My Life In Film: Part 38

Just when you thought it was safe to open your internet browser… #MyLifeInFilm is back, back, back!  It hasn’t all been wasted time, though, as you were ‘treated’ to my regular Halloween and Christmas specials.  But now it’s time to get things going again, sharing those films that I’ve loved, or that mean something special to me.  This time around there will be swords & sandals, psychos & psychics and at least one mermaid!

 

BLUE STEEL (1990)

Here’s a truly underrated gem of a thriller from writer/director Kathryn Bigelow (Point Break, The Hurt Locker) and starring the fabulous Jamie Lee Curtis.  Megan Turner (Curtis) is a rookie cop who, on her first day with NYPD shoots and kills a supermarket robber.  When it subsequently transpires that the robber had no weapon and the witnesses couldn’t corroborate Turner’s story, she is suspended from active duty.  She is temporarily reinstated, this time as a homicide detective, when a bullet turns up at another scene with her name on it.  Enter commodities broker Eugene Hunt (the magnificent and much-missed Ron Silver) who shared a date with Turner when she was suspended and has developed a dangerous obsession with her.  Silver plays the bad guy so well and is the perfect foil for Curtis’ rookie cop.  Sure, it’s a pretty paint-by-numbers thriller but the performances elevate it above the mundane.

WATCH IT FOR: Trailer

 

TRON (1982)

Tron is one of those films that, while gloriously failing at the box office, has since gone on to become a cult classic.  Most of that can probably be traced back to the ground-breaking special effects combined with the boom in computer games.  Jeff Bridges plays arcade owner/computer hacker Flynn who is transported into the world of computer games by the villainous software pirate, Master Control (David Warner).  Whilst there, Flynn, along with his friend, Alan (Bruce Boxleitner), must participate in gladiatorial games in order to escape.  As you’d expect for a film that is almost forty years old, it has dated quite a lot but there’s no denying the film’s appeal, so much so that a sequel was made in 2010 with Bridges and Boxleitner reprising their roles.

WATCH IT FOR: Light Cycle Battle

 

THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK (1997)

After the monster successes of Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List, director Steven Spielberg took a rare break from making movies.  Four years later and we are treated to a Jurassic sequel.  But how do you follow a behemoth like that?  Answer: with more dinosaurs!  Yes, The Lost World is everything you could want from a sequel, complete with at least one returning character, double the action and roughly 50% more dino action than the original.  Jeff Goldblum returns as Ian Malcolm and joins Julianne Moore, Vince Vaughn and Pete Postlethwaite on an island eight-seven miles away from the original site to research and document the liberated animals.  Unfortunately, the greedy types at InGen have sent a separate team to capture and transport the creatures to San Diego.  What could possibly go wrong?  While not on the same level as the first film, The Lost World has plenty going for it including some fine set pieces and, of course music by John Williams.

WATCH IT FOR: Over The Cliff

 

SINGLE WHITE FEMALE (1992)

In the early nineties there were a number of films classed as ‘psycho thrillers’.  Depicting damaged characters as crazy killers.  Single White Female portrays a very broken young woman, played by Jennifer Jason Leigh, who infiltrates the life of Bridget Fonda leading to all manner of dangerous situations.  Allison (Fonda) places an ad in the paper for a Single White Female to share the rent now that she’s ditched her boyfriend.  When Hedra (Leigh) answers the ad, all seems perfect.  Until it isn’t.  For the most part this is your average run-of-the-mill ‘psycho thriller’ but if it weren’t for the two leads, this would be a made-for-TV affair.  Both Fonda and Leigh are magnetic together in a film that will make you think twice about renting a room to a stranger!

WATCH IT FOR: Worried Sick

 

SPARTACUS (1960)

It seems fitting that Spartacus should appear in this edition as we say farewell to a true cinematic icon, Kirk Douglas, who passed away recently at the grand old age of 103!  This is, perhaps, his most famous role among dozens of outstanding performances and its not hard to see why people love it so.  Stanley Kubrick‘s monumental epic follows the rise of Douglas’ slave, Spartacus as he leads a revolt against the Roman Republic including Charles Laughton and Laurence Olivier.  Douglas is superb as the reluctant hero alongside Tony Curtis and a gallery of who’s who in Hollywood.

WATCH IT FOR: I’m Spartacus!

 

BLITHE SPIRIT (1945)

After the success of his play in the West End and on Broadway, Noel Coward was inundated with offers from Hollywood to turn it into a film.  Instead, Coward took the project to his friend, David Lean, who made some alterations to the original play to which Coward was not best pleased.  For this big screen adaptation, Charles (Rex Harrison) and his second wife, Ruth (Constance Cummings) are being haunted by the spirit of his first wife, Elvira (Kay Hammond).  They soon decide to enlist the help of local medium, Madam Arcati (Margaret Rutherford) to try and exorcise Elvira from their lives but things don’t go to plan.  It’s a wonderfully witty and wry comedy with a stand-out turn by Rutherford. Its hard to believe that, on its initial release, this film tanked on both sides of the Atlantic!

WATCH IT FOR: Trailer

 

DEAD CALM (1989)

Here’s another example of a damaged character being used as the villain in this stylish thriller from Philip Noyce.  John (Sam Neill) and Rae (Nicole Kidman) are taking a sailing trip in the Pacific in order to escape a terrible tragedy.  While out on the open sea they discover a ship in distress with one survivor, the disturbed Hughie (Billy Zane), who is not all that he appears to be.  What follows is a tense game of cat and mouse with all the claustrophobia of the best of Hitchcock.

WATCH IT FOR: Trailer

 

SPLASH(1984)

Director Ron Howard brings us a modern-day fable starring the soon-to-be-worldwide-treasure, Tom Hanks.  As a kid, Allen (Hanks) is rescued from drowning by a young mermaid.  Years later and he finds himself back in the same spot and, after falling into the water, is rescued once again by the mermaid, Madison (Daryl Hannah).  They go their separate ways but Madison sets out to find him in New York City.  Once they meet up again, they fall for each other but the course of true love never runs smooth.  Featuring support from John Candy, Splash is one of those delightful romantic comedies with a fishy twist.

WATCH IT FOR: What’s Your Number?

 

FRANTIC (1988)

This is a stylish mystery thriller in the vein of the classic film noirs of old.  Harrison Ford stars as Dr Richard Walker who, along with his wife, Sondra (Betty Buckley) are in Paris to attend a medical conference.  When Sondra disappears in mysterious circumstances, Walker is plunged into the murky underworld of drugs and espionage.  Director Roman Polanski cranks up the tension while Ford is at his best as the distraught husband caught up in a web of intrigue.

WATCH IT FOR: Trailer

 

VERTIGO (1958)

I’ve made mention this edition of Hitchcockian moments in modern thrillers, well here’s the man himself doing what he does best.  James Stewart stars as former San Francisco police detective John ‘Scottie’ Ferguson who becomes dangerously obsessed with Kim Novak in a suspenseful tale of betrayal and deception.  While the story takes a backseat, the real treat for the viewers (apart from Stewart and Novak) is the visual style, the use of the camera and, of course, Bernard Hermann’s atmospheric score.  Rightly regarded as one of Hitch’s classic thrillers, Vertigo may feel a little leaden at times but in the reliable hands of Jimmy Stewart, it almost zips along.

WATCH IT FOR: Scottie’s Nightmare

 

And there you go, another fine batch of cinematic classics that have, in one way or another, made some sort of impact on me.  It’s good to be back and I’m looking forward to bringing you plenty more examples of celluloid gems very soon.  If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve seen here today, feel free to get in touch, I’m always open to chatting with new people, especially with a love of film.  Until the next time…

“Oh, yeah. Oooh, ahhh, that’s how it always starts. Then later there’s running and um, screaming”

 

Halloween Spooktacular IV

Do you like scary movies?  I’m not the world’s biggest fan but can’t help but be drawn to the odd horror film every now and then.  I guess we all like to be scared sometimes, and what better way than with a bit of celluloid terror? Switch off the lights, lock all the doors and check under the bed…

 

THE WOMAN IN BLACK (2012)

It’s rare these days to find a horror film that doesn’t rely solely on blood and gore to get its kicks.  Even more rare to find a genuinely chilling horror film that has such a known history as The Woman In Black.  Based on the novel by Susan Hill and following a 1989 TV Movie, this version comes from classic horror film studio Hammer and stars one-time Harry Potter Daniel Radcliffe as solicitor Arthur Kipps, a grieving single father sent to a remote village to check on the documentation of the eerie Eel Marsh House.  Whilst there, Kipps discovers that he is far from alone in this mysterious manor.  Full of suspense at creepy atmosphere, this is ideal for those long, dark nights.

WATCH IT FOR: Trailer

 

SCREAM (1996)

From the master of horror Wes Craven, this nineties teen chiller pretty much reinvented the genre and spawned a series of sequels and pale imitations.  With an all-knowing self awareness of itself, Scream brilliantly reminds us of the great scary movies of yore.  With a stellar line-up of up-and-coming teen stars including Neve Campbell, Skeet Ulrich and Matthew Lillard as well as some more familiar faces, this is the film that launched a thousand spoofs and has since become a somewhat forgotten benchmark of what a truly clever horror movie should be.

WATCH IT FOR: The formula

 

HIGH SPIRITS (1988)

Peter Plunkett (Peter O’Toole) owns a dilapidated Irish castle-turned hotel.  It is on the verge of repossession and so decides to spice things up a bit by having his staff pretend to haunt the building.  When a bus load of tourists arrive, including Jack (Steve Guttenburg) and Sharon (Beverly D’Angelo), they also happen to bring along some real ghosts.  Things get complicated when Jack finds himself falling in love with one of the ghosts (played by Daryl Hannah).  From director Neil Jordan, this light-hearted (and pretty naff) comedy is enough to see you through a wet Sunday afternoon.

WATCH IT FOR: Trailer

 

AMERICAN HORROR STORY (2011-present)

I arrived very late to Ryan Murphy‘s (Glee, Pose), frankly, bat shit-crazy anthology series.  I’d heard so much good about it that I felt it was time to see for myself.  I’m glad I did.  This is one of those TV shows that leads you down one particular path only to sideswipe you several times along the way and leave you breathless.  From season one’s ‘Murder House’ right through to the current incarnation, ‘1984’, what AHS does is to tap into our darkest fears and emotions and then ramps them up to the nth degree.  Featuring an outstanding ensemble that includes Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Lily Rabe, Denis O’Hare and the imperious Jessica Lange, this has enough scares and horror to keep even the sanest of people up at night.  Long may it continue.

WATCH IT FOR: Trailer (‘Freak Show’)

 

INSIDIOUS (2010)

On the surface this appears to be your average paint-by-numbers horror film about a “perfect” family living in a haunted house.  Scratch underneath and things are a little more sinister.  Josh (Patrick Wilson) and Renai (Rose Byrne) Lambert move into a new home along with their two sons, Dalton (Ty Simpkins) and Foster (Andrew Astor).  Soon after, Dalton falls into a mysterious coma…and then the really freaky stuff begins.  Director James Wan (Saw) creates enough suspense and terror in the first of a successful franchise.  With supreme support from Lin Shaye as Elise, the medium who holds the key to solving the mystery, Insidious is not one to watch alone in the dark (like I did!).

WATCH IT FOR: Trailer

 

INSIDE No. 9 – “DEAD LINE” (2018)

Just when you thought Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton couldn’t make their genius anthology show any better they brought us the wonderful sideswipe that was last year’s live episode.  This show is known for pulling the rug from under the audience’s feet on many occasions, as well as tugging the odd heart-string along the way but what they achieved with Dead Line was just outstanding.  The audience was wrong-footed from the off and the whole story took us down a completely different route than any of us was expecting.  The fact that it was also live and interactive via social media made the whole experience that bit more special.  Inside No. 9 is one of the finest pieces of television ever to grace our screens and I can’t wait to see what further delights they have to offer.

WATCH IT FOR: You should just watch it (if you get the chance) – no clips available online so here’s an interview Reece & Steve did to promote the episode!

 

THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE (2018-present)

When I started to watch this Netflix chiller I thought it was going to be another bog-standard haunted mansion ghost story but it is something altogether more ingenius.  Centered around a group of siblings, each with differing and complex story arcs, who grew up in the notorious Hill House.  They each return to their childhood home when tragedy strikes and must face up to their demons and the mysteries that are held within the mansion walls.  While some episodes do focus more on the drama of the family, there are some brilliant moments scattered throughout as well as some genuinely scary jumps that leave the heart racing. Its innovative, spine-chilling and compelling and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

WATCH IT FOR: Trailer

 

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991)

I’ll be honest, when I first saw this film (many years later) I wasn’t overly impressed.  I’ve since grown to appreciate just how powerful a film it is.  Based on the best-selling novel by Thomas Harris, it sees trainee FBI agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) tasked with questioning notorious serial killer Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) about the behavioural patterns of another killer known as “Buffalo Bill”.  What follows is a chilling cat and mouse game of wits between the two leading to an astonishing showdown.  This cinematic phenomenon became only the third film in history, after It Happened One Night (1934) and One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), to win the Top Five Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director (the late, great Jonathan Demme), Best Screenplay, Best Actor and Best Actress and sent Hopkins into super-stardom as well as spawning countless, albeit less-effective, sequels.

WATCH IT FOR: Hopkins!

 

HAPPY DEATH DAY (2017)

There have been many takes on the, now, classic Groundhog Day-style storyline wherein the main character must relive the same day over and over until they figure out the reason its happening.  This one, though, is a pretty witty (and violent) version starring Jessica Rothe as Tree, who is murdered on her birthday only to wake up at the very start of her day as if nothing has happened and dying a different way each time.  Her only way out is to find out who killed her and hopefully put a stop to the neverending time loop.  Director Christopher Landon has brought us a modern classic and a sequel soon followed.

WATCH IT FOR: Welcome to the Pleasuredome!

 

GHOST STORIES (2017)

Here’s an absolute gem of a film.  Based on the West End play by Jeremy Dyson (who also co-writes and co-directs the film with star Andy Nyman), Ghost Stories is one of the most cerebral and enjoyable British horror films in recent years.  Nyman plays Professor Phillip Goodman, a skeptic who follows the stories of three unexplained paranormal encounters. What he discovers will test his belief to the limit.  Featuring Martin Freeman, Paul Whitehouse and a brilliant performance from Alex Lawther, Ghost Stories is one of those films you need to watch carefully and then watch again.

WATCH IT FOR: Trailer

 

And there you have it, another Halloween special done and dusted.  I hope you find something here you like and maybe haven’t seen before.  If you do like what you’ve seen please feel free to get in touch, I’m happy to hear from you.  My usual #MyLifeInFilm is taking a little hiatus at the moment but, fear not, another festive special is in the pipeline!  Until the next time…sleep tight!

“Well, Clarice – have the lambs stopped screaming?”

My Life In Film: Part Nineteen

And, as I hurtle towards the 200 mark, I present the 19th part of my odyssey to list those films that have, in one way or another, made an impact on me.  At least one film in this edition surprised me and I think another film will surprise some of you.  That’s what I like about doing this, the fact that films can surprise you when your initial impression is one of ‘I don’t like the look of that’.  Anyway, enough of my waffling let’s get down to business…

 

GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS (1992)

There aren’t many films set in the world of sales that can grab your attention and slap you around the face like this one.  Based on his own Pulitzer prize winning play, screenwriter David Mamet creates a world of tension in the business of real estate aided by a stellar ensemble cast that features a powerhouse performance from Alec Baldwin.  Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alan Arkin, Ed Harris, Kevin Spacey and Jonathan Pryce are all excellent in a film that isn’t afraid to say it like it is.

WATCH IT FOR: Baldwin’s amazing speech – Always Be Closing!

 

CAPE FEAR (1991)

Robert De Niro plays Max Cady, a convicted rapist, who is released from prison after fourteen years and then begins a campaign of revenge against the lawyer (Nick Nolte) who put him away.  This is a delicious remake of the 1962 thriller that starred Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck (who also have cameos in the remake) and is given a fresh outlook by director Martin Scorsese.  De Niro is, as you’d expect, outrageously evil as Cady, wreaking his revenge against the lawyer and his family (played by Jessica Lange and Juliette Lewis) but, at times, the film slips into parody and cliché.  This aside, Cape Fear is a stunning thriller from a fearless director and cast at the top of their game.

WATCH IT FOR: Cady disrupts a cinema visit!

 

THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW (2004)

Director Roland Emmerich has a track record for causing mayhem and destruction in his films (Independence Day, 2012, Godzilla) and this one is no exception.  Dennis Quaid plays Jack Hall, a paleoclimatologist, who must travel across the country to rescue his son (Jake Gyllenhaal) who is trapped in New York during a catastrophic storm that sees the world enter a new Ice Age.  Emmerich applies all his usual techniques to crank up the action and drama while Quaid and Gyllenhall are the backbones of an international ensemble cast.

WATCH IT FOR: Epic freeze

 

THE GENERAL (1926)

Widely regarded as one of Buster Keaton‘s finest films, The General sees him play Johnnie, an engineer, who is turned down for service in the American Civil War because he is deemed to important in his job.  Union spies capture Johnnie’s beloved train (“The General”) with his beloved Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack) on board.  Johnnie embarks on a daring rescue mission to save both his loves.

WATCH IT FOR: The genius of Buster Keaton!

 

LABYRINTH (1986)

A number of popular singers were in the running for the role of Jareth, the Goblin King – among them Michael Jackson, Prince and Sting.  Director Jim Henson wanted Sting but was convinced by his children that David Bowie would be perfect.  How right they were!  The story concerns a young girl (Jennifer Connelly) who makes a wish to the Goblin King to take her baby brother away.  Once the wish is granted, though, she immediately regrets it and must then fight her way through a magical maze in order to rescue him.  Henson creates a wonderful fantasy world full of monsters and musical numbers and Bowie revels in his sinister role.

WATCH IT FOR: Magic Dance!

 

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST (1975)

McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) is a career criminal who find himself back in court.  In order to avoid labour duties in prison, he pleads insanity and is sent to an asylum where he faces the irrepressible force of Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher).  The film is one of only three (It Happened One Night & The Silence of the Lambs) in history to win the ‘Big Five’ Academy Awards – Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress & Best Screenplay – and it’s not hard to see why.  Nicholson and Fletcher are on top form in a film that rarely falters.

WATCH IT FOR:  “You’re not crazy”

 

SPECTRE (2015)

Now, you can hate on me all you want but I’m a big fan of this entry into the Bond franchise.  Yes, it has major flaws (Don’t get me started on the Blofeld storyline!) but it also has some nods to the earlier movies that sets it apart from Casino Royale or Quantum of Solace.  A cryptic message from Bond’s past puts him on a path to uncover a sinister organisation.  Daniel Craig returns for his fourth outing as 007 and for the most part seems very comfortable in the role.  There are some spectacular action sequences that remind us what the Bond franchise used to be before the Sam Mendes soap opera it turned into with this and Skyfall.  I for one would love to see Craig return for a fifth Bond film (at time of writing there is still no word on his future) but if this were to be his final instalment, it’s not a bad one to bow out on.  Just don’t mention Blofeld!

WATCH IT FOR: The epic opening sequence

 

THE ROCK (1996)

Long before Michael Bay turned every movie he made into a huge, stinking pile of dog dirt he hit his stride with this action thriller.  Stanley Goodspeed (Nicolas Cage) is a biochemist in Washington D.C. who is called upon to help the government when General Hummel (Ed Harris), a former soldier and team take Alcatraz hostage.  Hummel has stolen some highly dangerous nuclear warheads and threatens to launch them at San Francisco.  Goodspeed can disarm the bombs but first, he needs to find someone who can get him inside – enter John Mason (Sean Connery), former British Intelligence officer and one-time inmate at The Rock.  The two men reluctantly work together to break in to one of the most notorious prisons in the world.  It’s a non-stop, boy’s own adventure that doesn’t hold back on the subtlety!

WATCH IT FOR: Connery at his best!

 

PITCH PERFECT (2012)

Here’s a film that I wasn’t expecting to enjoy as much as I did.  I’d managed to avoid it for a while as I thought it was just a chick flick but it really isn’t.  Anna Kendrick is Becca, a University freshman who gets herself signed up to the school’s all-girl singing group, The Bellas.  They take part in a campus competition against their male counterparts in a film that both surprises and lifts the spirits.  Kendrick is great but the real breakout star of the film is Rebel Wilson as Fat Amy.  It really is a fun film.  In fact, it’s acca-awesome!

WATCH IT FOR: Fat Amy!

 

MEMOIRS OF AN INVISIBLE MAN (1992)

After a freak accident, Nick Halloway (Chevy Chase) is made invisible and forced to flee for his life when the CIA want to recruit him.  In theory this film, from acclaimed horror director John Carpenter,  should have been great but it just doesn’t work quite as well as it should.  It’s still good fun though, seeing Chase’s character come to terms with his invisibility.  Daryl Hannah provides the love-interest support while Sam Neill is the villainous CIA agent tracking down his man.

WATCH IT FOR: The trailer

 

Another batch of cinematic classics and box-office bombs that mean something to me, whatever that may be.  So far, 190 films have made the list and there are still SO many still to come.  If you agree (or disagree) with some of my choices then let me know, I’d love to hear from you.  In the meantime, I’m off to track down some more lost gems!

“You’re a kite dancing in a hurricane, Mr Bond”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Life In Film: Part Seventeen

As sure as tock follows tick, night follows day, Part Seventeen must surely follow Part Sixteen.  Another batch of ten films in my ever multiplying list of favourites from over the years.  As a great man once said: “It’s not the years honey, it’s the mileage” – some of these films really have the mileage…see if you can spot the curve ball in this rundown!

 

ANCHORS AWEIGH (1945)

Two sailors on a four day shore leave in Hollywood meet an aspiring young singer (played by Kathryn Grayson) and try to get her signed to MGM.  It’s pretty much standard movie musical fare when it comes to plot but that’s not the reason to watch it.  Gene Kelly is, as always, magnificent alongside fellow sailor Frank Sinatra.  A young Dean Stockwell plays Grayson’s nephew who wants to join the navy and grows attached to the two sailors.  There are some great song and dance numbers, none more so than the brilliant Jerry Mouse routine.

WATCH IT FOR: Gene Kelly dances with Jerry Mouse – “Look at me, I’m dancing!”

 

GALAXY QUEST (1999)

Sci-fi conventions are THE place to go to catch a glimpse of your favourite stars from television and film.  When a group of TV stars of the past reunite at a convention they get a little more than they bargained for.  Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver and the ever brilliant (and much missed) Alan Rickman play the stars of TV’s ‘Galaxy Quest’ and are approached at a convention by real aliens believing their characters to be the real deal.  Their help is needed to solve a problem of intergalactic proportion!

WATCH IT FOR: The show must go on!

 

BIRDMAN or (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE) (2014)

Michael Keaton knows a thing or two about playing a famous superhero, having played Batman twice, so it’s interesting to see him here playing an actor trying to shake off the spectre of an all-encompassing role and be taken seriously.  Keaton plays Riggan Thomson, an actor who made his name playing Birdman in three movies, who is trying to stage an epic comeback by writing, directing, starring-in and co-producing a play on Broadway.  What we see is a man in meltdown and the consequences this has on the people around him.  His daughter, played by Emma Stone, his friend and co-producer Zach Galifinakis and temperamental star Edward Norton.  It is a daring, imaginative piece of filmmaking from Alejandro G. Innaritu which rightly won four Academy Awards, including a nomination for Keaton.

WATCH IT FOR: “Does she talk?”

 

THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN (2011)

Based on the classic comic books by Herge, this is the first animated feature film from director Steven Spielberg about the intrepid young reporter Tintin (Jamie Bell) and his faithful dog, Snowy.  In this story he goes on a treasure hunt for sunken treasure with help from drunken sea-dog Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis).  Using motion-capture and animation techniques, its a fun thrill-ride of an adventure and, according to IMDb a sequel is on the way!

WATCH IT FOR: Falcon chase

 

REMO: UNARMED AND DANGEROUS (1985)

Or Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, to give it it’s original title.  A James Bond-style franchise was planned with this film based on “The Destroyer” novels but this film didn’t play well and all we’re left with is this bizarre gem of an action flick.  Fred Ward stars as Remo Williams a cop who is supposedly killed in the line of duty and subsequently trained as a lethal assassin to work for the US President.  With a strange mix of action, martial arts and just a hint of the supernatural, Remo is an underrated cult classic with an iconic scene atop the Statue of Liberty.  Stellar support from Wilford Brimley and the ever wonderful Joel Grey as Remo’s mentor.

WATCH IT FOR: Statue of Liberty and walking on cement!

 

ROXANNE (1987)

This is one of my favourite Steve Martin performances.  Based on the play “Cyrano De Bergerac” he plays C.D. Bales who, while having an unusually large nose, falls for the beautiful Roxanne (Daryl Hannah).  Unfortunately, though she’s attracted to his personality she falls for the looks of another man (Rick Rossovich) who seeks Bales’ advice on wooing Roxanne.  It’s a delightful comedy that showcases Martin’s charm and wit.

WATCH IT FOR: Insults to a nose

 

FARGO (1996)

Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) works in his father-in-laws car dealership and has got himself into some serious financial strife.  He sets a plan in motion for two men (Peter Stormare and Steve Buscemi) to kidnap his wife and hold her for ransom but he didn’t bet on the men being inept at their job and the amount of bloodshed it entails.  He is further hampered by the local Sheriff, played to perfection in an Oscar-winning role by Frances McDormand who is determined to find the killers whilst nine months pregnant.  This is a brilliant and twisted thriller from The Coen Brothers which has since gone on to spawn a very successful television series.

WATCH IT FOR: Frances McDormand’s wonderful performance

 

DOC SAVAGE: THE MAN OF BRONZE (1975)

This is one of those films that is just so bad it’s actually pretty awful but still ok to watch every now and then.  Based on the pulp novels about an intelligent superhero in the 1930s and starring Ron Ely as the titular title character.  Doc Savage returns home to find his father has died and that he has become the target of an assassination plot.  He assembles his team “The Fabulous Five” (Paul Gleason, William Lucking, Michael Miller, Eldon Quick and Darrell Zwerling) and vows to solve his father’s murder.  It’s cheesy, camp and over the top but with enough action and humour to keep you watching.  This film used to be shown quite a lot during the school holidays but has since been banished to the “best left forgotten” pile.

WATCH IT FOR: The cheesiest of cheesy trailers!

 

QUICK CHANGE (1990)

Grimm (Bill Murray) enters a New York bank dressed as a clown in order to commit a robbery.  With the help of his two friends (Geena Davis and Randy Quaid) the pull off the heist but their biggest problem is escaping the city and getting to the airport.  Murray acted as co-director on this film with his co-writer Howard Franklin.  The idea of Murray, with his deadpan demeanour, dressed as a clown is superb and the supporting cast are excellent.  It’s surprising then, that the film isn’t as fondly remembered as it should be.  It’s certainly one of Murray’s best performances, if not his famous.

WATCH IT FOR: The trailer

 

THE GREAT ESCAPE (1963)

This is one of those films that Hollywood used to do so well.  A massive, ensemble piece with glorious scenery, plenty of action and a leading man so damn cool it should be illegal.  Steve McQueen leads the all-star cast as Allied soldiers plan a daring escape from their Nazi camp during World War II.  Richard Attenborough, Donald Pleasence, James Garner, James Coburn, David McCallum, Charles Bronson and Gordon Jackson are just some of the stellar line-up in John Sturges‘ epic (almost 3 hours!) perennial favourite that features some of the most iconic scenes in movie history not to mention one of the most famous pieces of film music ever written!

WATCH IT FOR: McQueen’s motorcycle escape

 

If you were to look up the word “eclectic” in the dictionary I’m pretty sure you’d find this edition of My Life In Film… From singing sailors to deadpan bank robbers, ace reporters to The King of Cool this has a little bit of everything.  That’s pretty much how my taste in film goes as well, a veritable concoction of movie genres and a cornucopia of actors and actresses.  If you liked what you saw here today, please feel free to get in touch – you can message me direct on here or find me on Twitter as @Shadow_Chaser – I’d love to hear your thoughts.  I’m off to throw a baseball against the wall for a few hours!