So last Thursday, in an extremely time-consuming preparation method for the soon to be released ‘The Avengers’ – I decided to watch all 5 films from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger. As most will know, the films are interconnected and will culminate in the ensemble piece this month. Here are my top ten moments, spanning all five movies, leading to ‘The Avengers’.
10 – Thor’s Exile To Earth (Thor)
Best quote from the entire film… Odin (Anthony Hopkins) – “HEEEEUUURGH!”
Amazing
09 – Banner Becomes The Hulk At Culver University (The Incredible Hulk)
Norton’s face @ 0.02 is a major grin win
08. Stark and Rhodey Take On Hammer Drones (Iron Man 2)
Probably shoe-horned in for fan service, but it’s still a cool scene to see on the big screen
07. Loki finds out his true parentage (Thor)
Hiddlestone is absolutely divine here. Stellar chemistry with Sir Anthony
06. Birth of The Super Solider (Captain America: The First Avenger)
While this film didn’t live up to everyone’s expectation – this again was a great scene to see immortalised at last
05. The Hulk vs The Abomination (The Incredible Hulk)
A great climax to the often overlooked chapter in the MCU
04. The Star Spangled Man (Captain America: The First Avenger)
Probably not an obvious choice, but this sequence is fun, visually great and backed by a brilliantly composed song
03. Thor vs Loki (Thor)
Again, Tom Hiddlestone throws down some of the best dialogue of the movie. Intense and emotionally compelling. Also cements his ‘evil’ turn after a snarky “Haa haa!” when he takes Thor down. Niiiice
02. Nick Fury Approaches Tony Stark About The ‘Avenger Initiative’ (Iron Man)
This moment was the comfirmation that ‘The Avengers’ was happening. Geek out to the maximum
01. Iron Man – the entire film (Iron Man)
Sure, it’s not a ‘moment’ per se. And the Nick Fury scene wasn’t technically in the main film…But Jon Favreau’s brilliantly acted, written and produced Iron Man film that paved the way for the MCU, is damn near-faultless.
Yeah, I’m jumping on the bandwagon, I know I know. Gotta be done though. 2011 was an absolute beast for film – one of the best years of recent memory in my opinion. So I deemed it appropriate that I pay homage to (what I believe) are the best, and give a swift middle finger to the worst.
Happy New Year everyone
Let’s get the bad stuff out of the way first… ‘The Worst of 2011′
10. ‘Mars Needs Moms’ (Simon Wells)
09. ‘Green Lantern’ (dir. Martin Campbell)
08. ”Transformers: Dark Of The Moon’ (dir. Michael Bay)
07. ‘Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides’ (dir. Rob Marshall)
06. ‘Battle: Los Angeles’ (dir. Jonathan Liebesman)
05. ‘Fast Five’ (dir. Justin Lin)
04. ‘The Zookeeper’ (dir. Frank Coraci)
03. ‘Conan The Barbarian’ (dir. Marcus Nispel)
02. ‘Sucker Punch’ (dir. Zack Snyder)
01. ‘Twilight – Breaking Dawn Part 1′ (dir. Bill Condon)
My ‘Best of 2011′ list goes in order of least favoured, to the most highly favoured
10. ‘Contagion’ (dir. Steven Soderbergh)
09. ‘Super’ (dir. James Gunn)
08. ‘X-Men: First Class’ (dir. Matthew Vaughn)
07. ‘Super 8′ (dir. JJ Abrams)
06. ‘Source Code’ (dir. Duncan Jones)
05. ‘Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes’ (dir. Rupert Wyatt)
04. ‘The Skin I Live In’ (dir. Pedro Almodovar)
03. ‘Midnight In Paris’ (dir. Woody Allen)
02. ‘The Artist’ (dir. Michel Hazanavicius)
01. ‘Drive’ (dir. Nicolas Winding Refn)
Of course, it was going to be ‘Drive’. The most inch-perfect film of 2011. Many of my Twitter followers will know that I’ve gushed over this film since release – So it will hardly come as a suprise that it is my choice for film of the year. Amazing in every sense of the word.
The only entry that’s not a kids show or an animation. The X-Files is in all honesty one of the most influential tv shows I grew up on. A sci-fi/supernatural drama revolving around two FBI agents that investigate series of paranormal activities. The debated theories of the existence of extraterrestrial life used to scare the hell out of me, but watching Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully go to town and kick ass made the idea more exciting to ponder.
There were so many memorable episodes – it’s a must own on DVD. The main story throughout the first few seasons involved Fox (David Duchovny) attempting to prove that aliens are indeed real, and are also responsible for several abductions – including that of his sister. Who went missing, and was presumed dead years prior to the program.
However, it was the filler episodes that really kept me watching. A generic story of a monster/evil mutant/virus/crazy person terrorising a small town (labelled by fans as ‘Monster of The Week’ episodes), and Mulder & Scully (Gillian Anderson) are called to investigate. Yeah, generic, but the monsters were really unique every week and often brought a hint of a sympathetic nature. Still, although not a part of the main story, there was further exposition into Mulder’s beliefs and Scully’s near-infinite scrutiny surrounding them – not to mention the development of their close friendship and dependence on each other.
The series is a cult phenomenon and has been the bar for many supernatural and sci-fi shows since its end in 2002. During the last few seasons, David Duchovny only appeared in a recurring role, while Scully and their superior AD Walter Skinner became the focal characters. In my opinion, it took a dip – Mulder IS The X-Files. He’s the engine behind the whole series. So to take it away, what would happen? Moan aside, The X-Files did so much for me its ridiculous. It was the first drama I ever watched week after week without missing an episode, and is still on rotation in my DVD collection.
05. Knightmare
You massive helmet...
Aww yeah. This is what I’m talking about! Motherfuckin’ KNIGHTMARE! A UK show broadcast on ITV during after-school hours combining elements of fantasy, knights, goblins, puzzles, computer generated imagery, and saucy elf maidens. Well that last one was slightly misleading…
A lone ‘Dungeoneer’ is given a quest to rescue a person of interest or retrieve an item or relic of importance by Dungeon Master Treguard - who spoke almost all the time in a Shakespearean manner, which was pure awesomeness. However, the Dungeoneer has little to no vision due to the obscuring helmet they must place upon their bonce. A team of 3 friends of the Dungeoneer, normally around 12-16, would then have to guide him/her through the computer generated world created on-screen, as they travel through various rooms, mazes and walkways. Won’t go too in-depth with this one…
It’s great fun to watch some of the retarded kids on there who just cause massive amounts of shit for the Dungeoneer. Has me laughing my arse off half the time. Noah Antwiler (Aka Spoony) did a review on Knightmare a while back. Do check that out on YouTube. It declined in popularity by its eighth series and ended in 1994
A revival is still being petitioned by fans…
04. M.A.S.K
From L-R 'Maple Leaf', 'Oxygen Tank', 'Rear-View Mirror' and 'Old Yella'
A load of blokes… Check. Sweet vehicles with guns n shit… Check. Odd-looking helmets which still kick butt…. Ding ding ding ding!
3. Thundercats
Bunch of pussies....
So, here’s the top 3. At 3rd place, it’s Thundercats. Why? You idiots… Because it’s Thundercats. Awesome theme music, bad-ass characters, amazing manga-style animation, and probably the show with the best base of operations ‘The Cats’ Lair’. Fucking A.
The premise is that the Thundercats are a group of alien refugees from the planet Thundera. When the planet is destroyed the group travel to Earth, or Third Earth, can’t remember – and set up home as thus. But the evil, nearly naked and undead nasty-doer ‘Mumm-Ra’ is on a course to take over the world. Adequately, the Thundercats are tooled up and take his ass out week after week. No biggie.
2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
"That sword's well bowed mate"
If there’s one thing that ruled my childhood, it was the Turtles. I lived, breathed, ate, slept and drank Turtles from the moment I first watched the show. Every Saturday morning, I’d run downstairs, place myself right in front of the TV, turned up the volume, and sat in silence for approximately 20 minutes. I was comatose throughout, loving every single bit that flashed across the screen.
From the heroes themselves to the genius villain The Shredder, every aspect of the show was perfection. I wanted the toys, I got them. I wanted the vehicles, I got them. Hell I even dressed up as a Turtle on Christmas Day one year – that’s how fucking dedicated I was. In all admittance – I can proudly say I was a hardcore Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan. No other part of pop culture has had such as a profound impact on me as this.
01. Batman: The Animated Series
Giant kestrel in your hip, sir
I chose Batman: TAS over Turtles as my number one because of one thing… Staying power. This cartoon was first broadcast around 1992, after the overwhelming popularity attained by Tim Burton’s Batman movies – from which it is greatly inspired by.
This show is considered the ultimate depiction of Batman in media other than comic books. It’s still as impressive and very timeless in terms of theme, tone and animation. Possibly THE best animated program of the entire decade.
This clip is not from the original series, but from the feature-length film ‘Return Of The Joker’. It encapsulates everything that made the show brilliant.
Paaart Twooo…. Just to clarify, by the way – I grew up on these shows, and don’t watch them at all anymore. Shows such as South Park, Family Guy & Futurama – which were originally broadcast in the late 90′s are exempt as I still watch them to this day.
11. The Raccoons
Oh The Raccoons, one of my favourites from Saturday mornings. The premise surrounded three raccoon friends that lived in rural land. The lead character Bert, a clumbsy but happy-go-lucky chap, and his two friends - who are married, but I can’t remember their names… They’re a trio of good-doers in the face of environmental and industrial evil manipulated by the cigar chomping, nasty bastard, Cyril Sneer.
There was alot of great ‘Bert moments’, too many to count. He’s just such a loveable character always ending up in an array of mishaps (his bent nose being the result of this, one of his trademarks) but always kept a positive attitude, and his voice actor captures that perfectly.
There’s a lot of environmental-awareness messages in the series, which wasn’t as obvious or right in your face as something like Captain Planet. It’s conjoined with lessons learned over true friendship, care and love. Great times remembering watching this beast. Not to mention the end credits… ‘Run With Us’ = Tune of my childhood. YouTube, do your thing.
10. A.L.F
"HEY, NICE MARMOT"
If you know of our good pal from outer space, Gordon Shumway, HOORAY HAVE BIG PEEERRRTY! If not… shame on you, shame on yoooou. ALF (as he was more commonly known) is one of those cult classics that stay in your heart – A character that just has such a recognisable face, voice and character.
He’s slightly more adherent to getting himself into trouble, all in the name of comedy. But he’s not just some idiotic oaf. He’s also very much a cynic, an extremely human characteristic, as well as being abit of a smart arse. Gordon wasn’t an ‘alien’ as such, he integrated into his new society fairly easily, and there wasn’t those fish out of water buggers lurking around the corner. He just seemed like one of the guys, albeit a ginger alien one…. It was extremely popular, lasting for 4 seasons, along with a TV movie. Definitely a big recommend to check out on DVD.
09. Art Attack
"Hey, shuddupya faaace!"
If there was one British kids show that absolutely everyone loved… it was Art Attack. Hosted by northern bloke Neil Buchanan, the show would involve Neil creating various paintings and pictures using everyday household items, sometimes to crazy effect. Most famously, he’d always use ‘poster paint’ and cotton wool.
The results were always amazing, and I’d constantly demand that my parents bought me the materials so I could emulate what I’d seen. The most famous segment of the the show was ‘Big Art Attack’ – where Neil would create a piece of art across a massive scale. Normally on gravel, grass or a huge fabric. Using various objects instead of conventional paints or crayons. The only one I can remember being genuinely amazed at was his creation of the Queen’s face by using British Sterling notes….
08. Transformers
100% Prime BEEF
I don’t need to go on about this. Every single red-blooded male will agree that this should be on this list. Now, with the formalities out of the way, let us embrace this timeless show. Fuck you, Bay.
07. Ren & Stimpy
Jonah Hill and Michael Cera's opiate experiment didn't fair well
Ren & Stimpy was one of the first animated shows to really push the boundaries. Not only in terms of content, but animation aswell. It’s light years away from what else was on at the time. The obscure and zany characters were complimented by stories just as such. The titular characters, Ren – a crazy, unhinged chihuahua who is extremely hot-headed and short-tempered and probably the only friend he could hope not to have – Stimpy, a dumb, gormless but extremely joyful and happy cat, are two of the most recognisable and talked about fictional characters of the 90′s.
Of course, you’d expect them to not get along and always be fighting etc - but there was so much more to Dog Hate Cat – Cat Hate Dog. These characters were seriously screwed up, and it’s amazing to watch, especially where Stimpy would be oblivious to the effects his actions would have on Ren’s psyche and the ensuing result. The animation was sometimes straight up scary…. Especially Ren’s moments of madness… He truly looked terrifying sometimes by use of extreme distortions of his face for example. Ren & Stimpy was different, fresh, out there and a huge leap for the advancement of animated comedy. T
he show was certainly NOT a kids show – more accessable, but not understandable. So many inclusions of adult themes, like psychological issues, violent scenes and sexual innuendo made Ren & Stimpy subject to censorship and complaints from parents and it was the only of its kind during its original airing.
Although since there has been many copycats trying to capture the essence of the show – Spongebob Squarepants being the most prominent by using similar musical scores and the infamous ‘close up’ shots that would depict something terrifying or disgusting.. However I’d gamble everything I own for another show to come along and do what Ren & Stimpy has done for the world of animation. This scene, captures the show’s tone to absolute perfection…
Taketh heed. These shows were basically my bread and butter growing up in the 90′s. Occasionally I’ll check out the odd clip on YouTube for reference, or just to remind myself of how cool they were. Bearing in mind, I haven’t watched full episodes of these shows for close to 10 years, alas my knowledge is going to be fairly minimal of the series themselves. Anyway, so… yeah, enjoy!
15. Jayce & The Wheeled Warriors
What d’you get if you cross plants with big fuck-off trucks, Black & Decker power tools and a midget robot knight?
14. Married… With Children
Not sure if I included the correct amount of elipsys there… Married With Children was probably my first foray into the world of the American sitcom. Of course we had Roseanne on Channel 4, but just couldn’t get into its pretty serious tone at times. My brother introduced me to some Al Bundy midi soundbites on a MWC fanpage and I was intrigued to check it out – So I began regularly watching until the final season aired on Sky 1.
At 12 years old, it was kind of difficult to comprehend some of the mysoginistic commentary that Bundy spewed on a weekly basis – But I just loved the selfishness, crudeness and laziness that made him such a funny character. Not the role model you’d want your kids to look upto, however he’s one of the masters of the killer comeback….
13. The Tick
"WE SHALL BREAK FAST"
Fell into this one fairly late in my childhood. Channel hopped one evening and stumbled across this puppy on BBC Two. The Tick was a comedy animation that was a precursor to the humour we see today in alot of young teen animation shows. The Tick was a superhero dubbed ‘legally insane’ living in a city full of costumed crimefighters - majority of them a parody of famous Marvel/DC mainstays.
The characters were so unique in all senses, especially Tick himself . His imposing figure, squared jaw but ‘act before think’ mantra and ludicrous monologues were feats of comedic genius throughout, adding further parody to the conventional superhero shows around at the time. Along with sidekick, Arthur the Moth, confused for a rabbit, and his baffling affiliation and hijinx with Tick - they created some of the funniest tv moments I experienced growing up. SPOON!
12. Space Precinct
Creased Shirts, All The Rage
Not alot of people remember this one. A sci-fi/cop show hybrid (with a kick-ass theme song) created by Gerry Anderson that proved pretty popular around Europe during syndication – but extremely short-lived and often-forgotten on the pile of afternoon serials. Personally, I loved the premise of a police force in space, dealing with alien crooks and the like – Awesome fun for after school! Sure, it wasn’t the greatest show of its kind, but it maintains that very Anderson-esque charm which we can all admit to having a soft spot for.
This film – a surprising turn from Joel Schumacher – was based around a middle aged man who had the weight of the world on his shoulders and could take no more. Seeing this film at an impressionable age had a profound effect on my outlook of the our world, and the societies we live in.
“People suck, government agendas suck and everything’s going to shit etc
etc.”
This was basically what I took from this film – a general feeling of misanthropy and disdain directed at anything that attempts to challenge me as a person and my desires. It may seem a little extreme, but I’d be lying if I said otherwise.
6 Taxi Driver
Taxi Driver is certainly the film that I would advise anyone to watch. It’s an amazing study of isolation, dissociation and degeneration through the character of Travis Bickle. Played by my favourite screen actor – Robert De Niro.
I’ve said much before about my passion for this film. So in short I will say this. And hopefully this will give a general idea of what it has done for me.
Taxi Driver turned me from a film watcher, into a film fan.
7 The Big Lebowski
I quote this film everyday since the day I first watched it back in 99. That’s the only reasoning required.
8 The Godfather
What can I say? It’s the complete movie. Script, cast, score, cinematography, editing, directing. Every single detail is finely tuned to perfection with The Godfather.
This film was more like an epiphany for me – showing me that film is an art form and should be rewarded accordingly. I was sincerely overwhelmed by the whole film. Captivating from start to finish, I cannot find any words to negatively attached to it – if there was
then it would be – it should be longer!
Since my time this week is going to be mostly directed at writing reviews. I thought I would give a little insight into the films that had the most effect on me growing up, and helped make the person I am today. Enjoy…
1. The Empire Strikes Back
Fuck yeah. Star Wars! Who doesn’t like Star Wars? It’s probably the most famous franchise in entertainment, and this puppy, in my view and many others – is the best of the 6 films.
What has Empire done for me? Well, it opened my eyes to sci-fi as a genre, it made me more aware of the effort put into filmmaking, and its story is one that I will be more than happy to play again or tell my kids about. I LOVE this film.
2. Labyrinth
A film that has elements of drama, horror, suspense, fun and… Puppets dancing with David Bowie. Labyrinth was and always will be that one kids film that I will never outgrow.
3. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind
Eternal Sunshine is a real diamond – an amazingly simple but effective concept of a couple in love. It’s told in an unorthodox narrative, but man is it good. Jim Carrey is a revelation – proving that he IS a real actor, and was possibly the greatest part of the movie. His chemistry with on-screen love interest, Kate Winslet was, to my surprise, something that looked and felt very natural. Eternal Sunshine was the film that made me feel more positive to have loved and lost, than never have it at all.
4. Requiem For A Dream
Hard hitting drama from Darren Aronofsky. And possibly one of the most harrowing and depressing movies I’ve ever seen. Man, I even felt sorry for Marlon Wayans in this fucking movie! Cut a long story short – after witnessing through the film’s duration what substance abuse can do – It was enough for me to never even consider the thought. It actually scared me to that point. That’s a fucking achievement.
These are my personal favourite 100 films that I have seen for the last 24 years. It has nothing to do with how the production was, how the acting or story was – or any of that critical crap. Generally it’s all down to if it struck any sort of chord with me. The ascending order from 100-01 is based on how often I would watch the film again, recommendation to others, how often I think I visited the toilet during viewing, and how much it prompted me to find other films by the actors/actresses starring.
100. Control
99. Apocalypse Now
98. Harry And The Hendersons
97. Sin City
96. True Lies
95. The Temple Of Doom
94. American Graffiti
93. Swingers
92. Blue Velvet
91. The Untouchables
90. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
89. The Godfather Part 3
88. Independence Day
87. The Incredible Hulk
86. Ringu
85. The Bourne Identity
84. Seven
83. The Abyss
82. Rocky II
81. Up
80. Short Circuit
79. Training Day
78. The Lion King
77. The Town
76. Being John Malkovich
75. Home Alone 2 – Lost In New York
74. Requiem For A Dream
73. Leon
72. Heat
71. Good Will Hunting
70. The Hudsucker Proxy
69. Terminator
68. Full Metal Jacket
67. Clash Of The Titans (1981)
66. Willow
65. Spider-Man
64. The Departed
63. The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
62. Moon
61. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
60. Kick-Ass
59. Once Upon A Time In The West
58. Bubba Ho-Tep
57. True Romance
56. American History X
55. The Birds
54. Toy Story
53. 2001: A Space Odyssey
52. Ghostbusters
51. Scarface
50. Con-Air
49. Die Hard
48. Platoon
47. Spirited Away
46. Pulp Fiction
45. Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas
44. Memento
43. Raiders Of The Lost Ark
42. Commando
41. Once Upon A Time In America
40. The Goonies
39. Hot Fuzz
38. 28 Days Later
37. Reservoir Dogs
36. Terminator 2 – Judgment Day
35. Spider-Man 2
34. Toy Story 2
33. Drop Dead Fred
32. Raging Bull
31. The Godfather Part 2
30. Return Of The Jedi
29. Dogma
28. Fargo
27. Dumb And Dumber
26. Transformers (Animated Movie)
25. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind
24. Blade Runner
23. Star Wars
22. South Park – Bigger, Longer and Uncut
21. The Prestige
20. Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade
19. Falling Down
18. Labyrinth
17. O Brother, Where Art Thou?
16. Tron
15. Little Miss Sunshine
14. Dog Day Afternoon
13. Taxi Driver
12. Alien
11. The Hangover
10. A Clockwork Orange
09. Fight Club
08. Batman Begins
07. The Empire Strikes Back
06. The Godfather
05. One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest
04. Inception
03. The Dark Knight
02. Aliens
01. The Big Lebowski
@CinemaTronix By the way if we were having individual Steve Martin picks I've got dibs on Planes, Trains & Automobiles. Coz its my fave ;-) 5 hours ago
