Sunday, 31 October 2010
Friday, 29 October 2010
Wednesday, 27 October 2010
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Tuesday, 26 October 2010
Monday, 25 October 2010
Sunday, 24 October 2010
Saturday, 23 October 2010
Friday, 22 October 2010
Thursday, 21 October 2010
Wednesday, 20 October 2010
Tuesday, 19 October 2010
Monday, 18 October 2010
Sunday, 17 October 2010
Saturday, 16 October 2010
Friday, 15 October 2010
Thursday, 14 October 2010
Wednesday, 13 October 2010
Tuesday, 12 October 2010
2010 Challenge – Month 9 Stats
(I've committed to these updates now, and I need to see them though)
To recap, I’m aiming to watch 450 films by the end of the year but a minimum of 80% of that total has to be stuff which I have never seen before.
As predicted, with the onset of darker evenings and autumnal snugness, the watching of films has increased. I might be wrong but I'm pretty sure that this month's total of 45 is a record for a 'normal' month's film watching (i.e. outside of EIFF). It's certainly the best I've done in a while. There was scarcely a day where no film was watched and, indeed, many days involved more than one.
It may have been the perceived slackness of August's endeavours spurring me on, or it may have had more to do with the post-Fringe lack of money. It might just be that being a mere three short of my 300 target at the two-thirds point left me feeling this would be achievable.
The 45 this month should set me in good stead, leaving me ever-so-slightly ahead of target with just 108 to go in the final quarter of the year. That's means a breezy 36 films a month should see me through.
So, here's where I stand at month 9's end:
September:
Total films watched: 45
First-time viewings: 39
Percentage of first-time viewings: 86.7%
Cumulative monthly total: 342
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 296
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 86.5%
Best Films: Dogtooth, Enter The Void, The Other Guys, The Town, Cyrus, World’s Greatest Dad, The Scouting Book For Boys, The Hole, Irreversible, Se7en, Mother, Heartless, Small Faces, Calvaire, I Stand Alone
Worst Films: Bonded By Blood, Grown Ups, The Brown Bunny, The Final, French Film, The Loved Ones
September 2009 Comparison:
Total films watched: 36
First-time viewings: 27
Percentage of first-time viewings: 75.0%
Cumulative monthly total: 290
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 238
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 82.1%
The percentage of unseen films has held last month’s position, so that’s something. With A V+ box full of stuff, a stack of cheap DVDs from Fopp and a load of films I’m looking forward to out soon, I should be okay in terms of the ‘new’.
I can allow myself check out a few old favourites (particularly horrors) this month without jeopardising the total too much.
Things are looking positive for a relatively comfortable trot down the home straight. A holiday might be the only hurdle to overcome but I ain’t complaining. I’ll almost certainly have built up a bit of leeway to account for it anyway.
Aaaaand, relax.
To recap, I’m aiming to watch 450 films by the end of the year but a minimum of 80% of that total has to be stuff which I have never seen before.
As predicted, with the onset of darker evenings and autumnal snugness, the watching of films has increased. I might be wrong but I'm pretty sure that this month's total of 45 is a record for a 'normal' month's film watching (i.e. outside of EIFF). It's certainly the best I've done in a while. There was scarcely a day where no film was watched and, indeed, many days involved more than one.
It may have been the perceived slackness of August's endeavours spurring me on, or it may have had more to do with the post-Fringe lack of money. It might just be that being a mere three short of my 300 target at the two-thirds point left me feeling this would be achievable.
The 45 this month should set me in good stead, leaving me ever-so-slightly ahead of target with just 108 to go in the final quarter of the year. That's means a breezy 36 films a month should see me through.
So, here's where I stand at month 9's end:
September:
Total films watched: 45
First-time viewings: 39
Percentage of first-time viewings: 86.7%
Cumulative monthly total: 342
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 296
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 86.5%
Best Films: Dogtooth, Enter The Void, The Other Guys, The Town, Cyrus, World’s Greatest Dad, The Scouting Book For Boys, The Hole, Irreversible, Se7en, Mother, Heartless, Small Faces, Calvaire, I Stand Alone
Worst Films: Bonded By Blood, Grown Ups, The Brown Bunny, The Final, French Film, The Loved Ones
September 2009 Comparison:
Total films watched: 36
First-time viewings: 27
Percentage of first-time viewings: 75.0%
Cumulative monthly total: 290
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 238
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 82.1%
The percentage of unseen films has held last month’s position, so that’s something. With A V+ box full of stuff, a stack of cheap DVDs from Fopp and a load of films I’m looking forward to out soon, I should be okay in terms of the ‘new’.
I can allow myself check out a few old favourites (particularly horrors) this month without jeopardising the total too much.
Things are looking positive for a relatively comfortable trot down the home straight. A holiday might be the only hurdle to overcome but I ain’t complaining. I’ll almost certainly have built up a bit of leeway to account for it anyway.
Aaaaand, relax.
Monday, 11 October 2010
Sunday, 10 October 2010
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Friday, 8 October 2010
Thursday, 7 October 2010
Wednesday, 6 October 2010
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Monday, 4 October 2010
Sunday, 3 October 2010
The Final
(2010) **1/2This film strikes close to the heart of many of us. Anyone who spent a considerable length of time and effort trying to avoid a bully in school. I know all too well the knot that suddenly erupts in your stomach when they enter a room. After school they stand waiting to harass causing that abrupt end to an otherwise pleasant day. Fortunately I only had to suffer the wrath of one of these evil brutes. The dreaded female man-beast with steel wool hair and a four inch gap between her teeth. The thought of her makes me shudder. Lucky for me she got transferred to a new school after making my Freshman year a living hell. The worst off were those certain students that seemed to have a huge target on their backs. Those kids who you can clearly remember getting picked on from grammar school on up. The Final revolves around just such a group of these easy marks. They get together and devise a plan to exact revenge on their tormenters.
The problem I had with The Final is that the bullies were bully enough. The wimps weren't wimpy enough either. I really wanted to feel like I could cheer them on but it just didn't do it for me. Without that sense of justification any pipe in the ass effect is going to be weak at best. I think they were going for more of a reality feeling. Although I can appreciate the effort, nothing beats a solid revenge flick with a satisfying pipe in the ass.
Frozen
(2010) ***
Best buddies Dan and Joe have an annual tradition of spending one weekend a year skiing various New England slopes as a way to decompress and leave their problems behind. Unfortunately for Joe one of his “problems” comes along for the weekend in the form of Dan’s ditzy girlfriend, Parker. Parker is not a very good snowboarder and the day is mostly spent on the bunny slopes, much to the chagrin of Joe. Joe eventually expresses his frustrations and declares that he is going to hit the expert slopes for the last run of the day. The others agree to join him. As the sun begins to set and the resort starts ending its daily operations, the cheapskate trio convinces a lift operator to allow them on for one more ride. This proves to be a fatal mistake.
Through a series of misunderstandings the lift operator switches with another, who is unaware that there are people still en route to the top of the mountain. Midway up they are horrified when the lift stops moving and all the lights go out. Their predicament soon becomes apparent when their cries go unanswered and there is a missed opportunity with a snowplow passing through. It is here where the film really begins and I would recommend anyone willing to watch this icy mess to start their viewing at this point.
There is plenty of time for the three to digest the true horror of their situation. Fear evolves into anger as the three begin pointing fingers at one another in an effort to place blame somewhere. As the night wears on and the temperature drops to zero they conclude that drastic measures must be taken lest they inevitably perish on the lift. Was that a wolf howl in the distance?
I love “predicament” stories and Frozen dovetails nicely with similar films including the Open Water series and The Ruins. These kinds of films are perfect fodder for asking yourself what you would do if you were one of the characters. Unfortunately Frozen only partially delivers the goods. Although there is some gore and tense moments, the story is ultimately wrapped up too easily and there are missed opportunities for some truly terrifying situations.
There are also a few nitpicks that anyone who has ever skied would have caught during the making of this film. For example, despite the falling temperatures, never once to we see the characters’ breath. Also, for anyone who has ever ridden a ski lift even in the best of weather conditions would know that you never have your gloves off lest risk almost immediate frost bite. Parker keeps one of her bare hands exposed to the elements for the majority of the story, which is utterly ridiculous. Finally, why not use a cell phone? The last time I skied I actually filmed the slope with my phone while simultaneously emailing it to Whirlygirl. The characters never once mention cell phones, which in 2010 makes little sense – at least establish that they are unable to acquire a signal!
Perhaps I’m being a bit too hard on Frozen. Ultimately I liked the characters and the setting. I just think that a little more attention to detail and some added moments of terror would have punched up my rating. Check it out for fun but lower your expectations.
Saturday, 2 October 2010
Island of Terror
(1966) ***This was a lot like my last film, in that it I saw it once when I was a kid and it involves folks menaced by critters that are low to the ground and tentacled. This was a big improvement in most ways. For instance, you get to see what the damn monster looks like. Sure, it's a littls silly, but if it gets you it injects an enzyme that dissolves all your bones.
The island in question is off the coast of Scotland, and boy is it isolated. Much chatter is spent to offhandly mention there are no phones, one supply boat a week, and one emergency launch, "our only connection to the mainland," which is then left on the mainland so the dude can return in a helicopter, which then has to leave right away. So, yes, all alone.
Aw, I tease the folks on Petrie's Island, but they're a good bunch to have along in a monster movie. The critters make a lot of noise and don't move too fast, but nontheless the players in this movie do a decent job of convincing you that they're scary, albeit in a dry, British way.
I recommend watching the trailer below, which takes pains to reveal no hint of the monster, and is thus occasionally hilarious in its attempts to build tension and drama. Peter Cushing walks across a room and Bum Bum Bah! Trips on something! The serious "are we going to get out of this speech" is great because the answer is a long-winded "I would place our chances at less than 100%" Also the narrator's last line is hilarious.
As might be clear, the aformentioned helicopter contains a couple of scientists to come and tell everyone what to do. The eagerness with which the locals whisk around following orders is delightful, enough to make you want to ignore that their plan is to all gather in one delicious ball of monster food because not one of these islanders ever thought to own a boat.
You also want to like these monsters, because that noise is actually pretty cool (something I remembered from seeing it as a kid), and the whole dissolving-bones thing is creepy in an arch, sciency way. It's enough to ignore the slowness, fakeness and magical power of defeating the limitations of height by having your short little bodies offscreen.
Also worth mentioning is the odd bit of padding here and there, and some overly ambitious bombastic musical moments. The absolute winner in both categories is the hilariously long "we're putting on radiation suits" scene, made doubly hilarious by the suits' resemblance to giant body condoms.
Island of Terror transcends its shortcomings because it takes itself seriously enough that you want to like it. It's like a good creepy British short story that you read in an armchair one rainy day. Hot chocolate, marshmallows, slippers. Good stuff.
