134 – Sin City (2005)

Swastika throwing things.Cool.

Here we have Frank Millers Sin City,a fucking feast for the eyes.There’s about 3 or 4 stories that all seem to overlap at some stage throughout the film.Some quite subtlety./The cast for the film is astounding,tons of recognisable faces some not so recognisable (Mickey Rourke) and the overall aesthetic of the film just blows me away.I know there is a series of books and I had heard some time ago there would be a trilogy but eight years in and still nothing.You may have seen one of  Millers other graphic novels which has been turned into a film,300,shot in a similar style with the excessive blood splattering and all that.I can’t get into the plot for Sin City because it would take too long.All i can say is;if you haven’t seen it,then go see it.

IMDB RATING      -     8.2
MY RATING     –    8.6
SEEN BEFORE     –     YES
RECOMMEND?     –     YES
OVERALL     –  AMAZEBALLS.TONS OF TITS AND ASS IN IT TOO.

135 – The Gold Rush (1925)

I’ve eaten worse.Wilmas stuffed peppers.

Here we have Charlie Chaplin in a silent movie.Slap stick comedy at its finest.The little tramp finds his way to Alaska in search of his fortune.Unprepared it doesn’t take long for him to get lost in the snow and end up in the cabin of a wanted man.There’s a tussle and the big dude bolts it.So he’s holed up here for a bit then shoots a bear eats it and heads to the nearest town.He meets a girl he likes and then we have the classic Disney – Boy likes girl,boy not good enough for girl,girl leads him on,boy thinks its real,girl stands him up,boy crys and leaves.What a bitch.But wait!then the tramp who she was fucking with his head is now a millionaire!And they all lived happily ever after.Horse shit.This film was about 30 minutes too long.

IMDB RATING      -     8.2
MY RATING     –    6
SEEN BEFORE     –     NO
RECOMMEND?     –     NO
OVERALL     –  GOOD SLAP STICK,BUT THE STORY WITH THE GIRL IS TRIPE.

136 – Strangers on a Train (1951)

i was framed i tell ye,framed!

The best Hitchcock so far and once again it’s about ‘the perfect murder’.All three films I’ve watched so far have pretty much the same story.Guy thinks he has the perfect crime,commits said crime,blabs about it in public and gets caught.What makes this one a step above the others are all the clever camera effects he uses.Here’s a few I’ll mention:The one in the picture of the murder reflected in the victims glasses that lay on the ground,the lighter glowing in the woman’s eyes in a later scene and finally the scene where Guy hits Bruno in the face.The film is called Strangers on a Train but the title is incorrect.While Guy knows nothing about Bruno,Bruno knows everything about Guy.You see Guy is a tennis player and has some celebrity status and is in the media.The basis plot is they both have someone they want dead so why not switch.Criss-cross.Bruno is serious and follows through much to Guys amazement. In the end Bruno turns out to be a mental case.

IMDB RATING      -     8.2
MY RATING     –    8.3
SEEN BEFORE     –     NO
RECOMMEND?     –     YES
OVERALL     –  SO MANY FILMS HAVE RIFFED ON THIS PLOT.WATCH THE ORIGINAL.

137 – Jaws (1975)

No shit Sherlock

Was there ever a movie about sharks before Jaws?I know they’re a dime a dozen now with Sharkoctapus and Megashark and Deep Blue Sea but i think it was Jaws that spawned them all.The first to die in this film,like all 80′s films,is someone who goes skinny dipping.The next day the guy who was swimming with her is walking the beach with the cop,Schneider,and he casually says “huh,i guess she drowned then”.Nonchalant  like,as if he was saying ‘i guess she lost her flip flops last night’.Callous fucker.Well as things progress the shark hangs around and eats a kid,then a man on a tiny boat and maybe one or two others by the end.The mayor wants to down play the whole thing because the 4th of July is coming up and the town is mainly for tourists.I wont go into the plot too much but there are some great performances form Richard Dreyfus,his laugh and dry wit crack me up,and the hard ass captain.The final 30 minutes i can’t flault.SFX are good,acting spot on and a good balance of dialogue with action.

IMDB RATING      -     8.2
MY RATING     –    8.4
SEEN BEFORE     –     YES
RECOMMEND?     –     YES
OVERALL     –  JOHN WILLIAMS SCORE IS EERILY HAUNTING.

138 – No Country for Old Men (2007)

This shot looks just like Andy Warhols Elvis as a cowboy print.

A Coen Brothers film here and they’re back on form too.They had a couple of flops preceding this film,but you the way the work.They usually do a comedy than a serious film.I think if the casting had been different then this film could have been a bit further down the list.Josh Brolin has come a long way since The goonies.If you’ve been living in a cave,or Ireland,and haven’t seen it i’ll outline the plot for you.Brolin stumbles on a drug deal gone awry and decides to take 2 million from the scene.He’s then persude by a crazy bounty hunter hired to find him played by Bardem.Bardem says ‘fuck that’ and kills the guys who hired him and goes for the whole 2 million.So the Woody Harillson is hired to get the money and/or kill Bardem all the while Tommy Lee Jones is chasing whoever he can find.It’s a long film and when you think it’s over there’s always more and then all of a sudden,boom,roll credits.The first time i watched it it must have taken me an hour to realise it’s set in the 70′s.

IMDB RATING      -     8.2
MY RATING     –    8.2
SEEN BEFORE     –     YES
RECOMMEND?     –     YES
OVERALL     –  ACTING/CINEMATOGRAPHY/LIGHTING ALL BELOW PAR.EXCELLENT.

139 – It Happened One Night (1934)

The annoying singing car driver.

It Happened One Night is a bit of a misleading title.The film is about a wall street millionaires daughter who is being held captive by her father escaping and trying to cross america in order to meet her husband who she eloped with against her fathers wishes.On this journey,which spans 3 nights,she meets Clark Gable.Clark looks out for her as she’s a spoiled brat and hasn’t a clue about anything.She gets robbed of her luggage and money so Gable tries to take her to New York.There’s a few pretty bits along the way.And obviously they fall for each other,but in classic stories like this wires get crossed and they get split up.The last 15 minutes of the film are tough,you keep thinking will they won’t they hook up.Good film.Maybe if ten minutes were shaved off it somewhere it would be better.

IMDB RATING      -     8.2
MY RATING     –    8.1
SEEN BEFORE     –     NO
RECOMMEND?     –     YES
OVERALL     –  A CLASSIC.GOOD SING SONG ON THE BUS SCENE.

140 – Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)

I’ll just throw my box of stuff right down these

stairsA Guy Richie film,fuck where do i begin?I think if you’re going to watch one of his films do just that.Watch ONLY one because they all have the exact same plot.There’s two groups ,good guys and bad guys.The good guys get fucked over by the bad guys and have X amount of days to sort it.They finally sort it.They they get ripped off or there’s a shoot out.Things look bad and finally it all works out okay in the end.All the while this formula is set in a London gangster scene.Throw in 200 classic indie tracks and wahey you have a Guy Richie film.On wait i forgot,you need a voice over because evidently you’re not being spoon fed enough.No character development.No fatal flaws.No nothing.I find his films tripe and I’ve seen them all.But i can see how they appeal to the masses.Load enough music and drug references and Joe-public will like it.

IMDB RATING      -     8.1
MY RATING     –    7
SEEN BEFORE     –     YES
RECOMMEND?     –     NO
OVERALL     –  DON’T BOTHER.IF YOU HAVE TO WATCH ONE RICHIE FILM SEE SNATCH.