Film Viewing 2018 (Part 4)
As I watch so many films on blu-ray, DVD and at the cinema each year, this year I've decided to chronicle me viewing habits here on my blog and share some of the films I'm rediscovering after many years, rewatching because I love them, or experiencing them for the first time.
Che (2008)
At 266 minutes (nearly 4 & a half hours) Che is the longest film I've watched so far this year, it also happens to be one of the BEST films I've ever seen.
Split into two parts over two discs, director Steven Soderberg's preferred presentation of the film is in a roadshow format (Part One, Intermission, Part Two) and this is exactly how I watched.
Part One details the life of Argentine Marxist revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara from his meeting with Fidel Castro in 1955 and the joining of the July 26th Movement to the famous Battle of Santa Clara and the victory of the Cuban Revolution.
Part Two shifts to a darker, more tragic tone as we take up Che's story in 1966 as he travels to Bolivia in an attempt to export the revolution to other South American countries.
I'm hoping that the roadshow edition of the film will play at a cinema near me in the very near future as I'd love to watch the full 4 & a half hour film on the big screen.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
Another of my all-time favourite films and Jack Nicholson's greatest performance on film.
I first saw this film on VHS back in 1990. One of my two best friends at the time had a copy and the three of us spent the afternoon around his gaff with the curtains closed against the sun and this film in the video player.
This time I introduced my wife to the film and she loved it too.
The Void (2016)
Bit of an odd one this as I'm only including my favourite viewings in these blogs and I was a little disappointed by this low-budget indie horror film. I had very high expectations when I popped the disc into the player and sat down to watch it.
However...
I was very impressed by it's ideas, it's execution and the special effects which were all practical (no CGI here) and all created on a small budget.
But, most importantly, it was DIFFERENT. It was ORIGINAL. And it had the BALLS. It was a film confident enough to push the gore and nastiness content and not be afraid of an 18 certificate (or a hard R rating in the U.S)
I feel the film should be applauded for not being another of those safe 15 certificate *yawn* supernatural found footage haunted doll spooky child bore-fests that Hollywood currently churns out that are written and directed by people who don't understand the horror genre - all of them of the 'Silence. Silence. Silence. Silence. BOO!' mentality which are just tedious beyond belief.
The Void feels like old-school 1980s horror - John Carpenter meets H.P. Lovecraft meets Hellraiser. And for that reason it's worth a watch!
That's why it's included on this blog.
The Hunt for Red October (1990)
Back in the 1980s Sean Connery was one of my favourite actors. Not only was he James Bond, but he starred or guest starred in some of my favourite films: The Man Who Would Be King, The Offence, Outland, Time Bandits, Highlander, The Name of the Rose, The Untouchables...the list was almost endless.
Bond films aside (they're in a league of their own) The Hunt for Red October holds the distinction of not only being Connery's second best film after The Man Who Would Be King, but also Connery's last good film.
With two possible exceptions (Rising Sun and The Russia House) it's all down hill after this film.
Real stinkers too - First Knight, Highlander II, The Avengers, Entrapment, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves...do I need to go on?
Thankfully this Tom Clancy adaptation is still an absolute gem!!
Rain Main (1988)
Here's a quick Harrison Fact: back in the late 80s when this came out it was my Number 1 favourite film.
I adored it so much I even managed to talk my way into being allowed to go to the cinema with one of the English classes at my school who were viewing it for their course work.
A lot has been said about Dustin Hoffman's spellbinding performance as the autistic savant Raymond Babbit, but I've always thought that this was Tom Cruise's best performance of his career so far. This was back when Cruise was still an actor rather than a MOVIE STAR.
Thankfully it's still a truly wonderful film. I still give it 10 out of 10.
WarGames (1983)
Shall. We. Play. A. Game?
That computer voice still sends chills down my spine.
I'm sure my relationship with this film is exactly the same as most people who are reading this blog - seen time and time again during the 1980s on Sunday afternoon / Bank Holiday afternoons.
It's still a great little film. Still funny. Still exciting. Still very frightening.
Che (2008)
At 266 minutes (nearly 4 & a half hours) Che is the longest film I've watched so far this year, it also happens to be one of the BEST films I've ever seen.
Split into two parts over two discs, director Steven Soderberg's preferred presentation of the film is in a roadshow format (Part One, Intermission, Part Two) and this is exactly how I watched.
Part One details the life of Argentine Marxist revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara from his meeting with Fidel Castro in 1955 and the joining of the July 26th Movement to the famous Battle of Santa Clara and the victory of the Cuban Revolution.
Part Two shifts to a darker, more tragic tone as we take up Che's story in 1966 as he travels to Bolivia in an attempt to export the revolution to other South American countries.
I'm hoping that the roadshow edition of the film will play at a cinema near me in the very near future as I'd love to watch the full 4 & a half hour film on the big screen.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
Another of my all-time favourite films and Jack Nicholson's greatest performance on film.
I first saw this film on VHS back in 1990. One of my two best friends at the time had a copy and the three of us spent the afternoon around his gaff with the curtains closed against the sun and this film in the video player.
This time I introduced my wife to the film and she loved it too.
The Void (2016)
Bit of an odd one this as I'm only including my favourite viewings in these blogs and I was a little disappointed by this low-budget indie horror film. I had very high expectations when I popped the disc into the player and sat down to watch it.
However...
I was very impressed by it's ideas, it's execution and the special effects which were all practical (no CGI here) and all created on a small budget.
But, most importantly, it was DIFFERENT. It was ORIGINAL. And it had the BALLS. It was a film confident enough to push the gore and nastiness content and not be afraid of an 18 certificate (or a hard R rating in the U.S)
I feel the film should be applauded for not being another of those safe 15 certificate *yawn* supernatural found footage haunted doll spooky child bore-fests that Hollywood currently churns out that are written and directed by people who don't understand the horror genre - all of them of the 'Silence. Silence. Silence. Silence. BOO!' mentality which are just tedious beyond belief.
The Void feels like old-school 1980s horror - John Carpenter meets H.P. Lovecraft meets Hellraiser. And for that reason it's worth a watch!
That's why it's included on this blog.
The Hunt for Red October (1990)
Back in the 1980s Sean Connery was one of my favourite actors. Not only was he James Bond, but he starred or guest starred in some of my favourite films: The Man Who Would Be King, The Offence, Outland, Time Bandits, Highlander, The Name of the Rose, The Untouchables...the list was almost endless.
Bond films aside (they're in a league of their own) The Hunt for Red October holds the distinction of not only being Connery's second best film after The Man Who Would Be King, but also Connery's last good film.
With two possible exceptions (Rising Sun and The Russia House) it's all down hill after this film.
Real stinkers too - First Knight, Highlander II, The Avengers, Entrapment, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves...do I need to go on?
Thankfully this Tom Clancy adaptation is still an absolute gem!!
Rain Main (1988)
Here's a quick Harrison Fact: back in the late 80s when this came out it was my Number 1 favourite film.
I adored it so much I even managed to talk my way into being allowed to go to the cinema with one of the English classes at my school who were viewing it for their course work.
A lot has been said about Dustin Hoffman's spellbinding performance as the autistic savant Raymond Babbit, but I've always thought that this was Tom Cruise's best performance of his career so far. This was back when Cruise was still an actor rather than a MOVIE STAR.
Thankfully it's still a truly wonderful film. I still give it 10 out of 10.
WarGames (1983)
Shall. We. Play. A. Game?
That computer voice still sends chills down my spine.
I'm sure my relationship with this film is exactly the same as most people who are reading this blog - seen time and time again during the 1980s on Sunday afternoon / Bank Holiday afternoons.
It's still a great little film. Still funny. Still exciting. Still very frightening.
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