40. American Beauty
This is truly a film not like any other. I mean, what genre is it? I don’t know. It’s not romance, it’s way to creepy and dark for that, it’s not a thriller, the only word I can use is a “psychological” film. It’s about a man who’s attracted to his daughter’s friend and that inspires him to live his life, but everything around eventually falls apart. Really a must-see, you’ll never see anything else like it.
39. North by Northwest
Another Hitchcock thriller, this time about a man mistaken for a spy. It’s not just any 60’s spy film though, there are twists and turns that really surprise and shock you. There’s a brilliant plot and cast, especially the main characters mother, my favourite character. Her scene in the lift is hilarious. Watch and find out what I mean.
38. Citizen Kane
The Citizen Kane of all movies is of course, Citizen Kane. Regarded by many as the greatest film of all time, I can’t really fault it. Not because I’m scared of getting attacked by fans, but because it is actually that good. Well, maybe not the best film ever, but definitely up there. It’s the best film I’ve seen from its time and for years after, and while I don’t worship it, I would definitely say it’s one of the best and most influencial
37. Toy Story 3
The first Toy Story was brilliant, the second was great, but this one really gives us everything it’s got. The toys we’ve grown up with are given away when Andy goes to university. But the nursery they end up in turns out to be a terrible place, and they lose Woody, then things go terribly wrong until the most emotional animated scene ever. If you’ve seen it, you know what I mean, if you haven’t then you won’t believe how moving it is until you do.
36. American History X
A Neo-Nazi, played by Edward Norton, comes out of prison a changed man. Unfortunately his brother is heading down the dark past that put Norton in jail to begin with. The film follows the story of both brothers in the present and in flashback, and it was really an eye opener. I didn’t really understand how such people could still exist even now, but this film really explains the culture and shows the terrible effects it has on families and the community.
35. Apocalypse Now
One of the most brilliant war films of all time. It’s just great to watch and asks many questions, until it reaches my major problem with it. SPOILER WARNING. At the end of the film Martin Sheen meets the crazed Marlon Brando and his cult, but I really can’t understand what it is about Brando that all these people are enthralled by. I work with people with mental problems and I can see lots of their behaviour in his character which really means I can’t see why anyone would think he was wise and not just ill. Maybe it’s just me, but it’s never really sat right.
34. Dr Strangelove or How I Learnt to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
One of the few Stanley Kubrick films I don’t have a problem with. Normally something in the way he directs bugs me, but I really enjoy this film. It’s truly hilarious, but in a really dark way. Every joke works, and by the end you’re both thinking about the implications and still laughing. It’s the perfect example of an intelligent comedy.
33. Leon
I saw this film recently, but I’d wanting to see it for ages. It’s the story of a hitman who adopts a little girl after her family are murdered. That sounds awful, but it’s done really well. All the parts are played really well, subtle Leon, surprising good child actress Natalie Portman isn’t completely annoying, and Gary Oldman... well he’s just fucking insane. It’s brilliant. It’s like a feel bonding tale crossed with a tragedy crossed with an action movie crossed with an art film, and I love it.
32. Sunset Boulevard
There were a lot of films about aging stars back in the 50s, but this is by far the best. It’s classic film noir, with the dark visuals and twisting plot and it really is just a descent into madness. You don’t know whether to feel pity or be repulsed and the things that happen to the main male character, well no-one deserved that. It’s grand and impressive but filled with anger and bitterness, just like the characters.
31. Memento
This is Christopher Nolan at his best. This is a very complex film, but it’s totally worth it. It’s about a man who can’t form short term memories. His memory only lasts about 10,20 minutes. So we see each section of his memory, but we see it in reverse order. Things at the end which he doesn’t understand are revealed to us in the flashbacks and the revelations are truly shocking, and utterly brilliant. Definitely one to watch if you’re wanting to used your head.
30. Forrest Gump
I must be one of the few people not to have seen Forrest Gump years ago. I only saw it a few months ago after people said how shocking it was I’d never seen it. And I can see why it’s a brilliant film now I’ve watched it, but I can’t really see what makes it a much watch over the other films in this list. My only idea is that it’s because of how easy it is to watch. That doesn’t mean there’s nothing to it like a dumb action film, it’s just you can sit down, turn it on and the time passes without you even realizing it. At the end you feel happy and relaxed and I can’t really explain why, but it’s a great experience.
29. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
And now we come to our first LOTR film. I used to love LOTR when I was younger, not as much as Star Wars but almost. I think everyone knows what LOTR is, even if you haven’t seen it, so there’s not really much to explain. The reason I think this one gets voted less well than the others is that it’s the middle one. In my opinion they’re all of equal quality, but this one doesn’t really begin or end any stories, so it’s a great watch, but much as there are a number of huge battles, there isn’t the sense of conclusion as you get with ROTK and there’s not the sense of anticipation as you get with FOTR. But it’s still a great film, don’t get me wrong.
28. It’s a Wonderful Life
This is one of my top ten films ever. Really. I love it. I love Jimmy Stewart, I love Clarence, I love the supporting cast and this tragedy of the man’s life and I love the darkness of the world without him. And most of all I love the ending. If you’ve seen it you know why, and if you’ve not, I cried at it, and I don’t cry at anything, so that should give you the impression of the impact it has, it’s just so happy. Look it up now. But watch the B&W version, that just feels better than the computer added colours which seem unnatural.
27. Se7en
It’s a good mystery, great main characters, interesting mode of murder and sinister atmosphere. And now, SPOILER WARNING. At the end of the film it turns out that the murderer has planned a whole situation and before allowing himself to get caught he went to one of the detective’s houses and cut off their wife’s head and put it in a box. This is supposed to be shocking and all that, but I just can’t take it seriously. Like come on, head in a box? He’s not a supervillian off a particularly dark cartoon. It really ruins the movie, because for me it just takes one step over the line of suspending my disbelief and makes the film just seem silly. At least to me. Obviously you can decide yourself.
26. Psycho
Everyone knows the shower scene. But I wonder how many people have actually seen the rest of the film. Because it’s an intriguing mystery and a dark slashed film, with a mad, but brilliant twist at the end. It’s the most perfect slashed film, and very entertaining. But the last scene, with the Doctor is just... awful. I don’t understand why it’s there. But still, great film.
Tuesday, 13 September 2011
Monday, 12 September 2011
Doctor Who Review: The Girl Who Waited.
Right well… This is a complicated one. It’s very different. Like Lets Kill Hitler this is a story that only really involves the main cast and some under-developed villains. Unlike that episode though, this actually has an interesting story to tell. It’s far too complex to explain in a couple of sentences, so I’m not going to try. Really if you’re reading this, you should have watched the episode because otherwise I will probably spoil it for you. Oh yeah, spoiler alert by the way.
One thing that I really enjoyed about this episode is it centered on the companions Amy and Rory. That’s not to say I haven’t liked the previous stories looking at the Doctor, but the couple haven’t been given a lot to do lately, so it’s good to see them take centre stage. Karen Gillian is brilliant as the two Amys, showing how the years have ruined the older Amy’s life, but still keeping hints of the woman she used to be. I’d say that her two performances were the high point of the episode, but the best part has to be the relationship between Amy and Rory. The scenes where they are together are just brilliant, and it’s great to see that old Amy still loves Rory even after 36 years apart, especially when they started the series on such rocky ground. The visual design, something I don’t comment on a lot, is very striking. When the Tardis doors open to the white room, it’s a shock to the system and the giant magnifying glass communicator looks brilliantly retro as do Rory’s specs.
It isn’t a perfect episode. The mechanics behind the two Amy’s getting to the same time and place aren’t explained at all and the of hundreds of people possibly being trapped like Amy aren’t explored but really that’s nitpicking. Theres only one major problem and that was the robots. I don’t know what it was about them, maybe it was how they were defeated so easily, maybe it was their bland design, but something just really didn’t sit right with me, and I think they brought the episode down a bit.
But let’s end on a cheery note. Something properly introduced in this episode and hinted at before. The Doctor lies and manipulates people. More and more we’re seeing a dark side to him, but it’s in this episode where he tricks old Amy into helping him then refuses to save her, that really brings it to the forefront. The scene where he locks her out of the Tardis is really moving and finally starts to open Rory’s eyes about who the Doctor really is. I definitely hoping for more of this to come, maybe even this is why they part their ways? Who knows? We’ll just have to wait and see. Another very good episode of Doctor Who, and I hope next week keeps up the trend.
4/5
One thing that I really enjoyed about this episode is it centered on the companions Amy and Rory. That’s not to say I haven’t liked the previous stories looking at the Doctor, but the couple haven’t been given a lot to do lately, so it’s good to see them take centre stage. Karen Gillian is brilliant as the two Amys, showing how the years have ruined the older Amy’s life, but still keeping hints of the woman she used to be. I’d say that her two performances were the high point of the episode, but the best part has to be the relationship between Amy and Rory. The scenes where they are together are just brilliant, and it’s great to see that old Amy still loves Rory even after 36 years apart, especially when they started the series on such rocky ground. The visual design, something I don’t comment on a lot, is very striking. When the Tardis doors open to the white room, it’s a shock to the system and the giant magnifying glass communicator looks brilliantly retro as do Rory’s specs.
It isn’t a perfect episode. The mechanics behind the two Amy’s getting to the same time and place aren’t explained at all and the of hundreds of people possibly being trapped like Amy aren’t explored but really that’s nitpicking. Theres only one major problem and that was the robots. I don’t know what it was about them, maybe it was how they were defeated so easily, maybe it was their bland design, but something just really didn’t sit right with me, and I think they brought the episode down a bit.
But let’s end on a cheery note. Something properly introduced in this episode and hinted at before. The Doctor lies and manipulates people. More and more we’re seeing a dark side to him, but it’s in this episode where he tricks old Amy into helping him then refuses to save her, that really brings it to the forefront. The scene where he locks her out of the Tardis is really moving and finally starts to open Rory’s eyes about who the Doctor really is. I definitely hoping for more of this to come, maybe even this is why they part their ways? Who knows? We’ll just have to wait and see. Another very good episode of Doctor Who, and I hope next week keeps up the trend.
4/5
Tuesday, 6 September 2011
Doctor Who Review: Night Terrors
Now THAT is what I call entertainment. I absolutely loved this episode. I really don't know what to say about it, it really just had everything. It was funny, especially the part at the start where the Tardis crew investigate the council estate, which I partically liked, because it showed up my problem with the Russell T Davies stories, the Doctor fitted too well into the estates in those series. I've always thought that the Doctor would stand out there, I mean he's a 900ish year old alien who dresses like an old man and talks like a manaic, and he never got any hate before? This was far more like what would really happen if a guy like him turned up in a place like that.
But enough of other series's problems. Back to Night Terrors. Again, more things I liked. The idea of the Doctor coming all the way across the universe to save one scared boy was a sweet one, and although the kid playing George wasn't the best actor, the way they used him, mean you barely noticed. The dolls' house and the dolls themselves were wonderfully inventive and surprisingly creepy and the idea of all the monsters in the cupboard was the stuff of nightmares. The plot was intreguing and I thought it had a rewarding reveal. And the main credit for this story being so good has to go the cast. The regulars were on top form, especially Matt Smith, and his scenes with Daniel Mays shined with brilliant acting from both of them. Even the bit parts, such as the landlord and the old woman were hilarious and unbelievably well developed for the short time they were on screen. And there was even a speech misquoted from the old series to keep me happy. Honestly, I can't find fault in this story, and in fact it's already my favourite Matt Smith episode, and after repeated viewing could be my favourite from the new series. I really can't praise it enough, and I hope we see more of this caliber in years to come.
5/5
But enough of other series's problems. Back to Night Terrors. Again, more things I liked. The idea of the Doctor coming all the way across the universe to save one scared boy was a sweet one, and although the kid playing George wasn't the best actor, the way they used him, mean you barely noticed. The dolls' house and the dolls themselves were wonderfully inventive and surprisingly creepy and the idea of all the monsters in the cupboard was the stuff of nightmares. The plot was intreguing and I thought it had a rewarding reveal. And the main credit for this story being so good has to go the cast. The regulars were on top form, especially Matt Smith, and his scenes with Daniel Mays shined with brilliant acting from both of them. Even the bit parts, such as the landlord and the old woman were hilarious and unbelievably well developed for the short time they were on screen. And there was even a speech misquoted from the old series to keep me happy. Honestly, I can't find fault in this story, and in fact it's already my favourite Matt Smith episode, and after repeated viewing could be my favourite from the new series. I really can't praise it enough, and I hope we see more of this caliber in years to come.
5/5
Tuesday, 30 August 2011
Imdb Top 100 Part 4: 55-41
55. The Lives of Others
This is the story of a communist agent who spies on a writer and his girlfriend to try and see whether they are undesirables. He sits in their attic and listens in to their conversations. And as the story goes on he is drawn in by their life and changes his beliefs. It’s the sort of story that been told plenty of times before, but really it’s not been told much better than this. It’s set in a time and place I knew nothing about, but it was still easy to understand and well worth a watch.
54. Double Indemnity
This is the first film noir that I watched. I wasn’t sure whether I’d enjoy it. But it’s very entertaining, and shows off the best qualities of the genre. The dark imagery, the gritty characters, the backstabbing and complex plots. This film was a real eye-opener for me, and led me to watch other classic films, so I’d give it a watch and see whether it inspires you as well.
53. M
I don’t like Metropolis, so I didn’t have high hopes watching another German expressionist film by Fritz Lang. However I really liked M. I’m not really sure why. Maybe it’s because it’s set in the present day and real world for the time. Maybe it’s because it’s not a silent film any more. Or maybe it’s the strong visuals such as the chalk M on the murderer’s coat. It’s probably a mix of them all, but I was very pleasantly surprised by this film.
52. Wall. E
I’m not sure why this is so high up. I could see if the film was all like the first half. It’s the story of two robots on a ruined Earth told just by visuals and music, there’s no dialog. It’s like 2001, except not incredibly pretentious. It’s like a work of art. But then it turns into a silly comedy on a spaceship filled with fat people. I mean it’s not bad, but it’s nothing special. It’s a bit of a mixed bag.
51. The Pianist
We all know the terrible things that happened during WW2. However this is the first film that made me truly angry at the Nazis. It really gets you invested in the struggle the characters face. The despair, the horror, the sadness, you feel them all, and really what more can you ask for. Definitely one of the best WW2 films, obviously highly personal due to the director living through events like though shown in the film.
50. Paths of Glory
This film shows the terrible treatment by the men in WW1 by their superior officers. Three men are chosen to be executed because their squadron refused to go on a charge that would have been suicide. We see the reactions of the men as they are chosen and sentenced to death and of the high officers who couldn’t care less, and of the men’s captain who tries everything to save them. Some bits are heartbreaking, some bits are hilarious, it’s a real mix of a film, but it’s still very good.
49. City Lights
Another Charlie Chaplin film. I prefer Modern Times on the whole, but this film has two things that make it a better film. One is a millionaire who when sober hates Chaplin, but loves him when drunk. This guy is one of the funniest things on film, he needs to be seen to be believed. And the other is Chaplin’s love story with a blind girl. I didn’t think it was possibly to get emotionally invested in a silent slapstick comedy, but this film really proved me wrong.
48. The Shining
I can’t say I see why The Shining is supposed to be so good. I liked it, except the part with the psychic black guy, up until the part where Jack gets let out of the freezer by the ghosts. Up until then I could believe that the ghosts where all just in his head and he was being driven insane by the loneliness. I thought that kind of psychological horror would be really interesting, but then, because it’s Stephen King, it turn out he wasn’t just crazy it was ghosts, and I couldn’t take the film seriously anymore. Also that kid saying “redrum”? He needs a good slap.
47. Amelie
It’s a love story. I can’t think of any love story films that I like except this one. But this really isn’t like any others. It’s quirky and whimsical and it lives in its own magical world. It’s really funny. And moving and sad and happy and... well it just jumps from one thing to another, it’s got the air of a dream almost. So don’t get put off by the romance, even a manly man could enjoy this film.
46. Spirited Away
I don’t like anime. I’m not sure what it is. I tell myself it’s because it doesn’t explain itself, like in this film a little girl ends up in a magical world where lots of really odd things happen and you just have to accept them. But really that can’t be true, because some of myself favourite films are sci-fi or fantasy, which are different sorts of weird but equally strange. So I can’t explain it. But I don’t like anime, so I don’t like this film. If you like anime you might like this, but I’m in no position to judge.
45. Vertigo
The first Hitchcock film we’ve come across on the list. It shows the dark mystery, brilliant characters and unexpected twists that I love in his films. Not to mention, it has Jimmy Stewart, one of my favourite actors in it. This really draws you in, and you really want to know what is going on, but it just keeps getting stranger, until the reveal which isn’t a disappointment.
44. Alien
The original and the best. Forget about the one good sequel, the three mediocre to poor sequels and AVP 2, a film I hate with a passion. This is the one that started the whole series. And it’s brilliant. The alien is just that, an alien. It can’t be reasoned with, it can’t be understood and it can’t be stopped. It’s just a terrifying monster in the shadows that strikes down the crew one by one. The best sci-fi horror film ever.
43. Saving Private Ryan
Much as I hate Braveheart with its historic inaccuracies, this film has enough impact to get away with it. The heart of the soldiers and their struggles makes this film draining, but heart-warming by the end. However the first scene, the D-Day landings are just... incredible. It’s the most impressive war movie scene I’ve ever seen, it leaves such an impact.
42. Taxi Driver
This is a difficult film to explain. It’s the story of a Vietnam veteran suffering in a life he hates. He meets a woman, but things go wrong and spiral out of control until the last act, which is mind-blowing. Of course there’s a lot more to it than that short description, but I really don’t know how to say much about it without ruining it. Watch this film, there’s nothing else quite like it.
41. Terminator 2: Judgement Day
My second favourite sequel of all time, this is the follow-up to a story of a killer robot coming back in time. This time there’s two, but ones on our side. The first film is just an action movie. There are some good parts, so it’s better than average but it’s nothing special. But Judgement Day? It’s got the whole package. The effects are incredible, the acting is great, the story is engaging and it’s got heart too. I really can’t think of anyway this could have been better. In fact if you’re only going to watch one Terminator film, I’d skip the first one and watch this.
Saturday, 27 August 2011
Doctor Who Review: Let's Kill Hitler
"Spoilers." Also. Spoiler Warning.
Wow, this was quick wasn't it? One, Doctor Who being back, it really doesn't feel like that long since the last lot ended, and two, me putting up my review a few hours after the show was on tv. Now there's a reason for it being up this quick. And if you've seen the latest episode Let's Kill Hitler, then you'll understand. But I think it might be hard to put it into words.
Let me say one thing. I liked some of this. I liked the bit with Hitler, "Rory, put Hitler in the cupboard" has to be one of the best lines ever. I liked the bit in the Tardis while the Doctor's dying, funny and touching. I liked the bit where River and the Doctor have both expected each other's actions. And I liked the idea of the Justice Department and them being tiny inside a human sized machine, although it was woefully underused and it reminded me of Meet Dave of all things. Now we've got the good out of the way though...
The problem is it's a disappointment. Like every part. With the title Let's Kill Hitler you'd think they'd spend more than 5 minutes with him, but the only reason he's there is to get a reason to have the Justice Police there. And they're only there to provide exposition and to give a situation to have Amy and Rory in danger in. Really the majority of this episode could be set anywhere and could have been done with anything replacing the Justice Police or JP. And I liked the JP, I thought there were a good idea, but all they do is tell the Tardis crew what they need to know for the plot to work and then leave, leaving Amy and Rory to get chased by their "anti-bodies". Which were also a good idea. But again, they're just "a threat", I liked them, but they could have been replaced by literally anything and the story would have been the same. Also Mels. I had a problem with her before she was even revealed to be anything else. The introduction was awful, just by showing us a couple of flashbacks are we really supposed to accept she's been there the whole time? And for just Amy and Rory's friend she was far too ridiculous to accept as a real person. I'm not saying everyone in Dr Who should be realistic, but she was clearly going to be revealed as something more. Really though, would the Doctor when threatened with a gun and told to go back in time and change history... do it? Because that's what happens. The Doctor wasn't tricking Mels and going somewhere else, he was going to take her to Hitler's office. People have threatened the Doctor to do things like this before and he's either said no or tricked them. It seems somewhat out of character for him to get bullied by one girl with a gun.
And that one girl is the problem. Melody Pond, aka River Song. Because really. Is this how you expected the Doctor and River to first meet? I mean, I dont know how I expected it but it definately wasn't this. I don't say that in a good way. Some random girl, that I already didn't like gets shot and regenerates into River. Maybe if she hadn't only been in the story for about 5 minutes and was obviously a River Song type of character, so it wasn't even a surprise. Then she's a psycopath brainwashed to kill the Doctor. But we only find that out after she's done it, before that she just seems like she's nuts. And after that. You'd think they might do something with her being Amy and Rory's daughter, but they don't really, there's hardly anything to do with it, especially at the end where they seem to just give up looking for her and leave River, so they might not see their daughter ever again. River's apparently brainwashed, but all it takes is the Doctor showing he's a good guy for her to join his side, there was no kind of struggle, it didn't even seem like she was brainwashed at all, just nuts. Oh, River can regenerate so will there be any stories dealing how now there are two Timelords? No, she just uses up all her regenerations to save the Doctor so the audience can forgive her for killing him in the first place. And since when could regeneration stop you getting shot? Maybe that would've been helpful when in 1970's Spearhead From Space where the Doctor gets shot soon after regeneration and it knocks him out for hours. Also, the explanation of the Silence is given far too quickly and just replaces one mystery with an even stupider sounding one.
Really, this episode is a huge disappointment for all the questions being asked all series. Maybe I could have forgiven it slightly if the River Song story had been a subplot, and maybe... the Justice Police were going to kill Hitler but the Doctor has to stop them changing time, even though helping Hitler is against everything he stands for. Wait, I've just written a better idea than the plot of this episode. There's so much more I could say but I'll leav you with this. We've been waiting over a series to see River meet the Doctor, but this episode fails to deliver, and it doesn't have any other story to fall back on, so the flaws are painfully obvious and make a truly uninspired piece of television.
2/5
Wow, this was quick wasn't it? One, Doctor Who being back, it really doesn't feel like that long since the last lot ended, and two, me putting up my review a few hours after the show was on tv. Now there's a reason for it being up this quick. And if you've seen the latest episode Let's Kill Hitler, then you'll understand. But I think it might be hard to put it into words.
Let me say one thing. I liked some of this. I liked the bit with Hitler, "Rory, put Hitler in the cupboard" has to be one of the best lines ever. I liked the bit in the Tardis while the Doctor's dying, funny and touching. I liked the bit where River and the Doctor have both expected each other's actions. And I liked the idea of the Justice Department and them being tiny inside a human sized machine, although it was woefully underused and it reminded me of Meet Dave of all things. Now we've got the good out of the way though...
The problem is it's a disappointment. Like every part. With the title Let's Kill Hitler you'd think they'd spend more than 5 minutes with him, but the only reason he's there is to get a reason to have the Justice Police there. And they're only there to provide exposition and to give a situation to have Amy and Rory in danger in. Really the majority of this episode could be set anywhere and could have been done with anything replacing the Justice Police or JP. And I liked the JP, I thought there were a good idea, but all they do is tell the Tardis crew what they need to know for the plot to work and then leave, leaving Amy and Rory to get chased by their "anti-bodies". Which were also a good idea. But again, they're just "a threat", I liked them, but they could have been replaced by literally anything and the story would have been the same. Also Mels. I had a problem with her before she was even revealed to be anything else. The introduction was awful, just by showing us a couple of flashbacks are we really supposed to accept she's been there the whole time? And for just Amy and Rory's friend she was far too ridiculous to accept as a real person. I'm not saying everyone in Dr Who should be realistic, but she was clearly going to be revealed as something more. Really though, would the Doctor when threatened with a gun and told to go back in time and change history... do it? Because that's what happens. The Doctor wasn't tricking Mels and going somewhere else, he was going to take her to Hitler's office. People have threatened the Doctor to do things like this before and he's either said no or tricked them. It seems somewhat out of character for him to get bullied by one girl with a gun.
And that one girl is the problem. Melody Pond, aka River Song. Because really. Is this how you expected the Doctor and River to first meet? I mean, I dont know how I expected it but it definately wasn't this. I don't say that in a good way. Some random girl, that I already didn't like gets shot and regenerates into River. Maybe if she hadn't only been in the story for about 5 minutes and was obviously a River Song type of character, so it wasn't even a surprise. Then she's a psycopath brainwashed to kill the Doctor. But we only find that out after she's done it, before that she just seems like she's nuts. And after that. You'd think they might do something with her being Amy and Rory's daughter, but they don't really, there's hardly anything to do with it, especially at the end where they seem to just give up looking for her and leave River, so they might not see their daughter ever again. River's apparently brainwashed, but all it takes is the Doctor showing he's a good guy for her to join his side, there was no kind of struggle, it didn't even seem like she was brainwashed at all, just nuts. Oh, River can regenerate so will there be any stories dealing how now there are two Timelords? No, she just uses up all her regenerations to save the Doctor so the audience can forgive her for killing him in the first place. And since when could regeneration stop you getting shot? Maybe that would've been helpful when in 1970's Spearhead From Space where the Doctor gets shot soon after regeneration and it knocks him out for hours. Also, the explanation of the Silence is given far too quickly and just replaces one mystery with an even stupider sounding one.
Really, this episode is a huge disappointment for all the questions being asked all series. Maybe I could have forgiven it slightly if the River Song story had been a subplot, and maybe... the Justice Police were going to kill Hitler but the Doctor has to stop them changing time, even though helping Hitler is against everything he stands for. Wait, I've just written a better idea than the plot of this episode. There's so much more I could say but I'll leav you with this. We've been waiting over a series to see River meet the Doctor, but this episode fails to deliver, and it doesn't have any other story to fall back on, so the flaws are painfully obvious and make a truly uninspired piece of television.
 |
| Although it does have Rory punching Hitler so I can't give it 1/5. |
Wednesday, 24 August 2011
Imdb Top 100 Part 3: 70-56
70. Chinatown
Pretty much, it's the sort of film noir that was all the rage in the 1940s/50s but by 1974 when this was released it wasn't such a big film movement anymore. Could a film like that still work even now? Well it does. Mainly due to Jack Nicholson being as entertaining as ever and the dark twists near the end of the film. I don't want to spoil anything so I'll just say if you ever wanted to get into film noir I'd start with this because it's a very easy to watch film.
69. L.A. Confidential
Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce play cops in the corrupt city of 50s L.A. What more is there to say. It's a very modern film in the way it's done, so it's easy for modern audiences to get into, the characters are all really entertaining, even the smaller parts, especially James Cromwell (the guy who's in everything but no-one knows his name) as the police chief. One of my favourites on the list.
68. Back to the Future
Some people might write this off because it's about time travel, but they're stupid. Back to the Future is so much more than just some silly sci-fi film. It's got mad science, high school hijinks, a mad plot, some hilarious jokes, a classic villian, some touching moments and it's all wrapped up in a great adventure. Most people reading this'll have seen it, and if you've not, go out and watch it now. And watch the sequels, because in my opinion they're as, if not more funny than the first film.
67.The Third Man
Starring Orson Welles this is a great piece of cinema. I watched this for the first time in about, 2004ish, so I was only about 11. And to be honest all I really watched at the time was Star Wars, but I watched this with my parents and I really enjoyed it. So if an 11 year old sci-fi geek is blown away by it, I think anyone could have a good time watching it.
66. Reservoir Dogs
I love Tarantino's films and I think this one might just be my favourite. It's primarily set in one room with the rest of the story told in flashback. What I like is that although it's a film about a robbery, all thats shown is the lead-up and the consequences. It shows restraint not to have the bloody heist on screen, and lack of restraint is what I think ruins some of his later films. This one is my favourite though and I'd definately recommend it.
65. Life is Beautiful
This is one of my three favourite foreign language films. It starts off as just a joker trying to woo a woman, then it jumps to when they're married and it's during WW2. The main character and his son are both Jews though and start by getting persecuted before getting sent to a concentration camp. But although it's sad film it's also really heart warming, seeing how the father risks his life to keep his son happy all through the terrible things that happen to them.
64. Modern Times
Another Charlie Chaplin film, this time it's a silent film. But unlike some films don't let the silence put you off. This film is unbelievably funny. It's an hour and a half of completely ridiculous slapstick, and it's just so funny. It's hard to talk about it without ruining the fun so I'd say have a look.
63. Das Boot
This is an odd film. It's a film about a Nazi submarine crew, and you'd think after all the other WW2 films I would hate them. But it makes the crew strangely likable, mainly due to them being just tired old sailors who're fed up of their orders but carry them out as their duty. It's over 3 hours long and I didn't get bored in all that time, so they're definately doing something right. And the ending, well, I won't ruin it, but it definately gets it's point across.
62. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Jim Carrey plays a man who wants the memories of his ex removed. Half of the film takes place in his head as while the memories of her fade he realises he still loves her. That sounds like a sappy romantic comedy but it's a lot darker than you would expect. Also, the other half of the film takes place with the people removing his memory and they are not good people, but they are sure as hell entertaining. I didn't think this would be my sort of film, but I was pleasantly surprised.
61. Requiem For A Dream
Well, this is a hard film to look at. And I mean that literally. I love it, but it's like watching a crash. You don't enjoy it, but you can't look away. I don't mean it's a bad film, anything but. But the things that happen in the film I think would be unwatchable to some people, especially one scene at the end. But it's a very well made and enjoyable film as well, so if you think you can take it, I'd say give it a look.
60. Aliens
The first Alien is a horror movie, where the crew of a ship are stalked and killed one by one by an alien monster. But we'll get to that later. Right now it's the turn of the sequel which is one of the best sequels of all time. And it managed that by... completely changing what kind of film it was. Aliens is an action film. It's about a survivor of the first film and a group of marines going to a planet filled with the aliens and killing them. There's a lot more to it than that, but thats the bit that makes it great. It's still scary but in a different way and it's exciting, and if I still was in the 90s I'd say it was awesome.
59. To Kill A Mockingbird
Its based on a brilliant book, so it already has the groundwork of a great plot. But what really makes it for me are the performances. It's about a lawyer fighting to save a black man in the 1930s in Southern USA. I love the conviction of Gregory Peck, but my favourite part of the film is the main racist. He's just such a completely unlikable character, but he's great to watch. The sad thing is you know that there's still people like him out there.
58. A Clockwork Orange
I have mixed feelings for this film. I like the plot and the ideas behind it. And although I find some of the imagery to be a bit over the top, like the outfits the main characters wear, I could get behind it if it wasn't for one thing. The slang they use. It was especially invented for the novel this film was based on and I suppose it's mean to be symbolic or something I don't know. It just makes me be unable to take the characters seriously, but they talk like stupid children. But maybe that's just me.
57. Lawrence of Arabia
This is the definition of an epic film. It looks amazing. The parts shot on location in the desert are just breathtaking. That isn't to mean it doesn't have a plot though, it's not 2001. The story stretches over an entire war campaign and tells the story of a very unusual soldier. It's thoughtprovoking and moving and it's one of the most visually impressive films of all time.
56. The Departed
The police have a mole in the mob and the mob have a mole in the police and they're trying to find out who each other are and bring down the opposite organisation from their own. Confused yet? This film has a very convoluted plot, but that something I always like in a movie. It has possibly the best performances of Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon and it also has Jack Nicholson which always makes for a good film. This film is definately worth a watch for all the backstabbing and tricks and lies and just everything in it that make it a truly intelligent thriller.
Pretty much, it's the sort of film noir that was all the rage in the 1940s/50s but by 1974 when this was released it wasn't such a big film movement anymore. Could a film like that still work even now? Well it does. Mainly due to Jack Nicholson being as entertaining as ever and the dark twists near the end of the film. I don't want to spoil anything so I'll just say if you ever wanted to get into film noir I'd start with this because it's a very easy to watch film.
69. L.A. Confidential
Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce play cops in the corrupt city of 50s L.A. What more is there to say. It's a very modern film in the way it's done, so it's easy for modern audiences to get into, the characters are all really entertaining, even the smaller parts, especially James Cromwell (the guy who's in everything but no-one knows his name) as the police chief. One of my favourites on the list.
68. Back to the Future
Some people might write this off because it's about time travel, but they're stupid. Back to the Future is so much more than just some silly sci-fi film. It's got mad science, high school hijinks, a mad plot, some hilarious jokes, a classic villian, some touching moments and it's all wrapped up in a great adventure. Most people reading this'll have seen it, and if you've not, go out and watch it now. And watch the sequels, because in my opinion they're as, if not more funny than the first film.
67.The Third Man
Starring Orson Welles this is a great piece of cinema. I watched this for the first time in about, 2004ish, so I was only about 11. And to be honest all I really watched at the time was Star Wars, but I watched this with my parents and I really enjoyed it. So if an 11 year old sci-fi geek is blown away by it, I think anyone could have a good time watching it.
66. Reservoir Dogs
I love Tarantino's films and I think this one might just be my favourite. It's primarily set in one room with the rest of the story told in flashback. What I like is that although it's a film about a robbery, all thats shown is the lead-up and the consequences. It shows restraint not to have the bloody heist on screen, and lack of restraint is what I think ruins some of his later films. This one is my favourite though and I'd definately recommend it.
65. Life is Beautiful
This is one of my three favourite foreign language films. It starts off as just a joker trying to woo a woman, then it jumps to when they're married and it's during WW2. The main character and his son are both Jews though and start by getting persecuted before getting sent to a concentration camp. But although it's sad film it's also really heart warming, seeing how the father risks his life to keep his son happy all through the terrible things that happen to them.
64. Modern Times
Another Charlie Chaplin film, this time it's a silent film. But unlike some films don't let the silence put you off. This film is unbelievably funny. It's an hour and a half of completely ridiculous slapstick, and it's just so funny. It's hard to talk about it without ruining the fun so I'd say have a look.
63. Das Boot
This is an odd film. It's a film about a Nazi submarine crew, and you'd think after all the other WW2 films I would hate them. But it makes the crew strangely likable, mainly due to them being just tired old sailors who're fed up of their orders but carry them out as their duty. It's over 3 hours long and I didn't get bored in all that time, so they're definately doing something right. And the ending, well, I won't ruin it, but it definately gets it's point across.
62. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Jim Carrey plays a man who wants the memories of his ex removed. Half of the film takes place in his head as while the memories of her fade he realises he still loves her. That sounds like a sappy romantic comedy but it's a lot darker than you would expect. Also, the other half of the film takes place with the people removing his memory and they are not good people, but they are sure as hell entertaining. I didn't think this would be my sort of film, but I was pleasantly surprised.
61. Requiem For A Dream
Well, this is a hard film to look at. And I mean that literally. I love it, but it's like watching a crash. You don't enjoy it, but you can't look away. I don't mean it's a bad film, anything but. But the things that happen in the film I think would be unwatchable to some people, especially one scene at the end. But it's a very well made and enjoyable film as well, so if you think you can take it, I'd say give it a look.
60. Aliens
The first Alien is a horror movie, where the crew of a ship are stalked and killed one by one by an alien monster. But we'll get to that later. Right now it's the turn of the sequel which is one of the best sequels of all time. And it managed that by... completely changing what kind of film it was. Aliens is an action film. It's about a survivor of the first film and a group of marines going to a planet filled with the aliens and killing them. There's a lot more to it than that, but thats the bit that makes it great. It's still scary but in a different way and it's exciting, and if I still was in the 90s I'd say it was awesome.
59. To Kill A Mockingbird
Its based on a brilliant book, so it already has the groundwork of a great plot. But what really makes it for me are the performances. It's about a lawyer fighting to save a black man in the 1930s in Southern USA. I love the conviction of Gregory Peck, but my favourite part of the film is the main racist. He's just such a completely unlikable character, but he's great to watch. The sad thing is you know that there's still people like him out there.
58. A Clockwork Orange
I have mixed feelings for this film. I like the plot and the ideas behind it. And although I find some of the imagery to be a bit over the top, like the outfits the main characters wear, I could get behind it if it wasn't for one thing. The slang they use. It was especially invented for the novel this film was based on and I suppose it's mean to be symbolic or something I don't know. It just makes me be unable to take the characters seriously, but they talk like stupid children. But maybe that's just me.
57. Lawrence of Arabia
This is the definition of an epic film. It looks amazing. The parts shot on location in the desert are just breathtaking. That isn't to mean it doesn't have a plot though, it's not 2001. The story stretches over an entire war campaign and tells the story of a very unusual soldier. It's thoughtprovoking and moving and it's one of the most visually impressive films of all time.
56. The Departed
The police have a mole in the mob and the mob have a mole in the police and they're trying to find out who each other are and bring down the opposite organisation from their own. Confused yet? This film has a very convoluted plot, but that something I always like in a movie. It has possibly the best performances of Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon and it also has Jack Nicholson which always makes for a good film. This film is definately worth a watch for all the backstabbing and tricks and lies and just everything in it that make it a truly intelligent thriller.
Saturday, 20 August 2011
WSIFITS: New Frijj
In another weird drinks I found in the shop blog, there's two new flavours of Frijj milkshake. And for some reason they're packaged like they're circus posters with circus act animals on them. I don't know why. Maybe because they're limited edition? They both start with "The Incredible..." so maybe it's a marketing thing I don't know. Or care.
The two flavours I've come across are "Raspberry Jam Doughnut" and "Honeycomb Choc Swirl". The doughnut one is... well it tastes like a jam doughnut really. It's a bit sweeter than their normal strawberry and obviously more raspberry flavoured, but I prefer the original. This new one does taste like a jam doughnut, true, but not a very good one and even then it just makes me want to eat a real doughnut and the novelty of the taste wears off to reveal it's just a mediocre milkshake. The HCS tastes... like... well it's hard to describe, it's like a cross between the Chocholate Fudge milkshake and a toffee yoghurt. And not as good as either. Pretty much they're both ok, but I really wouldn't get them again. So I'd advise against them.
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