Blind Spot Series 2018

Here we are, another year, and because I have enjoyed doing this so much, I am going to do another Blind Spot list for 2018 – you know, we all have those movies that we are forever intending to get to and just never do. Well, this challenge definitely helps narrow it down a bit 🙂 Over the years this series has encouraged me to check out some absolutely phenomenal movies (as well as some really bad ones), so I am excited to see what awaits me this year!

Rogue One (2016)

SYNOPSIS: The daughter of an Imperial scientist joins the Rebel Alliance in a risky move to steal the Death Star plans.  – via IMDB

Vertigo (1958)

SYNOPSIS: A San Francisco detective suffering from acrophobia investigates the strange activities of an old friend’s wife, all the while becoming dangerously obsessed with her. – via IMDB

Big (1988)

SYBOPSIS: After wishing to be made big, a teenage boy wakes the next morning to find himself mysteriously in the body of an adult. – via IMDB

The Goonies (1985)

SYNOPSIS: In order to save their home from foreclosure, a group of misfits set out to find a pirate’s ancient valuable treasure. – via IMDB

Before Sunrise (1995)

SYNOPSIS: A young man and woman meet on a train in Europe, and wind up spending one evening together in Vienna. Unfortunately, both know that this will probably be their only night together. – via IMDB

Eastern Promises (2007)

SYNOPSIS: A Russian teenager living in London who dies during childbirth leaves clues to a midwife in her journal that could tie her child to a rape involving a violent Russian mob family. – via IMDB

Sixteen Candles  (1984)

SYNOPSIS: A girl’s “sweet” sixteenth birthday becomes anything but special, as she suffers from every embarrassment possible. – via IMDB

Stranger Than Fiction (2006)

SYNOPSIS: An I.R.S. auditor suddenly finds himself the subject of narration only he can hear: narration that begins to affect his entire life, from his work, to his love-interest, to his death. – via IMDB

This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

SYNOPSIS: Spinal Tap, one of England’s loudest bands, is chronicled by film director Marty DiBergi on what proves to be a fateful tour. – via IMDB

Miracle of 34th Street (1947)

SYNOPSIS: When a nice old man who claims to be Santa Claus is institutionalized as insane, a young lawyer decides to defend him by arguing in court that he is the real thing. – via IMDB

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

SYNOPSIS: Ron Burgundy is San Diego’s top-rated newsman in the male-dominated broadcasting of the 1970s, but that’s all about to change for Ron and his cronies when an ambitious woman is hired as a new anchor. – via IMDB

Straight Outta Compton (2015)

SYNOPSIS: The group NWA emerges from the mean streets of Compton in Los Angeles, California, in the mid-1980s and revolutionizes Hip Hop culture with their music and tales about life in the hood. – via IMDB

July Blind Spot Review: Cronos (1993)

“You may continue the game. After all, you have the toy. But I’m keeping the instructions, and I’m open all night.”
– Angel de la Guargia

SYNOPSIS: A mysterious device designed to provide its owner with eternal life resurfaces after four hundred years, leaving a trail of destruction in its path. – via IMDB

Finally! I know it has been forever since I posted a Blind Spot review, but with the move and all that I just did not have the time, and had to get my hands on movies and get some time to blog and blah, blah, blah, but I finally have it. I have been really interested in seeing Cronos for some time as I really love Del Toro’s Spanish work.

I have never really read too much on this movie because I like to go in to watch things with as little knowledge as possible, so that it is a totally new experience for me. Definitely what I got here. For one, I was shocked that sections of it were in English, though the majority was Spanish. I also was not impressed with Ron Perlman, but that is just me. He irrationally annoys the crap out of me, and this was no exception.

The movie is shot well, and has the beginnings of that magical charm to it, but never realises it quite like The Devil’s Backbone or Pan’s Labyrinth. The dark fairytale teases but never fully comes to life. The storytelling is a bit uneven, too. We get the whole concept of life everlasting, then the Alchemist is dead, this antiques seller has the archangel statue that houses this “eternal life”, he mistakenly finds it and then is suddenly using it and the people searching for it immediately know he has it and… yes, I could go on, but it is all so messy and sudden.

The story I liked, but was a bit disappointed that ultimately it was all about vampirism, and the insect running the show was never explained. I wanted answers! Once I accepted that the life everlasting was vampirism, there was a lot to appreciate. I did enjoy the undertaker/makeup man, he provided some solid humour to the movie, and I also liked the fact that, while this is ultimately vampirism, it is different from what we are traditionally used to (the turning, for instance). The movie also has a darker tone to it, and weaves a few different themes throughout it to varying degrees of success.

Cronos is worth a watch, and it shows that Del Toro is gifted, I just felt that it was a little underwhelming, more like his English works (though still better than the rest) than his Spanish fantasies that I have come to love. I know a lot of people love this movie and think it is brilliant, and I am glad that I have watched it, but it is certainly not my favourite of his, but worth a watch.

Blind Spot Series 2016 Rankings

Gotta say, I picked some goodies for 2016! With the exception of my least favourite, of course. All the other movie scored pretty decently, and I don’t regret checking these out. 2016 is now officially done and dusted, and a new year means a new list, right? 😉

Man, did I have the worst internal struggle deciding on my number one film choice? I went back and forth for ages! Anyway, here’s the rankings for my 2016 Blind Spot film picks!

12. Oldboy (2003)

Ugh. Easily my least favourite pick. Unpopular opinion time: I actually quite liked the remake. I figured heck, everyone hating on the remake and loving the OG’s gotta mean something, right? Wrong. For me. This was nasty, took forever, and I was just not into it. I totally regret going down this road. Why did I do this to myself?!

11. Into the Wild (2007)

Another something with so much hype, something that I thought was okay, but quite a way off from fantastic. And it was long. Oh, so very, very long. I was also not the biggest fan of the characters, but it wasn’t a bad watch. I am glad I have seen it, but it didn’t move me as it did most people.

10. Swingers (1996)

Yeah, always heard I should check this out, and I thought it was okay. I really like a young Vince Vaugh, and Jon Favreau is also someone who I quite enjoy. Bringing them together? I sort of expected more. Not a bad movie, just not something that resonated with me at all, but not a waste of time, per se.

9. On The Waterfront (1954)

Well made, pretty well acted, a decent story, but it felt way too long. I sort of expected more mob, too. I have now seen this classic, and can’t argue against the tide that it is good, but certainly not a favourite of mine, and not something I will be rushing to watch again, if we are being honest.

8. True Romance (1993)

A Tarantino script that wasn’t directed by him? Consider my interest piqued. I thought it was a solid movie, totally crazy, and a fun cast. It caught my attention from the beginning, and kept it there. I still feel that there were cast members who were underused, but with a cast of this size, I suppose that is to be expected.

7. Let the Right One In (2008)

For years people have been giving me lip about not seeing this. Finally I can say that I have ticked this off the old to-do list, and I liked it. It was stark, dark, beautiful, engaging, and I liked the friendship between Oskar and Eli. I also liked how it dealt with bullying, and how it was a different spin on vampires than we are used to. It is also shot incredibly well, with stark colours and massive contrasts, it definitely lends to the atmosphere.

6. Chinatown (1974)

I don’t watch nearly enough neo-noir films. I don’t, and I should, because they are something I love every time I do see one. Chinatown is no exception. It was masterfully crafted, totally engrossing, and Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway carried this film to perfection. Worth being on my list, and something I will be revisiting.

5. Billy Elliot (2000)

Man, this movie had me grinning, sad and all invested at times. It was hectic, and I really liked it. I felt so sorry for Billy, I did, and I was stoked to see him get involved in something he loved. Watching him attend the ballet dances was absolutely awesome, and seeing him practicing relentlessly to achieve him dream, his love of dance? Yes. Just so much yes! There was a lot of humour, and plenty times where you were sad and crushed and touched. I see why this was so exceptionally popular when it came out when I was a kid.

4. The Breakfast Club (1985)

I honestly didn’t expect to like this. In fact, I was dreading it (you all know what a fan I am off Ferris). I was so pleasantly surprised by this. I really liked it. I liked the closed off, limited school setting, and the small cast. We got time to learn about these characters, to see how they influenced one another, how things changed. Detention has never looked like such a blast, I tell you. It was funny and heartwarming, a teen film well worth the watch, and I now understand why there is a lot of hype attached to it. I can definitely see myself watching this again.

3. Moon (2009)

Gosh, not an easy one to talk about. I went in knowing nothing, and I can tell you that it is the best way to go into it. It was a thought provoking movie, and Rockwell was at his absolute best here. He carried the entire movie on his own, and man… I don’t actually want to talk about it too much because of spoilers. Spacey, too, was good – you just never knew with Gertie. Absolutely worth checking out – everything about this movie just works.

2. Insomnia (2002)

Christopher Nolan can do no wrong in my eyes, you all know this. I have always said I would watch this, and I just never got around to it. When I did, I had no regrets. Insomnia is visually breathtaking. I mean wow. The cinematography alone is worth the watch. Never mind that, we get to see the greats like Al Pacino and Robin Williams grace the screen, armed with a complex and engaging story to work with. The movie is shot well, sounds great, is carried by really good performances, and is definitely an underrated Nolan film. Definitely want to be adding this to my collection.

1. It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)

Ha! This! So long to get to it, I am ashamed! I enjoyed every single minute of this movie. The characters were great, Stewart and Reed were simply phenomenal together (and oh, so gorgeous), the soundtrack suited it, the movie felt ahead of its time, and it had a pretty good message, too. Plus a Christmas movie that I liked? What is this? Definitely worth a look see if you haven’t seen it, that’s what!

March Blind Spot Review: Rush (2013)

“The closer you are to death, the more alive you feel. It’s a wonderful way to live. It’s the only way to drive.”
– James Hunt

SYNOPSIS: The merciless 1970s rivalry between Formula One rivals James Hunt and Niki Lauda. – via IMDB

So I finally got to Rush, which is strange seeing as I was such a huge F1 junkie in my teens. Anyway, finally getting to it I can see why it is considered to be a solid film for the genre, and I didn’t even watch this one for science because nobody appeals to me on that level. I watched this for the story and for those cars and those racetracks. YES. Rush was incredibly well executed. When it opened with roaring F1 engines and rain and stoplights and all I knew I was sold – goosebumps! Simple as that. The performances from both Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl were fantastic. Brühl dominated in how he presented Lauda to us. He was difficult, cheeky, dedicated and intelligent. In fact, he was damn near a genius. He knew what he wanted and he went out for it. I loved how he reasoned about things (the twenty percent risk thing) and how he didn’t care too much if he was liked or not, as long as he was respected. I liked him from the off because he was upfront and blunt and honest about who he was, he hid behind nothing. I was impressed with what he brought to the table. I have never disliked him, I have always found him a decent actor, but this showcases that he can carry a lead role without any issues and was captivating every second he was on screen. I am hoping to see much more of him. Hemsworth, on the other hand, portrayed the party boy exceptionally well. He went from fun and games to a total twat within an hour (which could be seen coming), but he redeemed himself, too.  I thought the more dramatic role was more impressive for him than most things I have seen him in, showing that he is more than just the man that half the globe wants to bed. Hemsworth and Brühl worked wonders alongside one another, and complemented each other every step of the way. I had myself a personal cheering moment when Hunt gave that paparazzi reporter/douche a fat smack because seriously, who do you think you are asking someone if his wife will stick around because half his face was burnt off? It seems this film appealed to a wider audience than I would have expected, and I had a good time with it. Rush was shot beautifully, and it looked really fancy. I liked the focus on the racing and the driving, and yet it was perfectly balanced by what was happening off the track. It was never solely about the guys and never solely about the cars. There were quite a few scenes where I had myself a good laugh (most notably that break down in the middle of nowhere with Lauda and Marlene), and I loved the way the racing was done – the scenes were exhilarating. The competition between Lauda and Hunt was blown totally out of proportion, and I thought it was petty and childish at the same time, and it cost them both a lot, but it also shaped them. I am sure a lot of this was dramatised and glamourised for the screen, but I found it to be a worthwhile watch. I know I have spoken a lot about the performances, but I really think they are the biggest selling points of the film, in all honesty.