Another Year Over - Part 2

Some more favourite things from 2005...

Films

At the Cinema

King Kong. What can I say about my #1 film of the year?

It's a tremendous film that is faithful to the spirit of the original. 1930s New York looks fantastic and the Empire State Building finale is a work of art.


Is it better than the 1933 version? No, I don't think so. Peter Jackson does have a tendency for excess, as demonstrated in the ridiculous Brontosaurus stampede. I feel that holding back the reigns a little here and there would have improved the picture. All said and done though - this film is what movie making is all about. As an aside, if you look closely on the boat there is a cage for a Sumatran Rat Monkey (as featured in Braindead).

Other movies that have floated my boat this year (in no order of preference):

Antibodies
A smart, intelligent German film.

A provincial Policeman has to talk to a captured serial killer to find out if he murdered a young girl from his village. Similar in many ways to Silence Of The Lambs. It's sure to get remade poorly by Hollywood.

The Dark Hours
A very good psychological thriller from Canada. Deserves a bigger release. Hopefully it will get some recognition when it arrives on DVD.

Sin City
Robert Rodriguez brought Frank Miller's Graphic novels to life with astonishing stylised violence. Bruce Willis and Mickey Rourke are the most hardboiled guys you'll ever meet.

Batman Begins
Like Sin City, this was another 'film noir' comic book world brought to the screen. Thankfully, after the awful 3rd and 4th Batman films, the makers returned to the darker Batman of the Animated series and Frank Miller's Batman: Year One. Skillfully directed by Chris Nolan.

Wolf Creek
Backpackers encounter a deranged Aussie in middle of the Outback. Sound familiar? Scary, sick stuff well directed. Texas Chainsaw Massacre down under.

Land Of The Dead
George Romero is back from the dead! This is much more of an action film than the style of Day Of The Dead. Now we are starting to feeling sorry for the Zombies.

The Machinist
An extremely paranoid Christian Bale is losing a lot of weight and can't sleep. Why? That's what he has to find out. Is it paranoia or is someone out to get him?




Team America: World Police
If you like bad taste humour and puppet sex Team America is extremely funny. A film with I.N.T.E.L.L.I.G.E.N.C.E.

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of The Sith
At last the saga is complete. The Star Wars storyline had become awfully politically complex and headache inducing. Thankfully Sith wraps everything up nicely. Bad points? Well, there's still the stilted dialogue that grates at times, however we should remember that these films are really just modern day versions of the old Saturday morning Cliffhanger serials. Buck and Flash would be proud. Overall I'd say it's a satisfying end to a great story.

The Devils Rejects
A well made gruelling, sick, sequel to the not so good House Of 1000 Corpses. Not many laughs to be had here! The mass murdering psycho Firefly family are on the run and now they are even more depraved. It turns out that the Policeman on their trail is even more sadistic than they are! As he catches and tortures them the film tries to make you feel sorry for them. At this point for me the film falls apart. It's asking a lot to sympathise with these bastards! This is what Natural Born Killers should have been.

Serenity
Joss Whedon's defunct TV series Firefly leaps to the big screen. The best sci-fi movie of the year.

So as you can see there's been lots of good stuff released in 2005. Unfortunately History Of Violence, Crash and Downfall have eluded me. I'll make sure to catch up with them next year.

DVD

Kung Fu Hustle
Stephen Chow's very funny Kung Fu meets Warner Bros/Tex Avery cartoon action. The man is a genius!

The Incredibles
The Fantastic Four film was always going to be disappointing after this. As can be expected from Pixar, the story and characterisation was developed first and then the excellent animation. Exciting, funny and ... incredible. Packed full of extras.

Sympathy For Lady Vengeance
The third in Park Chan-Wook's series of unrelated vengeance films. Beautiful and shocking.

New Police Story
Jackie Chan's return to form. Never has Hong Kong looked so good.

King Kong (1933)
A fantastic 2 disc reissue. Learn all about Merian C Cooper, Willis O'Brien and the 'Lost Spider Pit' sequence.

The Fly (1986)
Another comprehensive reissue with a good Cronenberg commentary.


TV

Lost
Invasion
24
Masters Of Horror
Battlestar Galactica
Peep Show