Film 14 – Tangled (15/01/11)

The 50^th animated film from Disney is one that had a troubled past. With directors dropping out, subsequent name changes and the film being based on the last Princess Disney had left in their stable. That said you would not notice at all that this was the case. In actual fact Tangled is Disney back to their best. It’s a great story filled with great music surrounded by great characters. Disney have managed to make a film that seems quite a female orientated story and made it enjoyable for both male and female alike.

When I think of my favourite Disney animated films I can pinpoint a moment in each of them that defines the film. Beauty and the Beast has the ballroom scene, The Lion King has the Circle of Life, Aladdin has A Whole New World and The Little Mermaid has Under the Sea. Tangled has the Lantern Scene. It is reminiscent of Kiss the Girl from The Little Mermaid but manages to have far more emotion and wonder about it and the scene itself was wonderful to watch especially in 3D. I have to hand it to Disney they have made one of their best animated films outside of the Pixar offices in a very long time.  

Format: The Cinema in 3D
Venue: Greater Union Glendale
Degrees of Separation: Once again an extremely difficult degree of separation. He goes. Adrian Brody stars as Royce in Predators, he also stars as Peter in The Darjeeling Limited alongside Owen Wilson. Wilson also stars as Jedediah in Night at the Museum, a film in which Brad Garrett provides the voice of the Easter Island Head. Garrett also voices the Big Nosed Thug in Tangled.

Film 13 - Predators (15/01)

A few days ago I had watched Predator. It's a funny story because I'd asked to get Predators on Bluray for Christmas and when I opened the present I discovered the 80's Predator had been purchased for me. I'm glad I was given it because it looked great on Bluray, despite the whining of some videophiles. Needless to say I was determined to get Predators and bought it the next day in the Boxing Day sales.

It's a big risk rebooting a film that a lot of people have grown to love and despite its flaws people still love Predator. But I honestly think that Predators works, it's a film that identifies the reasons people love Predator but throws them into a new situation. This time they've been kidnapped by the Predators and dropped on a planet for the Predators to hunt. The group of killers have to survive.

My biggest love about the film is because it never tries to be Predator, what it tries to be is an homage to Predator and it does it really well. Things are taken up a notch for 2010's viewers but it never loses the elements I loved from Predator. There is the hunt, the group of killers who are slowly dwindled down to one who then battles a Predator. It's so much fun without ever taking itself too serious. If you loved Predator watch Predators and have a blast.

Format: Bluray
Venue: The same couch as earlier today
Degrees of Separation: 7, Kathryn Bigelow directed The Hurt Locker, she also directed Point Break which starred Keanu Reeves. Reeves later starred alongside Lawrence Fishburn in The Matrix and Fishburn plays Noland in Predators.

Film 12 - The Hurt Locker (14/01/11)

I have to be honest. The first time I watched this film was on a laptop at a friends house. It's probably not the best way to view the film but I wanted to see it and there was no release date in Australia. The film had actually been listed as direct to DVD until it began winning awards. Hence my reason for not watching it at the cinemas.

The Hurt Locker is a film that I love because of its ability to be both an incredibly intense film but also move at a relatively slow pace. The even cooler thing about the film is that despite its pace I never feel like I'm losing interest as can be the case. It actually speaks well for the quality of the writing, directing and performances of the actors.

It's easy for war films to be all about the kills, because let's be honest that's how the majority of people view war. We see it is a place where people go to fight and kill. But The Hurt Locker shows that war can be seen as a drug for some people, life within war becomes all that some people can bare to live with. It reminds a bit of prisoners who have been incarcerated for a long amount of time upon their release they struggle to intergrate with society and find they commit crimes in order to return to prison life. The Shawshank Redemption shows this perfectly within the character of Brooks.  Though he didn't turn to crime in order to escape non prison life if you get my drift.

The Hurt Locker was a deserved winner of last years Academy Award because it was a completely different look at war. Both from the psychological perspective but also the focus on Bomb Technicians. It's a wonderful film.

Format: Bluray
Venue: The Couch
Degrees of Spearation: 6, Matt Damon starred in The Bourne Ultimatum and also starred in Good Will Hunting alongside Ben Affleck. Affleck starred in The Town alongside Jeremy Renner who stars in The Hurt Locker.

Films 9,10 & 11 - The Bourne Trilogy

OK so I've been really slack and not updating this reguarly and I'm realising that bloggers are a pretty devoted bunch to set aside time each day to blog. Anyways on to what I watched. Wondering what on Earth I would watch after Predator I noticed the Bourne trilogy sitting there, pleading to be watched in all it's hi-def glory.

The Bourne Identity (watched 10/01) was the first film off the ranks and I didn't get the opportunity to watch The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum until a few days later (14/01). There's no denying that the Bourne films are great films. They're exciting, gritty and a great example of how a spy film should be made. In actual fact I think that the Bourne films are a little under rated in terms of their importance within the spy genre.

Films/franchises like The Fast and the Furious, Salt, and the lucrative James Bond franchise have all used Bourne as a basis of inspiration for their characters or action sequences.  Think about it without Bourne Casino Royale woudl not have been made in the style it was and Bond would not have been rebooted in the way it has. Bourne showed that gadgets were not required to be a successful spy. Where chase and fight sequences once felt choreographed they now feel improvised and instinctive using their surroundings as tools and all filmed within close quarters.

Most people feel the Bourne films are great films but I honestly feel they don't realise just how important they really have been.

Format: Bluray
Venue: My couch

Degrees of Separation: John McTeirnan directed Predator, a year later McTeirnan directed Die Hard starring Bruce Willis. Willis played himself during Ocean’s Twelve in a hilarious museum scene that also featured Matt Damon. Damon is Jason Bourne. Obviously between the other films they are sequels.

Film 8 (10/01/2011) - Predator

If it bleeds, we can kill it. Lines like this sound corny in today's action films but when they come out of Arnold Schwarzenegger's mouth dang they are cool. He was the ultimate action man. He kicked ass and had a line after each takedown. They sure don't make them like that anymore.

Predator is one of my favourite Schwarzenegger films, alongside the Terminator, True Lies and my guilty pleasure The Last Action Hero. Predator is a film that after watching Aliens recently I realised they are very similar (obviously Aliens came first). Both feature a group of soldiers hunting an alien life form and in the end one is left to battle the alien. But despite these similarities Predator manages to rise above comparisons because the battles between the Predator and Schwarzenegger are so exciting and epic that it just makes the film stand alone.

I just love the Predator and Predators was a great homage to it, as a matter of fact I might just watch that now.

Format: Bluray
Venue: The couch
Degrees of Separation: 7, Schwarzenegger starred in Predator but also End of Days alongside Gabriel Byrne who played Satan. Byrne also starred in The Usual Suspects alongside Kobayashi himself, Pete Postlethwaite, who also played Maurice Fischer in Inception. (This was a really tough one and I'd love it if anyone can think of a better one for me.)

Film 7 (09/01/2011) - Inception

What can I say about Inception. It was one of my favourite films of 2010 and I think I'm not alone. It's just one of those story's that should be the hardest thing for audiences to grasp yet the film is made in such a way that people can still watch it without feeling stupid.

It has mind blowing visuals, a great storyline and is truly one of those original films that people will remember for a very long time. In 10 years time people will speak about it because it will be one of those Sci-Fi films that define a decade. It was the second time since Christmas that I'd watched it.

Short but sweet today.

Format: Bluray
Venue: My couch
Degrees of Separation: 3, Colin Firth starred in The King's Speech and also starred alongside CIllian Murphy in The Girl With a Pearl Earring. Murphy later played the villain Scarecrow in Batman Begins which was directed by Christopher Nolan who also directed Inception.

Film 6 (06/01/2011) - The King's Speech

The King's Speech is one of those films that creep up on you, and each year there is genreally one of them. It is a film that on paper looks pretty interesting but whilst it's in production it just doesn't do enough for you to get insanly excited about the project. The interesting thing about films like this, they are usually the ones that make a big impact and this is just what The King's Speech did for me.

It's a great story about a King who gets help to correct his speech impediment but the even more enjoyable part about the film is that it is more so about friendship, namely the one that develops between The King and The Speech Therapist. Add into the mix the fact that both Geoffrey Rush and Colin Firth give top class performances and you can see why there is a fair bit of buzz around the film.

I really enjoyed the film, it was surprisingly funny and one of those films that just leave you feeling positive afterwards. If you haven't seen it I'd really recommend it.

Format: Cinema
Venue: Newcastle Greater Union
Degrees of Separation: 4, Sigourney Weaver who plays Ellen Ripley has a role in Infamous which also starred Gwyneth Paltrow who starred alongside both Geoffrey Rush and Colin Firth in Shakespere in Love. Both Firth and Rush star in The Kings Speech.

Film 5 (05/01/2011) - Alien: Resurrection

It had been years since I had seen this film, most likely not since its release in 1997, so what was my reason for watching this and if you've been following along Alien 3 earlier in the week? I got the Alien films on Bluray for Christmas and I have to say they have one of the best transfers I've seen in a long time, especially Alien. Considering it's a film older than me the transfer is incredible. Anyways that's not what I'm meant to eb talking about but now you know why I am watching Alien films, aside from the fact that I love them.

When you put them together Alien: Resurrection is probably the weakest of the Alien films and that's because it is a film that tries unsuccesfully to Resurect a franchise. That's not to say it's a terrible film but compared to Alien or Aliens it's a poor cousin. There are only a few elements of this film I really dislike and the first is that Alien 3 is actually quite a good end to the Alien films with Ripley sacrificing herself in order to kill the new queen growing inside of her so making another film and bringing Ripley back to life (albiet it as a clone) just rubs me the wrong way. In its defense though it is cool that they've still got the cloning wrong and Ripley becomes a human with some alien qualities.

My next bugaboo with the film are the quirky/goofy elements in the film. Gen Martin Perez (Dan Hedaya) just isn't serious enough, Ron Perlman as much as I love him is too much of a wannabe Bill Paxton in this film and Dominique Pinon is so out of placed as a Frenchman trying to American in a film made up of Americans (or at least the main characters are) and his character is used almost as a damsel in distress always getting into strife or becoming the burden of the team. It just doesn't work for me. I also have to say I know it has some relevance to the plot but the Quenn/Ripley love scene is disturbing and confusing. They're both girls how does that work in order to make a baby?

But what does work are some very cool visuals, some awesomely intense under water scenes and my favourite element that I wish was explored more was the interaction of the aliens together. The scene where they are in the cell and realise if they kill one of the aliens the acid blood will give them an escape. I would have loved to see them hunting almost like Velociraptors on a space ship. It would have been awesome, feel free to use the idea if you need to Ridley.

It may not be the best but it is still enjoyable. I've already decided a trip to the cinemas is on the cards for my next film to see The Kings Speech. It's going to be fun getting the degrees of separation for those two.

Format: Bluray
Venue: My couch
Degrees of Separation: Direct sequel to Alien 3

Film #4 03/01/11 Alien 3

I have to apologise for not updating this sooner I am currently experiencing net related issues at home so a couple of days on I am finally getting to post this. Before heading into the film I have to pass on my condolences to the Postlethwaite family, if you haven't heard legendary actor Pete Postlethwaite passed away on the 4th of January. Postlethwaite only has a small role in Alien 3 but you can tell he is a classy actor who embodied a convicted man looking for redemption. He is such a huge loss and I know that whilst people talk about Usual Suspects when they think of Postlethwaite in the end The Town will be considered on of his best films, he is scary as hell.

Anyways on to the film at hand, Alien 3 is a somewhat misunderstood film in the Alien Quadrilogy. Obviously Alien and Aliens are both films that cast a huge shadow and there are certainly faults within Alien 3 but it's no where near as bad as some make it out to be. It's still claustrophobic just like Alien except the film is set underground as opposed to in space. It still has a lot of the tense hunt just like Aliens except instead of multiple aliens there is just one that has mutated.

There are rumours that the film was originally planned to be set on a man made planet made entirely of wood. It's a pretty wild idea and I would have loved to have seen a wooden Death Star. But what I'd love to have seen more would be today's Fincher making this film, this is his first feature film. Think what that means that his first film was making a sequel to one of James Cameron's most loved films, it's a big ask and in honesty it could have been so very much worse.

Obviously I still love the first two films so much more than Alien 3 but I believe honestly that this is a great edition to the Alien franchise.

Format: Bluray
Venue: My couch
Degrees of Separation: 3, from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets there are only 3 degrees of separation and they are as follows. Richard Harris plays Dumbledore in HP2, he starred in Gladiator which was directed by Ridley Scott who also directed the first Alien film that starred Sigourney Weaver.

Day 1 & 2 - Two films that go hand in hand together

This may seem as a bit lazy but if you follow the Twitter feed you'll have noticed that on 01/01 and 02/01 I watched Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone  and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Instead of writing about both films I thought I'd amalgamate the posts. The reason I decided to watch these films is because on New Years Day there was a documentary aired that followed Harry Potter writer J.K. Rowling around for an entire years as she completed writing and promoting the final Harry Potter book. After watching it I felt the need to revisit the films and I'm sure more will follow.

There is something special about the Philosophers Stone, despite it not having great acting and the fact that it is probably my least favourite film from a directing perspective. What is special is that director Chris Columbus does manage to capture a real sense of magic and wonder within the world of Hogwarts. This is probably the most necessary element of the film as it is exactly the feelings that these students would be feeling in their first year of attending Hogwarts.

When you compare the Chamber of Secrets to the Philosophers Stone it is evident the child actors are growing up and their skills are developing. The film is a little darker than the first as well but the stand out for me is that director Chris Columbus has been able to bring a different visual feel to his second Potter film. The camera angles are different sometimes more angular and he's been able to show far more elements of the castle and grounds. It's a film that is bigger in scale too.

Whilst they are both not my favourite films in the Potter world they are still both great films. I still feel the Prisoner of Azkaban is my favourite but that's just my opinion.

Format: Bluray
Location: My house
Degrees of Separation from Last film: obviously from the Philosophers Stone and Chamber of Secrets there is one degree as they are sequels but to get from Aladdin to the Philosophers Stone there are only two Robin Williams who was the voice of Genie in Aladdin also starred in a film named Bicentennial Man which was directed by Chris Columbus who directed Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone.