Every film I have seen in 2011

187. The Devil Rides Out (Terence Fisher, 1969)

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 06:44:49 -0500

187. The Devil Rides Out (Terence Fisher, 1969)

186. The Dungeon Masters (Keven McAlester, 2008)

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 06:43:14 -0500

186. The Dungeon Masters (Keven McAlester, 2008)

185. The Beast Must Die (Paul Annett, 1974)

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 06:41:56 -0500

185. The Beast Must Die (Paul Annett, 1974)

184. The Sentinel (Michael Winner, 1977)

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:15:17 -0500

184. The Sentinel (Michael Winner, 1977)

183. Melancholia (Lars von Trier, 2011)

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:11:55 -0500

183. Melancholia (Lars von Trier, 2011)

182. Tyrannosaur (Paddy Considine, 2011) If there’s any...

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:04:25 -0500

182. Tyrannosaur (Paddy Considine, 2011)

If there’s any one film I’ve seen this year that will stay with me for life, it’s Tyrannosaur, the filmic equivalent of a kick in the stomach. So-called “social realist” films are ever present in British cinema, but often smack of cultural tourism rather than progress. You could look that way at this film; it’s certainly one of the most shocking and uncompromising examples of the genre, but a fascinating study of violence lies under the grit. Peter Mullen’s loose-cannon character Joseph highlights the circular nature of violence, every bit a product of his environment, and Eddie Marsden’s abusive husband provoked such violent impulses in me that I felt myself implicated in that cycle; such is the power of his performance, I highly doubt I am alone or even unusual in this. Though he indulges in some unfortunately heavy-handed symbolism on a couple of occasions, Considine’s directorial voice is remarkably assured for a first time feature director, and he coaxes what I fully expect to be regarded as classic performances from Mullen and Olivia Coleman. Though not a roaring success at the box office, Tyrannosaur is the crowning glory of a fine year for British cinema.

181. Killer Klowns from Outer Space (Stephen Chiodo, 1988)

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 04:48:09 -0500

181. Killer Klowns from Outer Space (Stephen Chiodo, 1988)

180. Transylvania 6-5000 (Ruby De Luca, 1985)

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 04:46:54 -0500

180. Transylvania 6-5000 (Ruby De Luca, 1985)

179. Pootie Tang (Louis C.K., 2001)

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 03:52:39 -0500

179. Pootie Tang (Louis C.K., 2001)

178. Heart of Glass (Werner Herzog, 1976)

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 03:50:49 -0500

178. Heart of Glass (Werner Herzog, 1976)

177. The Last Picture Show (Peter Bogdanovich, 1971)

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 03:49:32 -0500

177. The Last Picture Show (Peter Bogdanovich, 1971)

176. A Taste of Honey (Tony Richardson, 1961)

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:57:22 -0500

176. A Taste of Honey (Tony Richardson, 1961)

175. Grand Theft Parsons (David Caffrey, 2003) Has there been a...

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:55:57 -0500

175. Grand Theft Parsons (David Caffrey, 2003)

Has there been a Gram Parsons biopic yet? If there has, I’m not aware of it, and I find that amazing; surely, such a romantic, tragic waste of young talent is a hack screenwriter’s wet dream. Parsons himself appears only briefly in this limp, “based on a true story” caper in which his friend and manager steals his body and holds a DIY cremation at the Joshua Tree, which at least shows a little respect for the great man, and in fairness the film does make efforts to communicate the tension between the traditional country roots of Parsons’ music and the drug addled hippie lifestyle he and many of his fans led. A respectable performance from Johnny Knoxville don’t make his character any more interesting, though, and the script is utterly flat throughout. Curious Gram fans, stay away, and avert your eyes if and when Zac Efron or some other pretty boy Hollywood goon croons his way through Hickory Wind on the silver screen in the near future.

174. Metropolitan (Whit Stillman, 1990)

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:45:35 -0500

174. Metropolitan (Whit Stillman, 1990)

173. The Draughtsman’s Contract (Peter Greenaway, 1982)

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:43:53 -0500

173. The Draughtsman’s Contract (Peter Greenaway, 1982)

172. Super (James Gunn, 2010)

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:42:44 -0500

172. Super (James Gunn, 2010)

171. Scoop (Woody Allen, 2006) Woody Allen may have made a...

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:03:47 -0500

171. Scoop (Woody Allen, 2006)

Woody Allen may have made a string of films that rank among the greatest of all time, including Annie Hall which is my favourite film of any genre ever, but he’s never been afraid of the occasional turkey. Even at the height of his powers, he dropped Interiors, referred to in Foster Hirsch’s book on Allen as “perhaps the single worst movie ever made by a major American film maker”. Not to say he fell off as early as that, but he hasn’t made a great film since the 80s, and the good ones he’s made since are extremely thin on the ground. Still, his good stuff is so good, I give him chance after chance, and I’m not the only one; surely, this is why recent mediocrities have been taken as tentative suggestions of a return to form; Vicky Cristina Barcelona for example, was made from a script which I sincerely believe was written in a single, sloppy draft, but critics were kind to it. Whatever Works, essentially an extended episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm written by someone who mistakenly believes that that show is good simply because Larry David is an insufferable asshole, also escaped the panning it deserved.

In comparison to bilge like Scoop, though, they’re practically masterpieces. Scoop, which was such a flop it never got a theatrical release in the UK, is proof if any were needed that Allen has simply given up. It’s a sad, wasteful affair, a cynical throwaway from a man who seems to make films primarily as a way to kill time. The convoluted murder plot is of sub-TV movie quality, Allen’s presence as an actor no longer welcome and his tacky fascination with the British upper classes is offputting; to make matters worse, there is not a single laugh to be had here. In spite of the critical success of Midnight in Paris, his latest, which I’m yet to see, I just can’t help thinking it might be better for Allen to give up film making altogether; he clearly doesn’t like it, or his audience, so what’s the use?

170. Blue in the Face (Wayne Wang & Paul Auster, 1995)

Sat, 26 Nov 2011 14:27:56 -0500

170. Blue in the Face (Wayne Wang & Paul Auster, 1995)

169. The Mask of Satan (Mario Bava, 1960)

Sat, 26 Nov 2011 14:26:08 -0500

169. The Mask of Satan (Mario Bava, 1960)

168. The Unbelievable Truth (Hal Hartley, 1989)

Sat, 26 Nov 2011 14:24:19 -0500

168. The Unbelievable Truth (Hal Hartley, 1989)