87 - Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

Connection To THE HOUSE BUNNY - Kat Dennings

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is the sort of film where there is a clear divide in what I liked about it and what I didn't.

My main criticism of the movie is it feels like it's trying just to hard to be cool and hip, the bands that get named even Nick's band are supposed to show you how cool these people are, and I think it's certainly a negative of the movie that brings it down a notch or two.

To be fair, though there is enough positives in this - Nick (Michael Cera) and Norah (Kat Dennings) at least have a relationship in which you can sort of care if they get together, there's also decent support from Ari Graynor who finds herself in misadventure after misadventure mostly in thanks to her constant intoxicated state.

I don't think it's the most memorable movie, I can say liked it but only remember certain bits of it - Graynor retrieving gum from a toilet is one stand out scene - so I would probably file it under not the worst way to kill a couple of hours but I'm going to struggle in conversation later besides a few words.

Overall, a short write up befitting of a film that's quick to put out of the memory so quickly, enough to recommend about it that you should sit and watch but I'll be very surprised if you'd be calling this your favourite film after watching it. 

86 - The House Bunny

Connection To THE HELP - Emma Stone

So sue me - The House Bunny - is the sort of film I enjoy - funny, light, pretty (and likable) ladies - so easy to watch, it stars three women I particularly enjoy watching - Anna Faris, Emma Stone and Kat Dennings and is does have a good energy going for it (and no-way where's out it's welcome).

I have honestly seen The House Bunny about 4 times now - more times then I've seen Schindler's List (which I've seen 3 times), obviously List is a classic, which brings me to the reason I brought it up... it seems a lot of people can tend to ignore the virtues of a movie just existing to entertain and thus a film like The House Bunny is not meant to be brought up in the same breath as Schindler's List, it's just after a crap day and I just want to relax and there the only 2 films I could watch, The House Bunny is going to get chosen 9 out of the 10 times.

I think one of the appeals of The House Bunny (besides the three actresses I mentioned) is that it sort of takes the piss out of the whole make-over thing - I think most of the girls of this unpopular sorority more just need to get some confidence in themselves, the makeovers work from them because somebody finally believes in them, Emma Stone's character just is not comfortable in front of boys and it's never in doubt she's pretty to the audience (how many have films have pretty much told us the clearly pretty girl is meant to be ugly) and all the girls including Faris' ex-Playboy bunny all learn from each other.

Now like I said I'm not here to pretend it's high art, and it's not necessarily out original - it seems every college films involving sororities or whatever after have an underdog and an evil counterpart - of course when men, and other people start giving the girls attention they start becoming more like the other sororities until they can find the right balance.

Casting wise the girls all deliver likable performances including those I haven't mentioned like Rumer Willis and Katherine McPhee and Hugh Hefner plays himself and doesn't really do too bad, I would complain the Colin Hanks as Faris' love interest though as very little do - so much that he might as well have not featured in the movie at all.

Overall, a movie that I will probably see multiple times more and still like it as much, if you want some dumb but with a heart (much like Faris' tittle character) then this is the movie for you.

85 - The Help

Connection To PRETTY UGLY PEOPLE - director Tate Taylor (also Allison Janney and Octavia Spencer)

I feel like I've been burnt one too many times by films that have recieved Academy Award attention. It didn't help The Help (awkward thing to say) in my eyes that the film won an academy award (and nominated three further times) and to be honest on paper the all film sounds awards-batey - admit it they love films that deal with subjects like race.

Crash was the film I think that ultimately ended my interest in what was nominated, won etc, the awards were already on shaky ground before that (Shakespeare In Love winning Best Picture etc.) but the manipulative rubbish that was Crash killed it, so like I said if I know a film as got Academy Award mention it will go against it - sure I've liked films since then, note not loved - The Hurt Locker, Black Swan etc. and some of the wildcard films have nominated/won such as Bridesmaids and The Dark Knight are more in the love category (but like I said wildcard). 

So yeah I'm writing this all before watching The Help, just sort of let anybody reading know that there is some prejudice going in before watching it, couple this with the last film I watched is from the same director - Tate Taylor - and I could considered it the weakest thing I've watched so far, and in the interest of a positive though I absolutely adore Emma Stone so anyway on with the movie...

And I enjoyed up really liking The Help, it's hard to believe it was the same director as Pretty Ugly People - Collectively all the characters interested me (as appose to one) and it was story that I enjoyed following throughout, I wouldn't say it changed my mind on the Academy Award thing single-handedly but maybe it's warmed me to seeing some of the ones I haven't seen yet (such as The Artist).

I think this is the longest film I've watched so far since starting this, I consciously pick films that come in at under 2 hours and closer to 90 minutes the better to be honest - mainly so I'm not there sat twiddling my thumbs, this though comes in at over 2 hours and really didn't feel like it.

I felt like the film made good use of the time period it was set, having some knowledge of the time - such as civil rights - I think actually helps enhance the experience, and it's actually good to see a female-orientated film that is not really about the "boy".

Of the cast I most enjoyed Ocativa Spencer, proving in 2 films to me that she is one to watch, Bryce Dallas Howard was enjoyably bitchy and Jessica Chastain, I like the warmth she brought to the role, I can't leave Emma Stone who like Chastain liked what the warmness and the humanity she brought to the character.

My favourite scene is when Spencer who had previously been fired by Howard getting her revenge in pie form, Sissy Spacek's reactions for me really made that scene.

Overall, a film I really liked (love is perhaps too far), I can't falter the cast (even those I didn't mention) and the story kept me interested all the way through.

84 - Pretty Ugly People

Connection To A THOUSAND WORDS - Allison Janney

If is a film is bad, hell even terrible in doing this six degrees (or 84 degrees chain at the minute), it can be a good thing - I can watch in enjoyment or gritted teeth depending on which type of bad it is, a worse thing in killing my interest for a film is just blandness - Pretty Ugly People - which I watched yesterday (most of the films I wrote about yesterday where watched on the Saturday) and honestly it just killed my interest dead in watching something else for the rest of the day - I would go as far to say this of all 84 movies this is the least pleasure I've took from anything I've watched .

Pretty Ugly People became the most challenging film for me so far because (besides one thing which I'll say later) most of the characters where I wouldn't say unlikable but just not people to have any reason to root for, if I had an ounce of interest in these characters it would take away from much of it's obvious plotting.

Missi Pyle is the fat friend in a group who gets them all to come home by sort of implying she's dying, while in fact she's lot a shit ton of weight and wants to go on a hike she was never allowed to go on a kid because her family didn't think she could handle it.

On paper, you can't fault cast - Melissa McCarthy, Josh Hopkins, Phill Lewis (Hooch is crazy), but the characters they are given are not particularly interesting, McCarthy as a good moment I suppose involving using a satellite phone. Honestly of the cast I say take Octavia Spencer out of this movie... the only reason why? She's much too memorable to be part of a movie where the rest of it is so forgetful, she deserves to be transplanted to a much better movie.

Spoiler Zone for next paragraph - Hopkins character is pretty homophobic to a character who's a single male air steward, can you guess the twist in the tale? yes Hopkins character is gay all along and masking it, man this is the second film I've watched and that's been the case and the other film, while lot great - Cursed - did it better (how is that possible?), there's also while I'm complaining an example of death by convenience towards the end.

Overall, the least interesting movie I've watched so far, which would probably put top of the list (or thereabouts) of my least favourite movies experiences on this blog

Potentially no updates next few days (not related to this film).

83 - A Thousand Words

Connection To A.C.O.D. - Clark Duke

A Thousand Words was made in 2008 but didn't see a release in 2012, and even skipped cinemas over here in the U.K. altogether (though it got advertised at one point), I actually don't think quality was the reason is what kept it from release for so long but rather to do with studio separation and all that.

As a film I felt there was elements I actually liked of this movie and I think film most reminded me of was Click - high concept which starts as a comedy but then gradually becomes more of a drama in a lesson to get a man to change his ways for the better. A Thousand Words as a tree grow in Eddie Murphy's garden that leaves fall off every time Murphy speaks and he'll die once the last one has fallen...

Now I'm not holding up Click as a classic but I think that movie did it better then this did, you don't quite feel Eddie Murphy is selfish enough to be the one forced to go through this journey, sure he could spend more time with his wife (Kerry Washington) and kid and should listen more but the path he was heading down was not drawn clearer like in other films.

As the wife, Washington is mostly wasted just getting to stand there being annoyed or upset at Murphy, though there is a scene where she dresses sexy to try and rekindle their relationship, though some of his male co-stars such as Cliff Curtis and Clark Duke have more to do, Curtis particularly stands out to me from the bunch.

In the end though it's a weird choice to have Eddie Murphy where his voice is one of the key elements of his success forced to be quiet for big parts of the movie

Overall not bad, doesn't have anything in it though (I guess sans Washington dressing sexy) that I'd want to revisit, this is a watch once movie and that's it.

81 - Wet Hot American Summer

Connection To NOT ANOTHER TEEN MOVIE - Samm Levine as an uncredited voice role here, confirmed by Levine himself if there was some doubt from IMDB.

It's been over 10 years since I first discovered Wet Hot American Summer, it was brought in a budget DVD pack with some other films, if I recall correctly it was one or two of the other comedies was my reason for buying as I had never heard of this film at all - I think that says a lot I can't remember what the other films where but this film as been brought multiple times and I even purchased the American DVD with extras (the British is bare-bones).

This is my 4th or 5th time watching WHAS and it's still as funny now as the first time I saw it, it has a weird tone to it which isn't a bad thing - it's not out and out parody but it's not in a world where everything is completely straight if that makes sense. This film is set in 1981 on the last day of a Jewish summer camp and is about the misadventures of the counselors, the romance of the camp director (Janeane Garofalo) and an astrophysics proffers (David Hyde Pierce) and we also spend some time with the kids.

The plot is basically just an excuse to string the funny moments together and the film features plenty of funny people, practically the entire cast of The State, Amy Poehler, Molly Shannon, Paul Rudd, early roles for Bradley Cooper and Elizabeth Banks.

I don't want to write about too many of the scenes because it gives away the direction but one of the funniest scenes for me was when the camp director goes into town with the counselors just how it spirals out of control is so hilarious, I also like Christopher Meloni and his subplot as the cook and is also a shell-shocked Vietnam vet.

Overall I'd prefer somebody to go into this film without any expectations then you can be surprised like I did as I found this incredibly funny.

80 - Not Another Teen Movie

Connection To JOE DIRT - Jaime Pressly.

In time to come when all the spoof movie movies get lumped together as the scraping of the bottom of the barrel for parody, it will be a shame for the genuinely funny ones in the bunch, it to be fair is films that would pre-date Date Movie, films such as this teen spoof Not Another Teen Movie.

Not Another Teen Movie parodies unsurprisingly an whole bunch of teen movies particularly the comedies (so I guess it does fall into the trap of spoofing something already funny - but at times at least as a new joke to with it, also it parodies the more earnest scenes of these comedies)

Jake (Chris Evans - doing a better Freddie Prinze Jr. then Prinze Jr.) makes a bet with his friends to turn Janey (Chyler Leigh) into prom queen even though she has glasses, a ponytail and paint covered overalls, so yeah the basis is She's All That with scenes or characters mimicking among other teen movies such as American Pie, Can't Hardly Wait, Cruel Intentions, The Breakfast Club, 10 Things I Hate About You and Bring It On among others, yeah it's noticeable that most of the teen movies are from the 3 or 4 years before

The best characters for me are Mia Kirshner as Catherine, taking off Sarah Michelle Gellar's character in Cruel Intentions as Jake's sister (only by blood), she does still get to be sexy for the most part even when doing ridiculous things (the brother/sister incest thing is tiny bit ironic since Chyler Leigh kissed her real brother on film, since they played love interests in Kickboxing Academy), another enjoyable character was Sam Hungington as Ox (taking off Chris Klein's Oz from American Pie) I just love how he plays the performance

My favourite scenes including Ricky reading 10 Things I Love About Janey in class, the musical number (showing Disaster Movie how a musical number featuring the cast should go) and I like Jake trying to save Janey's brother from bullying.

The films worst scene for me, and is the scene that takes toilet humour literally as the three horny freshman characters spying on a girl on toilet who ends up getting discussing, this is not the worst part but the scene ends with the English teacher among others getting covered in shit, the scene goes on way too long for a pay off that is more disgusting and funny.

Overall, because plenty of the jokes hit the mark and everybody plays their characters so well, the film ends up being so damn enjoyable for me.

79 - Joe Dirt

Connection To THE MASTER OF DISGUISE - Both made by Adam Sandler's production company Happy Madison.

This movie is an absolute classic...

Well not really, but compared to The Master Of Disguise it is, with a likable enough lead (surprising since he's played by David Spade), and Christopher Walken at one point dancing in it.

Most of Joe Dirt's story is told in flashback to a radio DJ (SNL alumni Dennis Miller) in California, where Joe now works as a custodian, the film is basically a story of random events, it's sort of like a white trash Forrest Gump (though it doesn't place him in any point in famous history), even a girl he loves Brandy (Brittany Daniel) that gets away. In recount the story of his journey to the DJ unbeknownst to him he as become an overnight sensation. Among his adventures include getting captured by Buffalo Bob (complete with putting lotion on it's skin) and working at a school as a janitor with a former mob boss (Walken) in the witness protection program.

I did like Spade here, it feels so rare playing somebody who isn't snarky (like 99% of his work), his character here is more good natured and self deprecating (he even jokes temporally that he slept with his sister), while I've said the female lead in some of the comedies with a bit of loser lead are always clearly too good for them I didn't actually feel it so much with Brandy, though my experience of Daniel was Sweet Valley High and a brief arc in Dawson's Creek so maybe I don't feel the same I did for her initially as some other actresses.

In the rest of the cast we have cool smaller role for Walken who is just fun when on screen and Jaime Pressly also pops up as the already mentioned sister, I should mention the cast also features Kid Rock as the films jerk, yeah he's not really much of an actor.

Overall, I'm not going to pretend it's a great film but it has it's moments and is better then Master Of Disguise by miles. Some of the enjoyment though might be on how much you think of Spade.

78 - The Master Of Disguise

Connection To I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER - Jennifer Esposito.

Thank God it was only 80 minutes... that is all I have to say, and while it doesn't plum the depths of Disaster Movie (there was less eye rolling here and I made it past 5 minutes without wanting to switch if off). The Master Of Disguise was mean't as a starring vehicle for Dana Carvey, and it's a shame it's a rancid turd of a movie because I think he's a talented bloke.

The movie was likely designed to show off Carvey's skill of impressions (and voices) - and you can't deny he's good at that though his Eddie Murphy doesn't particularly like Eddie Murphy then a plot was just thrown together to try and tie it up, and Carvey plays Pistachio Disguisey, who doesn't realize he from a family that are masters of disguise  until Brent Spiner kidnaps his parents and then he finds out his heritage then it's basically a series of scenes of him doing impressions of famous people/characters/others including Quint from Jaws, Tony Montana (I should mention this is mean't to be a kids movie), Shrek (was it a nod or accidental) and George W. Bush, while his dad James Brolin as a number of celebs play him when he's in disguise including Bo Derek (more on her in a bit) and Jesse Ventura.

The love interest here as in all Happy Madison movies (I should have mentioned here) is a girl who's too good looking and has too nice of personality to fall for the main hero, in this film's case it's Jennifer Esposito, who is a good looking woman in my opinion. Spiner, as the villain though gets to have flatulence as one of his main characteristics, so yeah not his proudest cinematic moment...

The worst scene for me is when Pistachio misunderstanding and taking what the exclusive Turtle Club's name literally and acts as some part human/turtle, the scene is just so cringe-worthy.

Back to Bo Derek for some reason she was nominated for Worst Supporting Actress at the Razzies, this seems unfair she barely does anything (I am not a fan of that award ceremony anyway), so yeah I'm calling it out as crappy.

Overall, not funny, a series of scenes that if they had any humour would have just flown by but instead we're stuck with a crappy vehicle for somebody too talented for it.

77 - I Still Know What You Did Last Summer

Connection To CAN'T HARDLY WAIT - Jennifer Love Hewitt.

I mentioned in the post Seventy Five Films, about a couple of films I desired to revisit which included Shanghai Knights and this movie - Josie and The Pussycats was the last movie I'd watched before then and decided to go Can't Hardly Wait for 76 which features Jennifer Love Hewitt, you would guess I did this on purpose to get the chain to go that way to get to this film, but no it didn't occur to me at all at first, I was close to putting on Not Another Teen Movie (which spoofs part of Can't Hardly Wait) before my memory came back on JLH in this movie.

I really don't know why I have a desire to revisit this movie, it's maybe because I've watched a few late 90's horrors this month (Halloween H20, The Faculty), and they've both had a Kevin Williamson connection which I guess goes to show the impact Scream and he had on horror of the late 90's, and of course the original I Know What You Did Last Summer was written by Kevin Williamson - which I like to think he'd written years before and put in a draw until the studios came knocking and he just dusted it off but anyway this is Williamson-less and without spoiling the outcome of the first movie as two returnees in Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr.

My memory told me it wasn't a particularly good movie but watching it now, honestly despite it's faults I actually enjoyed watching it and for this purpose of just this write up I'm just going to put a spoiler mention here then talk about it freely from now on.

Yeah, the all getting lured to the Bahamas doesn't really need to happen, since the guy whose revealed to be the son of Ben (the guy who they ran over in the first movie) as already integrated himself well enough into Julie's (Hewitt) life, but I guess it makes a nice change of scenery and an excuse to include a tropical storm in a slasher movie.

We have an whole bunch of hotel staff, to mostly acts as victims though Jeffrey Combs is fun as his usual creepy self and Jennfier Esposito to me is always easy on the eyes, we also have an uncredited Jack Black complete with dreadlocks and fake accent, which I know the first movie had extra kills (2 I can remember) this kills off at least 7 or 8 who had no idea what they really did last summer, speaking of one of the victims, a work colleague of Prinze Jr who initially doesn't go to the Bahamas is John Hawkes, who is enjoyable and gets killed off way too quick - Prinze Jr must have had a different schedule because really his scenes are only with the others at the beginning and end.

I probably have to say that Freddie Prinze Jr. might be one of the least interesting actors in modern cinema, I felt like I've yet to see him light up the screen, maybe somebody reading this as seen something I haven't seen is just bland here, however it's maybe because at the time I most associated her with Moesha (which I didn't like) but Brandy Norwood really grew on my on performance here and cuteness (was never really into her)

the makes knew Hewitt had some assets so she wears tight clothing couple of times,she even strips to her bikini for a sunbed (which the handle gets tied up and she is trapped - marking the second film I've watched for this blog with that happening - the other was Killer Workout)

Overall, better then I remember or I just prefer it more now, though it's often predictable it does it's job well enough as a post-Scream slasher.

76 - Can't Hardly Wait

Connection To JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS - where to start the directors/writers Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan as well as the actors Seth Green, Breckin Meyer and Donald Faison, I'll cheat a little bit and go for Elfont and Kaplan rather then any of the actors.

I'll always have a soft spot for teen comedies even though now it's been 12 years since I last could call myself a teen - though I'm probably close to the ages of some of the actors that tend to be cast for teen, maybe even younger in some cases (wasn't Stockard Channing like 60 when she made Grease - I like Stockard Channing I don't know why I am picking on her), every few years or so comes one that I end up really liking such as Clueless, Mean Girls or Easy-A (these are examples and not the complete list)

This is a preface I perhaps I could have put at the beginning of a teen movie I've already covered, but hey ho, and while I don't believe Can't Hardly Wait is a classic of the genre, the film deserves to better known then it is -

The film mostly takes place over 1 night at a party - a very PG-13 party... literally, scenes and characters where cut to to tone it down the characters include crying drunk girl (Jennifer Elise Cox) and Stoned Girl (Amber Benson), who both still can be glimpsed briefly in the final film.

The film is basically about a high school graduation party and it's various misadventures of the characters who attend it, we have Ethan Embry whose liked Jennifer Love Hewitt for years and plans to pour his heart (in a letter) at the party, her very recent ex-boyfriend Peter Facinelli is also at the party and is trying to convince his friends to dump their girlfriends, we have Lauren Ambrose's snarky friend who gets stuck in the bathroom with gangsta wannabe Seth Green (the two used to be friends) and we have geek Charlie Korsmo vowing to get revenge on Facinelli. These are the principal stories but there are lots and lots of characters seen many of them are familiar faces which I'll get to in a bit.

All these characters are enjoyable to see on the screen and particularly in two of the strands go exactly the way you expect but it's not a bad thing at all, among the other actors who pop include Jaime Pressly, Selma Blair, Jason Segel, Freddy Rodriguez, Erik Palladino, Sara Rue, Clea DuVall, Breckin Meyer, Donald Faison, Jenna Elfman, Jerry O'Connell and Melissa Joan Hart, who I like a lot is stuck with one of the weaker minor-subplots of desperately trying to get her yearbook signed, there's also the other minor-subplot of the girls house who is trying to stop is getting wrecked that is also on the weak side.

It occured to me that with Green, Segel and Benson in the cast - that is all her 3 major TV love interests in one film (Kennedy didn't count), besides that Paige Moss appears who in Buffy was the the lead to Green/Hannigan spiting up (Channon Roe, Nicole Bilderback, Clea DuVall and Eric Balfour all have appeared in Buffy too)

Overall very cool teen movie, I actually prefer it to American Pie, which is the year after and ends with a graduation party so there's a link there and would sooner revisit this, I enjoyed many of the characters even those that make fleeting appearances, so I recommend the film.

75 - Josie and The Pussycats

Connection To SIN CITY - Rosario Dawson

I feel like I should put this bit first before I go any further - I have so much affection for this movie. When I first saw this movie it was love at first sight.

The fact that the IMDB rating is 5.3 and a 53% fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes (which I guess is the exact same score) makes me think only a small number of people will think it's average will some would have gave it a poor score, whilst others have give it a high score.

I know I heard of the Hanna Barbara cartoon before seeing the film for the first time I can't really remember if I ever saw it, me thinks it must have been on Cartoon Network or similar at one point in the UK and I have seen it (but to be fair certain Hanna Barbara cartoons can merge together).

While the film takes digs at advertising and the like, you could make an argument that it would have hit the nail right on the head if they didn't use actual real companies but still I guess it adds a sense of realism in the film that's not really there otherwise.

The film opens with the boy band Dujour (featuring Seth Green, Breckin Meyer and Donald Faison) performing Backdoor Lover, which does indeed sound like a genuine boyband song from around the time the film was made in 2001, on a plane ride to Riverdale, the boys tell their manager Wyatt (Alan Cumming) that they noticed an hidden message strange in their recording, Wyatt decides to parachute out the plane and let the plane crash, in which he lands in Riverdale's home town and needs a new group to latch on, it's then he comes across the girl band then called The Pussycats and begins use them as the new vehicle for doing sublime messages to youngsters.

The pussycats are played by Rachael Leigh Cook as Josie, Rosario Dawson as Val and Tara Reid as Melody - and Say what you want about Reid and the subsequent decade plus but she's absolutely adorable here as the air-headed Melody, I am not saying the makers of Victorious took the character for Cat but you can't certainly see the similarities. I liked the relationship between the three girls and the jealousy of Val towards Josie is built up well throughout the film.

The film villains are Cumming and Parker Posey, I enjoyed them and it seems like there was having a lot of funny going a bit OTT, though the film is usually better when the Pussycats are the screen, Posey has an awesome scene with a Senator. The best Pussycat related scene is probably the TRL scene.

Overall, the songs are catchy (I really like Pretend To Be Nice) and it's very funny even now after multiple viewings, the girls are pretty too look at and like I said have great chemistry, it's just a shame it didn't set the box-office alight and we got a sequel. I still love this film some 12 years after first seeing it.

74 - Sin City

Connection To THE FACULTY - director Robert Rodriguez (also actors Elijah Wood and Josh Hartnett) but the director is the one I'm going with.

I thought since this was the year the long awaited Sin City - A Dame To Kill For is released I thought it was worth revisiting a film I really dug when I first saw it back in 2005, I think I've seen it once again in the extended form in 2006 but this is a revisit to the original cinematic cut.

I didn't really talk about the director Robert Rodriguez (co-directing with the comic creator Frank Miller here) on the entry for The Faculty and I mean't too say something on my opinion of him. My opinion on him is that a lot of his films there is something holding them back from being truly great - From Dusk Till Dawn, Desperado, Machete films like that on paper sound a touch better then the execution, these are not bad films, though he's made them as well, I think my genuine opinion is Sin City is the only film that as reached it's potential as far as I am concerned, and that's why I'm excited for it's belated sequel.

I don't read many comic books (or graphic novels) really, but I do enjoy films based on them, from the superhero to stuff like Ghost World I've loved numerous films that have started life there, so I never know how closely something follows to the comic, but Sin City moreso then many more I am under the impression is the closest you'll get to a shot by shot remake of a comic, Rodriguez purposely co-directed with the creator Miller to get this and he stuck to using the comic panels as storyboards.

I enjoy films with multiple stories (though the previous film that Robert Rodriguez did with 3 other directors including Quentin Tarantino who guest directed here - Four Rooms - was a film I didn't think too highly of) because I think said it in the write up to Nightmares that stories don't necessary out stay there welcome, there's really 3 stories here plus bookends featuring Josh Hartnett (who I said I wasn't a big fan of as an actor but this the 4th film I've watched this month with him in).

Firstly, we get the makings of the final story with Bruce Willis, a good cop saving a little girl from a vile rapist who he shoots both the weapons of (his hand with a gun in and his genitals), but he ends up getting framed and put in prison while the girl grows up to be Jessica Alba and the guy he shot - The Big Yellow Bastard (Nick Stahl) though she's a little old for him wants to put a notch on the bad post. In the first full story Mickey Rourke is Marv who wakes up next to a dead hooker (Jaime King) and vows to get revenge for her since she showed him love when nobody else would because of looks (even other hookers) and in the second story Clive Owen faces of with Brittany Murphy's psycho ex-Benicio Del Toro which could end up causing a war between the hookers, the gangsters and the cops.

The all star cast is pretty darn great, the stand outs including Mickey Rourke, who it's weird they said The Wrestler was his big comeback because he was so awesome here, also stands out are creepy as hell we have Elijah Wood and of the female cast - Brittany Murphy... I miss you so much, I had such a soft spot for you starting with Clueless (rollin' with my homies) I just love how she plays her role the way she speaks it, and among others Rosario Dawson also shines and Jessica Alba is pretty darn good as Nancy.

It's probably been said multiple times by people before but it's such a benefit to the movie that it literally looks like a live action comic-book, I loved the colour scheme of the movie, mostly black and white except for flashes of colour including blood, clothing and The BYB. Going back to the actors there was some fun minor roles in there as well.

Overall, while it features an lot of violence that might turn people off but I really liked it, I am really looking forward to the sequel. I was glad to revisit after so long.

72 - Taken

Connection To POISON IVY 2 - Xander Berkley

"I don't know who you are, I don't know what you want...", this speech that Liam Neeson delivers to his daughter's kidnapper in Taken as in six shorts years already reached iconic status and single handedly change Neeson into an action star.

Taken for me was a thrill ride, the beginning is pretty much just to set up a non-stop revenge thriller, Neeson goes around beating up or killing the people responsible for taking his daughter (Maggie Grace), which is not personal they just picked the wrong girl with the wrong father.

Whether you except this premise I think can alter your enjoyment, the idea might be far-fetched - she happens to be on the phone with her highly trained dad the moment they come into get her, his ex-wife's new mister happens to have a private jet that can clear and get him to Paris quickly, and little things like the reflection on a photo helps him in his quest - 

I always assumed his daughter's friends death (who is taken the same time), was just death by plot convenience, she dies so you don't have to worry about her after her scene, because after all it's not her story. Things that didn't really work for me is the sub-plot at the beginning of Neeson doing security for a singer played by Holly Vallance that is randomly picked up at the end and I don't know I felt like the finale could have been something better.

Overall very enjoyable if perhaps relies on things like coincidence a little too much, Neeson is cool as fuck here though and he's on screen a good percent of the time. 

71 - Poison Ivy 2: Lily

Connection to DANCE 'TIL DAWN - Alyssa Milano

Dear Alyssa Milano,

I hope you are well, I am just writing this letter to know that I wanted to thank you so, so much for helping me through puberty - the likes of Poison Ivy 2 and Embrace Of The Vampire - I enjoyed watching those films late on a television and went to bed with pleasant thoughts. I still thank you are something of a goddess. 

Yours sincerely 

Me

So puberty heh - do I really have to spell it out? --- I've got to be honest during those oh so important puberty years, late on before sleep-time I would scour the Satellite (Sky) channels, even those in German looking for actresses (remember this was pre-internet days for me) hoping for some skin and would sometimes get lucky, Drew Barrymore flashing in Boys On The Side, Uma Thurman in Dangerous Liaisons, Juliette Lewis in Strange Days - there was other of course, but it was with Alyssa Milano I felt like I hit pay dirt - with both Poison Ivy 2 and Embrace Of The Vampire.

I should acknowledge that I am not under any pretenses that these are good movies - I know they are not - the sad truth is Alyssa Milano is someone who is lacking in decent starring roles, there is just some actresses I really like and that is the case, but they'll get watched because they are in said movie.

Poison Ivy 2 is not as good as the first one, which you might recall I said was not great but better then it had any right to be, and yeah the story just isn't as compelling here - but, but Alyssa Milano droooooooooooools...

This time Poison Ivy is Lily, who starts the film more naive then damaged, she's an art student who finds a box with a diary and nude photos (of the girl who's diary it is - Ivy) and she gets the desire to have the same sexual desire/conquest that she has and the begins acting more like the girl of the diary.

Xander Berkley gets to be the old guy this time around that we don't want to see them do stuff with (but they do), he's her art teacher and she babysits his kids and we have a paranoid beau for her this time rather then a female friend (which was an asset for the first movie I think).

We do indeed get some Milano boob action, so for that alone I am entirely grateful for this film (1998 me is very happy so is 2014 me to be honest).

Overall, feels more soft core then the predecessor which is only good in the that because of you know Alyssa Milano, but as a film taking away the moments that I am clearly a pervert it's just not an overall interesting film.

P.S. seriously sorry for being a pervert.

69 - She's Out Of Control

Connection To WE'RE NO ANGELS - Wallace Shawn.

Noted film critic Gene Siskel said after watching this film he became so depressed and considered quitting his job of film critic (but seeing Say Anything the same day showed him that everything was alright with the world)... so in my opinion, talk about overkill, if I was to make a list of the 100 worst films I have ever seen, this would be nowhere near it mostly because, here's my confession here - I quite liked it.

We all of our own opinions but seriously of likely the 1000's of films Siskel saw, he said this made him depressed, maybe because Siskel wasn't a child of the 1980's so maybe we are viewing things a bit differently this to me was likable 80's goodness - that's a word I keep using again and again I've found I don't think it's because necessarily I struggle for words but for me it can go a long way in a film - while if it's a comedy the jokes can sometimes fall flat but if there is something... likable about the film it leaves me with a good experience of watching the film.

She's Out Of Control sees Tony Danza as the father to 2 girls, one just turned 15 (Ami Dolenz who was 20 at the time of production, that's why I have no problem putting a picture up of her from the film) who goes away for a couple of days. Dolenz is awkward with braces so his girlfriend Catherine Hicks gets her braces removed and a makeover and by the time he comes back there's a line around the block for the newly "beautiful" daughter.

Yeah, so it's not an entirely original plot, there is probably about a 1000 films or TV shows that have had a similar plot but within that here was stuff I found entertaining - Wallace Shawn is a shrink who Danza keeps following the advice and pretty much fills his head with paranoia, who is probably the most enjoyable part of the movie, we also have a young Matthew Perry here as well who plays a jerk pretty well. Dustin Diamond pops up briefly as a kid on the bach and Todd Bridges as a water man (who I assume was just doing his real job... I keed I keed)

It's Ami Dolenz film though if we are not convinced that all these boys would be wanting to get into pants it just wouldn't be convincing, she's very cute and think even plays the change pretty well compared to a lot of films where the characters go through makeovers. Also the film ends with one of those airport scenes where it's only possible pre-9/11.

Overall, I enjoyed watching the film, if critics give it bile maybe over people out there will dislike it, but it would be ideal for somebody doing an 80's night.

68 - We're No Angels

Connection To THE BIG WEDDING - Robert De Niro, wasting him on two lesser films I suppose.

I do remember that I saw We're No Angels when I was little, I remember the video cover, us renting it, even it been on, but honestly there is no memory of it, it's something I've always being meaning to revisit and not have left it I guess almost 25 year-ish

When I was little I obviously had no idea of flops and I kind of wish I didn't go through the period of reading reviews that would decide everything I watched, because it really is a better thing sometimes into a film quite blind other then little things like actors etc, you'll be surprised at how many films you'll enjoy then read up afterwards - you mean I wasn't supposed to like that.

Watching this in 2014, it's hard to believe this was at the time a rare venture in comedy for De Niro, considering it seems like every other film he does now is one and he is paired with the similarly serious Sean Penn (who at least had an iconic role in a comedy - Fast Times At Ridgemont High - by then), but I don't know something tells me I'm not exactly going to be watching a rip-roaring comedy when I start We're No Angels.

It's not bad but for a comedy it's rarely funny - which is one of the things you want most from a comedy, but oddly as long as the film is enjoyable it's not a total deal breaker - it certainly should be better though for the talents involved behind the camera (directed Neil Jordan and written by motherfucking David Mamet) and in the front. It mostly feels like there is more tension in whether they will get caught out then the humour.

The female lead is Demi Moore - so It's got 80's Demi Moore since this came out in 1989 - I don't know I tend to not find her as attractive once it's the 90's - she was cuter to me (see also One Crazy Summer, No Small Affair).

Overall, this film feels like a watch once unless I totally don't remember it in another nearly 25 years then it will get seen again, you can't fault the actors or anything but it's missing a spark for me.

Last note - today film-wise ends up being a disappointing day as nothing was that brilliant.

67 - The Big Wedding

Connection To ANYWHERE BUT HERE - Susan Sarandon

Now this is a film that's opening scene that has the opening scene of Robert De Niro about to do cunnilingus on Susan Sarandon before Diane Keaton disrupts it, picture this scene mentally how you will and you're welcome.

Honestly it was weigh up watching this film... on one hand I absolutely love Amanda Seyfried to bits, but on the other hand something about Katherine Heigl just drives me the wrong way (I honestly think it's some of the things she said), in the end despite the negative reviews I decided to risk it.

The Big Wedding as a sit-com plot where a now divorced couple have to pretend to still be married for the Colombian mother of there adopted son, so honestly the film could have been over within 20 minutes just by telling his mother the truth.

The truth is with The Big Wedding is that it keeps verging on being funny, there are genuinely fleeting funny moments but honestly the rest of the movie just falls short, I predictably wrongly that the father (Robert De Niro) would be caught "cheating" with his current girlfriend (Susan Sarandon) by the son's real mother, his divorced wife his played by Diane Keaton, who as you remember co-starred with De Niro in The Godfather Part II - how things change.

The rest of the cast - the kids including Topher Grace, a 29 year old virgin doctor who falls for his adopted brother's real sister, Katherine Heigl as the sister who is Heigl like and I don't know if it was a plot twist that she was pregnant all along and didn't know it because I could see it coming a mile off, Ben Barnes is the adopted son who's going to be marrying Amanda Seyfried - who is underused as far as I'm concerned - and we also get Robin Williams along for the ride as an ex-AA buddy of De Niro and now a priest who probably is in the best scenes of the film.

Overall is a film that is seriously lacking something, the cast aren't bad when it comes down to it but the material is trying but none of it fits together, you can live your life without seeing this movie.

66 - Anywhere But Here

Connection To THE JOYRIDERS - the three young "joyriders" of that movie all actually appear in this and it's from the same year (1999), so it's a connection between Shawn Hatosy, Elisabeth Moss or Heather McComb... you know what I'll go with McComb, you never know the two might come in handy at a later date.

Natalie Portman came onto the scene in astonishing style with Léon (as I knew it here in the UK or you might know it as The Professional) with a great performance as Matildha, she followed it up soon with roles in Heat (small but memorable), Mars Attacks and Everyone Says I Love - which I know you could argue on the quality of them last two movies but the them three films all had astonishing cast lists, during this time she also stole the show in the lesser-scene Beautiful Girls, by 1999 she would turn 18 so she would be categorized not a child actress anymore and the most famous for her that year was Star Wars Episode I - The Phantom Menace, not a bad career choice from a certain point of view, but if this was some people's first experience of her they would genuinely think what a wooden actress she is, the same year she would make Anywhere But Here and if I was writing this in 1999 you could start to think maybe a question in a few years to come will be - whatever happened to Natalie Portman?

I need to start this next paragraph by saying I'm roughly the same age as Natalie Portman, well she is a year-ish older then me, the reason I had to start with that is that I have had a crush on Natalie Portman for so long now, spanning 3 decades (I always like saying stuff like that), probably since 1997/98 so she really is an age appropriate crush for me, I had cut out pictures of her on my bedroom wall, and as the years have gone the crush as never really gone away, even if other actresses have been let in and being allowed to share that affection - I didn't want people thinking I was a dirty old man well I write because I imagine some of how the movie is viewed is seen from how I was in my teenage years.

Anywhere But Here, along with Where The Heart Is, the following year is what I have always considered the period where she was in danger of falling into "safe" pictures, where the films are not necessarily bad but are just not the most challenging pictures - perhaps what you see is what you get.

ABH (what I'll call it from now on) as teenage daughter (Portman) and flighty mother (Susan Sarandon) upping sticks from a small town to California, hence the title of the film because it's not exactly where Portman wants to be, so most of the film is Portman moping (of missing home) or challenging her mother while she in return does stuff on the spare of the moment or insist they go for ice cream

Among the events in the movie has her cousin Shawn Hatosy SPOILER die during the movie, which seems like death by plot convenience to me to get a sad reaction from you as the audience member END OF SPOILER.

Perhaps the most effective scene for me is because I am child of divorce and my dad didn't want me is the scene where Portman is on the phone to her father who really wants nothing to do with her, I'm not sure how this scene would play to other people but me for I really identified with her.

Sadly a more interesting movie is presented when we saw Thora Birch in her underwear in her photo and then we learn Natalie Portman was the one who took it, am I alone in thinking that would be a better movie??? (get out of her you pervert)

Overall I can see why somebody with a different taste in movies would really like it but despite the lovely Portman it's just not the movie for me at the end of the day, and it's not that I disliked it I found it mainly okay despite decent performances from Portman and Sarandon.

65 - The Joyriders

Connection To METEOR - Martin Landau.

I actually put The Joyriders on knowing nothing other then it starred Martin Landau and Shawn Hatosy and it was called The Joyriders, so it's rare I go into a film totally blind not even knowing the plot, but here goes.

The film is about a suicidal elderly man (Landau) who ends up getting "kidnapped" by three wayward teens (Hatosy, Elisabeth Moss and Heather McComb) and though I predicted the direction the film was going to go (that they would start to identify with each other, care for each other etc.) I ended up really liking it once it get, I wish it would just get there a touch sooner.

I had a problem with the "kidnapping" which I have put in quotes because the film still wants you to identify with these characters that it's really something that is out of the kids control, it kind of doesn't make sense though how they end up taking Landau, mostly because it doesn't seem in their character until it actually happens.

The 4 leads characters gelled together really well particularly Landau with Moss - the more naive, sweetheart of the trio (Hatosy more immature and McComb more live wire) and she plays the sort of character you could fall in love with simply because she is so undeniably sweet even if her life as gone to shit. There is a good smaller role for Kris Kristofferson as a friendly preacher, he's enjoyable for the time he's on screen. The sole bad casting for me was Diane Venora as Moss' mother she just didn't deliver a very good performance.

Overall, the first part is not a bad film but the second part is very good, the longer the film goes the more you start to feel for the characters and by the end you are hoping for a happy ending for everyone.

64 - Meteor

Connection To O.K. Connery - Sean's brother Neil starred in that movie, I have decided to do family connection, on only one condition, if the relative is far, far less successful and it's very likely they are involved in film at all if it wasn't for the success of said relative.

I have such affection for the disaster movies of the 1970's, especially if it has Irwin Allen's name attached to it - I am SOLD - The Poseidon Adventure, The Towering Inferno are both to me bonafide classics - I just love them putting all-star casts in the middle of something catastrophic (be it man made or nature) and other non-Allen films ended up following suit, Meteor is one of them and ended up flopping and receiving a lot of negative write-ups but I am writing this bit before watching it (and having never seen it) - I am just hoping the 70's disaster movie charm follows on for me, so fingers crossed...

Meteor actually wasn't as bad as I heard, sure there was plenty of scenes where the main characters seemed to be just stood around staring at computer screens, and random cut backs to the meteor itself just really there floating in space - I've also heard people knock the special effects which to me whilst they did come post-Star Wars they still had their charm, the destruction of Hong Kong and later part of New York (the WTC is among the building seen destroyed).

I enjoyed an whole bunch of performances, which probably is where a lot of the budget went because it's a famous cast, one of my favourite scenes is Martin Landau as the general just throwing a proper hissy fit, besides that he is actually my favourite performance of the. The two leads are Sean Connery and Natalie Wood who have decent chemistry even if the dialogue handed to them to speak isn't the best. Wood is somebody I am big of anyway so I am touch bias there.

Overall far from perfect but not as bad as it's been lead to believe, I feel like say this often but if 20 minutes or so was shaved off the film would be tighter and a better experience for it.

63 - O.K. Connery (Operation Kid Brother)

Connection To FOR Y'UR HEIGHT ONLY - These are both inspired by/rip-offing/parodying James Bond.

The name's Connery... Neil Connery... I think it's quite apt Neil Connery stars in the movie because it almost feels like a James Bond movie but not quite, like a knock-off toy where you can see enough resemblance you could get fooled by it from a distance.

Neil Connery is the younger brother of Sean, and wasn't an actor, I mean that in the way that he had no such plans to follow into the field like his brother, he seemed to be in the plastering business before an opportune producer - Dario Sabotello - saw him and saw that he resembled his brother enough - and thus was born the eurospy movie O.K. Connery (or Operation Kid Brother) which actually brought along 2 James Bond regulars Bernard Lee (M in the Bond movies) and Lois Maxwell (Moneypenny) as well Daniela Blanchi (From Russia With Love), Adolf Celli (Thunderball) and Anthony Dawson (Dr. No/From Russia With Love), you see what I mean by those resemblances?

Neil Connery (which is the name of the character he plays) is in this film the brother of an important agent and makes little references here and there to who it possibly could be, his skills are not really as a secret agent but rather as a hypnotist but he is good at archery and kung fu. Thankfully the hypnotist scenes are to get information and there is never a icky scene where he seduces a woman into bed because of it.

The film has a pretty good Bond-soundalike score, Ennio Morricone was one of the films composers (along with Bruno Nicolai) and is one of my favourites of all time so I am biased.

Then there is a bunch of showgirls fighting a bunch of soldiers and winning and then turning the truck into something really called - The Wild Pussy Truck - it's a short scene but I loved it/ It was also fun seeing some of the Bond alumni in this, Maxwell gets more to do then she ever did in the Bond films, while Lee as Commander Cunningham might as well have been called M, but he too pops up more then he did in the Bond films.

Overall I found it an enjoyable movie. I think it's because of how much I enjoy Bond movies that it was fun seeing a film have such bare cheek of using the successful name of that franchise for it's own gain, not a good film by any stretch of the imagination though.

62 - For Y'ur Height Only

Connection To DISASTER MOVIE - humour me on this one, Disaster Movie features a little version of Indiana Jones, whilst this movie is a take on James Bond with a tiny person, I think it's a good enough connection.

I don't think until now I have actually seen any Philippines cinema, I've seen plenty much of Asian cinema and I've seen plenty of stuff that was filmed in the country (an impressive amount of cool stuff) - For Y'ur Height Only (aka Agent 00) is perhaps one of the most infamous to come from that country thanks to featuring a diminutive star - Weng Weng.

Weng Weng is the shortest action star in the history of cinema (lead role at least) and that lies the appeal, because he really isn't half bad at martial arts considering, though him doing the martial arts are some of the least appealing things of the movie because they can get repetitive but are still worth watching.

The bad guy is called Mr. Giant who you would believe is really tall, but he's not he's dwarf (while Weng is a midget) - Mr. Giant's plan of using something called the N Bomb is never really gone into, I guess we just have to believe it's bad.

The similarities to Bond including the very opening, the gadgets that will come into play later and the seduction of women (the scene in question is not very erotic). The film's most entertaining scene for me is after leaving his bosses office I was expecting a bit of Bond/Moneypenny flirting but instead we got him putting on x-ray glasses and looking at the secretaries nude (we see nothing) then him putting his hand to his face like an embarrassed schoolboy. Another memorable bit is Agent 00 using a tiny jet pack which just looked incredibly awesome in my eyes.

I've got to say the dubbing is done with so little enthusiasm that it comes across as a film where everybody is lacking any sort of chemistry with each other.

Overall such a fun (puts on shades) little movie (sorry), it knows it's all a bit silly so has fun with it's scenes and it was a very enjoyable experience for me.

61 - Disaster Movie

Connection To THE SILENCE OF THE HAMS - Tony Cox

61 movies... 61 movies... SIXTY ONE BLOODY MOVIES... So 61 movies is what it took for me to have the urge to turn the film off within 5 minutes - it was the moment "Amy Winehouse" showed up that made me just want to give up there and then...

But I decided to go on... yeah I should have just turned the film off at the beginning. For a start, what the "filmmakers" Seltzer and Friedberg seem to think a disaster movie seems to be different to what I think a disaster movie is - in fact a better title would be "2007-2008 Movie" as that's when all the references are just about pooled from so in some ways this film is a time machine of a period of popular culture I don't exactly have the nostalgia for (just yet). Anyway I'm not here to get on the bandwagon of the Seltzer and Friedberg hate I'm here just trying to see how I feel about a film I've heard so much awfulness about.

The film opens with the captain 10,001 which to be honest just reminded me there was a film called 10,000 BC (that was released in yes 2008) which I have thought about as a film not at all since then which is where we meet Amy Winehouse - now my hate for this bit has nothing to with her death that came later but just how awful it all comes across, I was alone watching this (didn't want anybody else finding out) and I just cringed...

We soon get a party which introduces us to the characters some of them main but firstly we have Juno (I guess unwanted teenage pregnancy is some sort of disaster...) who seems to think Juno was sardonic while in the film she was really more hipster, as well as characters based from Wanted, Superbad, No Country For Old Men and even have a scene aping High School Musical, what year was this made again?  Anyway during this party we also get acting heavyweights Kim Kardashian and Carmen Electra having  a cat-fight, Kardashian I must assume as had a boob job but if not you go girl, this scene did nothing for me because neither are my type.

On the streets with all the meteors and shit going by we get the chance to meet even more characters such as Hannah Montana (the scene with her is almost verging on funny but doesn't quite get there), Hancock (predictably bangs his head trying to fly off), we also get a bunch of bikini clad models running from the chaos where one of them literally shits themselves (that bit there is probably the perfect example of the humour in this movie), then they go to a shelter where the Sex and The City girls are... and get this the person playing Carrie Bradshaw is a MAN... HA HA HA

What do you say - as this film only being on 30 minutes??? I was really, really hoping all this would get us to the end of the movie.

Back on the streets and it's more references including from Enchanted (in fariness the impression is pretty good though), followed by an overlong parody from Step Up (I have never seen any of the Step Up films but they keep saying step up to remind us) which is ended by a twister, which reminds us this is mean't to be about disasters which fucking brings out skinny Iron Man who gets crushed by a cow... FOR FUCK'S SAKE then Hellboy comes and he also gets crushed by a cow SERIOUSLY at least The Incredible Hulk loses his shorts (like the oldest joke there is) before getting hit by a cow, at that point I was I was expecting Batman (since Dark Knight came out in 2008) but nope.

The rest of the movie does features characters of references to (yes) Batman, Indiana Jones (tiny and played by Tony Cox), Alvin and The Chipmunks (overlong), Prince Caspian, The Love Guru, Kung Fu Panda and Beuwolf among others

Overall as a comedy it's a dis... (nearly said it), it just throws a barage of unrelated references at a wall and hopes that something sticks, which reminds if the "comedy" isn't about references to stuff of the moment then it's a poop joke. when I'm an old man though in years to come I can watch this and instantly remember what 2008 was like though, so that's... good... I guess

And then the end --- I'M DATING MATT DAMON - what's the bloody point of doing a parody of a song that was dirtier and funnier to begin with. Maybe it's worth watching it because it features all the parody characters so can save you watching the entire film!

60 - The Silence Of The Hams

Connection To POSSE - Billy Zane

The common misconception is that when Friedberg and Seltzer started getting their hands on the spoof genre is when it went to shit, I've even heard the statement "spoofs aren't as good as they used to" but the truth is even before they got there grubby mitts on the sub-genre, there was plenty of spoof that was less then classic - Plump Fiction, Mafia, Repossessed - are among those, the truth is actually for every Airplane or a Naked Gun there was films just fleetingly funny or downright poor.

The Silence Of The Hams, which to me is such a groan-worthy name for the film, seems tone of the most forgotten of the mid-90s spoofs and is something I did see on TV back in the day, truth is all I remembered though was Billy Zane and his name being a play on Jodie Foster and Dom DeLuise as the Hannibal Lector character, and though it's listed as 1994 on the internet I could of swore it came out in the UK in 1996, which I just checked on, so good memory there.

There's scenes that spoof the interrogation scene in Basic Instinct and the cell scene in The Silence Of The Lambs, anybody who has seen Loaded Weapon, which predated it by a year will know these scenes have already been spoofed. The two films it really spoofs most is of course Lambs and Psycho and besides them there is spoofs of Bram Stoker's Dracula and (rather on the nose) The Addams Family.

I found myself smiling at a far few parts of this movie, mostly with my eyes rolling at the same time. The film is bad, but it was so enjoyably bad, I was right about the Billy Zane character - he is called Joe Dee Fostar, I'd totally forgot about Ezzio Greggio being one of the stars (he also directs and writes), I think he's the weakest part of the cast, struggling a bit with English, but there is an awesome cast here including Martin Balsam apeing his Psycho role (this was a very late in his career role), and small roles for Shelley Winters and Mel Brooks among others. Tony Cox who would appear in some of those Selzter Friedberg spoofs a bit later also a very small role. For me though John Astin (this is like the fourth film I have watched with him in) and particularly DeLuise have the funniest moments for me.

Overall, groan worthy very often but oddly entertaining, it made me smile and was on the verge of making me laugh out loud, so to me it was actually better then I remembered.

59 - Posse

Connection To SANTA'S SLAY - Tommy 'Tiny' Lister

The early 90's western - maybe it's because it's my era but I have an affection for it. Young Guns (which was 1988 I know but I found my love for it in the 90's) and it's sequel, the very awesome Tombstone and of course a film I've already covered here The Quick and The Dead, obviously not forgetting of all movies - Unforgiven - Eastwood's awesome farewell to the western genre that made his name.

Posse though for me just got lost in the shuffle and was a film I'd never picked up to own on DVD even when my western shelf was picking up on these 90's westerns, but I genuinely believe if I saw it then I reckon I would have the same affectionate for it as some of them, I think maybe for me I'm just seeing it for the first time some 20 years too late.

For me though now once it gets past the opening scene, despite it's positives I lost interest somewhere along the way despite some nice imagery. I don't have a problem with bad-ass characters at all, except in usually one instance - when they are played by the director, and the most bad-ass of this posse is played by the director himself Mario Van Peebles, while he's nowhere near as bad as Larry Bishop in Hell Ride, who could seemingly make women drop their panties by looking at them, the rest of the "posse" seem to have big man-crushes on Van Peebles.

Billy Zane was fun in a supporting role because he acting like Billy Zane should and be chewing a fair bit of the scenery and to be fair some of the other cast have enjoyable moments such as Tommy 'Tiny' Lister, not Stephen Baldwin though he starts to wear a bit thin after a while.

Overall, Posse is proof that a film needs to seen in the right time of your life, it really isn't bad but in the end it fell into the category of not really doing out for me.

58 - Santa's Slay

Connection To CARRIE - Emilie de Ravin.

For me it's impossible for me to hate a film like Santa's Slay - it knows it's premise is ridiculous and it just goes out there and as much fun as it can, on for me it was a very fun film

The opening scene is a case of dead star walking - 4 famous (or famous enough) faces gets slaughtered by Santa Claus (Bill Goldberg) - they are Rebecca Gayheart, Chris Kattan, Fran Drescher and James Caan, all of these are Jewish as is Goldberg - and is an extremely enjoyable opening scene seeing these horrible people die (the characters not the actors, I've not met any of them so can't speak on that).

Watching Santa's Slay just breezes by, well it only really comes in at about 80 minutes - there's a lot of Christmas related deaths - exploding presents, drowning in the eggnog that make the film always entertaining. We even get an animated scene in the vein of Frosty The Snowman which helps tell the back-story of Santa being the son of Satan.

Of the two leads I'd certainly say the very pretty Emilie de Ravin leaves more of an impression on the screen then Douglas Smith, who doesn't really leave that much of an impression. There is other great support from Saul Rubinek and Robert Culp, who overall gave the film a cast better then the type of film seems to attract.

Overall, the movie is just a lot of fun, kind of wish I got the chance to see this for the first time around Christmas time, but that's not really a complaint to do with a film just my timing.

57 - Carrie (2002)

Connection To STUCK IN LOVE - Stephen King, who had a voice cameo in the previous movie.

Carrie, Stephen King's first novel and the first film adapted to the screen in 1976, well that movie to me (including the very 70's parts of it) is a classic to me, so the fact that now 2 remakes (which both I think owe the same debt to the movie as they do to the book) exist from a film that was only made in the mid-70's is odd - I am not one of those I think I might have noted before who gets pissy about remakes or long awaited sequels (which the original Carrie did have as well) etc., it's just I believe there is more that could of got remade even once before even the first Carrie remake.

This is a TV movie version - Stephen King as been a mixed bag on the television, I mean we've had Salem's Lot, The Stand and IT (I liked it) but on the other hand we've had stuff like The Langoliers and The Shining from 1998 did nothing for me, but I thought honestly, curiosity killed the cat and really wanted to see it, just to see what it's like.

I think the first thing they got right was the casting of Carrie White, for me at least - Angela Bettis, it's maybe because the film I instantly think of when I think of her is May, which I guess is a character not a million miles away from Carrie, Patricia Clarkson as Margaret White is also good (she's no Piper Laurie though), the rest of the characters I wish I could say more about but none of them stand out, I remember them because of who plays them to be honest - Emilie de Ravin as Chris, Kandyse McClure as Sue, Katharine Isabelle as Tina - and I'm not it's the performances but rather the characters they've been handed.

The film takes elements from both the book and the first film - the prom scene is obviously in mind when they was making it - but the film is and feels over long coming at 130 minutes, I think 20 minutes, maybe more could have been chopped off easily.

And SPOILER FOR THE ENDING - Carrie actually survives this version, she is resuscitated... it feels quite a cop out, however I'll give them the benefit of the doubt as this was mean't to be a pilot to a television series that was never picked up END OF SPOILER

Overall, it's not bad really, Bettis shone for me but there is no way I would watch this instead of the 76 one in the future, this was a one time watch for me.

56 - Stuck In Love

Connection To THE HEART OF JUSTICE - Jennifer Connelly

I kept calling this Stuck On You before I watched it and I knew it starred Greg Kinnear, so I kept thinking why would Greg Kinnear appear in ANOTHER movie called Stuck On You. But in actuality it turns out I'm just an idiot and the film was called Stuck In Love (duh).

Well I don't always expect to relate to all characters on screen, something about Stuck On You Stuck In Love (I genuinely did just type Stuck On You first then) was extremely noticeable, maybe because by the point the film starts Kinnear is already a successful writer and his daughter played by Lily Collins is so super talented as well she is getting her first book published.

Honestly, though that was just one of the problems for me - how the characters speak, you know they cool indie speak sort of way, while I don't mean to rag on the writer but it's one of those scripts where you feel like the writer thought was awesome when he was thinking of the dialogue, and while it sounds profound or whatever in theory it just didn't seem natural coming out of the characters mouth, because nobody realistically speaks and acts that way to each other in real life.

As a child of divorce I can normally identify of the pain characters are going through, I don't it's maybe because I never really get to feel what it was like when Jennifer Connelly and Kinnear where married in this, early on he stalks her by looking through her living room window (yes really) but it seems a real none issue between other characters (and even her), but Connelly and Collins as the daughter relationship is much better explored and the residual feelings of being let down.

Among the supporting cast is Kristen Bell (it's obvious by now I'm in love with her) pops up as Kinnear's "fuck buddy" her appearances are fleeting but welcome even if she to suffers from the indie speak in this - I just wish she had more to do.

Overall it feels like it falls into a lot of traps of what I dislike about indie films but to be fair there are moments in the film that genuinely keep me from disliking it 

55 - The Heart Of Justice

Connection To THE RAVEN - The legendary Vincent Price

I had no idea that Vincent Price and Dennis Hopper had two credits appearing alongside each other, let alone both in the 1990's and this is the second I'm covering on here after the disappointment of Crossfire. This TV movie from 1992 besides the pair as a strong cast including Jennifer Connelly, William H. Macy, his future wife Felicity Huffman (I assume they was a couple at this point), Eric Stoltz and Dermot Mulroney among others.

Vincent Price (his final role) is having lunch with Dennis Hopper as he leaves the restaurant, he gets killed off before the opening titles, he's a famous writer who's clearly pissed somebody off, who turns the gun on themselves. This is an effective opening I just wish the rest of the movie was as good (though Connelly has a scene in her underwear and later strips, so no complaints there)

For me it was the sort of film that seems to spend 90 minutes getting to a place where you totally expected it very early one, while that's not always a bad thing, with this film you where just sort of waiting for it so I could get on with another film or the rest of my life.

It didn't help that a bland actor to me (Mulroney) and somebody playing a bland character (Stoltz) have most of the screen time especially when there was much more interesting characters and performers in this, Connelly though - as always - was good and the likes of Hopper (who does appear then just the first scene) and Price really do very little in the story in the long run.

Overall the film's plot in the end really did nothing for me, honestly Jennifer Connelly is the what that makes this film most awesome, you can probably internet any scene of her rather then watching the full thing though, so I'm going on the it's not bad in the end but no need to waste time on it.

54 - The Raven (1963)

Connection To GOD FORGIVES... I DON'T - both released by AIP (American International Pictures).

When Roger Corman passes away, which hopefully is still many years from now. Corman will leave such a legacy behind, giving opportunities to an incredible amount of people in front of and behind the camera - Ron Howard, Francis Ford Coppola, Joe Dante, Martin Scorsese and Peter Bogdanovich where just a few of the directors who he gave a chance to show there stuff and of course he was regularly getting Jack Nicholson (who appears here) cast before Hollywood saw the greatness.

I'd known and seen loads of the Corman stuff for years but it seems weird to me that it only feels the last few years that I began to appreciate Roger Corman - the director, I think it started when I watched The Intruder from 1962 and starring William Shatner, it was such a powerful film and I say this without hyperbole deserves to be remembered in the same breath as To Kill A Mockingbird... and then a day or two later I saw The Raven for the first time.

The thing was I'd seen Corman stuff but it was b-movie stuff, I'd enjoyed Bucket Of Blood a lot but how do I put it I kind of didn't think about the direction. One thing that surprised me about The Raven though was how playful it was.

I don't know what I expected - maybe I expected a completely serious attempt at horror, that would fail to me as a watcher after 50ish years, I mean after all it was on the back-end of the careers of Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre, who where less... let's say choosy about the projects they choose to be in at this point there career and with judging Corman was going through these Edgar Allan Poe adaptations so, so quickly - and maybe, just maybe I thought the full effort wouldn't be put in.

For a start it's just a hoot seeing Vincent Price, Karloff and Lorre share the screen. Lorre I've loved ever since since the old black and white movies from the 30s and 40s and Karloff he's was Frankenstein's Monster for fuck sake - the first two Frankenstein are timeless classics! - and Vincent Price, as time goes on I've become more and more of a fan (I think that all probably started with Theatre Of Blood)

I loved the ending magic-off (source-off - I don't know what to call it) just the way each bit of magic is done by Price and Karloff, I think it's Vincent Price's face throughout, there's just a touch of arrogance in there when he shows his stuff.

Overall a delightful horror-comedy, that really goes for a good time rather then the scares, it's simpl;y magic (man I feel like my puns are getting out of control) seeing acting legends on screen together.

53 - God Forgives... I Don't!

Connection To THE SHERIFF AND THE SATELLITE KID - Bud Spencer

To me a spaghetti western as the ability to be one of the most enjoyable sub-genres of film - the better ones can mix great characters, the right level of violence and beautiful shots. I am happy to report that God Forgives... I Don't is an extremely good movie. This next bit might not really sound like a compliment but it actually is and that's to say it's a typical spaghetti western.

This was the first pairing between Terence Hill and Bud Spencer who ended up doing 19 films together, while most of them where comedies this one isn't and it as a flashback Bill San Antonio (Frank Wolff, who a year later who play the ill fated Frank McBain in Once Upon A Time In The West, not sure one of my favourite spaghetti westerns but favourite film of all time, so for me it was a bit jarring seeing him in a main role here), who accuses his old friend and partner Cat Stevens (Hill - who doesn't perform Father and Son in the film, I think the name is purely coincidental, I've look it up but nothing comes up) of cheating at cards so Bill orders the other out and tells henchman his henchman to set fire to the house, the pair have a stand-up duel and Bill falls when Cat leaves the house the gang has to follow orders and they let Cat leave. In the present (you know what I mean) a train is robbed and passengers are massacred (which the massacred was a great visual) but one survivor before dying identifies Bill and Cat is told this by Hutch (Spencer). That is the jist of early on, I might stop bother trying to do synopsis because I never want to give too much of films and just write about what I thought.

I was looking up information after I watched the film and was surprised there was some critics and that who didn't like it, but yeah I enjoyed it it's give me more thing to watch more spaghetti westerns as well as maybe more Hill and Spencer (I have seen very little of their films together).

One of my favourite scenes is a captured Cat being constantly lowered into the bottom of a well (like dipped in the water) as sort of punishment/torture, I also liked the flashback duel scene including the bit before. There was other bits I liked coupled with some great wide shots it was a good experience for me.

Overall a very enjoyable SW, with three leads that I enjoyed seeing on the screen, it might be a bit overlong even though it comes in at under 2 hours (maybe 90ish minutes would have suited) but I'd say I'd recommend it.