Ten Horrors (with trailers): List Hero's Halloween

10  /  Let the Right One in  /  2008

9  /  The Strangers  /  2008

8  /  The Shining  /  1980

7  /  The Skin I Live In  /  2012

6  /  Saw  /  2004

5  /  The Exorcist  /  1973

4  /  Pan's Labyrinth  /  2006

3  /  The Wicker Man  /  1973

   

2  /  The Devil's Backbone  /  2001

1  /  Psycho  /  1960

RIP Robin Williams: List Hero's Top 10

As a tribute to the amazing hairy-armed Robin Williams, who gave laughs to grown-ups and children alike as well as providing some of the most wonderful acting ever seen on screen, here are my ten favourite Robin Williams flicks.

10 / Insomnia  /  2002

In Christopher Nolan's thriller, two Los Angeles homicide detectives (Al Pacino and Hilary Swank) are dispatched to a northern town where the sun doesn't set to investigate the methodical murder of a local teen.  In a rare twist for Williams, he plays the killer.

9  /  Dead Poets Society  /  1989

In this critically-acclaimed, Oscar-nominated affair, Williams plays English teacher John Keating who attempts to inspire his students to a love of poetry and to seize the day.  

8  /  Jack  /  1996

Jack is a fairly forgotten movie nowadays; it seems amazing to think that this was directed by Francis Ford Coppola (director of The Godfather & Apocalypse Now).  However, I have to admit that this had me in tears when I first saw it. Due to an unusual aging disorder that has aged him four times faster than a normal human being, Jack (Robin Williams) enters the fifth grade for the first time with the appearance of a 40 year old man.

7  /  Mrs Doubtfire  /  1993

A childhood classic!  After a bitter divorce, an actor - played by Williams - disguises himself as a female housekeeper, Mrs Doubtfire, in order to spend time with his children held in custody by his former wife.

6  /  Awakenings  /  1990

Here Williams plays Dr Malcolm Sayer, who is treating the victims of an encephalitis epidemic many years ago that have been catatonic ever since.  However, now a new drug offers the prospect of reviving them.  The film features stunning performances from both Williams and Robert De Niro.

5  /  Hook  /  1991

Another childhood classic!  When Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman) kidnaps his children, an adult Peter Pan (Robin Williams) must return to Neverland and reclaim his youthful spirit in order to challenge his old enemy.

4  /  Good Will Hunting  /  1997

Will Hunting (Matt Damon), a janitor at M.I.T., has a gift for mathematics, but needs help from a psychologist (Williams) to find direction in his life.  This Oscar-nominated movie was written by Damon and Ben Affleck, directed by Gus Van Sant.

3  /  Jumanji  /  1995

Yet another childhood classic!  When two kids find and play a magical board game, they release a man, Alan Parrish (Williams), trapped for decades in it and a host of dangers that can only be stopped by finishing the game.

2  /  Aladdin  /  1992

In this Disney classic, Williams goes into a league of his own with his voice-over work as the Genie.

1  /  One Hour Photo  /  2002

In my favourite Robin Williams movie, he plays the creepy employee of a one-hour photo lab who becomes obsessed with a young suburban family.  Superb stuff.

Foreign Film Apocalypse: Who Would You Save?

The aliens have arrived!  They've decided that they want all of our foreign language films (they can't bare English) and we're never allowed to see them again!  However, these aliens aren't so harsh; they've said, in their own alien language, that we can keep the cinema of four countries.  

So, which countries' cinematic history would you save?

Here are my picks...

#1  France

While French cuisine doesn't entice me and I'm not over-enamoured by vin français, I have happily feasted on French cinema over the last 10 years.  Whether its the likability of great actors such as Gerard Depardieu or Daniel Autueil, the beauty of stars like Marion Cotillard (above, as Edith Piaf in Le Vie En Rose), Audrey Tautou and Juliette Binoche, the quirkiness of a Jean-Pierre Jeunet flick, or the pure grittiness of movies such as La Haine or A Prophet... there are so many great movies from over the Channel that the French would certainly be top of my list.  The French also had a recent win at the Oscars with Best Foreign Language Film being awarded to 2012's Amour.

To see my Top Ten French Movies, CLICK HERE.

#2  Spain

Spain has supplied some of my favourite movies, including those made by Mexican director, Guillermo Del Toro, such as Pan's Labyrinth and The Devil's Backbone.  Similarly, Spain's most famous director is probably Pedro Almodovar, who was responsible for the amazingly dark The Skin I Live In (above), and his film All About My Mother was 1999's Best Foreign Language Film according to the Academy Awards.  The last Spanish movie to pick up the aforementioned gong was The Sea Inside, which starred Javier Bardem, who (along with Antonio Banderas and Penelope Cruz) has gone on to great success in Hollywood.

#3  Argentina

In my experience, the Argentines are consistently good film makers.  Check out The Motorcycle Diaries, Bombon El Perro (above) or The Secret in Their Eyes, which won 2009's Academy Award for Best Foreign Lanaguage Film, and I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

#4  Denmark

If you like your movies with a kiss of darkness, which I do, Denmark appears to be the place to find it.  Check out Festen (above) or The Hunt, which was nominated for 2013's Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars, and you'll see what I mean. 

BFG (Big Film Go-Ahead)

Steven Spielberg has confirmed that he is going to direct the imminent adaptation of Roald Dahl's The BFG, which is fantastic news... or is it?

Many may be overjoyed that a book, with such popularity among children (and adults alike), is in capable cinematic hands.  This will be the classic book's second adaption; the first being an animated version in 1989, and, while some may be pleased about Spielberg's involvement, it actually seems almost as long since the director of E.T. had that special, golden touch.  You are obviously entitled to argue that I am in no place to sit here and criticise an outstanding director such as Steven Spielberg.  However, let's take a look at five of Spielberg's latest movies as a director.

Lincoln  (2012).  Maybe it's because I'm not American but the movie's grey tone and slow dialogue bored me to an early night.

War Horse  (2011).  An adaptation of Michael Morpurgo's book that should have made me cry but somehow Mr Spielberg failed to pull the emotional heartstrings.

The Adverntures of Tintin  (2011).  Great animation and a superb vocal cast failed to engage me with this adaption of Hergé's comics.  Quite frankly, the plot baffled me; there were chases but I'm not entirely sure what they were chasing. 

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008).  A pointless addition to the Indiana Jones series that was extremely disappointing, especially when you consider that it took almost 20 years to conceptualise.  

War of the Worlds (2005).  A terrible adaptation of HG Wells' classic novel; a flawed script and disappointing aliens.

While this selection of Spielberg flicks may have been both commercially successful and picked up awards, they do not inspire huge confidence in me that his 2016 adaptation of The BFG will be anything other than a cash cow.  The BFG deserves love and care and I hope that Mr Dahl's magical tale may prove to be the catalyst that inspires Mr Spielberg to return to the once untouchable director of ET or Jaws.

Thus, not wanting to appear utterly pessimistic, here's are The List Hero's Favourite Steven Spielberg Movies.

List Hero's TV Highlights of 2014 - January to March

#1  Line of Duty

BBC2

12th February - 19th March

The last couple of months have seen a number of British police dramas from both the BBC and ITV running alongside each other.  Line of Duty, which explores the corruption with the police force, quite simply puts the others to shame.  Slick production, top quality acting - from a cast featuring the outstanding Keeley Hawes, Martin Compston, Vicky McClure (above), Mark Bonnar and Adrian Dunbar - as well as a plot that keeps you guessing until the very end, means that Line of Duty has been head and shoulders above its competitors.  

#2  The Widower

ITV1

17th March - 31st March

An excellent three-part ITV drama that told the true story of Malcolm Webster, who murdered his first wife in Scotland in 1994 and then attempted to murder his second wife in New Zealand.  Both cases involved staged car crashes and were carried out for the life insurance money.  The show starred Reece Shearsmith, whose amazing performance must surely have staked an early claim for a BAFTA.

#3  Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle

BBC2

4th March - 5th April

Now in its third glorious series, comedian Stewart Lee smugly delivers half-an-hour of stand-up each week. There is little middle ground where Lee's concerned; marmite-esque, you either love him or hate him.  Like the first two series of Comedy Vehicle, this one blends chunks of low-lit stand-up with psychotherapy sessions supplied by always irreverent Chris Morris, who pre-empts Lee’s haters and giving an audibly sneering voice to their loathing in improvised "therapy" sequences.  In this series, Lee tackles issues such as satire, “the UKIPs”, and whether or not it is possible to have a context-free word.

#4  True Detective

Sky Atlantic

22nd February - 12th April

With the dream acting combination of Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson added to a fascinating murder mystery in the eerie setting of Louisiana's bayou region, True Detective has not been your average cop drama.  While the show may have been a little slow to get going and the finale wasn't quite as satisfactory as expected, True Detective certainly had some highlights through it's strange production and off-centre acting from McConaughey.

#5  Inside No.9

BBC2

5th February - 12th March

Six thirty-minute, independent playlets written by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith from the League of Gentlemen.  What more could you want?  Dark humour, humorous horror and some wonderful writing could be seen throughout the series.  The highlight of the series would have to be the third episode, named Tom & Gerri, which, in my opinion, is a televisual masterpiece.

The List Hero Loves... Steven Spielberg

Choosing six Steven Spielberg films was always going to be a difficult task as there are so many great ones.  Many may disagree with my choices and there are some huge films missing.  However, to me, these are the most special.  

Note:  This list is purely for movies directed by Steven Spielberg.

Jaws  (1975)

E.T.  The Extra Terrestrial  (1982)

Hook  (1991)

Jurassic Park  (1993)

Saving Private Ryan  (1998)

Catch Me If You Can  (2002)

Valhalla Rising (2009) - The List Hero Review

Just watched Valhalla Rising on the basis that:
a)  It was in Empire Magazine's Top 20 films of 2010.
b)  It stars Mads Mikkelsen from The Hunt (which I loved).
c)  It's about Vikings... and I (secretly) really like Vikings.

The movie is set in the year 1000 AD (take note: that's 1000 years after the supposed birth of Jesus) and focuses on One-Eye, an enslaved warrior with extreme strength who is forced to fight in contests for his master.  After the opening 10 minutes, it became clear that this wasn't going to be one of the most exciting 120 minutes one could spend.  Slow-paced and atmospheric, this is a film with very little dialogue.  Although One-Eye eventually frees himself from his captors, the film still doesn't pick up any speed, although their are a few moments of pure gore to enjoy.

Valhalla Rising may possibly be enjoyed by fans of Terrence Malick for it's beautiful scenic shots and atmospheric sound editing.  History buffs may find it interesting and fans of gore could get a few kicks.  However, those who want quick-paced production and meaty dialogue should look elsewhere.

Rating: 2 out of 5