Weeks 1-7

Introduction

The aim of the original idea from which this is adapted is to read 50 books this year and list them here. There's no way I'd manage that, to be honest. Yes, I'm an English Lit student -- that doesn't mean I read! So my version is to try to watch 100 films this year and, of course, list them here. This is 100 films I've never seen before mind, so constantly re-watching old favourites won't get me anywhere. Neither will the Bond-in-order thing I have planned for some point, what with me having seen them all before. Oh dear.

Anyway, I shall also be giving the films a rating out of 5 and a review. No doubt these will be of varying lengths -- knowing me they'll start as a single short sentence and progress to 10,000 word essays on each. But we'll see. And various virtually-useless accompanying notes, like where I saw them (e.g. cinema, DVD, TV), the year they were made, and who directed them. Just cos I will.


Weeks One to Seven

So we begin here, covering weeks one to seven of this year. The week beginning 26th February is week nine, for those who don't know -- I'll get to covering week eight soon, and indeed week nine in time also. For these first seven weeks I can't remember the precise order I watched the films in, so they're grouped in a bit of alphabetical order and a bit in what I can remember of their relation to each other. To be honest, I think they're just a bit of a mess now.


1) Eragon (2006, Stefen Fangmeier, cinema) 2/5
The first film I saw in 2007, and I saw it on New Years Day! Eragon wants to be the next Lord of the Rings / Harry Potter / Narnia, especially with its utter lack of resolution at the end, but it just isn't. It has its entertaining moments, but it's also lumbered with huge lumps of bad dialogue, bad acting and fantasy cliches abound. I have no idea how it compares to the book.

2) Thumbsucker (2005, Mike Mills, DVD) 2/5
I had no desire to see this film, for whatever reason, until I saw the trailer two or three (or more) times at my uni's CinSoc, after which I thought it looked like it could be quite funny and cool. So I rented it, and it disappointed me. It's not a new Donnie Darko, as some would have you believe; it's not that funny either, actually, or that quirky, really. It's not the worst thing ever, but by and large it's best avoided.

3) Basil the Great Mouse Detective (1986, Ron Clements, Burny Mattinson, Dave Michener & John Musker, DVD) 4/5
A seriously underrated Disney film, though it does appear to have a substantially large cult following based on it being seriously underrated! If you like your Disneys musical this may be one to avoid, though the couple of songs present are quite decent, but if you're a Sherlock Holmes fan you should definitely catch it.

4) Boogie Nights (1997, Paul Thomas Anderson, DVD) 4/5
I loved Magnolia. I thought Punch-Drunk Love was dire. And this is how I come to Boogie Nights. I didn't fall for it in the same way I did for Magnolia, but it is nonetheless a very good film that shows a step on the path to that more complex and more rewarding picture. One I may get a better feel for when I see it again some day.

5) A Cock and Bull Story (2005, Michael Winterbottom, DVD) 3/5
I forget which British paper described this as "the best film ever, ever, ever". It may've been The Guardian. They're not right, of course, but it has its moments -- most of them courtesy of the excellent Rob Brydon, who far outshines Steve Coogan. It's worth watching for the former alone.

6) Octopussy (1983, John Glen, DVD) 4/5
I dislike Roger Moore as Bond, mostly based on the number of piss-poor films he starred in. It seems I may just have been watching the wrong ones. Whereas FYEO (see below) is relatively widely praised, Octopussy is relatively widely panned. I'm not sure why. Yes, there's a crap bit for about 10 minutes in the middle; yes, the clown outfit is a little silly; but, for the most part, it's pretty darn entertaining. Not the franchise's all time high, but far from the worst entry.

7) For Your Eyes Only (1981, John Glen, DVD) 4/5
As you may have gathered from above, I think that both of these films are fine examples of Bond filmmaking. FYEO is probably the better of the two, but not without its faults -- no Moore film would be complete without some moments that threaten to utterly balls it up, and this one has a painful, outdated comedic ending, as well as an unnecessary pre-titles.

8) Ong-Bak (2003, Prachya Pinkaew, DVD) 4/5
This is a tricky film to rate. The plot is pretty inconsequential and drags things out a bit toward the end, but that's not what you come to a film like Ong-Bak for -- it's here for the action. When it comes (the pointless plot machinations hold it off for a while) it delivers pretty well indeed, with some impressive work from star Tony Jaa. I err on the side of generosity with my score.

9) The Last Days of Pompeii (1913, Mario Caserini & Eleuterio Rodolfi, VHS) 2/5
The fact that it's an old silent film will be enough to put most people off. Some of those are worth seeking out, of course, but I would hesitate to recommend this one. The score may be a little unfair as the plot and execution of it aren't too bad, but somehow I can't bring myself to give it any more.

10) It (1927, Clarence G. Badger, VHS) 3/5
Proof if it were needed that the format of the rom-com has gone largely unchanged for at least 80 years! In that respect It makes for a fairly entertaining film, with some story elements that modern audiences might find surprisingly, well, modern. Entertaining but not essential.

11) The Pursuit of Happyness (2006, Gabriele Muccino, cinema) 4/5
Will Smith gives up the comedy act and blockbuster action for the sort of true story that you thought only happened in movies. His relationship with his screen-son is impressive acting, til you realise it's his real-life son too, but even that does little to undermine things. It manages to avoid the sugary sentimentality that you might expect and in the process makes for a fair tale of the underdog succeeding. Cute kid too.

12) South Pacific (1958, Joshua Logan, DVD) 3/5
I like a good musical. I wouldn't say I was a fan of the genre on the whole, but I do enjoy good ones. South Pacific, to my mind, is not one of the very best, but it has its moments (and its songs!) and there are some fair points underlining the plot. If you don't like musicals this one probably won't convert you; if you're a musical fan... well, you've probably already seen it!

13) Romance & Cigarettes (2005, John Turturro, DVD) 3/5
I was attracted to this because it was billed as a modern musical, with an impressive cast. Tsk. Some people are put off by the musical tag -- well, don't be. The characters occasionally sing along to some popular songs (and sometimes to ones you've never heard in your life), and sometimes do fun dance routines. This sits at odds with the gritty-ish melodrama of the plot, but that's the fun. It's worth a punt, but expect to dislike it.

14) The Prestige (2006, Christopher Nolan, cinema) 4/5
The latest effort from the director of Memento and Batman Begins is an intriguing one. A well-handled complex narrative (it again jumps about in time, but never to the audience's confusion), even if the twists are relatively easy to guess. A credit, then, that the film doesn't totally rely on them. I'm a big fan of Nolan's work and definitely continue to be; this may gain that missing point on re-viewing. See it.

15) This is Spinal Tap (1984, Rob Reiner, DVD) 4/5
I think my viewing of Spinal Tap may have suffered from years of hype. In some ways it was exactly what I'd expected; in others, not. There are plenty of funny moments, and the odd hilarious one (Stonehenge), but there were times when I felt a little underwhelmed by it. Maybe you had to be there; maybe it is indeed a victim of hype.