October 2011 In Review

Best film of the month: Donnie Darko

Source Code - 4.5/5

Snowtown - 4/5       

Rashomon - 5/5

Seven Samurai - 5/5

Bicycle Thieves - 5/5

Elephant - 2.5/5

The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert - 5/5

13 Assassins - 4/5

Full Metal Jacket - 5/5

Thor - 3.5/5

Casino Royale - 4.5/5

Donnie Darko - 5/5

Worst Film of the Month: Elephant

Psycho - 5/5

The Thing - 4.5/5

Dirty Harry - 4.5/5

Real Steel - 3/5

Dr Strangelove Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb - 5/5

The Lion King - 5/5

The Lion King 3D - 4/5

Midnight In Paris - 4.5/5

Rio - 3/5

The Book of Revelation 4/5

Being John Malkovich 4.5/5

The Killing 4.5/5

Halloween 5/5       

Oldboy 3/5

A Nightmare on Elm Street 5/5

The Last House on the Left 4/5

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 5/5

X-Men: First Class 4.5/5

The Thin Red Line 5/5

Paranormal Activity 3.5/5

Paranormal Activity 2 3/5

Paranormal Activity 3 3.5/5

Contagion 4/5

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer 4.5/5

Apocalypse Now 5/5

Let Me In 4.5/5

Animal Kingdom 5/5

A Tale of Two Sisters 4.5/5

Best Film Seen in the Cinema: Drive

Drive - 5/5
The Godfather Part II - 5/5

The Evil Dead - 5/5

Evil Dead II - 4.5/5

The Departed - 5/5

Million Dollar Baby - 5/5

Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope - 5/5

The Social Network - 5/5

The Blair Witch Project - 4/5

Best film of the month: Donnie Darko

Worst film of the month: Elephant

Biggest surprise: The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert

Biggest disappointment: Oldboy
Best film seen in the cinema: Drive 

Total number of films seen: 54

Movie Viewings of the Week: October 24th - 30th

Movie of the Week: The Thin Red Line

Continuing on from last week's horror movie marathon, this week was full of horror film viewings, as well as many other films, topping off a decent week. I began the week with a horror film, but not in the most literal sense. The film I watched was Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, and although it wasn't scary, I can easily call it the most chilling film I've ever seen. Just thinking about it sends shivers down my spine. In order to shake it off, I decided to watch Terrence Malick's The Thin Red Line, which absolutely blew me away, and shot straight to my top 20. I topped the day off with yet another horror film, this time it was A Nightmare on Elm Street, which was awesome. Freddy Krueger was such a fantastic and scary character. 

I continued on with one of the best horror films ever made: John Carpenter's Halloween. It was such a fantastic film, and is easily one of my new favourite horror films. With me writing this on Halloween, that chilling theme song is all I can think about. I then settled in for the week's biggest disappointment: Oldboy. I was expecting so much from it, and it had many positives. It started off really promisingly, it was very stylish and visually appealing, but by the end, I just lost interest in it by the end. I expected so much better. Not to worry, as I redeemed myself by watch the very strange but excellent A Tale of Two Sisters, which scared me shitless.

I took a break from the horror films for a few days, and continued the week with Matthew Vaughn's surprisingly excellent X-Men: First Class, which was just as good on the small screen as it was in the cinema. I headed off to the cinema again this week (only once this week) to see Drive, a film I had been anticipating for ages. And it didn't disappoint. In fact, it's one of the best films of the year. I was on a winner that day, with my first viewing of The Godfather Part II, which was amazing, another film for my top 20. 

I spent my Friday night watch what were probably the two craziest and most awesome films ever made: The Evil Dead and Evil Dead II. They were both unlike anything I'd seen before. I have a whole new level of respect for Sam Raimi now. I forgive him for Spider-Man 3. I topped the week off with three classic films that couldn't be anymore different: Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby, Martin Scorsese's Oscar-winning The Departed and George Lucas' landmark film Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope. All up, a fantastic week! Here are my ratings:

A Tale of Two Sisters 4.5/5

Drive 5/5

The Godfather Part II 5/5

The Evil Dead 5/5

Evil Dead II 4.5/5

The Departed 5/5

Million Dollar Baby 5/5

Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope 5/5

Halloween 5/5       

Oldboy 3/5

A Nightmare on Elm Street 5/5

X-Men: First Class 4.5/5

The Thin Red Line 5/5

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer 4.5/5