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

The List Hero Loves... French Cinema

J'adore le cinéma français and here are dix (10) of mes films préférés.

#10  I've Loved You So Long (2008)

Il y a longtemps que je t'aime

A woman struggles to interact with her family and find her place in society after spending fifteen years in prison.

BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language

Imdb Rating:  7.6

#9  Mesrine:  Killer Instinct (2008)

L'instinct de mort

The story of french gangster Jacques Mesrine, before he was called Public Enemy N°1.

César Awards:  Best Actor (Vincent Cassel) and Best Director (Jean-François Richet)

Imdb Rating:  7.6

#8  Untouchable  (2011)

Intouchables

After he becomes a quadriplegic from a paragliding accident, an aristocrat hires a young man from the projects to be his caretaker.

Satellite Award:  Best Foreign Language Film

Imdb Rating:  8.6

#7  Blue is the Warmest Colour  (2013)

La vie d'Adèle - Chapitres 1 et 2

Adele's life is changed when she meets Emma, a young woman with blue hair, who will allow her to discover desire, to assert herself as a woman and as an adult. In front of others, Adele grows, seeks herself, loses herself and ultimately finds herself through love and loss.

Cannes Film Festival:  Palme d'Or Winner

Imdb Rating:  8.0

#6  The Dinner Game  (1998)

Le dîner de cons

Each week, Pierre and his friends organize what is called as "un dîner de cons". Everyone brings the dumbest guy he could find as a guest.

César Awards:  Best Screenplay 

Imdb Rating:  7.7

#5  La Vie en Rose  (2007)

The life story of singer Edith Piaf.  This was the first time I'd come across the amazing Marion Cotillard, who stars as the protagonist, and I instantly fell in love...

The Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role

The Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture

The César Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role

The BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role

Imdb Rating:  7.7

#4  Amélie  (2001)

Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain

Amelie, an innocent and naive girl in Paris, with her own sense of justice, decides to help those around her and along the way, discovers love.

César Awards:   Best Film, Best Director, Best Music and Best Production Design. 

Imdb Rating:  8.5

#3  The Closet  (2001)

Le Placard

A man spreads the rumor of his fake homosexuality with the aid of his neighbor, to prevent his imminent firing at his work.

Shanghai International Film Festival:  Best Actor (Daniel Auteuil)

Imdb Rating:  7.1

#2  A Prophet  (2009)

Un prophète

A young Arab man is sent to a French prison where racial tensions begin.

BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language

Imdb Rating:  7.9

#1  Delicatessen  (1991)

Delicatessen is a weird post-apocalyptic surrealist black comedy about the landlord of an apartment building who occasionally prepares an interesting delicacy for his strange tenants.  I don't expect you to like it... and that's why I love it.

César Awards:   Best Editing, Best Film Work, Best Production Design and Best Writing.

Imdb Rating:  7.8

List Hero Recommends: 14 Foreign Language Films

#1 Delicatessen

1991

French

Directors: Marc Caro & Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Imdb Rating: 7.8

#2 City of God

2002

Brazilian

Directors: Fernando Meirelles & Kátia Lund

Imdb Rating: 8.7

#3 The Skin I Live In

2011

Spanish

Director: Pedro Almodovar

Imdb Rating: 7.6

#4 The Secret in Their Eyes

2009

Argentine

Director: Juan José Campanella

Imdb Rating: 8.3

#5 The Hunt

2012

Danish

Director:  Thomas Vinterberg

Imdb Rating: 8.3

#6 Oldboy

2003

South Korean

Director:  Chan-Wook Park

Imdb Rating: 8.4

#7 Dogtooth

2009

Greek

Director:  Giorgos Lanthimos

Imdb Rating: 7.2


#8 Pan's Labyrinth

2006

Spanish

Director:  Guillermo Del Toro

Imdb Rating: 8.3

#9 A Prophet

2009

French

Director:  Jacques Audiard

Imdb Rating: 7.9

#10 The Lives of Others

2006

German

Director:  Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

Imdb Rating: 8.5

#11 The Closet

2001

French

Director:  Francis Veber

Imdb Rating: 7.1

#12 House of Flying Daggers

2004

Chinese

Director:  Yimou Zhang

Imdb Rating: 7.6

#13 Amelie

2001

French

Director:  Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Imdb Rating: 8.5

#14 The Devil's Backbone

2001

Spanish

Director:  Guillermo Del Toro

Imdb Rating: 7.5

Forget Hollywood, Inside No.9 is utterly harrowing.

After watching a trashcan full of Hollywood horror movies, one could be forgiven for completely giving up on the genre.  The Conjuring, Mama, Insidious and not forgetting those horrendously dull Para-boring Activity films have been recent viewings.  Predictable, ridiculous, tedious.

Yet, just as all seems lost within the world of spooks and scares, there is a candle-light of hope flickering in the black.  The BBC's new series, Inside No.9, written by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith (The League of Gentlemen, Psychoville), ended last night with a finale that was far too terrifying to watch before bedtime.  While the first five episodes contained an outstanding under-current of humour with sprinklings of darkness, the final chapter was more a case of darkness with a dash of humour; ending a series that has been a momentous return to form for the League of Gentlemen duo.

Last night's installment, entitled The Harrowing, certainly lived up to its name.  It began with a teenage schoolgirl named Katy, wonderfully portrayed by Welsh actress Aimee-Ffion Edwards.  She has been hired to take care of Hector and Tabitha's mansion for the evening.  The gloomy, gothic house is always kept at -3°C for Tabitha's unseen disabled brother, Andras, who lives upstairs and is said to not have a mouth; instead, keeping a bell, which he never uses, beside his bed. Katy is told not to go to the upstairs floor where his room is.

The fear doesn't hit you immediately.  Hector and Tabitha are quite simply horror movie caricatures.  The dark, dusty mansion is filled with (obvious) distressing paintings.  And sooner or later, you know that the aforementioned bell is going to ring.  It all just seems too predictable.  However, what makes The Harrowing such a downright horror success is what happens once that bell rings.  You, quite simply, will not see it coming!  When you hear it tinkle, you begin the ride towards the inferno; ending the episode (and the series), in spectacularly frightening fashion.  The word "mischief" will haunt you for the next few days!  It's utterly brilliant.

With Shearsmith and Pemberton having fully earned their horror stripes, many fans eagerly anticipate a feature-length terror-fest for the big screen.  And, if recent viewings have anything to go by, Hollywood could learn a lot from two of Britain's brightest writing talents.

The Golden Tippy (2010-2013)

The Golden Tippy is awarded for achievement in a feature-length comedy film.  That sounds posh doesn't it?  Basically, films I found funny.  Previous winners include Funny People (2009), Burn After Reading (2008), Hot Fuzz (2007), Little Miss Sunshine (2006), Thank You For Smoking (2005), Sideways (2004), School of Rock (2003), Catch Me If You Can (2002), Shallow Hal (2001) and Me, Myself & Irene (2000). The award is named after my hilarious cat, Tippy.

2013

The Way Way Back

Runners Up:

- Despicable Me 2

- Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa 

- 2 Guns

- We're The Millers

2012

Ted

Runners Up:

- Django Unchained

- Wreck-It Ralph

- Seven Psychopaths

- The Dictator

2011

Crazy, Stupid, Love

Runners Up:

- Puss In Boots

- The Inbetweeners

- Bridesmaids

- Horrible Bosses

2010

Cemetery Junction

Runners Up:

- Scott Pilgrim vs The World

- Get Him To The Greek

- The Other Guys

- Cyrus

The List Hero View: The Oscars

In case you haven't heard, the Oscars were held last night.  Ellen DeGeneres took a selfie that contained a celebrity net worth of over a billion dollars; a photo that was so popular, apparently, that it caused a Twitter meltdown.  Leonardo Di Caprio, yet again, had to put on a fake smile as somebody waltzed away with his Academy Award.  And Steve McQueen was robbed of becoming the first black director to win the top directing award.

So, here are the results, and whether or not I agreed....

Best Picture • 12 Years a Slave
Do I agree?  Yes.  Among a selection of great films, this was certainly a worthy winner.

Best Actor in a Leading Role • Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)
Do I agree?  Yes.  Sorry Mr Di Carpio but this was the performance of a lifetime.

Best Actress in a Leading Role • Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)
Do I agree?  Yes.  To be honest, nobody else came close.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role • Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)
Do I agree?  Yes.  This was easily the strongest acting category, with solid performances from Jonah Hill in The Wolf of Wall Street, Michael Fassbender in 12 Years a Slave and Somalia's Burkhad Abdi in Captain Phillips. However, Leto's performance alongside Michael McConaughey as an aids-riddled transvestite is truly exceptional.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role • Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave)
Do I agree?  Probably.  Despite an outstanding performance in the year's best film, Jennifer Lawrence's performance in American Hustle went some way towards carrying that particular film and was my personal favourite.  However, it can't be denied that Nyong'o is excellent in 12 Years.

Best Animated Feature • Frozen (Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee, Peter Del Vecho)
Do I agree?  Absolutely not.  Hated this movie from start to finish.  Anything else would have been preferable, especially the Academy-snubbed Monster University.

Best Cinematography • Gravity (Emmanuel Lubezki)
Do I agree?  Nope.  12 Years a Slave was the most beautiful film of 2013.

Best Costume Design • The Great Gatsby (Catherine Martin)
Do I agree?  No.  American Hustle did a fantastic job of transporting audiences back to the 70s and should have grabbed this award.

Best Directing • Gravity (Alfonso Cuarón)
Do I agree?  No.  Despite its admirable technical achievements, I cannot support a film that is so utterly boring.  Steve McQueen should have picked up the award, or Martin Scorsese (but I'm always biased towards Scorsese).

Best Foreign Language Film • The Great Beauty (Italy)
Do I agree?  No.  I could not get on with this film at all.  For me, it had to be Denmark's The Hunt.

Best Makeup and Hairstyling • Dallas Buyers Club (Adruitha Lee, Robin Mathews)
Do I agree?  Yes.  Although many would have wanted American Hustle (which, bizarrely, wasn't even nominated) to win, the detail on Jared Leto's make-up is outstanding, especially as the character falls deeper into the clutches of the Aids virus.

Best Original Song • Let It Go - Frozen
Do I agree?  No.  Cheese-on-toast.

Best Visual Effects • Gravity (Tim Webber, Chris Lawrence, Dave Shirk, Neil Corbould)
Do I agree?  Yes.  Obviously.