The Greatest Christmas Movie

Merry Christmas Everyone, (which I say with even more enthusiasm than Shakin Stevens, plus I'd make a far better music video than him) and it is that time of year again when people sit round a glowing tree opening assorted parcels and eat like the apocalypse is nigh. And with this festive post today I bring you the results of the Christmas movie poll, so here you have it:

1. It's A Wonderful Life

A true classic, highly deserving of this title. A must watch for everyone.

2. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Chevy Chase at his slapstick best, hilarious from start to finish.

3. Home Alone/ The Muppet Christmas Carol

Tied for third place was two more festive favourites, the fantastically fun 'Home Alone', and the charm of the muppets combined with Michael Caine as Scrooge to create 'The Muppet Christmas Carol',  two firm family favourite.

Truly Intriguing Movie Facts: Part III

• While shooting the famous run through the streets of Philadelphia in 'Rocky', Sylvester Stallone pulled a tendon in his leg and had to be taken to a local hospital in a wheelbarrow.
• 'Top Gun' director Tony Scott was officially fired three times during the film's production.
• Sean Connery turned down the role of Gandalf in the 'Lord Of The Rings' trilogy as the 18 month filming time was too much for him.
• Some of the chariot racers in 'Ben Hur' were seen to be wearing wrist watches.
• Actor Max Von Sydow played Jesus Christ in 'The Greatest Story Ever Told' and Satan in 'Needful Things', making him the only actor to play both.
• The scene in Frenchy's bedroom in 'Grease' in which Rizzo is singing the line about Elvis, was filmed on the very same day that Elvis actually died.
• In 'Toy Story' whenever a character's eyes blink, they never blink together, but one at a time.
• During the climactic motorbike chase in 'The Great Escape', director Jim Sturges allowed Steve McQueen to ride (in disguise) as one of the pursuing German soldiers, so in the final sequence, through the magic of editing, he is actually chasing himself.
• Bette Davis was in the process of breaking up with husband William Sherry while she was making 'All About Eve'. Her raspy voice in the film is due a burst blood vessel in her throat from screaming at her soon-to-be-ex-husband. Director Joseph L. Mankiewicz liked the sound of her voice and in feeling it worked with the character encouraged her not to change it.
• For 'Saving Private Ryan' all of the principle actors underwent days of gruelling army training, except for Matt Damon, who was spared so that the other actors would resent him, and they would therefore portray that resentment in their performances.

'Monsters' Review

Do not read the title of this movie and expect the obvious! Although the movie has plenty of monsters within it's 94 minute run time, but this is far from the usual sci-fi movie chock full of action sequences. Instead this is a touching love story set against a back drop of alien invasion. The story follows on six years after a NASA probe returns from space after a mission to hunt for evidence of alien existence. The probe crash lands over central America and as new life forms begin to appear in Mexico, people start to fear of alien invasion and therefore much of the country gets quarantined, and is now called 'The Infected Zone'. A photographer is left in charge of getting his boss's daughter over the border safely, but as they missed out on safer means of travel he is left to take her through 'The Infected Zone'.

This movie is very original in how it turns the movie's genre on it's head from what people would usually expect. Although this movie is not a fast paced, action packed sci-fi flick, the story is still highly engaging and involving, and involves two characters the audience can really care for. The only real criticism that can be made of this film is that it drags a little in some places, and although the slow pace of the movie works on whole and is actually more effective than not, some scenes perhaps outstay there welcome.

Scoot McNairy and Whitney Able shine in the only two notable acting parts in the film (as almost all other characters were played by locals in the areas being filmed). They create two very believable characters who can both portray the physical strain this dangerous journey has on them and the emotional journey they take with each other. As the characters make discoveries about the world they live in and each other, the results are often touching. It is also a testament to the chemistry these actors had with one another, in that they are now married. As most of the dialogue is improvised, this further emphasises the talent of these two actors as what they are saying always feels real and genuine. Their work is very impressive as fairly unknown actors, given the fact they carry the weight of this entire film on their shoulders.

However, the real credit for this movie has to be given to writer/director Gareth Edwards who delivers a wonderfully original picture which stays with you long after the credits have rolled. He shot this film guerrilla style on a tiny budget, which may surprise many who watch it. Edward's production design is highly impressive also, particularly given the fact the monsters themselves were created on a laptop over the course of 6 months, with the finished product looking like they have come from a far more expensive movie. The cinematography is also very notable in this movie, as almost every scene is excellently shot, combining the onscreen action with the beauitiful scenery to deliver a picture which is both vibrant and often peaceful.

The combination of heart felt performances, top notch cinematography, excellent effects, an engaging story and brilliant writing/direction make this creative and highly unique picture one which shows Gareth Edwards as a new talent whose work is to be looked out for in the future.

Verdict:

4 Stars

'Unstoppable' Review

Oh Cinema, how happy I was to return to you. After nearly 3 weeks of the relentless Scottish snow preventing me from going to the cinema, I was ever so happy to make my long awaited return, and what a return it was. 'Unstoppable' is about a giant locomotive that leaves a train yard unmanned and gathers potentially catastrophic momentum, leaving an old-time driver and new to the job conductor (played by Denzel Washington and Chris Pine respectively) to attempt to stop the train before disaster strikes. On paper this movie sounds like garbage that we have seen before, but it is actually a hugely exciting and entertaining piece of cinema.

Directed by Tony Scott, 'Unstoppable' is an hour and a half of heart stopping excitement, and Scott does everything in his power to make this movie just so. Combining 'live TV coverage' of the impending disaster, a tension building score, Rosario Dawson intensely taking charge from a control room, loud train noises to emphasize the high speed/power, and Chris Pine and the remarkable Denzel Washington climbing on top of trains and jumping between them, whilst still moving. All in all this makes for an adrenaline rush of a movie. The sound editing also needs a notable mention here, as it is executed superbly adding another layer to the excitement.

The three lead performances in this movie are all very good, given the material. Rosario Dawson is extremely watchable as the assistant yardmaster, exuding confidence in this role. Every line is delivered in a way which just adds to the excitement. Denzel Washington is as good as ever, playing the modest hero, and Chris Pine is also good in this, showing he has a lot of promise in his acting future.

This movie may sound heavily cliched and very obvious, but even if it is, it does not matter! It is super exciting from very near the start, right to the end, so much so I was sat right up on the edge of my seat for the majority. I got so heavily into this movie, others probably found it laughable, but again I don't care when cinema is this immersive. This is entertainment in it's purest form, get some popcorn and go and enjoy this movie, I can't think of much more entertaining ways to spend and hour and a half.

Verdict:

5 Stars

'Mrs. Doubtfire' : A Comedy Gem

'Mrs. Doubtfire' is my absolute favourite comedy of all time and it makes me laugh more than any other film I have ever seen. So here I give you 10 reasons why I think 'Mrs. Doubtfire' is the greatest comedy of all time:

1. 'Mrs. Doubtfire' features Robin Williams at his funniest, playing one of the greatest comedy characters ever committed to film. Williams completely deserved his Golden Globe for this performance as he nails both the hilarious moments and the more serious and touching ones too. In this role he shows just how versatile an actor he is, in that he is playing someone pretending to be someone else, and he has such great control over his voice and his ability to alter it.
2. 'Mrs. Doubtfire' is a film that can be watched by all ages, and is good, clean family fun at it's best. This movie can be enjoyed by absolutely everyone.
3. It can make me laugh heartily every single time, all the way through. I find moments of this movie so funny that I even laugh talking about it to others or even just thinking about it, proving it as pure comedy gold.
4. As well as being absolutely hilarious, 'Mrs. Doubtfire' has a serious side to it, dealing with important issues such as divorce and the importance of family, which is significant in particular to it's main target audience - families.
5. Scenes within this movie are absolutely unforgettable. The most notable of these are the scenes which are particularly chaotic in nature. The tea making scene is one of the most memorable of these, in which Robin Williams' character Daniel is frantically running around trying to both make a cup of tea for a guest and try and find something to cover up his face in order to maintain his Mrs. Doubtfire identity, as his prosthetic face has fallen from a window ledge and been run over on the road below. The pace of this scene has a snowball effect creating the audience to laugh more and more as things get worse, then the climax of opting for the cake to conceal his identity is uproariously funny. Also, the scene where Mrs. Doubtfire's fake breasts catch fire whilst cooking is also tremendously funny, the image her banging pan lids off her chest to distinguish the flames is unforgettable.
6. The relationship between the character's of Mrs. Doubtfire and Stu, played by Pierce Brosnan, is brilliantly executed. As Daniel is jealous of Stu, he is free to be nasty to him through the disguise of Mrs. Doubtfire, as nobody can lose respect the 'nice old housekeeper'. The snide comments are delivered perfectly by Williams, where Mrs. Doubtfire makes digs at things like Stu's tan, car and lifestyle. There is perhaps not a funnier notion that that of Robin Williams in drag throwing a lime at the back of Pierce Brosnan's head at a private pool club, then blaming it on an 'angry member of the kitchen staff' taking part in a 'run-by fruiting', this is brilliant comedy writing.
7. Sally Field is wonderful as per usual in this role, as the mother. She plays a character you can empathise with, as she is only trying to do what she believes is right for her kids. Although in a less obvious way as that of Robin Williams, she proves that she can be funny too, playing the embarrassing and awkward moments superbly.
8. The brilliant soundtrack is so well used in this film, with the songs used always being relevant to the situation, using tracks such as James Brown's 'Papa's got a brand new bag'  and Frank Sinatra's 'Luck be a lady', which are both relevant to the story. The most memorable song choice in the movie is Aerosmith's 'Dude (looks like a lady)' which is played over scenes of Mrs. Doubtfire dancing with a vacuum cleaner, utter perfection in terms of music choice.
9. The movie has an uncliched ending, but is still a happy one. This is unique as movies of this nature would normally opt for the fairytale ending, however this movie remains grounded in reality, and therefore it works out to be most effective and poignant.
10. 'Mrs Doubtfire' has more re-watch value than most others I can think of, so much so that many of my friends are probably sick of the fact I opt to watch it over and over again, laughing over most of it.

So there you have it, 10 reasons why I think 'Mrs. Doubtfire' is the best comedy of all time. So if you have never seen 'Mrs. Doubtfire' before, I beg you to go and watch it, and if you have, go watch it again!

The Favourite Movie Genre

In my latest poll asking what people's favourite movie genre was, Horror triumphed garnering the greatest amount of votes. I imagine this is the case due to it having a solid fan base. Other genre's are more general in that people are happy to dip in and out of any genre, with each individual's particular favourite being more specific to what they like. Even though horror can be like this too, it also tends to be the genre which has it's own dedicated fans who spend most of their movie watching time focused on finding films which scare them. Comedy was the closest competitor coming in second place.

Now go and vote in the new poll, 'What is your favourite Christmas Movie'. You have until Christmas Eve to do so.

Coming Soon....... 20 Movies To Look Forward To

Today is the first of December, which most importantly means the start of 24 days worth of excuses for eating chocolate in the morning, however I also felt it was a suitable time to look into up-and-coming movies for the next few months. For no particular reason I decided 3 months would be an ideal length of time to look into. Perhaps it is because it allows me to take into account all movie released during awards season, The Oscars are on the 27th February this year, so mark it on your calender. Anyway, here I present to you a list of the 20 movies which I am most looking forward to seeing over December, January and February. Take note and enjoy.

Monsters

This year's District 9, 'Monsters' is an alien movie filmed on a very small budget. The movie picks up 6 years after Earth has suffered from an alien invasion, and a journalist agrees to escort a shaken American tourist through an infected zone in Mexico, to the safety of the US Border. This movie is set have the excitement of it's Sci-fi/Thriller elements, but at it's core is also a love story set within very difficult times.

Somewhere

Director Sofia Coppola's latest cinema outing follows a hard living Hollywood actor who has to have a serious look at his life after his 11-year-old daughter pays him a visit. Being a fan of Coppola's earlier films 'Lost In Translation' and 'The Virgin Suicides', I would hope this film lives up these these wonderful movies. With Stephen Dorff as the father and Elle Fanning (younger sister to Dakota Fanning) as the daughter, I'm quite sure these characters will bring the same charm to this film that was so engaging in 'Lost In Translation'.

Love and Other Drugs

Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal star in the romcom meets drama film about Maggie a free spirited woman who does not let anyone or anything tie her down in life, until she meets her match in Jamie, who's relentless charm serves him well with both the ladies and in the cutthroat world of pharmaceutical sales. The evolving relationship of these two characters takes them by surprise as they 'find themselves under the influence of the ultimate drug: love'. This movie is not set to be the typical romantic comedy as there is a greater deal of emotional wealth behind it (which is not made clear in the trailer) and is more adult in nature.

127 Hours

This is Danny Boyle's first Directorial outing since 2009's runaway success 'Slumdog Millionaire', however this movie is set to be very different. The movie stars James Franco as a mountaineer who becomes trapped under a boulder whilst canyoneering alone, and has to resort to desperate measures in order to survive. Franco's performance is said to be outstanding in this picture, an therefore there has been a lot of Oscar buzz around the movie. Go and watch the trailer, you will find yourself counting down the days til it's release.

The King's Speech

This movie stars Colin Firth as Kind Edward VI of Britain, during the time of his impromptu ascension to the throne and the speech therapist (Geoffrey Rush) who helped the unsure monarch become worthy of it. This movie is currently considered the favourite to win Best Picture at the Oscars in 2011, with 'The Social Network' looking like it's main rival. However, it is probably more likely the Academy will opt for this, as they tend to favour period pieces over contemporary ones. I am also very excited to see this film, as it co-stars Helena Bonham Carter, whom I think is a simply fantastic actress, with one of the most versatile acting talents in the movie industry right now.

True Grit

Any movie directed by the Coen Brothers is going to be top notch in my books. So seeing them reunited with the incredible Jeff Bridges to remake the John Wayne classic 'True Grit' sounds unmissable to me, and the trailer emphasises this notion. Bridges plays the tough US marshal (previously played by Wayne in his only Oscar winning performance) who helps a stubborn young woman track down her father's murderer. With Josh Brolin and Matt Damon in the cast too, I'm quite positive this movie is going to be brilliant.

Black Swan

This dark tale takes a look at the relationship between a veteran ballet dancer and her rival when a space opens up in the company's new production of 'Swan Lake'. Natalie Portman who plays Nina the veteran dancer, gets a chance to explore her dark side for this role, as the character descends into madness. Portman is said to be a key contender for Best Actress at The Oscars, which is unsurprising given the critical praise that has been given to both her and the film itself. Check out the trailer for this one, it look incredible.

Morning Glory

I only heard about this film for the first time yesterday, and upon watching the trailer found something that looked both funny and touching. Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton and Patrick Wilson,  star in this movie, which altogether is a superb cast. McAdams plays the role of an upstart television producer who takes on the challenge of trying to revive a struggling morning show programme with warring co-hosts. Funnily enough the show is called 'Daybreak', which is the same as the crap GMTV replacement in the UK.

Conviction

Conviction is about a working mother who puts herself through law school in an effort to represent her brother, who has been wrongfully convicted of murder and has exhausted his chances to appeal his conviction through public defenders. Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell star in this drama/thriller. It seems as though this film will be full of solid performances from Swank, who has proven with two Oscar wins that she is more than capable of delivering a top notch dramatic performance, and Rockwell who is overdue for recognition as he is a superb talent.

The Tree Of Life

I put this on the list with a degree of uncertainty, as there is so much secrecy swirling around this film that it just not seem like it will be ready in time for it's current January release date. However, this film sounds like it has the potential to be astonishing so I simply had to include it. Starring Brad Pitt and Sean Penn under the direction of acclaimed filmmaker Terrence Malick. The only piece of plot information currently released about the film is that it centers around a family with three boys in the 1950s, where the eldest son witnesses the loss of innocence.

The Next Three Days

Oscar winning director Paul Haggis directs Russell Crowe and Elizabeth Banks in this thriller about a married couple whose life is turned upside down when the wife is wrongly accused of murder. I initially found the sound of this film fairly uninteresting, until I watched the trailer which plays out to make the movie appear like a truly gripping piece of cinema.

Hereafter

Clint Eastwood is a movie making machine, churning out at least one film a year, with this actually being his second for UK audiences in 2010.  'Hereafter' explores the theme of death and how it explores people in different ways. Starring Matt Damon, playing a medium, 'Herafter' looks both exciting and touching, exploring themes which are always thought provoking, such as the afterlife.

The Fighter

Another film with Oscar Buzz surrounding it's performances, 'The Fighter' stars Mark Wahlberg as boxer Micky Ward and his brother who helped him train before going professional in the mid 1980s. The central buzz on this film is on supporting performances from Melissa Leo and Christian Bale, who has gone under another severe physical transformation for this role. The movie seems to be filled with a great deal of heart and soul, thanks to the performances and is therefore bound to make for an inspirational piece of cinema.

Rabbit Hole

Based on a play by David Lindsay-Abaire, who has also written the screenplay, 'Rabbit Hole' tells the story of how a happy couple's life is turned upside down after the death of their son in an accident. 'Rabbit Hole' star Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart as the couple, who judging from the trailer and critical response deliver top notch performances. If executed correctly, this move is bound to be a tearjerker.

Brighton Rock

A remake of the 1947 movie of the same name, 'Brighton Rock' a film which charts the headlong fall of a razor-wielding disadvantaged teenager with a religious death wish. This movie falls into the crime/thriller genre but also includes a love story of sorts at it's core. Sam Riley stars in the lead role, and is supported by a strong cast including Helen Mirren. This movie looks like it could be one of Britain's strongest movies to come out within the next year.

Animal Kingdom

'Animal Kingdom' is an Australian movie which tells the story of seventeen year-old josh as he navigates his own survival amongst an explosive criminal family and the detective who think s he can save him. This movie has already gone down well in Australia, receiving numerous strong reviews for the picture itself and it's performances, some of which even rumoured to be entered for Oscar contention, particularly that of Jacki Weaver. This movie was the winner of the Grand Jury Prize at this years Sundance Film Festival, so is certainly one to look out for.

Blue Valentine

This movie has been given numerous strong reviews thanks to strong performances from Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams, which are said to be 'heartbreaking'. The film follows a contemporary married couple, noting the changes that occur over a time span of a few years by cross-cutting between time periods. The trailer paints the picture of a nice love story sort of picture, but this is said to be the compete opposite.

Never Let Me Go

I have been excited about this film for almost a year now, and as the UK release keeps getting pushed back I have to wait longer and longer to see it. It stars Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley and Andrew Garfield in the adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's novel. It tells the story of three children who spend their childhood at a seemingly idyllic English boarding school. As they grow into young adults, they find that they have to come to terms with the strength of the love they feel for each other, while preparing themselves for the haunting reality that awaits them. This film has been given a series of very strong reviews, and a release near to awards season could perhaps boost its chances of getting a nod or two.

Howl

Howl details the obscenity trials which poet Allen Ginsberg had to face after the publication of his masterpiece poem 'Howl'. Ginsberg is played by James Franco, in what looks like another fantastic turn from the actor who's work appears to be getting stronger and stronger. With a strong supporting cast consisting of the wonderful Mary-Louise Parker, Jon Hamm and Jeff Daniels, this movie seems like it will be a must watch.

The Way Back

Peter Weir directs 'The Way Back' which features a strong cast consisting of:  Ed Harris, Jim Sturgess, Saoirse Ronan and Colin Farrell in a fact based story centred on soldiers who escaped from a Siberian gulag in 1940. This movie has received reviews praising it  on the strength of it's performances and story. There is also a lot of talk of the movie being in with a shot at receiving a few nods during awards season. The movie looks like an intense and gripping watch.