The 12 Films of Christmas: Jingle All the Way (1996)

By Thomas Broome-Jones

Yes, I'm actually recommending this. Jingle All the Way stars dear old Arnie as a father who must scour Minnesota to find a sold-out "Turbo Man" toy for his son, who is played by Jake Lloyd, otherwise known as Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, what a great start we're off to.

"Hands up if you just do it for the money nowadays."

I'd place this film in the "so bad it's good" category. It's a really poor film, hammy acting, stiff dialog, cliches, unfunny jokes, it doesn't really have much going for it. However the pure level of how stupid this film is makes it enjoyable, much like a personal favourite of mine, The Room, you'll laugh at how truly awful it is.

I don't want to spoil it for you because you just need to see the progression of how bad it really does get, but the highlight for me is Arnie knocking out a reindeer. You read that correctly, Arnie punches a reindeer in the face, if that doesn't sell the film to you then I don't know what will.

A poor film that has acquired a cult following from its unintentional hilarity, this will remind you how lucky we really are to have brilliant Christmas films to fall back on, and will undoubtedly find a place in your heart, maybe just not the right place. 

Thomas Broome-Jones is on Twitter, you can follow him @TBroomey. 

The 12 Films of Christmas: The Snowman (1982)

By Thomas Broome-Jones

I don't think you can claim to love Christmas unless it has been accompanied at least once with The Snowman in your household.

Superman's stand-in when Clark is on his Christmas break.

A film that can reduce me to tears if I'm suffering from a combination of loneliness and Pepsi withdrawal, this short animated film is a classic and a staple of British culture. There is no dialogue, only music and gorgeous hand-drawn animation, almost as if the pages from the book have been put in motion on screen, which is of course the real benefit of such animation.

It goes without saying that this is a recommendation, it's less than half an hour long so it won't disrupt your day terribly. Anyway, it's Christmas, why are you worried about getting stuff done? It's the one day of the year when you have an excuse to spend your evening doing whatever you want.

I recommend watching this with your family, crack out some chocolate and whatever you choose to quench your thirst with and be lost in the wonder and amazement of the simple story of a snowman that comes to life. Simply put, this film IS Christmas. I love it so much that instead of a trailer, here, here's the whole gosh darn thing, enjoy!

Thomas Broome-Jones is on Twitter, you can follow him @TBroomey.

The 12 Films of Christmas: Trading Places (1983)

By Thomas Broome-Jones

Good ol' John Landis is one of the greatest comedy directors of all-time and he has two real classics under his belt, Animal House and Trading Places, the latter of which is a Christmas film, so I'm happy to recommend it.

This short sequence is better than the entire film of Bad Santa.

One of the best comedy films ever made, it tells the story of two men on opposite ends of the social scale, who, thanks to a wager made by two socialites, unwittingly trade places, swapping every aspect of their lives. Dan Aykroyd  is a wealthy elitist and Eddie Murphy a down-and-out tramp.

The real comedy gold in this film lies in Murphy and Aykroyd's chemistry, they're electric and the film really kicks in when they become aware of the wager and team up. But it's all just as funny when they're not the best of friends. There is a particularly brilliant and famous one-liner which involves Aykroyd dropping the N-bomb without realizing Murphy's presence, making for one of the most awkward moments in cinematic history.

If you haven't watched this film yet then you should, it's side-splittingly funny with charm and heart. Murphy and Aykroyd turn in career-best performances here as this was when they were both very much in their primes. The Blues Brothers had established Aykroyd as a force to be reckoned with and 1983 served as the real break-out year for Murphy, with his stand-up video Delirious coming out within months of Trading Places, this is an example of two comic actors at the top of their game doing what they do best, making you laugh.

Thomas Broome-Jones is on Twitter, you can follow him @TBroomey.

The 12 Films of Christmas: Scrooged (1988)

By Thomas Broome-Jones

This Christmas film is actually pretty scary but is ultimately hilarious and heart-warming. It's essentially a modern-retelling of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, something that's been done a thousand times I know, but this is one of the best adaptations in my mind.

Who you gonna call? Yourself, actually.

Scrooged follows TV executive Frank Cross, played by the legendary Bill Murray. He's Scrooge in ecery way, grumpy, miserable, cruel, despised, stingy and hates Christmas. You all know the rest of the story, 3 spirits, life lessons, bad guy turns himself around, yada, yada, yada.

Bill Murray is one of my favourite actors of all-time, I'd have to rank him as the greatest comic actor ever, even above giants such as Robin Williams and Jerry Lewis. He carries this film and his comic timing is perfect as ever. He creates a memorable character in a film which is basically Groundhog Day if it were written by Charles Dickens.

A funny heart warmer that's pretty lewd in places but is on the whole a real riot, especially when Murray meets Death, but you'll have to watch it to find out. Scrooged is worth a slot in your Christmas films list.

Thomas Broome-Jones is on Twitter, you can follow him @TBroomey.

The 12 Films of Christmas: Batman Returns (1992)

By Thomas Broome-Jones

I love the fact that Batman has a Christmas film, primarily because I get to recommend it. This is definitely the darkest entry in the live-action Batman film franchise and is actually a pretty depressing film.

Neither of them are happy at the casting of Ben Affleck, it seems.

So why recommend it? Well, BECAUSE IT'S BATMAN! I'm a tad biased when it comes to The Caped Crusader and this is one of the better Batman films for me. Bruce Wayne locks up with The Penguin, played by Danny De Vito who is perfectly cast and was seriously overlooked in the awards department, it's hard to tell it even is dear old Danny as he's underneath so many prosthetics and so much make-up. Michelle Pfeiffer also portrays Selina Kyle, or Catwoman as she's better known and totally makes the role her own, it's a real shame the planned spin-off featuring her character never came to fruition.

This is a dark and sometimes pretty disturbing Batman film but still, it's Batman and it's set at Christmas, so watch it, enjoy it and admire what is one of my favourite Tim Burton and Batman films.

Thomas Broome-Jones is on Twitter, you can follow him @TBroomey.

The 12 Films of Christmas: Lethal Weapon (1987)

By Thomas Broome-Jones

In case you haven't quite worked it out yet, I'm a fan of unconventional Christmas films. Lethal Weapon is an all-time action classic and one that I think holds up very well.

The set-up is simple and effective, and old cop (Danny Glover) is paired with a new young hotshot (Mel Gibson) and they have to beat the bad guy together, it's easy to understand and is executed perfectly.

I think Glover only just realized that Gibson's a racist.

I'm a big fan of Danny Glover, I think he's a good actor with real charm and charisma, I mean he pretty much carried Predator 2 and has demonstrated both comic and straight acting abilities. He can be funny when he wants to and he can be serious when he wants to, an invaluable talent for any actor.

This film was also made before Mel Gibson went absolutely bonkers and is one of his best performances, him and Glover have wicked chemistry and both portray likable characters that can more than handle themselves.

The action is just the right kind of testosterone-fueled action junkie gun porn fare for all to enjoy. Although this most definitely isn't fun for all the family, that is unless your family enjoys electric shock torture.

If you're looking for an unconventional Christmas film to watch this year and have just done Die Hard far too many times, then this is the one for you.

Thomas Broome-Jones is on Twitter, you can follow him @TBroomey.

The 12 Films of Christmas: Elf (2003)

By Chloe Burrell

This is a feel-good film that brings unheeded Christmas cheer no matter what mood you find yourself in at the beginning. Completely silly and truly heartwarming, I don’t think I’d be able to go a year without watching this cracker. From the extremely genius actor/director/producer, Jon Favreau, this is a film about a misfit human/elf who is sent to New York to re-discover his 'inner human’, stumbling upon a few hiccups (or should I say burps) along his merry way. 

This probably isn't too far removed from what school was actually like for Will Ferrell.

Buddy is a character that everyone, even Scrooge and the Grinch no doubt, could find a soft spot for in their heart. Excitable, loving and completely sociably inept, you’ll spend the whole film in fits of laughter and totally cringing, but never ever falling out of love with this elf-ified BFG. It’s no surprise either, with the god of American comedy, Will Ferrell, bringing the character to life, and the adorable Zooey Deschanel making an appearance beside him too. It’s a wholly charming, sat-in-a-blanket-with-the-family Christmas must-see film that won’t be coming off my festive film list for many years to come. I think it’s fair to say, good things do occasionally come in big packages.

The 12 Films of Christmas: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)

By Sean McDonnell

Now here is a Christmas film which I watch every year and will never EVER get bored of. Written by the great John Hughes, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation follows the adventures of Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) and his family in Chicago as they prepare for a “good old fashioned family Christmas” with various relatives who visit, like gossiping grandparents and homeless cousins. However, Clark must encounter several slight errors in preparation in the funniest ways which includes a Christmas tree, thousands upon thousands of fairy lights, a sled and my personal favourite...a squirrel!

So it turns out Clark is the original Jason Voorhees. Not really Christmassy, is it?

This is a film which I’ve always thought to be very special for the National Lampoon film franchise. It is beyond funny and is a perfect film for all the family in the lead up to Christmas Day. It is a very interesting take on a festive season and the ‘perfect’ suburban family because the dialogue is just so brilliant like Clark having quite a cheeky yet very delightful personality who really is desperate to remain positive and grandparents from both sides of the Griswold family bickering over each other on a daily basis on who has contributed more to the family. All whilst the wife, the son and the daughter try and figure out what the heck is going on! 

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is a film which will always remain one of my favourite films with the hilarious Clark getting beaten down by so many dangerous things and thankfully, always getting back up, having a smile on his face and proudly hates whoever gets in his way. A joy to watch again and again!

Sean McDonnell is on Twitter, you can follow him @seanmcdonnell_. 

Sean also has his own blog, which you can find here. 

The 12 Films of Christmas: Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)

By Ben Hanna

Home Alone 2 is the sequel to a film that I’m sure we can all agree is wonderful Christmas film, Home Alone, but this time on a much larger scale. Kevin McCallister is going away with his family to France where they will spend Christmas, but instead finds himself on a flight to New York once again left behind to fend for his own in the big bad city.

Do you think he's seen a picture of what he looks like now?

Although Kevin initially begins to enjoy himself, using his father's credit card to check into a very large and fancy hotel, making his way through an extremely large children's store and having the freedom to do as he wishes, it all comes to an end as we discover the bad guys from the first film are here in New York as well. This is one of the things I love about this film, it covers everything a child would want, getting away from his mean old parents and doing things his way! A film that I think every child can relate to and yet still manages to make adults laugh with its funny jokes, witty actors and hilariously awful robbers.

Home Alone 2 is perfect for a cold night in with the family, some hot chocolate and marshmallows. If this film doesn’t warm your heart, then I’m sure the hot chocolate will.

The 12 Films of Christmas: The Muppets Christmas Carol (1992)

 By Sean McDonnell

Moving on from the great Gremlins is a film which I obsessed over on VHS as a child. Oh of course I would...it’s the merry Muppets in the joyous and hilarious re-telling of Charles Dickens' classic tale, A Christmas Carol.

Wait...What's Hagrid doing in The Muppets?!

Directed by Brian Henson, son of the late Muppet creator Jim Henson, the Muppets take you on a journey into 19th century London with Charles Dickens himself (otherwise known as Gonzo the Great!) telling the tale of Ebenezer “Humbug” Scrooge (Michael Caine) as he encounters ghosts...and lots and lots and LOTS of charming, humorous and smart Muppets! The film is without a shadow of a doubt, hilarious and I guarantee will make anyone laugh out loud!

I saw this film yesterday for the first time in 10 years at the Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester Square (highly recommend a visit!) who offered a sing-a-long to film (they were even so kind to provide subtitles, presents to audience members AND even screened the moving song “When Love Is Gone” via VHS since it was sadly cut from the theatrical version). How did I feel after it? I must admit, very euphoric! This was always a favourite film of mine as a child and really took me back to the festive season over 10 years ago! This is a film which I will recommend to anyone which is touching, very funny and will make you realize the importance of Christmas for everyone!

 
Sean McDonnell is on Twitter, you can follow him @seanmcdonnell_. 

Sean also has his own blog, which you can find here.

The 12 Films of Christmas: Gremlins (1984)

By Thomas Broome-Jones

 Next on our Christmas agenda is a film that I enjoy watching with my family on a regular Holiday basis, Gremlins.

Dobby fell on hard times after being given his freedom.

Directed by Joe Dante and written by Chris Columbus of Harry Potter fame, as well as executive producer Steven Spielberg of...well, Steven Spielberg fame, comes this pretty dark horror comedy film that sees adorable fuzzy creatures known as mogwais turn into pure evil gremlins if they are fed after midnight.

I'm sure you all know the premise, this is one of my favourite Christmas films because of how fun it is. The Gremlins may kill people and commit all manner of horrendous disturbances of the peace, but they go about it in such a comic manner that can't help but laugh. The charm of the set pieces and snappy screenwriting make this enjoyable for the whole family.

Despite being a pretty sinister picture and a legit horror film, I watched this when I was a kid and loved it. It's definitely something kids will enjoy and I can't recommend it enough. Essential Christmas viewing that will get you in the festive spirit, guaranteed!

Thomas Broome-Jones is on Twitter, you can follow him @TBroomey.

The 12 Films of Christmas: Die Hard (1988)

By Thomas Broome-Jones

This is the first of our "12 Films of Christmas" feature to help get you all into the Christmas Spirit! Every day from now up until Christmas Day, there will be a recommendation of a personal favourite Christmas film of the team.

Don't be fooled by Lenny Henry, Bruce, NEVER book with Premier Inn.

I've chosen one of the best action films ever made, Die Hard, and before anyone tells me otherwise, this is a Christmas film. It's set at Christmas and is all about a man being inconvenienced when he just wants to spend time with his family for Christmas, sure that inconvenience is the building he's in being taken over by terrorists but that's hardly the point, is it?

Bruce Willis is at his absolute best here, dirty vest and all, as he butts heads with absolute nutter Hans Gruber, played by the immortal Alan Rickman. When these two aren't owning the screen with their wit, they're owning it by being pure badasses in every sense of the word.

Awesome action, awesome stunts and top-notch performances of charisma, this is one of the my favourite Christmas films and I urge you to watch it before the 25th arrives!




Thomas Broome-Jones is on Twitter, you can follow him @TBroomey.

From the Vault Reviews: The Third Man (1949)

By Sean McDonnell

Orson Welles moved on from his magnum opus (hint: “Rosebud”) to something completely different from any other film noir I’ve ever seen. The Third Man is a stunning collaboration between the great Welles, director Carol Reed (known for the Oscar winning Oliver!), novelist Graham Greene as the screenwriter and finally...who can forget Anton Karas as the writer and performer of the score? His weapon of choice being the very Austrian zither. This is a film which was way ahead of its time just like the German expressionists of the 20s, Fritz Lang is an obvious auteur with his experimental use of sound in M.

Shadows certainly love to blend with Austrian architecture!

The Third Man concerns an American pulp novelist named Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten) who arrives in Allied-occupied Vienna seeking his old friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles) who has offered him a job, only to discover that Lime was killed by a car whilst crossing the street a few days before. The question is...how did Lime really die? This is the question which prompts Martins to investigate into Lime’s business all while the Brits tell him to clear off back to the States and Harry’s girlfriend Anna (Alida Valli) remains suspicious of Martins' actions. Martins soon discovers dark secrets about Lime’s line of work and his death.

Where do I start to emphasize how beautiful this film is? Well, firstly the cinematography by Robert Krasker is possibly one of the best examples of camerawork I’ve ever seen! Krasker frequently uses the Dutch tilt angle technique, whereby the camera is tilted off to one side, offering to the audience Martins' alienation in a foreign environment. The use of this expressionist technique really reminded of the great German horror The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and the unease that it created as much as The Third Man. The performances are also outstanding and should be greatly admired, Cotten and Valli portray two foreigners struggling to survive, one with a desire to discover whilst one has a desire to remain silent. Welles doesn’t enter the film until roughly an hour in, but when he does, it’s probably one of the greatest entrances in all of cinema. I won’t go into detail (my apologies in advance!) but you just have to see it for yourself, there is perfect use of cinematography, mise-en-scene and lighting! It all works so well within that scene, I was simply amazed at how the crew captured the sense of surprise within Cotten’s fantastic performance. Welles of course offers a very sinister yet stunning performance as Lime who reveals much more than one can really handle to the true purpose of his work, if you can call it that! The music by Karas is without question one of the best examples of film scoring because it’s just so simple and fits in with the setting of post-WWII Vienna, offering a jangled sense of desperation which is repeated throughout the film as the theme of Lime. A very pleasing film, The Third Man remains thrilling today as it was 64 years ago and is certainly one of the prime examples of film noir!
 
The Third Man is available in the College Library in a 1 disc edition format, it has a PG certificate.

Sean McDonnell is on Twitter, you can follow him @seanmcdonnell_. 

Sean also has his own blog, which you can find here.

Quote of the Week Review: Infernal Affairs (2002)

By Thomas Broome-Jones

"I can't finish the novel, I don't know whether he's good or bad" 

The film that was remade into Martin Scorsese's Academy Award-winning 2006 crime thriller The Departed, Infernal Affairs is a tightly-edited, strongly-written masterpiece of kinetic storytelling.
The story concerns a cop who is sent undercover in the Triads and a Triad who is sent undercover in the cops, both organizations find out they have moles and each mole is tasked with the job of finding the other. Their paths will cross at key points in the film and add an extra layer of tension in situations where the audience will know the truth but the characters will not.

Where loyalties lie: Which one of these is the bad guy?

The editing in this film is incredible, it leaves a trail-blaze of energy as the film bursts through the narrative, hitting you with blow after blow and twist after twist. This contains all of the high production standards that you would expect from an American thriller, but the fresh insight into another nation's police force and criminal underworld is welcoming. Gone are the old tropes of watching New York's finest trying to take down the mob, no, this is Hong Kong police vs Triads, two groups whose methods differ hugely from their American counterparts.

Human morality plays a key part in this film as both main characters will have their loyalty put to the ultimate test and you will sometimes forget they're moles and will unwillingly root for the bad guy. I preferred the acting in this film when compared to The Departed, whilst I did love Leonardo DiCaprio I never really bought into Matt Damon as an Irish mobster, probably because he had a pretty unconvincing accent. All of the key scenes from The Departed are present but in a different order and the pacing is much quicker, likely due to the film's shorter run-time.

There was a distinct lack of character development in this film and The Departed very much handled the character relationships more effectively. But 'The Departed' did have a longer run-time to work with, in fact it was a full 50 minutes longer. This lack of development did bother me towards the end but in retrospect the strength of the script and the tension that is created more than made up for it.

Even though I knew what the plot twist was having The Departed, it was handled much better in 'Infernal Affairs' and felt like a more important moment. The supporting character equivalents were pretty much all the same, aside from the fact that Jack Nicholson's mob boss in 'The Departed' got more development. Although I must say I did prefer Mark Wahlberg's character, Staff Sergeant Dignam, in The Departed, the key part his character plays in the ending was added in by Scorsese. In fact, the films both have two completely different endings, although I do prefer 'Infernal Affairs's ending personally.

Overall, an exhilarating watch fueled with great writing, interesting humanistic themes and tension you could cut with a knife. I recommend this to both fans of The Departed and people who haven't seen either, a brilliant film. 

Thomas Broome-Jones is on Twitter, you can follow him @TBroomey.

Will The Death Of Nelson Mandela Bring High Profile To New Biopic And Its Star?

By Thomas Broome-Jones

Last week, I was lying on my bed just casually surfing the net when I heard that Nelson Mandela, one of the single most influential figures of all-time, had passed away at age 95. Because I'm an utter film nerd, it wasn't long before I started to consider the effect his passing would have on the new biopic, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, based on Mandela's autobiography of the same name. The film has already premiered and has actually received a somewhat mixed response from critics, but then so did The Iron Lady and that still won Meryl Streep almost every award under the Sun, including the Oscar.

Elba's performance has received universal critical praise.

We do indeed seem to be in a generation of biopic acclaim, in fact, since 2000, 20 actors, male and female, have won an Oscar across all acting categories for portraying  real people out of a possible 52. That's a pretty large figure in my mind, and whilst Morgan Freeman didn't manage to net the prized golden statue for his portrayal of Mandela in the 2009 sports film, Invictus, I believe Idris Elba has a much better chance of taking home Oscar gold due to the circumstances. We need only look to the significant amount of hype generated from Christopher Nolan's 2008 superhero epic, The Dark Knight. Batman Begins, the first installment in Nolan's acclaimed Batman trilogy, managed to net just under $375,000,000 at the global box office and received just one Academy Award nomination (for Best Cinematography). Fast-forward to the build towards its sequel 3 years later and there is a shock sent throughout the world as the new Joker, Heath Ledger, tragically dies under mysterious drug-related circumstances. The Dark Knight would go on to make over a billion dollars at the box office, becoming the first ever superhero film to do so and was, at the time, the highest-grossing superhero film in history. It also received a whopping eight Academy Award nominations and Ledger completed a posthumous near clean-sweep of the industry's acting awards that year.

Many people, myself included, believe that a significant amount of The Dark Knight's success can be attributed to the highly-publicized death of Heath Ledger. Now, I know that Idris Elba hasn't died but how many people will flock to the theatres now to see the film based on the incredible life of Mandela in his memory? I'm willing to wager a lot. I'm fully aware that much of The Dark Knight's Oscar attention came from the fact that it was one of the most highly acclaimed films that year but as The Iron Lady proves, a tremendous performance will generally receive attention regardless of the film's critical notoriety. Elba has consistently been touted as the strongest thing about the film and it isn't surprising, his performances in The Wire and Luther quickly established him as an incredibly charismatic and gifted actor, the latter winning him a Golden Globe Award.

Immediately after Mandela's passing was announced, I saw many tweets and Facebook statuses from people saying how they were going to watch Invictus in tribute to the man. How fitting then, that a film about his life story is out. I can see Long Walk to Freedom becoming a runaway box office success, I wouldn't be at all surprised if it was re-packaged and marketed as a film dedicated to Mandela's memory. Coupling this potential high profile with what has been called "a towering performance" and "commanding" by critics, I think that the balance will tip in Mr. Elba's favour and that his chance to win The Academy Award for Best Actor just shot up dramatically.

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom is in cinemas now, it has a 12A certificate.

Thomas Broome-Jones is on Twitter, you can follow him @TBroomey.

Quote of the Week Review: Rashomon (1950)

By Thomas Broome-Jones

"No one tells a lie after he's said he's going to tell one" 

Rashomon isn't exactly a film that has aged brilliantly, I think that would be fair to say. Many of its characters and plot devices are considered overdone by today's standards. But liberties must be taken for a film that is 63 years old going on 64, we must bear in mind that many of the techniques in 'Rashomon' were radical for the time and helped to set in motion new styles and approaches to filmmaking in the West.
This was one of the first films to make us of, well 'The Rashomon Effect', the cinematic device of re-telling the same story from multiple perspectives. Whilst it is impossible to determine which film was definitively the first to use this practice, 'Rashomon' is certainly regarded as such, hence the name of said practice. 

"Look! America are trying to remake us!"

The plot concerns 3 men, each describing a trial for the murder of a samurai, within each of their recollections are the testimonies given at the trial, so a story within a story, yes, just like 'Inception'. The re-telling of these events was very engaging to watch unfold and allowed me to analyze the narrative deeply. The film definitely requires multiple watches as it's hard to decide who is telling the truth. What really happened, we may never know, but the fun part is theorizing over why each individual account may or may not be true.
The camera work was awesome and innovative of its time, the Japanese aesthetic of filmmaking was unknown to Western audiences and its introduction allowed so many stylistically bold films to be made. The acting was excellent, many may call it hammy but Asian cinema is typically more grandiose as it is very closely related with folklore, which is traditionally told in a very visual and loud way, so the acting can't be criticized for that.

Now, there were elements that took away from my enjoyment of the film, like I said, it's old but I just feel like these issues flawed the storytelling. My main issue was characters constantly falling over, and I don't exaggerate, it happens A LOT. I understand that when in a heated situation that would be realistic, but it makes the scenes disjointed and totally throws the pacing off kilter. For a mere 84 minutes this certainly felt a lot longer just because of the pacing issues. Some scenes also lasted for far too long, I felt like the story could have been told much more effectively with as much as 10 minutes shaved off it.

The film seems to be making a comment on humanity as well as rebirth but I don't see it as a thematic marvel. It certainly isn't 2001: A Space Odyssey in that respect. I see it as an important film in use of cinematography and non-linear storytelling, which isn't a bad thing. Classic American films such as The Usual Suspects, Pulp Fiction (or most of Tarantino's work, for that matter) or Fight Club arguably wouldn't exist without this film, so it does deserve your attention.

A recommended watch, most definitely for historical benefit, this is the kind of film that a cinema fan needs to see to understand where so many hailed conventions in the medium first started. It is flawed, but Rahomon's influence alone is enough to earn the acclaim of anyone, at least in my eyes. 

Thomas Broome-Jones is on Twitter, you can follow him @TBroomey.

Choose Your Weapons

By Chloe Burrell

For today’s blog, I think it’s best to dispel a myth that I, only recently, discovered to be untrue. A few of you might even have already known this, but for those of you who didn’t, this may come as a big relief. Ready? Film courses don’t care about what equipment you’ve use. In fact, having rubbish equipment could work to your advantage. Let me explain that. 

Something's not right here...

When you apply to a practical film course, the majority ask to see a portfolio of your creative work, in order to see what skills you may or may not have. This means getting out and about, and practising your skills and making your own films. Now, this might automatically send alarm bells ringing if you aren’t armed with a Canon 600D, but that shouldn’t be the case at all. Whilst having a 600D makes things a hell of a lot prettier, most of these courses in the UK, including all the ones I have visited, suggest picking up the closest thing with a record button on it is a perfectly fine alternative. They say they couldn’t give a single monkey whether you use a £5000 camera, your dad’s camcorder, or your Nokia – it’s not about what you use. All they want is to see your interest, your ability to frame shots, to edit, to tell stories. In short, they want to see you work with what you’ve got. You could create the same beautifully framed shots on a top-range DSLR as on your iPhone. Think, Blair Witch Project – a wildly popular film, created on a ridiculous small budget and a couple of camcorders that Daniel Myrick probably had lying around his house. Think about the cheesy phone adverts with the beautifully filmed shots. They can do it, and so can you. In fact, I can guarantee your course will be more impressed if you’ve managed to cobble together a great short with a mediocre camera, than a mediocre short with a 600D. We have no excuses, so dust off your camcorders and happy filming!

From the Vault Reviews: Berberian Sound Studio (2012)

By Sean McDonnell

Immediately after watching Berberian Sound Studio I thought, “this is something special from any other psychological thriller I’ve seen”. Indeed, Peter Strickland’s second film is a beautifully made triumph and a strange tribute to giallo horror!

Don't let that salad go to waste.

The film is set in the 1970s and follows sound technician Gilderoy (Toby Jones) being sent to Italy to work on a horror film called The Equestrian Vortex which we, as the audience, never see. Instead, we witness the grueling tasks of Gilderoy having to create the sounds of anguish and suffering through your average shopping basket such as melons being hacked to bits, cabbages being stabbed, blending tomato juice...you get the idea. From then on, things get very out of hand with Gilderoy’s shift in his line of work as he becomes lost in a world of sound.

The film is, without question, astonishing. I have to agree with Peter Bradshaw that this film definitely has a Lynchian feel to it with its unique dream sequences and explicit fear through not only Gilderoy, but also through Veronica (Susanna Cappellaro), a voice actress constantly under pressure and treated “like a whore” by the crew, who use various unorthodox methods to create the perfect, painful, frightening scream.
The music by the electronic group Broadcast provides a gorgeous representation of anxiety, not only through linking with the giallo film as Gilderoy does his magic; but also expresses his feelings on this dramatic change in contrast to working on softer works in his native land. Along with that, Jones delivers a spellbinding performance, presenting a timid man who has the magic to create any sound, including a very intimate scene creating UFO noises with a light bulb, all through candlelight! The cinematography by Nicholas D. Knowland is beyond interesting, offering close knit shots of fear through Gilderoy and Veronica and of course, the precious items to destroy! All of this is seen whilst edited by Chris Dickens to give an almost exploitative like feel to this very dark film. This is certainly a very unusual thriller but alluring and left me in shock and awe at its originality! Weird, immersive and original. This is something else, and something else
I would highly recommend seeing. A top class piece of madness!

Berberian Sound Studio is available in the College Library in a 1 disc edition format, it has a 15 certificate.

Sean McDonnell is on Twitter, you can follow him @seanmcdonnell_. 

Sean also has his own blog, which you can find here.

From the Vault Reviews: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

By Sean McDonnell

A classic which existed before Nosferatu and Metropolis, this is a horror which is truly influential and very special.

Directed by Robert Wiene, the narrative of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari concerns a mysterious showman (Werner Krauss) who arrives in a small town during their annual fair. He amazes the crowd with his Somnambulist, Cesare (Conrad Veidt) who sees the future. However, Caligari has more savage plans outside of his act.

"All by myself, don't wanna be, all by myself"

There are various reasons why this film is very unusual and distinctive for a silent film. Firstly, the expressionism is astonishing through the use of a distorted film set. The characters live in a town full of sharp angles, trees with spikey leaves and diagonal stars. For an audience back in the early 20th century, when cinema was still developing, it must have been very disturbing to have seen something like this in contrast to typical light-hearted comedies and historical dramas. The title cards are even stylised, something which I didn’t really expect for a very old silent film and yet it really helped add a sinister nature of despair for audiences. Many scenes are also tinted in sepia, blue and green, almost giving the film a nightmarish appearance throughout as the investigations of the murders develop even more. The cinematography by Willy Hameister is also composed interestingly, there’s frequent use of close ups of characters such as Francis (Friedrich Feher) expressing constant dread due to the series of mysterious murders which includes his best friend as a victim. The close ups are also used on Caligari who expresses an obvious sense of fierce pleasure for horror whilst Cesare doesn’t really express, he merely awakens, foreshadows death and despair and sleeps again.

Krauss gives a fantastic performance as the sinister Caligari, portraying him as a mad man wanting to cause grief for the local community whilst showing unconditional care for Cesare. Veidt also portrays the dangerous Cesare beautifully as a dark, shady and submitting character controlled by Caligari’s hypnotic methods. The music of Giuseppe Becce is also composed tremendously with frequent use of crescendos and fortissimos to add more thrills and chills. This is certainly one of the best silent films I’ve seen in a while and not only is a film with creative expression, style and beauty, but arguably the first horror film and most certainly the first film with a brilliant twist ending. If you are reading this and not a fan of silent cinema…just watch this. A film which I found very frightening at times that I even jumped out of my seat at one point! Thrilling, deceitful and
striking.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is available in the College Library in a 1 disc edition format, it has a U certificate.

 

Sean McDonnell is on Twitter, you can follow him @seanmcdonnell_. 

Sean also has his own blog, which you can find here.