100 - Little Nicky

Connection To A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3 - Patricia Arquette

Adam Sandler, more then anybody working in the comedy genre gets accused of peddling the same shtick in movie after movie - and there is no denying that it's a fact... but, and here's to me the thing people seem to ignore - Sandler as ventured out of that shtick plenty of times - and they whether it's a drama or comedy/drama that tend to have one key thing in common they don't really make money...

So for better or worse Sandler as tried to do stuff a but the audiences have mostly stayed away where they have shown up in droves to see Chuck and Larry marry, 2 films that are basically vacations for him and his mates and have him play brother and sister... Sandler is stuck, but he and they are making the money.

Which brings me to Little Nicky, which as the distinction of being in the vein of his usual shtick but also a film that didn't set the box office on fire (like in Hell, ha ha ha ha) - I have just spent two paragraphs basically defending Sandler, because to be fair I do actually enjoy his films - not all, I purposely alluded to four in the above paragraph that I didn't like and are probably the four people would hold as the nadir of Sandler's filmography. And so Little Nicky, and despite it's tone sometimes not feeling too right is a film I enjoy.

Sandler though does make a weird choice for his face and voice for the entire film - as in why didn't somebody say to him before production - are you seriously going with that? Maybe somebody did and they was fired or maybe people just had faith in Sandler but his role is quite likable as the idiot-good soon of the Devil (Harvey Keitel) who's 2 other sons (Rhys Ifans and Tommy 'Tiny' Lister) angry that their dad is staying on as ruler of Hell end up going to Earth, which causes his dad to detorate which leaves it only to Nicky to go back and get them.

He meets a love interest along the way played by Patricia Arquette - is her character supposed to be ugly? Because Patricia Arquette is far from ugly, but she fits in with the comedy thing of making you believe she could fall for the schmuck, he also gets help from a dog Mr. Beefy (voiced by Robert Smigel) 2 devil worshipers and his actor roommate (obviously gay) who are played by Sandler's real life friends.

Since this is a comedy I'll ask myself the question - who delivers the funniest performance? Well in my opinion and it's only a small role is Lewis Arquette (the father of Patricia) as the Cardinal that's been taken over by Ifans. I laughed more at his screen time then anybody else... especially when you compare it to the unfunny cameo by Quentin Tarantino.

Other people who appear are Rodney Dangerfield as Lucifer, the Devil's Dad whose entertaining being Dangerfield, Kevin Nealon who gets forced to have tits on his head, I don't think Jon Lovitz or Dana Carvey's cameos are funny as they could have been considering who there are. We also get Carl Weathers reprising his Happy Gilmore role, Reese Witherspoon as (DELETED FOR SPOILERS), Henry Winkler as himself and Ozzy Osbourne also as himself - which when watching it again recently just made think this was just before The Osbournes TV show so this was the last time he really had the true mystic as The Prince Of Darkness.

Overall, there is enough funny moments to make it worth a watch, but there are scenes and characters that are simply not funny, worth a watch I think.

99 - A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

Connection To A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2 - Sequel and Robert Englund of course returns from the previous installment.

Of all the Freddy sequels (including New Nightmare) this is my favourite - this was true when I was a youngling and true now. Maybe I liked it most as a youngling because of it's connection the first one - two characters return and the "kids" are probably the most memorable here.

I should point out though that I am aware this was the first film that really set the formula for the three films after it - Freddy tailoring the nightmares to the kids and Freddy quipping one-liners - it's just like and I think I mentioned this in talking about Batman Forever, where I said the elements that people disliked about Batman & Robin where already there in Forever they just wasn't as bad.

This was the only one of the Elm Street sequels besides the meta-New Nightmare which had any input from Wes Craven (he co-wrote the script) and perhaps that be a reason why this is the best sequel... because it's closest to the classic original.

Heather Langenkamp returns as Nancy and yeah... she's not exactly an amazing actor this time around either but it's really good having her back in the fold - here the action is set in an hospital ward where all the youngsters are scared of sleeping, obviously most people just think there are being crazy except trainee Nancy.

Speaking of the young cast - Patricia Arquette making her debut is Christine, a girl who ends up on the ward when Freddy makes it look like she slit her own wrists, already here she shows talent, Jennifer Rubin, was somebody you would have thought had a much better career but that's the way it goes sometimes.

The tailored nightmares best two are among 2 of the early ones - the puppet master and death by TV - I think because it's fun seeing the denial of the hospital staff after these ones before Craig Wasson's doctor starts getting on board.

SPOILER - My one complaint is the film the IDIOT BALL moment of the end - The Dream Warriors have beaten Freddy, and Nancy's dad (John Saxon) who was just killed trying to bury Freddy's bones shows up as a spirit to say goodbye, everyone stands by looking on happy that Nancy gets to say goodbye and see hugs him, guess what it's really Freddy and this results in her death. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid - END OF SPOILER.

Overall a great horror film in it's own right, a few adjustments and it could have stood on it's own and still be remembered, the stuff that would come most associated with Freddy are only just starting here so they are at a minimum. Recommended.

98 - A Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge

Connection To A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET - Robert Englund and oh, yeah it's the first sequel.

The gay Elm Street film...

I'm not saying that out of any sudden case of homophobia (in previous write-ups, I've attacked films for using homophobic dialogue etc.) but rather stating a fact, an obvious move on the part of the director in my opinion.

This was probably my least favourite of the Freddy films growing up because it wasn't like the others, there's no kills in the same way quite like others, as a kid even see Freddy kill somebody via video game (the nadir kill of the series for me) was more exciting to me then anything the film had to offer.

So, yeah I enjoyed it more watching it as an adult, the homoerotic subtext adds an all another level to the film that I obviously didn't pick up on as a kid (the S&M bar was just a regular bar for dudes in my eyes) and the shower scene straight after was just one of the films more memorable kills.

Watching it now, looking back I kind of wish the Freddy films took more chances like it did here to divert from the formula, I don't mean quite like this but there was more ways the character could have gone rather then Freddy just killing everyone in their nightmares in new and exciting ways.

Negatives for the movie is - and this is a double edged sword - there is nothing quite as memorable as any of the other Freddy films, which is a shame, as if there was was I imagine I would be pushing the virtues or it much harder.

Overall, the subtext (or sometimes just text with the more blatant moments) make me appreciate this film and they got away with it for so long, it should be commended for being different it just doesn't stay in the memory for too long after.

97 - A Nightmare On Elm Street

Connection To WHAT'S EATING GILBERT GRAPE? - Johnny Depp.

Some horror villains seem to become instantly iconic - Michael Myers, Pinhead, Jason, even Chucky among others and of course probably my favourite of the bunch - Freddy Krueger.

The A Nightmare On Elm Street films where regularly viewing for me as a kid - I'm not sure why I was allowed to watch them, I was allowed to watch most horror I don't remember getting told I couldn't watch a particular one, I did have a self imposed rule though - I would put a video on before bed, the rule was never a horror just in case it give me nightmares.

When I started writing that sentence I actually didn't plan on ending it with the word nightmares but it's more then suitable, and I think that is the magic of the Elm Street films (even the lesser ones and there is plenty of them), most of these other horror villains as scary as they are can only get you in real life, Freddy though can get you in the thing we've all got to do our sleep and he's the one in control.

Objectively A Nightmare On Elm Street is a film of some genuine scares but also I have to admit of bits that look dated, but for a film that holds up this well it's not worth holding them against it (the phone bit - just how it looks was one of the scenes I was talking about and the very last shot is worth mentioning).

This film belongs entirely to Robert Englund, whose performance helps make Freddy an instant iconic character, which makes up for the let's be honest mostly not so great teen performances (Johnny Depp included) - which I'm not saying they are bad just not stellar. This first film doesn't forget that Freddy is mean't to be an hideous child-killer while the later sequels seem to think he was a badly burnt stand-up comedian (he would do well on America's Got Talent).

I think this film had more atmosphere then any of the sequels (including the good ones), Nancy seeing Tina in the clear body bag is still a haunting image (sorry there was plot spoilers for a near 30 year old film there) and Freddy's appearances are kept to a minimum so the mystique is still there.

Overall, still holds up remarkably well - the more recent remake didn't capture what was so special about this... they didn't realize - a film this good makes you overlook anything that is dated about it.

96 - What's Eating Gilbert Grape?

Connection To STEP BROTHERS - John C. Reilly and Mary Steenburgen.

So what is eating Gilbert Grape? A lot really... a dangerously obese mother who hasn't left the house in years, a brother with severe learning difficulties (who is about to turn 18 and wasn't expected to live past 10) and stuck as the "responsible" one in his family in a dead end town.

I should flashback a bit to when I first saw this, in my teen years while I was still at school, before seeing this I used to make jokes about a friends overweight mother - while his mother wasn't as heavy was the mother here - I guess the film told me not just people on their size, so there you go ladies and gentlemen films can make a difference.

How would I rate Gilbert Grape though? Well to me it's a well made films with some great characters but perhaps tries a little bit hard at times to pour it on and can be a bit obvious when trying to get you to feel the emotion it wants.

I'll talk about the two performances first that most people will take from this movie, firstly Leonardo DiCaprio as Gilbert's young brother Arnie - the aforementioned brother steals focus anytime he is on screen and proving you can go full retard (Tropic Thunder reference if you didn't know) if the performance is this good, he captures what Gilbert does say early in the film in his narration in "that some days you want to kill him" - giving you a really good overall feeling about what it would be like if you was caring for Arnie.

The other performance is Darlene Cates as the mother, who really was housebound for years and I think it was a talk show appearence that caught the eye of director Lasse Hallstrom in casting her, as a non-actor she does really well, to be a couple of her lines reading her awkward - but Hallstrom, whoever should have been the ones ironing them out - the films best emotional moment for me was when Arnie gets arrested for climbing the water tower one to many times and she lives the house for the first time.

The rest of the cast are pretty cool, Juliette Lewis perhaps gets the most underwritten character but works great with what she's got, John C. Reilly whose obsessed with a burger franchise coming to town and Crispin Glover as a mortuary assistant (perfect casting) are good as Gilbert's friends. Johnny Depp does carry the movie though, he is our avatar and don't think the movie would work quite as well.

Overall a very good film, that's it's main weaknesses might only bother me but this is little with a great cast who are all endlessly watchable.

95 - Step Brothers

Connection To ANCHORMAN 2 - Will Ferrell and Adam McKay (ending the three film adventure for now).

By now (films like Stranger Than Fiction aside among others) Will Ferrell (like Adam Sandler) as settled into what works for him as far as audiences go, he's usually either man-child or buffoon (or both), Step Brothers is arguably him at his most man-childeness (yeah I inverted a word to suit my needs), I mean he acts like a child (as does John C. Reilly) and it's not the fact that they still live at home is that even in their 40s they want and have zero of the responsibility  Ferrell and Reilly co-starring together had already proved an enjoyable thing (Talladega Nights) and the pair as rivals then friends are enjoyable to watch however which way play off of each other.

Like all the Will Ferrell-Adam McKay films (the third in a row covered here) the plot is slight and is an excuse to do gags, which depending on your tolerance of Ferrell is going to factor in how much you will enjoy this movie. Ferrell and Reilly starting off as antagonists before coming friends (or allies or lovers depending on film) is actually quite common in his work when you think about it - Blades Of Glory (two rivals end up teaming up), Anchorman (Veronica and Ron start at each others throats), The Other Guys (cops who don't like each other end up with respect and friendship) are a few that come to mind.

The funniest bits for me juvenile as they are including a ballsack on a drum kit and an attempt by the brothers to turn their beds into bunk heads that doesn't go too well.

Overall, it's important to say this if you love or like Will Ferrell then you are going to like this, hate him: don't waste your time and tut through it.

94 - Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

Connection To THE OTHER GUYS - Will Ferrell and Adam McKay.

Sequels that come out along time after the original, there's always a fear isn't there - if you are a fan of the original, the positives of that film have spent years building up in your mind. I think comedy in-particular might just have the hardest time, the upcoming sequel to Dumb & Dumber as been long-waited and the original is much loved and it's been 20 years (which feels unbelievable I remember going to the cinema twice to see it). Anchorman 2 didn't take quite as long though with 9 years, but it's fair to say it's popularity built up over the next few years after it, so yeah it's got a lot to live up to.

To be honest, the best way to perhaps describe it is as a slightly inferior copy of the original, though the story is different, the elements of the original are certainly there - a rival newscaster, even Veronica and Ron's relationship is somewhat reset to the antagonist elements of the first, there's also the newscaster fight (which is bigger with so many surprise cameos, none of them I will list to not give away the surprises) and thankfully Brick is still... well as Brick as you want him to be.

So I did enjoy it... an important element for me at least of a comedy film is that it needs to be funny and it's funny, and it's probably the callbacks to the first movie that perhaps yield the funniest moments - James Marsden echoing Vince Vaughn from the first movie - funny. Brick being Brick - funny... this time he has a love interest in Kristen Wiig... the newscaster war - funny, among other things, but it feels there is slightly less plot going on here then the first time around and it's a film that doesn't have the same quotability factor (I Love Lamp, whales vagina etc.) but maybe time will tell on that front.

I think the returning characters valubility stayed the same for me - Brick is still the MVP, while others just get to be in his shadow but still have their moments. Of new characters not mentioned Meagan Good is a decent new foil/love interest for Burgundy while Harrison Ford honestly doesn't make that much impact.

Overall, yeah a sequel of diminishing returns but there is still enough funny in here to make it worth a watch, if you didn't like the first one don't bother with this but if you did you'll be suitably entertained.

93 - The Other Guys

Connection To LOVELACE - Bobby Cannavale.

By now (fictional readers of this blog) you can see I'm back on a role, I wasn't lying when I said outside forces took me away from a blog that I enjoy doing, and I'm not quite back onto doing obscure titles like I did before, but they'll be starting back with time, I hope to include some more world cinema which I've touched on briefly so far, but bear with me when I do the backlog and starting getting into a different variety of films.

While film haves mocked the buddy cop genre better in the past (and since actually) this is still an enjoyable romp, the lead pair "the other guys" - Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg have decent chemistry I mean it's not Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum in 21 Jump Street but it is pretty darn good, there's a fun smaller roles for Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson convincing as the superstar cops. I think I did feel like I got more value out of the smaller roles thinking about it Rob Riggle and Damon Wayans Jr. are entertaining as rival cops as is Michael Keaton as the police chief.

While the story line is not entirely uninteresting, in all honesty it's not that exciting, it's likely just an excuse to get the guys from scene to scene - which there is really no iconic scenes of to mention, there's funny scenes yeah but they'll be nothing that stays in my mind in the years to come.

Overall enjoyable, just don't expect a film that will revolutionize how you see the comedy genre but to repeat myself it's a film of good chemistry all around.