Film 198/365, Day 211/365 – There’s Something About Mary

It’s still very funny, although not quite as funny as I remember it.  Sadly, I don’t think it has held up as well as Dumb and Dumber which will always be hilarious.  That said if you haven’t seen this then you really should be cause like I said it is still very funny.

Synopsis:  Ted never got to have his dream date with Mary at the high school prom due to an unfortunately zipper related incident.  Now Ted’s all grown up and still can’t get Mary out of his head so he hires a private detective to track her down for him.  But things don’t go quite as Ted planned.

Film 197/365, Day 209/365 – Catfish

Insanely compelling!  After watching Catfish there is probably only one question you will ask yourself, was that real?  And that probably is the point of Catfish, it’s got you thinking, it’s made you question something that you have just seen for yourself.  So real or not?  Does it really matter?  No, I don’t think so!

Synopsis:  New Yorker Yaniv Schulman is filmed by his brother and friend as he begins to build a bond with a girl on Facebook.  But then is everything quite as it seems?

Film 196/365, Day 208/365 – Blade

Still as excellent as when it first came out.  The fantastic mix of action and banging dance tunes is brilliant, which are highlighted in the opening and closing fight sequences which are worth watching alone.  Blade is one tough ass kicking delight of a film.

Synopsis:  Blade, a half human half vampire, is waging an endless war against the secret vampire organisation that exists parallel to human life.  But the vampires are looking to shift the balance of power in their favour.  Can Blade stop them before they are able to complete the ritual and summon the Blood God!

Film 195/365, Day 207/365 – American Hot Babes

Hot Babes!  Yes, there are lots and lots of hot babes in this parody of the adult film industry which takes place in a Police station, a sorority house, a hospital and other suitable locations.  Originally released as Deep in the Valley, which I think is a better name, American Hot Babes has actually got some very funny moments and lots of hot babes!

Synopsis:  Two friends accidently travel to another dimension, a dimension where the world has taken on all of the characteristics an adult movie.  There they are wanted by the police for a reason they don’t know.  What’s worse is that they can’t get home or laid, ironically!

Film 194/365, Day 206/365 – Into the Blue

Sharks, sunken treasure, sharks, drug dealers and did I say sharks!  Into the Blue is a nice simple film that you can watch without thinking too much.  It is packed full of excellent underwater shots and beautiful panoramas of the Caribbean.  There is also lots of quite breathtaking shots of Jessica Alba in a tiny bikini…  Well worth watching for that alone.

Synopsis:  A diver uncovers what he believes to be the remains of a pirate ship which was supposed to have been carrying a large amount of gold when it sunk.  Whilst trying to explore the site they find a plane at the bottom of the sea with a large shipment of drugs.  Desperate to keep their site hidden until they can find proof of the treasure they decide to keep the plane a secret.  But then surely there will be people looking for the plane!

Film 193/365, Day 206/365 – Dr Who and the Daleks

Not bad for 1965, but does it hold up against the modern Doctors... in a word, no!  It’s packed full of clichés and naivety which are silly and a bit ridiculous.  The scenes where the Daleks are having a conversation seem to go on forever.  Not the worst science fiction out there, but like I said not a patch on the more modern version.

Synopsis:  A scientist known as Dr Who travels through time and space with his two grand-daughters and the eldest’s boyfriend in his new invention, the TARDIS.  They arrive on a distant world ravage by war leaving most of the planet uninhabitable and dangerously radioactive.  Soon they are captured by the Daleks who seek to destroy all in their path to total domination.

Film 192/365, Day 205/365 – Black Swan

It's a well made film, but now that I’ve seen it I can forget about it.  You can’t fault any of the film making skills in Black Swan, but it’s not going to be one that I watch again, it’s not going to be a film that I talk about with my friends, in short it’s not really going to leave any lasting impression on me whatsoever.

Synopsis:  A ballet dancer wins the lead role in Swan Lake but seems to be struggling with the pressure from the director, her mother and herself.

Film 191/365, Day 204/365 – Horrible Bosses

Rude, unashamed and incredibly funny.  Horrible Bosses may not be for everybody, some may not be able to handle just how rude it is.  Me however, I loved it.  So, so. so funny.  If Jennifer Aniston has an opening I would be ready to fill it!!!  Hilarious.

Synopsis:  Three friends who all have problems with their horrible bosses, one is a psycho, one is a man-eater and the third is a coked up tool,  are fed up they make a pact to kill their bosses.  Now they need to find someone to do it or come up with a plan themselves.

Film 190/365, Day 203/365 – Jaws

Suspense, action and the most haunting theme tune in cinematic history.  Everybody knows the sound... da dum, da dum!!!  Ok, so there are some pretty rubbish effects but that led to the shark's eye view for most of the film which is possibly one of it's best features.  Still one of the best!

Synopsis:  The small island community of Amity is being terrorised by a gigantic great white shark.  It’s up to the police chief, a wily old fisherman and a shark scientist to try and catch it before it kills again.

Film 189/365, Day 202/365 – Iron Man

Alchemists have been trying to turn iron into gold for centuries.  Who would have thought that Jon Favreau would be the one to do it!  I love Iron Man, it has to be one of the best comic book adaptations ever.  Loads of action and excellent special effects and hero that has more demons than most villains.  Excellent.

Synopsis:  Tony Stark is the head of Stark Industries, one of the premier weapons manufacturers in the world.  Whilst demonstrating the capabilities of their latest weapon Tony is captured by terrorists and forced to make weapons for them.  Instead he turns himself into the greatest weapon he has ever made.

Film 188/365, Day 199/365 – The Girl Who Played with Fire

Another good crime thriller based on the books by Stieg Larsson.  It's not quite as good as the first film but is still worth watching as there is plenty of intrigue.  Once more however it would appear that Sweden is full of perverts and murderers which probably isn't a fair reflection.  It certainly hasn't put me off watching the third film (or even the Hollywood versions).  Good but nothing special.

Synopsis: A young reporter comes to Mikael Blomqvist with a story about high profile members of society who have been involved in sex trafficking, one way or another.  But then the young reporter his murder and Lisbeth is the police's prime suspect!

Film 187/365, Day 198/365 – Push

Packed full of action and suspense Push is a gritty roller coaster ride of a film.  It was also filmed using a number of different styles throughout which compliment the mood of the film.  Push is one of those films where everything comes together at the end and I love a well thought out ending.  Brilliant.

Synopsis: Nick is a mover, a simple term for someone who can move objects with their mind.  He is visited by a young girl, a watcher, who can see the future who tells him that they have to find a suitcase and a girl before a shadowy organisation does or they are going to die. Can they stop the events from unfolding?

Film 186/365, Day 197/365 – The Men Who Stare at Goats

Funny, sarcastic and incredibly strange.  The Men Who Stare at Goats has an excellent cast who were all ideally suited for their roles, George Clooney and Jeff Bridges really stood out for me.  It is what I hope the military are really investing their money on although I'm sure they aren't.  I also enjoyed all of the in jokes about Jedi warriors with Ewan McGregor.  Good fun. 

Synopsis: A small town reporter interviews a man who claims to have psychic powers only to end up half the way around the world in Iraq with a former member of the New World Army, a secret team of Jedi warriors funded by the American government.

Film 185/365, Day 197/365 – Resident Evil: Degeneration

And you thought that there wouldn't be any more Resident Evil films for me to watch!  This computer animated film follows on from the events in the Resident Evil 2 computer game.  Sadly however it is not even close to the standards set by the films.  The animation is very good although it's the story that really lets it down.  The script is absurd at times with characters introducing themselves with the middle initial and pointless characters telling us tales from their past that don't really mean anything in the context of the film.  Disappointed.

Synopsis: An outbreak of the T-Virus at an airport results in Claire Redfield getting stuck in the airport.  Soon they are rescued by her old acquaintance Leon S. Kennedy but things are not as they seem and soon she could find herself up against the G-Virus once more!

Film 184/365, Day 196/365 – Resident Evil: Afterlife

Long live Resident Evil.  If you keep making them, I’ll keep watching them.  The first fifteen minutes is like the Matrix on acid!  There are lots and lots of zombies, some more advanced zombies and another Nemesis type monster plus the head of the Umbrella Corporation, Albert Wesker.  My only criticism would be to ditch the 3D, it’s not needed and the sooner it’s gone back to the seventies the better.

Synopsis:  Alice is still looking to destroy the Umbrella Corporation some four years after the event at Raccoon City.  She’s also looking for survivors but she hasn’t seen any in over 170 days and she’s starting to lose faith.

Film 183/365, Day 195/365 – Resident Evil: Extinction

Even more excellent zombie fun and there appears to be no signs of stopping.  This time there are probably not as many zombies, although the zombies that are here are faster and more violent which can only be a good thing.  There is once again plenty of action throughout and enough of a storyline to keep the lesser zombie enthusiasts happy.  Keep them coming!

Synopsis:  Following on from the disaster at Raccoon city the Umbrella Corporation were unable to stop the spread of the T-Virus and the world is now in a state of chaos.  Alice, awake from the start this time, is alone as she is a risk to anyone she’s with as the Umbrella Corporation are looking for her.  Ironically she is also looking for them!

Film 182/365, Day 194/365 – Resident Evil: Apocalypse

Yet more fantastic zombie antics.  Resident Evil: Apocalypse is similar to the first film in many ways except you have more zombies, more genetic experiments and the Nemesis!  Milla Jovovich is excellent once more taking on the role of Alice, whilst Sienna Guillory and Oded Fehr were also brilliant.  If you like zombies then you can’t really go wrong here!

Synopsis:  Alice wakes up (I know, again) in a hospital in Raccoon City, but there is nobody there and when she finally makes it outside she discovers that the virus outbreak from the first film made it out and has decimated the city.  She joins forces with several survivors as they try to escape from the city before the Umbrella Corporation attempts to clean up the mess they’ve made!

Film 181/365, Day 193/365 – Resident Evil

I love it!  It’s got zombies, crazed killer computers, weird genetic experiments and a team of soldier unaware and in over their heads.  Admittedly, this is my sort of film so I am naturally more likely to like it but as far as action films go I think it is very good, with a healthy dose of horror and some pretty tense moments throughout.  Hooray for zombies!

Synopsis:  Alice wakes up in a shower with no memory of where she is, how she got there or even who she is.  Moments later a military team burst into the building and take Alice deep under ground into the secret research facility where a major catastrophe has occurred killing all of the researchers.  Are they ready for what they will discover?

Film 180/365, Day 192/365 – Predators

Finally, the sequel the original Predator film deserves.  Sorry Danny Glover but you are no Arnie substitute, but saying that I didn’t think Adrien Brody would be but he was actually pretty good. Obviously it’s not as good as the original but is a good action film and definitely worth watching.

Synopsis:  On Earth they are the best of the worst, contract killers, special forces and criminals, here they are prey.  They were snatched from Earth and transported to a mysterious jungle planet were they will be hunted for sport by a group of Predators.

Film 179/365, Day 190/365 – Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Typical Woody Allen!  If I had not known that this was a Woody Allen film I would definitely have guessed it.  There are lots of weird and interesting characters in the occasional weird and interesting situations which all ends with little to no resolution and things just carry on as before.  Which is fine, but personally I feel a little cheated having invested the time for everything to just go back to how it was before I saw the film.  But that’s just me!!!

Synopsis:  Two friends, Vicky and Cristina, go to Barcelona for the summer.  Both have very different views on love and life, but when they meet Juan, an artist, things could change for both of them.

Film 178/365, Day 188/365 – Total Recall

Pure science fiction gold.  Arnie is great, but it is the story,based on a Philip K Dick short story, that is the real star of this show.  Total Recall is up there with the Terminator and the Predator as one of Arnie’s best films.  There is plenty of action for the regular Arnie fans but Total Recall also comes with plenty of suspense and sprinkling of horror.  Still Great today and probably will be for many more years.

Synopsis:  Douglas Quaid has a good job, a good life and a stunning wife, but for whatever reason he feels like something is missing.  He goes for a virtual holiday to Mars which awakens some dormant memories that he has long since forgotten and soon finds himself in the middle of the struggle to control the Mars colony.

Film 177/365, Day 187/365 – Hard to Kill

Seagal kicks ass.  This is up there with Seagal’s best work, his fighting is fluid, fast and deadly.  Throw in Kelly LeBrock to make it more pleasing on the eye, let’s face it she’s not there for her acting skills and why would you want someone to act when Seagal is breaking bones left, right and centre!  Smashing!

Synopsis:  A hit squad go after cop Mason Storm.  They break into his house and leave Mason and his family for dead.  Unfortunately for them they didn’t complete the job.  Mason is taken to a secret hospital where he spends the next couple of years in a coma.  When he wakes he only has one thing on his mind… revenge.

Film 176/365, Day 187/365 – Demons

More than just a little weird!  Legendary film-maker Dario Argento presents Demons, an intentionally mindless horror film packed full of gore and gooey goodness.  One highlight from Demons is the soundtrack, which is excellent.  The most absurd moment has to be the arrival of the helicopter, just wait and see.  Bizarre!

Synopsis:  A group of people are trapped in a mysterious cinema where the events on the screen are being recreated around them.  Soon they are all fighting for their lives against there former cinema-goers who have now become demons.

Film 175/365, Day 185/365 – Transformers: The Movie

Fantastic!  This, Michael Bay, is what the Transformers movie should have been like.  The soundtrack is awesome to say the least.  The central characters are the Transformers not a bunch of humans, who should be additional characters at best.  Put it in space and make the enemy the size of a planet.  And you’ve gotta love Grimlock.  Still brilliant.

Synopsis:  An unsuccessful attempt to take the Autobot Earth base results in Optimus Prime’s death, Megatron still weak from the battle is tossed aside by StarScream who assumes control of the Decepticons.  Whilst this is happening a sinister planet-consuming monster is heading towards Cybertron.

Film 174/365, Day 184/365 – Transformers

Jaw dropping action sequences.  Michael Bay delivers, as always, lots and lots of explosions and fantastic action sequences, more than enough slow motion overly dramatised scenes and a story that is average at best.  It is loads of fun but is not even close to the original animated Transformers movie from 1986.

Synopsis:  When Sam buys a car he gets more than he bargained for as the car is alive, to be more precise it is a transforming non-biological extra terrestrial.  Now Sam is stuck in the middle of a war, a war that will decide the outcome of humanity.

Film 173/365, Day 183/365 – The A-Team

Packed full of action, nostalgia and retro goodness.  The A-Team is everything it used to be and more.  Hannibal’s plans are flawless, Face is slick and smooth, BA is bad ass and Murdock is fantastically insane.  The stunts are excellent if not a little over the top and well worth watching.  It’s good fun from start to finish.

Synopsis:  Hannibal Smith has put together an incredibly successful team, they are a little unorthodox but the get the job done time and time again.  But then they are sent to a maximum security prison for a crime they didn’t commit.  They escape and seek to clear their names and get the people who are responsible.

Review of June 2011

And that is the half way point, six months down and six months to go.  I ended last month eleven films behind and have ended this month nine films behind, although at one point I had got it down to only four films behind but then I went on holiday and wasn't able to fit any in.  Still that gives me plenty of hope that it is possible to catch up before the end of the year.

Here is my progress to date

Here is the new to old film ratio.

I saw fifteen new films this month which keeps me on target for one third of my films being new.

Here are how the films have been rated.

There were eight films that scored five stars in May, but there were four films scoring less than three stars.  Mostly good, but there have some pretty bad stuff.

And here is the percentage of my time that I have spent watching films so far this year.

More and more film stars have joined the list of names at the bottom of each review.  Bruce Willis has jumped back into the front, starring in seven films.  It was a good month for Angelina Jolie who is now tied in second with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Seven

• Bruce Willis

Six

• Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Angelina Jolie

Five

• Samuel L.Jackson

Four

• Jim Carrey
• Jack Black
• Karl Urban
• Morgan Freeman
• Seann William Scott

I better get on with it then!