June 2012

Posted on June 30, 2012 by badblokebob

It’s officially the halfway point of the year. How are things going?

Fine.

Yeah — another month over, and another that hasn’t gone as well as it might. From the 10-film lead I’d built up by the end of March, I’m now crushingly only just ahead of target. Still, it’s not my worst year ever: I’d only reached 45 at this point in 2008, and 38 in 2009. (For what it’s worth, the best is last year’s 67.)

Despite the end of June ostensibly being halfway through the year, I’d actually be on target with only 49: thanks to February and August breaking the pattern of month-lengths, the halfway-point in days actually falls just inside July (even in a leap year). But that’s swings and roundabouts; and besides, the way I go about things, it pays more to look at the year in terms of months rather than days.

June’s films

#47 Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)
#48 The Beast Stalker, aka Ching yan (2008)
#49 The Spiral Staircase (2000)
#50 The Lost Weekend (1945)
#50a Toy Story Toons: Hawaiian Vacation (2011)
#51 Cars 2 (2011)

John Carter

I was going to watch John Carter and review it tomorrow. Life got in the way. The story’s the same for so many other things I’ve intended to watch recently (it took me a week longer than intended to watch The Lost Weekend, a rare success story). Will try to watch it soon regardless. I’m very curious.

Next time on the all-new 100 Films in a Year monthly update…

Most years at this point I’m quite far ahead. Of the two where I wasn’t, one just scraped 100, the other was my only failure to date.

No pressure to get things back on track, July!

Apologies to my email subscribers

Aside

Apologies to everyone who has subscribed to this blog for the flood of post notification emails that follow this one. I appreciate you signing up to follow me and have tried not to inundate you with this kind of thing — I still have the best part of 600 posts to bring over from my old blog, and have yet to find a way to add an old post without it sending out a corresponding email. If you happen to know of one, please let me know somehow — comment on this post, perhaps.

Thanks for your patience.

May 2012

Posted on May 31, 2012 by badblokebob

May has proven to be a tough month, for various reasons. None of them directly relating to my film viewing (though writing off my car fully put paid to belated plans to see The Avengers; it’s a definite BD watch now), but they’ve just generally got in the way.

So May becomes this year’s low viewing month, with just five new films watched. Could be worse, and at least I remain a few films ahead of target (five, to be precise).

And I think I posted more reviews this month than I have for a while, so that’s good too… even if it was only seven. Oh dear.

May’s films

#42 The Return of the Musketeers (1989)
#43 The Negotiator (1998)
#44 Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)
#45 Scre4m (2011)
#46 The Scarlet Claw (1944)

Next time on the all-new 100 Films in a Year monthly update…

Just four more films in June would see me stay on track, but hopefully next month will pan out a little better than that and I’ll remain ahead. I’ll let you know in 30 days…

How the Avengers assembled

Posted on May 5, 2012 by badblokebob

With The Avengers hitting multiplexes Stateside this weekend, having already spent nearly a fortnight breaking or challenging various records around the rest of the world, and with me not having seen it or written my Thor review yet, I figured now was a good time to bring over the reviews from my old blog that cover the films leading up to it.

Plus Ang Lee’s Hulk into the bargain.

So follow these links for my thoughts on…

And let’s not forget the first Avenger, Captain America, whose film I reviewed the other day.

And I’ll have my Thor review up as soon as I get round to it too.

And I really ought to go see Avengers Assemble…

April 2012

Posted on April 30, 2012 by badblokebob

33.3% through 2012…

41% through 100 films

Another month over with not many reviews posted. That backlog is getting quite ridiculous now. No significant strategy for getting caught up with it, I’m afraid to say, other than that I do aim to tackle it. Plus the leftovers from last year! Some may need a re-watch; alternatively, I may attempt another Ip Man-style summary.

Viewing progresses well though. Not as many new titles as previous months — down to seven features versus 10, 13 and 11 from previous months — but as #41 is the target for the end of May, I’m happy.

April’s films

#35 Repo Chick (2009)
#36 Chatroom (2010)
#37 Thor (2011)
#37a Marvel One-Shot: The Consultant (2011)
#38 Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
#38a Marvel One-Shot: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor’s Hammer (2011)
#39 Drive Angry (2011)
#40 Special (2006)
#41 Conan the Barbarian (2011)

Catching up on 2011

Recent weeks seem to have seen a fresh inundation of 2011 releases hitting home entertainment formats — The Adventures of Tintin, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol are all among my purchases this month, with The Artist, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, War Horse and more imminent. That’s not to mention stuff released earlier that I’ve still not got round to, like Cowboys & Aliens, Green Lantern, Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Transformers: Dark of the Moon (not that I’ve deigned to buy all of those). As the 2012 blockbuster season officially kicks off (I think we can call The Avengers‘ already-happened international debut & forthcoming US release that), it’s about time I performed my usual trick of catching up on last year’s big hitters.

Next time on the all-new 100 Films in a Year monthly update…

Goodness knows. But some of the above, I should imagine. And I haven’t even mentioned all the exciting catalogue releases that have been happening recently!

March 2012

Posted on April 1, 2012 by badblokebob

2012 is one-third done already. Honestly, where does the time go?

March madness?

March hasn’t gone quite as well as previous months, with 11 films watched. Nonetheless, 11 isn’t bad at all — the average needed to reach 100 by the end of December is just eight, and I ‘only’ watched 10 in January, and with a boost of 13 from February I’m still well ahead of target (which, for the end of March, is 24).

Things feel worse than they are because I haven’t really been writing or posting reviews. Just five all month, in fact, which has left me with a quite extraordinary backlog of 36. And to think, the reason I started that “coming soon” page was because I’d reached a ludicrously high number of unposted reviews, and that number was 10. Shame on me, etc.

March’s films

#24 Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
#25 The Lady Eve (1941)
#26 The Other Guys (2010)
#27 Stepping Out (1991)
#28 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)
#29 The Court Jester (1956)
#30 Serpico (1973)
#31 The Last Airbender (2010)
#32 Rules of Engagement (2000)
#33 Megamind (2010)
#34 Despicable Me (2010)

Next time on the all-new 100 Films in a Year monthly update…

Every last one of those is courtesy of Sky Movies, the lingering after-effect of the Oscars. That’s gone now though (I think), so it’s time to start work on my DVD/BD pile and LOVEFiLM’s whims. I should start (as mentioned last month(!)) with those Marvel films I’ve not watched. Other than that, I make no promises. And it would be foolish of me to even promise them, based on my track record.

5 Years of 100 Films, Part 6

Posted on March 3, 2012 by badblokebob

As a final salvo in my fifth birthday celebration (yes, normal service resumes next week), here’s something I was kindly awarded by Colin of Riding the High Country… back in December. Couldn’t find quite the right outlet for it. Or, to be more honest, couldn’t think of the answer to one of the questions. You’ll spot my solution.

But now is most appropriate, because what better time for such a self-reflective award than when I’m already looking back at five years of my own blog? Hurrah! Thank you, Colin.

1) Tell everyone something that no one else knows about.

100 Films is certainly my most successful blog, in terms of both longevity and readership, but over the years I’ve set up loads of others for various reasons. To give you some idea of how good I am at sticking at them, there are nine blogs currently associated with my Blogger account and here’s how long each lasted, arranged from shortest to longest:

0 posts
1 post
1 post
1 post
29 posts
40 posts
91 posts
3,749 posts

OK, one other I stuck at.

2) Link to one of my posts that I personally think best fits the following categories:

Most Beautiful Piece
I suppose there’s an element of interpretation involved when applying this category to a film review blog. I toyed with a few where I got clever with the pictures (try the filenames on that last one), but decided that was too literal and I should look at the writing. So I say Is Anybody There?, because I think I did a decent job of tapping in to and explaining the film’s own beauty.

Most Helpful Piece
I don’t know if I’m ever particularly helpful, but my review of Inception is ludicrously long and detailed and was described as “great” — that must have something useful in it, right?

Most Popular Piece
I looked to my hit stats for this, but the top few are bolstered by regular spam hits (based on where my spam comments go) so I thought I best discount them. Instead I’m going to say my reviews of The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight: The IMAX Experience, a connected pair that sat pretty atop my list of most-viewed posts until the spam started flooding in. (Neither are in the top 10 any more, but, as I said, I don’t trust that.)

Most Controversial Piece
I wouldn’t say I’m all that controversial… though I did put the widely reviled Alien Resurrection in a top ten, so… But it’s not my love for that I’ve chosen, but instead Sucker Punch. It was slagged off by everyone, but I was impressed enough to defend it for over 1,900 words.

Most Surprisingly Successful Piece
Looking back, this one surprises me even now: Wallander: The Revenge, the theatrically-released second season premiere of the Krister Henriksson Wallander series. It got three comments — that’s a lot for me anyway, especially on something like that — and is the second most-viewed post. But that might be spam.

Most Underrated Piece
All of them! No, I jest. There are a few lengthy in-depth ones I could choose, but maybe I’d go with Trainspotting — I was very pleased with the concept behind that one.

Most Pride-worthy Piece
I could say the fact that I’ve written lengthy reviews of all seven Saw films, but that would be seven posts not one. Looking back, I surprised myself with how many of my reviews I’m actually quite proud of, so I’m going to really cheat and say two, for different reasons: Ministry of Fear, because I liked the idea of how much I go on about the cake and I think I nailed it (unlike some of my other attempts at humour), and Watchmen, because it’s rare one gets to write a well-informed review on a blog all about first viewings, and I think that (and its companion Director’s Cut review) are exactly that.

I feel like I should now go on to highlight seven that fail in these regards (especially as I’ve basically cheated and linked to 23 posts across those seven categories), and I’m sure I could, but maybe that wouldn’t be in the spirit.

3) Pass this award on to seven other bloggers.

This is where I once again realise I don’t read enough blogs. It rather defeats the object to leave this one out (it’s called a “link” award, after all), but I fear I shall have to return to it at a later date. But I will — I’m making a list, and checking it twice.

(That I’m actually Santa would’ve been good for that first fact, eh.)

That’s it!

Time to stop patting myself on the back and get back to regular business. And so, I shall.

5 Years of 100 Films, Part 5

Posted on March 2, 2012 by badblokebob

100 Films in a Year is five years old this week, and to mark the occasion I’m having five days of top fives from the past five years. On Monday I bemoaned the five worst films I’ve seen as part of this project, on Tuesday I slammed the five most overrated, on Wednesday I lamented the five most underrated, and yesterday I selected the five best.

For today’s final list, then, I’ve chosen…

My 5 Favourite Films

Dark City
A strong contender for “most underrated” — despite being championed by the likes of Roger Ebert, Dark City still seems to have slipped largely under the radar. It’s a dystopian sci-fi tale that thematically prefigures The Matrix trilogy, without getting as bogged down in its own self-importance as those sequels did.

The Dark Knight
I haven’t seen this since the cinema, so maybe there’s a degree of nostalgia in my love for it. Or maybe it’s just a great action-thriller that happens to star a man who dresses as a bat (not that Batman actually looks like a bat). At the time I asserted it was one of the greatest films ever made, and IMDb’s Top 250 continues to bear that out: it’s currently 8th.

Kick-Ass
Controversy dogged Kick-Ass‘ release, both for its foul-mouthed murderous pre-teen and geek hype not translating to box office dollars. Those who dismiss it underrate it (some high-profile critics were shockingly blind to its intentions) and only a US-centric view holds it a flop: it did OK Stateside, well worldwide, and was a huge hit on DVD & Blu-ray.

Sherlock Holmes
After placing this 8th on my 2010 favourites (behind six not included here) and seeing it again, I’ve realised I love it. Funny, exciting, with some of the best-directed examples of how it would feel to be Holmes. Plus it’s got a proper mystery with a proper solution. It may not be a traditional take on the character, but it’s surprisingly faithful and bloody good fun.

Zodiac: Director’s Cut
I love David Fincher’s work, and this was a toss up with The Social Network, but I think I prefer his methodical examination of the real-life hunt for a serial killer and how it affected the lives of the people hunting. With some top-flight performances and virtuoso directing, this might actually be Fincher’s best film. And that’s saying something.

Honourable Mention: Léon (Version Intégrale)
Léon is one of my favourite films. I’ve loved it since a friend lent me the VHS at some point in secondary school. And that’s why, though the extended Version Intégrale was different enough to merit inclusion on the main list (it’s some 23 minutes (21%) longer), I would feel uncomfortable including it in a list culled from new films I’ve seen in the past five years. But it’s still one of my all-time favourites.

P.S.

I note that all but one of these (plus Léon) were new releases during 100 Films‘ existence. Is it a good or a bad thing that my tastes skew modern? I do like older films — I’ve given plenty five stars and regularly enjoy watching them, as I’m sure you’ve noticed — but I don’t tend to place many on my lists of favourites. I wonder why?

And so that’s that…

Five years, 545 new films (not to mention 28 new shorts and 25 other features I decided to review), and just 25 that stuck in the memory. And if you disagreed with any of my choices, particularly if you felt there was something else I’d reviewed that I should have included, then know that I had much longer shortlists for every category. I could do these lists over and quite easily choose another 25; and probably even over again after that; and for some of them, over a few times more beyond that.

But that’s the joy of films, and why we keep searching out new ones rather than only re-watching a few on loop, and why that’s the driving force behind my entire blog — because there’s so much good stuff out there.

Long may it continue.

Tomorrow…

OK, I’m not quite done. One final anniversary-y post tomorrow, then I’ll leave it be. It’s not some stats, but something else I thought appropriate.

5 Years of 100 Films, Part 4

Posted on March 1, 2012 by badblokebob

Choosing films for all of these lists has been tough, but I think today’s was hardest of all. I could easily list another five or ten or twenty films here (Let the Right One In came closest, for some reason; I could also have had The Greatest Film of All Time, which was one of the reasons I left it out — you don’t need me to recommend it (not that some of these need that either)), but these are what I’ve settled on as…

The 5 Best Films

Anatomy of a Murder
I’m not one of the hardcore devotees of the crime genre (the many millions who buy the endless stream of crime paperbacks or watch all the TV cop shows), but I love a great thriller, and this is certainly one. Expertly judged by director Otto Preminger, with a barnstorming performance by Jimmy Stewart, this is a procedural tour de force.

Brief Encounter
Truly a film of another era; one where a romantic affair consists of cups of tea, discussions of the weather, trips to the cinema, tea, guilt, indecision, and more tea. First-class writing, direction and acting convey all the repressed emotions that make it truly British. That and the tea. It may be of another era, but it still shines today.

M
Inspired by real cases, Fritz Lang’s prototypical thriller tells of the hunt for a child killer by both the police and the criminal underworld. Innovative filmmaking helps tell a story that still thrills today, with themes that have an enduring relevance. Loaded with moments of pure cinema, M is essential viewing for any fan of the medium.

Rashomon
So influential its name has become an adjective, Akira Kurosawa’s film is still the archetypal story about conflicting accounts of one event because it does it so well. There are many imitators, but few have done it with such conviction. Add beautiful cinematography, music and performances and you have a masterpiece.

United 93
Before he got sidetracked into action filmmaking, director Paul Greengrass helmed documentary-esque dramas about real events. Here he brings those skills to bear on ‘the other plane’ from 9/11, the one crashed in a field by its brave passengers. But he doesn’t deify them — these are ordinary people in a horrible situation. For that truth, it’s all the better.

Honourable Mention: Blade Runner: The Final Cut
After a couple of decades, Ridley Scott was finally able to realise his ideal Blade Runner. Some prefer the 1992 Director’s Cut; some even like the largely-ignored original release; but, unlike his Alien Director’s Cut (which he admits is an older man having a fiddle), this is Scott’s definitive version. It’s a great film, and by finally existing I deemed it eligible for inclusion, but really it’s a tweaked version of the Director’s Cut and I’d seen that before.

To be continued…

Tomorrow 100 Films’ birthday celebrations continue with my final top five: my favourite films from my last five years of viewing.

After that… well, we’ll see.

February 2012

Posted on February 29, 2012 by badblokebob

In the middle of my self–congratulatory fifth anniversary posts, it’s time to pause to look back at the month that just was.

More and less

I watched 13 films this February, exactly the same number as I watched last year. I’ve ended up two behind this point last year, though, because I watched two less in January. Damn you January! Funny thing is, last year it felt like a sprint to get to this point, whereas this year it feels like I’ve been pushing less hard. Either way, I’m seven films ahead of target and that’s always good.

Part of the thanks for viewing going so well can be attributed to the Oscars. Not because I’ve been catching up on the nominees (based on form, that’ll take me the next few years/decades), but because in order to watch the increasingly irrelevant ceremony I added Sky Movies to my Virgin Media package for a month, and that now includes hundreds of movies available on demand. Getting value for money ‘n’ all, I’ve been trying to get stuck in to those — hence lots of watching and not so much reviewing. Everything from #14 on is thanks to that.

February’s firteen

#11 The Book of Eli (2010)
#12 Unknown (2011)
#13 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)
#14 Gnomeo & Juliet (2011)
#15 Priest (2011)
#16 Knight and Day (2010)
#17 Unstoppable (2010)
#18 102 Dalmatians (2000)
#19 Devil (2010)
#20 Burke & Hare (2010)
#21 Legion (2010)
#22 The Sum of All Fears (2002)
#23 The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)

Next time on the all-new 100 Films in a Year monthly update…

The influence of Sky Movies may not be over: I subscribed mid-February and it’s for a minimum of one month, meaning I should have it until mid-March (provided I remember to cancel in time). Hopefully it’ll give a similar kick to next month’s total too.

And I really ought to get round to Thor and Captain America — Marvel Avengers Assemble will be irritating us with its needless title change in gloating (but week-before-the-US) 3D before we know it.

100Films.co.uk

100% movies. Except when it's about TV.

Category Archives: Editorials

June 2012

Apologies to my email subscribers

Aside

May 2012

How the Avengers assembled

April 2012

March 2012

5 Years of 100 Films, Part 6

5 Years of 100 Films, Part 5

5 Years of 100 Films, Part 4

February 2012