Half Way Mark

I have managed to get 5 films for my top ten. As Trench said t'other night "the first five are easy, it's the rest that's difficult".

My little bearded friend is, of course, right.

I last did this in early 2006 and have been looking for the e-mail I sent to Col. Orange and Mr Trench about it, but can't find it.

So, in no order and with some brief explinations about them here are the first 5.

1, Fight Club (1999) Dir. David Fincher

BEST FILM EVER!

I first watched Fight Club because I wanted to see Brad Pitt get the crap knocked out off him. I was very pleasently surprised, it had meaning and depth. It was brilliantly directed/written/acted/portrayed. After I watched it I remember thinking smething along the lines of "Bloody hell, that was awesome". For the next few days I was constantly thinking about the film and trying to piece the whole thing together. I even rented it again a few days later just to see the whole thing again and really enjoy it. Now that's not a normal thing for me to do, especially when you consider the surprise ending, but even knowing what happens has never taken away from the enjoyment of the film.

I also think this was the first film I double-dipped on.

Best memory of Fight Club

Getting Trench and the Col. to watch it, them being as sceptical as I first was. Then them instantly loving it as much as I did.

2, Ringu (1998) Dir. Hideo Nakata

Ringu was hyped and hyped to me by my fellow Thursday night film junkies. I have never been one for horror films as they don't really scare me and I find the whole genre a bit laughable really. It seems Trench and the Col. had gone along to see the film on a whim and loved it. So when it next came up at the Phoenix I was there. It was a double feature Ringu and Ringu 2 (The Ringu-ening). I did feel like the whole thing had been over hyped to me and I was ready not to enjoy it too much if I am going to be honest.

It scared the living pap out of me.

I once tried watching this film alone. In the dark.

I got very scared and gave up, switched the lights on, then switched the film off.

Best memory?

Having returned home from the cinema watching Ringu, I turn on the TV only to left looking at a screen of static.

Clean pants on ailse three.

3, Leon (1994) Dir. Luc Besson

Who the hell doesn't like Leon (a.k.a. The Professional)? Morons that's who. I hate talking to people about this film and them start to tell me about the directors cut which they have seen where you kind of question the "love" between Matilda and Leon. Shut up, shut up SHUT UP! She loves him as she has never had anyone ever look after her in her whole life, let alone put on a puppet show. He loves her as he has never been able to look after anyone and all he does is kill people and talk to fat Italians. Leon could have been one of the most violent and over the top films ever made. I'm talking John Woo/Michael Bay over the top. But it isn't and shouldn't be. It's brilliantly written and masterfully directed. My personal favourite bit I can't talk about as it would be a spoiler. There isn't a bad performance in the whole thing. Jean Reno, Gary Oldman and Natalie Portman all shine like supa novas in this.

Favourite thing about Leon.

When ever you say "everyone" near a Thursday Nighter you are asked what you mean. You WILL reply "EVERYONE!!!!!!"

Pulp Fiction (1994) Dir Quentin Tarantino

What the hell can I say?

Err, I didn't like it when I first watched it. In fact I turned it off. I was watching it and not really paying much attention, then my dad walked in and looked horrified at the screen. I sort of wake up, and well....err it's that scene. You know where Bruce Willis is about to get all Samurai on their asses. My dad wasn't impressed so I kind of turned it off and walked away from it all. Years later I decide to give it another go and make sure that my dad will not interupt me this time. This time I love it. The way it is directed and the writing stand out more than anything.

I love films where the characters interact, and hold conversations. Not where they are reading lines to each other, but realistic conversations take place. Where people bounce off each other. You have this by the bucket load in Pulp Fiction.

Also there is the soundtrack which is awesome, and the way the story is told. The beginning being the end, the end actually carrying on from the beginning and the middle being the end and the credits being the trailers......or something.

Best memory of Pulp Fiction

Possibly my dads face when he saw the hot action on the screen.

5, Uncle Buck (1989) Dir. John Hughes

Everyone loves Uncle Buck. It's a solid film from the 80's that has John Candy in. Admittedly that description can mean it could be many other films (Planes, trains and atumobiles, Spaceballs, Little Shop Of Horrors.........The Great Out Doors........Whos Harry Crumb?). I could watch this film any day, at any time with any mood and I would laugh like a bastard.

We all have that family member (and it is most likely to be a sibling of some kind) in our families that is....well a little off. They mean well, but they just never seem to get things right, and everyone is a bit better off by not having them around. In my family it's me. *grin*

I have easily seen Uncle Buck 200 times. It makes me smile just to think about it.

Best memories due to Uncle Buck

Bank holiday at work, I walk into the staff room and start channel hopping trying to find something to watch. As I stop at one channel another two people walk into the room. All three of us "Awesome Uncle Buck!". No more words were needed.

Or Col. Orange is very hung over and on my sofa after throwing up. I make him some coffee. "You know what you need my friend? Uncle Buck." We watch it, and eat bacon sandwiches. By the time the credits come up, he feels much much better. The healing power of the Buck.



So there you have it, the first five. The next ones are going to be very hard. There will be some difficult and possibly heart breaking decisions made. But there will be no musicals, and no Michael Bay.


Till next time.

Look, it's a link!

I have just added my Google Reader to the side linkage bit.

It shows different stories that I have read and commented on.

Which I then share with you good people.

Cause I'm nice like that.

Which one? Pick one! This one? Classic

I bought Empire this month with the usual happiness. More perhaps seeing as Watchmen is on the cover.

So I spent the afternoon reading through it seeing whats what in the film world, and I enjoyed reading it. Little did I know the horror that was waiting......just......around the......page.

Well bugger me. Better get my knuckle dusters ready, as this is gonna cause riots.

My issue with this is......

What defines greatest? My favourite films are very different to the greatest films ever made.

I mean, Titanic is one of the greatest films ever made on a production scale. But it is a bad bad bad film. I mean directorally, screenplay wise, acting wise....but on a production scale it's incredible. THEY BUILT HALF A FUCKING BOAT!

But other than that it's a pile of dung.

Anchorman is one of my favourite films. Is it one of the greatest? It's one of the greatest comedies easily. Does that give it a place in the greatest films ever? Possibly....but where do you draw the line?

Films that will be in my list,

1, Fight Club
2, Leon
3, Pulp Fiction
4, Ringu

I would like to add Blade Runner but then you have to pick which version and it starts getting a bit silly really. Or is that a valid point? Could Aliens appear twice on the list once as the Theatrical version and another time as the Directors Cut. Well, no because the Directors cut is the only version worth watching but still. Is that allowed?

One thing is for sure that all of three of the Star Wars films will be in the top ten as will all three L.O.T.R. films. Which to be fair I don't agree with but there you go.

Mostly because only the first L.O.T.R. deserves to be in there as it is the only one that stuck with the story, they moved further away the further they went on. But on an epic scale yes it should be in there. As to get the backgrounds they started planting flowers and stuff 2 years in advance.

I am mostly interested in seeing where Dark Night appears. It's a top notch film and Heath Ledger is horse shit crazy in it. Is it the best/greatest film? Not really.

Does best mean greatest?

I hate doing these lists so am desperately asking for help folks. Do I do the list as my favourite films?

Or my greatest films (of which Titanic will NOT be one)?

Also feel free to post your top ten in the comments but don't forget to put your votes on the Empire site.