May 2, 2005

Movies
G

Thought I'd add my own two cents to the recent movie talk.

I'm sad to say that horror movies don't scare me. At all. This often makes me feel like I'm missing something but ever since I figured out that nothing is actually going to jump out of the cinema screen and attempt to eat me I've just never gotten scared again. I do like horror movies though, particularly those coming out of the far east over the last few years. Japanese and Korean filmmakers tackle the genre with a wit and sophistication that are absent from the work of their Hollywood counterparts. Battle Royale, A Tale of Two Sisters and Ring (Japanese original, NOT the dire American remake) are perfect examples if not for the feint of heart. The only decent American Horror that comes to mind was the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead. That said, British spoof Shaun of the Dead has to be the best film I saw last year.

Back to the subject of foreign language films. I cannot recommend City of God highly enough. Any of you who think Goodfellas was a great movie and haven't seen this Brazilian masterpiece should prepare to think again.

In terms of English language films I love American Beauty. Kevin Spacey has to be the best actor of our time. For further evidence see the excellent LA Confidential and The Usual Suspects. The funniest film ever is comfortable Monty Python's Life of Brian and I also love the work of Kevin Smith, particularly Chasing Amy and Dogma. The original Italian Job is another examlpe of how Hollywood can turn something great into something awful, although they didn't do too badly with The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which I saw on Thursday. Not nearly as good as the 1981 TV series but still very, very funny.

Anyway, I've rambled on far too long. Very quickly, best Bond film: Goldfinger(best Bond: Connerry - obviously); best Star Wars move: A New Hope; best LOTR movie: Fellowship. Easily. The only one close to living up to the book.

Sorry for the length,

G.

P.S. Go see Hitchhiker's. Now. Why are you still reading this? I'm not kidding. Look I know Zaphod looks like he's one head short and Marvin looks a bit silly but even Hollywood can't ruin Hitchhiker's. No one can. The dolphin sequence is worth the ticket price on it's own.

So Long And Thanks For All The Fish.