Top 10 of 2011

2011 was for me an average year for film, pulling out just as many stinkers as there were genuinely good films. Here is my top 10 list for movies of 2011 as well as my top 10 worst films of the year, ... bare in mind there were quite a few big films I didn't get to see this year therefore they don't make either list.
I didn't get to see
Twilight : Breaking Dawn, Fast Five, Rio, The Adjustment Bureau and quite a few others

My Top 10

10. The Inbetweeners Movie

British humour at it’s best, with the influx of British comedy getting the americanised treatment (the office amongst others) it’s surpising they haven’t picked up inbetweeners yet, surely after this film they will. It is an unfortunately familiar situation to find young british youths abroad flaunting their britishness in the most unflattering of ways and this film captures that to a T, brutally funny!

9. Arthur

Russel Brand is very much love him or hate him, but even the latter people won’t be able to deny that he is very watchable in this film, mainly because he is clearly having a ball with a role he enjoyed playing. The film is good fun and has a lot of genuine laugh out loud moments, such as the very first scene involving a car chase between police cars…and the batmobile with a drunken Arthur behind the wheel.

8. Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes

Another one of the “is this a prequel or a reboot or a bit of both” films, but one that is very welcome, the motion capture affects are fantastically rendered and a well conceived storyline that fits in with the whole planet of the apes universe nicely. No doubt this will be another cash cow to milk with potential for sequels…prequel-sequels… I don’t even know what to call them

7. Drive

If ever there was a film that looked like it had been sent to the future from about 25-30 years ago this is it. A very subdued and delicate style of filming with a VERY retro 80’s soundtrack (even though the songs are quite recent), it’s almost like the film is embarrassed to stand up and be counted amongst more modernistic films, but maybe that’s the genius behind it. Not quite as many big stunts as I expected from a film called Drive, a few moments of quite surprising brutal violence thrown in, definitely the sleeper hit of the year.

6. Thor

Whereas some of the other marvel films have been looking like extended trailers for next years Avengers movie, Thor kept it’s avengers references to a minimum which helped me enjoy the movie for what it was a lot more. Some of the scenes when he’s getting used to earth are among some of the funniest I’ve seen this year. A superhero film that doesn’t just rely on the good guy kicking the shit out the bad guy, a lot of character development and CG used to good effect rather than just for the hell of it.

5. Insidious

It’s been a LONG time since I’ve seen a decent horror film that wasn’t done suing hand held camera (ala paranormal activity) but out of nowhere came Insidious which did exactly what it was meant to do… I shat my pants! I watched this film with 3 other grown men and we were all shriveling wrecks by the end! THIS is what horror films should be! A well thought-out (even if the last 3^rd is just a touch wonky) idea that immerses you and is just out to scare you! Yes a few loud bangs are used in some places but it a sufficiently creepy tone and slow effective build ups make this the best horror I’ve seen in a while

4. Kung Fu Panda 2

It’s rare that I find a sequel superior to an original (Terminator 2 springs to mind but not many more) but this sequel is everything a sequel should be, it retains all the features of the first that made it appeal and makes them even better. And I’m so glad they finally addressed the issue of his dad being a goose! It’s good to see Dreamworks providing some competiton to Pixar who also brought out a sequel this year (Cars 2) which wasn’t that great.

3. Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2

A film that sends of Harry Potter the way he should be, with a bang! A film that matches the dark and gritty nature of the book, originally I didn’t see the point in splitting the last book into two films but now I see why. A great end to the series and maybe even the best Potter film of the lot.

2. Rango

The first feature film created by Industrial Light and Magic (who did special effects for Star Wars amongst other films). With Pixar and Dreamworks leading the feature film animation race, they may have to look over their shoulder because Rango for me is the best animation of the year! With a great story and memorable characters to match. It is a film that will appeal to both kids and adults in different ways, reminiscent of some of Pixar’s classics such as Finding Nemo and Toy Story.

1. X-Men : First Class

In these days of reboots and sequels/prequels to just about anything that’s made money, you’d be forgiven for thinking this might just be an unnecessary milking of a franchise already with 3 main movies and a spin off already under it’s belt. But this as a standalone film carries everything you’d want from a superhero origin movie. It’s fun, well-cast and well-written. It’s a little bit grittier than the previous films, not afraid to be blunt and brutal in places, which suits the tone down to the ground. In these days of TV series such as Heroes and Misfits cashing in on the idea of groups of people with powers coming together, this is a reminder that the X-Men did it first.

My Top 10 worst

10. Sucker Punch

A nice idea and an from an original screenplay which is rare these days, but ultimately a mess. Some stylish visuals and a nice effort on the soundtrack (remixing classic songs sung by the cast) can’t cover up a plot that is confusing and in some bits just downright bizarre. Emily Browning might be easy on the eyes but the look on the other characters faces implies they have about as much idea of what’s going on as we do.

9. Pirates Of The Carribean : On Stranger Tides

This one will undo the general clumsiness and the we-forgot-what-made-the-pirates-films-entertaing-in-the-first-place menatility of the last two pirates films they said…. Like hell they did, this one makes all the same mistakes, and crucially Jack Sparrow doesn’t get to be fun! Johnny Depp almost looks bored on the screen, they should of just kept it simple like the first one!

8. The Green Hornet

I swear Seth Rogen used to be funny? On this evidence he could of fooled me. An action comedy that just forgets to have fun and the action is a bit lame too. The guy playing Kato is ok and maybe should of had this film to himself, might have been more watchable

7. Scream 4

Of all the films that the Scary Movie series mimicks it is the scream films that most took a bashing from it, and this film serves as nothing more than a reminder of exactly why the scream films were so easy to rip the piss out of. This fourth entry coming 10 years after the last one (lack of ideas and not much work going for the cast… perhaps?) is a farce in itself, no need for a new scary movie film to mimick it, it’s done it itself!

6. Transformers : Dark Of The Moon

If the first Transformers was ok, the second one was a bit crap, this one continues the downward spiral of these films, the robots look amazing… but a run time of 2 hours 20 minutes is too long to stretch out a plot that’s as thin as a knitting needle. Please stop now Michael Bay, you’ve done enough!

5. Beastly

A modern retelling of Beauty and The Beast with a plot that moves so slowly it's almost at snail’s pace, even Neil Patrick Harris (totally wasted) in a small role can’t save this film from being a total washout, 10 minutes after I’d forgotten everything that happens.

4. The Hangover Part 2

The Hangover was one of the funniest films to come out in ages, this sequel unashamedly is not so much sequel as it is almost shot for shot remake with all the same actors just in a different location! All the jokes have been done before (in the first Hangover film no less) rendering this a total waste of time.

3. Priest

Legion was for me the worst film of 2009, this film takes the same director, the same lead star and also contains biblical themes in it’s narrative…. When all the ingredients make a shit pie then you go out and make another one with the same ingredients what did you think was gonna happen?

2. Red Riding Hood

A modern-ish retelling of the classic story…that completely ventures off into some very weird territory in places, not sure what kind of audience this film is trying to appeal to, an utter mess.

1. Battle : Los Angeles

Search me for what exactly they were trying to achieve with this film, I saw this at the cinema and genuinely felt like I’d been robbed of £7. I can’t think of any film from this year that had less going for it than this one, avoid like the plague!

1st year of university

It would seem that my first year of university is over (with the exception of my essays being due in in a few weeks). Like most things it’s gone way too fast, although that may be partly down to us only having 2 semesters, each being 12 weeks. I’m sure most other uni’s get a 3^rd semester, in some ways I guess I shouldn’t be complaining about that but I have to admit I do like my life up here… most of the time. It’s been an eventful first year, a lot of ups and a few downs thrown in for good measure, have to say I preferred the 1^st semester to the 2^nd. I wondered before I came to uni if I would feel a bit out of place being a few years older than the majority of the students, but mostly I haven’t at all, apart from when my friends bring it up and make a joke out of it, but they’re just jealous.  I’ve met a LOT of people over this 1^st year and I’ve definitely made some great friends, I sincerely hope that they will stay friends for a very long time in my life.

A lot of people I know are saying that uni has changed them, I suppose at their age it will, the lifestyle is like nothing they’ve known before, for me it’s a bit different and I can’t honestly say that I think being at uni has changed me, the only think I think I can say has changed in a bit is I feel a little bit better about myself and who I am because I’ve been around a lot of people who seem to like me and of course that’s a nice thing to feel. I’d say being at uni has given me a renewed thirst for life, and I’m genuinely excited to see what comes from my 2^nd and 3^rd years here. I move into a new house in September, going to be living with 7 other people, that will be an experience I’ve never had before. I’m excited for it but at the same time I feel a bit sad to be leaving where I am currently, living with my current housemate Chris and his dad has been great and I feel very lucky that I got to live here, it’s unusual to be spending your first year of university in a house which has a family atmosphere, most students will have lived in halls and been lumbered with neighbours being whoever they got and living off ‘student dinners’ (I’ve seen a lot of noodles during my time in the halls) whereas I almost feel like part of a new family here and have got to enjoy the cooking of two rather good chefs, I’m certainly not complaining! It’s just a shame that there is a screeching unmerciless bastard face of a parrot who lives here as well, he is a parrot who has taken a particular dislike to me for reasons I don’t know and uses his power of producing ear piercing screeches when either he sees me come into the room or when he knows I’m trying to sleep in to tell me just how much he dislikes me. Everyday I spend with him I grow more intrigued as to what parrot stew would taste like. But noisy parrots aside, I feel really lucky to have found such a great home for my 1^st year and I’ll take with me some very funny memories of mine and chris’ antics when coming home drunk and stealing signs from the neighbours and putting traffic cones in the taxi before they drive off! 

I’m not sure how the next 5 months will pan out for me before I’m due back at uni in September, but hopefully I can sort out my work situation and start preparing myself for my 2^nd year.

Until next time…

Travelling

I've been fortunate enough in my life, and in particular the last few years to visit a lot of places in the world. In 2005 I did Camp America and got a place in a county in Florida called Ocala, located about 2 hours drive from Orlando. I spent 3 months there, it was one of the best times of my life there and I'm happy to say I still keep in contact with some of the people I met there. 2 years ago with my girlfriend at the time I also got the opportunity to visit New Zealand which is easily one of my favourite places in the world, it is a country divided not just by the gap between the north and south islands but by the culture. I went to places where it is almost the same as walking down the street in any big town in England, nothing too unique or strange, but then I also went to areas of the country totally dominated by Maori culture. I was amazed to see how this kind of culture still exists today and still manages to operate as they have always done despite the western worlds clear influence over the country. I went to a traditional Maori village where I had to be inducted into their tribe in order to set foot in their homes and social areas. I'm sure it's a common thing for them to do for the tourists and I highly doubt they'll remember me if I went back and would probably try to induct me again, but still it was nice to feel part of something like that. I think people can often be very naive about other cultures that exist around the world and can often be very dismissive of them, most of us will believe that our own culture is the only one worth adhering to, but personally I love being around things that are just a little different to what I'm used to because it reminds me that the world is actually quite cool and there is such a variety in how people choose to live their lives. I even found the culture in America different to over here in the UK, obviously not quite as extensively as the Maori people but still enough to make me feel like an alien in a strange land. I'm still fascinated by all different cultures and different ways of living and I would highly recommended it to everyone on this planet to go travelling at some point in your life just to see something a little different to what your used to.
While in New Zealand I also had the opportunity to go canyon swinging, which is a bit like bungee jumping except they swing you over a canyon rather than just let you drop straight down. I didn't realise until after I had done it that it was the world's biggest one too. I'm proud I did it and I have the dvd of me doing it to prove it, but I definitely shat myself a little bit before I was swung. I wouldn't say that canyon swinging is a must for everyone but hey it's a good thing to have on your social CV.
Until next time...

you have a friend request...

How did we know exactly how many friends we have before we had facebook?
If you'd told me maybe 10 years ago that there was going to be a web site made which will end up being everyone's primary source to communicate with each other, that lists everything about you and provides you with a much easier option of not being someone's friend anymore I wouldn't of believed you, before facebook if you decided you didn't like someone anymore you had to keep making excuses for a while as to why you couldn't meet up with them, you had to ignore their calls and their invites out, Now all you've got to do is a click a button to de-friend them. Simple.
Don't get me wrong I love facebook and I'm on it way too much but I do sometimes wonder what would happen to the world now if the internet went down for a day. I'm picturing an apocalyptic site of people in ripped clothing dragging themselves through the debris and rubble that was once an internet driven civilisation. God I sound like an old bastard sometimes.
It does make me laugh though when I get friend requests because I almost feel a sense of guilt if I reject them, like if I say no on this web site then there is absolutely no way we can be friends in the real world. I know if I went round deleting all my close friends I would no doubt get a few nasty texts/ phonecalls asking what they'd done wrong.
I don't get this whole facebook stalking thing either, I recently heard someone say that someone else is a facebook stalker because he looks at his friend's photos. Not being funny if you don't want people to see your photos either a) don't put them on the world's leading social network site or b) don't be friends with someone who you don't want to see your pictures.  Is facebook a blessing or a curse?, i'm still deciding.


Me and my housemate watched Paranormal Activity 2 last night, we did the whole turning off all he lights and stuff, the way I see it if your going to watch a scary film then watch it the way they were meant to be seen, not in broad daylight or a well lit room! The effectiveness of watching it in darkness worked because even before the film started I jumped when my screensaver for my laptop came on unexpectedly just as we were getting ready to watch it :)
It's good though, quite often sequels tend to try and better the first one by delivering much of the same elements as the first but making them bigger, in horror films that'll just mean trying to be more scary than the first, I wouldn't say it's more scary than the first one but it's about on par with it. I genuinely jumped a few times (not just at my screensaver). It is one of those films though that I can't imagine being scary if you don't watch it at night or in darkness, the overlong shots of the different areas of the house when your just waiting for something to happen, you begin scanning the whole frame just to see if you can guess what's going to move before it does, and then with your senses heightened the jump gets you, it's a great way to get a reaction from an audience. I hope it doesn't become an overlong franchise though that tries to carry on a storyline throughout multiple films to the point where you can't believe they're still trying to make sense of it (i'm looking at you Saw franchise!).

What's the best kind of scary film? comment below if you wish

until next time...

Religion/Pixar

This morning a couple of Jehovah's witnesses knocked on my door, now most of these people who come to your door to preach about whatever it is they're preaching out, they expect a little bit of rudeness, and as they got me at a time where I had only just woken up I was more than happy to oblige with this. I've never quite understood the whole Jehovah's witness thing, so they've seen a guy called Jehovah and now have to knock on my door to tell me that they have? I once saw a guy called Dave but you don't see me knocking on everyone's door to tell them I'm dave's witness!

Even though I don't follow any religion specifically, I'm still very open to the concept of it and I don't mock it, I know of people who live every day of their life around their religious beliefs and I respect it even if I choose not to believe in it, just don't come knocking on my door to tell me what I should and shouldn't believe, cos I will set the dog on you!

I decided to watch Finding Nemo the other night. It's a shame that in some circles there is still this element that animated films are just for children, because some of them really are quite good. Finding Nemo for me is one of the best, it's genuinely funny and consistently entertaining with the usual high standard of animation you would expect from Pixar, if you haven't already seen it then you've missed out. 

Personally I'm a big fan of all the Pixar films, Finding Nemo is my particular fave so far but what's yours? I've put a poll up where you can answer that? whichever film wins I'll put up a proper review of it

until next time...

My First blog

Captains Blog : stardate a load of random numbers that mean nothing to anyone....

soooo thought i'd start a blog, never know might come in handy, you never know when you might need one! I expect i'll mainly be posting random thoughts about various things and as i'm an aspiring film critic I may even post a few movie reviews on here, why not!

So i'm nearing the end of my first year at Anglia Ruskin University, can't believe our semester finishes on April 15th, giving us a grand total of 5 months off for summer, now when I was about 11 or 12 that would of been like all my christmases coming at once but at my age now that just seems like a waste of time as I could in theory be doing my degree in that time and finishing it sooner. I like my degree that I chose and I'm glad i'm doing it, but I do sometimes wish I can say I'm doing a degree in something fancy like Biochemical Engineering and Astro-mathematical-Physics, now that would impress the girls! but no when I say Drama it's usually "that's not a degree to which I have a ready-made intellectual retort ready for anyone who dares to challenge the validity of my chosen degree... "yeah well your mum!". I do film studies as well which I suppose is seen as a bit more academic but only just. But hey uni isn't all about studying...

Now for a film review, I went to see Battle : Los Angeles a few nights ago and here's my in-depth review : it's shit don't watch it.

I'm not sure how often i'll update this but knowing me probably a lot! I suppose a blog is a bit like having a diary or a journal... that everyone can read... which defeats the whole object of having a diary so not a lot like it actually.
Anyway this concludes my first blog, please check back soon :)