Take me to your… Sheriff

Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig star in this fantastically named film, Cowboys and Aliens. Find out what happens when a stranger appears outside of a small town in Arizona, with no memory and a strange device around his wrist.  Before he can settle in and try to recover his memories strange lights appear in the sky and then all hell breaks loose. The only problem is you’ve got to wait until the 12th of August 2011 for the UK release date.

Not Another Bus

Ok, so it’s not another monster movie, but it is an invasion from another planet so that’s good another.  Battle: Los Angeles follows a US Marine platoon attempt to fight off an alien invasion in Los Angeles.  It also sometimes goes under the title World Invasion: Battle LA, which I hope is because they have more of these lined up at different locations around the world.

Battle: Los Angeles has a UK release date of the 25^th of March 2011, so stick another date in your diary.  Anyhow here is the trailer;

Rango

Johnny Depp is a chameleon (literally).  Sporting his best Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas shirt Rango finds himself in a mean western town full of bandits and outlaws.  Can this reluctant hero get out alive?

This is the first animated film from Industrial Light and Magic, the special effects company that was created as a result of Star Wars.  Rango has a UK release date of the 4^th of March 2011.

Back to Reality

So that was the top ten films set on earth according to Ian, could there be anyone more suitable to provide such a list as someone who only watches films set on earth?

Probably!

If I knew anyone who only watched films set in space I would have asked them to provide me with the top ten films set in space, but I don’t, so here’s my top ten films set in space, also in no particular order;

What would be your top ten films set in space?

Space Avoider!

I have a friend, let’s call him Ian (because that is his name), who has a set of rules when it comes to watching films.  The primary rule is that it cannot be set in space or have something come from space.  To me this seems like a fairly unusual rule, especially because some of my favourite films are set in space.  In order to see what makes Ian tick I asked him to provide me with his ten favourite films that are not set in space.  Here they are in no particular order;

There are clearly some good films in there, and some that I haven’t seen, but I still can’t imagine not watching any films set in space.  It's just not natural!!!

Is Ian weird?  What do you think?

The Usual Excuses

I had hoped to by delivering my first review today having watched Skyline on Wednesday, utilising Orange Wednesday. Unfortunately however I was unable to go as Orange Wednesday is a two for one offer and none of my friends were able to go. It was the usual excuses;

1. I can’t make this week…
2. My wife could go into labour…
3. I don’t like films with any element set in space…

And as you probably know two for one offers don’t work when you are only one. What about the misses, I hear you say? That was a complete no go, I know better than to ask Jess if she wants to go and watch a film about aliens devouring the entire human race.

So in recognition of these excuses here is a trailer for Due Date, which is set entirely on earth and has a lot to do with someone’s wife going into labour.

Sugar and Splice and all things Nice!

Splice, available on DVD on the 29th of November, appears to have slipped through completely unnoticed.  It is the story of two scientists splicing animal genes to create cures for diseases and other such scientific advances.  Now they are ready to make the next step in the project and introduce human DNA, only they cannot get approval. But that’s not going to stop them is it now.  Here’s a little taste of what to expect.

The Force is strong with this One

Firstly let me say that if you don’t like a little bit of swearing then this is not the post for you. Don’t worry too much however as it’s not me that will be doing the swearing, it will be none other than Brick Vader! This is a fantastic collection of clips from the Star Wars films with some audio from Snatch placed over the top. It is unbelievably hilarious and one of my all time favourite YouTube Videos, so without any further delay here it is…

Welcome to Snatch Wars

Calling all Geeks

Do you remember… Tron?

Released in 1982 it would definitly make it into my top twenty films from the ‘80s. Well, finally after 28 years of waiting here is the sequel, Tron: Legacy. Tron was the future. It looked like it was from a different world when it was originally released.

In Tron: Legacy Jeff Bridges reprises his role from the original as Kevin Flynn and stars alongside a twenty year younger version of himself. To top it off the entire soundtrack has been put together by Daft Punk. It has a UK release date of the 17th December and I for one cannot wait.

I want one of those

This next clip is the work of Patrick Boivin and if you get a chance you really need to check out his work.  I'm not going to tell you anything about the clip, you just need to watch it.  You'll be glad you did.  Genius!

Can I bring myself to do it?

A while back I saw a trailer for a film that looked incredible, visually mind-bending. But then I saw him… why, what’s he doing there. It all looked so good, but there was still that one thing stopping me from seeing it. The last time I saw that thing was a film called The Beach, highly ranked in my all time worst films list, and before that it was a film called Titanic, officially top of the before mentioned list of films. Now he’s here and looks to stop me from watching what looks like a fantastic film. Anyhow, he is Leonardo DiCaprio and the film is Inception and it is available to buy on DVD as of the 6th December and I’m not sure what to do.

Help!

One for the Future

This in one film I really cannot wait to see. I don’t really know what it’s all about and that doesn’t seem that important. All you need to do is watch the trailer and you will know as much as I do; you need to see this film. Well it has a UK release date of the 25th of March 2011, so, looks like we are all going to have to wait. Oh, and you are probably going to want to know what it’s called.

Sucker Punch

Energy Saving Light Bulbs?

Who needs them when you have the Green Lantern, pause for groan!

The Green Lantern is by no means my favourite super hero. If I’m honest I don’t think he would even make my top ten, however if I said I wasn’t excited about the Green Lantern film starring Ryan Reynolds (I loved him in Van Wilder, I was sure he would be the new Chevy Chase however he chose a different path). Does the introduction of the Green Lantern mean that we will see Wonder Woman getting a film, all in a lead up to a Justice League movie with Batman and Superman? Is it really that much of a stretch of the imagination as the Avengers are current in production but that’s another story all together?

It has a UK release date of the 17th June 2011 which is some way away. Until then enjoy the trailer.

It’s about Time

When Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino released Grindhouse there was one moment really stole the show. He’s a Mexi-can not a Mexi-can’t. That’s right, it's Machete, one of the artificial film trailers from Grindhouse has been made into a full film and now has a UK release date of the 26th November. It’s about time Danny Trejo received a starring role, having appeared in over 200 films. Robert Rodriguez has managed to assemble quite the cast to accompany Danny Trejo, with such names as Robert DeNiro, Jessica Alba, Steven Seagal and none other than Cheech Marin to name but a few.

They’re like Buses only Bigger

Just when one awesome looking monster film creeps out of the shadows along comes another. 

Set six years after alien creatures have set up residence in Mexico, Monsters is the opposite of Skyline in everyway, except for the large tentacled aliens.  With only a fraction of Skyline's budget a small crew travelled guerilla style through Central America telling the story of two sceptical journalists venturing beyond the quarantine zone to see for themselves exactly what is going on.  Monsters has a UK release date of the 3rd of December 2010.

The ‘80s Mini Challenge

The ‘80s was an era best forgotten for fashion and hair, films however were as good then as they have ever been.  I recently came across a list of the top twenty films from the '80s as voted by the readers of Total Film.  It surprised me how many of them I had not yet seen.  So to rectify this, I am going to attempt to slip all twenty films into the 365 films.

This is where I'm going to challenge you to join in.  Twenty films in 2011 should be a nice and easy challenge for anyone not up to 365 films in 365 days.  If you see that one of these films is going to be on the TV, let me know, it will save me renting or buying a copy.

So here they are in reverse order for added anticipation.

20 Scarface (1983)  

19 Heathers (1989)

18 Batman (1989)

17 The Shining (1980)

16 The Goonies (1985)

15 Robocop (1987)

14 Predator (1987)

13 The Breakfast Club (1985)

12 The Lost Boys (1987)

11 Stand By Me (1986)

10 Raging Bull (1980)

09 E.T. (1982)

08 Blade Runner (1982)

07 Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

06 Ghostbusters (1984)

05 The Terminator (1984)

04 Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

03 Aliens (1986)

02 The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

01 Back to the Future (1985)

Before now I’ve only managed to see thirteen of them.  How many have you seen?

Think you can watch all twenty in 2011?

One L of an Actor

Here is the latest game for you to enjoy starring the one and only Samuel L Jackson.  Does he even need a surname?

He is one of my all time favourite actors whether he is playing Jules in Pulp Fiction, Zues in Die Hard: With a Vengeance or even Mace Windu in the Star Wars prequels.  Can you complete the grid with Samuel L Jackson at its heart?

Game 6 – Samuel L Jackson

Desert Island Discs

Whilst stranded on the desert island of Gran Canaria I started thinking about Desert Island Discs.  Surely you know how it works, you’re stranded on a desert island for an indefinite period of time and you can only take five films with you.  Which five would you take?

Now, I’m not sure anyone has ever given this some serious thought as I can’t quite fathom what series of events would lead to someone finding themselves in this dilemma!  Here are some possible scenarios:

1.       Maybe it’s 2012 and I have taken on a ridiculous film based challenge where I have to live on a desert island with only a TV, a DVD player and five DVDs (and a solar power generator) to pass the time.

2.       I find myself stranded on a desert island and using some of the knowledge I have gained from watching McGuyver and the A-Team I am able to build a battery out of a coconuts and fashion a 3G receiver from some drift wood, a vine and three palm leaves.  However before I am able to send for help I find myself on i-Tunes and have downloaded five films subsequently using up my monthly download allowance.

3.       The most plausible explanation of course is that I am aboard the first manned mission to mars and I am only allowed to take five DVDs to pass the 18 months or so that it would take to get there.

4.       Although it could just be a hypothetical question and these are the five DVDs I would take:

1.       300 – For inspiration and motivation.

2.       Dumb and Dumber – Because it gets funnier every time.

3.       Forest Gump – Proof that anyone can do anything if they just get on with it.

4.       Return of the Jedi – I have to pick one from Star Wars, and Jabba’s Palace swung it.

5.       xXx – Because it’s just cool! James Bond meets Tony Hawks with a bangin’ soundtrack.

Adrian… I’ll be back!

Two of the biggest action heroes ever, Arnold Swarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone, are the stars of the latest game on Film Year.  Can you complete the five links between Arnie and Sly?

Game 5 – Action Heroes

For further instructions and the full list of games check out the ‘Games’ tab.

Super Wilson Bros

Luke and Owen Wilson, possibly the hardest working brothers in Hollywood!  Possibly, I have no idea really?  They do however contribute to an awful lot of good films and as a result have worked with a lot of different actors in a huge variety of films.  So here is a game dedicated to them…

Game 4 – Wilson Bros

There are five links between Luke Wilson and Owen Wilson, through three other films.  Can you find all five chains?

For further instructions and the full list of games check out the ‘Games’ tab.

Mr and Mrs Smith

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie worked together in Mr and Mrs Smith as a married couple unaware that each other were assassins working for rival agencies.  Well as far as link the actor games go that would be a pretty rubish game.  So here is the latest game.

Game 3 – Brangelina

There are five links between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, through three other films.  Can you find all five chains?

For further instructions and the full list of games check out the ‘Games’ tab.

Premier or Repeat

Someone asked me if the 365 films would all be first viewing.  Honestly, I would love to watch 365 films that I haven’t already seen however that may make things a little more tricky and costly than it already will be.  Also because the challenge is about reusing the movies I already own I can’t really make all of the films first viewings.

So I need to come up with a compromise.  I think what seems reasonable is to say that one third of all of the films should be films that I haven’t seen before.  That will be 122 new films; to achieve that I will need to utilise the TV, rentals and the cinema.

Talking of the cinema, there is one film firmly on my radar and you should probably be aware that I am a big monster movie fan.  There’s nothing like the end of the world at the hands or tentacles of monsters and aliens to get me excited… anyhow the film is called Skyline.  It is released in the UK on 12^th November and here is the trailer to keep you going until then.

Your Name in Lights

Have you ever found yourself watching a film only to discover that one of the characters is using your name?  I recently began to notice that my surname, Sheridan, started to pop up in various films.  The most notable to date was in Mamma Mia with Meryl Streep’s Donna Sheridan sharing my surname.

Recently I tried to find my blog on google, with no joy, and I ended up entering my full name into google.  One of the first search options it returned pointed towards IMDB and the film The Ringer starring Johnny Knoxville, Katherine Heigl and Brian Cox.  I haven’t seen this film although I am aware of it and what it’s about.  Basically Johnny Knoville’s character attempts to trick his way into competing in the Special Olympics, their words not mine, to pay off some really bad debt.  To cut a long story short Katherine Heigl’s character is called Lynn Sheridan!

Has this ever happened to you?  I'd love to hear of anyone else who has witnessed their name on the big screen.

What about Bill?

Hopefully by now you should have completed the ‘Interview with the Vampire’ game so here is another.  If not, well I’m not going to give you the answers, so keep trying. 

This game is almost the same as the last one except the centre point this time is an actor and not a film, and that actor is none other than the legendary Bill Murray!  If you don't know who he is... well... I can't help you.

Game 2 – Bill Murray

For further instructions and the full list of games check out the ‘Games’ tab.

A Brief History of Film Year

It originally started in the summer of 2008. As I approached my 29th Birthday I decided that I needed a challenge to complete before turning 30. And out of nothing Film Year was born. It started with the 08:50 showing of The Dark Knight at the local Vue cinema. Yes, that is 08:50 in the morning. Armed with a large cup of tea I took my seat in screen 1 along with another half a dozen people. Two and a half hours later, having witnessed the well deserved Oscar winning performance by Heath Ledger, I headed home to contine the challenge. Before the end of the day I had only 361 films remaining.

I continued at a good pace for the next couple of months, with a trip to Canada to visit the in-laws helping me along the way (making the most of two seven hour flights). At my best I was seven films ahead of schedule. There was even a mammoth five film day, the 7th October 2008. But eventually I started to slip and then found myself falling behind until the gap finally became too much to claw back and I had to admit defeat.

By the time of my 30th Birthday I did however manage 138 films in 365 days. Now I’m a little older, maybe a little bit wiser, but this time I’m definetly more organised, I have a plan and by documenting it here (and hoping that someone will read it) I should be able find the drive to do it.

Enter Adam Sandler or Rob Schneider shouting “YOU CAN DO IT!” in a bumpkin inspired style.

The Game Plan, not the Back Up Plan or even Plan 9 from Outer Space

So how do you prepare to watch 365 films in 365 days?  I already know which 365 days I’m using so I suppose now I need to check how many films I have to hand. 

I’ve just checked, phew, and I have just over 300 feature films on DVD and several stashed in the attic if I’m really desperate, but there is a reason that they're up there…

As with most things in life it’s easier if it’s regular…  I run home from work Monday through Friday so if I’m organised I could have watched a film before the wifey gets home.  It’s not that she wouldn’t let me do it, but it’s easier all around this way.  So that’s five a week at the moment.  Surely I can squeeze two in on the weekend (if not more).

Also I have the first week of 2011 off work to enjoy the holidays, so I should be able to get a few extra watched.  It would be nice to get a head of schedule early on and keep it going as long as possible.  Worst thing I could do is let it slip and then have to catch up and find myself needing to watch two a day to complete the challenge.

I have also acquired an Orange sim card so I can take advantage of Orange Wednesdays at the cinema and watch some new films as well.  Not to mention the possiblity of rentals, online or at a store and of course keeping one eye on the TV guide.

Now that I look at it, it all seems too easy…

What could possibly go wrong?

Don't be afraid, I'm going to give you the choice I never had

Ok, so that might be a little over dramatic, but it made you look.  And as a reward for you curiousity you will find a link below to the first game on Film Year.  The first of many throughout the Film Year Challenge, so check back regularly and you will be rewarded.

You’ve probably heard of the ‘Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon’, if not it is a well known pheonomenom where any actor can be linked back to Kevin Bacon within six films.

For example

Jesse Eisenberg was in Zombieland with Bill Murray who was in Wild Things with Kevin Bacon

Ok that one wasn’t six degrees, more like two but I’m sure you see what I mean.

Well this is similar except it’s a grid and you need to link all of the films by the actors that stared in them and Kevin Bacon may or may not be in there.  Only one answer has been given, you need to find the rest (there is the number of letters in each word below to help).

Game 1 – Interview with the Vampire

The full list of games will be updated on the games tab as they are released.

Film Quote Tweet Challenge

That’s a lot easier to write than to say!!!

You may have noticed that I have a Twitter gadget to the left of here, if you follow this sentence back to the beginning and then keep going left.  Every day until the start of Film Year, January 1^st 2011, I will be posting a film quote that has been changed, partly to disguise the film's identity and partly to fit into one hundred and forty characters.

So all you have to do is work out what film the quote comes from and send the answer to my Twitter account.  The first person to send me the correct answer will get a shout out before the next one is posted.  There will be a new one every day until the start of Film Year, then I may be a little preoccupied but I will certainly try to continue it.

What are you waiting for, click on the link to the left, or below, and send me your answer…

Twitter.com/FilmYear

Introduction

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away….

Ok, so it wasn’t that long ago and not that far away either….

Actually it was about twenty five years ago when a small child was taken to the cinema in this galaxy.  That child was me, and ever since I have had an unwavering love of films.  I have seen too many films to list and have a near photographic memory of each and every one.  As a result I now have a substantial film collection, unfortunately however most go un-watched from year to year.  That is about to change.

Throughout 2011 I intend to watch 365 films in 365 days, some old, some new.  I shall record my attempt here, complete with a short review and an account of the challenges that I encounter along the journey.

The average film is about 90 minutes, which would give a total 32,850 minutes, which is only 6.25% of the total minutes in a year, 525,600 minutes.  So it should be easy, shouldn’t it?!?

So that’s the challenge, better come up with some rules.

1.     Each one of the 365 films needs to be a separate film, watching the same film 365 times will not count.

2.     Only feature length films will count, episodes from a TV show will not.

3.     The challenge will begin at 00:01 on the 1^st January 2011 and will end at 23:59 on the 31^st December 2011.

Roll Film…

ACTION!