It makes you think part II

Welcome back to the second half of the list of awe-inspiring films. The list continues...



6. Blade Runner

Based on Science Fiction author Philip K. Dick Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (read it, the film isn't anything like it). Ridley Scott's dystopian pits Harrison Ford's cop Rick Deckard on a deadly mission to retire robots called replicants. Blade Runner is a fusion between science fiction and 1940's film noir. The scenery may be scientific but the plot is basically taken from Hammett or Chandler.

Scott's film features a fine performance from Rutger Hauer as Roy Batty the ringleader of the rebellious androids. A villain who you feel sorry for at the end of the film. The film is visually stunning, watch the opening of Los Angeles 2019 (only 9 years to go, til flying cars!!!) Deckard's mission is to kill five replicants but there are six on the loose leaving a massive conundrum at the end of the movie, who is the sixth? A must see for sci-fi lovers out there.

7. Saving Private Ryan

Steven Spielberg's war movie violently tugs on the strings of ones' heart as a band of soldiers in Nazi-occupied France search for the last brother of the Ryan family. The D-Day landings is both harrowing and exhilarating. Spielberg cleverly uses point of view shots to make the audience feel part of the action and you become embroiled in the battle scene.

You go on the journey with Tom Hanks and his motley crew, plus you are completely shocked by the twist, I won't ruin it for you. Yes, Spielberg's other war film Schindler's List could also be in the list but I decided on this one instead. I mean I like Saving Private Ryan. I like Schindler's List. But which one's better? There's only one way to find out. FIGHT!!!

8. Die Hard

It is the quintessential action film so therefore deserves to be in this little list I have compiled. Screenwriters pitch movies using the Die Hard analogy, it's Die Hard on a bus (Speed) or Die Hard on a boat (Under Siege) the list could go on. It's tense, it's funny and Bruce Willis has hair. What more do you want. There is a Alan Rick man doing what he does best being the OTT villain, and he is German!

Released in the late eighties it can still hold a candle and a AK-47 to action movies of today you know the Jason Statham ones. It works because it doesn't take itself too seriously and John McClane must be the ultimate action hero, he's up their with a Mr Jones, Indiana that is oh and Mr Bond. Great fun and a great film.

9. The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy

Yes there are three films but, oh (blows raspberry). Bringing J.R.R Tolkein's masterpiece to the big screen was some mean feat but Peter Jackson pulled it off with aplomb. He couldn't fit everything in like Tom Bombadil, can you imagine him singing and prancing, no me either. It boasts of amazing visual effects from Gollum to the Balrog and acting performances from stalwarts like Sir Ian Mckellen and Viggo Mortensen.

It is not every one's cup of tea and I can understand why, elves and goblins aren't for everyone. Put the fantasy aside for one moment and see the human nature of two people's struggle to destroy this powerful object. All three films have moments of pure emotion all from the original source material. I don't like the third one because it ends. But don't despair, Guillermo Del Toro is bringing The Hobbit to the silver screen next year, get ready for talking dragons, a man turning into a bear and several oddly-named dwarves (no Dopey I'm afraid).

10. Alien

Another one from Mr Scott and another science fiction film, I think my one solitary reader has worked out my favourite genre. A suspense sci-fi horror which features a truly disturbing robot-going-bonkers scene and one scene not to eat your breakfast to. Ellen Ripley was originally meant to be a man, just wouldn't have worked. Three followed the 1979 original but none cannot surpass the tense feeling this film has on the audience, watch with a pillow.

The scariest thing is the thing you can't see, something is lurking in the dark you don't know what it is, oh my god it's bitten my mates' head off. In an essence that's what happens but much better. A must see, just remember in space no-one can hear you scream.

Good night and good luck.

It makes you think...

The Oscars are over and Bigelow triumphed over Cameron beating the highest grossing film of all time. Avatar is an awe-inspiring movie and has jaw-dropping special effects, so on that note what other films out there deserve that title of awe-inspiring (in no particular order). Tom Perry investigates...

1.2001: A Space Odyssey.

If you haven't seen this, you must. Your mind will be boggled, blown and according to Will Ferrell bottled. It has the single greatest cut in film, from a bone thrown by an ape to a spaceship floating in the atmosphere. The story is in three parts 1.primitive civilisation 2.more technologically advanced and 3. The distant future. The action moves forward every time this unexplained black monolith appears, why it appears? You have to figure that one out for yourself.

Directed by Stanley Kubrick it has influenced so many films, would there be Star Wars without it? Homages can be seen from The Simpsons to Pixar's Walle. Kubrick worked on he film with legendary Sci-Fi novelist Arthur C. Clarke, it is an intelligent look at life and evolution with no explanation. In the middle of the film it turns into a tense sci-fi thriller, you can see where Ridley Scott got his inspiration from. I could go on but I won't, just see it for yourself and be amazed.

2. The Godfather Part I and Part II

Francis Ford Coppola's masterpiece, let us ignore part III. I know they are individual films but let's just put them together for the sake of an argument. The tale of the Corleone family is so rich it deserved every Oscar it received. As a viewer you are transported into their lives, you live and breathe it which may be a bit dangerous.

The score is incredible and the cinematography is untouchable, take the wedding in the part one or the Don Fanucci chase in part two. I think part two is better than the the original, few sequels can claim that feat. It has been parodied but never bettered which I think is the ultimate mark of respect. It is part of our culture, where would we be without Marlon Brando's magnificent phrase 'I'll make him an offer he can't refuse' I think Fabio Capello should adopt it.

3. Pulp Fiction

Originally called Black Mask after a popular 'pulp fiction' magazine from the 20s with such contributors as Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. Quentin Tarantino's second film is quite simply breathtaking. From its non-linear structure to its cool as a row of cucumbers in a fridge characters, it has everything. The film works on so many levels mainly because of the dialogue a Tarantino trait which Guy Ritchie has tried to emulate in his fast-paced Cockney love-ins.

Anyway back to Pulp Fiction, it deserves to be in this list because there isn't a bad moment in the film, each separate episode adds something different. After watching it you want to watch it again and again. The film is coolness personified in celluloid, I mean it has one of the greatest ensemble casts. It's a shame that Mr. Tarantino hasn't made a film comparable to it since.

4. The Matrix

What is the Matrix? An amazing, visually stunning and ground-breaking piece of cinema. Released in 1999 it must be the movie of that year. It works on so many levels action/adventure, thriller and even a film noir if you think about the visual stlye. Neo could have been Will Smith or Tom Cruise it just wouldn't have worked. Keanu Reeves deadpan acting style suits the man who is finding himself well.

It paved the way for technological advances in film and even though bullet time was invented in the Max Payne game it still looked stunning on the big screen. Let's ignore Reloaded and Revolutions, two films that are hard to watch because of the green tint. Anyhow, take Morpheus' advice follow the white rabbit, take the red pill and stop trying to hit me and hit me. Classic.

5. Apocalypse Now

Where do I begin, another entry for Mr Coppola and another epic. Loosely based on Joseph Conrad's Heart Of Darkness the action is moved from the Congo to the Vietnam War. A tough and heavy film but definitely worth the running time of 153 minutes or the redux version of 202 mins. The plot, an American soldier played by Martin Sheen is sent on a mission to kill a former US army Colonel played by Marlon Brando in the backdrop of the Vietnamn War.

Where can you get such ranges of music from The Doors to Wagner. Like its source material it deals with complex issues of the nature of empire and the search of a renegade person or the search of oneself. There are so many war films that could be in this list, but this film is truly amazing and even features a cameo from the director himself. See if you can spot him.

To Be Continued...

Inept.

I know this blog claims to be about films but I may have to change that and add TV as well. This rant comes courtesy of ITV's sport's coverage. Where do I start? At the beginning, when the Beeb lost MOTD (match of the day) to ITV1 a couple of years back, football viewers had the unpleasant choice of watching The Premiership.


Now, The Premiership hasn't been on our telly screens for a while now, thank God (He watches as well, he's a West Ham fan). But they do have the rights to the FA Cup this season and I have suffered listening to Peter Drury or Clive Tyldesley (left) try to commentate their way through 90 minutes. Here's one from the man Clive- “He’s not George Best, but then again, no-one is.” Last night's England game was a prime example of the poor quality of commentary displayed on the channel. He was joined last night by another poor pundit Andy Townsend, who on Tuesday was Irish but miraculously swapped nationalities on Wednesday evening. He was English not Egypitan, keep up. A cracker from Clive here 'The Egyptians were apparently passing in pyramids' not triangles. *sigh*.


We now head to the pundit's box where Steve Wilson who escaped BBC's Grandstand (remember the theme tune?) was with the most boring man in football Gareth Southgate, nice tie and Paul Robinson, why? What was he meant to add, he could have been out there. Was that ITV making a sly dig at Paul making him watch the match in the studio. I bet they were all cracking jokes during the game when Rob Green made a save or catch, I would have done. Then we have the analysis, they didn't even show Egypt's goal! We must go to a break, you see the little black and white flashing thing in the corner as soon as the ref's whistle blows. Then another break, and you have to suffer 'We buy any car' advert, don't get me started.


This week brings the FA Cup back to our screens, what punditry delights await us. I wait with bated breath. They have all four games, hopefully Mr Tyldesley can make his way to all of the games to commentate, please Clive do it for Tom. The highlights package is also terrible as they show the game they aired a couple of hours ago on first. Whoever is in charge of their sport's output, should take a long look at the footage they are broadcasting and have a re-think.

Now, the BBC are not invincible from criticism or Sky for that matter, take Andy Gray and John Motson for example. Andy gets on my tits, I don't see why he thinks he can say the things he does and Motty, well, he is just past it. 98 days to go till the World Cup and I have some advice for my readers out there (if there are any) watch BBC's coverage and when England's games are on the other channel turn off the volume and listen to the radio's commentary.

Peace out.