Forget wrestling, lets talk films: A look into my top 20 films. Part two.

Writer's note: Here we are with part two. If you haven't checked out part one here it is.

Star Wars Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi

The last of the original trilogy on my list is the probably the weakest of the three, but that’s not to say it isn’t a well-rounded and satisfying conclusive episode. My Dad was a big Star Wars fan and after he introduced me to the series, I’ve been a big fan ever since. With the introduction of the Ewok’s and of course Princess Leia in her slave outfit, the film includes many unforgettable moments. Furthermore, the triple stranded climax is masterful. It’s a shame the prequel trilogy couldn’t live up to the originals, hence why none of them are on the list. The prequels are still some of my favourite films but they just didn’t contain enough quality to warrant inclusion on this list.

Hot Fuzz

Following Simon Pegg and Nick Frost’s big screen arrival in the genius first entry into the ‘Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy’ Shaun of the Dead, the follow up Hot Fuzz captured my imagination just that little bit further. Pegg and Frost’s chemistry is amazing to watch, and the ridiculousness of the narrative is consistently funny. Edgar Wright also has the ability to take the gloss of Hollywood and apply it to quintessentially English situations. So good.

Superbad

If American Pie was the blue print for the later 90s/early 00s then Superbad is the blue print for the late 00’s and beyond. Jonah Hill and Michael Cera put in fantastic performances in what is a pant wettingly funny comedy backed up by Christopher Mintz-Plasse (awesome name) as Fogell and Seth Rogan and Bill Hader as a hapless couple of cops. In spite of the continuous belly laughs, there is a distinct sense of pain running through Superbad as our loveable trio of geek best friends face the fear of leaving for college. A critically acclaimed modern great, Judd Apatow’s brand of gross out comedy has dominated ever since its release.

Borat

I’ll never forget the experience of seeing this at the cinema. The atmosphere was incredible. I’ve never known a film to get so many huge and consistent laughs. Sacha Baron – Cohen has melon-sized cajones for participating in the various activities, interviews and conversations that are featured in the film. The reactions of his unwitting victims are priceless and are what makes the film what it is. Simultaneously hilarious and cringe-inducing, full of ingenious bits that you just wanted to describe to your friends and then laugh all over again when you did.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl

A film based on a theme park ride? Who’d have known that the series would go on to feature some of the highest grossing films of all time. Pirates would be absolutely nothing without Johnny Depp, he simply steals the show. Captain Jack Sparrow is a magnificent creation. Eccentric and ecstatic, Johnny Depp’s character is a loveable self-publicising rogue that is refreshing and original in his fluidity and behaviour. The swash buckling action is rousing while the rest of the film is funny and spectacular and makes for a well rounded favourite of mine.

The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King

Undoubtedly epic, Peter Jackson’s vision of Tolkiens universe is a masterpiece. The Fellowship of the Ring sets up the story perfectly, The Two Towers brought us the rousing battle of Helm’s Deep and the fascinating advancement of motion captured CG characters in Andy Serkis’ Gollum. Yet, it is the final chapter which shines as my favourite. Honestly, any of the films could have made this list but I wanted a little variation. Return of The King is majestic, moving and an astonishing piece of storytelling. The seamless transitions between each strand of the story are a masterstroke in a film that has A LOT to get through. The battle for Minas Tirith is spectacular and the entire cast put in monumental efforts. Though the film stays true to the book with 689 endings, you can’t say you don’t get emotional as that epic music plays Frodo off to the Undying Lands. One of the greatest tales of love, passion, kinship, hope, loss, betrayal, heartbreak, forgiveness, belief and faith in one another. ‘Not all tears are evil.’

Pulp Fiction

Pulp Fiction is ultra cool and ultra smart. It’s so supremely confident in it’s writing and direction and the cast exudes the confidence of the script’s witty dialogue amazingly well. So much has been written of the influence of its attack on the formulaic nature of Hollywood films. Tarantino blends the serious violence of American gangster movies, crime movies, and films noirs and mixes up with the wacky violence of cartoons, video games, Japanese animation and the fragmented story-telling structures of experimental films. The result was a pop culture phenomenon and one hell of a film.

American Pie 2

The continuation of the sex odyssey, American Pie 2 followed in the same vein of the first with the embarrassing situations placed upon the characters turning into comedy magic. The cinematic American Pie trilogy always has something that other comedies in the same vein lack: heart.  Coupled with another amazing soundtrack full of pop punk gems, the second slice of Pie is a fantastic teenage fantasy.

Falling Down

Again, another film that has made its way onto this list through study at university. D-Fens (Michael Douglas) and Prendergast (Robert Duvall) take us on a cross-town journey through the decline of the white male in society. The story told is both brash and subtle at the same time as the protagonists deal with the causes of the fall of the white male. It is a worrying and unnerving reflection of society, but one that is highly entertaining, engaging and recommended if this film has passed you by.

Toy Story 3

A landmark in animation that was beautiful and significant for its art-by- computer and a story of wit and humanity that translated to seemingly everyone alive, the original Toy Story made Pixar a profit machine. Toy Story is about much more than a group of plastic playthings, its about heart, a melancholy meditation on loss, mortality and love. While maintaining the fun, humour and action packed sequences of your typical Pixar movie, the underlying tone is a dark and crushing one of lost youth. An extremely satisfying conclusion to the best-animated movie series of all time.

And there we have it, thank you so much for reading. I hope you’ve enjoyed a little insight to my favourite films and I’ll be thrilled if I’ve introduced you to something new to check out. Leave me some feedback in the comments or

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Cheers!

Forget wrestling, lets talk films: A look into my top 20 films. Part one.

It goes without saying that of the abundance of movies ever made, one only has the time to watch but a minority of those created. Whittling down a list of favourite movies proves even more difficult. I must stress FAVOURITE movies. This is just my personal opinion. Of the following list, some are met with tremendous critical acclaim and some are met with the proverbial rotten tomatoes. Some movies are serious, designed to make the audience think. Other movies are designed primarily to amuse and entertain. The films on this list inspire a countless amount of emotions in me, and after all, isn’t that what a great film is really about?

Here, in no particular order, are the first 10 of my top 20 favourite films… so far. I’ll provide a mini overview, mini review and an incline into why each film is important to me. I hope I give you something new to check out or an urge to re-watch some of the films listed.

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

A film that was created on a budget of just $11 Million (tiny when you think of the magnitude of the thing), going onto become (when adjusted for inflation) the second highest grossing film in the USA and Canada and effectively one of the first block buster films, A New Hope is one of the most critically acclaimed and influential films of all time. It’s easy to see why. The cast is so loveable, the story so engaging and admit it, everyone wants to live in a galaxy far, far away. It was (and still is) the perfect introduction to the biggest movie franchise of all time. My favourite of the saga and my favourite film.

 The Matrix

The most significant science fiction blockbuster of the turn of the millennium. The Matrix was cool as fuck. Martial arts, sunglasses, guns, trench coats and an intriguing (if not slightly stolen) plot combined with some stunning visual effects make for a film that took pop culture by storm. Setting a new standard for cinematic fight scenes as well as the bullet time effect being taken to new heights, The Matrix has a lasting legacy. It even managed to make Keanu Reeves cool, if only briefly.

American Pie

One of those films that wasn’t met with overwhelming critical support upon its release. American Pie is crude, lewd and downright funny. The premise is simple; four boys make a pact to lose their virginity before high school ends. What follows is a cringetastic and hilarious hour and a half exploring the awkwardness of late teenage life... something we can all relate to. Not to mention it spawned a whole host of copy-cat films in the years following its release. With a kick-ass soundtrack and a cameo from Blink 182, this film is near and dear to my heart.

Garden State

Garden State is an independent film written by, directed by and starring Zach Braff. A whip-smart, angst ridden Andrew Largeman (Braff) is awoken from a Lithium haze when he returns home for the funeral of his mother. Cue an emotional and hilarious re-birth brought on by a kooky journey around town with his old friend Mark (Peter Sarsgaard) and new friend Sam (Natalie Portman). Zach Braff says of Garden State "I have this theory that your body goes through puberty in its teens, and the mind goes through puberty in your twenties. [Andrew] is dealing with issues that you are going through all the time going into your thirties. He's lost and lonesome, which is something I definitely felt in my twenties." The film definitely provides a wonderful trip through the minefield of being twenty – something. It’ll make you laugh, cry and absolutely warm the heart. A highly recommended piece of film, especially if you’re a fan of Scrubs.

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

The modern movie cliché is that a sequel should be ‘darker’. Blame The Empire Strikes Back, a crowd pleaser that dared to end with a devastating double-whammy (“I am your father”; “I love you”/ “I know”). Yet, it was everything it was supposed to be. More critically acclaimed than its predecessor, The Empire Strikes Back has so many iconic scenes and quotes it’s incredible. A true cinematic triumph. Don’t forget though, despite it’s darker tone the film bases some of its finest action sequences aboard a ship that constantly breaks down. Genius.

La Haine

La Haine (Hate) is a French story of three friends (one black, one Jewish and one Arabic) struggling to cope with the harsh realities of life in tough suburban Paris. Shot in an appropriately bleak black and white, the story follows Vinz (Vincent Cassel), Hubert (Hubert Kounde) and Saïd (Saïd Taghmaoui) in the 24 hours following riots in their harsh Parisienne suburb, during which their friend Abdel is beaten to within inches of his life by police and is intensive care as a result. The outcome is an explosion of scathing social commentary and dynamic storytelling. Delving into the generational, racial, and class divides of France, La Haine offers a fearless attack on the frontlines of power. Counting down 24 hours, Mathieu Kassovitz (director) never gives the illusion of a happy ending. This is a fantastic pastiche and a fatalistic account of society's decline. Though blisteringly intense at times, the film does have some welcome sporadic comic relief. Superbly acted and brilliantly executed, don’t let the fact that it is a subtitled film put you off from checking it out.

Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark

An ingenious adventure movie just about sums up Raiders of The Lost Ark. The first movie of the Indiana Jones franchise, Harrison Ford plays the lead role perfectly. It’s hard to imagine anyone else with the air of coolness that a character like Indy needs.

Influential to a range of future media, including the Tomb Raider and Uncharted games, Raiders of the Lost Ark is a gem. Another Lucas film in my favourites.

Terminator 2: Judgement Day

If Terminator was suspense, T2 is spectacle — Arnie’s killer cyborg becomes the best-ever combination surrogate dad and bodyguard, while CGI advancements marked the first use of natural human motion for a computer-generated character and the first partially computer-generated main character. Terminator 2 is an ass-kicking sci-fi action film that I watched over an over again as a pre-teen.

Predator

When you’ve picked at and (over) analysed Predator for a university course, you appreciate its deeper hidden meanings. It’s probably for that reason that the film places in my favourites list. On the surface, the film followers a bunch of ass kicking marines being stalked by a mysterious alien creature. Underneath, Predator is a study of the representation of masculinity as muscularity, power and the ability to survive… clearly exemplified through the casting of the film as well as the direction and narrative structure. Whatever, its still another great sci-fi action film starring Schwarzenegger added to the list.

Juno

Hey look, another indie film. An indie film that won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay as well as nominations for Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Director no less. Juno just oozes irresistible charm and wit and Ellen Page’s portrayal of the hyper articulate, snarky modern teen is nothing short of exceptional. Aided by a funny and evocative script, Juno is one giant happy pill.

Well that just about does it for the first part of the list. I hope it was an interesting insight into one guy's opinion on films. Like I say, if I've encouraged you to check out something new or re-watch an old classic that'll make me more than happy if you let me know.

This is a two way street though, hit me up with some of your favourite films, expected or unexpected it'll be nice to hear. 

Thanks for reading, Part Two will be up tomorrow!