FILMS FIVE TO FIFTEEN

I apologise for leaving this page so empty. I've been on holiday, and no internet makes blogging very difficult. But I have watched many things, and I will try and get through them as quickly and efficiently as possible.

FILM FIVE: Ginger Snaps
An original, entertaining and quirky independent horror with a lot of bite. *****

FILM SIX: Ginger Snaps Unleashed
Not quite as terrific as the previous film, particularly due to the lack of great actors from the first. Picks up for the end twist. ***

FILM SEVEN: Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning
Taking the film's premise and putting it in the past. Quite interesting, but not for everyone. ***

FILM EIGHT: Donnie Darko
A wonderful mind-fuck of a film with a great soundtrack. *****

FILM NINE: School Of Rock
Hardly the most intelligent film, but fun, exciting and entertaining. ****

FILM TEN: The Breakfast Club
An absolute classic for teenagers, the film is almost a rite of passage itself. *****

FILM ELEVEN: U-571
An interesting take on a WWII films, but can at times feel tedious. ***

FILM TWELVE: My Summer Of Love
Highly original British love story with very believable performances. ****

FILM THIRTEEN: The Killing Of Sister George
The harsh, gritty storyline juxtaposes well with the cheery ideal of Sister George. ****

FILM FOURTEEN: Crash
A bit of a disappointment, as I thought it was a different film called Crash. Highly controversial, with some spectacular performances. Thandie Newton in particular is excellent. ***

FILM FIFTEEN: Center Stage
Think Fame for a new generation, but with ballet. The dancing is amazing, the acting not so much. ***

FILMS THREE AND FOUR: Blackpool and Life On Mars

It's been a few days since the last post, but that's due to the fact that I decided to tackle some television DVDs in my collection, and they take rather a bit longer to watch than films.

The first of the TV shows was 'Blackpool', a critically acclaimed drama serial from the BBC, which found success both here and across the pond by the name of 'Viva Blackpool'.

This Golden Globe nominated serial starred David Morrissey as Ripley Holden, Sarah Parish as Natalie Holden, and David Tennant as DI Peter Carlisle. This is irrelevant. You can find this information on the internet, reviews, plot synopsis, in fact, I suggest you buy the DVD, because the show really is amazing. I have only two things to talk about: the music and Blythe.

The music really is an integral part of the show. 'Blackpool' could have been some run-of-the-mill romantic crime mystery, likely to be found on ITV. However, with no corporate sponsors to please, the BBC were able to take a gamble, and the characters burst into song seemingly randomly. But it's not randomly at all, the music serves as a break in high points of tension, and are used as plot devices. It stops 'Blackpool' from being bleak and boring without taking away from the narrative. Take for example the arrest of Danny. That wouldn't be quite so memorable without the characters singing and dancing to The Smiths as they do it (and David Tennant doing the dance routine wrong is always a giggle). Plus, any show that can have two grown men doing the tango in the middle of an argument at a crime scene deserves our praise.

That's all very well, but who on earth is Blythe? Well, Blythe is the other detective working with Carlisle in solving the murder case. And he is played by Bryan Dick. That is the extent of most people's knowledge. I, on the other hand, know better. Blythe is one of the great, underexplored characters that television forgot. You see them so often, and I don't care to let this guy be forgotten. There is the joke amongst some 'Blackpool' fans that Danny wasn't the only gay character, that Blythe had a secret crush on Carlisle. And there is evidence to support the theory, but that can be saved for readers of my livejournal who are in on the whole joke. Even without that, there was a lot of wasted potential with Blythe. The moment Carlisle betrays him later in the series, the look in his eyes reveals that there's some unexplored back story there. Maybe the producers wanted it that way, maybe they thought it would get even more confusing, what with all the songs and all. The most annoying part is, other than singing as part of a group, or the backing vocals to David Tennant in 'The Gambler', Bryan Dick only gets one solo line in a song, in 'Don't Leave Me This Way'. That's just an injustice!

I really would recommend this show, it's an absolute tour de force. And now for your pleasure, here's a clip from episode four, featuring Blythe singing, but not on his own.

Now, as for 'Life On Mars'. I watched the entire first series in a day, which was kinda like an 8 hour long film, but unlike an 8 hour film, didn't get boring at all. However, I'm going to leave talking about 'Life On Mars' until I've watched the second series, so I can get it all down in one post.

FILM TWO: Hot Fuzz

If you have any taste in comedy at all, you'll be aware of the genius of Pegg, Frost and Wright. The masters behind 'Shaun Of The Dead' (also on my list of Films To Watch) came back earlier this year with their masterful homage to the action genre in 'Hot Fuzz'. With a budget approximately double that of their previous venture, and a host of top British comedians, you'd expect 'Hot Fuzz' to deliver the goods. And luckily, it does.

Nicholas Angel (Pegg) is the finest cop London has to offer, with an arrest record 400% higher than any other officer on the force. He's so good, he makes everyone else look bad. As a result, Angel's superiors send him to a place where his talents won't be quite so embarrassing - the sleepy and seemingly crime-free village of Sandford. Once there, he is partnered with the well-meaning but overeager police officer Danny Butterman (Frost). The son of amiable Police Chief Frank Butterman (Broadbent), Danny is a huge action movie fan and believes his new big-city partner might just be a real-life "bad boy," and his chance to experience the life of gunfights and car chases he so longs for. Angel is quick to dismiss this as childish fantasy and Danny's puppy-like enthusiasm only adds to Angel's growing frustration. However, as a series of grisly accidents rocks the village, Angel is convinced that Sandford is not what it seems and as the intrigue deepens, Danny's dreams of explosive, high-octane, car-chasing, gunfighting, all-out action seem more and more like a reality. It's time for these small-town cops to break out some big-city justice. (Summary from imdb.com)

What makes 'Hot Fuzz' so darn enjoyable? It's more reminiscent of 'Spaced' than 'Shaun Of The Dead' was, and fans of 'Spaced' should not be disappointed. But what makes 'Hot Fuzz' really special is that you enjoy the comedy, but ultimately, you care for the characters (a rare feat in comedy, but one that the creators are masters in). It can't help but bring a lump to the throat towards the end when Nick comforts Danny (without giving too much of the plot away), and Frost has that huggable, child-like demeanour which can warm the hearts of even the toughest viewers. The relationship between Nick and Danny is fascinating to watch, and that's largely down to Pegg and Frost's natural chemistry. It's alleged that Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg originally wrote in a love interest for Nick, but when they decided to remove her, they gave the lines to Frost. With any other actors, in any other film, this could just be considered as blatant and unsubtle homoeroticism, but in the case of Nick and Danny, it actually works. Like I say, it's very rare that comedy audiences care deeply for the characters in these films, but like Shaun and Ed before them, with these two, you just do.

Not that the comedy should be overlooked, of course. As a relatively new film, I really don't want to give much away, but the subtle and not-so-subtle references to action films, British culture and their previous work will have you giggling for hours after the credits roll. The villains are deliciously twisted, somewhat unexpected and absolutely hilarious. The film does provide it's fair share of gory moments anyway, providing as many unexpected shocks as it did scares in 'Shaun Of The Dead'. A church roof provides one of the finest special effects moments of the film.

Cameo of the Year belongs to Bill Bailey for his fantastic turn as the two Sergeant Turner's. Understatedly hilarious, fans of his won't be disappointed. And finally, his West Country accent pays off!

It's hard to write about a new film, because you're wary not to spoil the film for people, so I'll just leave you with this.

FILM ONE: Labyrinth

I began my mission with that charming children's classic from the 80s,
'Labyrinth'. I've always been a huge fan of this film, and not only for David Bowie's bulging crotch region (though I think subconsciously, I even appreciated this as a child). Nor does it have anything to do with my life-long passion for Bowie's music. It's just a bloody good film.

So what is Labyrinth about exactly?

It comes from the same guy who brought you the Muppets, and stars David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly. The prospect of freaky puppets and Bowie is enough to secure it's status as one of the weirdest children's films ever made already. Young Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) is left home alone by her parents and she has to babysit her little brother Toby. But the baby keeps crying and Sarah, while telling him a story to make him sleep, inadvertently conjures from a fantasy world Jareth the Goblin King (David Bowie) who steals the child and brings him to his castle in the middle of a labyrinth. Sarah has to rescue him before midnight, or the baby will became a goblin.

Still following? Good. So criticisms of the film before we move onto it's good points. Connelly's acting can be hideously wooden at times, particularly in the opening scenes. However, I can't help feeling that they shot the film in sequence, because it improves the further into the film we get. Next criticism: Jareth. It's a brilliant name, yes, but would you really fear a King whose name is Jareth? And why does the Goblin King not look like the Goblins? Because he's also supposed to be a romantic lead, but I'll get to that in a moment. My final criticisms are: the special effects are very '80's, and when watching the film as an adult, Bowie's crotch really is distracting.

But what do I mean by a romantic lead? People have argued that this film is somewhat perverted, and I can see where they're coming from. It is implied throughout the film that Jareth is in love with Sarah (points for reference include the songs Within You, As The World Falls Down, and the final confrontation between Jareth and Sarah), but what these people don't see is the context of this. Focusing mainly on David Bowie's actual age in comparison to Sarah's character, the audience have no idea how old Jareth really is, and also how age plays a factor in the fantasy world of the Labyrinth. I don't think it's perverted at all, I just think that it provides a clear and believable motive, and is generally one of the more interesting points of the film.

The puppets are some of the freakiest Jim Henson has ever created (except for Ludo, big huggable monster that he is). I'm not entirely sure why Sarah's dog from the beginning turned up as a 'noble steed' rather than using a puppet, but we shaln't question that further.

For we've glossed over the (second) most memorable part of the whole film (I'm sure I don't need to say what the most memorable part is again). The music. As a long-time Bowie fan, I must admit that his 70s work was my favourite, but this soundtrack harnesses some fine tracks. Within You is deliciously creepy and utterly heartbreaking, As The World Falls Down will leave you mesmerised, but there is one song that should be remembered above all others, which is what I will end this post with. Sing along everybody.

'You remind me of the babe' 'What babe?' 'The babe with the power' 'What power?' 'The power of voodoo!' 'Who do?' 'You do!' 'Do what?' 'Remind me of the babe!'

The Great Film Mission Of 2007

The Great Film Mission Of 2007 is where I, Hayley, aim to watch as many DVDs as possible over the summer period. Given that my family collection surpasses 800, that's quite a mission. My aim right now is for at least one a day.

This here blog is to report to you lovely people my progress in this mission, and my thoughts on certain films.

Get comfy, eat some popcorn and let the mission begin!