We've got to survive! Somebody's got to survive!

Last time on Castle Grey Skullz...

So it’s been an interesting last few weeks. The creative juices have been flowing, university has been smooth sailing and everything’s just pretty good. I turned 22 recently which made me feel both fantastic and awful at the same time. We’re back to movies for this week, with the focus on mainly the Zombie genre. There’s a specific reason for this, being...

Zombies, Zombies, Zombies...

This year the film society at my university decided to put together their first ever production. I’m not entirely clear as to when they first came up with this idea, but I got a message on facebook from said society asking for scripts so as to start pre-production. I usually would have paid this no mind except for the fact that they asked specifically for a low budget zombie script. I was amazed firstly that no-one had come up with a script, and then was almost even more shocked they wanted to make a zombie movie. Since my first year I had been talking about doing that.

So I went to bed thinking about all the great zombie movies I’d ever seen and forming stories in my head like I usually do. Idea’s started flowing and I jumped out of bed to write down some notes, before jumping back under the covers. Then I just thought fuck it, jumped out of bed, turned on my computer and started banging out a story. This became Learning the Dead which I can proudly say is my first ever full completed first draft of a screenplay ever. I’ve started and stopped a lot, but this just flowed out of me. I started writing at like 03:30am, went to university at about 9 for lectures before coming back and finishing it.

18 pages long, it follows the main protagonist Claire, who after seeing her boyfriend with another girl at a party runs off to the woods, only to miss the start of what appears to be a zombie attack back at said party. She ends up meeting up with her boyfriend and a few others, banding together to survive what they believe to be a threat to their lives.

It’s a very standard story, I wasn’t looking for anything groundbreaking, I just wanted to write something that was scary. I used the old school Romero Zombies (slow and menacing) and made it set all around my university, in particular the library (a subtle reference to Resident Evil 2). It had a love triangle as well.

So anyways, I sent it in to the film society and eagerly awaited a reply. I got one, which was actually quite positive if everything I had expected. The quote that sums up the whole email for me is this;

“Overall, I really enjoyed it - but at the mo it's just a good script rather than a great script.”

What happened next was in 3 stages.

Stage 1: Learning the Dead becomes Dead Knowledge.

I showed Learning the Dead to a few people to get some constructive criticism. Most of it was about the fact that it is difficult to do anything ‘new’ with the Zombie genre, and this is true to some extent. But I’ve grown into the opinion that if you can’t do something new that you have to then do something old well. I had been told that the society was afraid of their movie being lost in all the zombie “white noise” which is understandable. I feel however that if they put in the effort and heart that all good zombie movies have then their movie would be better than the majority of crap you can find on YouTube or the dark and dusty corner of your DVD store.

So I took a printout of Learning the Dead and scribbled a load of notes all over it. I decided almost immediately that Dead Knowledge was a better title and that my characters needed serious work. I decided to go a different way this time, instead of editing the script I already had I started from scratch using my original script as a basis. It ended up being 28 pages, which was way over what I wanted. I aimed for 15 but that failed. At least I had achieved most of what I set out for.

I added a few more characters, individualising the ones I already had and working on that love triangle. I went seriously low budget with the majority of zombies out of view or obscured in some way most of the time. It was also mostly set in dark places to allow the film makers to really play around with the lighting. There’s quite a lot of running, which I felt gave the appearance of ‘action’ to what is basically a script based on suspense.

I sent it off and actually didn’t hear anything about it until a meeting was arranged to pick production roles and discuss the script. I was excited as this could finally be my chance to make a good film that has my name on it. A few days before the meeting I spoke to the producer who told me that another script was being finished.

For about half an hour this was the worst news I had ever heard in my life. I went through all the emotions you can imagine. I was upset that I now had competition. I was angry that until I wrote my script no-one had bothered. I was jealous in case she turned out to be the most fantastic writer ever. And then I was happy, because I actually had a chance to compete and better myself.

Stage 2: Dead Knowledge and the Meeting.

This meeting was one of the worst experiences I can remember having recently. We went to Brenda’s, our universities equivalent of a greasy spoon cafe, which was not the most ideal meeting space. It was loud and everyone was eating. Your voice doesn’t travel well in these situations. I think there were 14 people in all, including me and the other writer. They asked us to pitch our scripts as barely anyone had actually bothered to read them. I was unprepared for this and kind of stumbled through my plot and characters while sweating profusely (I don’t know why as it was actually quite cold).

As I said people were eating and most of them looked like they didn’t understand what I was talking about, so when we finished pitching I moved aside while they began to pitch for their roles. I spoke to a few of them about the script. I got the same talk about how generic it was while one said he didn’t think it was filmable; everyone said it was too long.

So I took it to another friend at university, and he made me start to think about the message that I wanted to send through this film. I began to see things on a different level. My zombies went from being dangerous and hungry to calm and passive. My human characters became the aggressors, attacking anything they didn’t understand. My zombies came to represent change and my characters the different way of dealing with it.

My main character Claire is a good example of this. At the beginning of the script we see her looking out onto a pond at night coming to terms with the change she must now deal with since seeing her boyfriend cheating on her. She doesn’t ever attack a zombie like the others do, and she seems to be the least fearful of them as well. The others are all afraid of the change these peaceful zombies present to them, while she is so bold as to accept it at the end of the film (spoilers!). I cut out all the extra characters I had added except one and cut the dialogue down as much as possible.

I knew it was ambitious but I was certain this was a film that could be made and that it would be worth doing.

Stage 3: Dead Knowledge and the Deadline.

I was starting to get the feeling that I wasn’t going to get my script chosen somewhere around the middle of stage 2. My friend had opened my eyes to the potential I had left untapped and that kept me upbeat for a while. I read the other writers script, which was actually pretty good. I enjoyed it, and was surprised that hers was nearly as long as mine. It was also a very different approach, more Shaun of the Dead than Night of the Living Dead. She had much better characters than I did, but I wasn’t so taken back by her script that I wanted to give up.

So now it was the battle of old school horror VS comedy horror. I cut the script down some more to 22 pages mainly by taking out a lot of dialogue and lessening the amount of individual focus on some characters. I took out all the cheesy lines to give it a more realistic feel. With my zombies symbolising change I felt my characters needed to act more realistically. The guys that had originally been my macho “Let’s save the day!” type guys became more concerned with self preservation than being considered heroes. The dumb blonde that I had included mainly for stereotyping purposes became deeper. She stopped crying constantly and actually found her place in the story. I had managed to get across the idea that humans are the ‘real’ danger, no matter how cliché that idea may be.

I won’t say I was happy, I think satisfied is a better word, but I slowly became disheartened again when I found out that two other scripts had been written just before the final deadline for scripts. Both of them went for a more post apocalyptic approach and were set after a zombie invasion as opposed to during like mine and the other one was. I’ll be honest, one was basically the same as the other one I was competing against, and the other one was a half finished version of their idea, so I wasn’t too messed up by it. At this point I had put too much work into my story to change it anyway. So I marched forwards, cutting it down to 19 pages which ended up being my final draft. I sent it off and waited for the deadline to pass and the votes to be counted.

I figured I wouldn’t vote for my script so I told the society I thought they should mix two of the similar scripts together as both had parts that were very good. I don’t know how many votes I got but I didn’t win. I think something like 7 people voted in all, and the majority vote was for the half finished script I had been so quick to brush off earlier. I was a bit upset, I’d put 2 weeks of hard work into it for little more than experience. A few days later still there was another deadline passed around for scripts to have another go but I had given up. They were looking for something innovative and different, and that just wasn’t how I approached this task.

I’m not really certain as to the point of the story, so take from it what you will. I didn’t get the movie, but I did get said experience and it’s led to a good few weeks of consistent writing. I’ve also started work on another two screenplays, both of which are at about 10 to 15 pages right now. I’m also still working towards writing this comic as well as finding ways to make this blog more interesting for you the reader.

Anyways...

So here’s what I’ve been watching lately:

Dead Snow

My love for Norway has increased immensely since I came to university. I cannot tell you how much love I have for all my Norwegian class mates. So of course I had to check out a zombie movie from their home country. I saw a trailer for this a while back and sent it to Castle Grey Max quickly as you can imagine. The plot via IMDB,

“A ski vacation turns horrific for a group of medical students, as they find themselves confronted by an unimaginable menace: Nazi zombies.”

This comes about because they find a box filled with Nazi gold under the cabin they are staying in, which leads the dead Nazi’s to rise and reclaim it. My next sentence needs a line of its own.

This film is EXCELLENT.

Please, don’t think I’m being crazy. You’re probably asking yourself how a zombie film can be excellent, especially one with such a silly idea. Well I’ll tell you in short form, as this film is one you NEED to see.

Lighting – This was the first thing to stick out to me. This film is perfectly lit, and that is so, so, so important in a movie (especially the horror genre). So many times I have found myself watching a horror film where I just can’t see anything that is going on because it’s so badly lit. There is none of that here, all the shadows perfectly placed to show you only what they want. The outside scenes where the moon hits the snow are amazing to look at, and you really get the feel of warmth and safety from the cabin they occupy. It’s very rare to get this these days, and it’s something I feel you should take note of.

Acting – I think even more surprising than the lighting is the level of acting in this movie. It’s actually really good and all of the characters are pitch-perfect in their delivery. Though I had to watch with subtitles, not being Norwegian and all, it just seemed like everyone was bang on it and their chemistry is undeniable. The acting added to the fact they are all playing medical students stops this movie from being really stupid when you know in your head it should be. I was also really feeling that these characters didn’t react like idiots. I love the old school horrors when people are running up stairs instead of out their front doors but in modern horror that doesn’t hack it. Running away is exactly the same for me. It’s fine for slasher movies but it doesn’t make sense to me that so many characters are hesitant to stand up and fight some of the monsters of today. Either way, there is very little of that in this movie. The characters are scared at first, of course, but that fear soon turns to anger and acceptance. It’s really nice to see, and their chemistry goes a long way to making this as funny as it is.

References – There are so many references to great films in this. They aren’t all so easy to spot either. Watch it closely. The characters talk about the Evil Dead movies, which are also subtly referenced in both the setting and camera angles used in later scenes. One character wears a Brain Dead t-shirt. Another does an excellent impression of Sloth from the Goonies. There are countless others including ones I probably missed. I’m also not entirely sure how correct the translations on the subtitles are so I might have missed even more. These little Easter eggs are fantastic and what all good genre movies need.

Action – This film has some great action sequences. The fights with the zombies are epic and brutal. It’s nice to see some ‘new’ ways to kill zombies, like actually trying to kill them instead of running away. It gets really crazy towards the end, two of the guys get locked in a tool shed and gear up to take on about 20 zombies. It’s gory but always fun and the best zombie action of the past few years, including the over rated 28 ... later series.

Zombies – Zombies, Nazis, Zombie Nazis. They run, they climb trees, they fight and they want their gold back. I don’t really know what I can add to that.

So yeah, Dead Snow is a film you need to see, especially if you love zombies, horror, comedy or Norwegians. I love all four so of course I enjoyed this. I kind of wish I had watched this before I wrote Dead Knowledge.

I know its borderline racist but I’m now very excited for The Thing prequel, also being made by Norwegians. I know me thinking that because Dead Snow was awesome every other film made by Norwegians will be awesome is like me thinking all German directors are shit because of Uwe Boll, but whatever. This film rocked, and I will be paying more attention to the Norwegian film industry in the future.

“Central to Unit 27. Jean-Claude Van Damme's robbing a post office. I need back-up."

JCVD

I absolutely loved this film. I say that quite a lot, but it’s true. I’m not the biggest Jean-Claude Van Damme fan, Bloodsport is about the only other movie of his I can say I’ve sat through in its entirety. I’ve never considered him to be a good actor. This film changed all of that. Another in the line of movies featuring actors playing exaggerated versions of themselves, JCVD follows Van Damme as he takes a trip to the Post Office and gets involved in a robbery hostage situation. The acting is actually very good, helped by a good script and some excellent pacing. There’s even a 7 or 8 minute monologue given by Van Damme about his life and the problems he has overcome straight to the camera that doesn’t feel out of place or weird at all. I won’t give away too much, to be honest I don’t think any description I give you will be as good as watching it, but I do have to mention one thing. JCVD has one of the best opening sequences ever made. It features Van Damme making his way through some sort of military camp just beating the shit out of people, grabbing a girl and trying to make an exit to safety. It looks beautiful, the music over the top (don’t know the song) is perfect and the end of the scene sets up Hollywood and the tone of the movie very well. It’s actually almost worth watching just for that one scene. A very interesting movie.

“I don't know how you survived, slave. Prepare to terminate.”

TRON

This is one of those films you watch when you’re a kid and its fantastic. Return to it as an adult however, and you find it to be something visually stunning and full of potential that just doesn’t quite hit the mark. Or I did anyway. For those who haven’t seen it this is from way back in 1982 and is about a hacker literally pulled into a video game to stop a master computer from taking over the world. I love the visuals in this movie, for ‘82 they were groundbreaking, and they still look good in 2009. The acting is a little sub-par but I bet people didn’t notice with all the whacky colours and game references being thrown at them. Colourful and funny but not quite as good as I remembered it being. I’m sure the re-make (whenever it comes out) will be worth watching though, if only to see how they transfer a very ambitious story to a more modern setting.

“Rule number five... Show no love. Love will get you killed.”

Get Rich or Die Tryin’

There’s so many ironic quotes from this film it’s not funny. I’m not a big 50 Cent fan, it was about the same time he showed up that I stopped listening to music properly, and his acting skills can’t change my opinion. This is a fucking awful movie. I saw it on Channel 4 the other day and almost went out to buy the DVD so I could spend an entire post ripping it to shreds scene by scene. Then I decided that would be a waste of yours and my time, and that I would just say a few words on it. I really don’t know what’s worse, the fact he goes out of his way to look like Jesus in a lot of frames or the disgustingly over glamorised version of his life story. I can barely believe I sat through all of this and I would not recommend it to anyone except 50 Cent fans. I respect him for making his money and taking over the world but this film is about as much an epic fail as the majority of his music. Even if they set this film in Norway it still would have sucked.

“Jimmy, quit acting like an idiot and dissect your frog!”

Dance of the Dead

I’ll keep the living dead theme going with an independent horror movie from 2008. This is simply low budget zombie fun. When a small town is attacked by hordes of zombies on prom night a bunch of high school kids, who normally don’t get along, band together to stop this evil menace. Sounds pretty standard, and it is, but this film actually has a lot to offer you. The script is fast and fun, the acting is pretty good considering its mostly local unknowns, and the zombies are pretty good considering the budget. Their intro when they come, literally, flying out the ground is very cool and actually pretty innovative. As far as I know this didn’t get a very wide release and I’m not even sure if it’s made it onto DVD yet, but if you like horror comedies that remind of Evil Dead and Re-animator then go out of your way to find this movie. If you forced me to make a choice between this and Dead Snow it would be Dead Snow, hands down, but as film fans you should try to see them both.

Television...

We were pretty TV heavy last week so I’ll keep it short and sweet this time in saying that practically none of my opinions have changed. Least of all about Heroes...

*Takes a bow*

Joe

CGS MIXTAPE: VOL 1

Welcome to the first of (hopefully) many mixtapes that we're going to compile for all you lovely people!

When deciding how to approach this I thought I'd just throw together some shit that I liked, but then I realised theres no much point to that because a load of it would be fairly easy to find and most people would have heard of it. So I decided to collect together some tracks that are a bit more obscure, from my musical library, with the idea to show some interesting bits and bobs to people. Ive included some covers, some rare guest appearances and some stuff that should be more obscure for the casual music fan. Hopefully there is something that all people (with half a fucking brain) will enjoy. Ive also done a little write up of each track, so you can see why I chose these tracks. In the zip file you'll find all the tracks correctly tagged, with embedded artwork, and the artwork jpg, all made by yours truly.




1. Dirty Money - Out of Luck
2. Ice-T - Police Story (Black Flag cover)
3. Karen O. featuring Peaches - Backass
4. Some Girls - The DNA Will Have It's Say
5. Locust Toybox - Melodies from Mars 10 (Aphex Twin Cover)
6. UM - The Man's Got Me Beat
7. Lead Into Gold - Faster Than Light
8. Patton / Kaada - Aubade
9. Bon Iver - Skinny Love
10. Pogo - Alice
11. CON - Track 03 (demo)
12. Lovage - Book of the Month
13. 12 Round - Pleasant Smell (Rethought By Trent Reznor, Keith Hillebrandt And Clint Mansell For The Nothing Collective)
14. Nine Inch Nails - Atmosphere (Joy Division cover)
15. Nine Inch Nails - A Warm Place (Stella Soleil vocal version)
16. Tom Waits - I'll Never Let Go of Your Hand

DOWNLOAD HERE

1. DM are one of the best PROPER hardcore bands from London, they sound like the city. It's fast, it's harsh and it's invigorating. This track is off their 2006 Demo, check out their myspace to try and catch them live, they fucking kill it.

2. I am a very big Black Flag song and really like the lyrics on this track, so to hear a rerecording with Ice-T on vocals is hilarious and cool. This is from the Rollins lead charity CD to help the West Memphis Three, who are three teens wrongly convicted of child murder. Watch the documentary Paradise Lost for more info, it's a fanscinating and heartbreaking story of prejudice in America.

3. Even though I didn't enjoy the new YYY's record, Karen O is still near the top of my awesome ladies list and this track feature another awesome Lady; Peaches. This track is from the soundtrack for Jackass 2.

4. Some Girls have been one of the most important bands for Hardcore, ever since they reinvented the genre with the release of their two EPs, combining punk, noise and hardcore into something distinctly theirs. Sadly, they have broken up now, but their records are still innovative today. This track also features Karen O on backup vocals, which makes her even cooler.

5. The Melodies from Mars record is an unreleased album from Aphex Twin which can be tricky to get hold of (I might do a feature on it here soon, so watch out), but it has some wonderfull little melodie driven tracks, of which the best was covered by David Firth from Fat-Pie, with his musical outlet Locust Toybox. Apparently this whole track was learnt by ear, by David, on his acoustic guitar.

6. Cambridge has a good history for music, being the birthing place of Pink Floyd, but not a huge amount more goes on there, musically or otherwise (apart from Iain Huntley, but thats not cool...). So when I saw Pete Um live at our yearly alternative life / music fest Strawberry Fair I was gobsmacked. He makes the most bizarre, off-kilter stuff ive ever heard. Its kind of like poetry tracks, with out of time rythms layered over and over. Believe it or not, this track is his most normal and digestable. He has about 15 myspace pages and his records are very hard to track down, Ive managed to find 4 CD-Rs.

7. I am a big fan of 80s and 90s industrial, of which Ministry were a major part of. Lead into Gold are a side project for the now ex - Bassist of Ministry; Paul Barker. It is all very hard to find, but there is some great stuff in here. This track was a single at the time and has a video featuring Trent Reznor. Its a cool little industrial pop song, who knows what it's about.

8. Mike Patton is the midas of music, but instead of turning things to cash cows he just makes everything incredibly good. This track is off a record that he made with john Kaada, which is very influenced by Italian pop music, but with a distinctly Patton twist. It's probably the best track on here.

9. I think by now everyone has heard this track, but I am completely in love with it. The production is heart wrenchingly organic, with the duel vocal tracks grabbing you straight away. The track feels heartbreakingly cold posses a chilling conviction that seems to lack from a lot of acoustic guitar music.

10. Pogo is becoming more known now, after a few other people have stumbled across his video for this track; Alice. Not a huge amount of info is available on him, apart from he's Australian, not signed, young and has released almost all his music for free here. This track is mesmerising, with the vocal snippets becoming more and more engrossing with subsequent listens and the bass helping you slip into a trance-like state if one allows it. I urge you to download all his stuff if you can, most of it is very good, and free.

11. Confucius MC is a very good friend of mine, who possess some fantastic talent for lyricism and flow, which I find hard to find from the majority of hip-hop from both the US and UK. This is a demo from his last trip to the recording studio, of which CON busted out 14 tracks in one day. His producing is bringing out some fantastic work, so CON will only be on the up and up, so keep your eyes pealed. Check his Myspace here.

12. Some more Patton loving here with Lovage. The record this is off is produced by Dan the Automator and has Patton and Jennifer Charles, where are the songs are about traditional romantic encouters. All the tracks are very charming, and make for a fantastic record to enjoy in the summer and/or while getting high. This track represents the rest of the albums vibe and sound very well. I highly recommend this album to all people, of all music tastes, as I am sure most will enjoy it.

13. 12 Rounds are almost unknown completely, outside of fans of Nine Inch Nails and Nothing Records, but have created some very interesting and strange music, with a distinct alternative rock sound. The vocals are so uniquely mesmerizing and strange that it's hard not to find this track memorable. It is all written and produced by Atticus Ross, who has contributed, musically, to all the Nine Inch Nails releases from With Teeth onwards, this combined with this remix being done by Trent Reznor results in this particular track sounding like a Nine Inch Nails styled take on Massive Attack.

14. I am not a particularly big fan of Bauhaus, or Peter Murphy's voice, but I am a big NIN and Joy Division fan, so hearing members of NIN covering JD is a joy, and Peter Murphy's voice isn't that intrusive in this track, as it can be on some of the other covers taken from these Radio Sessions. It is pretty much a straight cover, but the fact it is almost a super group cover of it (with the afformentioned celebs playing instruments, Jordie White from Marilyn Manson and Atticus Ross), I figure that it'll be of great interest to some people out there, and it is a killer song.

15. The original of these tracks is one of my favourites off of The Downward Spiral, as it seems to bathe the listener in gorgeous and warm sound textures that pulsate and morph as one listens. When I found this "vocalisation" done of the track, I was uncertain at first, but the way the vocal track is used as an additional complimenting intrument works very well, adding another layer to the already dense sound scape. The vocal track was originally recorded for the sound track for the movie Stigmata, but apparently was left off due to an arguement between Trent Reznor and Billy Corgan, who was producing the sound track. It was not official available up until recently, when it was uploaded to remix.nin.com by Reznor himself. It is a rare little treat in the 100s of "never officially released" NIN tracks.

16. Tom Waits is my favourite singer and song writer of all time. His songs are touching, funny and display diversity of themes and styles throughout his back catalogue. One set of bootlegs which are hard to get are called the "Tales From The Underground" series, which are 5 compilations of rare and unreleased Waits tracks, of which this is one. Originally from the sound track to American Heart, but beyond that unavailable. The song is a touching love song about dedication and commitment, which doesn't sound soppy or mushy at all, with conviction being portrayed through Waits' always fantastic vocal delivery. The man is a saint, and should have his own Holiday.


I hope you enjoy this mix tape, and please leave us some comments on your opinions of the tracks and the mixtape concept. If you have enjoyed it then please feel free to distribute as you feel suitable. Me and Joe have been discussing the idea of doing a video podcast, so watch out!

MAX

Heroes aren’t what they used to be…

(This article was written over a period of a few weeks so might be a little bit like patch work. Apologies in advance.)

To start…

I think its time for some TV love. Before a list of what I like on the box at the moment, and how I’m feeling/have felt during their run here’s my list of what a good TV show needs, nay, MUST have…

1) An interesting and well thought out storyline that has been carefully planned and executed.
2) Meaningful character relationships/chemistry.
3) Good acting. Nothing can save a show more than a powerful performance.
4) A memory.
5) Well made, although not necessarily big budget.

That last one is a little bit vague but it’ll become more apparent what I mean later…


“Save the Cheerleader, Save the world…”



Heroes
(Currently Season 3 Episode 19, NBC)

I used to love Heroes. Like, really love it. I saw Season One like 5 times, including twice in a row at one point. I loved the fact that Tim Kring (creator) had given us a vast world littered with cool characters, each with their own super power. It was good times…until season 2. I’ve spent many hours thinking about the fall of Heroes, but I’ve never really had the time to tell the majority of you where my problems actually lie. But first let me start by telling you why you should be watching Heroes…

Why I like Heroes

1) Super Powers – Most characters have a power and a weakness (Usually themselves). This is great, there is nothing worse than all powerful unstoppable characters right from the start. I also like the way the powers are connected to the persons history, for example Claire’s mum controls fire while her father flies so it makes sense she can regenerate (Phoenix anyone?). I’ve also grown to love some of the camera tricks used to signify a certain power. Matt’s (a telepathic cop) power looks hilarious, made up of mainly close ups and squinted eyes. These really do help you out along the way and make for some cool little moments, like Sylar and his new ability to tell if someone is lying (The screen shakes up and down).

2) Super People – There are some great characters in this show, Hiro and Ando only being the best examples.

3) Sylar/Villains – One of my favorite all time villains. He’s a great contrast to Peter Petrelli, the original ‘good guy’ of the show, and seeing his development over the years has been excellent even if he has become a little lost as of late. There is also some truly excellent evil characters throughout the run of Heroes, although you need to be fast to catch them.

4) Season One – 23 episodes of fantasticness. It’s so good I have to make up words. Cool characters, great first story arc (with some interesting subplots) that all come together with a great twist at the end, well worth your time…

However,

Why I don’t like Heroes

1) Season 2 – Cut short due to the 07-08 WGA strike Season 2 of Heroes was only 11 episodes, and it still managed to stink up the house. I really didn’t enjoy this season, for a number of reasons.

I was generally happy with how Season One ended, my only problem being the way with which Hiro was set up for his season 2 story arc. After (spoilers) being stabbed by Hiro, Sylar uses his powers to send Hiro flying through the air towards a wall. Now, I presumed he would just take the hit and fall to the ground, be a bit banged up for his next appearance. But no, he uses his power to avoid a crash…and ends up in Japan in the year 1671. Right. I appreciate that this story was used to get Hiro to realize his potential (completing all the tasks that his father had told him stories about as a child) but his stay in the past went on way too long.

It also became way too love struck towards the end, verging on soppy, when Hiro fell in love with a sword smiths daughter (or something). I think the only good thing to come from this arc was Kensei/Adam Monroe (David Anders), a villain with the same power as Claire that I had hoped they would be keeping for the long run.

But wait, that leads onto my next point. Season 2 also introduced us to a few more super powered people, including a girl with reflexive muscle memory (or something) and a sister (who cries black tears that kill everyone) and brother (who can stop his sister from crying). Right, it’s no real surprise that none of these characters returned, even if they did change the scenery for a few episodes (New Orleans, South America).

2) Death (Main characters) – Death ‘aint no thing in Heroes. Main characters die all the time and are back to life in a matter of moments. Side characters die in an instant and are never spoken about again. This annoys the shit out of me. Nathan really should have died at the end of season one. It would have been a beautiful death, but no, they decided to bring him back only to kill him, again. I understand he might be popular, but you cant build up tension in a show where none of the main cast are expendable.

3) Death (Side characters) – Never has a show wasted this amount of talent or characters. It truly is awful. There are many examples, Adam Monroe being killed or even with some of the new villains introduced such as Knox and the German. Knox especially was a huge waste.

One of the scariest actors in The Wire (Jamie Hector) who’s power is that he feeds on peoples fear and grows stronger with it? I’m sold, or at least I was until he was killed off. Same with the German (who was killed by Knox), Monroe (Arthur Petrelli killed him), Arthur Petrelli (Sylar got him) and on the list could go.

I was so upset when Arthur Petrelli went down as Robert Forster is a fantastic actor given a really bad storyline. In fact it seems that most of these new characters are only introduced to kill each other off and go about their business elsewhere.

4) Ali Larter – People seem to love her, but I think she couldn’t act her way out a paper bag (I’m pretty sure her movie career shows that), but Heroes is fucking obsessed with this chick. So much so we’ve seen like 8 different versions of the same dry character. She’s gone from being a bitch with enhanced strength and split personalities to (and no lie here) playing the twin of said character who’s probably more of a bitch and has ice powers. And it gets better as well, because there is apparently another ‘twin’ running around that we have yet to meet. Christ.

5) Selective Memory – Heroes just isn’t as aware of itself as other shows are. Sometimes (especially recently) I just feel like nothing I sat through before this means anything anymore.

The characters I grew to know and love have mostly all left their original paths and are wondering around blindly screaming to be thrown into a decent storyline. Peter for example, long one of the more powerful on the show. In season 2 they go all out trying to set up Peter as someone who could eventually be the kind of villain this show has been lacking since season one Sylar. But no, we’re like 20 episodes on from those flashes of evil, and now he’s back to being weak and insecure.

It’s the same with the major story arcs. First we had the virus from season 2 that really turned out to be not that much of a problem anyway, and then there was the serum from the start of season 3. Both of which matter not any longer, which is a shame. Oh and the ever important formula, that Hiro spent a load of time looking for. Which meant nothing in the end anyways. Lost isn’t scared to keep you wondering about past happenings, Heroes is. It makes a big difference.

6) This whole ‘Lets start from scratch’ shit – The Fugitives arc that we are currently running through is only 2 episodes in, but I already see worrying signs. It is literally like I’ve walked into Michael Bays brain while he’s watching Heroes and trying to figure out how to save it. The past two episodes have had a plane crash, an airstrike, people have been shot, people have used their powers in like non-good ways (many for the first time) and there is an extreme sense of panic. It’s like the writers know times running out, and the characters show it from their idiotic decisions. There’s been some shifty decisions as well, such as giving the two unpowered members of the cast powers (for no real reason).

I appreciate the focus on one or two groups of characters as opposed to everyone in one episode, but I feel that Heroes has reached the point of no return. There’s 11 episodes or so left, and there is a lot of work that needs to be done to fix this show up. I’m very interested to see how they wrap this arc up, because if the Heroes don’t find a way to keep hidden from the rest of the world we’ll be trapped in these “on the run” arcs for the rest of Heroes tenure.

To people not familiar to the series, please don’t get me wrong. Heroes is not the worst thing on Television. Far from it. In fact, a lot of the time I find the show ticking all the right boxes. It’s just that after it does that it turns around and does some other funky stuff behind your back, and that’s when we argue. I cant handle all these boring side characters introduced who do little more than stand around before their death. I cant handle the fact that while these side characters are doing this our main characters are sent on a long journey to learn/retrieve something that wont matter a few episodes down the line. It’s not fair, and it’s not fair to keep saying its going to change when it doesn’t. They said Fugitives would be a return to Season One greatness, but instead its Season 2 on crack with more explosions.

This is where my pain is greatest, because they set themselves up extremely well, only to fail on execution. Saying that however, there is still a silver lining. We appear to be (after a mass cull last volume) down to the basic characters from the start of season one. Everyone is running around like crazy, and lives are actually threatened for the first time I can remember. If they can avoid some more badly planned Time Travel and try not to get too bogged down in mcguffins that don’t matter, then Heroes will have redeemed itself. Otherwise, I shan’t be watching Season 4.

(Episode 18 and 19 were quite good, though I’m sure by now I’m delusional.)


“Have you met Ted?”



How I met your mother
(Currently Season 4 Episode 16, CBS)

HIMYM (as we shall now call it) is brilliant because it reminds me of the days when I hadn’t seen every Friends episode ever made. It really reminds me of everyone’s favorite sitcom when I watch it, and I think for that reason alone it’s worth watching. It’s based around the character Ted and his on-going story of how he met his children’s mother. But recently it’s become less about that and more about how Ted met his friends in its 4th season, which is not at all a bad thing. I love the relationships in this show, although it might be a bit too soppy for some. The 5 main cast members hold their own but it is Neil Patrick Harris as Barney that really stands out every episode. A powerful business man and man-whore, Barney is literally the funniest thing in every episode. No lie. No matter how boring you might find the stories sometimes, as soon as Barney comes on screen you know something good is about to happen. But the majority of time he’s just the icing on the cake to what is good, honest comedy. Not too much slapstick, some great jokes and impersonations, and an adult feel that I never got from Friends, HIMYM is well worth a watch. It’s easy to pick up as well, with 20 minute episodes that don’t require too much knowledge of previous arcs.


“Grass is always greener on the other side…”



Lost
(Currently Season 5 Episode 8, ABC)

I’m a big fan of Lost and was quite upset when it disappeared from terrestrial television after season two. A year or so down the line and my friend hooked me up with season three, which I watched cautiously. You see, season two was already starting to lose my interest and I was worried that season three would continue that trend. It didn’t though, and I’d worried for no real reason as three was excellent. But it was when season 4 came out that I truly became hooked again.

Wow, season 4 was truly one of the best singular seasons of any show, ever. Characters were killed without a blink, tension was running unbelievably high, and just when everything was beginning to make sense new questions popped up and slapped us silly. Season 4 is also the moment I felt Lost decided exactly what kind of show it wanted to be, and now it’s much better for it. In fact the transition from whatever it was before to the time-travelling sci-fi epic it is now was not at all a bumpy one. It actually suits the flow of the show extremely well.

I’m enjoying the current season 5 right now, we’re really starting to reach the important reveals for the series, and I’m hoping the writers haven’t been watching Heroes too much. Lost has a whole host of great characters, some beautiful locations, and is fantastic at developing and sustaining mystery and the element of surprise. If you’re not watching, you are definitely missing out.


“Murder for the masses…”



Dexter
(Currently finished Season 3, Showtime)

Dexter is really one of the best things you will be able to find on Television right now. Michael C Hall is one of the best actors around, and it shows as he plays a forensics expert for Miami Homicide who in his time off is a serial killer who only kills serial killers. We’re Three seasons in and I just cant recommend this enough. It’s not just about the murders, although seeing Dexter pick off victims is worryingly exciting. But to be honest, there’s more sex in Dexter than on screen mutilation, and it doesn’t matter one bit. This is a show about the characters, and Dexter is one of the most interesting characters ever to grace the screen. He’s amoral, someone who considers himself to have no feelings, disconnected from the world. This by itself would make for a depressing show, so he is surrounded by an excellent supporting cast to ‘force’ him to live a normal life. Love it, love it, love it. Season 3 was especially good, racking up the tension and setting up for what could be another excellent two seasons. We can only hope…


“When I grow up…”



Entourage
(Currently finished Season 5, HBO)

I wont really say much about this program for fear of over hyping it, but like HIMYM, you are guaranteed a smile at least once an episode. It’s based on the character of Vince (the movie star), his brother Drama (The failed star), E (Vince’s agent) and Turtle (The do dirt dude). Full of hot chicks, famous cameos and a great chemistry between the 5 main cast this is one of the coolest, slickest and well made comedy dramas around. Jeremy Piven as Vince’s agent Ari Gold is awe inspiring, and you wont get many funnier performances out there. Another HBO classic, even if it doesn’t hold as much weight as some of the other shows they have.


“Better the devil you know…”



Reaper
(Currently Season 2 Episode 2, The CW)

I like this show for two reasons, Tyler Labine as ‘Sock’ and Ray Wise as ‘The Devil’. Two really funny performers at their best. Sock is a nice contrast to the main character Andy, who is forced to find escaped souls and send them back to hell after his parents sold his soul to the devil, while Ray Wise should be Satan in every film, show or story that has the Devil in it. He’s that good. The rest of the cast are pretty cool as well, and I appreciate the X-files style “Monster of the Week” set up, which suits the show. It’s not as funny as some of the other stuff I watch, nor does it have the budget to look as good as Heroes. But it’s Kevin Smith produced, and it is never a bad thing when the big guy gets involved. I’m interested to see where Season Two takes the story, and whether we will have any new characters coming in, but for now just enjoy the chance to watch some funny fantasy adventures.


“If it’s a lie, then we fight on that lie…”



The Wire
(Finished, 5 Seasons, 60 episodes, HBO)

I put off watching The Wire for a long time, much like I’m doing now with Oz. My little brother bought the DVD’s and wouldn’t stop raving about it, but I just wasn’t interested. Some of my friends who hadn’t even seen it were telling me that I should watch it. When in class discussing whether Television is a better medium for developing character and story the main example was The Wire. So finally, I bargained with my brother to borrow the Season One DVD and sat down to watch Episode 1. Then Season 2. As you can guess this went on until I had finished all 5 seasons. I actually remember watching the last episode and just sitting there in awe and silence once it had finished. There are so many things to talk about and honestly, I don’t have a clue where to start. I guess I’m going to have to make another list…

1) Baltimore, Maryland – The city where all 5 seasons of the Wire is based. Baltimore became more and more important to me the further I fell down the Wire well. Considering all the murder, dealing, deception and general badness that goes down in the city The Wire still manages to make it like breathtakingly beautiful. I can’t really explain it as well as I would like to, but the City plays a huge role in everything that happens. And the fact that each season deals with a different theme only helps you see every corner, every angle. I can’t remember a show where the setting becomes almost as important as the characters that inhabit it.

2) The characters – I really don’t know if there was one character I actually disliked. I guess this is because every character goes through periods of being bad and good. No-one has a clean past and every body seems to know it. I’m actually amazed that so many unlikeable characters could come together to create a very likeable TV show.

3) Bunk & McNulty – Easily one of the best team ups ever. The cool, clean and calm Bunk is perfectly in contrast to the wired, unreliable, doesn’t give a shit McNulty. They have the best chemistry in the show and one of the strongest relationships. They don’t always agree, but I think they are probably the only two to not really double cross each other the whole way out. If I was to pick the top 10 scenes in the Wire the majority of them would feature Bunk and/or McNulty, as well as…

4) Omar – What to say about Omar. I absolutely love the guy. I cant give enough praise to Michael K Williams. To play a homosexual gangster who goes around robbing drug dealers and not make him come across silly is truly a feat. The fact that he goes on to become perhaps the best thing about the Wire is even better. He’s the most unrealistic in my opinion, but somehow he seems perfectly in place, a predator stalking the streets of Baltimore. And having a different boyfriend in each season is classic.

5) The Themes/Sequences – Season One focuses on the streets of Baltimore, Season Two on the Port. Season 3 is mostly about the Politics, while Season 4 deals with the Schools. Season 5 finishes with a look at mostly the Media, but also delves a little deeper into the running theme of police corruption. This allows for us to really travel the whole city while getting to know multiple characters. I never felt overwhelmed or had trouble remembering names. You do have to be aware throughout watching or you will miss tons, but once your involved it never feels like a chore even after 60+ hours. The fact that each season has a different intro and theme song, both suited to match the season theme makes watching the title sequence worth it. They are pretty long (especially when you look at Heroes, Lost etc) but they really are like watching a movie on fast forward. The way they hint to what will come later is just genius.

I could go on and on. There are so many memorable characters, so many great sequences. Some people even have catchphrases, but there is always a moment of gritty realism to bring you back down to earth. I loved it from start to finish. Season Two was easily my favourite, although a lot of people didn’t like the move away from the streets.

It makes me giddy just thinking about it. I would say go check some reviews out but as its finished you will be hit with some heavy spoilers, so you’re just going to have to take my word and follow me blindly into a world I just know you’ll love.


“It's simply beyond words. It's incalculacable”



The Office (US)
(Currently Season 5 Episode 17, NBC)

I admittedly wasn’t a fan of the UK version of The Office. Although the original, I just never found myself able to sit through a whole episode. I used to think (and still do actually) that Extras was a much better show. Nothing against Ricky Gervais, I think he’s quite funny, but David Brent just wasn’t my cup of tea. The US version, however, is the funniest thing I have seen in absolutely ages. Steve Carrell is much better as the lead in Michael Scott. Every moment he’s on screen is filled with awkwardness and humor.

He is not, surprisingly, the best thing about The Office though. That prize is awarded to the others who work inside the Office. I love each and every one of them. Pam and Jim is one of the better on screen romances, Dwight is just comedy gold every time, Andy lightens up my day with his singing and Stanley is unbeatable as the token black guy. There are literally about 12 other characters who all make their mark and this really is some of the best writing on TV. This is another one I only started watching like 3 weeks ago and I’m already up to date and awaiting the next episode. Funny, funny shit.


“Oh, well, this would be one of those circumstances that people unfamiliar with the law of large numbers would call a coincidence.”



The Big Bang Theory
(Currently Season 2 Episode 17, CBS)

I find myself wondering why I actually watch this show. It’s exactly the kind of obvious comedy I hate. I don’t think its hilarious to have every joke based around the use of long words. I think that every episode usually starts off pretty poorly and then slowly gets a little better before maybe one big laugh at the end.

I thought the handling of Penny and Leonard’s relationship spoiled what could have continued to be quite a nice brewing romance. It has definitely gotten better since the first season, but I really don’t think its reached anywhere near the same level as the other comedy I watch. The only things I find myself laughing at these days are Sheldon and Walowitz. These two always make me smile at least, and that’s never a bad thing if you want to get into my good books. I like Penny as well, she’s pretty funny and I enjoyed her work in Charmed. I just wish they would stop using her as a pair of tits and do something with that character. Every time you start to feel like its becoming a little bit of a scientific sausage fest Penny shows up in not much clothing and changes the mood a little.

This show has/had a lot of potential, but like Heroes the lack of direction or real development will hurt it in the long run. I see HIMYM and The Office running for a couple more seasons at least. I don’t see this going anymore than 2 more seasons. That leaves them with 7 seasons and Big Bang with 4. See where I’m going?

To finish…

I just finished watching Spaced again. Great show. I think I’ll give it a review next time as nearly 5000 words is a little much. I’m still trying to force myself to watch Oz, even though I’m oddly excited about it I just haven’t found the time. I saw a couple of great films recently as well, so next time we’ll be back to some movie reviews.

Good news as well, I’ve started writing again! This makes me happy. And if I’m happy then hopefully this blog can only get better. Fantastic.

Max and I also both went and saw Watchmen the other day so we’re hoping to get together a special on it soon.

I’ve also seen 3 movies in the last 2 weeks that you NEED to see for a variety of reasons, so that’s all to come next week as well.

Right now my thumbs hurt from Street Fighter IV so I’m going to give them a rest.

Soon…



JOE

Free Samplers

Now, for all our adoring fans out there, we have a little treat. Both Holy Roar Records and Deathwish Inc. have put out free sampler CDs for people to download and thoroughly enjoy. After to speaking with Holy Alex, I have been given his blessings to repost the HRR sampler here, so I thought "why not put up Deathwish's too, they probably wouldn't mind." So here they are with tracklistings and a few words from me.




Holy Roar Records Sampler 09 Tracklisting -
1. Brontide - Crunk Anansie
2. Youves - Big Arexic
3. Holy State - Repeat and Fade
4. The Ergon Carousel - Ironclad
5. the_Network - 500 pounds of idiot
6. Throats - Reign of Low (tape version)
7. Maths - Untitled Album Demo
8. Cutting Pink With Knives - Aylburton
9. Rolo Tomassi - Cirque Du Funk (4Music Session version)
10. November Coming Fire - Return of the Black Dog
11. Jealous - Ruins

DOWNLOAD

There are some really fucking fantastic tracks on this sampler, of which most are unreleased or off of out-of-print tapes and demos.

Brontide are a mathy loop based progressive alternative rock group who are going to explode soon. As a well known comparison, imagine what Foals could accomplish if they allowed themselves outside of the indie box. Brontide will be your new favourite band in a year or so.

Youves were known as Mirror! Mirror! but had to change their name due to legal complications. Youves have a really great aggressive techinal indie-rock type sound. If you enjoy Danananakroyd then give this a go.

Holy State are going to be London's finest Hard Rock band, if they haven't achieved it already. Very new, very good live, go and see them at Old Blue Last for a free show coming very soon.

I'll be honest, I'm not a big fan of the next two tracks. However, if you're into grindcore, it'll be worth checking out Ergon Carousel's track, its very fast and heavy. I do like The_Network, but I find this track a little tiresome. The_Network sound like 4 apes making heavy fucking punky metal, with keyboards. (After kindly being corrected by a member of The_Network, I should make an amendment. 5 Apes, with electronics, sorry Gentlemen. :) )

Throats are amazing. London's take on the Converge sound. This is an older track, from their split with Maths, but a different recording. It's a bit clearer in sound than on the Split. Its really really fucking heavy. They are a lesson in brutallity, without being stupid techdeathmetal trolls. I cannot recomend this band any more, for people who are into agressive or heavy music.

The Maths track is a demo for their forthcoming album. If this track is anything to go by, then the album is going to be a stormer. Maths sound like a super technical modern At The Drive-In, but with a very dark edge. Also check out their tracks from the split with Throats. Great stuff.

For those of you who haven't heard them, they sound like being lead by Cyndi Lauper and Van Halen through a 300 mph multicoloured dream. I am a very big CPWK fan, as seen on my Last.FM (add me up), with my favourite release being Populuxxe, of which this track is a b-side. It's a shame this didn't make it on the album, because it is already one of my favourite CPWK's tracks. Popy noisy fun!

Unreleased Rolo Tomassi radio session track. The sound recording isn't levelled well, but no radio session is. This does not do the band's live show justice. See them ASAP.

This is an unreleased track from NCF's unreleased album. It's a damn shame they split, as if this track is representative of the album, it would have been a fucking sick record. Super fast metallic hardcore, with super awesome riffs and break neck drum lines. If you are a hardcore fan then check this shit OUT.

I cannot wait to here more stuff from Jealousy. I had never heard them before this track and it is fucking BRUTAL! Very heavy metallic harcore, sounding kind of like Ruiner and Converge having a scissor fight, in a dirty alley.






Deathwish MMIX Sampler Tracklist -
1. The Hope Conspiracy - In The Shadow Of God
2. Narrows - Chambered
3. Lewd Acts - Nightcrawlers
4. Coliseum - Last Wave
5. Victims - Breaking Out
6. Reign Supreme - Slipping Away
7. Trap Them - Flesh and Below
8. Nails - Lies
9. Rot in Hell - Coyotenia
10. Mother of Mercy - Divide
11. Carpathian - Spirals
12. 108 - Forever Is Destroyed
13. Ressurection - Culture
14. End of a Year - Walter Miller Jr.
15. Doomriders - Do You Like To Slam Dance?
16. Pulling Teeth - Bloodwolves
17. Integrity - Learn To Love The Lie
18. Supermachiner - Bitter Cold
19. J. Bannon - Heavy Blood (Empty Version)

DOWNLOAD

I'm not going to do such a long write up on these tracks, as they dont cover as many different styles as the HRR sampler. If you are a fan of any of the Deathwish Inc. bands, harcore or challenging punky agressive music, then download the sampler.

The tracks which really stand out, without listing the whole fucking thing, are the tracks by Hope Conspiracy, Coliseum, Victims, Reign Supreme, Trap Them, Doomriders (Just a little hint, the Doomriders track is a cover, even Holy Alex didn't get it), Integrity and Supermachiner. In fact, the Supermachiner track is probably the most terrifying thing I have heard in my whole life. It sounds like the inside of a norwegian serial killers mind, but acoustic.

I hope you all enjoy these samplers, I know I am. I will try and put up some more interesting and rare stuff in the near future, maybe even the KO at Home demos (google it).

Max

The Bronx / Fucked Up / Rolo Tomassi - Electric Ballroom


Having seen The Bronx relatively recently before this show was announced, I didn't buy tickets at the time. Usually, I would have snapped up tickets straight away, but I felt eating was more important. But two night before the show, thinking how much I'd love to see all three bands again I was offered a spare ticket! YES!



After arriving later than planned, I was pleased to only have to wait a few mins till Rolo Tomassi. RT are just getting better and better, they really are one of the UKs premier extreme/alternative bands at the moment. After airing a few new tracks, playing a large chunk of Hysterics and a quick fire guitarless Trencher cover their set comes to a noisy close. I am becoming more and more mesmerized by this band. Their sound is becoming more distinctly theirs with each new release, and each time I see them they get better and better, seeming more comfortable in their performing skin. This band can only go from strength to strength. I look forward to seeing them again.



The last time I saw Fucked Up was supporting Gallows at Astoria, where I got so drunk I almost hit the idiot bassist from shitty Anti-flag, lost both my shows, my phone and t-shirt, bleeding feet FTW! That was my first introduction to Fucked Up, which impressed me so much, I got to task getting hold of as much stuff as I could afford, which wasn't much, but all golden. The only problem with seeing Fucked Up in somewhere like The Electric Ballroom, is that its just a bit too big, but they still manage a big stage pressence, with the songs sounding even better live, with multiplied energy levels, and their lovely big fat singer Pink Eyes bridging the gap between stage and audience, by spending most of the gig in the pit, in the throngs of sweaty hardcore fans. Ill be honest, I missed a large section of the gig as I was buying beer and catching up with Alex Holy Roar, who runs a fantastic blog here. The band really do live up to their status as saviours of hardcore punk.



After more beer, The Bronx finally arrived. As with Fucked Up, The Bronx's style of Black Flag meets AC/DC hardcore really is best seen in a small venue, where the blood, sweat and beers can all swill together into a magical punk rock concoction. With this considered, The Bronx do really fucking well tonight, with their energy still translating very well. It was really great to hear material off of the latest records merged into old favourites with sheer ease. As I mentioned before, I feel that larger venues do loose some intimacy, and I did feel it was the case tonight. Overall, a very good performance, but I enjoyed their show at UCLA a lot more. One thing which is worth mentioning, The Bronx do seem to becoming a little less humble with their pressence, noticeable mostly through between song comments, and slightly less energetic performances than were witness in yester year, but maybe thats just age catching up.

Max

JOE'S TOP 10

Now, as promised, Joes half of the Top 10. Interesting to see some lap over between our two lists.

You’re Number One…

Difficult Decisions...

It didn’t take long to write down a list of my favorite films, it was whittling that 21 strong list down to 10. I wont lie and say these are the best films ever. Some of them aren’t, but this is my top 10 list *drum roll* in order (Including almost made it’s)…


No. 1

“Now I'm gonna show you what I already know” – R.J MacReady

The Thing



Yes, my number one film is the Thing. I love it. To me it is the perfect movie. Filled with paranoia and genuine scares the film mixes some great acting with some SFX that still stand tall today. John Carpenter is a fantastic Director, no doubt. But he and Kurt Russell have great chemistry and this has got to be the defining Kurt performance. The beautiful white Antarctic location is almost unbeatable. The story? The IMDB synopsis sums it up for you really.

“Scientists in the Antarctic are confronted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of the people that it kills”

Most of the scares however, come not from said shape shifting alien killing people, it’s the fact that none of the characters in this movie really have anyone they can trust. With the aliens victims slowly mounting the group have to figure out a way to deal with it and stay alive. Everyone in this movie rocks. I love Keith David as Child’s. Russell and him also have great chemistry and it makes for quite a few amusing encounters. One of my favorite scenes has got to be the blood testing scenes where everyone is tied up and Kurt Russell has a flamethrower. It even just sounds fantastic. The tension and pace of this scene really gets your heart flowing and when one is discovered to be an alien you get some impressive SFX. This also has to have my favorite ending ever. Really, I know it’s depressing and slightly open-ended, but it had to happen. The final dialogue is just a nice polish to what truly is a fine script.

The statement the movie apparently makes about AIDS is not what makes it so powerful. It’s the subtle looks the cast give each other. It’s the lingering shots of nothingness. It’s Kurt Russell. It’s everything. Brilliant for Sci-Fi and Horror fans, a must anyway for people who just love film,.

4.5/5




No. 2

“Let’s Talk!” – Doc Ock (Signaling for Spiderman to come closer)

Spiderman 2



The second installment to the Spiderman franchise is fantastic and rightfully deserves IMHO to be up here in my list. I’ve already written a few comments on my love for Sam Raimi and this is by far the best Spiderman, and one of his best films visually.

I disagree with the Tobey Maguire casting as Peter Parker but he plays it pretty low key in this installment. Not as geeky as the first, not as emotionally retarded as the third. Alfred Molina as Doctor Octopus gives an epic performance, perfectly capturing the essence from the comics. The scene where he first awakes after his arms kill an entire room of surgeons is really quite fantastic. It’s a toss up between that scene and the one where Flint Marko first turns into Sandman in the third film for the ‘Most Kick-Ass Villain intro in a Spiderman movie’ award. Maguire plays it cool, subtly reminding us of how un-cool he really is while never crossing the line into being a real nerd. He’s really someone you can root for in this movie. Kirsten Dunst however, continues to plod through my movies that she has no place being in. And it upsets me.

A great looking action movie with all the set pieces and drama you could ask for, Spiderman 2 is one your whole family can enjoy.
4/5




No.3

“I'm 56 years old. I can't blame anybody else for something I did.” – Max Cherry

Jackie Brown



Many will argue Reservoir Dogs and its stellar cast, brutal violence and what not is the better movie. Even more will shout from the rafters that Pulp Fiction and its non-linear narrative and arguably even more stellar cast should be here. But no, I argue that Quentin Tarantino’s homage to Blaxploitation is his best movie. Better than those before it, better than those that succeeded it.

I love the cast from Pam Grier, Robert Forster, Michael Keaton all the way down to a great (if minor) roll for Robert De Niro. I also think (although again, I think many will disagree) that Samuel L ‘Motherfuckin’ Jackson as Ordell Robbie is better than Samuel L ‘Motherfuckin’ Jackson as Jules Winnfield.

This is an epic tale of crime and double crossing with a knack for keeping you guessing. It’s different from Tarantino’s other movies, to say the least, and probably his least violent. But the relationships between the characters are well developed and explored, while the dialogue is on point the whole way through. Maybe it’s because this is an adaptation of a novel by Elmore Leonard, who knows. But you have to give Tarantino credit, because he is an excellent film maker who came into this film with an excellent resume. To hold it up and produce something as good as this is an achievement.

So forget about Kill Bill’s, hold some hope for the upcoming Inglorious Basterds, try to ignore Deathproof and then after watching Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs I ask you to settle down and watch a master class in film making. Settled, thoughtful and well handled considering its complexity
4/5




No. 4

“Canardo. Señor canardo.”- Said

La Haine



A foreign entry storms in at number 4 from France. I love this movie. The soundtrack is fantastic. The acting is awe inspiring. The scenes and locations are superb. A story about 3 immigrant young adults (Black, Arab and Jewish) in the days following some heavy rioting in Paris. I really cannot recommend this enough. The way it encapsulates the city and its general feeling around that period is entrancing. This also has a brilliant ending, incredibly tense and emotional that really pays off after a hardcore lead up. From start to finish this is a beautiful film, and a must see. I must say though, La Haine only just edged out City of God for my favorite foreign film. This however is everything Kidulthood tried and failed to be, a beautiful portrait of life and its troubles.
4/5




No. 5

“We really shook the pillars of heaven, didn't we, Wang?” – Jack Burton

Big Trouble in Little China



Another Russell/Carpenter team up, and classic bit of 80’s fun. There’s action, there’s comedy all mixed in with a little fantasy and sci-fi. It’s got some serious Mortal Kombat rip-off Ninjas (with mystical powers), Kim Cattrall before she became a whore on TV and another great performance from Kurt Russell as Jack Burton. I love this film, ever since the first time I saw it. In fact I was misled by a friend to believe that this film was Karate Kid 3, and so spent the next couple of years desperately looking for it. Again, much like the Thing, Carpenter manages to keep what could be a really silly movie from being…well, silly. Russell oozes coolness, dropping every sarcastic comment to perfection. The script itself (story aside) has some killer lines, and that allows the cast to breeze through it and really have some fun. That is important, because it translates well onto screen and makes for the perfect family adventure.
4/5




No. 6

“What, do you got me on a fuckin' pay-no-mind list kid?” – Tommy DeVito

Goodfellas



My favorite Scorsese film. Easily. It’s probably my favorite Gangster film as well. I love it more than the Godfather II. Ray Liotta is on top form as Henry Hill, our protagonist who becomes involved in and works his way up the ladder for the Mob. Another film filled with paranoia, the pace of this film matched with the performances really got me involved. Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro are both darkly funny in places, deeply scary everywhere else. I wont lie and say it’s one of my favorite genres, but this film is really easy to get into, interesting enough to stay with, and deep enough that you want to take another look.
4/5




No. 7

“So West, what kind of medicine are you involved in?” – Dan Cain (meeting Herbert West for the first time)

Re-Animator



Another bit of 80’s fun at number 7 with a movie that really is a fun watch. It still stands pretty tall today, and while it looks low budget to a lot of our generation, I’m assured by my dad that ‘back in the day’ it was groundbreaking. Take that how you will. I already did a little review of this the other day so I wont harp on too long, I’ll just repeat that this is the best of the trilogy, that Jeffrey Combs is creepy and awesome at the same time, and that if you haven’t seen this film then you are missing out.
4/5




No. 8

“Screws fall out all the time, the world is an imperfect place.” – John Bender

The Breakfast Club



I hate people who hate this movie. There is nothing wrong with it, in fact it is one of the better “bunch of misfits pushed together” movies that has ever been made. It has a group of teens from different factions around the school (‘The Geek, The Bully, The Popular Guy/Girl’) and an incompetent Principle they must band against to right his black and white views of them. Great soundtrack, some really good performances, dancing, anarchy and even a little bit of weed smoking to lighten the mood. Meeting and learning about all the characters and seeing them fight through the barriers presented through stereotypes and peer pressure is a pleasure from start to finish. Kids on a Saturday detention run riot around a school? I wish they still made movies like this.
4/5




No. 9

“Sometimes when you win, you really lose, and sometimes when you lose, you really win, and sometimes when you win or lose, you actually tie, and sometimes when you tie, you actually win or lose. Winning or losing is all one organic mechanism, from which one extracts what one needs.” – Gloria Clemente

White Men Can’t Jump



This is, by far, one of the best Buddy Comedy movies ever. It’s also one of the better basketball movies ever made. Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes have excellent chemistry, and it translates well on to the court and screen. Genuinely funny, this is more a film about racial divides and acceptance than the double crossing thriller it claims to be. Rosie Perez, no matter how annoying her voice is, is hot (and surprisingly funny). Fun times for all, even if you aren’t a hoops fan.
4/5




No. 10

“The Horseman comes. And tonight he comes for you.” – Lady Van Tassel

Sleepy Hollow



It’s funny, because when people usually ask me my favorite film I always say The Nightmare Before Christmas. But the more I thought about it the more I realize my love for that film comes from watching it so much as a child. Watching it as an adult, I know now that I cannot place it in this list without feeling bad for other great movies. So in comes Sleepy Hollow, visually and story wise Tim Burtons best work. It also has my favorite second favorite Johnny Depp performance (more on that later). I love the gothic look, the fearsome (and real) headless horseman. It’s also nice to see that Christina Ricci can be something other than a bitch (in the movies anyway).
4/5




And for the ones that almost made it (in no particular order)…


“A little guilt goes a long way.” – Trevor Reznik
The Machinist – I bought this film after reading some good reviews and was absolutely blown away. Great story, and some serious method acting from Christian Bale. The guy really sacrifices his body for this role.
4/5


“It was the greatest feeling I ever had. Followed abruptly by the worst feeling I ever had.” – George Jung
Blow – My favorite Depp performance. One of the better and more humane weed/cocaine industry based movies. Penelope Cruz rivals Bale for who can be the most skinny though.
4/5


“Fuckin’ A.” – Ajax
The Warriors – Kick back to the end of the 70’s and watch one of the coolest cult films you’ll ever see. Stylistic, funny and full of camp looking gang members beating on each other.
3.5/5


“You're an actor. Act, motherfucker.” – Nicholson
True Romance – Just a cool film, from start to finish. Tony Scott does well to calmly work his way through Tarantino’s sometimes overly ambitious script.
4/5


“Guy gets on the subway and dies. Think anybody'll notice?” – Vincent
Collateral – Proof that Tom Cruise, no matter how crazy he is, can still be cool. Great chemistry with Jamie Foxx, they play off each other well.
4/5


“I may be a bastard, but I'm not a fucking bastard.” – Seth Gecko
From Dusk Till Dawn – Gangsters, Vampires and an ex-Priest in Mexico. What, you need more than that? Brilliant cross-genre fun.
4/5


“What am I gonna do with 40 subscriptions to Vibe?” – Peter Gibbons
Office Space – One of my favorite slacker films. Very, very funny. Great look at the life of 9-5ers stuck in a cubicle.
4/5


“Total total total totally total total... total providence.” – James Barris
A Scanner Darkly – I’m a huge Richard Linklater fan and I think this film is more of an achievement than Waking Life. A hard surreal look at paranoia and drug use.
4/5


“You wake up one morning and say "World, I know you! From now on there are no more surprises!"” – Jill McBain
Once Upon a Time in The West – Don’t like Westerns, tolerant towards Spaghetti Westerns, absolutely loved this film. Picked it up so I could write an essay on it and I’ve seen it like 16 times since. Literally. Beautiful, dramatic and one of my favorite all time soundtracks.
4/5


“Very good Chuck. I am pleasantly surprised, you're not like the other murderers.” – Patricia Watson
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind – Based on a book written by Chuck Barris in which he claims not only to have created many cult TV game shows but to also have worked as an assassin for the CIA during this time. Crazy. The film follows Chuck (the very underrated Sam Rockwell) and his duel lifestyle, trying to create Game shows while balancing that with his contract killing. Dark humor, mixed with documentary footage of Barris’s real friends and their thoughts on whether he really worked for the CIA, this is George Clooney’s directorial debut. Good movie.
4/5

And to the end we come…

There’s many other films I love that missed out on my list. Richard Linklater’s Waking Life and Tape for example and all the obvious ones that everyone would say (Terminator 2?). But either way I’ll probably review them or talk about them at some later date, and this list in itself will most likely be revised as time passes. One final note…

“A Little Blessing in Disguise…”

The Fall – I took a chance on this in HMV the other day and wow, am I glad I did. Another fantasy, but unlike the highly stylized La Antena, it begins to merge reality and fantasy to the point where you don’t know what’s what. Set in a 1920’s L.A Hospital where a young immigrant girl with a broken arm meets a recently paralyzed and severely depressed Stuntman. They slowly become friends and he promises to tell her an epic story, but only after she has stolen him some pills so he can commit suicide. It’s reality scenes are dark, but the relationship between the man and girl is touching. The bond they form as the story develops and they way this flows into the fantasy scenes is fantastic. Apparently it was filmed in 20 different countries (talk about transnational) and directed by a dude called only ‘Tarsem’. The fantasy scenes are beautiful, including a blue city and a blood stained giant sheet. The way they tie together the real story and the fantasy story is slick and flawless. And you know what, its epic, like fantasy stories should be. Not quite as good as La Antena, but a really good movie with some great performances.
4/5

Stay cool.

Joe