Number of the Beast

I am very scared and must immedialty find a film to watch that was made since 2000. As part of my attempt to compile my best films of 2005 list Part 1 (Part 1 as it usually takes me to July to see everything I really wanted to see) I realized I had only seen 67 films that have been released theatrically in the UK this year. Being the non-geek that I am I decided to see how many films I had seen since the start of the decade, from 2000 on. The totals went as follows
2000 - 106
2001 - 94
2002 - 117
2003 - 146 - even scarier there is at least another 10 I still wouldn't mind seeing
2004 - 136
2005 - 67
One quick calculation later shows that my viewing of King Kong last night puts me at 666 films for the decade. I have made it safely through today but I don't fancy risking it any longer, I may have be forced to watch the Cat in the Hat tonight on Sky just to be safe.

Anyway onto the reviews while I am still alive to write them.

King Kong

Wow, my biggest concern here was the casting of Jack Black as i am so used to laughing at him but I thought he was excellent. Its not perfect, some of the CGI is a bit ropey, mostly the green screen work and not Kong who is one of the most believable CGI characters I have seen, also some of the story threads go nowhere but overall I would have gladly queued up straight away to see it again. Which earns King Kong the first appearance of... Two Thumbs Up

Million Dollar Baby

This won best film at last years Oscars and I can safely say the world would be a better place if everybody who voted for it was taken out and shot. This is the most cliched sentimental piece of crap I have seen in my whole life. Thumbs Down

U Turn

Decided to give this another go after being a bit blah about it before and came away feeling the same again, it just feels too full of interesting ideas poorly executed. Thumbs in the middle

Dig!

Documentary following the dandy warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre over the course of seven years as the more talented brian jonestown spiral into jealousy and drugs as there friends the dandy's fluke success by getting one of there songs into a mobile phone commercial. Film is part touching and hilarious, at a gig the fans of brian jonestown attack the camera crew making the documentary and then attack the band. Suckered me into buying a Brian Jonestown Massacre album to see what they are like. Thumbs up

New DVD's

King Kong production diaries - Gathers together all of Peter Jackson's internet based video diaries on the making of the film. This is the region one set that comes with prints of production designs and comes in fancy packaging.

Sin City recut, extended, unrated - this is the two disc special edition containing the theatrical version on one disc and each of the individual stories in slightly extended versions on another plus a bunch of extras. Also includes a copy of the first Sin City graphic novel which would have been cooler if I didn't already own a copy

that's it for now, will be back next week with the best films of 2005 part 1 and hopefully a review of Narnia if I live that long.

Midgets and Monkeys

One week in and already I am running behind schedule, however I do have a reason as I have been away in the land of the ginger haired skirt wearer's, that's Scotland to you and me, to see the Foo Fighters aka "The Shouty Band" as dubbed by a GUY that has been to see Atomic Kitten live so take that description for what its worth. More quality fare this week so on with the show

DOOM

I have smelled what the Rock is cooking and its another shit film, the film supposedly cost $70 million to make, I am assuming at least $50 million of this was spent on crack for whoever thought the script was good as the money is not on screen unless tunnels are expensive in this day and age. I did however learn via men's favourite form of temperature gauge that it is freezing cold on Mars most of the time. Thumbs Down

Romy and Michele's High School Reunion

Only good point to this was totally random dance sequence, I love totally random dance sequences and feel that all films should include them. From the great A Bande Apart to Adam Sandler dancing while buying pudding in Punch Drunk Love they are all genius and always improve a film and make a good film great in the same way midgets and monkeys do. Thumbs down

Bad Santa

Speaking of midgets, the first film to get a good review has one as a main character. Film follows the usual feel good Christmas film style story but adds a drunk Billy Bob Thorton and lots of swearing. As a bonus the Gilmore Girls Lauren Graham is always a pleasure to watch. Thumbs Up

Seed of Chucky

I have now seen all five chucky movies which by Guardian newspaper accounts should make me a child killing pedophile, so anyone who needs a babysitter drop me a line. Since this series went the comedy gore route with Bride of chucky I have been really enjoying them and this one is a lot of fun with Jennifer Tilly playing herself playing Tiffany, chuckys wife. Throw in the genius that is John Waters and have a recipe for depraved fun, plus technically the dolls are midgets so my theory is sticking. Thumbs Up

New DVD's
Batman Begins (Deluxe edition) - Batman franchise gets back on track, this is the HMV exclusive version that comes with a 72-page comic featuring stories that were the basis for the film

Matilda - Danny Devito's version of Roald Dahls book, haven't seen it in a while but remember it being fun and at only £5 couldn't be passed up

Brotherhood Aka Taegukgi -absolutely fantastic Korean war movie, South Korea has been producing some of the best films in the world in the last few years but people wont go see them cause the don't like sub-titles, idiots

Star Wars Clone Wars Volume 2 - More greatness from Genndy Tartakovsky, everything all the prequels should have been and more, if you like these check out Genndy's original work of genius Samurai Jack, it is also equally brilliant

Nightmare Before Christmas - the perfect Christmas movie and the perfect Halloween movie all in one, just get a copy already

Mr And Mrs Smith - Doug Liman keeps his record of good films at 100% with my favourite guilty pleasure of the year.

Maybe back at the weekend but if not I'll be back next week with King Kong and maybe Naria

Hello and welcome to "Das Movie Blog", you see what I did there I used the German word for "the" instead of the English version, it makes me sound sophisticated and gives you the impression that you will discover information about sophisticated foreign fare. As can be seen from the first movies commented on you are slightly wrong, I do like the sophisticated foreign fare but have a disturbing preference for the shite.

Anyway on to the meat and veg, the plan for this blog is to let people know the movies I watched each week and my eloquent thoughts on their worthiness. I will use the thumbs method of review. Thumbs down for crap, thumbs in the middle for blah, thumbs up for good and the rare and godly two thumbs up for classics.

New arrivals on the DVD and CD front will also be provided, the really sad people out there can spend there time noticing the large amount of time between me actually receiving a new DVD and then actually watching it. Enough already on with the show.

Slow week this week due to work and a TV backload so only two movies and what fantastic fare they where

XXX2- The next level

I have a soft spot for the original as I have a weakness for films that blow shit up for no good reason. However the sequel in the UK claims to be "the next level", if this is the next level then the first level must have been a cess pit as this is shit, that's all you get as I don't want to waste any more time on this film. Who would have thought Ice Cube could have been in something so bad? Thumbs down

Flight Plan

Film is a loose remake of Hitchcock's "The lady vanishes" which is one of the few Hitchcock's I have not seen. This one stars Jodie Foster whose character has a mans name as the original casting choice was Sean Penn and the writers were too lazy to come up with something else when they shifted gender. Any more information will spoil the film as the plot is paper thin, I can only say I was entertained enough for 90 minutes but have no desire to watch it again. Thumbs in the middle

New DVD's
Lots this week so brief descriptions
Batman Movie anthology 1989 - 1997 - Interested to see if I can watch Batman and Robin without stabbing my eyes out
Blow - Good real life drugs movie with Johnny Deep
Elf - Will Ferrell is God
Assault On Precinct 13 - The remake, falls into the blows shit up for no good reason category
The Faculty - I have mixed feeling about this but it was cheap and i am rounding out my Robert Rodriguez collection
King Kong - the original, comes in a tin, i am a sucker for fancy packaging at inflated prices
The Deer Hunter - Deniro, Walken, Russian Roulette, all that needs to be said
Peeping Tom - Just watch it, a little seen classic
The Phantom - really cheesy comic book movie starring Billy Zane, I have a soft spot for really cheesy comic book adaptations
Aeon Flux Boxset - contains all the shorts and the series plus more, looks like a really good set

New CD's
System Of a Down - Hypnotise - Just a step below mezmerize, but still better than most new metal released this year

that's it for now, I'll try to be back once a week with updates and may go on the odd rant in between.

Edit: now with added spell check, things will be the death of me