BAFTAs vs Oscars

Nominations are out for two of the biggest award cermonies on each side of the pond and I’m sure the designers are already getting over excited. There’s always a few interesting differences between the choices which highlight some taste variations between us Brits and our cousins across the Atlantic so I thought it might be worth taking a look.  So far the biggest difference I’ve noticed is that all the Academy awards have ridiculously over the top names. I mean what the hell is “achievement in music written for motion picture?”  What’s wrong with Best Original Score?  That and the fact that we haven’t had some of the Oscar movies released over hear yet.
My movie hit count is appalling this year, so most of my opinions here are based on hearsay, gossip, rumour and psychic ability, just so you know

Going through all the awards would take me way to long so I’m just doing the biggies. No offence to all you make up artists, editors and short film makers out there.

Best Movie

BAFTA:
Avatar
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Precious
Up in the Air

Oscar:
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire (The Americans love to use that full title)
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

No surprises that Avatar, Up in the Air and Precious make it onto both lists. I’m thinking it’s a shoe in for Avatar. There’s a lot more nominees for the Academy, including Up, which interestingly makes it onto the list for Best Film as well as Best Animated. Not often that a cartoon breaks through, and it’s well deserving of it’s nomination. It wont win this category though.

Best Actor
BAFTA:
Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart)
George Clooney (Up in the Air)
Colin Firth (A Single Man)
Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker)
Andy Serkis (Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll)

Oscar:
Jeff Bridges
George Clooney
Colin Firth
Morgan Freeman(Invictus)
Jeremy Renner

Poor Andy Serkis. Never gets awards from the Academy, despite being robbed outrageously at the Oscars back in 02/03. OK, so Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll isn’t out in the US. And a biopic about Ian Drury isn’t exactly going to capture the Yankee imagination but he has to win an Oscar some day!
Other than that the only difference is Invictus which is only just coming out over here. As for predictions, I’ve got my fingers crossed for Andy over here, I’m not sure about America but ‘m thinking wither Renner or Freeman.

Best Actress
BAFTA:
Carey Mulligan (An Education)
Saoirse Ronan (The Lovely Bones)
Gabourey Sidibe (Precious)
Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia)
Audrey Tautou (Coco Before Chanel)

Oscar:
Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side)
Helen Mirren (The Last Station)
Carey Mulligan
Gabourey Sidibe
Meryl Streep

I think my feelings for Sandra Bullock have been made quite clear so I’m gonna gloss over that one.
I reckon Sidibe has got both here from what I’m hearing about her performance. If not possibly Mulligan over here because An Education got a lot of very positive reviews.

Supporting Actor
BAFTA:
Alec Baldwin (It’s Complicated)
Christian McKay (Me and Orson Welles)
Alfred Molina (An Education)
Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones)
Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds)

Oscar:
Matt Damon (Invictus)
Woody Harrelson (The Messenger)
Christopher Plummer (The Last Station)
Stanley Tucci
Christoph Waltz

Quite a few differences here. I’m wondering if Christian McKay might win over here. Gotta say I’m shocked that Alec Bladwin is in there since everything I’ve heard about that movie is bad. I don’t think Matt damon is going to win an Oscar, but I’m not sure who is…

Supporting Actress
BAFTA:
Anne-Marie Duff (Nowhere Boy)
Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air)
Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air)
Mo’Nique (Precious)
Kristin Scott Thomas (Nowhere Boy)

Oscar:
Penélope Cruz (Nine)
Vera Farmiga
Maggie Gyllenhaal (Crazy Heart)
Anna Kendrick
Mo’Nique

Again, I’m thinking Precious is taking this one. Two nominatons for Up in the Air from the Brits suggest one of those might get it if Mo’Nique doesn’t. Possibly an Oscar for Penelope Cruz…but I think she’s already had one right?

Best Director
BAFTA:
James Cameron (Avatar)
Neill Blomkamp (District 9)
Lone Scherfig (An Education)
Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker)
Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds)

Oscar:
James Cameron
Kathryn Bigelow
Quentin Tarantino
Lee Daniels (Precious)
Jason Reitman (Up in the Air)

Another unsurprising list. I think James Cameron will probably get the Oscar, and is quite likely to get the BAFTA too, but he might just be pipped by someone like Blomkamp.  No BAFTA nod for Precious….

Animation
BAFTA:
Coraline
Fantastic Mr Fox
Up

Oscar:
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
The Secret of Kells
Up

The Princess and the Frog is only just coming out over here so that explains it’s absence from the BAFTA list. Although I’m not sure it’s Oscar material from the few clips I’ve seen. Probably quite good, and about time Disney had a black heroine, but maybe that’s more the reason it’s getting nominated.  I would like Up to win both.

Music
BAFTA:
Avatar (James Horner)
Crazy Heart (T-Bone Burnett, Stephen Bruton)
Fantastic Mr Fox (Alexandre Desplat)
Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (Chaz Jankel)
Up (Michael Giacchino)

Oscar:
James Horner
Alexandre Desplat
The Hurt Locker (Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders)
Sherlock Holmes (Hans Zimmer)
Up

I do remember the music from Up being particularly good, and it’s taken a Globe already. Strangely, the score for Avatar left no impression on me and as someone who usually notices these kind of things that suggests it wasn’t that amazing.  Having not seen the other films I can’t comment. The nominations seem to vary quite a bit between countries, but the same few films are popping up again and again.

Cinematography
BAFTA:
Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The Road

Oscar:
Avatar
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The White Ribbon

This one really has to be Avatar. The whole point of that film is the cinematography and special effects.  Interesting choice of Harry Potter by the Academy while once again over here we give a nod to District 9 which seems so far to be missing out across the pond.

Special visual effects
BAFTA:
Avatar
District 9
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Hurt Locker
Star Trek

Oscar:
Avatar
District 9
Star Trek

Avatar has this one all tied up.  I thoguth the effects were really good in Star Trek but apparently BAFTA don’t agree with me.

And that’s all folks. Let me know your thoughts on the nominations.  I’m thinking if Avatar doesn’t sweep then we’ll be seeing big wins from Precious and The Hurt Locker in both ceremonies and Inglourious in America.

Avatar (3D)

The last two films I’ve seen in the cinema have been in 3D. (That’s right folks, I’ve finally made it back!)  Last time I wrote about how I wasn’t entirely convinced by the 3D revolution and I’m still not completely there.  There’s a worrying trend for films being made solely because they’ll look good in 3D; and the fact that this showing was prefixed by a trailer for “Streetdance 3D” only served to confirm that fear.  With the coming of HD DVD and the impressive quality of home cinema systems nowadays, the theatres need something that will pull the people in and at the moment 3D is that key selling point.  I definitely think too many films are being made in 3D just for the sake of it, Alice In Wonderland for instance, doesn’t need to be in 3D, and I fear it will detract from the classic Burton look (Go ahead RossvRoss, take your shots)

However…

Avatar is the film that might just change my mind on the whole subject.  Unlike with Up, I didn’t find the 3D distracting (except for a few times), instead it added a lot to the already stunning visuals.  And with that, I’ll get on with the review.

**Beware spoilers**

I went in to Avatar with lowered expectations, having heard from many friends and bloggers that while it looked amazing, the plot wasn’t up to much.  I’m going to go out on a limb here, and say that I really loved it!  Yes, it is basically Pocahontas with blue people, but just because a story has been told before doesn’t mean it’s not worth telling. How many classic battles of good versus evil are there out there, or  tales of unrequited love? Yet we’ll still go and watch them if they are told well enough.  The idea of technology and man made products destroying what is good and natural and then being overcome by a so-called primitive race has been done time and again ( The Ewoks in Return of the Jedi, The Ents in Two Towers, even the infamous Gunguns in Phantom Menace) so in a way it is getting tired, but the fact that they get made shows that people will still lap it up, especially in a time when we’re worrying about the effect we have on out planet..  Movies of this genre always have an underlying political statement and apart from the obvious, Avatar has the added a comment on current affairs summed up neatly in the line: “This is how it works, when people are sitting on something you want, you make them the enemy.”

The beginning is slow.  It takes a while for everything to really get going, which is strange since not a lot of time is given over to explaining what is actually going on.  We know that our leads brother is dead, and that for some reason we all live in space and are after a ridiculously named rock called “Unobtanium” (ouch) which can only be found on the planet of Pandora.  That’s about it for back story, and while that can rankle some, for someone like me who wants the action to get going as soon as possible, I don’t mind having to figure some of it out for myself.  Having said that, not very much happens early on, and for a film with a running time of 2 hours and 42 minutes you do start to drift off, but once it gets going, it keeps your attention till the end.

It's pretty, but what does it do?

The plot can be predictable, but it’s still engaging, owed in no small part to the world that Cameron has created for the indigenous Na’vi.  It simply is beautiful.  The film would look just as awe-inspiring in 2D, but the scenes in the forest really do come alive with the help of the extra dimension.  I particularly liked the UV glow that both the Na’vi and all  other Pandoran  life took on at night, giving an amazing backdrop of colour to the action. (You can tell just how much I liked the look of it by the amount of pictures on this post!)

Of course, everyone talks about the visual effects in this film, and for good reason. It’s flawless. MoCap has come a long way since Gollum, and with Richard Taylor’s Weta Workshop on board it was always going to be brilliant, but it surpassed  my expectations in the reality they managed to create. There was no point where I thought, “this bits real, she’s been put in later,” even in the interactions between humans and Na’vi, where there is no hint of the huge amounts of post production behind every frame.

I’d argue that a lot of the tech in this movie has been borrowed from The Matrix.  The way that the humans link up with their Avatars is kind of familiar (although in this version, if you die in the Matrix, you can still come back) and the Iron Man style robot suits were very familiar for any one who’s seen the final battle in Revolutions.  There were some new ideas too though. I really liked the look of the helicopter/planes that the army guys fly, and the psychic style link the Na’vi have with the creatures via their hair sounds completely ridiculous on paper but works surprisingly well on screen.

As for the characters, there’s isn’t a particularly deep characterisation but you do care, and when things start to go bad for the Na’vi I did find myself getting involved.  Probably my only criticism of the film is that is doesn’t quite have the heart of some of it’s predecessors; a bit too much time spent on the visuals and maybe not enough on the story arc, but it doesn’t fall into the trap as far as Reign of Fire did, and our two lead characters are sympathetic enough to keeps us locked in.

I am a fantasy junkie, and I can see how this film might not appeal to a wider market, but even with it’s flaws I think Avatar really is a film that has to be seen.  A colleague at work said that it reminded her of when she first saw Jurassic Park, which I think is a fair comment. A decade ago we wouldn’t have been able to make a film like this, but special effects are now moving at such a pace that nothing is impossible anymore.  It might not go down in history as one of the best stories ever told, but it will be remembered for being told in a way that was unlike anything we’d seen before.

Quote of the *100th Post* Day

Guess what I’ve been watching:

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”

Incidentally, this is my 100th post. Woo!

Well I wasn’t expecting that!

I can admit when I’m wrong. As Mad Hatter tried to warn me, The Globes don’t make sense. First of all, a world where Sandra Bullock wins a Best Actress award for a straight role while Meryl Streep gets hers for comedy just confuses me.  I think the Yanks finally got bored of giving awards to Helen Mirren.

I probably should’ve guessed that Avatar would win best film but so far all I hear is that it looks great but has little substance (kind of the bimbo model of the movie world) so I’m still not seeing an Oscar for it. I was right about Director though.

I cannot believe The Hangover beat Nine. That seems to make no sense, and I don’t think anyone predicted Jeff Bridges for Best Actor.  I haven’t even heard of the film, but that’s probably because I have been hideously cut off from the cinema for months.  I am glad Robert Downey Jr won for Sherlock which I will see soon if it kills me and I predicted that Up would get the Animated prize.  I also was right in hoping Giacchino would beat Horner for the score

Here’s the full list for those who care. Sorry fo rthe stream of consciousness writing.

Best film (drama)
Avatar
Also nominated:
The Hurt Locker
Precious
Up In The Air
Inglourious Basterds

Best film (musical or comedy)
The Hangover
Also nominated:
(500) Days of Summer
It’s Complicated
Julie & Julia
Nine

Best director
James Cameron (Avatar)
Also nominated:
Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker)
Clint Eastwood (Invictus)
Jason Reitman (Up In The Air)
Quentin Tarantino (Inglorious Basterds)

Best actor (drama)
Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart)
Also nominated:
George Clooney (Up In The Air)
Colin Firth (A Single Man)
Morgan Freeman (Invictus)
Tobey Maguire (Brothers)

Best actress (drama)
Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side)
Also nominated:
Emily Blunt (The Young Victoria)
Helen Mirren (The Last Station)
Carey Mulligan (An Education)
Gabourey Sidibe (Precious)

Best actor (musical or comedy)
Robert Downey Jr (Sherlock Holmes)
Also nominated:
Matt Damon (The Informant!)
Daniel Day-Lewis (Nine)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt (500 Days of Summer)
Michael Stuhlbarg (A Serious Man)

Best actress (musical or comedy)
Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia)
Also nominated:
Sandra Bullock (The Proposal)
Marion Cotillard (Nine)
Julia Roberts (Duplicity)
Meryl Streep (It’s Complicated)

Best supporting actor
Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds)
Also nominated:
Matt Damon (Invictus)
Woody Harrelson (The Messenger)
Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones)
Christopher Plummer (The Last Station)

Best supporting actress
Mo’Nique (Precious)
Also nominated:
Penelope Cruz (Nine)
Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air)
Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air)
Julianne Moore (A Single Man)

Best foreign language film
The White Ribbon (Germany)
Also nominated:
Baaria (Italy)
Broken Embraces (Spain)
The Maid (Chile)
A Prophet (France)

Best animated feature film
Up
Also nominated:
Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs
Coraline
Fantastic Mr Fox
The Princess and the Frog

Best screenplay
Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner (Up In The Air)
Also nominated:
Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell (District 9)
Mark Boal (The Hurt Locker)
Nancy Meyers (It’s Complicated)
Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds)

Best original song
The Weary Kind (Crazy Heart)
Also nominated:
Cinema Italiano (Nine)
I Want To Come Home (Everybody’s Fine)
I Will See You (Avatar)
Winter (Brothers)

Best original score
Michael Giacchino (Up)
Also nominated:
Marvin Hamlisch (The Informant!)
James Horner (Avatar)
Abel Korzeniowski (A Single Man)
Karen O, Carter Burwell (Where The Wild Things Are)

I am so behind!

You may have noticed that compared to last year there is a deplorable lack of awards chatter on this blog.  I blame my job.  But since it’s the Golden Globes tonight I’m determined to get a few lines up about the upcoming awards.  Unlike last year, there’s no obvious front runner to sweep the trophies this year; no Slumdog, no Benjamin Button, so the competition is kind of wide open.  We all know the Globes are a good indicator of The Oscars, so tonight we’ll be getting a pretty good idea of what’s to come.  Incidentally, if anything does sweep, I think it might be Nine.

A few predictions then.  In the Best Movie (Drama) category I’m thinking probably the wonderfully spelt Inglourious Basterds with the Best Musical/Comedy going to Nine.  Best Actress I expect to go to Helen Mirren, because she always wins, but I think that anyone in that category (except Sandra Bullock) is in with a shot.  Best Actor I’m thinking George Clooney and Best Animated absolutely has to be Up (that’s getting the Oscar too).  I can’t really guess about the Supporting Role awards since I haven’t seen any of the films(!) and Best Director is a tricky one, but I think they just might give it to James Cameron for being brave enough to make Avatar.  Michael Giacchino should be in with a shot for his score of Up,  but James Horner (Avatar) is stiff competition  (I haven’t even heard the score yet but the fact that he wrote it means I have no doubt it’s brilliant).

As for the telly awards, that’s kind of wandering off point a bit, but in my book House wins everything. Except musical, that’s Glee.

I’ll try to keep a bit more on top of these awards. Let me know your predictions!

I’d like to thank the Academy…

Award season is upon us. And apparently it’s not just the movie moguls dishing out awards, the lovely lads over at Ross vs Ross are sening them in my direction too!

I don’t know the full story of the “Kreativ Blogger Award.” It seems to be a kind of chain letter of back slapping for bloggers, but it’s always fun to have people write nice things about you and I don’t want to be the one to break the rules. so here they are, (strategically nicked from the Rosses themselves)

1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4. Name seven things about yourself that people might find interesting.
5. Nominate seven Kreativ Bloggers.
6. Post links to the seven blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated.

Here we go then….

Thank you Ross McG. Thank you Ross McD. I don’t know which of you decided to put me on your list but I love you both for it and the nice things you said about me.  You should all go and read their blog here

And there’s the logo. Cute innit? I learn from Carol that the original was “handmade from fabric scraps by a very creative Norwegian lady named Hulda.” So that’s nice.

As for linking to the Rosses. Well I’ve done that already.

7 interesting things about myself….right then….

um…

1. I am a middle child. People have a worrying tendency of being able to guess that fact
2. I am one of 4 members of the formidable Lego Fanclub pub quiz team. We were unbeaten in sixth place for many a season.
3. I play the saxophone. In the sense that I taught myself how to tame incoherent honking into slightly more ordered honking. I should probably take a few lessons…
4. Last year I saw The Killers live for free, and I plan to do something very similar again this Summer.
5. I have a ginger haired troll named Gary who was bought for me as a joke. He lives on top of my wardrobe and generally creeps everybody out.
6. I’ve been in 3 Operas and plan to be in another 5.
7. I can juggle. Oh yeah.

On with the nominations. Let the gushing begin.

1. I’ll start with the gents who began this. Ross vs Ross. For starters it’s a great idea for a blog. Two guys with the same name argue about which movie is better out of a similar pair. It’s such a good idea I’ve stolen it for my own blog before and probably will again.  Until today I was under the impression their page had been up and running for much longer than mine, which shows how good it is and they always manage to make me laugh.
2. Faded Glamour.  Winning enough awards of his own, Saam probably doesn’t need this one. But he’s gonna get it anyway. It started as a music blog and grew to include movies too (I like to think that’s my influence).  Always very up to date and the person I expect to know about the really great movies and bands that I would otherwise miss out on.
3. Shortcake and Snap.  This one has absolutely nothing to do with movies.  Neha’s combined her two passions, food and photography, into one yummy blog that looks as delicious as the recipes taste.  Great photos accompany top tips on how to cook and since it’s only been running a few months she gets bonus points for regular posting. I can personally vouch for the lavender cupcakes.
4. Daniel’s Critical Corner.  This was one of the first blogs I found when I started this whole malarkey and it is guaranteed to make me laugh.  All the way from Albuquerque, Daniel has his own unique take on movie reviewing which will get you thinking about your favourite films in ways you never have before.  He deserves a nomination for his picture captions alone.
5. Movie Mobsters. This one is a recent discovery for me but I’m liking it more every time I go back. Countdowns, quotes, reviews and more from a team of talented writers. The page also looks great. I need an html tutorial
6. Fandango Groovers. I can always rely on Andy for a comment and a debate.  His blog has given me some great ideas for posts of my own as well as drawing my attention to movies I’d never heard of.
7. Let’s Go to the Movies. Caz is a regualr updater who’s always on top of the news. One of my favourite features on her blog is the movie posters, always a teaser of great things to come. Her love of Gerard Butler might bias a few of the reviews, but who can blame her! Always has something I want to read and one of the first places I go.

And that’s that. If anyone actually knows anything about this “award” please fill me in.  Let’s all carry on being lovely to eachother in a kind of facebook note-spam way.

The Theory of Second Viewing

Sounds clever doesn’t it? Don’t worry, it’s not.

Basically, I am of the belief that you cannot form a proper opinion about a movie until you’ve seen it twice.  Case in point: if you look back you’ll see that when I watched Iron Man for the first time I said that I liked it but probably wouldn’t put it on the movies to see before you die list, and didn’t rate it too highly amongst the other Marvel films.  However, now I’ve watched it again (a couple of times) I’ve pretty much completely changed my mind! Definitely a firm favourite for me now and making it’s way onto the list.  There’s also been films I wasn’t too sure about first time around but having seen them again I think I misjudged them. Sin City springs to mind. Twelve Monkeys takes most people a couple of goes too, but that’s mainly to get your head round it.

I think part of it is that the first time you see a movie you’re trying to keep up with the plot and the characters and so you can miss little things like throw away one liners or cool set design that you’ll pick up second time around.  Of course some times though, you’ve got to trust your instincts.  You will have to pay me a whole lot of money to make me sit through the  Mamma Mia or Lost In Translation again, while at the same time it didn’t take me more than one viewing to realise that Lord of the Rings was a brilliant film.

More often than not I find that films I thought were only OK to begin with get better the more you watch them, but things can go the other way too.  The sequels to The Matrix and the Pirates follow ups both came out in a wave of PR and special effects that had you going in the cinema, but the plot holes get wider once you get the DVD back to your sofa. Not that I dislike any of those films, just perhaps not as into them as I was the first time.  I’ve already written about how hype can affect your opinion of a movie with The Dark Knight, and from what I hear of Avatar so far, it seems like that will be another one which loses some of the magic once it’s out of the cinema, especially since so much stock is tied up in the effects.

There’s more than a few places on this blog where I’ve written I need to see a movie again before completely making my mind up (The Eternal Sunshine debate rages on).  It’s not so much for the films you either love or hate, it’s the ones where at the end you can’t quite decide how much you like it.  My advice is watch it again.  You’ll probably find it’s better than you think.

…unless it’s Mamma Mia

Happy New Year and Happy Birthday!

Hello Again. Miss me?

Hope you all had great Christmasses/New Years/”Holidays.”  This is just a little post to commemorate the fact that roughly a year ago, when I was supposed to be writing an essay, I decided to start this blog.

I actually started out on a different platform, but after a lot of help (and a mini tutorial) from Josh I switched to WordPress and haven’t looked back!

For a first year I reckon it’s gone OK.  I’ve managed to beat the cynics and actually post on here relatively regularly and, even more surprisingly, I’ve built up a bit of a following.  Thanks to all of you who’ve made me feel popualr with your comments; Saam, Neha, Ruth, Caz, M.Carter, Andy/Fandango, Ross McD, RossMcG, MadHatter and all the rest of you, I never really expected anyone to read what I write!

New years blog resolutions include trying to get back into Quote of the Day posts, getting to the cinema more often and hopefully some more interesting posts in the future. And if I’m really lucky trying to break my 27,000 hit record from October!

It’s been a busy year for me. I finished my degree and started working like a real person, but I’ve been lucky enough to stay in touch with all the lovely people I met in London.  As for the cinema, highlights include Star Trek, Wolverine and Watchmen but without a cinema in my home town I’ve been rubbish at keeping up with the new releases.  I’m working on it though, hopefully I’ll be going to see Sherlock Holmes soon to find out if a bare knucle boxing Holmes actually works (I’m thinking yes!)  and this year I’m looking forward to Iron Man 2, Alice in Wonderland, Shutter Island (finally!) and Toy Story 3.

Thanks for reading everyone, Happy New Year!

The 12 films of Christmas, Part Three: Christmas Eve!

Here we are with the third and final part of my 12 films of Christmas. The deckies are up, the presents are wrapped, the turkey’s defrosting and there’s only one thing left to do; get in those final few films to really get you in the mood!

Before I get going, a quick reminder of the 12 so far:

12. The Nightmare Before Christmas
11. Die Hard
10. Edward Scissorhands
9. Love Actually
8. The Grinch
7. Home Alone
6. Miracle on 34th Street
5. The Santa Clause

Onto the top 4 then. Here’s my recommendations for what to watch on Christmas Eve and one for Christmas Day.

A Muppet Christmas Carol

OK, so I have a confession to make. I’ve cheated and already watched this one.  Christmas just isn’t Christmas without the Muppets. As I’ve said to Caz, as far as I’m concerned this is the definitive version of the Dickens classic (although I haven’t seen the newest offering.)  For starters Michael Caine sings in it!  All the music is great and the puppets are woven seamlessly into the human cast to make what is actually a very truthful rendition of the classic Christmas tale.  Although I do blame Jim Henson for my misguided belief that there were two Marley brothers (and that Scrooge’s first job was in a rubber chicken factory )

At some point during Christmas you have to see a version of A Christmas Carol. And if you’re me, this is the one you’re reaching for.

Getting into the evening now with: The Snowman

When I rule the world I’m passing a law that says everyone has to watch this on Christmas Eve.  It’s only 26 minutes long, there’s barely any speaking in it and the ending is one of the most heartbreaking on screen, but it is Christmas for me.  Howard Blake’s score is iconic, as is the animation, and for me as well as (probably) hundreds of other children it used to be the last thing I’d watch before I went to bed on Christmas Eve.  In the last couple of years however, it’s been replaced by my next choice…

Possibly a controversial one here…: The Polar Express

This was one of the first pioneers into the world of 3D cinema and therefore has some rollercoaster train rides to make the most of the effects and some slightly strange looking animation for which it’s got a bit of stick over the last few years. I’ve recently said I’m not that into the whole 3D thing (…until I see Avatar…) so you might be wondering what it’s doing at the top of my list. Let me explain.

I have never seen this film in 3D.  In fact the whole 3D thing only came to my attention because I was looking into the rollercoaster scenes.  So when I saw this film I wasn’t judging it on visual effects but on the story.  True, the animation of the people is a little off, mainly because it’s layered over actual performances, but I kinda like the fact that you can just about recognise Tom Hanks in each of the 6 characters he portrays.  I also think the plot is original and perfect for Christmas Eve.  Again, the idea of people not believing in Santa is used a lot this time of year, but the train for non-believers is a new one, and the juxtaposition between the different children works well.  My favourite theme in the movie though is the bells, such an essential part of the whole Santa image and used cleverly in this film.

If you haven’t seen it (or heard of it) I can’t recommend it more. It’s become a staple of our family Christmas, one which I will definitely be watching tonight.

So, that’s Christmas Eve sorted. Off to bed now or Santa wont come.  I have one more film for you, to watch tomorrow after your turkey.  In a way it’s a predictable choice, although you might not recognise it at first…

My Christmas Day film is: Chicken Run!

Is there anything more British than Aardman animation? When the rest of the world was wowing with CGI and the first of the Pixar sensations, Nick Park got out the plasticine and started building.

Chicken Run is a great film, full of dry humour, an awesome voice cast (Mel Gibson, Jane Horrocks, Miranda Richardson, Timothy Spall) and fun for all the family.  It’s great for any occasion, so why Christmas? Simple.

Chicken Run is The Great Escape, possible the most watched film at Christmas. Only it’s the less boring, less depressing, far more fun version of the same story, which in my opinion is infinitely better for you while you try to work out if you have any space left for that green triangle Quality Street.  Steve McQueen and his motorbike might be what most people reach for on Christmas Day, but I’ll take a rooster on a tricycle any day.

And that’s it. Christmas wrapped up in 12 great movies. All that’s left to say is Merry Christmas to all of you! I hope you all have a great time with whatever you’re doing.

I’ll be back in the New Year for this blog’s first birthday.

The 12 films of Christmas, Part Two: Christmas Hols

Even if you don’t go to school anymore (or happen to work in one) you’ll probably remember that the Christmas excitement really takes hold once you go off on holiday.  And as my school was closed on the last day of term because of the snow, the festive spirit is really flowing.

The fact that I’m completely snowed in has also helped me cross off a few more of my pre-Christmas movies. So here’s part two of my must watch yuletide films, this time bringing you some undeniably merry movies.

The Grinch

Jim Carrey has been a bit of a feature round here recently, and like many of his films, The Grinch tends to divide people.  I guess if you really hate him you can trade the new version for the traditional animation, but I really like Ron Howard’s adaption which stays very close to the book and has a great look which brings to life Dr Seuss’s mad imagination.  Even if you’ve never seen the movie/read the book, you’re bound to have some idea what The Grinch is all about.  In a way, it’s a bit like A Christmas Carol, with a grumpy outsider finding “the meaning of Christmas” but it also is increasingly relevant as both  Cindy-Lou and The Grinch struggle with the idea that Christmas seems to be all about who can spend the most money.

Home Alone

I have absolutely no idea why I like this film, I just know that I have to see it before Christmas.  I think a lot of it is down to John Williams beautiful score, my favourite monent being where he weaves Carol of the Bells into his main theme.  Yes, this film is unutterably cheesy, but that’s just what you need at Christmas. Plus, the child in me will always laugh at two bad guys getting hit in the face with paint cans.

Miracle on 34th Street

Again, there’s a few versions of this, but the one I’m voting for here is the Richard Attenborough, because I could totally see him being Santa.  This film has great memories for me, especially as it is one of the first (if not the first) films I ever saw at the cinema; back in the dark ages when my town still had one.  It’s a cute story about getting people to believe in Santa Claus, and although it’s sickly sweet, it gets away with it thanks to some strong performances from Attenborough and Mara Wilson (AKA Matilda). The idea of a legal battle over the existence of Santa is also a pretty neat one, oroginal enough to be taken off in numeous parodies ever since the black and white original.

This final spot I’ve struggled with.  In the end I’ve decided to leave out Gremlins on account that it’s not so much a family film (although since I discovered it two Christmasses ago I haven’t looked back).  So my final Christmas Hols film is:

The Santa Clause

This film has a lot fo similarities with Miracle on 34th, with both trying to get grown-ups to believe in Santa, but this time with a modern twist. Tim Allen stars as the half-hearted Dad who falls foul of “The Santa Clause” after accidentally knocking St Nick off the roof.  Forced to become the new Santa, the plot follows the not so shocking arc of him coming to terms with his new responsibilities, but with the nice side story of him bonding with his son (Daddy issues anyone?)  It’s a fun film with some real laughs, making me all the more sad that it’s not on this year and I don’t have it on DVD.

So that’s the holidays sorted (and I don’t mean that in the American sense.)  If you’re snowed in like me, crank the heating up, grab a blanket and get stuck in!

Final installment coming on Christmas Eve (ish) with my recommendations for the films to finally get you ready for the big day. And one to watch while you can barely move after all that dinner.