My Favourite Films of 2011

Now that Oscar day is upon us, I think it's fairly safe to give my revised list of favourites of the year. There are still quite a few that I need to see, which I will spread out throughout the year (possibly doing one large marathon over the March Break)  since for now, I'm all 2011'd out. Anyway, here goes. My top 15 favourite films of the year!


HONOURABLE MENTIONS

The Iron Lady (8/10)


Thor (8/10)

Phantom of the Opera 25th Anniversary (10/10, but technically not a film, so I'm putting it here)

Paul (7/10)

Hanna (8/10)

Rio (8/10)

Our Idiot Brother (8/10)

Scream 4 (8/10)


TOP 15 FILMS OF 2011


15.

Source Code










14.


Kung Fu Panda 2









13.


Captain America: The First Avenger









12.


Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol









11.


Rango









10.


Rise of the Planet of the Apes









9.


The Help









8.


Bridesmaids










7.


Midnight in Paris









6.


The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn








5.


X-Men First Class










4.


The Descendants









3.


Hugo








2.


Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt II









1.


The Artist











Films from 2011 that I haven't seen yet that I would like to

• War Horse
• Martha Marcy May Marlene
• Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
• Young Adult
• Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
• Carnage
• Arthur Christmas
• A Dangerous Method
• Immortals
• Take Shelter
• J.  Edgar
• Tower Heist
• Puss in Boots
• My Week With Marilyn
• In Time
• The Ides of March
• Anonymous
• 50/50
• We Need To Talk About Kevin
• Moneyball
• Drive
• Contagion
• Warrior
• The Debt
• Fright Night
• Crazy Stupid Love
• Horrible Bosses
• Winnie the Pooh
• Transformers: Dark of the Moon
• Super 8
• Beginners
• The Tree of Life
• Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
• Water For Elephants
• Jane Eyre
• Cedar Rapids
• Never Let Me Go

2012 Rundown

Since the new year has already started, I have decided to jump on the bandwagon and post my thoughts about the notable films coming out this year. This will be a more general look-through, but at the end, I will post my top 10 most anticipated films of the year. Looking at the releases, it could be a pretty good year. Another thing, I haven't seen that many trailers, but my opinions of some movies may change after I do.

JANUARY

This is a month where I don't generally pay attention to movies, because January is generally when the shitty movies that couldn't get released the previous year.

The Devil Inside- Entirely uninterested. I am not a horror fan, but even seeing the TV spots makes me think that it will suck (not unlike The Rite last year)

Beauty and the Beast 3D Re-Release- I adore the movie, and if I get the chance, I might see it in theatres (even if just for the novelty that it came out five years before I was born). I hope this gets as much of a positive response as the re-release of The Lion King, because BATB is just as good a film.

Contraband- Looks like a cliched generic action thriller about the guy who is forced back into a life of crime that just happens to star Mark Wahlberg. Needless to say I will not be seeing it.

Joyful Noise- Not interested in this at all, looks like a bland spiritual musical and a typical January release. I'm sure it will find its audience, but I'm not in that audience.

Big Miracle- One in the 'inspirational true story' crowd. I feel similarly to Joyful Noise with this one, I'm sure it will find his audience but I'm not in that audience either.

We Need To Talk About Kevin- Judging by the overwhelmingly positive response from my fellow film buffs, I should definitely see this, although it is most definitely not going to be released where I live.

Underworld: Awakening-  I have not seen any of the other films in this series, so chances are, I will not be seeing this. The series does not look interesting either, and I am female, so Kate Beckinsale's attractiveness has no bearing on me

Haywire- This is the movie that I am looking forward to most this month because after seeing the trailer in theatres, it looks friggin' awesome. It has Steven Soderbergh directing, an all-star cast, and some great looking action, which is enough to sell the film to me.

Red Tails- I haven't seen the trailer for this one, and seeing the trailer may change my opinion, but I'll wait for the reviews on this one because Lucas has become a very hit-or-miss director over the years

Man on a Ledge- Despite my lack of faith in Sam Worthington's acting, the TV spots for this film look very promising. It is an interesting premise and it looks like it could be good, but I'm reserving judgement and waiting for the reviews.

The Grey- Looks like it could be really good or really bad, but without a doubt, Liam Neeson should be good (even if he gets eaten by wolves).

Amityville Horror: The Lost Tapes-  Looks like just another found footage movie and another attempt by Hollywood to leave no franchise dormant.

FEBRUARY

The Woman in Black: I want to see this for no real reason other than to see if Daniel Radcliffe can play a role outside Harry Potter, which he has been playing for his entire career. Plus, the trailer looks very interesting and it could make for some good February entertainment.

Chronicle: I had not heard anything of this film prior to watching a most anticipated of 2012 list, and I have to say, it looks pretty damn good. Yet another found footage film, but this one seems to be an interesting spin on the kids-with-powers genre. Still going to wait for the reviews though.

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace 3D Re-Release: I don't entirely object to the Star Wars re-releases, as I would love to see Revenge of the Sith and maybe Empire Strikes Back in the theatres. However, Phantom Menace was my least favourite of all of the Star Wars films and I likely wouldn't waste my money (or anyone else's for that matter) to see it in theatres. Darth Maul speaks though, so that might be interesting.

The Vow- Looks like another sappy romance movie. Surprisingly, it isn't a Nicholas Sparks adaptation.

Safe House- Reserving judgement on this one, as I have heard next to nothing about it. Denzel Washington should be good though.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island: Looks like it should be fine for kids, like Journey to the Centre of the Earth before it, but I have absolutely no interest in it. Just yet another unnecessary 3D sequel.

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance:  I have not seen the first one, but I hear it was a brilliant concept (like the soundtrack) that was executed poorly. I'd have to say that the trailer for this looks pretty good and the concept art looks utterly brilliant. Nic Cage pissing fire aside, I would definitely see this.

The Secret World of Arrietty- With the overwhelmingly positive response from British critics and the simple fact that it is from Studio Ghibli, I would absolutely love to see this movie, whether in cinemas or not. The trailer looks awesome, and although I have not read the story that this is based on, it still looks great.

This Means War- Despite the strong cast of Pine, Hardy, and Witherspoon, I am reserving judgement on this one until the reviews come in.

Wanderlust- Despite being a fan of Paul Rudd, I have no interest in this.

MARCH

The Lorax- The trailer for this looks okay. I'm actually surprised this didn't get an Earth Day release though, considering the nature of the original Dr. Seuss story. The animation looks incredible, but it looks like the story will deviate from the actual story of the Lorax and may be dedicated strictly to kids humour. So I'm going to wait for the reviews on this one.

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters- Looks like it could be just another dark, edgy fairytale venture, but I love fairytale movies and I am definitely excited for this one, although there is no major news, not even a trailer yet. I don't exactly have confidence in Gemma Arterton's acting, but I like Jeremy Renner and he has had a fine couple of years thus far. Hopefully this will not be a stain on his career. Famke Janssen should be good too, and I'd like to see her play a role other than Jean Grey in the X-Men films.

John Carter- This one I'm looking forward to. If it were in the hands of anybody else nowadays, it would likely suck ass, but the main reason I want to see this is the fact that it is directed by Andrew Stanton, the director of Finding Nemo and WALL-E. The principal photography looks excellent as well, and it looks like it should be some entertainment. I know it is a very old story (one that I haven't read, but would like to), and a film adaptation has been in the works since the 1930's, so I'm glad it's finally getting made.

The Raven- Ever since I heard this movie was made and ever since I saw the trailer, I was absolutely psyched for this movie. I will admit, John Cusack was an extremely weird choice to play Edgar Allan Poe, but the weird casting doesn't take away from the awesomeness of the trailer, which looks dark, exciting, and quasi-original. Definitely want to see this in theatres.

21 Jump Street- Leave nothing dormant, I always say. In this case, I means Hollywood. I know 21 Jump Street was a popular television series which elevated Johnny Depp to the status of teen superstar. That explains why it is getting a re-boot/adaptation, except with Jonah Hill (the film he lost all that weight for) and Channing Tatum. It has the potential not to suck, but I wouldn't get my hopes up.

Mirror Mirror- Unlike most of the general public, I am actually looking forward to seeing this movie, as well as Snow White and the Huntsman. Although they are based on the same fairytale, they are meant to be entirely different movies and if this film has one thing going for it, it is the visuals. This is standard, as the film is directed by Tarsem Singh, who's signature is the fact that his films (The Cell, The Fall, Immortals)  all have impeccable visuals. This is his first attempt at a family-friendly film and here's hoping he will pull it off. I am much more optimistic about this one.

Wrath of the Titans- I did not like the original Clash of the Titans, so naturally when I heard they were making a sequel, I was unimpressed. The trailer.....well, the trailer looked okay, but the trailer to the first one looked okay as well, so I hold no stock in that. The only reason I would see this is if someone dragged me, and if I were to watch it of my own free will, the only reason I would watch it is for Liam Neeson as Zeus or Ralph Fiennes as Hades, as they were the only two things that I liked in the first film. So despite Neeson and Fiennes, I will not be seeing this. I'm sure there will be people who like it, but I am not going to be one of those people. Oh, and I saw the trailer in a 2D theatre and it still looked muddled and dark, I can't imagine how bad it would look in 3D.


The Hunger Games-  I haven't read any of the books, but I grow more excited for this movie at every scrap of news that I hear about this film. Why? Because it looks great that's why. I love the trailer, I love the cast, I love the premise, and I love the fact that it is being set up as the next teen franchise now that Harry Potter is over and Twilight is winding down. I really hope it's good, as I have high expectations for it. If the trailer is any sign, it might end up being one of the best of the year. No teen franchise can compare to Harry Potter, but hopefully this one will come close.

Pirates! Band of Misfits- I am a huge fan of Aardman Animations, and I have been looking forward to this movie even before Arthur Christmas came out. They are generally known for making good stuff and this looks like no exception. The animation looks great, the trailer looks funny, the premise is great, and I am a huge Hugh Laurie fan, so I'd love to see him do another animated role. One of my most anticipated of the year.


APRIL

The Three Stooges- Blaspheme. That is what I have to say regarding this movie, blaspheme. Why can't they just show the short films in theatres again as opposed to butchering the great names of Howard/Fine/Howard by having a modernized adaptation with fucking Snooki in it. I saw the trailer for this and it looks fucking stupid, and that's what it will be. It has no respect for the great work of the original Stooges and it disgusts me that this movie has even gotten made. Larry, Curly, and Moe would be pitching and tossing in their graves. Shame on you Farrelly brothers, shame the fuck on you.

Titanic 3D Re-Release- I am a fan of the movie, and I am actually quite looking forward to this re-release. I feel it is different because the date of re-release actually makes sense. It is being released on the 100th anniversary of the sinking, which seems an appropriate time to re-release the movie. If there is one thing that James Cameron can do, it's 3D, and this should certainly be good. Plus, it might make enough money to take back its spot as highest grossing film of all time.

The Cabin in the Woods- This looks like it could be okay. I know next to nothing about it other than  the fact that it is directed by Joss Whedon. Whedon is also the director of The Avengers, and I have heard good things about him, so I'll be reserving judgement until the reviews come in. One thing I have to say though, the poster design looks pretty awesome.

American Reunion- No interest in this series, no interest in this film.

The Five-Year Engagement- This looks like it could be funny, the trailer seemed promising and it may increase my love for Jason Segel, as he is rising to be one of my favourite actors. Emily Blunt should be great as well, and this movie will hopefully be funny.


The Lucky One-  Fuck Nicholas Sparks. That is all.



MAY

The Avengers- Yesyesyesyesyes!!!!!!! I still need to see The Incredible Hulk and Captain America before seeing this, but since the moment I heard this movie was being made I was absolutely stoked about it. Joss Whedon is directing, Loki is back as a villain, the trailer absolutely kicks ass (I don't even care that it focused on Robert Downey Jr., Iron Man is the leader of the group), and of course, there are all the awesome superheroes that we have been introduced to since The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man came out. Which reminds me of the main reason why this is going to rock. This has been built up for four years, it would take some real assholes to disappoint like that. I don't even care if I have to see it in 3D, I want to see this in theatres.

Dark Shadows- As a big fan of Tim Burton's work, especially his collaborations with Johnny Depp, I cannot wait to see this film, and due to his particular body of work, I'm surprised that it has taken him this long to get to vampires. All I am going on is a cast shot out of Entertainment Weekly, but that cast shot already looks awesome and the star-power Burton has assembled (which does include regulars Depp and Bonham-Carter as well as some new to his work, like Chloe Moretz and Eva Green)  is certainly impressive. Plus, it should include Burton's typical visual flair and it may tip the scale of good vampire movies vs bad vampire movies.

The Dictator- I predict that Sacha Baron Cohen will knock his performance out of the park as per usual, but critical reception for this film could go either way. The trailer had some funny stuff in it, and it could definitely become a smash success like Borat. It will definitely make money regardless of critical reception, but needless to say, I will be reserving judgement on this one until the reviews come in. Regardless, I'll probably be forbidden to see it, as I was Borat and Bruno (although I own them both).

Battleship- Quite frankly this movie looks silly. It may serve as some entertaining summer fun but it looks like they are setting this up to be the next Transformers franchise, with the navy in place of the army. Honestly, the concept of alien navy ships sounds much more ridiculous. I don't even think Liam Neeson can salvage this one. I can see this making money and I can see this spawning a franchise, but unless they pull a total surprise on me, I have a feeling that this won't be very good.

Men in Black III- I saw the trailer and it looked....okay. Not unlike Men in Black II, I think this movie will be okay. Smith and Jones will be awesome as always, and I'm happy that Jemaine Clement (of Flight of the Conchords) is cast as the villain because he is generally awesome (in both music and movies). The effects are guaranteed to be awesome, but the problems that will definitely be present are in story and in script. I wish the plot was more alien-y and less time travel-y because after all, the Men in Black films are about aliens. I'll probably end up seeing this to complete the series, and I will see for myself whether or not it is good

My List of Movies to Watch- V-Z

First of all, I'd like to thank you James, for reading all of this. This is the last section of the list, and it covers the final letters of the alphabet, as well as movies I added after starting this list.


V FOR VENDETTA (2005)

VAN HELSING (2004)

VERTIGO (1958)

WAG THE DOG (1997)

WAITING FOR GUFFMAN (1996)  *

WALK HARD: THE DEWEY COX STORY (2007)  *

WALK THE LINE (2005)

WALL STREET SERIES (1987, 2010)

WALL-E (2008)  *

WANTED (2008)

WAR OF THE WORLDS (2005)

WARRIOR (2011)

WATCHMEN (2009)

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS (2011)

WATERSHIP DOWN (1978)

WEDDING CRASHERS (2005)

WEIRD SCIENCE (1985)

WESTWORLD (1973)

WHEN HARRY MET SALLY (1989)

WHIP IT (2009)

WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (1971)  *

WINNIE THE POOH (2011)

WITNESS (1985)

X-MEN ORIGINS WOLVERINE (2009)  *

YELLOW SUBMARINE (1968)

YES MAN (2008)  *

YOUNG ADULT (2011)

YOUTH IN REVOLT (2010)

ZOMBIELAND (2009)  *

ZOOLANDER (2001)  *



MOVIES I ADDED AFTER STARTING THE LIST


28 DAYS LATER (2002)

MAKE MINE MUSIC (1946)

REBECCA (1940)

MELODY TIME (1948)

THE RED SHOES (1948)

THRONE OF BLOOD (1957)

ON THE TOWN (1949)

My List of Movies to Watch- S-U

This is going to be a particularly large section, seeing as every movie title that starts with "the" is under this section.

SALT (2010)

SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (1998)

SECRET WINDOW (2004)

SERENITY (2005)

SERIAL MOM (1994)

SEXY BEAST (2000)

SHADOW OF A DOUBT (1943)

SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE (2000)

SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE (1998)  *

SHARK TALE (2004)  *

SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004)

SHE'S OUT OF MY LEAGUE (2010)

SHE'S THE MAN (2006)  *

SHERLOCK HOLMES (2009)  *

SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS (2011)

SHUTTER ISLAND (2010)

SICKO (2007)

SIDEWAYS (2004)

SIGNS (2002)

SIN CITY (2005)

SINGIN IN THE RAIN (1952)

SIXTEEN CANDLES (1984)

SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW (2004)

SKY HIGH (2005)  *

SLEEPY HOLLOW (1999)

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (2008)  *

SMART PEOPLE (2008)

SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959)

SPACEBALLS (1987)

SPEED RACER (2008)  *

SPIRIT: STALLION OF THE CIMARRON (2002)

SPY KIDS SERIES (2001-2003 *(2002))

STAND BY ME (1986)

STAR TREK SERIES (1979-2009*)

STARDUST (2007)

STATE OF PLAY (2009)

STRANGER THAN FICTION (2006)  *

STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (1951)

SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950)

SUNSHINE (2007)

SUPER 8 (2011)

SUPERMAN (1978)  *

SUPERMAN II (1980)

SUPERMAN RETURNS (2006)  *

SURF'S UP (2007)

SURROGATES (2009)  *

SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK (2008)

TAKEN (2008)

TALLADEGA NIGHTS (2006)  *

TANGLED (2010)  *

TARZAN (1998)  *

TAXI DRIVER (1976)

TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE (2004)

TERMINATOR SERIES (1984-2009)

THANK YOU FOR SMOKING (2005)

THE A-TEAM (2010)  *

THE ADVENTURES OF ICHABOD AND MR TOAD (1949)  *

THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA: QUEEN OF THE DESERT (1994)  *

THE AGE OF INNOCENCE (1993)

THE AVIATOR (2004)

THE BEAVER (2011)

THE BIRDCAGE (1996)

THE BLACK CAULDRON (1985)

THE BLUES BROTHERS (1980)

THE BOOK OF ELI (2010)

THE BOURNE SERIES (2002-2007)

THE BRAVE LITTLE TOASTER (1987)

THE BREAKFAST CLUB (1985)  *

THE BROTHERS BLOOM (2008)

THE BROTHERS GRIMM (2005)

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE (2005)  *

THE CRAFT (1996)

THE CRUCIBLE (1996)

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (2008)  *

THE DA VINCI CODE (2006)

THE DARJEELING LIMITED (2007)

THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW (2004)

THE DEAD ZONE (1983)

THE DEBT (2011)

THE DEPARTED (2006)

THE DESCENDANTS (2011)

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA (2006)  *

THE DOWNFALL (2004)

THE DUCHESS (2008)

THE EAGLE (2011)

THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE (2000)  *

THE FIFTH ELEMENT (1997)

THE FIGHTER (2010)  *

THE FUGITIVE (1993)

THE GHOST WRITER (2010)

THE GODFATHER (1972-1990)

THE GOONIES (1985)

THE GRADUATE (1967)

THE GREAT DICTATOR (1940)

THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE (1986)

THE GREEN MILE (1999)

THE HANGOVER PART II (2011)

THE HAUNTING (1963)

THE HAUNTING (1999)

THE HELP (2011)

THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY (2005)

THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (1996)  *

THE HURT LOCKER (2009)

THE IDES OF MARCH (2011)

THE ILLUSIONIST (2006)

THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR PARNASSUS (2009)  *

THE INCREDIBLE HULK (2008)

THE INVENTION OF LYING (2009)

THE IRON GIANT (1999)

THE ITALIAN JOB (2003)

THE JONESES (2010)

THE JUNGLE BOOK (1967)  *

THE KARATE KID (1984 and 2010)

THE KILLING (1956)

THE LAST MIMZY (2007)  *

THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN (2003)

THE LIFE AQUATIC (2004)

THE LITTLE MERMAID (1989)  *

THE LOOKOUT (2007)

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (2001)  *

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS (2002)  *

THE LOSERS (2010)

THE LOST BOYS (1987)

THE MAN IN THE IRON GIANT (1998)

THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962)

THE MANY ADVENTURES OF WINNIE THE POOH (1977)

THE MASK (1994)

THE MASTER OF DISGUISE (2002)  *

THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS (2009)

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE (2004)  *

THE NAKED GUN (1988)

THE NANNY DIARIES (2007)  *

THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER (1955)

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (1993)  *

THE NUTTY PROFESSOR (1963)

THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL (2008)

THE OTHER GUYS (2010)

THE PIANIST (2002)

THE PINK PANTHER (2005-2009, I know they suck, and I'll be watching some of the classic ones too)

THE PIRATES WHO DON'T DO ANYTHING (2008)

THE PRESTIGE (2006)

THE PRINCE OF EGYPT (1998)

THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG (2009)  *

THE PRINCESS BRIDE (1987)  *

THE PRINCESS DIARIES SERIES (2001-2004)  *

THE PRODUCERS (1968 and 2005)

THE PROPOSAL (2009)  *

THE RED SHOES (1948)

THE ROAD TO EL DORADO (2000)

THE ROCKER (2008)  *

THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS (2001)  *

THE SCHOOL OF ROCK (2003)  *

THE SECRET OF KELLS (2009)

THE SECRET OF NIMH (1982)

THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION (1994)

THE SIXTH SENSE (1999)

THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE (2010)

THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES (2008)

THE SPIRIT (2008)

THE SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS MOVIE (2004)

THE STEPFORD WIVES (1975, 2004)

THE SWORD IN THE STONE (1963)

THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1 2 3 (2009)

THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX (2009)  *

THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY (1999)

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (1956)

THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE (2003)

TWILIGHT SERIES (to mock, 2009-2011)

THE USUAL SUSPECTS (1995)

THE VILLAGE (2004)

THE WAY BACK (2010)

THE WICKER MAN (1973)

THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)  *

THE WOLFMAN (2010)  *

THE YOUNG VICTORIA (2009)

THERE WILL BE BLOOD (2007)

THEY LIVE (1988)

THIS IS SPINAL TAP (1984)

THRONE OF BLOOD (1957)

TIME AFTER TIME (1979)

TIME BANDITS (1981)

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY (2011)

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962)

THE GIRL WHO LEAPT THROUGH TIME (2006)

MY NEIGHBOUR TOTORO (1988)

TOOTSIE (1982)

TOWER HEIST (2011)

TOY STORY (1995)  *

TOY STORY 2 (1999)  *

TRAINSPOTTING (1996)

TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON (2011)

TREASURE PLANET (2002)

TRON SERIES (1982-2010*)

TROPIC THUNDER (2008)  *

TRUE GRIT (1969, 2010 *)

TWELVE MONKEYS (1995)

TWILIGHT ZONE: THE MOVIE (1983)

UNBREAKABLE (2000)

UNFORGIVEN (1992)

UNITED 93 (2006)

UNKNOWN (2011)

UNSTOPPABLE (2010)

UP (2009)  *

UP IN THE AIR (2009)

My List of Movies to Watch- P-R

PAN'S LABYRINTH (2006)

PANIC ROOM (2002)

PATTON (1970)

PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE (1985)

PENELOPE (2008)

PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF (2010)

PETER PAN (2003)

PHILADELPHIA (1993)

PINOCCHIO (1940)  *

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN SERIES (2003-2011)  *

PLANET OF THE APES (1968)

PLANET OF THE APES (2001)  *

POCAHONTAS (1995)  *

PONYO (2009)

PREDATOR (1987)

PRETTY IN PINK (1986)

PRINCESS MONONOKE (1997)

PUBLIC ENEMIES (2009)

PULP FICTION (1994)

PUSS IN BOOTS (2011)

QUANTUM OF SOLACE (2008)  *

RAGING BULL (1980)

RAIN MAN (1988)

RAISING ARIZONA (1987)

RATATOUILLE (2007)  *

REAL STEEL (2011)

REAR WINDOW (1954)

REBECCA (1940)

RED (2010)

RED EYE (2005)

ROBIN HOOD (the one with the foxes)  (1973)

ROBOTS (2005)

ROCKY SERIES (1976-2006)

ROMY AND MICHELE'S HIGH SCHOOL REUNION (1997)

RUSHMORE (1998)

My List of Movies to Watch- M-O

* means that the film is in need of a rewatch.....


MADAGASCAR SERIES (2005-2008)  *

MAMMA MIA (2008)  *

MAN ON WIRE (2008)

MANHATTAN (1979)

MARIE ANTOINETTE (2006)  *

MARS ATTACKS (1996)

MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE (2011)

MARY AND MAX (2009)  *

MASH (1970)

MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD (2003)

MATCH POINT (2005)

MATILDA (1996)  *

MEAN GIRLS (2004)  *

MEET THE..... SERIES (2000-2004)  *

MEET THE ROBINSONS (2006)  *

MEMENTO (2000)

METROPOLIS (1927)

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (2011)

MILK (2008)

MILLER'S CROSSING (1990)

MILLION DOLLAR BABY (2004)

MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY (2008)

MISSISSIPPI BURNING (1989)

MONEYBALL (2011)

MONSTER HOUSE (2006)

MONSTERS (2010)

MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL (1975)

MONTY PYTHON'S LIFE OF BRIAN (1979)

MONTY PYTHON'S THE MEANING OF LIFE (1983)

MOON (2009)

MOULIN ROUGE (2001)

MULAN (1998)  *

MUPPETS SERIES (1979-1999)

MURDER BY DEATH (1976)

MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING (2002)

MY FAIR LADY (1964)  *

MY WEEK WITH MARILYN (2011)

NACHO LIBRE (2006)  *

NANNY MCPHEE SERIES (2005 *- 2010)

NATIONAL TREASURE SERIES (2004-2008)

NEKO NO ONGAESHI (THE CAT RETURNS) (2002)

NEVER LET ME GO (2010)

NEWSIES (1992)

NICK AND NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST (2008)

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM SERIES (2006 * -2009)

NIM'S ISLAND (2008)  *

NIXON (1995)

NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)

NOSFERATU (1922)

NOTES ON A SCANDAL (2006)

O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU (2000)

OCEAN'S SERIES (2001-2007)

OFFICE SPACE (1999)

OKLAHOMA (1955)

OLIVER & COMPANY (1988)  *

OLIVER (1968)

ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (1968)

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (1975)

ONE HUNDRED AND ONE DALMATIANS (1961)

ORANGE COUNTY (2002)

OVER THE HEDGE (2006)  *

My List of Movies to Watch- J-L

On and on....... asterisks still mean I am rewatching them for the sake of reviewing


J EDGAR (2011)

JACKASS SERIES (2002-2010)

JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH (1996)  *

JANE EYRE (2011)

JESUS CAMP (2007)

JFK (1991)

JIMMY NEUTRON: BOY GENIUS (2001)  *

JONAH! A VEGGIETALES MOVIE (2002)  *

JUDGE DREDD (1995)

JULIE & JULIA (2009)  *

JUNO (2007)  *

JURASSIC PARK (1993)

KICK-ASS (2010)  *

KING KONG (1933)

KISS KISS BANG BANG (2005)

KRAMER VS KRAMER (1979)

KUNG FU PANDA (2008)

L.A. CONFIDENTIAL (1997)

LABYRINTH (1988)  *

LADY AND THE TRAMP (1955)  *

LADY IN THE WATER (2006)

LAND OF THE DEAD (2005)

LARS AND THE REAL GIRL (2007)

LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962)

LEGALLY BLONDE (2001)  *

LET ME IN (2010)

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (2008)

LIAR LIAR (1997)

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL (1997)  *

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (2006)  *

LORD OF WAR (2003)

LOST IN TRANSLATION (2003)

My List of Movies to Watch- G-I

Continuing on with my list.........


GALAXY QUEST (1999)

GANGS OF NEW YORK (2002)

GET LOW (2010)

GET SMART (2008) *

GHOST RIDER (2007)

GHOST TOWN (2008)  *

GHOSTBUSTERS SERIES (1984-1989)

GLADIATOR (2000)

GOING THE DISTANCE (2010)

GOLDENEYE (1995) *

GONE BABY GONE (2007)

GONE WITH THE WIND (1939)

GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK (2005)

GOOD WILL HUNTING (1997)

GOSFORD PARK (2001)

GRAN TORINO (2008)

GREEN LANTERN (2011)

GREEN ZONE (2010)

GREMLINS (1984)

GROSSE POINTE BLANK (1997)

GROUNDHOG DAY (1993)

HAIRSPRAY (2007)  *

HANNAH AND HER SISTERS (1983)

HAPPY FEET (2006)  *

HAPPY FEET 2 (2011)

HAPPY GILMORE (1996)

HAROLD AND MAUDE (1971)

HARVIE KRUMPET (2003)  *

HEAT (1995)

HEATHERS (1988)

HEAVENLY CREATURES (1994)

HELLBOY SERIES (2004-2008*)

HELLO DOLLY (1969)

HERCULES (1997)  *

HIGH ANXIETY (1977)

HOLLYWOODLAND (2006)

HOOK (1991)

HORRIBLE BOSSES (2011)

HORTON HEARS A WHO (2007)  *

HOT FUZZ (2007)

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON (2010)  *

HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE (2004)

HUGO (2011)

HULK (2003)

I AM LEGEND (2007)

I AM NUMBER FOUR (2011)

I LOVE YOU MAN (2009)

I ROBOT (2004)

ICE AGE SERIES (2002-2009)  *

IDIOCRACY (2006)

IMMORTALS (2011)

IN BRUGES (2008)

IN THE LOOP (2009)

IN TIME (2011)

INDEPENDENCE DAY (1996)  *

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (2009)

INSOMNIA (2002)

INTOLERABLE CRUELTY (2003)

INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1978)

INVICTUS (2009)

IT'S COMPLICATED (2009)

My List of Movies to Watch- D-F

Just continuing on from my prior entries........ (the asterisks mean that I have already seen the movie, but want to rewatch it for a review)

DANGEROUS LIAISONS (1988)

DAREDEVIL (2003)

DARK CITY (1998)

DATE NIGHT (2010) *

DAWN OF THE DEAD REMAKE (2004)

DAYBREAKERS (2009)

DAZED AND CONFUSED (1993) *

DEAD CALM (1989)

DEATH AT A FUNERAL (2010) *

DEATH BECOMES HER (1992) *

DESPICABLE ME (2010) *

DICK TRACY (1990)

DIE HARD (1988-2007)

DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS (2010)

DIRTY HARRY (1971)

DISTURBIA (2007)

DOG DAY AFTERNOON (1975)

DOLORES CLAIBORNE (1995)

DONNIE DARKO (2001)

DR STRANGELOVE (1964)

DREAM HOUSE (2011)

DREAMGIRLS (2006)

DRIVE (2011)

DRIVING MISS DAISY (1989)

DUE DATE (2010)

DUMBO (1941) *

DUMMY (2002)

DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS (2000)

E.T (1982)

EARTH GIRLS ARE EASY (1988)

EASY A (2010) *

EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (1990)

ELECTION (1999)

ELIZABETH (1998)

ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE (2007)

EMMA (1996)

ENCHANTED (2007) *

END OF DAYS (1999)

ENEMY AT THE GATES (2001)

ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (2004)

FACE/OFF (1997)

FAIR GAME (2010)

FANTASIA (1940)

FANTASIA 2000 (1999) *

FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER (2007)

FARGO (1996)

FEAR (1996) *

FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS (1998)

FIDO (2006)

FIGHT CLUB (1999)

FINDING NEVERLAND (2004) *

FLIPPED (2010)

FLUSHED AWAY (2006)

FOLLOWING (1998)

FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL (2008)

FOUR LIONS (2010)

FRACTURE (2007)

FRAILTY (2001)

FRANKENSTEIN (1994)

FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS (2011)

FRIGHT NIGHT (1985)

FRIGHT NIGHT (2011)

FROM HELL (2001)

FROST/NIXON (2008)

FUNNY GIRL (1968)

My List of Movies to Watch- B-C

Well, if you are reading this, you've probably seen the first part, so I won't waste space with an intro and instead carry on with my list.




BABY MAMA (2008)


BACK TO THE FUTURE SERIES (1985-1990)


BANDSLAM (2009)


BARNEY'S VERSION (2010)


BARRY LYNDON (1975)


BARTON FINK (1991)


BATMAN SERIES (1989-1997, 2005-2008)


BATMAN: MASK OF THE PHANTASM (1993)


BE KIND REWIND (2008)


BEE MOVIE (2007)


BEETLEJUICE (1988)


BEING JOHN MALKOVICH (1999)


BEN-HUR (1959)


BEST IN SHOW (2000)


BIG (1988)


BIG FISH (2003)


BILLY ELLIOT (2001)


BIRDEMIC: SHOCK AND TERROR (2008)


BLADE SERIES (1999-2004)


BLADES OF GLORY (2007)


BLAZING SADDLES (1974)


BOLT (2008)


BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE (2002)


BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA (1992)


BRAZIL (1985)


BRICK (2005)


BRIDESMAIDS (2011)


BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA (2007)


BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (2005)


BRUCE ALMIGHTY (2003)


BUBBA HO-TEP (2002)


BULLETS OVER BROADWAY (1994)


BURIED (2010)


BURLESQUE (2010)


BURN AFTER READING (2008)


BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969)


THE CABINET OF DR CALIGARI (1920)


CADDYSHACK (1980)


CAPE FEAR (1962)


CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY (2009)


CAPOTE (2005)


CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER (2011)


CASABLANCA (1942)


CASINO ROYALE (2006)


CATS DON'T DANCE (1997)


CEDAR RAPIDS (2011)


CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR (2007)


CHARLOTTE'S WEB (1973)


CHARLOTTE'S WEB (2006)


CHICAGO (2002)


CHICKEN LITTLE (2005)


CHICKEN RUN (2000)


CHILDREN OF MEN (2006)


CHINATOWN (1974)


CIRQUE DU FREAK: THE VAMPIRE'S ASSISTANT (2009)


CITIZEN KANE (1941)


CLASH OF THE TITANS (1981)


CLERKS (1994)


CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977)


CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS (2009)


CLUELESS (1995)


COMMANDO (1985)


CON AIR (1997)


CONAN THE BARBARIAN (1982)


CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC (2009)


CONSTANTINE (2005)


CONTAGION (2011)


CRAZY STUPID LOVE (2011)


CRUEL INTENTIONS (1999)


CYRUS (2010)

My List of Movies to Watch- #-A

I have a very long list of movies that I want to watch, and to share them with you would be awesome, so I've decided to post it alphabetically. I have my reasons for every single film on this list, whether it be for its status as a classic, or something that simply interests me, or just to rewatch for the sake of a review. Plus, this will help me keep track of my progress.


10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU (1999)

12 ANGRY MEN (1957)

17 AGAIN (2009)

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)

30 MINUTES OR LESS (2011)

300 (2006)

50/50 (2011)

9 (2009)

A BUG'S LIFE (1997)

A CHRISTMAS CAROL (DISNEY) (2009)

A DANGEROUS METHOD (2011)

A FEW GOOD MEN (1992)

A FISH CALLED WANDA (1988)

A GOOFY MOVIE (1995)

A KNIGHT'S TALE (2001)

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984)

A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION (2006)

A SERIOUS MAN (2009)

A SINGLE MAN (2009)

ACE VENTURA: PET DETECTIVE (1994)

ADAPTATION (2002)

AIR FORCE ONE (1997)

AIRPLANE (1980)

AKIRA (1988)

ALADDIN (1992)

ALICE IN WONDERLAND (2010)

ALICE IN WONDERLAND (1951)

ALIEN (1979)

ALIENS (1986)

ALL ABOUT EVE (1950)

ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN (1974)

ALMOST FAMOUS (2000)

AMADEUS (1984)

AMERICAN BEAUTY (1999)

AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951)

AN EDUCATION (2009)

ANASTASIA (1997)

ANCHORMAN (2004)

ANGELS & DEMONS (2009)

ANNIE HALL (1977)

ANONYMOUS (2011)

ANTZ (1997)

APOLLO 13 (1997)

ARACHNOPHOBIA (1990)

ARSENIC AND OLD LACE (1981)

ARTHUR (1981)

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS (2011)

A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (2001)

ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE (2001)

ATONEMENT (2007)

AUSTIN POWERS SERIES (1997-2002)

AVATAR (2009)

AWAY WE GO (2009)

Animation Bracket- Round 2

Thanks to those who cast votes on Round 1, and for those who didn't, here's a chance with Round 2.  I tried to pair the films based on similar quality more than medium this time, making it a fair fight.

WALL-E vs SPIRITED AWAY

TOY STORY 2 vs THE INCREDIBLES

TOY STORY vs THE LION KING

UP vs SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARVES

SLEEPING BEAUTY vs ALADDIN

TANGLED vs POCAHONTAS

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS vs CORALINE

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON vs HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME

ALICE IN WONDERLAND vs JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH

SHREK 2 vs KUNG FU PANDA

All votes are appreciated

Animation Bracket- Round 1

I have picked my thirty-two films and decided on my pairings for the animation competition, so here are the picks for round one! As a rule, I tried to evenly match all films and pair them by medium (traditional animation, CGI, stop-motion) and mostly by company (Disney, Pixar, Dreamworks, Ghibli, etc.) and these choices are all based on the animated films that I have seen (that's why there is only one Studio Ghibli film on the list for those who would wonder) All votes are appreciated.

TOY STORY vs WALL-E

SPIRITED AWAY  vs TOY STORY 3

FINDING NEMO vs UP

TOY STORY 2 vs RANGO

THE INCREDIBLES vs RATATOUILLE

A BUG'S LIFE vs CARS

SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARVES vs CINDERELLA

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST vs THE LION KING

PETER PAN vs ALICE IN WONDERLAND

THE LITTLE MERMAID vs SLEEPING BEAUTY

ALADDIN vs MULAN

POCAHONTAS vs TANGLED

HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME vs HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON

SHREK 2 vs KUNG FU PANDA

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS vs FANTASTIC MR FOX

CORALINE vs JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH

The Best Movie Characters of All Time (#200-190)

Instead of making a best movies list or something like that, I have decided to create a list of what I consider to be the greatest movie characters of all time. This will take a while as I have 200 spots, but before I start with the first ten, I will explain the terms of the list:
- Some of these characters also double as characters from books or comics, but I tried to stay away from real people and TV characters as much as possible

- For each character, I will include a little blurb saying why I put them on the list and their defining moment in the movie(s) they are in.

- If I find it necessary to discuss any thematic elements in regards to the character, I will, but I'll keep it brief.

- Due to the nature of the list, there will probably be spoilers, so a spoiler warning is in effect.

Anyway, moving on. Here are the first ten in my 200 Best Movie Characters of All Time list!



#200

No-Face (Spirited Away, 2001)

Spirited Away is a generally awesome movie with generally awesome characters, but it's No-Face that particularly stands out for me. He doesn't really talk much, and doesn't do much until the climax of the movie, but from the first time you see him, you know he'll have some importance on the story. He follows Chihiro around and seems to take a special interest to her, after she is kind towards him and he insists upon giving her many gifts. He later swallows one of the employees at the bathhouse and continues to eat and eat, swelling to immense size, but it is Chihiro that gets him back to his original size. No-Face is an interesting and odd spirit, and his friendship with Chihiro is actually quite touching, making him my personal favourite character from the movie and one of the best animated characters of all time.

Defining Moment: The train ride to Zeniba's with Chihiro.

#191



Elle Woods (Legally Blonde, 2001)

Sorority princess turned law student, Elle Woods is a character that I generally would not enjoy if she was played by anybody else. However, it's the spirited performance of Reese Witherspoon that places this character on the list. Witherspoon gives it her all and makes Elle Woods an enjoyable and sympathetic character. She follows her ex-boyfriend to law school after he dumps her for not being "serious" enough and after being ridiculed by Selma Blair at a Halloween Party, Elle commits herself to her studies and becomes a top lawyer, taking on a murder case (where she uses her rather, unorthodox, knowledge to prove the accused innocent.) Her transformation is one of the most enjoyable ones I have seen, and she is truly a good protagonist. We want to see her win, and we want to see her be happy, and for a protagonist in a comedy, what more can you ask for?

Defining Moment: Using unorthodox knowledge of perms and shoe styles to prove her client innocent, or the Halloween Party that gets her to take her studies seriously.



#198

Eddie Valiant (Who Framed Roger Rabbit, 1988)

Eddie Valiant is both a parody of the film-noir detective, and yet he is an example played completely straight. Valiant has prejudices against the Toons because one killed his brother (by dropping a piano on his head), and his prejudices give him trouble while working a case, which would end in him having to clear the name of Roger Rabbit. Valiant is a parody due to the silly nature of his brother's death and the fact that he works the case for a cartoon magnate and ends up having to prove the innocence of a cartoon rabbit. In all other aspects, his character is entirely played straight (he drinks like mad, he has personal demons, and he's not exactly pleasant company), and that definitely works in the film's favour. Not to mention he is played excellently by Bob Hoskins in one of his more light-hearted roles. Valiant isn't my favourite of the WFRR characters, but he is the linchpin in the series of fine performances this movie has to offer.

Defining Moment: Tough, but I'd have to say him running over the movie's villain with a steamroller in the climax. Too bad it doesn't work.

#197

Arwen (Lord of the Rings, 2001-2003)

If there is one genre that has given us a ton of memorable characters (a great many who will pop up on this list), it is the genre of sci-fi and fantasy, and one particular fantasy franchise by the name of Lord of the Rings has provided us with some of the best characters of all time. Arwen isn't the best character that the series has provided, because I'd say that for a good chunk of time, her only role is to talk softly in Elvish in overly framed sequences that are over-romanticizing a bunch of nothing, and maybe to throw in some crying every once in a while. However, I put her on the list because of one major plot point that involves her. That is her romance with Aragorn and her decision to lead a mortal life, which is fleshed out and taken seriously, not shoehorned in (as so many romances in fantasy and sci-fi often are). The whole romance with Aragorn is also better than most romances because she actually has chemistry with Viggo Mortensen. Liv Tyler gives a decent performance, not the best, but not the worst either, and the same can be said for her characterization. She is good, but there are so many more characters that Lord of the Rings has to offer.

Defining Moment: Her conversation with her father about her choice to live a mortal life with Aragorn in the third movie, or her single-handed rescuing of Frodo from the Black Riders in the first movie.

#196

The Graverobber (Repo! The Genetic Opera, 2008)

This character is an interesting one, because in the movie, he's not given much characterization (if any), he only serves as a singing narrator and an exposition-provider. However, I put him on the list because of one simple thing: he's extremely charismatic and that makes Graverobber arguably the most popular male character in the movie (at least from its large cult following). In this world, Graverobbers siphon liquids out of the dead to make a cheap version of "zydrate" (a painkiller which many of the people living in the town are addicted to) to sell on the black market. He first meets our main character in a graveyard when she sneaks out to put flowers on her mother's grave, and he keeps popping up in the movie every now and then to provide exposition and to.....narrate, I guess. This character's placement on the list is purely based on the performance. Terrance Zdunich is excellent in the role (which should be expected, as he wrote it, probably for himself), and he portrays the character as mysterious and darkly charismatic, which is perfect, seeing as we know nothing about him. Normally, characters who exist for expository purposes are a bad omen, but Graverobber is not, and for a character who serves absolutely no importance to the plot, he is certainly one of the more entertaining ones.

Defining Moment: "21st Century Cure", our first real introduction to the character (we were introduced to him in the first musical number, but we have no idea who he is or what a Graverobber is)

#195

Flynn Rider (Tangled, 2010)

I put Flynn on the list because he is an amalgam of my two favourite Disney princes (Naveen and Aladdin) while still being a great stand-alone character. Flynn is easily the most entertaining human character of the movie and is a genuinely sympathetic protagonist. To explain the character, I should explain the concept of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl (or guy, in this case). The character is used when you have a movie about a depressed hero(or heroine) who's life is magically cured by having the MPDG, an upbeat young person, enter their life. Examples of this character include Giselle from Enchanted and Ramona from Scott Pilgrim, and a rare male example (alongside Flynn) is Jack from Titanic. Flynn pops into the otherwise boring and secluded life of Rapunzel entirely by chance (running from the police after stealing a valuable crown) and he ends up changing it for the better, eventually saving her from her "mother" and captor. This, coupled by great acting and surprisingly good singing from Zachary Levi, makes Flynn Rider one of the most enjoyable characters that Disney has ever created and one of my personal favourites.

Defining Moment: His almost-dying moment where he saves Rapunzel from Mother Gothel once and for all.

#194

Mark Loring (Juno, 2007)

Mark Loring is an extreme manchild, perhaps one of the best manchildren ever put on film. He is one half of the couple that Juno decides to give her baby to, and she ends up getting a bit too involved in their lives. Mark and Juno take a shine to eachother due to their common interest in rock music and horror movies, but we soon learn that Mark is bored in his marriage to the cookie-cutter Vanessa (Jennifer Garner) and bored with his general suburban existance. It isn't quite made clear whether he is sexually attracted to Juno, but it is clear that he'd rather go back to being a teenager and that he's not at all ready to grow up. Him not being willing to grow up also says that he is the last person alive who should raise a kid, as he's basically a kid himself. This is what makes him one of the most fascinating characters (manchildren especially) ever put on film and Jason Bateman's single greatest role yet.

Defining Moment: When he tells Vanessa- to her shock -that he's not ready to be a father and he wants to end the marriage.

#193

Christof (The Truman Show, 1998)

The mastermind behind the whole web of lies that is called the life of Truman Burbank, Christof runs the show from his headquarters in the "moon", and he works to keep the lie going as long as possible, even going to such extreme measures as "killing" Truman's "father" in a fishing accident to instill in him a fear of water, and creating several fake newscasts about the danger of travelling. When Truman tries to get away from Seahaven, Christof engineers several natural disasters and even "resurrects" Truman's father in desperate hope to prevent him from leaving. Christof's desperateness culminates when Truman tries to escape on the boat in the film's climax and Christof finally reveals himself. When he does, his speech to Truman raises some extremely thought-provoking questions about the concept of utopia and whether it is better to live in the crappy real world or live in a safe and happy world that is based on lies. Top off the fantastic writing with a stellar Academy Award-nominated performance from Ed Harris and you have one of the best characters of all time.

Defining Moment: His climactic speech.

#192

Saruman (Lord of the Rings, 2001-2003)

Saruman was one of my favourite parts of Fellowship of the Ring, and the main reason why I put him on the list was for the simple fact that he is played by Christopher Lee, an expert at the creepy villain role. He gives his all with the performances and not only does he act the part, he looks the part. In fact, he really looks the part. Christopher Lee's Hammer Horror background shows through in this, as he makes an excellent creepy secondary villain. Saruman is a servant of Sauron, and he creates an army to chase the Fellowship and seize the ring. Sadly, Saruman is not featured enough throughout the movies and I hear that his scenes were cut out of Return of the King. It's a definite tragedy that Saruman was underused, but so I hear, he was used even less in the book. I'd say his best use was in Fellowship of the Ring, but he was great in Two Towers as well, and a great character in general.

Defining Moment: His introductory conversation with Gandalf, which revealed his villainous nature.



#191

Lieutenant Dan Taylor (Forrest Gump, 1994)

I say that if there were any Oscars that deserved to be won from Forrest Gump, it were the acting nominations for Tom Hanks and Gary Sinise. Lieutenant Dan is an excellent character, and goes through an excellent transformation after losing his legs in Vietnam. He starts out as Forrest's gruff superior, but after a firing of napalm on their camp, Forrest saves Dan's life, but at the expense of Dan's legs, and Dan grows bitter and angry because of it. This character gave us a revolution in special effects (being able to magically erase Gary Sinise's legs), but he is also splendidly written and genuinely sympathetic, and we see the pain he goes through about feeling like he should have died rather than live without legs, and that makes the resolution of his character all the more satisfying and heartwarming. There's also a couple of unintentionally terrifying scenes with his character, and one of which goes down as his defining moment, so I'll talk about it in that section. However, Lieutenant Dan is probably the best developed character, and the best thing about Forrest Gump that isn't Forrest himself, and he is played brilliantly by Gary Sinise, who lost to Martin Landau for Best Supporting Actor.

Defining Moment: The unintentionally terrifying scene when Dan jumps into the water after Hurricane Carmen. I think that it was meant to symbolize something but I don't quite know what, all I know is it's freaky as hell.

#190


Columbia (The Rocky Horror Picture Show, 1975)

Rocky Horror is another movie that has produced a whole slew of memorable characters, many of whom will appear on this list as well, but the first of them is Columbia. I've always liked this character even though she served very little importance in the movie in general. However, Rocky Horror is one movie where I tend to make exceptions (not just in regard to character, but generally). This tap-dancing spitfire is an extremely entertaining character, and the most we really know or learn about her is that she has a boyfriend named Eddie and she's a Frank-N-Furter fangirl, which is more than likely how she got tied up with him and his servants (whether she is from Transsexual, Transylvania or not). Little Nell did well enough with her performance, although they all pale in comparison to Tim Curry. One more thing before I wrap this up, I loved the costume design for Columbia. I mean, it's just so sparkly and pretty.

Defining Moment: Her genuine horror at the revelation that it's Eddie that they are eating for dinner.


Well, I'll be continuing this in a couple days, so I hope you liked this and I hope you will like the further installments.

My Review of Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Beauty and the Beast is yet another historically significant film for Disney, being the first animated feature film to get a Best Picture nomination (something really special, seeing as the Best Animated Feature category did not exist and all animated films could get nominated for were music), and it was essentially what cemented the Disney Renaissance, perfecting what had been established by The Little Mermaid. The Little Mermaid had established the Disney formula of belligerent sexual tension, consistently great musical numbers (in the age of Menken, which still exists to this day), and memorable characters. Plus, there's just a sweetness to this movie that is near impossible to resist. Watching Beauty and the Beast for the first time in so many years also brought back a wave of nostalgia for me, as my school did this musical in my grade nine year. I would be lying if I said I didn't adore this movie, but I do have a few problems with it. However, the positives far outweigh the negatives in this timeless classic, and we'll talk about them now. Like I have said in my reviews of the other Disney movies, most everyone has heard this story one way or another so a spoiler warning would be pointless.

Beauty and the Beast starts with a stained-glass prologue about a vain and cruel young prince, who encounters an old woman who offers him a rose in exchange for shelter from the cold. He scoffs at her and she reveals herself to be a beautiful enchantress. The prince tries to apologize, now that he's aware that she's hot, but the witch instead turns him into a hideous beast and says that he will stay that way if he does not learn to love and be loved in return by his twenty-first birthday. The enchanted rose serves as a timer of sorts, as when the last petal falls, it will signify that he will be a beast forever. The witch also places a curse on all inhabitants of the castle, turning them into house objects like a candelabra or a clock. The beast lives in exile, horrified by his appearance, and has fallen into a deep depression.

This brings us to one of the best introductory musical numbers in all of Disney-dom, where we meet an intelligent young woman named Belle. We learn that she is looked upon as 'weird' by the townspeople, because even though she's good-looking, she's smart and she likes to read (seen as unusual because she's female and the town seems to abhor reading, which leads to a question I have that I will mention later). She is also being chased after by the brutish town hero Gaston, who wants to claim her for his wife. Belle lives with her father Maurice, an eccentric adventure who heads off for an inventing fair and gets lost in the woods, which is where the two stories intertwine.

We are introduced then to Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, and Chip, the main sentient houseware characters and easily the most fun in the movie. They delight at having a guest in the castle, but the Beast is not so happy about it, and he imprisons Maurice in the tower. After rejecting Gaston's proposal, Belle realizes something's up after her father's horse comes back without her father and she rides to the castle. In an encounter with the Beast, she agrees to take her father's place and stay in the castle forever. The housewares are delighted to have a guest in the castle, and when Belle comes down to get some food (priorly refusing to eat dinner with the Beast), they lavish her with a full extravagant meal (and one of the most recognizable songs of the last twenty years).

The game-changer in the relationship between Belle and the Beast happens when Belle wanders into the west wing of the castle (the one place the Beast told her not to go), and discovers the enchanted rose. The beast frightens her into running away and she promptly gets chased by wolves. The Beast chases off the wolves, and Belle finally stands up to the Beast about his temper issues. What follows is the gradual softening of the beast, and the realization that there may be "something there that wasn't there before" (to quote a song from the movie). This leads to an interesting parallel between the Beast and Gaston (we'll talk about that later though). The romantic climax of the movie is the ballroom scene (the signature scene of the movie, and one of the best staged scenes in the company's entire animated oeuvre). After the ballroom scene, Belle uses the magic mirror to see her father, and she finds out that he is sick. The beast willingly lets her go, and he sinks into a deep depression knowing that he will remain a beast forever and not have his one true love.

Meanwhile, Gaston has been formulating a plan, simply because he won't take no for an answer. He plans to get Belle's father thrown in the nuthouse for his yammering about the beast, and only offers to clear it up if Belle marries him. When Belle corroberates her father's stories, Gaston denounces her as crazy and when shown the grim image of the Beast, Gaston gathers the townspeople, who seem to hang on his every word, to lay siege to the castle and kill the Beast. The objects successfully fight off the villagers, but the Beast is far too depressed to fight Gaston. However, when he sees that Belle has come back, and she tells him to fight, the Beast gains enough strength to fight Gaston, but does not kill him. However, this gives Gaston an opportunity to stab the beast before falling to his demise.

The Beast is on the brink of death and Belle finally admits her love for him (whereas he had admitted it after she left). The Beast is resurrected by the Power of Love, and he is also turned back into his normal human self. Cue the objects turning into their human selves and Belle and the Prince living happily ever after. I enjoy the love story in this movie, and this is coming from someone who doesn't really like romance-based movies (spare for a few). Some think that this has a bad message, in that a guy may start out an asshole but it's your love that changes him, and if he doesn't change, then you're not working hard enough. I disagree, because the Beast only starts to come around when Belle stands up to him and Belle only starts coming around when the Beast calms his temper and doesn't act like an asshole to her.

The calming of the Beast leads to an interesting parallel between him and Gaston. The Beast starts out angry and violent, whereas Gaston starts out as a jerk. However, as the Beast grows nicer and more loving, Gaston grows more and more crazy, culminating in the fight between him and the Beast where he plummets to his death. This is what I think makes Gaston one of the more interesting Disney villains, the fact that he's not inherently evil, and he doesn't have supernatural powers or legions of minions. He has one minion, a beaten-down little schmoe named LeFou, but he just starts out as a jackass who is used to getting what he wants, and he goes crazy when he can't get it. Therefore, in my opinion, Gaston is one of the best Disney villains.

Moving on to the romantic leads, we have Belle and the Beast (another Disney Prince without a name). Belle is a decent enough character, and one of the better characters Disney had produced in that time. She was intelligent, but looked upon as an outcast because she loved reading and she didn't think her father was crazy. The one thing that really annoys me about her character though is her typical "I Want" Disney Princess motivation. By that, I mean Belle expresses that she wants something, but that want is annoyingly vague and never really accomplished. Her song just says that she wants "more", but the perameters of more are never defined. It's not really a big deal, the vagueness of Belle's desires just kind of bugs me.

Next, we have The Beast, easily the most nuanced character in the movie. We see three shades of him: the angry and violent side that was the result of his grotesque appearance and his priorly 'beastly' personality before that whole incident with the witch, the kinder and softer beast that is the result of Belle standing up to him, and the depressed beast that lies at the bottom of angry beast and becomes more visible when Belle leaves. All three shades are portrayed excellently and the Beast is one of the most well-rounded characters that Disney has ever produced. The last characters that I want to talk about are the Objects, easily the most fun characters. The interplay between Lumiere and Cogsworth is fantastic, and they themselves are excellent and hilarious characters on their own. Never mind that only Lumiere has a French accent, they're all just awesome characters. I have one question about Mrs Potts though. Why would she let anyone drink out of Chip. I mean, he is a teacup, but he's still her kid. But all in all, this film has some of the most memorable characters of all time, and some of my personal favourites as well.

The film also has some of the best songs that Disney has ever written, and some of the most recognizable songs of the last two decades. There's nary anyone who hasn't heard the song "Be Our Guest" and even the titular "Beauty and the Beast" (especially considering that one has been redone so many times by so many different pop artists that it's impossible not to come across in some form). Both of those songs are impeccably staged, and easily the most lavishly staged out of all the songs, but they aren't my favourites of the bunch. My favourite is the opening number, titled "Belle". I like how it is staged, I like the multi-layered approach to the song, I just love everything about it. The mob song is my second favourite of the bunch, also an excellently staged affair. Needless to say, the songs are fantastic and deserve to be listened to and remembered for years to come.

Another thing this movie has going in its favour is the lush animation. This has some of the best scenery in any Disney movie, and it shows in the lush castles, beautiful landscapes, and excellent character design. You can tell that Disney was starting to experiment with CGI with this movie, especially in the ballroom scene (with an obvious CG chandelier) but it's mostly hand-drawn, and the details of the castle are just amazing. I know I have lavished undying praise on this movie without giving it a perfect score, so I figure I should explain myself. There are several holes in the story that don't entirely detract, but are certainly noticeable. First of all, the terms of the curse affecting all living things in the castle must have applied to every flea, rat, and dust mite on the premises due to all the talking housewares. I guess this because no way would a spoiled brat like the Prince let all of those people live in his castle. Secondly, why would a town that abhors reading have a reasonably successful bookstore. Belle's patronage can't be enough, I mean, where would she get the money to pay for the books, she doesn't have a job. Those plot holes really aren't that big, but they are noticeable and detract from the movie a little.

All in all, there is one word to describe Beauty and the Beast, and that word is timeless. This is an absolutely timeless movie, and it should be shown to all future generations. Anybody who has not seen this movie should see it now and anyone who hasn't in a long while should see it again. Minor flaws aside, this is an excellent movie and deserves its place as the cementer of the Disney Renaissance and one of the best Disney films of all time. I didn't remember loving this movie as much as I do, as it had been years since I had last viewed it. Lush visuals, excellent characters (including a complex villain), a compelling romance, and an all-around sweetness that doesn't take away from the film like it could. Other than what I have said, there really isn't much more to say, so I guess we'll end the review on this awkward ending.

P.S. I'm really enjoying this Disney marathon, kind of contradicting to the horror theme that this month has. To keep the balance between old and new age Disney, I have to watch one more film in the renaissance before I can watch any more of the old ones.




9.5/10