Review - Star Trek Beyond

Star Trek Beyond

Director: Justin Lin

Staring:  Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Sofia Boutella, Idris Elba and many more.

Writers: Simon Pegg and Doug Jung.

Rating: 9/10

Plot: The Enterprise is in its third year of its five year mission, to explore, fly about and find stuff. Captain Kirk is frustrated by the endless shifting circumstances surrounding the ship and is considering moving on while Spock is having to deal with a difficult time personally. They are tasked with responding to a distress call from a captain who has lost her own ship in a dangerous nebula. The Enterprise goes in to assist, but danger lurks within…  

     That is the basic outline and with all reviews here there will be no spoliers or indepth plot breakdowns, why? Because you want to see the film. Hell, even if you don’t I still don’t want to tell you. I think the joy of film is in the experience of seeing it, not being told about it.

 

     To start with I have to tell you that I love the Original Series, Next Generation and Deep Space nine. I was a huge fan of the even films in the first wave (for the most part) and I loved the reboot. Yes, Star Trek Into Darkness pissed off a few people, me included, but I still really enjoyed it for the most part.

     Star Trek Beyond has a new director – Justin Lin, and he has a wonderful history of delivering great action with large casts, so I thought we’d get something a bit special and I wasn’t wrong. Star Trek Beyond is awesome! The cast have chemistry in bucket loads, the laughs are right there to be swallowed down and the action is great!

     The thing that really makes the new Trek films really work is the cast. They deliver the characters that we know from the original series and yet they have updated and rounded out each officer so they live and breathe. I love Sulu and Chekov, they have a wonderful connection and it will be sad to see Cho without Yelchin when the next one comes along. Pine, Quinto and Urban are great together and I can’t help but love them just a little bit more with each outing, though this time Urban really does stand out as the man with the one liners. He’s brilliant! The new comer, Boutella, is fabulous! She has a great look, really strong and is great with Pegg and Pine. She was exactly what the film needed. Oh, and the opening sequence? Brilliant too.

     The action is gripping, the plot tight and easy to follow, the sets and set pieces are fantastic (the starbase is jaw dropping) and the pace is perfect. There’s danger, excitement, adventure, laughs, tragedy, some super cool effects and I loved the soundtrack. In short, Star Trek Beyond knocked it right out of the park.

     Looking at the villain I think Elba had presence, chemistry with the other actors and he was intense as the advisory. He did a great job at making the heroes sweat.

     Star Trek Beyond is the best of the new films. It feels like a Star Trek film through and through but it has a greater emphasis on action and it has a faster pace than the films of the past. Justin Lin is clearly the man to take this ship, and this glorious crew, forward.

     The one thing I’m going to moan about is the trailer. Yeah, I know, that’s something that seems to be happening a lot – the overcooked trailer, but I’m going to do it. Star Trek Beyond has many of it’s stronger action sequences spoiled by shots of them in the trailer showing the outcomes. That’s stupid. It’s annoying. It’s completely unnecessary.

     Other than that, I loved it

Review - Jason Bourne

Jason Bourne

Director: Paul Greengrass

Staring: Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, Tommy Lee Jones, Alicia Vikander, Vincent Cassel, Riz Ahmed and many more.

Writers: Paul Greengrass and Christopher Rouse.

Rating: 8/10

Plot: A contact from Jason Bourne’s past goes digging and finds something he needs to see. A piece from his Treadstone days, a lie that he needs to know about. The agency doesn’t want Bourne back in play though, and as they try to contain the situation they yet again find themselves head to head in a deadly game…

     That is the basic outline and with all reviews here there will be no spoliers or indepth plot breakdowns, why? Because you want to see the film. Hell, even if you don’t I still don’t want to tell you. I think the joy of film is in the experience of seeing it, not being told about it.

     When the Bourne films first came along they offered us something different from Bond and the other hard drinking, co-star shagging, male spies that always won and had all the kit. It was a bleached, stripped back animal that had a tough edge and an explosive violence that hit hard. The first one really impressed, the second built on that and the third finished the loop. It was glorious, but when it was over it felt like a good ending. They had delivered something that would stand as a truly great trilogy.

     Bourne Legacy didn’t hit the high mark that was set by the original films and so Renner was out and Damon was back in. Jason Bourne delivers the same level of fights, car chases and street chases as the original three. It is in places brutal and dark and captivating and the spies and their inability to keep their word, to anyone, ever, make for a great film, but I have to say, this should be the last one.

     I think Jason Bourne is a really good film with, as I said, all the right elements from the previous films, but there isn’t a sense that we haven’t seen it all before in some way shape or form. There isn’t anything new, or a pressure to Bourne that we haven’t already felt previously. And though I think they could have opened a new book with the ending of this one and given themselves a new direction, sadly they don’t.

     I liked Jason Bourne, but I don’t think I can muster excitement at the prospect of another one. Still, this is all that the other ones were, and so worth seeing.

     As to the cast, Tommy Lee Jones isn’t given much to do other than be dastardly, though Vikander, Cassel and Ahmed are excellent and bring the depth that was needed to make the film really work. Always a joy to see Julia Stiles and, of course, Damon owns the deadly super spy Bourne, but the weight of the plot doesn’t match previous outings so even he had to work pretty hard to make it work.  

Review: Ghostbusters (2016)

Ghostbusters (2016)

Director: Paul Feig

Staring: Kristen Wigg, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Charles Dance, Chris Hemsworth and many more.

Writers: Katie Dippold and Paul Feig (based on original work by Ivan Reitman, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis)

Rating: 8/10

Plot: Someone is moving around New York city and where they go paranormal activity follows. Four women gather together, experts in science and the paranormal, to investigate the events and to subsequently catch the ghost being awakened….

     That is the basic outline and with all reviews here there will be no spoliers or indepth plot breakdowns, why? Because you want to see the film. Hell, even if you don’t I still don’t want to tell you. I think the joy of film is in the experience of seeing it, not being told about it.

     Right, Ghostbusters. There are a few things here to consider, things that are vital for a film like this to flourish – chemistry between the cast, laughs, pacing and quotability. Without these things the film will be dead in the water. Happily, Ghostbusters has all these things going for it and more.

     The cast play well with each other. I particularly loved Wigg and McCarthy and their interplay, though McCarthy and Hemsworth also hit the spot. Leslie Jones was great with the whole team and she really rounded out the foursome making them live and breathe. Hemsworth understood his role in the film and did an excellent job and all in all the cast made the film really fly.

     The plot? Pretty simple and let’s face it, if you expected something out of Breaking Bad, twists and dark corners that evolved into horrifying shocks, then you went to the wrong film and were looking to be upset, not because the film was bad but because you didn’t want the film to be good. It was always going to be silly and simple and that’s what made the original work. It’s what makes this one work. It works. Live with it.

     Ghostbusters works because the effects are great, the cast are great, the gags are easy and the point is that it needed to be different from the original yet recognizable and that’s what those clever people have produced. On top of that the film makes some clever points about the state of Hollywood’s treatment of women. It kicks the internet trolls whenever possible and points and laughs at them and it does it all with an effortless smile. Plus, the cameos are incredibly satisfying, there is just one original Ghostbuster missing, and we will always miss you Egon.
   
     Egon, but not forgotten. 

     I loved it. CAN WE HAVE ANOTHER PLEASE?!     

Review - The Legend of Tarzan

The Legend of Tarzan

Director : David Yates

Staring : Alexander Skarsgard, Margot Robbie, Christoph Waltz, Samuel L. Jackson, Djimon Hounsou and many other fine excellent people.

Writers : Adam Cozad and Craig Brewer.

Rating : 8/10.

 

Plot : King Leopold of Belgium is broke and wants to make the most of the colony he owns in Africa – The Congo. He sends his closest adviser to the Congo to make him rich by exploiting the diamonds in the area. The tribe controlling the diamonds are fierce and won’t give up the diamonds without some form of trade. They wish revenge on Tarzan, and so the advisor devises a plan to bring Tarzan back to The Congo and to deliver him to his most hated enemy...

 

     That is the basic outline and with all reviews here there will be no spoliers or in-depth plot breakdowns, why? Because you want to see the film. Hell, even if you don’t I still don’t want to tell you. I think the joy of film is in the experience of seeing it, not being told about it.

 

The Legend of Tarzan is set long after the Lord of the Jungle has left his birth home and returned to England to become Lord Greystoke. Alexander Skarsgard is the man they chose for the title role and for my money it was a great one. Physically he’s perfectly built for it, really, amazing stuff. He’s also a good actor with a great presence. Teamed with Lady Jane Greystoke, played by Margot Robbie, they make a formidable couple that, though they live in England, their hearts belong to Africa.

     In this Jane had lived in Africa and was completely at home there, we don’t see the scared and out of her depth Jane at all, she is a strong, caring woman that is at home in the jungle as well as the halls of Greystoke manor. That is one of the many great successes of the film, they understood the need a capable Jane that could complement Tarzan, and she does. Also, Robbie and Skarsgard have an easy chemistry that works for these roles. It’s effortless and it makes the rest of the film work too. You can see why Tarzan cares so deeply for her and she for him.

     As the plot to deliver Tarzan to the ‘bad guys’ starts to really take hold and the kidnappings and escapes roll hard and fast as the characters prove they are not victims too simply scream for the camera, they show you the pieces of the past you need to see, briefly, so that you know their version of the events, though they don’t bore you with a long, protracted origin story. Good plan, writers, you did a great job!

     The animals come and they go and though there is a clear amount of cgi cats and gorillas I didn’t mind that they were not actually there. The effects are good and the action good enough to keep the attention, and the pace? Excellent.

     Tarzan works on the many levels but, for me, the thing they really got right was the tone. This is a film that wants to look at the issues of slavery and exploitation in Africa by the Europeans. It wants to show that dark side of history and yet, it never becomes overly gory or uncomfortable. It isn’t gratuitous in its depiction of the events. It’s clear, but not in your face. Also, it is brooding and stark, and yet it romps at a great pace and feels like a traditional action/adventure, and that’s because it is.

     I really liked Samuel L. Jackson, as per usual, because he’s awesome, plays an older American investigating the breaches of anti slavery laws in the Congo and because he has so much charisma it makes it easy to watch anything he’s in.

     Same thing for Christoph Waltz. Great presence. Wonderful to watch. Not sure he plays many different characters, but I adore what he does.

     The Legend of Tarzan is well worth the time to watch it. Fast, impressive and fun. With enough drama and action to please the majority of summer going crowds.

Rating : 8/10

Review - Now You See Me 2

Now You See Me 2

Director : Jon M. Chu.

Staring : Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrleson, Dave Franco, Lizzy Caplan, Daniel Radcliffe, Jay Cho, Sanaa Lathan, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and many other excellent people.

Writers : Ed Solomon.

Rating : 7/10.

Plot : The Four Horseman, a band of anarchistic social justice magicians, have been in hiding following a raid they made on a bank/insurance company. Wanted by the authorities they have been hiding, training, preparing themselves for the next mission given to them by ‘the Eye’. One of their number has left, but she is about to be replaced with another young female magician, and they are about to go back into action.

     Given a mission, they finally set to work, but all is not as it seems and soon they find themselves pawns in an ever shifting game of cat and mouse…

     That is the basic outline and, with all reviews here, there will be no spoliers or in-depth plot breakdowns, why? Because you want to see the film. Hell, even if you don’t I still don’t want to tell you. I think the joy of film is in the experience of seeing it, not being told about it.

 

     Did you see the first Now You See Me? It was full of cool visuals and smart little tricks but it fell down, for me, on the lack of transparency. The finale is left almost entirely without some rational explanation and so it treats the magic as actual magic and not as a clever illusion by masterminds. That damaged a likeable and entertaining romp.

     Now You See Me 2 holds all the cards the first film did, set-pieces dazzle but only some of them are explained, so the ones that make no sense stand out as events that don’t fit with the general feel of the rest of the film. The hypnotism is a Hollywood swift version and though it is used in an entertaining and flashy way it also doesn’t really work. The card tricks flow but there’s always a feeling that perhaps we are being cheated, or they go on slightly too long.

     I didn’t like some of the action pieces, if I’m honest. You can’t see what is going on or how it all sets up and the incidental illusions in the fight are, again, there to wow and amuse, but are not explainable.

     Saying all of this I have to say the film is enjoyable. I loved the cast, Lizzy Caplan shines in it and Jesse Eisenberg does a very good job of being the man trying to be leader. Ruffalo and Harrelson are really watchable, though I did get annoyed by Harrelson’s double, and they are backed up nicely by Freeman and Caine. I would also single out a bearded Daniel Radcliffe who is both annoying and charming at the same time. He does exactly what is required of him and he does it with some style.

     Now You See Me 2 isn’t anything really special but it is fun, fast and has enough twists and laughs to make it well worth a watch. Also, Caplan has some excellent lines and points regarding the role of women in film and hits many of the big laughs. Look out for ‘Buffy’. That was a real treat.  

Now You See Me 2 – 7/10.

Revisiting a classic - HEAT.

Revisiting A Classic – Heat.

Sometimes it feels as though we beat art down too much. If a blockbuster is just a set of huge set pieces with charismatic stars delivering them then we judge it against a slow burning drama that touches the majority of people that watch it, and guess what? Yup! The blockbuster is found wanting. Sometimes we do the opposite and when we feel the need for something fast, frenetic, fun and easy to switch off to we come against something a bit more in need of attention and that too can make us feel that the film was slow, over indulgent and pretentious.

     The truth really is that each film comes from its own little place and though you know that the genre will dictate many of the events and characters that are in the film you still know it is its own entity. Within these contexts there are words that are thrown about. ‘Terrible’. ‘Classic’. ‘Fantastic’. ‘Dull’. In the end, no film will please everyone that sees it. Even American Beauty has its detractors. Deadpool may have been right up my alley, but others hated it.

     We, the audience, can be a damn hard bunch of people to please.

     Saying all of that I do feel that some films are just a cut above the others. They stand as recognised classics that, though not loved by 100% of the film going world, are loved by the vast majority.

     ‘Heat’ is one of those films.

     Now we aren’t talking about ‘Body Heat’, the sexy thriller staring William Hurt and Kathleen Turner, or even ‘Red Heat’, the 80s action film that sees Arnie playing a Russian cop in America staring with his unlikely co-star James Belushi. No. We are talking about the Michael Mann crime thriller that featured two sides of the same coin – Pacino’s police unit vs Deniro’s professional criminal crew.

     To start with, we always get into the ‘coffee shop scene’ chat - Deniro and Pacino acting opposite each, throwing loosely veiled threats and confirming that they thought that their counter-part was, for the most part, smart, driven and admirable. That’s all good and yes, I agree, amazing, but this isn’t where the film really works to get its classic status.

     We could look at Mann’s mastery of tension and pace. We could ask how a film that is over two hours and forty minutes long be sat through without a toilet break, but hell, when this juggernaught gets on the screen I defy you not to stay to the very end. Going for a piss would negatively affect the mood painstakingly generated by Mann and his stunning well-chosen main cast. And all he does in this film is indeed amazing. His opening heist, followed by the slow burn of two crews circling each other. The too and fro of the lead detective and criminal as they direct their crews to make all the right moves is brilliant. And that street gun fight? Wow. But this isn’t all that makes the film great.

     It’s true that ‘Heat’ is led by a phenomenal cast of lead actors, but where the real magic is created is not just in giving those main actors time to breathe, but in selecting one of the best supporting cast line ups in cinematic history. Deniro’s crew consists of him, Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Danny Trejo,  Jon Voight, Dennis Haysbert, Kevin Gage and they get their bank job from Tom Noonan who played the Toothfairy in Manhunter. Pacino has Ted Levine (Buffalo Bill from Silence of The Lambs), Myketi Williamson and Wes Studi (Last of the Mohicans) and a host of other agents. Great eh? Well, hold onto something, because it gets better. Deniro has Amy Brenneman as a love interest and his best friend Val Kilmer has a wife played by Ashley Judd. Pacino is married to the fantastic Diane Venora and his step daughter is none other than Natalie Portman. Awesome enough?! Nope?! Okay! Well Hank Azaria plays a character entwined in Ashley Judd’s storyline and William Fitcher is the man that has been robbed by Deniro in the beginning scene and then sends Henry Rollins after his crew! Yeah.

     There is such a wealth of talent throughout the film, just on screen, that no one drops the ball, at any point. Each scene is tight, tense and perfectly played. Backed up by Mann and his brilliant technical support they make the film not just great on the surface, but they give it a depth that makes it the classic that it is.

     Remember the coffee shop scene and love it. Remember the gun fight through the streets. Remember the airport. The heist. All the other brilliant set pieces, but pay attention to the whole show, because it is a glorious one.

 

Review - Independance Day - Resurgence.

Independence Day - Resurgence

Director : Roland Emmerich

Staring : Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Jessie T.Usher, Sela Ward, William Fitcher, Brent Spiner, Judd Hirsch, Rain Lao and many other awesome people.

Writers : Nicolas Wright, James A. Woods and many others.

Rating : 12A.

 

Plot : Twenty years after the nasty aliens first blew up all the monuments on the planet Earth they return to finish the job. Only this time, their ship is even bigger...

 

    Right, first off, no spoilers here, so read if you wish, but I won’t spoil your party.

     Independence Day was a huge hit and a film that burned its way into our memories by blowing the crap out of everything it could. It blew up the White House! It blew up Paris! It blew up here! It blew up there! BOOM!

     Seriously though, the original had a lot of explosions and it gave us a visual treat during the first few years of the major cgi generation. They did incredible things and we gobbled it up, but perhaps I have to step forward and say that it wasn’t that great a film. A decent mindless blockbuster? Yes! Certainly. A great movie? Maybe. But it was really stupid. It even had the city blowing up and people dying in their millions and yet they still wanted us to cheer when the dog avoided being burnt to a crisp? Meh. Stupid.

     So, there has been a lot of talk about the sequel lacking the heart of the original. Well, not sure I agree. Certainly it isn’t quite as good, but I think mainly that’s because it is an act we have seen before. Sure, the alien ship is bigger and sure, the cast have a few younger faces to fill in the action, but it is basically the same model. Resurgence really doesn’t do anything that the first one didn’t.

     The effects are great and the cast do well. It probably does miss someone with the presence of Will Smith, but the young actor that plays his son, Jessie T. Usher, does a good job and I felt Liam Hemsworth backed him up in terms of risk taking and rucking. Goldblum is always great to watch and Pullman is excellently supported by his beard.

     Independence Day – Resurgence is a good film that works well within the time it has and the story is a logical escalation of the original plot. And though it may not have blown me away it did control the running time and the effects were very cool. Also, the 3d was worth seeing it in too.          

     I enjoyed Independence Day – Resurgence. It was an entertaining romp without setting the world on fire, at least, not in terms of in the auditorium. Everything blew up on the screen, obviously.

Independence Day - Resurgence – 7/10

Review - Gods of Egypt

Gods Of Egypt

Director : Alex Proyas.

Staring : Gerrad Butler, Brenton Thwaites, Courtney Eaton,  Elodie Yung, Nikolaj Coster-Waldu, Rachel Blake, Bryan Brown, Chadwick Boseman, Rufus Sewell, Geoffrey Rush and many fine and excellent other people.

Writers : Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless

Rating : 7/10.

 

Plot : Set, played by Gerrad Butler, takes offence to his brother - Osiris, played by Bryan Brown, giving the throne of Egypt to his son, Horus, played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldu. He takes over, banishes Horus and craps all over the people of Egypt.

     A young couple are ripped apart by Set and his obsession with showing Ra, high in the sky above them, that he has built greater tributes to him than any other person. As his path leads him to dark places and temples that are forbidden he finds he must help Horus reclaim his kingdom, or lose everything…

 

     That is the basic outline and with all reviews here there will be no spoliers or indepth plot breakdowns, why? Because you want to see the film. Hell, even if you don’t I still don’t want to tell you. I think the joy of film is in the experience of seeing it, not being told about it.

     Gods Of Egypt has been hammered a bit for a few reasons, and to be fair, many of those reasons could have been avoided. The main cast are all white males, which is obviously a mistake if this film is set in Egypt, but it isn’t - it’s a space opera set on a world created by space aliens that are actually far bigger than the humanity. They quite literally tower over the mortals! It isn’t Egypt. It isn’t even set on a conventional planet! So if they just called it something else, obviously giving a nod to the Egyptian style of the film aesthetic, then they may have dodged much of the controversial casting reaction.

     I must admit, when I saw the cast, trailer, and the title I presumed that Hollywood had yet again white washed the world. Which pissed me off. So I have to hold my hand up and say that though I was wrong to prejudge I was just acting on what I’d been fed. Now, if the name of the film was slightly different – emphasising the space opera nature of the film? Then they could have built a different wave of press. Just saying.

     Right. Anyway. On with the review. So, the main thing about Gods of Egypt is that it is really silly, super pretty, and so not there to try and grab an Oscar. It’s a blockbuster from a technical director that has always used special effects to their fullest – Alex Proyas. It leaps, jumps, flies and fights its way around pyramids and sand dunes, over huge structures and into the space above it all. It has a great look, strongly Egyptian in style and it flows well. The script has some laughs, doesn’t take itself too seriously and delivers some good set pieces. The players all play their parts well and, realistically, it isn’t that bad. In fact, and this may seem to flow against the tide of negative reviews, I really enjoyed Gods Of Egypt. It was silly, fast and for the most part it was pretty. I really enjoyed watching Butler chew his way through his lines and Coster-Waldu is cool. Brenton Thwaites is a good comedic foil and the vulnerable human that is leaping about amongst the gods and the short rolls for Geoffrey Rush and Bryan Brown made me smile. I haven’t seen Brown in anything for ages! It was cool!

     Hey, a special note must go to the visual effects work in this. The height of the gods make them seem all powerful and they blend almost seamlessly into the film. The Egyptian armour looks great and the stuff with Ra in it is very, very cool.

     Yes, Gods of Egypt is a bit throw away, but I like all kinds of films and this one was all about the on the night entertainment. It wanted to be with you for the two hours you sat in front of it rather than trying to be meaningful and stay in your thoughts long after. This meant that it avoided a fair few of the evils that are plaguing some of the blockbusters released over the last few years, one of those being an excessive running time. Fake drama and bad editing along with these bloated running times have also hurt many of 2016s comic book films.

     In closing, Gods of Egypt is fun, silly and I really enjoyed it.

Gods of Egypt – 7/10

My Pick - 160 (or so) 80s films I love

There are many shifts and changes in film that swing from decade to decade, certain genres become popular and others fade. Stars are born and careers end. Of course, the more things change the more they stay the same – bad films get made, there are always good films and there are inevitably great films. We love some from each, even the bad ones, and though we don’t always know why, or can explain what makes that film so damn special to us, they connect with us.

     I put together a list from the 90s of films that I loved. I enjoyed doing it and discovered that looking through release dates helped me remember all those films that made a difference to me.

     What follows is my 80s list. These films helped to form what we laughingly call ‘me’. I found wonder in some, excitement in others.

     Ready?

     Oh, and they are not in any order of preference. I can’t tell you I like Highlander more than Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, or that The Empire Strikes Back is a ‘better’ movie than Platoon. That’s silly. Each film is on the list for its own merits and stands as a one piece of a much larger map that makes up my love for film.

     Let’s begin…

The Blues Brothers – That car chase. That duo. We play both types of music – Country and Western.

The Elephant Man – John Hurt. Wow.

Flash Gordon – Silly and amazing. Brian bloody Blessed!

The Long Good Friday – Bob Hoskins.

Raging Bull – Epic.

The Shining – Terrifying. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

Stir Crazy – Gene and Richard! Prison comedy at its best.

Superman 2 – Still the best Superman film, by far.

The Empire Strikes Back – Still the best Star Wars film, by not quite as far.

An American Werewolf In London – Stick to the path.

The Cannonball Run – Crazy car movie.

Clash Of The Titans – Harryhousen’s last.

Dragonslayer – Biscuit is an action hero!

Escape From New York – John Carpenter classic!

Excalibur – Still the best Arthurian legend film.

The Evil Dead – A game changer.

Omen 3: Final Conflict – Sam Neil is evil.

Scanners – Ironside blows your head up!

Time Bandits – YAY!

Conan The Barbarian – THE RIDDLE OF STEEL!

Poltergeist – They’re here…

Star Trek 2 – The best Star Trek film, by a country mile.

Blade Runner – Sci fi noir. Awesome. Note that I prefer the cinematic version. Yeah, I know.

The Thing – One of the best, if not the best, monster movie, EVER.

Tron – A ground breaking film.

An Officer And A gentleman – White uniforms. Louis Gosset Jnr.

Amittyville 2 – Terrifying.

First Blood – Stallone at his best.

48 HRS – Murphy and Nolte fight each other and the bad guys.

The Dark Crystal – Puppets and magic. Incredible.

Tootsie – Hoffman.

The Hunger – Sexy vampires. Bowie.

The Right Stuff – Spacemen grounded.

Scarface – Say hello to my little friend.

Return Of The Jedi – Ewoks. There IS good in him. Jabba!

Staying Alive – DANCING!

Trading Places – Akroyd and Murphy are dynamite!

Wargames – Do you want to play a game?

1984 – Rat cage? *shudders*

Beverly Hills Cop – Murphy again. Action comedy master.

Footloose – More DANCING!

Ghostbusters – Brilliant. Bold. Unforgettable.

Gremlins – Billy, Gizmo, BRIGHT LIGHT!

Greystoke – Lambert as the monkey man. I love this film.

The Ice Pirates – sci fi comedy too silly to ever show up on anyone else’s list.

Karate Kid – Ralph!

The Killing Fields – Obviously.

A Nightmare On Elm Street – Depp gets turned into soup.

Romancing The Stone – Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglass together.

Terminator – An action/sci fi masterpiece and James Cameron’s assault on our senses starts.

Top Secret – Val Kilmer in naughty comedy.

Wheels On Meals – Jackie Chan!

Back To The Future – Marty McFly! GREAT SCOTT!

The Breakfast Club – I won’ ever…forget about you…no, no, no.

Brewster’s Millions – Richard Pryor. A great film.

Cocoon – The Oldies get their lives back.

Commando – Never need to reload. The puns fly. The baddies die.

Fright Night – Vampires next door!

Goonies – HEY, YOU GUYS!

Jewel of the Nile – Kathleen and Michael and Danny back together!

Legend – Tim Curry as the devil, Tiny Tom appears.

Pale Rider – One of Eastwood’s best.

Re-Animator – Spades and cats and GORE!

Red Sonja – Silly but fun fantasy.

St Elmo’s Fire – The Brat Pack!

A View to a Kill – Bond!

Weird Science – Kelly LeBrock.

Young Sherlock Holmes – Love it! Stained glass window monster and the Egyptian killers!

Teenwolf – Michael J Fox. Basketball. Yay!

Enemy Mine – Dennis Quaid. I love that guy.

Aliens – Best sequel ever? Best action sci fi ever? A good shout for both.

Armour Of God – Jackie Chan again!

Big Trouble In Little China – Kurt Russell rides the Pork Chop Express!

Colour of Money – Obviously.

Crocodile Dundee – That’s not a knife…

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – Mathew Broderick stars in a timeless classic, but is Ferris really there?

The Fly – Goldblum. Disgusting.

The Golden Child – Murphy again. He had so many good films in this decade! So many!

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer – Horrifying, brutal, upsetting. Stays with you.

Highlander – There should have only been one!

Howard The Duck – Disturbing.

The Hitcher – Rutger Hauer terrorises C. Thomas Howell and everyone else as well.

Labyrinth – Socks down pants, wig on, eye make up, surrounded by puppets. Go!

Manhunter – William Peterson nails it.

The Name of the Rose – Medieval murder.

Platoon -  Sgt Barnes is unkillable, or is he?  Incredible cast, incredible film.

Poltergeist 2 – Even scarier than the original. That priest? *shudders*

Short Circuit – Number five is alive!

The Three Amigos – Short, Chase and Martin in fancy dress!

Top Gun – We feel the need, the need for a half-naked volleyball scene.

Transformers The Movie (animated) – The only Transformers film you ever need to see.

Wisdom – Emilio Estevez is a Dillinger character for the modern age.

Beverley Hills Cop 2 – Those legs, those puns, and that rocket launcher.

The Big Easy – Sexy as hell! Brilliant thriller! Ellen Barkin is hotter than the sun.

Dragnet – Goat men! Me, you, your balls… and this draw. Hanks is great.

Evil Dead 2 – Trapdoor blood hose!

Empire Under The Sun – Bale arrives and what a film to star in.

Fatal Attraction – Bunny boiler.

Full Metal Jacket – A nerve shredding powerhouse.

Good Morning Vietnam – A film with incredible heart and Williams is amazing.

Lethal Weapon – Mad Mel and Danny give us perfect buddy cop action.

The Lost Boys – Classic vampire film. Brilliant.

Manequin – That Starship song still makes me smile, and yes, she was gorgeous.

Near Dark – Adrian Pasdar and half the cast of Aliens do toothy Bigelow. That bar scene still gives me fever.

A Nightmare On Elm Street 3 : Dream Warriors – the second one was dreadful but this one totally rocked!

The Principal – James Belushi cleans up the school. I LOVE to see him clean up Michael Gove the same way.

The Princess Bride – Classic! TO THE PAIN! I love this film sooooo much!

Predator – Get monster action movie. Carl Weathers adds a touch of awesome.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles – Candy and Martin make me ache with laughter.

Raising Arizona – Cage’s best?

Robocop – Verhoven doing what he does best. So in your face and so quotable.

Roxanne – Again, Steve Martin brings the house down. The bar with the nose jokes? Never bettered.

Running Man – Arnie puns his way through end of level bad guys with themed zones and costumes.

Spaceballs – Assholes! I’m surrounded by a Assholes!

Stakeout – Emilio Estevez and Richard Dryfers are awesome in this, and so is Madeline Stowe.

Untouchables – Brilliant film from start to finish. Incredible cast and so iconic.

Wall Street – Greed is good, greed works. So did this film, in all the ways in should have.

The Witches Of Eastwick – Three beauties, one horny little devil.

Withnail & I – Richard E. Grant and Dr Who getting mashed.

The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen – Barking mad.

Akira – A staggering achievement in film, let alone animated film.

Beetlejuice – Michael Keaton is the unwanted house guest of the unwanted house guests.

Big – Hanks being a big kid.

Bloodsport – BAM! Van Damme!

The Chocolate War – I loved this film. I have always hated Archie! Bastard!

Cocktail – Tom and Brian supply the drinks, Elizabeth provides the heart.

Colours -  Penn and Duvall are brilliant as cops in a tough town.

Coming To America – Murphy as the fish out of water.

Dead Ringers – Jeremy Irons plays a set of twins and it scared me.

Dead Poets Society – The great Robin Williams is wonderful in this.

Die Hard – Obviously.

D.O.A – Dennis Quaid has been murdered! Poison! Now he had just a few hours to work out who killed him.

Heathers – Christian Slater and Wynona Rider. Awesome. Violent. Funny.

The Land Before Time – Animated dinosaurs make me cry. Bastards!

Mississippi Burning – Hackman is intense and it is hard to watch.

The Presido – Sean Connery, Meg Ryan, goings on at a military base.

Scrooged – Perfect Christmas movie!

Twins – Devito and Arnie have great chemistry.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit – Amazing!

Willow – I loved this film. Kilmer was great, Warwick Davis was a perfect lead.

Working Girl – Mel Griffith, Ford changes his shirt, she has a mind for business but a body for sin.

Young Guns –  Some of the Brat pack take revenge when Zod gets popped. Billy the Kid!

Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure – Reeves and Winters are dudes, dudes.

Major League – Baseball, Jack Bauer’s president, GIVE HIM THE HEATER, RICKY!

The Dream Team – They form a bond and they go far. Keaton leads and they follow.

K-9 – It was this or Turner and Hooch, and I liked this one better.

See No Evil, Hear No Evil – Pryor and Wilder together again. One’s blind, one’s deaf, the jokes fly.

Road House – Swayze is the tough door man. Sam Elliot is too. Mind ya throat.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade – The best one of the bunch? Probably.

Renegades – Lou Diamond Phillips and Kiefer Sutherland make unlikely allies. Lou beats him a fair bit.

Batman – Keaton! Nicholson! Basinger! Prince! BATMAN!

Ghostbusters 2 – The mood slime, Vigo, THE BATHTUB TRIED TO EAT OSCAR!

Lethal Weapon 2 – Perfect sequel to a brilliant action cop film. Brilliant. Accents too.

Uncle Buck – John Candy doing what he did best.

Black Rain – Michael Douglass and Andy Garcia go to japan to guard a prisoner and it all goes wrong.

The Fabulous Baker Boys – Michelle Pfeiffer drapes herself across a piano. My knees go weak.

Henry V – Ken bringing Shakespeare to us and we love it! Rain drenched battles! Blessed with a tiny mace!

The Little Mermaid – This one had the song ‘Under the Sea’, damn it, I still catch myself singing it.

Tango and Cash – Russell and Stallone and Jack Palance. Oh, Terry Hatcher too!

Driving Miss Dairy – Morgan Freeman and Jessica Tandy! I be driving, Miss Daisy, I be driving.

 

     Right, there you have it. A long list to scroll through with no pictures. How will the point and click generation cope? Admirably, I’m sure.

     There are many classics missing, films that didn’t really impact upon me (or haven’t yet) and maybe some that I just didn’t like. I look forward to continuing to watch films and find jems I’ve missed as well as every now and then checking that Masters of the Universe really was as bad as I remembered it being.

     Thanks for reading.

p.s. The box at the bottom is where you can shout at me and tell me why Howard the Duck should be removed from this list. J

 

 

 

 

My Pick - 147 90s Movies

My nineties in film

     Film can be, and normally is, a very personal medium. One person can love a film and another can despise it, two people can love the very same film for completely different reasons. An Oscar winner can astound critics but bore the next patron of the cinema and while some people see very few films others deliver constant barrages of film into their brain and love even the ones that were never going to win awards for their originality, style or dialogue.

     Film can be a great divider but it can also bring people together. It truly is a wondrous thing, in my eyes. But I have to say I was listening to a radio station the other week and on it they read out the top ten nineties films, as voted by the public. I was fairly stunned to hear that Goodfellas wasn’t on the list. Hey, Pulp Fiction was, but Reservoir Dogs wasn’t. It stuck with me. It stuck with me that many of the films voted for were kids films, and hey, there were some amazing animated features throughout that decade, but better than Goodfellas?!

     Anyway, I got to thinking - what would a film list I put together look like? Would I even be able to put together a ‘top ten’ knowing that Goodfellas would have to go up against Toy Story, or Good Will Hunting would have to battle for my affections with Unforgiven. The answer was clearly ‘no’. No, I can’t give you a top ten. I can’t give you a top twenty or even thirty.

     No.

     I figured the best thing to do was go through a list of all the Hollywood release dates for each year and write down the ones that mattered to me. Then I would put a ring around the ones that REALLY mattered to me.

     Turns out there were a lot of films that I just couldn’t do without having seen.

     What follows is a list of nineties movies that I love. Some have notes on them about why. Some have excuses. There are many Oscar winners that aren’t on the list. There are many foreign films that I haven’t tracked down the names off, because I’m busy, and also I watch far more Hollywood films than I do world cinema. So sue me.

     They aren't in any order of greatness and I don't think I can argue the impact Jurassic Park had on me in relation to my near obsession with Reservoir Dogs, so don't try and find my favourite, just see if some of yours are on here. I hope this doesn’t get annoying/confusing/down right terrifying…

Brain Dead – Amazing gore and bizarre action. The Zombies…the lawnmower…

Tremors – Come on! It’s a must!

The Hunt For Red October – Still the best Jack Ryan film by a country mile.

Total Recall – Arnie doing what he does best. Plus, look! No arms!

Another 48 Hrs – Perfect antagonistic buddy action.

Ghost – Did you love this film? Dito.

Young Guns 2 – That gang is my favourite and watching them fall was heart-breaking.

Flatliners – Billy Mahoney? One of the most evil villains ever. Loved it.

Pump Up The Volume – My favourite teenage angst film of all time. Slater is amazing.

Goodfellas – My Favourite gangster film of all time and probably the best ever made.

Pacific Heights – Keaton was brilliant in this. Sinister and enthralling.

Predator 2 – I love this film. Glover does a great job and it feels like the next step.

Misery – I will always have nightmares that Annie is coming to take my feet.

Awakenings – Somewhere inside I’m still sobbing over this film. Williams is amazing.

Edward Scissorhands – Undoubtedly a Burton classic.

Sleeping With The Enemy – Tins in cupboards. The terror. Scary film.

Silence Of The Lambs – Hopkins and Foster at their best.

New Jack City – Snipes heads a cast that show grit and real aggression.

The Hard Way – ‘Not if you tied me naked to the back of a truck and dragged me through a field of broken glass!’ Woods and Fox made this something silly and special.

Backdraft – A brilliant cast, with a tight story and a great director’s flair. Loved it!

Hudson Hawk – I know it isn’t very good. I don’t care. If I want to see this then ONLY this will do.

Thelma and Louise – Geena and Susan. What a ride!

Robin Hood : Prince of Thieves – Infectious, silly, Rickman is endlessly quotable.

Terminator 2 – Annoying kid wasn’t that annoying. Great sci -fi action.

Boyz In The Hood – Brilliant and shocking.

Point Break – I don’t care that it’s wooden and silly. Reeves and Swayze are ace.

Bill And Ted’s Bogus Journey – Death, Station, evil robot us’s.

The Commitments – Band film is a hit on every level.

The Fisher King – Bridges and Williams. Wow. Heart-breaking.

Cape Fear – Deniro as the tattooed monster.

Star Trek 6 : The Undiscovered Country – Shakespeare. Assassinations. Captain Sulu.

The Last Boy Scout – Funny, fast, in your face and violent. Loved Willis in this.

JFK – Back, and to the left.

Rush – Jenifer Jason Leigh and Jason Patric get in over their heads in a narc op.

Kuffs – Christian Slater and Milla Jovovitch in light hearted action comedy. Loved it. Also, trying picking up a region 2 dvd of this? No. Neither can I. Bugger.

Wayne’s World – Schwing.

Alien 3 – I loved this one. Full on horror and I loved the prison. Charles S Dutton is great. Weaver is bloody brilliant.

A League Of Their Own – Baseball women prove they have what it takes. We knew it all along.

Universal Soldier – Lundgren and Van Damme really do make great enemies.

Unforgiven – Perfect film for me. The whole cast are great but Hackman and Eastwood are a step above.

The Last Of The Mohicans – Amazing soundtrack, incredible cinematography, gobsmacking film. The end chase? Uncas? Perfect third act.

Reservoir Dogs – Saw it in the cinema so many times. A 10/10. Tarantino explodes into the spotlight.

Bram Stokers Dracula – You can watch it if feeling silly or serious. Great film. Soundtrack? Brilliant.

Bad Lieutenant – Keitel does horrible things and I can’t stop watching.

Aladdin – A Disney classic made even more dear with the passing of Robin Williams.

A Few Good Men – I WANT THE TRUTH! – YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!

Muppets Christmas Carol – The perfect Christmas movie.

Groundhog Day – Bill Murray on fire. I love this film.

Jurassic Park – The CGI dinosaurs….OMG.

Sleepless In Seattle – Not a big rom com fan but this had heart and character.

In The Line of Fire – Malkovitch, Russo and Eastwood together are great.

Kalifornia – Brad Pitt and Juliet Lewis terrify Mulder and Leone, and me.

Undercover Blues – Turner and Quaid get effortless laughs and ooze charm.

Demolition Man -Snipes and Stallone are unstoppable. Awesome action. Bullock has comedic timing that smashes every joke out of the park. Great film.

Nightmare Before Christmas – Dark and yet the songs are so catchy. Visual treat.

Carlito’s Way – Pacino is astounding in this. One of my favourite gangster films.

The Piano – Mesmerising.

Schindler’s List – Obviously. A hard film to watch.

Tombstone - Western with an amazing cast. BEST. DOC. HOLLYWOOD. EVER.

Philidelphia – Hanks at his best. Banderas is so real.

The Crow – Brandon Lee. Visually stunning. A tragedy.

Lion King – OF COURSE!

True Lies – ‘They were all bad…’

The Mask – Jim Carey wows, as does Cameron Diaz.

Killing Zoe – Crime in Paris.

Natural Born Killers – Woody gets evil! A visual assault on your brain.

Pulp Fiction – Storytelling doesn’t get any better. Incredible cast, incredible performances.

Shawshank Redemption – Freeman and Robbins are perfect. A classic film.

Stargate – The cinema doesn’t get any more fun than this.

Interview With A Vampire – Brilliant, moody, Louis always moaning.

Leon – 10/10. Reno, Oldman and Portman are dynamite.

Star Trek: Generations – Two crews, two times, the death of Kirk. Arggghhh!

The Last Super – Would you kill Hitler?

Crimson Tide – One of the best soundtracks of all time. Hackman and Washington battle.

Braveheart – Accurate? No. Amazing? Yes.

Apollo 13 – A great film. Tension that shreds the nerves.

The Usual Suspects – Brian Singer makes his mark. Keiser Sozey!

Desperado – Banderas and Hayek are the best looking killers ever. Superb action.

Seven – 10/10 thriller. Pitt, Freeman and Spacey are jaw dropping. The box…

Strange Days – Strangely forgotten. A great film.

Leaving Las Vegas – A depressing but engaging descent into darkness.

Goldeneye – One of the best Bond films.

Casino – The band back together to shoot and stab people in the desert.

Toy Story – A masterpiece. 10/10.

Things To Do In Denver When Your Dead – Garcia’s Jimmy the Saint is legendarily smooth.

Heat – Pacino vs DeNiro. Crew v crew. The coffee shop. The gun fight in the street.

12 Monkeys – Sci fi that delivers. Pitt, Willis and Stowe are brilliant.

Fargo – Eh? Woodchipper.

Heaven’s Prisoner – Baldwin’s alcoholism is a thing to terrify.

Mission Impossible – Cruise leads a cast that updates the old show with style.

Dragonheart -Dennis Quaid. Connery. Dragons. YAY!

The Rock – Connery, Cage and Harris give us big action.

Hunchback of Notre Dame – Dark Disney with even darker villain.

Independence Day – HUGE SILLY ACTION! BLOW UP MONUMENTS! YAY!

Kingpin – Bowling comedy. Buckets of spunk. Rubber hands.

Bound – Dark, sinister and gripping. Plus, quite rude.

The Ghost and The Darkness – Killer lions. Love it!

The Long Kiss Goodnight – Davis and Jackson are amazing. Action and laughs abound!

Sleepers – Big heavy weight cast. Nasty subject matter. Bacon is all the creepy.

Romeo and Juliet – Cool.

Ransom – GIVE-ME-BACK-MY-SON!

The English Patient – Beautiful film.

Jerry Maguire – All the feels. Uplifting drama that soared.

Mars Attacks! – Ack! ACK! Ack-ack!

Scream – Rewrote the rules.

Grosse Point Blank – Cussack’s awkward hitman is brilliant.

The Fifth Element – Of course!

Con Air – BIG! STUPID! FUN!

Hercules – A departure in visual and musical style and a great film. HADES!

Face/Off – Woo. Cage. Travolta. Stupid action that is as entertaining as it is silly.

Copland – One of my favourite cop films. Stallone reminds me why he’s so great.

L.A Confidential – Great cast, brilliant film, perfect thriller.

The Peacemaker – Kidman and Clooney fight terrorists and it is damn good.

Donnie Brasco – Depp is unforgettable in this.

Fallen – Washington fights a demon and it fights back.

The Big Lebowski – Bridges delivers to us The Dude, and The Dude was good.

The Truman Show – Carey is captivating.

The Man In The Iron Mask – Great cast lead an entertaining romp.

Mulan – Disney get it right, again.

Out Of Sight – Clooney and Lopez have the most sex appeal ever.

Pi – Aronofski arrives.

There’s Something About Mary – Jizz hair.

Ronin – Action film with truly fantastic car chases.

Saving Private Ryan – Obviously.

Rounders – Norton and Damon play cards and sometimes win.

Apt Pupil – Nazi in suburbia.

America History X – Incredible film. Full force. Bite the curb.

The Siege – Washington, Azari, Benning, Willis, terrorism, complicated thriller.

Very Bad Things – Slater is a psycho, the party goes WRONG!

Shakespeare In Love – Great film. Paltrow was brilliant.

The Prince Of Egypt – The Visualisation of Passover? Shudders.

The Thin Red Line – Huge cast, tough subject matter, beautiful but brutal.

Starship Troopers – Violent, in your face, always goes over the top.

8MM – Cage investigates snuff films. It gets really horrible. Brilliant.

The Matrix – The first and the best by far!

Star Wars: Phantom Menace – At points it’s a jaw dropping space opera.

Arlington Road – Bridges and Robbins are great. A fabulous thriller.

The Blair Witch Project – What it achieved is astounding. The end is terrifying.

The Sixth Sense – Another great film that brings fear and a killer ending.

The Thomas Crown Affair – Effortlessly cool.

The 13^th Warrior – Viking action film. I love it.

American Beauty – 10/10.

Fight Club – Unforgettable cinema.

Toy Story 2 – When somebody loves you…

Galaxy Quest – Silly sci fi comedy that really does show it loves the source of its laughter.

The Talented Mr Ripley – Brilliant.

The Hurricane – Washington is brilliant.

The Iron Giant – Heart breaking kids film.

 

See, now you have seen there are probably at least thirty of your favourites that I didn’t go for. Forrest Gump and Three Kings, You’ve Got Mail and Dogma. Little Voice, Any Given Sunday, Joe Versus The Volcano, The Addams Family! They are there for you to go and find. Yours to look at and say ‘hey, that would be on my list!’.

That was 147 (or so) films that I couldn’t not have on the list. It doesn’t mean they were the best, or the most financially successful, or even the coolest. They didn’t stick to a neat top 10, or even an expansive top 100, no, they needed to be there, each and every one, and so the 147 is spot on for me.

Did you see many of these, am I mad, do I have great taste? Doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks really, even if I was told they were awful I would still love them. They make up part of what makes me love cinema. It isn’t confined to what’s brilliant, or what is silly, or what is worthy, it’s an odd mix of just what works for me.

     Thanks for reading.

     And yes. I did do the eighties and naughties too…

     Maybe I’ll post then up next?

P.s If you want to let me know where I went horribly wrong then just put the words in the box thing at the bottom. Bet you take issue with the Hudson Hawk thing, right? Yeah, figured you would.