The allure of the single location movie December 17, 2009
Posted by Daniel Stephens in : Top 10s , 1 comment so farFilms set in a single location (or predominantly in a single location) have always fascinated me. Perhaps it’s their theatre roots, as many single-location films derive from the work of playwrights. The consequence of that is strong characterisation, an emphasis on good acting, and tight control of plot that usually takes place over a few hours.
Another reason I am a fan of single location (and indeed single day films or those set over a short prescribed period of time) derives from my distaste for the sprawling epic and biopic. “Lawrence of Arabia” is one of the best films ever made, and “Forrest Gump” is a 1990s masterpiece, but largely, films that stretch themselves thinly across years and decades don’t appeal to me. Conversely, the snippets of characters lives in various settings hung on a plot that lacks central focus is what single location films avoid. At least the good ones do.
I’m not totally adverse to a good three-hour jaunt but put me in room with ten average epics and ten passable single-location films and the rambling story would be cast out in favour of the tightly plotted. That’s not to say films based predominantly in a single place aren’t long, rambling or indeed thinly plotted as Andy Warhol managed several times, most convincingly in his 1963 film “Sleep”. But the best display the talents of their scribes, a keen eye for authentic dialogue that works to bolster depth of character and provide momentum to the story. They also show the best of their directors – an ability to maintain pace and drama with limited manoeuvrability (there’s no easy cut to a car chase to get the audience’s attention), to get the most powerful performance possible from their actors, and the use of constricted space. [Read More]
See the Top 10 Single Location Films HERE
Top 10 Clint Eastwood Films December 12, 2009
Posted by Daniel Stephens in : Top 10s , add a commentClint Eastwood may be to many casual filmgoers the gun-toting authoritarian Harry Callahan from the “Dirty Harry” movies, or perhaps the man with no name from Sergio Leone’s spaghetti westerns, or more recently Frankie Dunn in “Million Dollar Baby. He’s an iconic Hollywood figure who has embodied some of the world’s most recognisable characters in many of the most prominent films of the last fifty years. But he’s also as accomplished behind the camera as he is in front of it, directing such classics as “Play Misty For Me”, “The Outlaw Josey Wales”, “Unforgiven”, and the critically acclaimed recent hits “Million Dollar Baby” (which won two Academy Awards including one for Best Director) and “Gran Torino”. The multitalented star has also composed several of his own film scores, providing the music for “Mystic River” and “Changeling”, while also recording original piano compositions for “In The Line of Fire”.
Film critic Mike Sutton takes us through Clint’s greatest films both in front of and behind the camera. CLICK HERE
The alternative Christmas film guide December 7, 2009
Posted by Daniel Stephens in : Top 10s , 1 comment so farWhimsical, feel-good festive fun. Sing-a-long musicals and family entertainment. Bumbling cartoon characters, flying reindeer, talking animals, elves making toys, angels getting wings, they are all part of the Christmas movie. But there’s another side to a Christmas sat in front of the telly. The Dark Side. Pitch black film noir, offbeat comedy, sadistic horror. Killer snowmen, drunk Santa’s, capitalist in-fighting, sex fetishes and rampant orgies, terrorists, lunatics, Christmas tree robbers, murderers hiding in the attic, marriage breakdowns and the curse of the mother-in-law. No songs in sight, no talking animals (do Gremlins count?), and maybe no happy ending. There is another way to enjoy the holidays. This is the top 10 alternative Christmas films list.
Visit Top10Films.co.uk HERE to see the alternative Christmas film guide