Becca Caddy

Tweet review: Weekend watching in 140 characters

50/50: Touching & in places hilarious portrayal of a young man’s battle against cancer. Gorden-Levitt & Rogen have great chemistry. 4*

Blue Valentine: Beautiful & tragic love story. Gritty & moving performances from Williams & Gosling. A little slow for me at times though. 3*

Bridesmaids: I wanted to hate it but it was LOL funny all the way through. A little cheesy at times, but brilliant script & Wiig is my new hero. 4*

Contagion: Lots of familiar faces. Slightly different to every other apocalyptic illness movie out there. Less “all American” BS. 3*

Spot the difference: The Crow & The Joker

Brandon Lee’s Crow and Heath Ledger’s Joker look rather similar, don’t they?

The Dark Knight Rises viral campaign begins

Before the release of The Dark Knight a huge viral marketing campaign took place, which wasn’t just on a large scale but was pretty damn clever too. There were scavenger hunts, Joker recruitment drives, clues online and offline, Joker wannabes, cakes, masks, the list could really go on and on (check out the Dark Knight – Viral Marketing video look at the various elements of the campaign).

Despite the fact The Dark Knight Rises isn’t set to be released until July 2012, fans of the movies have been sat twiddling their thumbs waiting for a similar kind of campaign to begin.

Well, it looks like everything kicked off today as a load of CIA documents were ‘leaked’ to bloggers and the press referring to a Doctor Leonid Pavel.

Let the fun begin…

Unnecessary remake: American Psycho

I’m sick and tired of people whining about remakes. It doesn’t destroy the original to remake something. The original still exists.

But, I was really shocked to hear that American Psycho (one of my favourite books and movies) could soon be remade. So cue whining and Twitter rants aplenty.

Yes, that’s right, it’s only been 11 years since Bret Easton Ellis’ masterpiece was made into a film and already it’s being tipped for a remake. Then again that’s pretty slow for Hollywood who immediately pounced on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo within a year.

Variety reports that the reincarnation could be set in the modern day, which I think in many ways will take something away from the original story.

But the most important question is, will anyone be able to fill Patrick Bateman’s shoes as well as Christian Bale?

Types of learners: Music or film?

Yes, it’s a stupid question. No, you’ll never have to decide.

But, it’s pretty fascinating listening to people’s answers. Of course there are those that give you a disgusted look, “film over music?! NO chance”, and those who look really tormented trying to decide.

Obviously I’d scrap music, quite easily in fact. However, what I find most interesting about the ridiculous music vs. film debate (because it is a bit ridiculous and it did turn into a debate), is that in many ways it harks back to what kind of learners we were all told we were back in our school days.

Now I hope I’m not the only one who was forced to take the “what kind of learner are you?” test at school every year, which put you in an auditory learner, visual learner or kinesthetic learner camp*. Of course the teachers didn’t pay very much attention to the results and used the little quiz as a slightly more academic alternative to getting the board games out, but all of my answers still ring so true all these years later.

The main one being I just don’t really connect with audio and never have. Anything that solely relies on me listening is guaranteed to switch off my concentration in less than a few minutes. Sure I do love music in my own special way, but I find the tracks I listen to the most and have the deepest connection with were used in a film or TV show that I loved and work together with the memory of what it looked like while the music just played in the background.

So there you go, in my eyes music is a nice to have (and arguably necessary for most movies to work, but let’s ignore that small point for now), but in a battle to the death film will always win in my eyes.

What about yours?

*See part of this online book about how to teach different types of learners for more information on each.

Golden Age Thinking: Longing for a different era?

Over the weekend I finally watched Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris (2011). After a day of mixed martial arts, cage fighting and some cowboys vs. aliens thrown in for good measure, a quirky, romantic and Parisian Woody Allen movie was the perfect final addition to a very eclectic film marathon.

The beautiful romantic comedy follows Gil (Owen Wilson) on his quest to find inspiration for his new novel around the streets of Paris. Now I promise this isn’t a big spoiler, but one of the main things discussed throughout the film is what Michael Sheen’s character, Paul, describes as “Golden Age Thinking”, a dreamy, nostalgic longing to be part of an era that existed long, long ago.

Paul’s pedantic yet hilarious character suggests this manner of Golden Age Thinking is a response to the terrifying and harsh reality of modern times, but is it instead just a natural, romantic longing that people have felt throughout every decade?

Whether it’s a certain style of clothing, type of architecture from a bygone age or just the carefree attitude we often associate with a particular decade, I think it’s an important part of who we are to look at the past with that hazy longing and nostalgic mindset that things were much more interesting “back in those days”, so that we can learn from them.

In many ways I don’t doubt that this fascination may stem from a desire to escape from the things we dislike about the modern day. However, as  long as you don’t become too obsessed with the fact you should have been a playwright in the 1920s or a member of Elizabeth I’s court, it’s probably extremely beneficial to have an intense appreciation for the past so you draw from a wide range of influences in the present.

Whether we look back in history for creative inspiration to learn from, different ways of thinking to adopt, interesting figures to act as muses or style choices to work into our daily attire, as long as we all accept the fact we’re well and truly rooted in 2011 there surely can’t be anything wrong with visiting the past from time to time.

So is Golden Age Thinking natural or just a dreamy denial of the present?

Tweet Review: Weekend watching in 140 characters

Cowboys & Aliens: Surprisingly entertaining action movie given the title. But the plot is a little dull, far fetched & cheesy at times. 3*

Warrior: Amazing performances from Hardy, Edgerton & Nolte. Lots of epic edge-of-your-seat fight scenes. Kicked The Fighter’s ass. 5*

Midnight in Paris: Beautifully shot scenes of Paris. Interesting exploration of romance & you’ll fall in love with Wilson & Cotillard. 4*

The Halloween list: 30 Scariest movies of all time

Even those who’ve never watched all of Hitchcock’s Psycho are well aware of the now infamous shower scene, where a shadowy character brutally attacks the lovely Marion Crane. Hell, that stabbing motion coupled with a few high pitched noises has even become the universally accepted hand motion for not so subtly implying that guy you know is a little bit crackers.

But what I find fascinating about that classic scene is that, although it may be one of the most iconic moments in cinema, nothing actually happens. Sure we see the stabbing motions, screaming and blood flowing down the plug hole, but I can’t help but think that this kind of suggestive violence just doesn’t cut it anymore. To satisfy today’s mass audiences we need a pretty gruesome knife to the face shot, some guts spilling out and plenty of blood all over the walls. If recent all out gore movies like The Human Centipede are anything to go by you’d then need to attach the bloodied corpse to a stray dog too and make it dance. Urgh.

Of course expectations change with the times, Psycho was made in 1960 after all.

But, as I began to write this list of my top Halloween films, I realised that I’m no longer sure what really scares people anymore. Sure it’s very much down to personal taste, but as a whole are we content with a thriller? A classic ghost story? Or do we need all out gore, which features at least one or two gruesome amputations?

So instead of a definitive list that might not be everyone’s cup of tea, here are 30 of my top scary movies grouped into a few random categories. My all time favourite three are at the bottom, but other than that there’s not much rhyme or reason to the rankings.

From the more obscure to the modern to the totally predictable, here’s my pick of the top films for Halloween.

Scary because they’re just VERY messed up

1. Antichrist (2009)

A grieving couple retreat to some creepy woods in an attempt to repair their troubled marriage. I won’t give anymore away, but although this film is in many ways pretty damn disturbing it’s a brilliant testament to Lars Von Trier’s work and the extremely talented main characters played by DeFoe and Gainsbourg.

2. Session 9 (2001)

Written and directed by Brad Anderson of The Machinist fame, Session 9 is in some ways a fairly predictable and low budget movie, but there are some brilliant tense on-the-edge-of-your-seat moments coupled with disturbing scenes that explore the horror of mental illness.

3. Videodrome (1983)

A strange, unsettling and at times oddly cheesy film from Cronenburg which explores our obsession with the TV screen, probably even more relevant today with the fact we’re not just “sucked in” by the TV screen anymore, but by computers, mobiles, tablets, the list could go on and on.

Scary with a camera

4. The Blair Witch Project (1999)

The Blair Witch Project is most definitely a love-it-or-hate-it kind of film, with some finding the shaky camera footage irritating and contrived and others feeling well and truly part of the creepy narrative. An ideal choice for Halloween.

5. Paranormal Activity (2007)

Paranormal Activity and its subsequent sequels have had a great deal of criticism over the years, but will also remain some of the scariest for heart pounding, edge of your seat terror.

6. REC (2007)

A reporter follows the local firemen around for a night and gets much more than she bargained for when they’re all called to a strange incident at a block of apartments. It’s a little bit gory, a little bit predictable, but scary as hell in places. As REC is a Spanish movie it would have been equally at home in the next category too.

Scary subtitles

7. The Ring / The Ringu (1998)

The original Japanese movie is still the highest grossing horror film in Japan and much more gritty and odd than the US remake that soon followed.

8. The Orphanage (2007)

Set in a beautiful but very eerie and dilapidated orphanage in Spain, a family become tied up in the creepy history of the building and its old inhabitants.

9. Let The Right One In (2008)

Although the US remake called Let Me In is still a pretty good movie, you can rarely beat originals. This is an eerie and in many ways beautiful story of a young vampire who couldn’t be more different to the glittery, emo Edward Cullen.

Scary with a clever serial killer

10. Se7en (1995)

Two detectives, played incredibly well by Freeman and Pitt, are on the hunt for a serial killer. A brilliant movie by Fincher with plenty of twists and turns.

11. The Silence of the Lambs

The Silence of the Labs is a clever classic with an unforgettable performance from Hopkins, which will make you NEVER want to talk to a stranger EVER again.

12. Psycho (1960)

Psycho is a brilliant thriller from Hitchcock set in the creepy Bates Motel.

Scary with a crazy slasher serial killer

13. Scream (1996)

Basically a person in a mask starts murdering unsuspecting teens from the local high school. It’s predictable, it’s cheesy but it’s also perfect Halloween fodder.

14. Friday the 13th (1980)

The same slasher movie mechanic, but this time at a summer camp.

15. Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Another blood fest from Wes Craven, this time Freddie Krueger kills children in their sleep with his creepy hands and Dennis the Menace style attire.

Scary in space

16. Alien (1979)

The crew of a space ship far, far away on a mining mission come across some strange creatures. It’s still as scary as ever more than 30 years on. Most of the sequels are pretty decent too, so rent them all out for a whole night of face hugging fun.

17. Event Horizon (1997)

A bit of a cult classic, Event Horizon doesn’t leave you feeling blown away by the script or character development, but it’s eerie, scary and one of my favourite sci-fi films of all time.

18. Pandorum (2009)

I only ended up watching Pandorum at the cinema by accident, I’d gone to see something with brilliant reviews but was running too late so opted for this instead. I was sceptical as I hadn’t heard anything about it and it all looked a bit too generic and predictable at first. But, it’s actually one of my top scary films, with some great acting, tonnes of tense heart pounding moments, as well as an interesting look at what could happen to the human mind when it’s confused and isolated for far too long.

Scary possessions

19. The Exorcist (1973)

Some of the special effects in The Exorcist seem a little rubbish now and certain scenes have been parodied to death, but that doesn’t stop the movie being one of the best and particularly groundbreaking for the time it was made.

20. The Last Exorcism (2010)

It doesn’t get good reviews and many saw it as just another rushed film exploiting the classic exorcism genre, but there’s something about this movie that really got to me. Expect lots of lovely twists too.

21. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

An unnerving and still creepy classic from Polanski with a great performance from Mia Farrow.

Scary zombies

22. Dawn of the Dead (1978)

A zombie classic which is old but still entertaining 30 years on.

23. Resident Evil (2002)

It’s not a particularly great film, but it’s an entertaining mix of action, gore and horror based on the video game with a good soundtrack.

24. 28 Days Later (2002)

In my opinion the best zombie-like (even though they’re infected not really dead, but hey ho) film ever made. The fact it’s set in London, gritty and very unpredictable makes it all the more real and terrifying.

Scary gore

25. The Human Centipede (2009)

I was a bit reluctant to write about The Human Centipede, but I’m including it because it’s the ultimate in gore, torture porn and gross out horror if that kind of thing floats your boat. A crazy guy basically stitches people together. Yes, that’s it. URgh. It seems to come straight from the mind of a very warped person, so have your finger on the fast forward button all of the way through.

26. Saw (2004)

Saw is pretty gruesome, but because each story has a loose moral to it we seem to STILL think Saw 34597 is worth watching when its released around this time EVERY year. Still, it’s worth watching if only to see how creepy the Jigsaw doll on the bike looks…

27. Hostel (2005)

Another gruesome torture porn film, which freaks me out the most because I can imagine the hostel in question actually existing somewhere in this awful, twisted little world of ours.

Scary classics

28. The Thing (1982)

I didn’t want to spoil the plot too much, but by the title I’m pretty sure you can tell it’s about some weird monster, alien thing, which ends up terrorising a group of scientists in the Antarctic.

29. The Wicker Man (1973)

A policeman is called to a strange island to investigate the disappearance of a girl who most of the locals say never existed. Another brilliant, scary and unpredictable classic.

30. The Shining (1980)

The Shining is without a doubt my favourite scary movie, Stephen King’s classic novel is brought to life so incredibly well by Kubrick’s impeccable directing and Nicholson’s unforgettable portrayal of Jack.

A quick review of Lars Von Trier’s Melancholia

**May contain some minor spoilers, before you start whining**

Melancholia, 2011.

Although it’s been dubbed an apocalyptic masterpiece, Melancholia is unlike any other meteor/planet/spaceship hurtling towards the earth movie you’ve ever seen before, as there’s no sickly sense of patriotism, cheesy script or Bruce Willis-style action hero in sight. All conventions we’ve come to expect from Hollywood’s vomit-inducing and incredibly rose tinted take on the apocalyptic genre.

Instead Melancholia is a disturbing, haunting yet somehow beautiful look at one woman’s mental illness set against the backdrop of a collision between earth and the planet Melancholia.

Kirsten Dunst was truly incredible as Justine, whose inner turmoil and detachment from reality is all far too real at times. The story is made all the more disturbing by the fact that her mental state is much more poignant and distressful than the impending collision between earth and Melancholia, which in some strange way just seems like an inevitability and some kind of allegory for the temporality or meaninglessness of life.

All the way through the film I was reminded of Freud’s idea of The Uncanny, something that’s familiar yet strangely unnerving at the same time, with the droplets of humour, black horses grazing on the garden, Justine’s liaison with Tim on the golf course and the mysterious location of the grand stately home.

In fact this is something I couldn’t shake long after I’d finished watching Melancholia, unless I missed it there was no mention of where we were, when we were, how we got there or where anyone lived, which adds another layer to the sense of detachment, isolation and uncertainty that runs throughout the whole film.

For those who aren’t familiar with Lars Von Trier’s work I imagine you’ll find Melancholia either incredibly beautiful or incredibly disturbing. The film certainly has all the makings of a Lars Von Trier masterpiece, with a slow-motion introduction featuring warped scenes reminiscent of a Dali painting, as well as a narrative divided into chapters and a scratched little title scene.

Beautiful, disturbing and without a doubt one of the best pieces of cinema of 2011.

The Dark Knight Rises teaser trailer

http://youtu.be/apMXFloDH6M

IT’S HERE. IT’S HERE!!! THE CHANTING. BANE. THE FALLING THINGS. THE COLOURS. THE SKY. I’M SO EXCITED.