My movies of the week

I am always trying to catch up on classic cinema so I thought I would write a weekly feature about all the movies I watch in that week. To be honest, I've been feeling really lazy these holidays and can't be bothered blogging (on my brand new blog no less) but I watched some really great movies over the last week. Make that last fortnight, as I was on camp for 5 days (Don Bosco Camp: best camp ever!!). Anyway, here are the movies I watched recently.

12 Angry Men

12 Angry Men is an old, black-and-white film set entirely in one room. 12 male jurors are at the case of a young man accused of killing his father. 11 of the men say he's guilty without a second thought, but a reluctant Henry Fonda just wants to talk things over, as they all need to agree before they can send him off to the chair. Thoroughly powerful and emotionally moving, the film teaches important lessons about thinking things through and speaking out against peer pressure.

Each of the 12 characters are perfectly portrayed and written, and the script is constantly engaging. One of the greatest courtroom dramas ever made, 12 Angry Men proves that you don't need flashy explosions or CGI to make a great film, just a superb & entertaining script with lot's of heart.

The Nightmare Before Christmas

A Halloween and Christmas classic, The Nightmare Before Christmas is an animated gem due to it's gorgeous stop-motion visuals and pure imagination. The story centres on Jack Skellington, the much loved and popular resident of Halloween Town, who after yearning for a change of routine discovers a portal into Christmas Town, where he decides to spread the wonderful tradition of Christmas into his own world. It's definitely one of Disney's darker films (they released it under their Touchstone banner, thinking it was "too scary for kids") but it is a beautiful, creative classic.

The Matrix

The Matrix is a cool movie. The idea of everything in the world being a simulated reality was really cool. The kung-fu fight sequences, choreographed by Yuen Woo-ping (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) were really cool. Bullet time was pretty freaking cool. My only tripe with the film is the ending. Neo just randomly comes back to life, and it isn't explained why. They say it's because he is "the chosen one" but I'm pretty sure that mofo was dead. Nonetheless, it's one sweet-ass thrill ride of a movie.

Pulp Fiction

Well, what can I say about Pulp Fiction? It's sheer, Quentin Tarantino brilliance, and has gone on to become one of the most influential films of the 90's. The writing is witty and entertaining, the structure is unique and incredibly clever, the acting is brilliant and the mix of neo-noir and black comedy gives it a personality all of it's own. Violent and unrelenting, Pulp Fiction is a film that will not appeal to some people, but IMO, it's Tarantino's greatest film. A crime classic.

Thanks for reading!