A fantastic gem of British cinema. Which, typically, got very much overlooked. The performances were all excellent. It keeps you gripped and had a tiny budget which should have left some for marketing :-( Gemma Arterton really proves her worth in this.
This is a film made in the 1960's by the BBC. It depicts life in Britain once Nuclear War has broken out. It was never shown in the 1960's. It was decided to be too horrific for broadcast. I've heard rumours that the government put a stop to it being shown but I'm unsure how valid they are. It was finally shown in full on British TV in the 1980's.
It is described as a documentary but nowadays I think it would be labelled a docu-drama.
It is horrific, very dark and makes you very glad the Cold War is no longer. It did get a limited BFI release on DVD. 'New' copies are available on Amazon for £99.99. Making me wonder why they don't make a few more copies to sell.
It is available on YouTube in various chapters. The first of which is below.
A most impressive debut film. Clever, without being too clever. Nods to the classics with it's own take on things. Impressive performance. It looks fantastic. All on what would be termed a micro-budget. It seems every penny was very well spent, never does it look cheap. I saw this twice in the cinema and I think I'll be seeing it many times more via DVD. This film was made by a man who must love the sci-fi genre and love the same things about it that I do. The ideas, the visions of the future. The examination of ourselves as a race. Not just' splosions and FX. It's sci-fi with a soul rather than just a veneer.
I only saw this film relatively recently. I am not that well up on the Nouvelle Vague. What struck me at first was how this was 'Paris in a movie' but the side of Paris cameras rarely catch. Away from the glamour of the City of Light.
You follow Antoine through a pretty bleak existence. The empathy flows pretty much from the start. It has a great ending which will keep you and your fellow viewers discussing it for a while.
I have seen some of the follow up films but this is the only Antoine Doinel story that I'm really fond of. I should stop referring to it as Les Quatres Cents Loups with my terrible French. As my dad says, that would be an entirely different film ;-)
Now, I love towers. I feel they're our mark on the world. A statement that we're here on this planet. Some are nicer than others but all hold an allure. I want to get to the top. The top as in the legally allowed top. The top that's reached by a lift. Preferably with a nice screen telling you how fast you're climbing. I then like to look out of the windows of the provided observation deck. Feel a little queasy at the height. Marvel at the ant cars and be impressed with the architecture and engineering that got me to the observation deck. I NEVER want to do anything like sneak away from the provided area. I am way too scared.
The Twin Towers weren't admired by everyone for their aesthetics. People had complained about them from the time they were a sparkle in the NYC planners eyes. But they were awe inspiring. Not just one but two. To stand at the bottom and look up was an experience in itself. The pop of your ears in the lift gave you a smile. The view from the top was spectacular. They are all normal thoughts.
To cross between them on a wire? That is above and beyond what I believed possible. I'm not sure if I believe it now after reading the book (To Reach the Clouds) and watching the documentary twice each.
This documentary keeps me totally engrossed. I feel my gut clench as he begins his folly. Even though I knew the outcome. I don't think I'd describe Philippe Petit as brave exactly. To be brave you need to first be afraid. I'm not sure he ever was afraid, just determined beyond all normal levels.
Those towers inspired me as to what we could achieve. His walk was something beyond what we should be capable of achieving. Thankfully he achieved his goal safely.
The story of how he and his band of helpers got to the finale is pretty damn good too.
This is pretty much a perfect film for me. I can't think of any real weaknesses. Great, large cast, all performing very well across a broad range of characters. Twists and turns, well told. It looks beautiful with some wonderful scenery. Even when you know the plot it's still a great watch. This one was close with Chinatown, a similar film. This one pipped it on rewatchability. I can rewatch both but LA Confidential more often.
This is the first film I saw of del Toro's and it immediately made me want to see more. The cast is superb, no mean feat when a lot of them are children. It has a wonderful sense of atmosphere and unfolds as a spooky tale should. It also has Eduardo Noriega who is never too difficult to watch ;-)
I know most people think of Pan's Labyrinth as del Toro's masterpiece but this is my favourite. Although there isn't much between them.
I love this film so much. I love the look, the feel, the soundtrack, the cast, the world they created. I never get tired of it. It's definitely in my top 5 films. If I ever drive past Ellesmere Port at night it reminds me of Bladerunner. I'm not overly concerned with which cut is the best, I have them all and I'll watch whichever I feel like. I am grateful to Scott's fiddling though as it gave me a chance to see this in the cinema :-) What did surprise was that I could not get into the novella Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep'.
This is such a beautiful film, in every way. It heightens my suspicion that Sicily may be the most neautiful place on Earth. It has it's moments of romance in the traditional sense. The whole thing just feels 'romantic' to me though. Maybe I shouldn't skew my meanings like this.
This one I saw recently on the big screen. No this one didn't come top for it's progressive depictions of women ;-) It wins purely for starting one of my favourite film series', the nostalgia I feel for watching them throughout my life and well of course, Mr Connery :-) I know it has it's cheesy moments but I still love to watch it and most of it's sequels.
Now this one was difficult. It ran very close with Le Diner de Cons and Les Visiteurs. Both of which I highly recommend. I have seen the remake and it is good. I do prefer the original though. I have the sequel but I'm a little scared to watch it. You know how these things are.
I've loved this film since I first saw it. It's shameful really. It's a story of horrid, bored, rich people trying to take down the one good person in their arena. I can't help it though, it's a great watch. I think it has Close, Pfeiffer and Malkovich's finest performances. Thurman and Reeve's get regularly slated but I usually enjoy seeing them on screen. I probably should read the (translated) book shouldn't I? I have seen Cruel Intentions, which was much better than I expected but this is far superior for me.
Hate is too strong a word. But this is my biggest childhood favourite, rewatch disappointment. It was so predictable, boring and trite. I was quite upset.
We'll have to go tongue in cheek here. There is no film that is as boring as my life! So, as my life has always been ruled by felines I've gone for the excellent Bring Up Baby. Grant and Hepburn at their best with an exceptionally good-looking co-star.
This was a toughie. I'm pretty predictable in my tastes. The thing with this one is I dislike musicals and 'period but modern' tales. I think this was just too much fun to dislike though.
I love this film in all it's cheesy glory. The ridiculousness, the cliches, the terrible effects none of it matters. It's just damn good fun. Saying that, I have yet to see Escape From LA. I don't want to ruin Escape From NY if I hate it.
This was a toughie. I don't have a least favourite director really. If I hate a film it's unlikely I'll give a director another go. So I went with the film that left the nastiest taste in the mouth. This film was awful. The first one was unnecessary but didn't really stain one of my favourite tv shows. This one did. It touched on the offensive and the reek of cashing in was potent. If you're going to look at how women are treated in certain parts of the world don't belittle it with Gucci. Michael Patrick King (and everyone else involved) SHAME ON YOU.
I had to get this film in. It's my favourite of Kubrick's films and very near the top of my favourite films list. It's awe inspiring and still a great watch. This film gave me an 'in' into classical music. Hearing it alongside those images was wonderful. This is a film designed to be seen on the big screen. If you ever get the chance grab it with both hands. Although I still find it wonderful on a tv. Can't wait to give it a watch on my new tv.
Ramblings on what I watch, read, listen to and experience. I'm not a writer, nor do I lead a life exciting enough to interest others. This is my way of keeping a diary that won't get thrown away because 90% of the pages are blank. If you wish to join me I'd love the company but you may have better things to read!
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