Decent films this week (24th sept)

Hello everyone, sorry about my lack of film recommendations last week, I was locked away in a small apartment Devon furiously masturbating writing away. I hope it did not stunt your burgeoning film watching habits. Apologies if it did. Here are your recommendations for the following week.

Monday

Ong-Bak (2003) Sky Indie 10pm

Quite simply one of the greatest action movies I have ever seen. The fight scene are RIDICULOUS. Tony Jaa goes to super hero lengths to create some most stunning hand to hand combat sequences ever committed to celluloid. No the story isn’t the best (something about a missing elephant) but it’s good enough to push the story along without detracting from the real good stuff. Highly recommended for any martial art fans.

Mississippi Burning (1988) BBC 1 12.15am

FBI takes on the Ku Klux Klan after three civil rights activists are murdered.. Although criticised for its accuracy, the film has plenty to admire. A great ensemble cast (headed by Gene Hackman and Willem Dafore) help move along a tense film at a fast pace for an excellent example of film making.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) Sky Classic 9.30pm

I need to watch this, but I’m sure you are familiar with the title. Classic horror where occupants of a small town are slowly being replaced by alien impostors. Building on the fears of communism that were rife at the time, this (apparently) still holds up even today.

Dirty Dancing (1987) 5* 9pm

I’ll admit it, I’ve never seen anyone try and put Baby in the corner – or whatever that means – so I guess I better find out and finally watch this. This isn’t so much a recommendation as it is an admission. And I hope other men will join me in watching a film that is universally loved by the’ no tails’.

Tuesday

Smokin’ Aces (2007) ITV4 11.15pm

I love Jeremy Piven. And I know a lot of you do too, especially after his turn as Ari Gold in Entourage. So any excuse to watch him is greatly appreciated by myself. This is a good action film, which is entertaining and a decent watch for late on a Tuesday night. And it has Ryan Reynolds and Chris Pine to boot. Huzzah.

 

Road House (1989) 5 USA 9pm

Oh I let out a squeal of joy when I saw this because I’ve been meaning to watch this Patrick Swayze cult classic for ages. Pat is the best bouncer in the business, hired to work at a sleazy bar to keep order. Awesome. Why do I want to watch it? I’ll leave it to www.empireonline.com to explain why:

“An immensely enjoyable slice of romanticised fisticuffs, this is a Western in every respect except the stetsons and six guns.”

Sounds good!

Winter’s Bone (2010) Sky Indie 8.10pm

The film that propelled Jennifer Lawrence to the big time, this is by no means an easy watch. Very bleak but an engrossing  - Jen has to track down her father in order to save her house for he mother and sister, but ends up walking into a close nit world of intimidation and violence.

Wednesday

Rear Window (1954) FILM4 5.05 pm (FILM4 +1 6.05pm)

I don’t often put the +1 time for films, but this is such essential viewing I really can’t run the risk of you not seeing this. It’s a literally master class of film production by a legendary director at the top of his game.  Jimmy Stewart decides to be a nosey neighbour after his leg is broken and witnesses something he perhaps shouldn’t of.  Anyone out there who sees them self as a film fan should watch this.

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) Sky Premier 9.30pm

Great film starring Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara. Purists may turn their nose up at it because it is a remake of the original Swedish film of the same title, but they would be wrong too as it is a great thriller with two brilliant leads. Fincher puts his own stamp on it, and while it is very similar to the Swedish original, it still has enough going for it to distinguish it from its Ikea loving cousin.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008) ITV2 10pm

One of my favourite comfort films and there’s not a whole lot else on I could recommend with confidence. If you haven’t watched it, here’s your chance. Very funny and very good to watch if you’re going through a break up.

Thursday

Unbreakable (2000) Sky Modern Greats 6pm

M. Night Shyamalan’s follow up to Sixth Sense, and a worthy follow up at that. Not as instantly accessible as his previous work, this is a mature piece that requires some patience.  Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson are both on top form and have some great moments between them.

Patton (1970) TCM 5.50pm

Classic film with a stellar performance from George C. Scott as General Patton. Patton is a bloke who knows how to get things done in a war. He’s a warrior and doesn’t stand any messing about. The ego that he possesses however ruffles the big wigs and this film shows how he overcomes that on the battlefield.  Very good watch.

Event Horizon (1997) Sky Modern Greats 10.10pm

Geez louise this film scared me when I was a young whipper snapper. Simple concept – Space ship goes missing. Space reappears. Team go out to investigate. Find out that ship is now possessed. Scary shit goes down. I’m curious to see if it still has such an effect on me. It probably will cause I’m a pussy.

Friday

There’s quite a few decent films on tonight. So I’m going to list them with a brief description.

American Beauty (1999) Sky Modern Greats 10.30pm – Oscar winning powerhouse of a film. Great ensemble cast and an invitation to look deeper at suburban life.

Napoleon Dynamite (2004) Sky Indie 8.30pm – Favourite comedy of mine about a boy too cool for school (nun chucks and drawing mystical beasts are cool right?) just trying to get along despite his brother and uncle’s best efforts. Some great lines, great scenes and great characters combine to make an iconic comedy.

Black Swan (2010) Sky Indie 8.30pm – Natalie Portman tries to become the iconic black swan in this thrilling film also starring the wonderful Vincent Cassell

Enter the Dragon (1973) TCM 9pm – Classic martial arts film with Bruce Lee. Possibly his best. ‘Nuff said.

Boogie Nights (1997) TCM 10.55pm – One of my faves, Mark Wahlberg is young, dumb and full of cum so decides to try and make it in the porn industry. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (he of “There will be Blood”, “Magnolia” and the soon-to-be-released “The Master”), this has a great ensemble cast and is entertaining through out.

A Clockwork Orange (1971) ITV1 2.40pm

Cult classic from Kubrick, the quality of the film is only matched by its notoriety. A film set in a dystopian future, it follows Alex and his droogs – a gang who love fighting and rape. Alex is eventually captured by the police and he goes through harrowing psychological treatment to “cure” him.

I'm in a bad mood - What the hell do I watch?

I’m in a real bad mood today. Awful.  Anyone who has been unfortunate enough to speak to me today will know this. Any sentence I have uttered today has either been sarcastic or just plain mean. Also when the pets avoid you with no prior contact, it gives me the impression that I am the devil incarnate – which is never a good feeling. Odd thing is I really can’t work out why I’m in such a bad mood. I had a lovely day yesterday watching Manchester United, and had a relatively pleasant evening in watching “Warrior” round my friend Daniel’s. I have just woke up in a mood where I feel that if I was to stare at anything for a long enough period of time it would spontaneously combust, the resulting flames would engulf me, and I’d be standing there, with a charred grin on my face as everything around me burned to ashes….

Pretty much how I felt

These were not particularly happy thoughts….

Which is why I thought “cor blimey guv’nor, this ain’t no way to spend your Sunday, cheer yourself up my plum, and turn that frown upside down”.

This puzzled me for two reasons.

A) Why does my inner voice sound like Dick Van Dyke out of Mary Poppins?

&

B)  Why is my inner voice speaking like it is a separate entity from myself?

My inner voice... apparently

Ignoring the early signs of schizophrenia, I decided my inner voice was right – I really should be happier today. But what to do, hmmm?

I’ll take the dog for a walk! No, that will take too much effort, besides it looks like it might rain. Being wet and outside won’t help my mood – it could cause me to snap and I’ll be found in 1 weeks’ time in Kinver woods, naked, and trying to teach French to a group of curious squirrels.

I’ll spend some time with my family! As much as I want to be happy, I have to be realistic here. I’ve just heard the phone ring slightly longer than it should and it made me want to blow up the house in order make it stop, so perhaps I should avoid other people for the time being.

Which leads us to the inevitable (and somewhat predictable) conclusion that I must once again rely on film to rescue me…

(By the way, if Word highlights a sentence in green one more time without providing me with a solution and instead, pedantically recommends that I “consider revising” - you’ll hear my resulting scream from wherever you are)

Right, the initial instinct is to go with a nice happy film. This seems like the obvious choice. I will go to the Malin’s DVD collection to see what options I have.

Right I am back; here are the options I was presented with.

“Bring it On” – Nope, all those giggly cheerleaders would make me feel overly frustrated that we didn’t have giggly cheerleaders when I was at school. Also, even if I did I wouldn’t of been in a position to do anything because of acne, shit hair and the annoying habit of when I decided I wanted to flirt I looked about as comfortable as a pigeon being  inserted anally into a constipated pig.

“Home Alone” – It’s not December yet. Plus Macaulay Culkin is apparently has a small heroin addiction now, so that’s not very cheery. I don’t think so.

“Hitch” – Will Smith decides in the end that he had nothing do with Kevin James hooking up at the end, because the girl fell in love with Kevin James . Are you mental? Will, he’d never of had the courage to talk to that girl in the first place if it wasn’t for you! Fuck off.

“Little Mermaid” – How could anyone be that happy living under the sea? They couldn’t. The whole film smacks of denial, and that would not cheer me up. The Little Mermaid that is, denial might help me…

Scary admissions aside, it’s clear that I was not in the mood for happy films. The cynical monster that inhabits my body (some would argue it never leaves) is clearly a picky and determined fellow. So what’s the other option? Put on a depressing film! Make my plight seem insignificant in comparison! Right, what have we got…

“Saving Private Ryan” – No, it would make me cry.

“Seven” – No

“Green Mile” – God no

“The Lion King” – Mufasa dying would send me over the edge.

Mufasarrrrrr

 

Often, I use escapism films to comfort me, take me out of the situation I am in, but today Gandalf, Han, or Sirius just was not going to cut it. I was in a bad mood, and I wanted to deal with it.But then I started noticing other films in the collection. Films that were not particularly happy, but not particularly sad. Well, probably more so edging towards the sad if anything –

“Lost in Translation”

 

“Adventureland”

 

“Swingers”

All these films had one common thing – a bloke who was depressed about their current situation, and went on a little journey because of it and felt a bit better at the end. Not overly better you understand – I didn’t want Hollywood to lie to me. I didn’t  want to think that despite my bad mood if I kept on going I’d have a bunch of giggly cheerleaders ( over the age of 16 of course… and female… definitely female) to massage me in wonderful and imaginative ways, and then I’d get that dream job I always wanted (male cheerleader). No, no, no, I just wanted a little recognition of my situation, and a gentle tap on the shoulder to let me know everything was going to be ok.

Any other type of film would wash over or make me feel worse. If I went for something overly happy, I wouldn’t think it would be applicable to me, and I would just glaze over it. Comfort films have to be something that identifies with you. Otherwise it would be like an annoying friend trying to convince you everything is going to be ok when they don’t have the foggiest clue what is going on with you or how you feel. Or even worse the kind of friend that tries to listen to what problems you are going through, but they really just wants an excuse to talk about themselves and wouldn’t care if you slit your wrists after you’ve given them the green light to talk about how their parents don’t really get them for 15^th time today.

Your comfort film is your best mate. The one who knows you. The friend who will let you vent and offer some advice if they can. They will try to help, but won’t bullshit you and offer you a dose of reality if you need it.  I’ve heard other people talk about music in the same way, when they are down, they will put on music that will reflect that mood, not Steps.

Sometimes I will need a comfort film to offer a cheery viewpoint when I’m feeling ill/hung over and a bit sorry for myself (step forward “What Happens in Vegas”), but most of the time my comfort film is something that relates to and what usually happens when I feel down, and I think it is important that distinction is made when it comes to comfort films – do you need cheering up, do you want to know that other people go through shit to and that’s ok, or do you just want to think "fuck it, reality sucks, take me to a galaxy far far away now".

You might even have a film type I haven't even considered. Perhaps you like to put on Die Hard, and use John McClane as a way to fight your out of depression, or you like a rom-com to let you know you are going to meet that special someone despite making a prat of yourself for the last 90 minutes... I'm more of a wallow in self pity guy you see.

 

Always interested to hear other people’s comfort films, I think, quite like guilty pleasure films, that it says a lot about someone.

And by the way I went for “Lost in Translation” in the end, Bill Murray is my hero.

Decent films to watch this week (Sept 8th)

Hello all, once again I have gone through the TV guide to make some film recommendations in case you are stuck for what to watch. As a disclaimer (especially for Daniel Stevens), it will be a mix of films that perhaps you might not of seen, you really should of seen, and classics you haven't seen in a while. I’ll always try to recommend something a bit different, but if the quality is not there, I might go with a classic you’re all familiar with – sometimes after a hard days work, that’s what you want!

Enjoy

 

Monday

Open Heats (2002) Sky Indie 10pm

A doctor’s wife kills a young man in a car accident, and he then proceeds to have an affair with the victims fiancé. Stars Mads Mikkelsen (Le Chifre in Casino Royal). I’ll admit they I haven’t watched this, but it is quite nicely recommended (Empire gave it four stars) so I’ll be watching it tonight.

http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/review.asp?DVDID=9587

Let Me In (2010) Sky Indie 8pm

Remake of the Swedish sensation “Let the Right One In” this is a film about a boy who befriends a girl… who just happens to be a vampire. Sweet, horrifying, creepy and intelligent all rolled into one, this is a great modern horror film.

Somewhere (2010) Sky Drama 12.20 am

Sofia Coppola follows up Lost in Translation and Marie Antoinette with this great production.  Stephen Dorff is an actor whose hedonistic ways get grounded when he has to look after his daughter. Coppola loves lingering shots of her characters, and let’s their actions and emotions to do the talking for them in this well-acted and touching film.

Tuesday

One of many stiking images from "A Single Man"

 A Single Man (2009) BBC iplayer

Tuesday is a slow day for film, but this just gives you an opportunity to catch something you may have missed on Saturday. This is a seriously beautiful film directed by designer Tom Ford, each frame has an amazing eye for detail. Throw in an acting tour de force by Colin Firth, and you have a beautiful film. George Falconer (Firth) is in the grip of despair after losing his lover, Jim. He decides to end it all, but upon getting his affairs in order finds he still has much to live for.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b015gn43/A_Single_Man/

Gattaca (1997) Sky 1 10pm

Clever and engaging sci-fi starring Ethan Hawke. In the future genetic engineering means everyone is born perfect versions of themselves. Which means if you’re not genetically engineered, you’re screwed. This isn’t going to deter Hawke though as he still has grand ideas and will do anything to make them happen…

 

Moneyball (2011) Sky Premier 10 pm

I recommended this on Friday, but I’m guessing a few of you may of missed it (hey I said Tuesday was a slow day!) but you should really try and watch it because it is a decent film written by Social Network scribe Aaron Sorkin starring Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill. Pitt, with the help of Hill, is trying to revolutionise the world of baseball with his Statistics based approach – the dialogue is sharp and the results are engaging – watch it.

Wednesday

Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) Film 4 5pm

You know it’s a classic, but have you watched it? HAVE YOU?! Well… I haven’t, and seeing as I am meant to be some kind of film buff, I really should of, so here we go. Audrey Hepburn is a socialite who falls for a young man in New York. I’m sure it will be wonderful.

Morning Glory (2010) Sky Drama 10.10pm

My recommendations have all been a little serious so far, haven’t they? Well let’s throw a little Rom Com into the mix. I really enjoyed this film - it’s fun, it makes you feel nice, and you want to see where it goes. Plus it’s got Harrision Ford and Jeff Goldblum in it, huzzah! Rachel McAdams is a TV exec who’s trying to make a TV show a hit by introducing Diane Keaton and Indiana Jones in – with mixed results.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) Sky Classics 10pm

This Western starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford is so so good… You cannot help but love the two leads as they bring to life an excellent screenplay about two outlaws on the run. Rightly seen as a classic, I simply cannot recommend this film enough.

Honourable mention: Crimson Tide (1995) Sky Action 11.55pm – In remembrance of Tony Scott, this great action film starring Denzel Washington & Gene Hackman

Thursday

A Beautiful Mind (2001) BBC 1 11.20 PM

Oscar winning film starring Russell Crowe about troubled math’s genius John Nash. Crowe probably lost the Oscar for this because of some behaviour the academy didn’t approve of. Nevertheless, it is still a gripping tale and well worth a watch.

The Wrestler (2008) Film4 11.10pm

A brilliant film with a brilliant central performance by Mickey Rourke which fired him right back into the A-list. Directed by Darren Aronofsky, it’s a film about a wrestler who is passed his sell by date, but still clinging to the glory days. His health is starting to give in, but maybe there is salvation in a new love interest…

City of God (2002) Sky Indie 11.50pm

What a film. A gritty story set in Rio about gangsters and drugs, the story is told through the eyes of an aspiring photographer. Beautifully edited, and painfully shot, this masterpiece will drag you along with it for the ride, and you’ll be more than to watch and be entertained.

Friday

Deliverance (1972) Sky Modern Greats 12.55am

A great horror film that will forever put you off going canoeing in the Deep South. For a film that contains some repulsive and haunting scenes, it is beautifully shot – which only serves to make the atrocities on screen all the more terrifying.

High Noon (1952) Sky Classics 7pm

In my opening piece I said I didn’t know much about Westerns and here is one film that I should really watch as just about every place I’ve looked calls it a classic. So join me in watching a tale about a man (Gary Cooper) who stands up alone to a group of criminals

http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/review.asp?FID=132665

Pulp Fiction (Sky Modern Greats 10.15pm) or The Shawshank Redemption (ITV 2 9PM)

It’s Friday night, you’re staying in, and there’s not a lot on. Luckily you have two classics to choose from. I’m guessing you’ve watched them both (you have no excuse not to), so you’ll know you’ll be more than happy to watch them again. Which one I’d watch would wholly depend on the mood I was in. Enjoy.

"Guilty" pleasures - Why they say alot more about you than you think.

This week I would like to talk about guilty pleasures. Yes I am.

Now don’t get worried, I’m not talking about films like “Naughty Priests 2” or “Topless Tribal Women go WILD”, it’s films that are part of mainstream cinema, but are looked down upon. Or worse you feel ashamed to like.

Fit

I was inspired when speaking to my friend Sarah the other day. I was talking about the film “Clueless” - a film that I feel hasn’t been embraced by the masses as it perhaps should have been. It is witty and satirical - a reworking of “Emma”, but perhaps it is so on the money that people treat it as a product of the people they are commenting on. She admitted the film being a guilty pleasure. Whoa there. Now a lad feeling guilty about it I could understand, but for a girl to think that? Sexism aside, I was astounded. If I had a lads night in and suggested “Clueless” as a potential film to watch  I might as well of got my dick out and started swinging it about while making chicken noises - it would have been met with the same looks of disgust and confusion. But for a girl to feel guilty about liking such a thing – cripes.
But why was that?

I’m not going to get bogged down (too much) about whose fault it is that people should feel guilty about liking films. Is it societies for dictating what is “cool” or “acceptable”, or is it the individuals for perpetuating it? It’s beside the point to my argument, and me arguing about it in a blog which is read by about 50 people when there is probably no right or wrong answer would be a waste of everyone’s time.  Suffice to say it is a nasty habit we should look to banish for our own benefit. Perhaps I am taking this way to seriously, “What the clucking bell, does it matter you albino weirdo?” Well Mother, it matters because when in Rome…

That last bit doesn’t really make any sense, but it got you thinking anyway – perhaps I can make it fit by the end of the article. It matters because of this…

Once upon a time I was round a girl’s house (yo!), and some of her friends came over (yo!), and we decided to watch a film (no), I was outnumbered by a ratio of 4 to 1 by gender (yes I was the one), so they chose the film, despite my protests. Even more against my protests they chose “What Happens in Vegas” a rom-com about two people (Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher) who hook up for a drunken night in Vegas, get married, decide to split, but can’t when they win big on the slot machines and both decide they want it all. A judge won’t grant them the divorce, and in order to keep the money they have to act like a couple or get the other person to mess up in order to end up with the all the money. The prisoner’s dilemma it ain’t and upon learning the gist I let out an even more exaggerated groan.
How wrong I was…

“What happens in Vegas” is a delightful film! Oh how I laughed at the hijinks between dearest Cameron and Ashton. I giggled along like a little school girl and felt unfamiliar warmth in my black, dry heart.

This is how happy I felt. I'm Cameron

I got genuinely worried towards the end when things didn’t look too good for them and wished for them to eventually be together. I hoped that I wasn’t going to get any “pull the rug out from under your feet” moments and one turns out to be gay or something, so I let out a squeal of masculine joy when they did. The girls began by finding it hilarious how much I enjoyed the film, but their expressions soon became confused and full of concern when I would not stop going on about it two hours after it had finished. A lot like this...

 

What had I become? This was not the cool edgy cinema that I am supposed to like. There were no acts of extreme violence, no split screens and no Steve Buscemi.  Man oh man I felt guilty, a disgrace to my fellow film fanatics.

So what does that say about me then? Had I been in denial all this time? The bitter, cynical “man” I thought it was had been (slightly) dispelled. There was indeed a romantic buried inside me that I had clearly not given enough attention. So what effect did this have on me? Well, not much in terms of lifestyle, I still acted like a moron most of the time, and I inevitably mucked it up with that girl like so many others, but my eyes had been open to another genre of film I hadn’t seen before.
So now “What Happens in Vegas” has a special place in my heart. It was one of my comfort films. “A comfort film?!” I can hear some of my more manly friends shout (Savage), but yes a comfort film. It is the film that I stick on when I’ve had a particularly heavy night and I need Cameron and Ashton to come and gently carry me off to a wonderful world where everyone ends up happy and you get to look at Ashton’s abs repeatedly. Oh those chiselled abs have been there a lot more for me then my mother’s hugs of late….

Fit

Freudulent admissions and supressed homosexuality aside, it got me thinking, “well what else am I missing out on?” But looking very close to home I found that I had been enjoying guilty pleasures for a long time, but I just hadn’t admitted to myself.

“Star Wars: Episode V- The Empire Strikes Back” is my favourite film of all time. The only difference to “What Happens in Vegas” is I had embraced my inner geek, but I was still ashamed to admit it to other people. George Lucas would spin in his grave – if he were dead.

You may think my blog now is going to worm its way to a familiar and predictable conclusion, “watch more film guys, you could really like it”, and to a sense that is partly true.  Guilty pleasure films you usually discover by accident, someone will force you to watch it. Or it could be a movie from your childhood you’re not ready to let go of yet. Too many times have I recommended a film such as “How to Train a Dragon” or the aforementioned “What happens in Vegas” for it to be rebutted with much shock and hurt from myself, but I was missing the point of what a guilty pleasure should be. It’s my film that I like because it appeals to something inside me that perhaps others can’t see, so what others won't watch it, let alone like it. They are missing out. If they do like it, you found someone just as weird as you. Nice.

Therefore are guilty pleasures some of our more personal films and should be treasured accordingly? If others cannot see the inner beauty of a film that you can, then surely it should be embraced and hugged. Like your teddy when you were younger that was your best mate who taught you how to kiss. If you’d of given your dear Ted to someone else, they would not have appreciated it as much as you, they had their own teddy, which they had kissed. That teddy would say more about you then a teenage mutant hero turtle would because everyone had one.

My teddy "Pingu" after a "cuddle" session

Or it could be just you keep Ted in the corner, as a reminder of simpler, less stressful times. Guilty pleasures can take the form of films you still cherish from your childhood. Disney films have a much easier time than most films than dodging the guilty pleasure title (perhaps due to their quality), but even they can incite a snide comment.  Recently I went on a trip to Devon where the driver, Alex played Disney’s greatest hits. After a few moments of reservation I was soon bellowing out “I just can’t wait to be king”, and felt happier because of it.

Also (and not to get to bogged down in this because it does sound really gay) maybe your guilty pleasure does say a lot about you. Like me discovering I was a romantic, or Sarah discovering she had fashion heavy blonde girl inside her, it will allow you to appreciate parts of your character that you did not think were there. One of my friends Rachel felt guilty about liking “Requiem for a Dream”, because she in denial about liking such a depressing film – it’s ok to have a bit of morbid curiosity in you, that’s why people look at car crashes when they go past.  So if you do like Sister Act and there is a singing nun inside you, go and join the choir, church would have been a lot more fun with you.

 

Come on don't pretend you don't like it...

Maybe people hide their guilty pleasures because they do say much about you, more so than admitting to like the “Godfather” or “Scarface”, this is the stuff that makes you different from the rest. It’s ok to admit crying to “The Time Travellers Wife” (yeah I did, so what) because in the end it’s you, and maybe people want to protect themselves against showing any emotions some would consider undesirable. Unfortunately, you’re the only one who knows what you really want out of a film, so don’t make enjoying films hard for yourself by ruling out things you might like because you're worried what others think. When in Rome…

Didn’t really work did it?

Oh well, embrace the “guilty” pleasures everyone, will be a lot more fun. And don't make fun of others for liking certain films, they can't help it!

And for the record, some of my “guilty” pleasures:

Mrs. Doubtfire

Time Traveller’s Wife

Twilight (just the first one)

Pretty Woman

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)

Sex and the City (TV)

Mean Girls (cheers Jim)


Also (as an added bonus) if you're interesting in books and their creation, here is a great, informative blog that has a structure of writing that I could only dream of...

http://jamesloscombe.net/blog

Decent Movies this week! (1st Sept)

Hello my furry little friends, hope the weekend was enjoyable.

In my continued quest to expand people's filming experiences and knowledge, I have looked over the TV guide for the next week to make you some recommendations. I'll do this every week.

It will be a mix of films that perhaps you might not of seen, you really should of seen, and classics you haven't seen in a while.

Here we go, get ready to set your Sky +

Sunday

Submarine (2010) CHANNEL 4 23.15

Quirky indie film set in Swansea in the mid 80's. It's a coming of age comedy set against a drab backdrop. You'll especially like this film if you like stuff like Four Lions, The Squid and the Whale etc

Hanna (2011) SKY ACTION 23.15

Great action film with great performances all round. A 16 year old is raised by her father as an assassin and is unleashed on a mission across Europe. Watch if you like stuff like Bourne, Nikita, Leon etc

Half Nelson (2006) SKY INDIE 20.00

Overlooked Indie film. Ryan Gosling is a cocaine fuelled teacher who bonds with one of his class mates. Come on, it's Gosling, you know you'll watch it. I haven't watched this film yet, had it recommended to me, and luckily it's popped on TV, happy days!



Monday

Arachnophobia (1990) BBC 1 00.15

First time I watched this film I had to stop it after twenty minutes and make make my Mum check my room for spiders so I could try and go to sleep. This was two weeks ago and I'm still scared now. There's shit loads of spiders around at the moment so watch with caution if you have a fear of the eight legged.

Gladiator (2000) ITV 2 21.00

Someone told me the other day they hadn't watched this, I cannot run the risk that this happens again. So here we go. And hell, even if you have watched it, what better way to take your mind off your Monday woes with this classic.

True Grit (2010) Sky Indie 22.00

Classy films from the Coen's. A girl hires an over the hill Marshall (Jeff Bridges) to track down her father's killer. Great central performances. Watch if you like any of the previous Coen brother's work or Westerns.

Tuesday

Manhunter (1986) ITV 4 21.00

Hannibal Lector's first screen outing, played by Brian Cox. Great thriller from Michael Mann. Watch if you want to know how Silence of the Lambs all started.

Super (2010) SKY INDIE 00.20

I loved this mega weird film about a vigilante who is a bit mental and decides to fight crime. Not for everyone's taste this. Watch if you want to see a more hardcore/weirder version of Kick-Ass.

From Dusk till Dawn (2010) Sky Modern Greats 22.00

Personal favorite of mine and a lot of my friends. Robert Rodriguez directs George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino as a pair of bad guys on the run, who bite off more they can chew when they hideout at a bar where the customers don't like day light too much. Watch if you have a Y chromosome.

Wednesday

Three Kings (1999) ITV 2 00.15

George, Mark and Ice are three soldiers on a mission to steal gold in the aftermath of the Gulf War. Decent film, watch if you like your action films to have a bit of brain and feeling behind them.

Clueless (1995) FILM 4 19.15

Most female readers should be familiar with this, I am writing it more so for the male readers who have decided that this kind of thing isn't for them. It's funny, it's smart, and Alicia Silverstone is banging in it. Just man up and watch it. Especially if you like 10 Things I hate about you or Bring it On.

Dog Day Afternoon (1975) SKY CLASSICS 22.35

Classic film with Al Pacino and John Cazale about a bank job gone wrong. Offbeat and captivating, you should really try and catch this.

Thursday

Top Gun (1986) FILM 4

Celebrate Tony Scott by going into the danger zone one more time. Great music, action and homo-eroticsm. Classic

We need to talk about Kevin (2011) SKY INDIE 22.00

One of the most depressing films I have watched, certainly the film that has haunted me the most as I was constantly thinking about it 5 days after I had watched it. Film about a boy who goes on a killing spree in his school. as happy as it sounds. If you like stuff like Hard Candy and Anti-Christ you will like this.

Falling Down (1993) SKY MODERN GREATS 21.45

Classic with Michael Douglas about a guy who has one bad day at work to many and goes on a violent journey across LA. As you do. One to watch after a bad day at work, and also if you like stuff like Harry Brown, Heat etc

Friday

District 9 (2009) FILM 4 21.00

Excellent film by Neill Blomkamp about Aliens landing in South Africa and being confined to shanty towns. Clever sci-fi. Watch if you like things like Moon, V for Vendetta, Sunshine etc

Pan's Labyrinth (2006) FILM 4 23.05

One of my favorites. Directed by Guillermo Del Toro this tells the tale of a girl living out a fairy tale in a Spain that is being torn apart by Civil War. Sometimes revolting, sometimes scary, always captivating. A true modern great. Watch if you love movies. That simple.

Moneyball (2011) SKY PREMIERE 20.00

Good film written by Aaron Sorkin (Social Network, West Wing) and starring Brad Pitt. Brad takes on the whole baseball world by introducing a radical way of choosing players thanks to Jonah Hill's smarts. Very entertaining. Watch if you like Jerry Maguire, Social Network, or the Lincoln Lawyer