December was certainly a much better month for me than the last few have been. A bit more stability in my own life came about, as well as a greater desire to engage with movies that I haven't felt in some time. Keeping to that topic though, I watched a total of 16 movies I hadn't seen before. I enjoyed all of them, though some of them were undoubtedly better than others. Not great, but still a fine end to a year that's held many challenges.
1. Little Shop Of Horrors (1986) - 8/10
An odd movie, but a very enjoyable one. Little Shop Of
Horrors is an equally good musical as it is a dark comedy. A mixture of genres
brought to the screen wonderfully by Frank Oz. It’s inspired me to check out
the earlier 1960 film at some point. Credits to a proven range in Rick Moranis' abilities and ageless practical effects.
2. Mulan (1998) - 8/10
Perhaps not as recognizable as Disney Renaissance greats like
The Lion King or The Little Mermaid, Mulan is an exemplary film that merges
cultural ideas of Ancient China with our own modern belief systems.
3. March of the Penguins (2005) - 8/10
Every year, Emperor Penguins march single file to their icy
breeding grounds and face a great battle against nature with only their
instincts as their weapons, in order to have young. A compelling documentary
that has a very visual approach to revealing information and a great ability at
humanizing the penguins. It also wouldn’t be half as dramatic if it weren’t for
the touching musical score and Morgan Freeman’s warm and inviting narration.
4. Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) - 7.5/10
A teenaged witch leaves home as part of a tradition of
mandatory independence for a year, while contending with the difficulties of
her new life by opening up her own air courier service. A very personal
journey, Kiki’s Delivery Service offers Miyazaki’s always brilliant animation
and merges a relatable coming-of-age tale with familiar fantasy. Rather than
rely on something more grand, drama is really the result of what’s going on in
Kiki’s mind.
5. Five Graves To Cairo (1943) - 7/10
A British soldier takes refuge in a desert hotel that’s just
become HQ for German Field Marshal Rommel, and uncovers a secret plan that will
guarantee success for the Axis. Can he get the message through to the Allies?
One of lesser known films by director Billy Wilder. “Five Graves To Cairo”
takes a clear pro-British approach at the time of the North Africa campaign and
paints a portrait of Erwin Rommel as a man who commanded as much respect as he
did fear. However, exploration of the protagonists and drama between them
becomes somewhat undermined.
6. The Toxic Avenger (1984) - 7.5/10
After falling into toxic waste, a nerdy cleaner turns into a
horribly disfigured, but well meaning superhero that becomes a saviour to the
town of Tromaville. Campy and very low budget, this film celebrates the wonders
of independent filmmaking. It never takes itself seriously, is a fun experience
to watch, and it really just doesn’t care how good or bad it truly is. Terrible
acting, effects, cinematography and writing are all excusable here, but some of
the humour is quite distasteful.
7. Ponyo (2008) - 7/10
The goldfish child of an ocean wizard forms a special bond
with a 5 year old boy and longs to become human, but the use of such sorcery
causes a great imbalance in nature. While it does come off as a reimagining of
Disney’s “The Little Mermaid”, this more recent Miyazaki film has plenty of
originality and an almost first-person vibe due to the roles of Ponyo and
Sosuke. It does however fall short of including more adult ideas and might be a
bit too innocent.
8. Return to Oz (1985) - 7.5/10
Dorothy, suffering from sleep problems following her first
adventure, escapes from a hospital and finds herself back in Oz. She discovers
that everything great about Oz has been destroyed by an evil magician called
the Nome King and she sets out to restore it. Made almost 50 years after the
original, “Return to Oz” is a fun fantasy film, but a bizarre sequel to the
1939 classic due to numerous stylistic and writing choices that have led to an
astonishingly dark family film. An interesting experience that stands out from
the original.
9. The Lost World (1925) - 6.5/10
A scientist under fire from the British Press organizes an
expedition to uncharted forests of South America to prove the existence of
dinosaurs in the 20th century. Though it wouldn’t be received as well today due
to its melodrama and neglect of scientific knowledge even by 1925, “The Lost
World” is film hard to not appreciate and enjoy due to its revolutionary
stop-motion effects, iconic scenes and arguably the most needlessly mean
chimpanzee ever depicted in a movie.
10. Wolf Creek 2 (2013) - 8/10
The Australian outback once again turns from tranquil to
horrifying as a another group of tourists fall victim to a psychotic bushman named Mick Taylor. The sequel to the
much-loved Aussie horror film, “Wolf Creek” lacks some of the subtle sinister
vibes that make up the first movie, but nevertheless is effective due to a
greater exploration of the Mick Taylor character, numerous nods to other horror
movies and occasional dark humour playing on Australian folklore.
11. All Is Lost (2013) - 8.5/10
An unnamed sailor on a solo voyage in the Indian Ocean wakes
up to find his ship damaged by a collision with a shipping container, and then
desperately struggles to survive nature’s wrath. With almost no dialogue
whatsoever, “All Is Lost” is a survival film that demonstrates Robert Redford’s
amazing talent at commanding the screen. The unpredictability of everything
immerses you the story in a near-first-person sense and makes you feel the
anguish of Our Man.
12. Fast & Furious (2009) - 7/10
Dominic Toretto and Brian O’Connor reunite and find
themselves having to put their past behind them in order to bring down a heroin
trafficker and seek revenge for the death of Dom’s girlfriend. The
inappropriately named fourth film in the franchise doesn’t offer anything
particularly new. It plays it safe by sticking to Hollywood rules, though is a
generally exciting movie that lays out the foundation for a potentially great
future for this series. This is something much needed after the abysmal “The
Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift”.
13. Slacker (1991) - 7/10
Set over the course of a day in Austin, Texas, the lives of
several unrelated misfits and oddballs are briefly caught as the camera moves
around seamlessly. “Slacker” does not conform to storytelling norms of most
movies due to its lack of any real development on a central plot or character.
Rather it’s more an experimental piece that emphasizes the writing talents of
director Richard Linklater that let’s you see the many things that may have
been going through his mind as he wrote the screenplay. His greater filmmaking
habits of the future can be seen in their infancy in this film.
14. Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) - 6/10
Dr Evil and Mini-Me team up with the evil villain Goldmember
and kidnap Austin’s father in a drastic time-travel scheme to take over the
world. The third Austin Powers film proves moderately entertaining albeit
suffers from evident exhaustion. Jokes have become repetitive and increasingly
childish, and the story feels a bit misguided due to an overuse of gags. It
does however have the same heart, and something new in Michael Caine as
Austin’s father.
15. Bringing Out The Dead (1999) - 8.5/10
Frank Pierce, an overworked paramedic in the poorer side of
New York struggles to hang on to his own sanity when dealing with a series of
work-related dramas and the deaths of patients he failed to save. The 1999
Scorsese flick features many themes commonly found in other Paul Schrader
screenplays. It’s darkly comedic, depressing and wildly insane all in one
chaotically compelling film. Though perhaps not the best choice, Nicolas Cage
presents the extremes of both sides of his acting ability.
16. The Big Bird Cage (1972) - 6/10
A revolutionary finds herself trapped in a concentration
camp specifically for women and suffers torment and forced labour by the
administrators whilst her allies try to bust her out. As an exploitation movie,
all hopes of an intelligent film criticizing the Marcos regime in the
Phillipines should be put aside. It relies heavily on the sexualization of the
female cast, but at the same time also empowers the characters. The biggest
joys come from a wild climax that probably took up most of the budget, the
silliness of its villains and the star power of cult figures Pam Grier and Sid
Haig.
My Top 10 Rankings:
1. Bringing Out The Dead
2. All Is Lost
3. Wolf Creek 2
4. Little Shop Of Horrors
5. March of the Penguins
6. Mulan
7. Kiki's Delivery Service
8. Return To Oz
9. The Toxic Avenger
10. Fast & Furious
Happy New Year from The Cinematic Domain!
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