My Life In Film: Part Thirty

Here we go, part thirty of my cinematic odyssey comes to you courtesy of a couple of legends and one of the most recent films to feature in the list so far.  At the end of this there will have been 300 films featured.  Not all of them are classics in the traditional sense but they are to me.  As usual, My Life In Film… will take a short break while I return my attention to the next batch of television programmes that have made an impact on me.  But before that happens, we’ve still got some work to do…

 

CASPER (1995)

Based on the Harvey comic and cartoon series, Casper sees Bill Pullman as Dr Harvey, a recently bereaved paranormal expert, move to a new town with his teenage daughter, Kat (Christina Ricci).  Harvey is hired by the owner of a mansion who believes it to be haunted and wants the spooks gone so she can claim her ancestor’s hidden fortune.  This is a delightfully enchanting film that doesn’t go too mawkish or sentimental and deserves a lot more love, especially for James Horner‘s beautiful score.

WATCH IT FOR: Kat meets Casper

 

YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES (1985)

This is one of those films that, over the years, has amassed a strong cult following.  It’s not surprising really, being based (very loosely) on the youth of a certain master detective.  Nicholas Rowe stars as the young Sherlock who meets a young John Watson (Alan Cox) while they are both at an elite boarding school.  Soon they discover some strange goings on and decide to investigate, getting into all sorts of adventures.  One great bit of trivia, this film features the very first appearance of a fully-CGI character, animated by Industrial Light and Magic and overseen by John Lassetter in an early credit for the behemoth that is Pixar.

WATCH IT FOR: That groundbreaking piece of CGI

 

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN (2002)

Leonardo DiCaprio takes the lead here as Frank Abagnale, Jr, a resourceful high school kid who goes on the run from the feds after defrauding millions of dollars, all in the name of recouping the money his father lost to the IRS.  Doggedly pursued by FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks), Frank poses as an airline pilot, teacher and doctor before being extradited for cheque fraud.  Director Steven Spielberg brings a light, old-fashioned Hollywood-style to proceedings while still maintaining the pace of a heist movie.

WATCH IT FOR: Frank and Carl cross paths

 

THE FIFTH ELEMENT (1997)

This wild and colourful sci-fi adventure from Luc Besson (Nikita, Leon) sees Bruce Willis play a taxi driver who finds himself caught up in the search for a legendary weapon.  It’s a visual treat for the eyes but sometimes falls short on plot and storytelling.  Willis is his usual wisecracking, sarcastic, action hero self while able support comes from breakout star Milla Jovovich and recent Oscar-winner Gary Oldman.

WATCH IT FOR: Shootout

 

THE INCREDIBLES (2004)

Pixar movies have taken over the world and proven that animated films are often bigger and better than live-action.  This one, featuring voice work from Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter and Samuel L. Jackson, sees a family of superheroes trying to live their quiet, suburban lives but who get sucked back into the crime-fighting ways in order to save the world.  Its fast-paced, full of action and comedy and is, quite possibly, one of the best animated movies ever made.  This summer, after fourteen years, a sequel is finally due to be released!

WATCH IT FOR: “No capes!”

 

EASTER PARADE (1948)

In this classic MGM musical, Fred Astaire plays Don Hewes who, along with his partner Nadine Hale (Ann Miller) perform a very successful dance act.  But when Nadine decides to go it alone, Don takes it upon himself to train the next girl he sees and turn her into his next dance partner.  That girl is Hannah Brown (Judy Garland) and pretty soon the two of them are the talk of the town.  Its an age-old romantic musical with performances from two legends at the top of their game.

WATCH IT FOR: A couple of swells!

 

CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN (2003)

This is one of those heart-warming family comedies that just make me smile.  Tom Baker (Steve Martin) and his wife, Kate (Bonnie Hunt) are at the head of a huge family of twelve children.  When Kate has to go out of town for a book tour, it is left to Tom to take care of the kids.  Although there is plenty of slapstick elements and silly humour, Cheaper By The Dozen is a good, old-fashioned comedy that warms the cockles of any a cold heart.  A sequel followed in 2005 but this, to me, is the better of the two.

WATCH IT FOR: Preparing dinner!

 

FOUL PLAY (1978)

Here’s a comedy/thriller that seems to have been forgotten by many.  It’s a film that doesn’t take itself too seriously while at the same time emulating the great films of Hitchcock.  Goldie Hawn plays a shy librarian who gets caught up in a bizarre mystery that sees her fending off killer albinos and savage dwarves.  With the help of San Francisco cop Chevy Chase, the two begin an adventure and soon fall in love.  This film very rarely sees the light of day on television, I don’t think I’ve seen it for years, and is one of those rare movies that have slipped by the wayside.  It’s a shame, because it is a great deal of fun.

WATCH IT FOR: Trailer

 

SWITCHBACK (1997)

Here’s an interesting one.  This film did very little to dent the box office or the rental market but, and I don’t know how, I discovered it on VHS and it has remained one of my firm favourites ever since.  Dennis Quaid stars as Frank Lacrosse, an FBI agent who is on the hunt for his kidnapped son, taken by a dangerous serial killer who slaughtered the babysitter.  Quaid is excellent as the distraught father and dogged investigator who will stop at nothing to find his son.  Jared Leto, Danny Glover and R. Lee Ermey provide solid support in this sadly-forgotten thriller.

WATCH IT FOR: Trailer

 

BABY DRIVER (2017)

I believe this is the most recent film to feature in this list of (now) 300 films.  It’s not hard to see why.  I’ve said before that Edgar Wright is one of the most exciting filmmakers of this generation, combining witty dialogue, sharp editing and camera work with banging soundtracks.  With Baby Driver he takes this to a whole new level.  Ansel Elgort plays the eponymous hero, a hearing-impaired getaway driver for a crime boss who gets coerced into driving one last job.  It’s fast, sharp and exciting as you’d expect from Wright, but Baby Driver amps it up and is much more of a kinetic musical.  Jamie Foxx, John Hamm and Lily James co-star in one of the most breath-taking films I’ve ever seen.

WATCH IT FOR: Chase scene

 

And that’s a wrap on this edition, 300 films down already and there’s still so many more to feature.  As I said at the start, My Life In Film… will be taking a break while I return to My Life In TV… but, rest assured, it will be back!  If you like what you’ve seen here, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and spread the word, I’d love to hear from you.  Until the next time…

“Was he slow?”

 

My Life In Film: Part Twenty Nine

We’re hurtling towards to big 300 (its only taken me four years to get this far!) and I’ve got the next two parts locked in.  There are some corkers to come in Part Thirty, including one of the most recent films in the list, as well as the usual dubious entries for which I have no regrets.  But that’s way off in the future (hopefully not too far off) and we’ve got more pressing matters to deal with.  Let’s do this…

 

THE HUDSUCKER PROXY (1994)

I think this was the first time I saw a film by the Coen brothers and, to be honest, I don’t think I fully appreciated it until many years later.  Not until I’d seen some of their other films did I truly ‘get’ it.  Following the suicide of its head, Hudsucker Industries board member Sidney J. Mussburger (Paul Newman) comes up with a plan to make money: to appoint a moron to run the company.  That ‘moron’ is Norville Barnes (Tim Robbins) who has recently joined the company’s mail room.  The idea being that he’ll run the company into the ground and the remaining board members can buy its stock for pennies.  But they didn’t count on ace reporter Amy Archer (Jennifer Jason Leigh) who begins an investigation in to the company’s dealings.  It’s a modern fable that looks fantastic and has a wonderful performance from Newman who is having the time of his life.

WATCH IT FOR: “You know, for kids!”

 

SCOTT PILGRIM vs. THE WORLD (2010)

I’m a huge fan of Edgar Wright and will watch anything he’s involved with, whether it be zombies, cops or pub crawls.  Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is trying to romance two girls at the same time but one of these girls, Ramona (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) comes with more baggage than usual – seven exes which Scott must battle to the death in order to win Ramona’s heart.  Based on a graphic novel and filmed with the style of arcade games, Scott Pilgrim is a wonderful assault on the senses proving that Wright is one of the most exiting filmmakers of his generation.

WATCH IT FOR: Trailer

 

DELICATESSEN (1991)

I first remember seeing this film during a season of foreign films on BBC (I think) that were shown late at night.  I was struck by its visual style as well as the quirky filmmaking style.  Its set in a post-apocalyptic society where food is used as currency an focusses on an apartment building above a delicatessen that serves a very specific type of food.  There are some wonderful visuals here in a very dark, French comedy.

WATCH IT FOR: Testing the bed springs

 

RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983)

Or, to give it its full title, Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi.  This was, as far as I can recall, the very first film I saw at the cinema.  As I remember, it was for a school friends birthday party and, during the intermission (remember them?!) I had an orange ice lolly which then disagreed with me.  I felt sick and, back at the friends house waiting for my parents to pick me up, I threw up.  Hated oranges ever since.  Apart from that, I actually quite like this third/sixth entry in the Star Wars saga.  All the gang are back together – Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford –  as well as the opinion-splitting Ewoks!  Despite my initial memories of seeing this first time around, it had to be included in my countdown.

WATCH IT FOR: Speeder Chase

 

THE THING (1982)

I’ll be honest, I was never a fan of this film for a long time.  In fact, I only watched it all the way through just a couple of years ago.  That being said, it is a fantastic piece of sci-fi horror from the master John Carpenter.  Kurt Russell heads up a crew in Antarctica who finds a neighbouring camp destroyed and its crew dead.  Whatever it was that killed them is nowhere to be found.  It’s a tense, chilling and, at times, gory thriller that deals with isolation and paranoia.

WATCH IT FOR: Tape recorder

 

THE MATRIX (1999)

This trippy, sci-fi thriller blew minds when it was first released thanks, mostly, to its (then) ground breaking special effects.  Plot wise, its a bit convoluted and confusing, relying on techno-jargon and babble.  Keanu Reeves stars as a computer hacker who learns the true nature of reality and existence from a group of mysterious rebels leads by Laurence Fishburne.  At the time it was cutting edge, bang on trend as well as being way ahead of its time but, on recent viewings I’ve found it a bit messy and gimmicky but that’s not to take away from the fact that its a mind-blowing event of a movie from the Wachowski brothers (as they were known then).

WATCH IT FOR: Blue Pill or Red Pill

 

THE MAGNIFICENT TWO (1967)

I’ve been a big fan of Morecambe & Wise all my life having been brought up watching their entertainment and variety shows on television.  I’m even a fan of the three films they made for the Rank Organisation which, although very funny, did very little to improve their on screen chemistry.  As vehicles, the films didn’t fit right but among them there are some gems.  In this one, Eric and Ernie play travelling salesmen who find themselves in a small South American country that is in the middle of a civil war.  In a case of mistaken identity and comedy of errors, the two end up fighting in the war and taking charge of a small army.

WATCH IT FOR: Trailer

 

THE PRODUCERS (1967)

A down-on-his-luck Broadway producer, Max Bialystock (Zero Mostel) meets a timid accountant, Leo Bloom (Gene Wilder) and they formulate a plan to make a fortune by putting on a sure fire flop.  The only trouble is, the flop is a massive success.  From the creative mind of Mel Brooks, this iconic comedy has since become a huge cult classic, spawned a 2005 remake and successful stage show.  Its full of wit, slapstick and outstanding performances as you’d expect from a Brooks movie.

WATCH IT FOR: Trailer

 

BACHELOR PARTY (1984)

Long before he was one of Hollywood’s hottest stars, Tom Hanks owned the eighties with a series of hit comedies.  With Bachelor Party, its less comedy and more outright farce with a measure of boobs and booze thrown in.  Hanks plays Rick Glasco, a soon-to-be-married man who is thrown a party by his friends.  The party escalates out of control and a series of misfortunes and happenings occur and pretty soon things get out of hand.  It’s not the most subtle of movies but it does have a load of laughs and is good fun.

WATCH IT FOR: Hot dog!

 

REAL STEEL (2011)

I genuinely thought I’d hate this film.  It really isn’t the type of film I’d pick to watch but I’m glad I did.  Its so much better than I imagined.  Hugh Jackman plays a former boxer and struggling promoter in a near future when robot boxing is the biggest sport.  He thinks he’s found a way back in with a discarded robot and starts training for the fight of his life.  This has all the hallmarks of a classic Disney-style movie from the eighties with a struggle to get back to the top, fun robots, cute kids and great special effects.  It really is worth checking out if you haven’t already.

WATCH IT FOR: Trailer

 

And there you go, another batch of ten films down and only another ten to make it to the milestone of 300!  I think you’ll agree there are some great films in this list and a couple of surprises too.  I have great fun compiling these editions and hope you get as much out of it as I do.  If you do, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and let me know, I’d love to hear from you.  There are more cinematic treats to come so please do stick around.  Until next time…

“I’m in pain and I’m wet and I’m still hysterical!”

 

 

 

 

 

My Life In Film: Part Twenty Eight

Now the hustle and bustle of The Oscars has died down, it’s time to get back to business with this, the twenty-eighth part of my film odyssey.  I’ve said in previous editions that I really enjoy these trips down memory lane and revisiting all the films that I thought I’d forgotten about (and some that, by rights, I really should have forgotten about!).  This edition comes complete with some major Hollywood stars and at least two films that are a little…dubious.  So, without further ado, let’s get to work…

 

SPEED (1994)

Jan de Bont has spent most of his career as a cinematographer, working on Die Hard, Flatliners and Lethal Weapon 3, before taking the helm for this adrenalin-fuelled action thriller.  Dennis Hopper plays Howard Payne, a bomber terrorist whose original plot to extort money failed when he was thwarted by LAPD officer Jack Traven (Keanu Reeves).  Payne has an alternative plan, though, to rig an LA city bus with a bomb.  There is only one stipulation: the bus must stay above 50mph and no passengers must disembark.  Traven and his trusty partner, Harry (Jeff Daniels) forge a plan to defuse the bomb and catch the madman.  It’s a high concept thriller that never lets up the pace and helped cement Reeves as an action hero and made a star out of Sandra Bullock.

WATCH IT FOR: Trailer

 

THE MALTESE FALCON (1941)

This is a classic film-noir mystery from legendary director John Huston and starring Humphrey Bogart.  Bogart stars as Sam Spade, a private detective who finds himself involved with a series of criminals, beautiful dames and the search for a priceless statuette.  Mary Astor, Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet co-star in a tale of murder of deceit.

WATCH IT FOR: “Let’s talk about the bird”

 

FLIGHT OF THE NAVIGATOR (1986)

In 1978, David Freeman (Joey Cramer), a 12-year-old boy goes missing, only to reappear in 1986 without having aged a single day.  At the same time he returns, a flying saucer is discovered and soon the truth behind David’s disappearance becomes clearer.  Cliff De Young, Veronica Cartwright and a young Sarah Jessica Parker co-star in this great sci-fi fantasy that has since become a cult classic.

WATCH IT FOR: Trailer

 

SAVING MR. BANKS (2013)

Mary Poppins is one of the most beloved Disney movies of all time but it almost didn’t get made.  Here, the story of its genesis is told through the eyes of author P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson) and her determination to keep her story’s integrity no matter what.  She is up against tough competition in the form of Hollywood magnate Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) who will stop at nothing to get the rights to her story.  It’s a delightfully entertaining film with a particularly brilliant performance from Thompson.

WATCH IT FOR: Trailer

 

STRIPES (1981)

In the eighties, Hollywood was full of this kind of movie.  Slackers-turned-heroes, often saving the day and getting the girl.  Stripes sees two such slackers, John and Russell, played by Bill Murray and Harold Ramis, who are dissatisfied with their jobs and decide to join the army.  You know, for fun.  Along with a rag-tag bunch of losers, the two friends end up defeating the Soviet Army and becoming heroes.  Directed by Ivan Reitman and featuring a host of actors in their first significant film roles, Stripes is an old fashioned comedy that is a riot from start to finish.

WATCH IT FOR: “Willing to learn”

 

RISING SUN (1993)

When an escort girl is found murdered in the offices of an LA based Japanese company, it falls to detective Webb Smith (Wesley Snipes) and former police captain and expert on Japanese affairs John Connor (Sean Connery) to solve the case.  What appears to be a simple matter soon turns out to be a lot more complicated than they thought.  Directed by Phillip Kaufman (known for writing the Indiana Jones films) and adapted from the Michael Crichton novel, Rising Sun is one of those thrillers that manages to mix a formulaic cop movie with a political twist.

WATCH IT FOR: Trailer

 

CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER (1994)

This is the third of Tom Clancy‘s Jack Ryan novels to be filmed following The Hunt For Red October (1990) and Patriot Games (1992) and the second to star Harrison Ford as the CIA analyst.  Here, Ryan is drawn into an illegal war between the US government and a Colombian drug cartel.  It’s a tightly-wound story that takes Ryan from the comfort of his office to the killing fields of Colombia.  Once again directed by Phillip Noyce and featuring James Earl Jones, Clear and Present Danger is, in my opinion, one of the better Ryan adaptations and deserves more love than its predecessors.

WATCH IT FOR: Ambush

 

NORTH (1994)

Ok, I’m not going to spend too much time on this one.  It is universally panned and hated by most critics and film fans but I was always a fan of North.  Directed by Rob Reiner and starring Elijah Wood as a kid, neglected by his parents, who decides to set off on a trip around the world in search of new ones.  Bruce Willis co-stars as North’s guide, almost like Jiminy Cricket, who appears in various costumes along the way.  It’s littered with famous cameos but it just didn’t hit the mark for everyone.  I liked it.

WATCH IT FOR: Trailer

 

MY LIFE (1993)

Michael Keaton stars here as Bob Jones, a man who seems to have everything he needs; a loving wife (played by Nicole Kidman), good job and baby on the way.  Until he discovers that he has incurable kidney cancer and doesn’t have long to live.  He decides to document his life on videotape so that his unborn child will have knowledge and wisdom as it grows.  Yes, it’s sentimental and melodramatic but this is lifted by Keaton’s likeable performance as a man coming to terms with his own mortality.

WATCH IT FOR: Trailer

 

DON’T TELL MOM THE BABYSITTER’S DEAD (1991)

I fear I may be scraping the barrel with a couple of entries this month, but I do genuinely enjoy these films and have fond memories of seeing them at the cinema.  Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead is one such example of a movie that wasn’t too well received but is one that I loved when it came out.  Admittedly, I haven’t seen much of it since its release, but I know I liked it!  When their single mother has to leave town for a few weeks, she hires the sitter from hell to watch over her five kids.  The sitter subsequently drops dead which leave the siblings to fend for themselves.  Christina Applegate leads the cast in this funny and often silly comedy.

WATCH IT FOR: Trailer

 

Ok, so a couple of those films will probably split opinion but, like I’ve said many times before, the films I put into each edition are there for a reason.  I have fond memories of the period of time when they were released or the films themselves are just so damn good that I have to include them.  For whatever reason, though, they’ve all brought back some great memories as I’ve delved deep into the dark recess of my mind!  If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve seen here today, please feel free to let me know.  I’d be particularly interested this month with your opinions on my selection of a couple entries (I think you know which ones!) so either drop me a line on here or come find me on Twitter (@Shadow_Chaser) Until next time…

“Pop quiz, hotshot”

 

 

 

 

And The Oscar Goes To…

In what has been a tumultuous year for Hollywood, all eyes were going to be on this year’s Academy Awards ceremony.  Jimmy Kimmel returned to hosting duties once again following last year’s Best Picture mix-up that created one of television’s most memorable moments.  It was a night for not only making history but changing it for the better.

From the start, Kimmel’s opening monologue was full of references to the Weinstein scandal and acknowledging the Me Too and Time’s Up campaigns.

“We will always remember this year as the year men screwed up so badly that women started dating fish”

Although The Shape of Water lead the pack with 13 nominations, this was one of the most open competitions for a long time where almost any of the films nominated for Best Picture could win.  Ultimately, though, Guillermo Del Toro’s fantasy took the top prize (Warren Beatty & Faye Dunaway were brought back to present), along with wins for Del Toro as Best Director, Production Design and Original Score.  Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk followed with three wins while the early frontrunner for glory, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri left with two acting prizes for Sam Rockwell and Frances McDormand.  Also leaving with two awards apiece were Pixar’s Coco, Blade Runner 2049 and Darkest Hour, the latter of which saw Gary Oldman pick up his first award for Lead Actor.

“Put the kettle on, I’m bringing Oscar home”

While this year was about empowerment and equality, it was also about the history makers.  The list of nominations was full of first timers including an historic first nomination for a female cinematographer, Rachel Morrison for her work on Mudbound.  She was beaten by 14-time nominee Roger Deakins for Blade Runner 2049 who picked up his first award, while Jordan Peele became the first African American to win Best Original Screenplay for his modern horror Get Out.

There was always going to be an uncertain air about the ceremony due to the scandals that have surrounded Hollywood over the past twelve months but Jimmy Kimmel held everything together as only he could.  Ultimately, though, what must be taken away from all this is that change is needed.  Not soon, but now.  What happens between now and next year’s ceremony is anyone’s guess but it’s unlikely to be as turbulent as it has been.  The floodgates have been opened and there’s no going back.

2018 ACADEMY AWARD WINNERS

BEST PICTURE – THE SHAPE OF WATER

BEST DIRECTOR – GUILLERMO DEL TORO (THE SHAPE OF WATER)

BEST ACTOR – GARY OLDMAN (DARKEST HOUR)

BEST ACTRESS – FRANCES MCDORMAND (THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – SAM ROCKWELL (THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBBING, MISSOURI)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – ALLISON JANNEY (I, TONYA)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY – JORDAN PEELE (GET OUT)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY – JAMES IVORY (CALL ME BY YOUR NAME)

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE – COCO

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM – A FANTASTIC WOMAN (CHILE)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – ROGER DEAKINS (BLADE RUNNER 2049)

BEST EDITING – DUNKIRK

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – THE SHAPE OF WATER

BEST COSTUME DESIGN – PHANTOM THREAD

BEST MAKEUP & HAIR – DARKEST HOUR

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – ALEXANDRE DESPLAT (THE SHAPE OF WATER)

BEST ORIGINAL SONG – “REMEMBER ME” (COCO)

BEST SOUND MIXING – DUNKIRK

BEST SOUND EDITING – DUNKIRK

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS – BLADE RUNNER 2049

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE – ICARUS

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT – HEAVEN IS A TRAFFIC JAM ON THE 405

BEST ANIMATED SHORT – DEAR BASKETBALL

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT – THE SILENT CHILD