The Cinemasitter

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  • At the Cinema: April 2010

    The Ghost (2010)

    Absorbing thriller from ‘Chinatown’ director Roman Polanski, based on the Robert Harris novel, about a writer (Ewan McGregor) hired to help get the former British Prime Minister’s (Pierce Brosnan) memoirs in to a publishable state. Trouble is, the previous writer hired to do this died in mysterious circumstances. Did he discover a secret he shouldn’t have? Film is slow to get started, but soon develops in to a highly enjoyable cinematic page-turner. Good performances all round, with McGregor in a strong lead role and Brosnan radiating charismatic arrogance. 4/5

    Psycho (1960)

    Wonderful to see the definitive Hitchcock horror up on the big screen for the first time, where of course it works even better than any showing on the small screen at home. Its pleasures are many: the camerawork, the performances, the score, the sly and witty script. This is a film that revels in its seedy story, yet elevates it in to a masterclass in suspense and shock. An undisputed classic from beginning to end. 5/5

    Clash of the Titans (2010)

    Disappointing remake of the 1981 Ray Harryhausen mythological epic about Perseus (Sam Worthington) and his quest to defeat the ancient God Hades (Ralph Fiennes), who is trying to usurp his brother Zeus (Liam Neeson). Lots of action to be sure, but very little else – an uneven script and uninvolving characters make the film a very passive experience. Performances aren’t great either; Worthington plays the same character he always does, and Fiennes merely reprises his role as Lord Voldemort. At least the original had a bit of charm. 2/5

    How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

    Very likeable animation from the directors of Lilo & Stitch about a Viking boy whose village specialises in killing the dragons that regularly attack them. The problems start when he befriends one of the dragons… There’s plenty of the action and visual energy you expect from a computer-animated film, but there are also characters who slowly draw you in to the story, making the climactic battle an intense experience with a somewhat surprising (but perfectly pitched) ending. Plenty of good-natured humour too that for once doesn’t rely on fart jokes or pop culture references. Good stuff. 4/5

  • At the Cinema: March 2010

    Kick-Ass (2010)

    Vastly entertaining black comedy about a New York student who is also a wannabe superhero. He has no powers, but decides to become one anyway. His amateur adventures unfortunately lead him in to murkier waters when a mafia boss decides he is a threat to his business. The humour may be dark, but the thrills and action are blinding in this instant cult classic. It may not be perfect, but when you’re having this much fun, who cares? An appreciation for comics and superhero lore is not essential, but certainly helps.  5/5

    Alice in Wonderland (2010)

    Tim Burton’s version of the Lewis Carroll classic falls someway short of his best work, but remains an enjoyable slice of dark fantasy. Alice returns to a more grown-up version of Wonderland, where the despotic Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) has taken charge. She must lead her old friends, including the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), in to battle to return the White Queen (Anne Hathaway) to the throne. Although interesting, there is not a great deal of excitement here or, more crucially, wonder. Still, a Tim Burton film is always to be welcomed, and there are enough distractions here to offset any niggling humdrumness: the performances from a strong cast are all good, especially Bonham Carter’s Red Queen and Stephen Fry’s voicing of the Cheshire Cat, while Burton’s usual florid visuals and Danny Elfman’s score are big plus points.  3/5

    Shutter Island (2010)

    Highly entertaining gothic psycho-thriller from Martin Scorsese about a U.S. Marshal (DiCaprio) investigating the strange disappearance of an inmate from a mental asylum on a remote island. Scorsese has great fun piling on the mood, tension and red herrings, paying tribute to a genre with a rich cinematic history. DiCaprio is fine as the lead, but this is the director’s show all the way. Whether you enjoy the film or not will come down to whether you are willing to succumb to a lesson in old-school filmmaking. An expensive and luxuriant shaggy-dog story, (very) well told.  4/5

    Green Zone (2010)

    Quality action thriller from Bourne alumni Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass about the search for WMDs in post-war Iraq in 2003. Plenty of gripping action on show here, but an intriguing conspiracy thriller also weaves its way through the story. Whether you believe its explanation for the lack of WMDs found or not, it admirably provokes debate on the issue without getting bogged down in lecturing on the rights and wrongs of the Iraq war. Populist cinema it may be, but good cinema too.  4/5

    The Lovely Bones (2009)

    Flawed but interesting adaptation of the popular novel by Alice Sebold. 14 year old Susie Salmon is murdered, and from the afterlife she looks on as her family try to cope with their grief and her murderer plans to strike again. Although imaginatively told and exquisitely made, there is a lack of drama in the afterlife scenes (which are lifeless in every sense of the word) that undermines the potential power of the story. Still, the acting’s good, especially from Wahlberg and Weisz, and large parts of the film are undoubtedly gripping and moving.  3/5

  • Five Favourite Guilty Pleasures (or, Films wot I like and sod the rest of yer)

    We all have them: films that we know are basically nonsense but we love them all the same. It might be because they have certain memories associated with them that instantly bring about a sense of comfort and happiness inextricably linked with another period in your life. It might be because they touch upon a particular interest of yours that very few other films do. It might even be precisely because they are rubbish that you enjoy them. Whatever the reason, the guilty pleasure is the film that you always have in a well worn dvd case on the shelf, nestled between other films that are probably more artistically worthy, but which see the light of day far less frequently. Were you forced to argue their case as a genuine celluloid classic, you would surely fret; but they are always there when you need them, as comforting as a hot cup of tea, a biscuit and a fluffy pair of slippers on a cold winter’s day.

    Here then are my top five guilty pleasures, films which I know are easily ridiculed, but nonetheless are essentials in my collection.

    1. Flash Gordon (1980)

    I know this has a strong following in a few quarters, but it would take a pretty deluded person to argue that the film is not a teensy bit silly. That’s not to say I think it’s rubbish, because it’s assuredly not. Camp, yes; cheesy, yes; fun? Hell, yes. This is a hugely enjoyable slice of early 80s fantasy science fiction. Colourful, imaginative, sexy, quotable, exciting – this one has it all. A great cast too – Topol! Max von Sydow! Peter Wyngarde! Timothy Dalton! Richard O’Brien! Peter Duncan! Robbie Coltrane (for a split second)! Plus the delicious Ornella Muti and of course the now-legendary Brian “Gordon’s alive!” Blessed. Even Sam J. Jones, dubbed though he was, looks the part. The definitive Flash Gordon it isn’t, but a classic it is. Well… nearly.

    2. The Running Man (1987)

    Well, there had to be one Schwarzenegger movie somewhere on this list. For a while I considered Predator, but in the end there is too much good stuff in Predator for it to be classified as a guilty pleasure. The Running Man on the other hand, released in the same year, is 80s fun at warp factor ten. A blunt social satire grafted on to the side of a standard Arnie action flick, The Running Man is of course hugely silly, but also rather endearing. The swipes at reality TV have actually become sharper and more amusing with time. But you should still switch your brain off and instead enjoy the silly costumes and ridiculous one-liners.

    3. Species (1995)

    For a movie whose script could so easily have been flung on to the ‘Straight to video’ pile, Species is much better than it should have been. Two reasons for this: the involvement of H.R. Giger and his alien design (no surprise there, coming from this avowed Alien fan), and the glossy direction of Roger Donaldson, who makes the whole package of recycled genre clichés so easy to swallow. The above average cast (Ben Kingsley, Michael Madsen, Forest Whitaker) and easy-on-the-eyes Natasha Henstridge are big pluses too. It was followed by three sequels, each increasingly awful, though Species II has some unintentional comedy value.

    4. The Mummy (1999)

    This is one of those movies whose pleasures have only slowly become apparent since it was released at the cinema. I was initially indifferent to it, especially after the rather nifty posters had promised something a bit more serious and a bit less goofy. But for some reason I was compelled to try it again. It was the first dvd I ever bought (in a 2 for £30 sale! Bargain!) and I enjoyed it much more at home, where its beguiling lead couple, Rachel Weisz and Brendan Fraser, have won me over time and time again. Before the sequels drowned in their own noise and special effects, this film quietly resurrected the spirit of the old Saturday morning serials, and threw in a bit of 80s schlock for good measure. An honourable mention here must go to The Scorpion King, a spin-off from The Mummy Returns, which did for Conan the Barbarian what The Mummy did for Indiana Jones, and is a guilty pleasure in its own right.

    5. The Fast and the Furious (2001)

    The ultimate Beer ‘n’ Pizza film. This is a tricky one; I have no interest in cars whatsoever, and yet this film almost makes me like them. It’s also one of the films I have repeatedly watched with my brother, whose off-kilter sense of humour matches my own. There is a good deal of entertainment to be had here – some unintentional, to be sure. Vin Diesel cemented his star status after the previous year’s Pitch Black, and growls away in a very likeable manner. Paul Walker cemented his wooden acting status here with a turn as a blonde, blue-eyed cop who apparently has the hots for Diesel’s sister, but he’s not fooling me. Rob Cohen does all manner of over-the-top trick shots to make the cars seem unbelievably cool, but in the end its so silly you can’t help but enjoy it. Followed by three sequels and counting, the first of which (2 Fast 2 Furious) is good for a few laughs but not much else. Sadly my brother moves abroad this week, which regrettably means I am unlikely to enjoy this film’s tangible, if dubious, pleasures for some time.

    If anyone has their own guilty pleasures to add, please do so – I’m sure there are others I have missed…

  • At the Cinema: February 2010

    The Princess and the Frog (2009)

    Disney returns to its familiar hand-drawn animated musicals at long last with this loose adaptation of the old Frog Princess fairy tale. Set in 1920s New Orleans, it features the usual mixture of beautiful girls, handsome princes, dastardly villains, comedy animal sidekicks and love conquering all. It also features a great jazz-inspired soundtrack, and is quite simply the best non-Pixar Disney film since Lilo & Stitch. It may not measure up to past classics like Beauty and the Beast, but its setting works brilliantly – the music, the Mardi-Gras atmosphere and the locations (whether the French Quarter of New Orleans or the Bayou). The end feels perhaps a little bit too Shrek, and it might be a tad scary for very little ones, but otherwise a good effort. 3/5

    Solomon Kane (2009)

    Sombre pulp action fantasy, based on a character created by Robert E. Howard, about a 17th century English mercenary and rogue who reforms his ways and vows to fight evil. Taken for what it is, it’s enjoyable stuff – nicely atmospheric, good archetypal characters and well acted. James Purefoy is a strong lead, ably supported by the likes of Pete Postlethwaite and (briefly) Max von Sydow. The limited budget shows through occasionally, particularly in the fight scenes, and this restricts the ambitious story; a stronger director might have been able to do more. But to be fair, Michael Bassett does a pretty good job with it, and further adventures with Kane would be very welcome. 4/5

    The Wolfman (2010)

    Lavishly mounted remake of the classic 1941 Universal horror brings plenty of blood and action to the table, but lacks the tangible atmosphere of terror that it seems to aspire to. The film’s emphasis on traditional qualities like character and story help to redeem many of its faults though, thanks to its strong cast (especially Anthony Hopkins and Hugo Weaving) and a more than serviceable script. A mixed bag then, but entertaining nonetheless. 3/5

    A Single Man (2009)

    Moving, absorbing drama set in the 1960s from first-time director Tom Ford, about a gay college professor (Colin Firth) struggling to cope with his grief over the untimely death of his partner. Excellent performances from Firth, Julianne Moore as his closest friend and Nicholas Hoult as one of his students. Beautifully shot and paced.  4/5

    Invictus (2009)

    Inspiring dramatisation of the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa, and the home nation’s against-all-odds victory which helped begin a healing process for its people, a few years after Apartheid had finally ended. Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela is as excellent as you might expect, but Matt Damon is just as good as the Springboks captain François Pienaar. Even people who hate rugby will find this story absorbing. Recommended. 4/5

  • At the Cinema: January 2010

    New year, new decade, new resolution to keep the blog up to date. Starting from this month, I’ll be posting a monthly round-up of my trips to the cinema. As they will be very short reviews, it hardly seems worth publishing them separately, but hopefully once a month won’t be too arduous for anyone. I’ll also try and post initial reactions via Twitter, if you’re one of the twitterati.

    Edge of Darkness (2010) 

    Mel Gibson returns in this reasonable thriller from Casino Royale director Martin Campbell. Based on the classic 80s BBC TV series, Gibson stars as Thomas Craven, a Boston detective whose daughter is gunned down on his doorstep. Initially convinced he was the target, Craven soon begins to uncover a conspiracy involving his daughter’s employer, a company that has some secrets to hide. Gibson is on fine form in his first acting role in seven years. The plot is good, but has clearly been squeezed in to a much shorter running time than the original series, and suffers for it; a more measured pace would have paid greater dividends in some places. Still, there’s plenty to enjoy here, particularly Ray Winstone as a mysterious agent with uncertain loyalties. 3/5

    Daybreakers (2009)

    Semi-intelligent stab at a different sort of vampire movie, where the world has been overrun by vampires and humans are now an endangered species. This poses all sorts of questions, not least of which is: what do vampires eat when human blood has run out? Some intriguing ideas are raised by Daybreakers, and the strong cast (including Sam Neill and Willen Dafoe) do their best, but alas the film squanders them through some dumb dialogue, uninvolving action and an unsatisfying ending. Nice try though. 3/5

    Up in the Air (2009)

    Delightful comedy-drama about a corporate gun-for-hire (George Clooney) who makes a living doing the one job no-one wants to do: laying off staff. Living almost permanently out of a suitcase as he flies across the States, his beloved self-imposed emotional exile is brought crashing down when his own job is suddenly under threat, at the same time meeting a woman (Vera Farmiga) who could well be his perfect companion. At times very funny, at others moving and thought-provoking, this is a winner on almost every count. Clooney is perfect as the high-flyer who comes back down to Earth with a jolt; very much a Cary Grant sort of role, and he gives the film much of its heart. Director Jason Reitman continues his swift ascent to the top flight of Hollywood directors following Juno with a characteristically quirky yet totally accessible parable of our times. 5/5

    Avatar (2009)

    ‘Cowboys and Indians in space’ sums up James Cameron’s sci-fi action drama, as humans try to take over a mineral-rich moon from its indigenous population. Using genetically engineered ‘avatars’ (alien bodies controlled by humans), the company hopes to encourage the natives to leave – but one avatar begins to switch sides. A brilliantly realised production makes Avatar a must see, especially in 3D – the alien world is a marvel to look at. Cameron hasn’t lost his touch when it comes to the action either; plenty of edge-of-the-seat excitement here. If there’s one flaw, it’s the script. Cameron’s weakness is usually his writing, and there are a few duff lines; the plot also has been nicked from Dances with Wolves, spliced with scenes from FernGully. But these are minor flaws in what is a true spectacle. 4/5

    Nowhere Boy (2009)

    Solid dramatisation of John Lennon’s formative years, as he gets in to trouble at school, discovers why he lives with his aunt (Kristin Scott Thomas) instead of his mum (Anne-Marie Duff), learns to play the guitar, and meets a bloke called Paul. Strong performances from a good cast, including newcomer Aaron Johnson, make this an engaging musical history lesson. 4/5

  • Birthday Blues and Red Shoes

    A very bad headline for this post, which is probably appropriate. Things have been quiet here at The Ark lately, and that’s mostly because I’ve been delving in to a small pile of Blu-rays I was generously given for my birthday. Being a recent convert to the format, my collection is still rather small, so this was an opportunity to upgrade and expand a bit. The new arrivals included yet another copy of Blade Runner for my collection (a necessary acquisition, given the very good reviews for the disc), and some comic-book stuff like The Incredible Hulk and Hellboys 1 and 2. Seeing how fantastic these films look in 1080p almost makes one forget to enjoy the film itself.

    Not only that, I’ve also been attending this year’s Cambridge Film Festival, where I caught the newly-restored prints of The Red Shoes and The Godfather, as well as an early peek at the Darwin biopic Creation. The Godfather of course was magnificent as ever, but I wasn’t prepared for how much I would enjoy The Red Shoes. A beautiful film, and one that had me totally enthralled, especially during the stunning centrepiece Red Shoes ballet sequence. Quite quite brilliant.

    Creation was, I thought, a pretty good stab at a not-terribly cinematic subject. Director Jon Amiel, who attended a post-film Q & A, came across as a very enthusiastic and likeable guy who wanted to make a film that didn’t just regurgitate facts. It wasn’t perfect, but it did give the viewer a sense of the sheer immensity of Darwin’s theory.

    Michael Palin dropped by to promote his latest book of memoirs, and proved to be as affable in person as he is on screen. I thankfully managed to exchange one or two words with the great man without sounding too nerdish (I hope). His book signing was followed by an entertaining BAFTA tribute, as he talked with Mark Kermode on stage about his film career, interspersed with various clips. The event was filmed for a future Culture Show on BBC2, and I would recommend you taking a look when it goes out.

    Just prior to the Festival I managed to catch the revival of John Carpenter’s The Thing at the local multiplex. Like Godfather and Red Shoes, it looked superb for its age, and it was a pleasure to be able to see it on the big screen at last; Carpenter’s widescreen lensing always seems to suffer a little when watched on TV. Great stuff. Another 1982 classic ticked off my “Must See on a Big Screen” list.

    Anyway, enough chit-chat, the Blu-rays beckon once more…

  • The Day That Time Stood Still

    If you’re still lucky enough to have a job, especially one of the office variety, then no doubt you will have had to endure those sorts of training courses which have been deemed as “essential” for all staff. You know the sort I mean: data protection, financial regulations, health and safety; generic courses full of worthy-but-dull legal speak which merely serve to wash the employer’s hands clean of any liability should an employee do something wrong, stupid or naughty and get caught in the process.

    I had the misfortune to sit through another one of these courses on a recent Tuesday afternoon. You can instantly tell when you are in the midst of one, because they share the same characteristics:

    1. Einstein’s theory of relativity is confirmed, by the manner in which time grinds to a halt. The clock in the training room, which is always large and prominently featured, takes great pride in displaying how long a single second can be drawn out.
    2. Other employees, the vast majority of whom you have never seen before and almost certainly never will again, turn up expressly for the purpose of engaging the trainer in long-winded, drawn out conversations about minute aspects of the subject which are only relevant to their area of work, thereby prolonging the agonising dullness of the course for everybody else.
    3. You take far greater interest in your fingernails than is normal.
    4. You start to envy the freedom of nature through the window, which will invariably show smug-looking birds flying around in the air in a deliberate attempt to taunt you.
    5. You begin to daydream…

    This last one is a serious weakness of mine, something I am particularly susceptible to when the course in question is becoming bogged down in legalese jargon or has succumbed to ‘death by Powerpoint’. The upside to this is that I can amuse myself with fantasies of some never-to-be world where I have become impossibly successful or dashing. I shan’t bore you with the details, but these moments do help stimulate other thoughts. For instance:

    • Who would I cast as a new Ghostbuster in the upcoming sequel…?
    • Who should direct a new Alien film…?
    • What might make a good title for a new Indiana Jones movie…?
    • Which essential, must-have dvds are missing from my collection…?
    • How much would a new surround sound system cost…?

    Alas, the problem with modern training courses is that one is not allowed to fall ever deeper in to these private thoughts, because all courses must now include some element of interactivity and, God help us, “role-play”. Role-play: one of my most dreaded words. Suddenly you’re thrust in to the centre of the room and forced to make an idiot of yourself, desperately trying to marshal whatever thoughts you can recall from the course so far, hoping that someone else will be just as bad or possibly even worse than you at whatever exercise you’ve been asked to do. It’s quite a shock to those of us who are more of the “sit-quietly-in-the-corner” ilk.

    Eventually, after what seems like an eternity, freedom is granted and you make your way merrily back to the office, grateful to do something as uninteresting as checking emails. The problem is that the private thoughts tend to stay longer with me than the contents of the course, the latter usually managing to quietly sneak out of my brain that very same evening. Still, even if the course failed to linger for very long, at least I have a better idea of who should play the new Ghostbusters.

  • Alien: Rebooted

    News that I had been dreading for quite some time (ever since Aliens vs Predator: Requiem tanked) finally broke a couple of weeks ago – 20th Century Fox are drawing up plans to remake/reboot Alien. Only chit-chat so far, but there seems little doubt that a new project is in the works, and is unlikely to be a direct continuation of the original series.

    It seemed inevitable somehow, given the current fad for rebooting/remaking anything that ever made a reasonable amount of money in the past. The recent box-office success of Star Trek has only intensified studio efforts to look at which proven money-maker could be dusted off next. But that does nothing to quell the anger and despair at seeing something you love being butchered, broken up and sold off to make a fast buck. News that should be some form of consolation, namely that Ridley Scott would be co-producing this new take with his brother Tony, does little to asuage my fears.

    My problem is that any sort of prequel or reimagining would destroy the elemental mystery of the original. Of course it would be interesting to know the origins of the Alien, and also that of the doomed Space Jockey. But do we really want to know? Would it not cancel out the original film’s unique atmosphere of ancient and otherwordly terror? Is it not better the leave the creature’s true origins obscured, impossible to determine, thereby enhancing its unnatural horror?

    I trust Sir Ridley enough to assume that he has thought this through already and found a story angle that won’t ruin his first masterpiece. But I can’t help but fear that I will follow each new announcement of the project with a sinking feeling inside – especially if the director turns out to be a “hot new talent” from the world of music videos or visual effects. Spare us that at least.

    The new Predator project (possibly to be directed by Neil Marshall it seems) appears to be a sequel of sorts to the originals. Let’s hope the new Alien will similarly respect the qualities and intentions that marked out its original so vividly.

  • The new 1982

    Blade Runner, E.T., The Thing, Poltergeist, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Creepshow, Conan the Barbarian, Tron… all great films and all released in 1982, a year commonly picked as a golden one for genre cinema (just ask the Ghost). Men of a certain age may remember visiting their local cinema to catch these classics-in-the-making; sadly I was too young at the time to see most of them.

    The one that I did get to watch was E.T., which my dad took me to see in a long-since closed one screen fleapit. Cinema trips were pretty rare for us back then, so it was a special treat to be taken (once a year was about it). The hype for E.T. had been steadily growing – the poster image of the iconic logo’s two letters, together with the moon and silhouetted bike rider, seemed to be everywhere. I remember the backs of a few breakfast cereal boxes at the time having background scenes from the movie painted on, and you could stick some free stickers of characters anywhere you liked in the scene. The story captured my imagination immediately, long before even seeing the movie. I don’t remember much at all about the actual day I went to see it, but I think it’s a safe bet I was entranced throughout. It’s a movie I still love today; more than any other film it instantly takes me back to my childhood, and its status as a children’s classic is indisputable.

    Since then of course I have caught up with the other treasures of ’82, and it is a source of some regret that I could not catch them first time around (mind you, the same goes for many other movies). The fact that one year in particular is singled out by a generation as better than most suggests an unusual convergance of quality, something out of the ordinary – when ideas and scripts and directors and studio greenlights happily coincided, resulting in a number of special films being released over the same few months.

    So the obvious question begged is: could it happen again? Or perhaps it has already happened? Are there more recent years that saw great genre films released which could also stand the test of time? I offer below three possible candidate years which could emerge in the future as a new 1982:

    1. 1999

    This is an obvious one, a year made especially memorable by the release of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. The hype from years of expectation, the great teaser trailers, the posters – culminating in a film that simultaneously caused rejoicing and bitter disappointment for many. I enjoyed it the first time around, and there are still some aspects which are good fun, especially the duels with Darth Maul and the pod race.

    Beyond Star Wars, 1999 also saw some other strong genre films released, especially of the horror variety. The big success story was The Sixth Sense, the film that refused to stop raking in money because everyone had to see it twice, thanks to its infamous twist. It’s still an effective ghost story, but to my mind not quite as good as Stir of Echoes, released the same year but which died a quick box-office death because of its perceived similarities with the Bruce Willis effort. Starring Kevin Bacon and based on a story by Richard Matheson, it’s well worth seeking out.

    The other big horror film of the year was The Blair Witch Project, another money spinner but for quite different reasons. The first film that really used the internet to build awareness, it was very much a Marmite movie: you either love it or hate it. I was one of the ones that loved it, and it still gives me the creeps every time I see it.

    For SF fans 1999 gave us The Matrix, which came out of nowhere to quickly become a new yardstick in mind-blowing sci-fi. Though it borrowed elements from earlier science fiction classics like The Terminator, it undeniably fashioned them in to a brilliant new whole, using the then-hot topic of hackers and the internet as a jumping off point in to a world of machine domination, human enslavement and rebellion.

    Another children’s classic was born with The Iron Giant, a wonderfully intelligent and touching animation that in some ways was reminiscent of E.T. – following a young boy’s friendship with an alien outsider. Brad Bird’s film managed to be both a decent adaptation of a much-loved story, as well as a film that could be enjoyed by anyone. Its swift demise at the box office was attributed to a poor marketing campaign by Warner Bros.

    There were other memorable films too: David Fincher’s brilliant dark satire Fight Club became an instant cult classic; The Mummy was a very likeable piece of Indiana Jones-style fantasy adventure escapism; and Austin Powers follow-up The Spy Who Shagged Me nicely lightened the mood with its extremely silly spy spoofery. There were other films technically released in 1999 like Sleepy Hollow, The Green Mile and Galaxy Quest, but they didn’t get released in the UK until 2000, so I’ve left them off.

    2. 2002

    2002’s crop of films also had several highlights amongst them. I could start with E.T.’s 20th anniversary re-release, but that seems a tad unfair so I’ll skip it. If 1999 was the year of Star Wars, then in 2002 it was all about Spider-Man. Long in the works, this eagerly anticipated superhero movie became a box-office phenomenon – not surprising considering that comic-book adaptations were all the rage, yet fellow iconic comic-book characters Batman and Superman were still in the wilderness, awaiting rebirth. Though not as good as the first Batman and Superman films, it was still fine entertainment, and it paved the way for its superior sequel two years later.

    Marvel also found success with sequel Blade II, directed by Guillermo del Toro. A strong sequel to the 1998 original, it boasted plenty of action, del Toro’s trademark fantasy-horror atmosphere and a decent villain in Luke Goss. Some preferred the original, but I would say both are as good as each other, just in different ways.

    My personal favourite of the prequels, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones tried to fix the problems evident in Episode I. Jar Jar Binks was relegated to a cameo, Natalie Portman was sexed up a bit, the action quotient was significantly increased and Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan started to become the great Jedi knight spoken of in the original films. It also had a lighter tone than its much darker successor, and is the most purely enjoyable prequel as far as I’m concerned.

    Jason Bourne began his quest to regain his memory in The Bourne Identity, quite the best spy thriller for some years. Many reviewers preferred the Paul Greengrass-directed sequels, but Doug Liman’s original is just as good in my book, maybe even superior. Liman seems to have done his homework and studied the classic thrillers of the 70s – his film feels like an updating of those in many ways, with its concentration on plot rather than action. The action is still good of course: the car chase here was the best since 1998’s Ronin, and far more effective than those of its sequels.

    Speilberg’s Minority Report was an impressive if flawed sci-fi thriller based on Philip K. Dick’s story; intelligent and exciting, it was highly anticipated given the potential of the material matched with the calibre of director. It wasn’t quite the classic it might have been; if Blade Runner proved anything, it was that Dick’s stories work best with a truly visionary director able to project a sense of darkness and paranoia, like Ridley Scott. Speilberg, for all his talents and strengths, doesn’t do ‘dark’ very well, but nevertheless it’s a fine SF film.

    It was a good year for low-budget British horror, especially werewolves and the undead. 28 Days Later was Danny Boyle’s stab at reviving the zombie sub-genre, and, though derivative (harkening back to the likes of The Day of the Triffids), it was extremely effective. Shot on digital video, the film had an authentic ‘survivalist’ feel to it, and the bleak tone was a refreshing jolt. Neil Marshall’s Dog Soldiers on the other hand plundered from the likes of Aliens and The Evil Dead to concoct a highly enjoyable tongue-in-cheek horror thriller set in the wilds of Scotland – it was cheap and cheerful in the very best sense.

    M. Night Shyamalan returned with Signs, a film about a global alien invasion but told from the perspective of a preacher and his family living out in the sticks. If you can look past the odd narrative weakness, it’s actually a pretty good yarn, but admittedly it does depend on your opinion of M. Night.

    Other films worthy of note were Reign of Fire, an underrated apocalyptic tale of dragons taking over the British Isles; Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams, easily the best of the Spy Kids films and certainly a very likeable family film; and Eight Legged Freaks, that year’s Snakes on a Plane – a film that drew huge attention just from its great B-movie-esque title, and wound up being reasonable fun.

    Finally, there was the double whammy of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Harry Potter was fun, but The Two Towers was in a totally different league. Following on from The Fellowship of the Ring, director Peter Jackson superbly juggled the three main narrative threads (Frodo and Sam, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli, and Merry and Pippin) whilst delivering an atmospheric and epic adventure. Though Fellowship may just edge ahead as the best of the trilogy, Two Towers is a very close second.

    3. 2008

    What, last year? Well yes, actually. There were some pretty damn good genre films in 2008, and top of the heap would probably have to be The Dark Knight, director Christopher Nolan’s follow-up to his 2005 caped crusader reboot, Batman Begins. Opening to staggeringly good reviews, TDK quickly became a fan favourite, and it’s not hard to see why. Continuing Bruce Wayne’s quest to rid Gotham City of crime, he finds himself up against The Joker, an insane(?) criminal who becomes Batman’s nemesis. A large part of the film’s success comes down to the late Heath Ledger, whose brilliant interpretation of the famous villain eclipses every previous portrayal. It has a few minor flaws certainly, but TDK as a Hollywood blockbuster is still a wonder to behold.

    Most anticipated film of the year (for people of a certain age anyway) was surely Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, the long, long awaited return of cinema’s greatest archaeologist. Not seen on the big screen since 1989, Indy, like Episode I, had to shoulder the weight of enormous expectations, and unsurprisingly it failed to meet them for many people. I myself enjoyed it a lot, thanks mainly to the sure hands of Harrison Ford and Speilberg, though it probably ranks as the least of the four films so far. Sensibly updating the “teacher” (part-time) to the 1950s, it’s a great last hurrah for the venerable hero.

    Iron Man surprised many by becoming one of the big successes of the year. Taking one of Marvel’s second tier superheroes and catapulting him in to the major league, Iron Man was quality entertainment, with Robert Downey Jr. giving a barnstorming performance in the lead role.

    Marvel also found success with their Incredible Hulk sequel/reboot. Not as successful (critically or commercially) as Iron Man, it still by and large pleased the fan community, supplying the popcorn thrills missing from Ang Lee’s original. I liked it a lot, though no more than Lee’s effort – both are very different takes on the character, but both have qualities I enjoy. Surely the perfect Hulk film must lie somewhere between the two?

    More comic-book shenanigans came in the form of Hellboy II: The Golden Army, del Toro’s sequel to his 2004 original. Upping the fantasy elements considerably from Hellboy part one, this was a rich, majestic-looking work that many felt was an improvement on the original. Again, I felt the sequel complemented rather than significantly surpassed the first film. But great entertainment once again.

    The summer’s best family film came courtesy of Pixar: Wall-E was hailed as an instant classic, and it’s difficult to argue against that view. The bravura opening 20 minutes or so as the audience is introduced to the charming titular waste collecting machine are utterly beguiling, and though the film feels a little long (a common nitpick of mine with most of Pixar’s films), it’s difficult to point out unnecessary scenes. A fantastic piece of work from start to finish.

    Bookending the year was Cloverfield, the ‘Godzilla-meets-The Blair Witch Project handheld video monster movie’ that proved to be much better than it sounds, and Quantum of Solace, Daniel Craig’s highly anticipated return to the role of James Bond following the superb Casino Royale.

    So, are any of these candidates worthy of comparison to 1982? Or is there another year I’ve overlooked?

  • Where have all the DVDs gone? Part II: The Recession

    Firstly, apologies (to anyone who cares) for the long absence since my last post – time seemed to get sucked away from me, what with DIYing a new bathroom and the rather busy Christmas period. Hope you had a good break, anyway. My old Sony CRT television decided to give up the ghost during December, so I’ve now upgraded to a 40inch Sony LCD, which has also (agreeably) taken up some of my time. Good for dvd-watching (next on the shopping list: a Blu Ray player), not so good for Freeview-watching – everything gets quite blocky in low-lit scenes. But I’ll get used to it I suppose.

    Anyway, I digress. Back in July 07, not long after I first started writing this little blog-ette, I wrote a small piece lamenting the decline in the number of high street retailers selling dvds. What on earth is a film addict supposed to do with their lunch break if there are no discs to peruse? Back in those easy-credit days, I rather glumly noted:

    “…enjoy your high street dvd retailers while they’re still there: you never know when they’ll be forced to pack up and go the way of the do-do.”

    Curse my prophetic words of doom! 18 months on, we’re in the grip of a rather nasty recession that no-one seemed to predict (with the exception of Vince Cable, apparently) and high street retailers are falling over left, right and centre. This week alone has seen the final demise of Woolworths, one of the last remaining shops stocking a reasonable number of dvds instore. This was a particularly painful loss, not just for me but for the British people in general; long had Woolies been the shopper’s refuge from rain, the source of useful odds and ends, and the rites-of-passage that was the singles, album and film charts. Of course I bought my first 45s and cassettes there, but also my first videos: copies of Alien or Star Wars, plus battered old lesser items rescued from the bargain bin (RoboCop for £3 – that was good in them days).

    In recent years you could still find the occasional nugget of gold, but the internet really ate in to its trade. Even so, the most I would have expected is that it would give up selling music and films, and concentrate on its more profitable areas of trade – sadly, it appears that there were no profitable areas. At all.

    However, the internet has not been immune to the credit crunch either. Zavvi became the first major online dvd retailing casualty, closing its website just before Christmas 2008 (though its stores remain open for the time being). Who’s next? It’s a fair bet that other online retailers will follow suit. The top players like Amazon and Play.com should be able to weather the storm, but if Zavvi and Woolies can go down the pan, then so could anyone else, quite frankly.

    So, who’s left then? On the high street, if Zavvi disappear, then HMV are basically the last man standing. No other nationwide music/film/games retailers spring to mind. If you’re feeling charitable you might include Blockbusters, but they concentrate on rentals, and they certainly don’t stock music. If you’re lucky, a supermarket might have a reasonable selection on offer, but for sheer choice, they can’t compete with a specialist trader.

    Does it even matter anymore? If we’ve got the internet, do we need a high street retailer? Well, it’s certainly true that nearly all of my filmic purchases are made via the web, but when I walk past a store like HMV, I still can’t resist poking my head inside to see what’s on offer. This is the modern dilemma of the physical entertainment form versus the digital. I like to see the films in front of my eyes – hold the packaging, admire the artwork, choose the one I like the look of best. Music fans who treasure their CD or vinyl collections will know what I mean. Browsing a store is so much more interesting than clicking around a website (though admittedly, not having to queue on the web is a definite plus). And how can a downloaded film or music collection ever be as interesting and fun as a real collection of discs, ones you picked up here and there down the years, and that can be lovingly admired and perused? The act of browsing can be very pleasurable, and that’s the experience the web and downloads have yet to match.

    So I will miss the high street dvd sellers – the Zavvis and Virgins, the MVCs and Music Zones, Choices, and of course Woolies – with their tempting but ludicrously over-priced chart displays and their bargain bins of naffness. I certainly enjoyed many a lunchtime searching for the nugget of gold hidden away in their stores. And if you happen to be walking past an HMV, pop inside and take a look around – don’t let it go the way of the do-do (or Woolworths).