John Landis - Overrated or Underrated? August 11, 2010
Posted by Daniel Stephens in : Uncategorized , add a comment
Most audiences today won’t have heard of the name John Landis. They would have heard of “Coming To America” and “The Blues Brothers” but it’s unlikely they recognise the talent behind the lens. That’s because Landis has become one of Hollywood’s forgotten star directors. Legal troubles and a decade of poor work has put the director out in the wilderness. Forgettable films from a forgotten filmmaker.
Yet, you ask anyone if they’ve seen Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and most will reply “Damn right I have – best music video ever made!” Well, that was the brainchild of Jackson and John Landis.
Now Landis is back. His latest film “Burke and Hare”, which is currently in production, promises to be his best work for a very long time. Despite his lacklustre movies during the 1990s and almost complete lack of work during the 2000s, Landis has remained one of my favourite filmmakers. [Click here for my top 10 John Landis Films]
What are your favourite John Landis Films?
Godfather 1 V Godfather 2 - voting continues… August 6, 2010
Posted by Daniel Stephens in : Uncategorized , add a commentVoting continues to discover the best Godfather film - have you voted yet? Which is your favourite - Godfather 1 or Godfather 2? Vote here.
———–
Two classic films but which one is your favourite? Post your choice here.
There aren’t many film couplets that have garnered as much praise as Francis Ford Coppola’s first two Godfather films. Part 2 is widely recognised as the greatest sequel of all time and it is easy to see why: it’s a truly brilliant tale of greed and familial power politics inherent in the Italian mafia. But it also looks at the continuing story with wider scope than the original, having two disconnected stories running parallel to each other. It is many people’s favoured film of the two, it garnered more award nominations than its predecessor, and, perhaps most importantly, features two fine performances from two of Hollywood’s greatest actors – Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. [Vote here]
A decade of soulless remakes and re-imaginings: Horror in the 2000s August 4, 2010
Posted by Daniel Stephens in : Uncategorized , add a commentRightly or wrongly I look back at the last decade of horror films as one that gave us nothing new. We retread old ground, often with poor remakes or as they became known during the period – the re-imagining. Instead of western audiences enjoying new and interesting tales from the East – a craze that started in the late 1990s with the likes of Hideo Nakata’s 1998 chiller “Ring” or Takashi Miike’s 1999 film “Audition” – we had American producers nicking the stories and replaying them for English-speaking audiences with pretty Californian teenagers. These films have largely arrived thanks to producer Roy Lee who has made it his business to discover interesting tales from the Far East to recreate in the US of A. [Read more HERE]
Godfather v Godfather II August 2, 2010
Posted by Daniel Stephens in : Uncategorized , add a commentTwo classic films but which one is your favourite? Post your choice here.
There aren’t many film couplets that have garnered as much praise as Francis Ford Coppola’s first two Godfather films. Part 2 is widely recognised as the greatest sequel of all time and it is easy to see why: it’s a truly brilliant tale of greed and familial power politics inherent in the Italian mafia. But it also looks at the continuing story with wider scope than the original, having two disconnected stories running parallel to each other. It is many people’s favoured film of the two, it garnered more award nominations than its predecessor, and, perhaps most importantly, features two fine performances from two of Hollywood’s greatest actors – Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. [Vote here]
Top 10 Sequels of All Time July 27, 2010
Posted by Daniel Stephens in : Uncategorized , add a commentThe sequel phenomenom exploded after the blockbuster success of Jaws and Star Wars in the 1970s. But what are the best sequels ever made? Rodney Twelftree of Fernby Films attempts to answer that question - HERE.
Do you recall that scene in “Scream 2”, where Jamie Kennedy’s character imparts his words of wisdom to a class of students (and so, to us) as to the rule of film sequels? About what must be done to achieve a perfect sequel? Admittedly, the “Scream” formula itself began to run out of puff after the first film, but it laid the groundwork for this Top 10 list, namely the 10 best sequels ever made. Thankfully, this list automatically excludes the “Police Academy” and “Look Who’s Talking” films, so you can rest easy. [More]
Top 10 Robert Zemeckis Films July 20, 2010
Posted by Daniel Stephens in : Top 10s , add a commentRobert Zemeckis was once asked if television was a bad influence on children. He answered, emphatically, “television isn’t an education, but I see no reason to turn it off.” What would so many television-starved children give for Zemeckis as a babysitter, or indeed a father: ‘Can I pur-lease watch more TV?’/’Of course you can!’ He was a product of the television generation – this new visual medium that found its way into most American homes by 1960 – that threatened to unhinge cinema’s monopoly of moving image entertainment. Growing up in suburban Illinois, television was not only his outlet to the world… [More]
He’ll make you laugh, then he’ll make you scream: The Films of John Landis July 10, 2010
Posted by Daniel Stephens in : Uncategorized , add a comment“An American Werewolf In London” is the film that I remember most distinctly as a child. It’s partly because I knew I wasn’t allowed to watch it, partly because it scared me so much. It’s only later in life that I fully appreciate the frightening influence it had on me – the reason I slept with the light on for weeks afterwards – was because it was so good. It is the cinema of attractions, the spectacle. An immediate and direct injection of emotion, be it humour, fear, anger, happiness. John Landis was a master at toying with his audience’s primal emotions. But, with classic Hollywood narrative as his blueprint, he could also tell a great story… [Read More]
Top 10 Horror Films of the 2000s July 4, 2010
Posted by Daniel Stephens in : Uncategorized , add a commentHollywood decided to remake not only the best horror films it could find in the east but also its own classics. Added gore, 3D, silly titles, worthless sequels, and vacuous characters were the order of the day. So, to discover the best in horror cinema during the 2000s, audiences had to look elsewhere – to Europe, South America, and Australia. There were some gems to be found in the States, but many of the most unique and frightening horror experiences were to be found elsewhere. [Read More]
Top 50 Films of the 2000s June 25, 2010
Posted by Daniel Stephens in : Uncategorized , add a commentThroughout the decade we were wowed by fantasy, thrilled by action, and frightened by horror, all the while being annoyed by remakes and endless sequels. We had everything turned on its head with numerous twist endings and welcomed new and old Superheroes. New directors entered the scene (Christopher Nolan, Guillermo Del Toro) and others were finally recognised by mainstream audiences (Peter Jackson, Alexander Payne), while older pros continued to make great movies (Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg).
Looking back at the decade it’s easy to see there were fantastic movies made. Many of which will live long in the memory… [See the top 50 HERE]
See my top 50 films of the 2000s - HERE
Galaxy Quest better than Some Like It Hot June 11, 2010
Posted by Daniel Stephens in : Uncategorized , 3 comments…I don’t think so, but over at Anomalous Material, it seems the sci-fi is better than Wilder’s masterpiece. In a last effort to get Some LIke It Hot some votes I’m coming to the Film Journal community to ask you to head on over to the voting page and cast your vote: http://www.anomalousmaterial.com/movies/2010/06/greatest-comedy-tournament-first-round-day-3/
The Greatest Comedy Film tournament is putting 128 candidates up against each other in a tournament style knock-out. So far there have been no upsets. But Some Like It Hot going out to Galaxy Quest would certainly be that upset. Yes, I’m a fan of Galaxy Quest but it doesn’t hold a candle to SLIH.
Either way - the tournament is a lot of fun so vote for whoever you want…but if there are some SLIH fans who haven’t voted…get into that voting booth quick before voting ends tomorrow.