A brief aside from my Week of the Living Dead now (don’t worry, it will return later today, with my review of Diary of the Dead) for the regular monthly update…
What Do You Mean You Haven’t Seen…?
I was supposed to watch two of these this month, but by giving myself over to Romero for a week I scuppered my own carefully-spaced plans. Nonetheless, I did add tick off one more from the list: ’50s noir chiller The Night of the Hunter. That’s one destined for my year-end top 10, I feel.
Two months left, still four films to go. So much for a neat one-per-month, but at least it’s not an unachievable goal.
#84a Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965)
#85 G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009)
#86 Fast & Furious (2009)
#87 Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)
#88 Lady of Deceit, aka Born to Kill (1947)
#89 Shanghai Noon (2000)
#90 Shanghai Knights (2003)
#91 The Night of the Hunter (1955)
#92 The Tale of Zatoichi, aka Zatôichi monogatari (1962)
#93 Night of the Living Dead (1968)
#93a Toy Story of Terror! (2013)
#94 Dawn of the Dead (1978)
#95 Day of the Dead (1985)
#96 Land of the Dead: Director’s Cut (2005)
#97 Diary of the Dead (2007)
#98 Survival of the Dead (2009)
It’s been an horrific month all round — in terms of viewing content, rather than viewing numbers. Kicking the month off was the godawful G.I. Joe, followed by the little-better fourth Fast & Furious film. After some quality asides, it was into the intentionally horrific: Nights of the Hunter and the Living Dead, the rest of Romero’s zombie cycle, and a brief aside from some family-friendly frights in Toy Story of Terror! I may not have given myself over to 31 days of horror as some people have (it seemed to be all over Letterboxd, anyway), but there was a definite spooky theme to this month’s watching.
That theme carried me to my most successful October ever, and the second-best month of 2013 too (just pipping September’s 13, but a few shy of March’s all-time-second-best 17). It’s also the best-ever end-of-October total for a year in which I didn’t make it to #100 in September. Which is a bit like when a film has the highest-grossing opening weekend for a mid-size 3D release in a non-summer month, or whatever other hoops they have things jump through just to be able to claim it’s “record breaking” these days. That said, having only reached 100 in September twice out of six years, that makes it my third-best end-of-October tally ever.
That tally being 98 means that, with just two months of the year left, I also have only two films left until #100. I think even I can manage an average of one film per month. In fact, my year-to-date average is 9.8 films per month. If I can maintain that, I’d be looking at a total of 118 — not far off the over-120 final totals of my two best years. My viewing often tails off a bit once I pass the 100-films barrier, though, so realistically I’ll be happy with a number closer to 110.
But, hey, we’ll see — as well as my usual viewing, and my toddling-along NOW TV subscription, there are multiple high-profile summer season Blu-ray releases yet. I even bought World War Z, which I said I wasn’t going to do, thanks to a Sainsbury’s exclusive bonus disc. I struggle to resist a good exclusive disc (The Wolverine, which has an extended cut on the 3D release but a Sainsbury’s-exclusive bonus disc only with the 2D release, is killing me), and those Sainsbury’s ones do tend to sell out.
5 Best George A. Romero Zombie Films
I normally avoid just doing a “rank something there are five of” list for this, but I’ve been rather busy with my Week of the Living Dead during the entire time I’d normally be pondering and constructing the usual list-of-five for this post. Besides which, my theme is always inspired by something in the month’s viewing, and it’s pretty clear what dominates this month.
- Dawn of the Dead
The top two are separated by a hair’s breadth; if I could, I might even give them a joint number one. This certainly wasn’t my favourite of the two after initial viewing (I say as much in my review), but with a few more days’ reflection, I feel like I’ve seen Night, whereas Dawn feels like it will merit revisiting sooner. - Night of the Living Dead
After so many decades, cheap movies usually look even cheaper and terribly dated. Not so Night of the Living Dead, which, technical elements and fashion choices aside, could have been made last week. Few people can claim to have spawned a whole genre, but this is where Romero did. - Land of the Dead
Returning to something successful after 20 years is undoubtedly a poisoned chalice: your fans are excited you’re back, but can you ever live up to those expectations? For many, Land did not. I think that does it a disservice. Romero’s chameleon-like directorial skills create a very ’00s movie, but still with the trademark Romero social commentary. - Day of the Dead
I like a quotable cult special-effects-fest as much as the next man, and there’s far more to Day than just that, but I didn’t feel it as much as I did with the other films. Not a bad picture, just a half-step behind the one above for me. - Diary of the Dead
Diary’s Blu-ray cover proudly boasts four-star reviews from Empire and Starburst, but went down less well with the public. You can see how many stars I gave it later, but suffice to say although I did like it, it’s still the least of the initial five ‘Dead’ films.
Of course, there’s still one other…
- Survival of the Dead
By the time you read this, I’ll have watched Survival of the Dead; at the time of writing, I hadn’t. Consensus seems to be its easily the worst of the series, a misguided failed cash-grab. I’m sure my full review will let you know my thoughts.
Is placing Land above Day tantamount to sacrilege? Is Survival actually surprisingly good and I should have waited to include it? Your thoughts are welcomed, dear readers.
Next month on 100 Films in a Year…
…I reach #100!
I mean, probably. I probably will. I’d have to watch either just one film or no films not to. Though I have gone a whole month without a single new film before now…
And also! Doctor Who is 50. You think that’s not to do with films? Think again, mister! I’ve got a couple of posts lined up to mark the occasion.
Happy times and places.
#72 Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
#78 Real Steel (2011)
Throne of Blood
Romeo + Juliet (1996)
Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
The Lion King
Looking for Richard
The Chronicle History of King Henry the Fift with His Battell Fought at Agincourt in France
#63 Bicycle Thieves, aka Ladri di biciclette (1948)
The flip side is that, for me, the summer movie season is about to begin! That should help with the aforementioned final tally. Thanks to studios’ (wannabe-)piracy-beating speed when it comes to getting films onto disc these days, 
In researching this list I was surprised to discover a few films I didn’t know were adaptations. That might be a good list for another time, though that list, and this one, could be almost entirely filled by a single franchise: Die Hard. While the first film is based on 
As evocative as the title of 
Just as prone to retitling as Dick is Stephen King. Oh sure, there’s Carrie and The Shining and, y’know, 
Aww, a nice 
“But there is 
Despite having one of the most glaringly French titles ever committed to paper or celluloid, 
Winner of the highest number of Oscars for Best Foreign Language Film (five), the Italian writer-director is “one of the most influential filmmakers of the 20th century”. He’s the only member of TSPDT’s Top 250’s top 10 (at #4) that I’ve not seen anything by. Significant gaps in my viewing include 
One of the founders of the French Nouvelle Vague (alongside the likes of Jean-Luc Godard, who I have seen films by), Truffaut is still probably best known for his first film, 
Though only at #52 on TSPDT’s Top 250 (there are 11 above him I’ve not mentioned), there’s no denying the notoriety of Herzog, the man who once got shot while being interviewed by Mark Kermode, amongst other bizarre anecdotes. Key works include 
The theatrically-inclined Australian scores just 3 on TSPDT’s ranking, their lowest awarded mark. Only five others suffer this ignominy, and the only one I’ve heard of is Ed Wood. According to TSPDT, none of Luhrmann’s films are Highly Recommended, Recommended, or even Worth a Look. The best he can hope for is 
I have no idea if this is of use to anyone. Probably not. But it’s a slightly interesting, different way of looking at my review archive. For instance, compiling it threw up some odd things, such as James Hill. Who, you may ask? Indeed it’s no surprise I hadn’t noticed I’d watched two films directed by him. More interesting was what they were: lovely family animal movie 
June’s films
Obvious, I know, but it really is the archetype. Burton delivered two Bat-films that were critical and commercial successes; Schumacher delivered one that didn’t go down so well but turned a healthy profit… and then this. A critical disaster, a box office flop, the series went down with it. It took others to revive the superhero genre, a seven-year gap, and a ground-up reboot to save the series.
Six years after the TV series ended (was that all?), ’90s favourites Mulder and Scully returned. Hopes for a third film dealing with the series’ cliffhanger-ish ending were dashed by this low-key supernatural fable, released in a glaringly inappropriate summer slot, with none of the aliens casual viewers expected and too many incidental ties to the series. Some still whisper about a third movie, but 2012 was the perfect time and that’s long gone.
The 
The first 
“But there was a 
This fourth entry in the Death-defying horror franchise was due to be the series’ last — hence the definitive article title. In no small part due to being released in 3D in the immediate run-up to 
#44 The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
#48a Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
The clear victor is the Alfonso Cuarón-helmed franchise-revitalising third film, 
You can’t have a list of great car chases without including at least one Bond. Indeed, I could easily fill this top five with that series alone. TND wins because of two stand-out sequences: Bond driving a BMW saloon around a car park in Germany, which sounds dull as dishwater… except he does it via remote control and the car is stacked with gadgets; and a motorbike vs helicopter chase on the streets — and rooftops — of Saigon.
To bring extra swish and excitement, the Fast & Furious films often use CGI in their car chases. Ronin, however, does it all for real — often with the actual actors in the cars. There are several chases in Ronin, but the extended climax through the tunnels of Paris is of course the best. The film used 300 stunt drivers and they wrecked 80 cars, but the exhilaration provided is entirely worth it.
Many times, a great sequence is born out of an idea to innovate or do something different (to go back to Tomorrow Never Dies, the bike chase was a deliberate counterpoint to GoldenEye’s tank chase), and the first Jason Bourne film is no exception: he’s in a Mini! Americans always find small cars striking (see also: Da Vinci Code’s Smart car), but at least it’s put to good use — he drives it down some stairs!
For sheer throw-everything-at-the-screen bombast, you can’t beat the car sequence in the first Matrix sequel — it was so big, they had to build their own stretch of freeway! Of course, it’s as much about the fighting going on in and around the cars as it is the chase, and there are bikes and lorries and stuff involved too — including a spectacular head-on collision — but it’s all road-based, so it counts.
I wanted to avoid having two Bond films, and I tried, but I couldn’t think of anything significantly better than the opening minutes of 2008’s widely maligned Bond adventure. Cut like lightning, almost intuitive and impressionistic rather than classically clear, and viscerally destructive throughout, it demands your attention — and indicates the kind of pace the rest of the film will move at. Then the reveal at the end makes it all the sweeter.
Read most lists of the greatest car chases and one of these will be at the top, usually with the other in second place. They’re iconic for different reasons: there’s The French Connection’s frantic illicitly-filmed chase between Gene Hackman and Brooklyn’s elevated railway; and there’s Bullitt’s eleven-minute pursuit around the streets of San Francisco, with Steve McQueen and co gaining plenty of in-car air-time on those famous stepped hills. So iconic, I know this much without having seen either.
#38a 
You might have expected Batman & Robin to top this list. It would be a fair choice. But, believe it or not, it actually has some redeeming features. Not many, but some. This woefully unimaginative spoof has none whatsoever. I’m not even sure it had any laughs. OK, it might not be a ‘real’ superhero movie… but then again, look at the title. It counts.
These days, it’s difficult to imagine Hollywood managing to kill off a franchise they didn’t want to. Even those which are consistently a bit rubbish. I imagine this is where they learnt their lesson, turning a reliable cash cow into a despised monstrosity. How the genre got back on its feet just a few years later (and grew stronger than ever) is a minor miracle.
I really wanted to like this — a great concept, based on a great comic, with great people involved in the film — and on its release, I convinced myself I did. But it’s a bit of a mess really, isn’t it; and the needs of being a PG-13 blockbuster wrecked a lot of the comic’s best ideas. Shame. (It has left me always abbreviating the comic’s title as LXG too, though.)
I don’t actually know that much about the Punisher, but I don’t believe this is a very good rendition of the comic (where’s the skull emblem?!). And even if it is, it isn’t a very good film. I’ve largely wiped it from my memory, but I recall it being the twin sins of boring and amateurishly made. The two ’00s movies starring the character didn’t go down well, but I can’t imagine they’re worse.
A lot of people didn’t like Daredevil. I did. It has flaws, certainly, but it got a lot right. Nonetheless, I had no particular hopes for this spin-off featuring a fan-favourite character who had been mediocrely rendered on screen first time out (and not recast). Low expectations were good, because it’s a mess that doesn’t deliver in any notable respect.
There are many great superhero movies, but this is an undervalued one. Coming in the genre’s quiet period, between the death of the Batman franchise and the rebirth afforded by X-Men, I think this all-star comedy would fare better today. That said, I’ve not seen it for years, and sometimes comedy dates badly, so maybe I should’ve re-watched before putting it here… But I definitely did love it.
Of course. Some would argue it’s cheating to include an entire trilogy as one film, but Jackson made it as one film and it’s really a single tale that has to be divided to make it possible in cinemas, both financially and for the sake of the audience’s posteriors. But I’ve watched it in a single sitting, something I’ve not managed with some much shorter works, so that makes it OK by me. And I’ve spent all my words here saying that because, really, do you need me to tell you why this tops the list? (Not that this is a ranked list. But if it were, this would top it.)
I did think my main rule for this list would be “set at least partly in an alternate world” (see things like Narnia and Stardust), but that would rule out Harry Potter (which is clearly Fantasy) and this. If we’re talking swords-and-sorcery, this definitely has swords and it probably has sorcery too. How else do you explain immortality? Except with some BS sci-fi claptrap in the sequels that no one, not even their makers, wants to remember. It may be campy and ever so ’80s, with the most hilarious array of mismatched accents ever committed to film, but goodness me do I love it.
A modern, British-tinged take on the tone of The Princess Bride — two elements that give this the edge, for me. It’s also less of a spoof, more of a straight take on a fantasy adventure with an awareness of the comical and a resolute lack of po-faced-ness. There’s a reason Neil Gaiman’s a beloved author, and there’s a reason Matthew Vaughn is a mainstream filmmaker we should all keep a very close eye on.
This is a bit of a cheat, because it’s actually a two-part miniseries… but in its entirety it’s shorter than Return of the King, and for some inexplicable reason is 
If Merlin was a bit of a cheat, this is a great big one, because The 10th Kingdom is actually a seven-hour miniseries. But tough, because I love it and it’s not well enough known. Here in the UK it aired on Sky back in the days before I had said channel, and so my first encounter was through 
Quite what inspired this turn-of-the-millennium wannabe-blockbuster I don’t know — it came out the year before the double-whammy genre kick-start of Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter… but it feels much more than a single year older. It’s not all bad — some of the scenic effects shots are quite good, and there’s a certain joy in Jeremy Irons’ ludicrously campy performance — but, mostly, it is. The CGI is dreadful, the acting isn’t any better, and the location work makes it look like Power Rangers. If it wasn’t bad enough in itself (which it was), the glossy quality of Rings and Potter just 12 months later revitalised the genre to the point that this was blissfully consigned to ignominious oblivion.
#17 Final Destination 5 (2011)
This honour was widely seen as recognising the whole trilogy, and really my inclusion is for the same reason — I love all the Lord of the Rings films, but if I had to pick a favourite it would be Fellowship. That The Hobbit didn’t get anywhere near the Best Picture nods this season gives it a faint ring of The Godfather Part III: belated and misguided. Though even Coppola’s threequel got a nomination.
Speak of the devil… I really need to re-watch the Godfather trilogy, so I can’t offer much insightful comment, but I’m one of those people who sides with Part I being better than Part II. I found Michael’s descent into the family more engaging than… what, his consolidation of power? Is that what happened? (I really do need to re-watch them.) Plus, you can’t beat a bit of Brando.
I love an epic — indeed, the average length of my three choices so far is 2 hours 34 minutes — and in many respects Gone with the Wind is the ultimate epic, a tale that sprawls through time and across locations, but with the relationship between two individuals at its heart. And it beat The Wizard of Oz to the prize, which is a bonus.
As with The Godfather, I need to re-watch this. It was one of the first Westerns I saw and I think it would benefit from the improved understanding of the genre I now have. Equally, it was instrumental in transforming a type of film I’d previously ignored (not through any conscious effort) in to one I enjoy. (There’s a whole article to write on modern mass perception of Westerns, but that’s for another day.)
For all the talk of the Academy always getting it wrong, there are numerous times they’ve got it right. Or, at least, near as dammit. Which made choosing just five hard, but I’ve chosen this to try and balance things out — I don’t only like epics that mostly feature some kind of war (this was very nearly Schindler’s List). Woody Allen on form is great fun, and this is that. I liked Manhattan more though.
There’s a lot of love for this movie in some circles — it’s ranked 
#1 Underworld: Awakening (2012)
#6 Dredd (2012)
Fans have waited decades for a decent cinematic translation of the iconic 2000 AD lawman, and they finally got it last year. The filmmakers mooted a trilogy; the pathetic US box office take seemed to put the brakes on that; but now it’s doing great business on DVD and Blu-ray. Who knows if we’ll get a sequel, then, but the exciting future world depicted in the first film deserves further exploration.
Another mooted trilogy that seems to be in limbo — when you look into the first film, no obvious quotes crop up denying a sequel, but the first was released in 2010 and there’s no sign of a follow-up being in the works. I don’t know how well it went down in its native France, but I thought it was a daft, exciting, funny entertainment and I’d love to see more.
A sequel has been on and off ever since 
I don’t really mean a sequel to 
M. Night Shyamalan’s leftfield take on the superhero genre is, for my money, the best of his films. Ever since it first came out he’s talked about how the entire movie was originally just act one of a longer piece, and that he might produce the rest as the next two films in a trilogy. Instead, he’s made numerous unrelated but 
As Christopher Nolan 
100Films.co.uk 