *

Comment- Swedish vampire film which isn’t about sex unlike most vampire films. The writer of the Twilight Saga needs to watch this and see what a real vampire looks like.

*

Inglorious Basterds - * * * * *

New score- * * * *

Comment- Tarantino’s back for a good shoot out but still feel a TV show would have been better.

*

Milk - * * * * *

New score- * * * *

Comment- Gus van Sant’s great indie film about a subject which obviously meant a lot to him. Great performances from Sena Penn and Josh Brolin.

*

Slumdog Millionaire - * * * * *

New score- * * *

Comment- Danny Boyle’s interesting film about child slavery, poverty and heart break which was hailed as the heart warming film of the year.
*

Star Trek - * * * *

New score- * * *
Comment- Good but I wasn’t a Trekkie so went over my head. Still better then expected.

*

Synecdoche New York - * *

New score- *

Comment- Rubbish next… ok ok so this film shows Charily Kaufman needs and editor and someone to chain him down.
*

Transformers: Raise of the Fallen - * *
New score- *
Comment- Worse the Synecdoche New York, next.

*

Watchmen - * * * *
New score- * * *
Comment- Great comic. Good adaptation. Better then expected.

*

The Wrestler - * * * * *

New score- * * * *

Comment- Mickey Rourke steps back in the ring for a heart warming story about the road to self victory.

*

Films I didn’t review
*

(500) Days of Summer - * * *

Comment- Got me loving The Smiths and Joseph Gordon Levitt, enough said.

*

Antichrist - * * * * *
Comment- Lars von Trier’s disturbing flick shows audience that cinema can be engaging, challenging and truly disturbing.

*

Avatar- * * * * *
Comment- James Cameron’s ten year brain child was worth the wait. It’s smurfs meet Furngully, in a good way.

*

Funny People - * * *

Comment- disappointment from Judd Apatow but still worth watching.

*

Halloween 2 - * *

Comment- I feel the first of the Rob Zombie Halloween films was in some ways better then the original however this is one of horrors darkest days and not in a good way. Good thing Zombie isn’t making H3.

*

The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus - * * *

Comment- Terry Gilliam is back and with a vengeance. Still felt the end could have had five minutes cut off but still Tom Waits redeemed it all.

*

Last House on the Left - * * *
Comment- The original was on of the grittiest films in history. But did it constitute for a remake? Probably not. However this films a more cleaned up on which I enjoyed to the end.

*

Paranormal Activities - * * *

Comment- Scary film which kept me up all night.

*

Moon - * * * * *
Comment- Duncan Jones’s first film shoots straight into my top five sci-fi films. Need I say more?
*

Pontypool - * * * *
Comment- An Canadian zombie horror where the virus isn’t transmitted by bites but by words.

*

Zombieland - * * *

Comment- Pretty funny zombie flick with twenty minutes without any zombies. And NOT as good as Shaun of the Dead.


And now that that’s out of the way its time for my top five film of 2009!


Top 5 movies of 2009


5. Inglorious Basterds – Quentin Tarantino

4. Avatar – James Cameron

3. Antichrist – Lars von Trier

2. Moon – Duncan Jones

1. Drag me to Hell – Sam Raimi


So what do you think? Do you agree? What was your top films of 2009? Please comment below.


Well I hoped you liked it. There it is. Now onto the bigger picture. Top films of the decade!

* * *

P.S. I saw this video on YouTube recently and thought I had to add it in it is truley incredible. I also had a little of a change around of my list but the #1 stayed the same!



Oliver Hunt

Thursday 3 December 2009

#49 One Night At The Movies Long Ago - A story of paranoia, strange strangers and bad glares.

I was in.

*

At the time, which wasn’t long ago, I was planning on seeing a film with a certificate that was older then me, If only by a couple of months. Now, all my friends had boasted about seeing the dreaded 18 certificate films with ease or without worry. But for me that was different. Being a somewhat paranoid freak I felt that everyone was watching me. The CCTV, the people selling tickets, even the other movie goers.

*

On the drive there I thought of plan upon plan of ‘what if’. What if they look at my boyish charm and rat me out? Do I run? Or keep my dignity as I stroll out without a care (even if I HAD to see this film)? Outside there was the usual Arthouse cinema goes with their beer cups which I just walked past. At my local Arthouse (and where I was sneaking in) there is two places to pay. I only knew one. So I waited behind a crowd for my shot at a prize (the prize being able to see the film). I had booked the tickets online with the plan that once I’m their I can just wipe out a card (my dad’s) and pay for the ticket. But half way to the ticket stall was when the person behind said that tickets could be bought at the confectionary stand. For some reason I followed the two or three people who where in front of me over to the stand.

*

For some unknown reason I felt comfortable. I felt that the plan was going well and it would be in and enjoying the film with in the hour. Then the door to the only screen opened and about a hundred people flooded out all happy after watching the film I planned on seeing. I ignored them so that I wouldn’t hear something I’d regret eavesdropping on. Now when I looked back the lady behind the counter I saw she was looking at me. No not looking, staring at me. As if she knew. Every so after she would look at me trying to suss me out or break my spirit. So I just stood up straight and didn’t let it bother my out side complexion. But on the inside I was stressing. Now it was my turn and to my amazement, she didn’t ask for ID or anything. She just took my (dad’s) card and did everything fine.

*

And that was it. You would think that was the end but it wasn’t. After the screen opened I walked in and sat in my usual place which is in the middle of the room, not to close to the screen but not to far enough and sat down and began to happily read the little free book of up coming films. Then I noticed over my should and man sneaking up to me. I looked over the seat at him when he began to talk to me. Apparently the seat I was sitting on was the best in the cinema because it’s where all the speakers are pointed at. What could I say to this? I thanked the man for telling me and kept my head down. But once the film started I was safe. I was happy. The panic was over. I was in.

*

Oliver J. Hunt