Top Ten Tuesday: Evil Machines

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Since ‘Terminator: Salvation’ is coming out Friday we decided to do a Top Ten Evil Machines list. We scoured everyone’s opinions and this is what we got. Even though there are a lot more evil machines out there, these are the ones we thought were the worst and definitely most evil bastards to ever grace the silver screen.

Enjoy the list and we look forward to the ones you think you need to dispute on the list or off.

10. Megatron

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Megatron is the evil leader of the Decepticons who is responsible for destroying the Autobots home world Cybertron. Megatron was trying to obtain All Spark(Cube that controls the “life” of all Transformers) which he found on earth. Megatron’s only mission is to obtain the All Spark and destroy all the Autobots and rule the world. He is ruthless and doesn’t care who or what he destroys on his mission.

Megatron is so evil that customs often times seized these toys when they come through the mail, airports, and any other way they can be transported because the “gun form” of the first series Megatron toy looks exactly like a real gun. You can see it here, which also makes Megatron an evil asshole!

09. Gort

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Although the special effects weren’t amazing, the original ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’ will still give you chills. Gort was the evil bastard machine who accompanies Klaatu on his mission to warn the inhabitants of Earth of their impending doom because of their atomic weapon development. Gort uses a laser that shoots from underneath his visor to “vaporize” anything he feels as a threat. Although he is there on a peace keep mission he is still an evil force to be reckoned with.

08. The Borg

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Who doesn’t remember the tagline “Resistance is futile”?   With that, the Borg dominated the Star Trek universe for years, becoming one of the most popular villains in the television/film franchise.   With extreme strength and an intense ability to adapt to any situation, the Borg can assimilate a whole Starfleet crew before Data can calculate the likelihood of survival.   I’ll give you a hint.   It’s not very good.   The notion of the Borg Queen in ‘Star Trek: First Contact’ kind of ruined the whole idea of the “collective,” but that didn’t make them any less scary.

07. The Gunslinger

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I remember seeing ‘Westworld’ when I was still fairly young and Yul Brynner’s portrayal of The Gunslinger scared the bejesus out of me. The Gunslinger was a robot in a hi-tech wild west attraction that short-circuits and begins hunting down and killing everyone trapped within the attraction. It’s an emotionless, cold and relentless pursuer that stalks it’s victims with the familiar tension of Michael from ‘Halloween’… slow and patient. The character becomes even more frightening when The Gunslinger’s face is detached, revealing his true robotic self underneath as he continues to pursue innocent people with deadly robotic accuracy.

06. T-800

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Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character is classified(in most cases) as a T-800 or Terminator in the ‘Terminator’ movies. The T-800 is a programmable cyborg designed by SkyNet who has the ultimate goal of eliminating the human race. They have flesh and blood and walk, talk and by most standards are exactly like humans. When they are wounded or shot their endoskeleton becomes visible. The T-800 is almost indestructible, unless of course you eliminate it in a hydraulic press.

The original goal was to go back into time in order to eliminate Sarah Connor, the mother of John Connor who eventually comes to be the leader of the Human Resistance.

05. Darth Vader

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“He’s more machine now than man.” – Obi-Wan Kenobi, ‘Star Wars’

The only reason Darth Vader isn’t at the tippy top of this list of evil machines is because of his redemption in the face of his snotty, teen-aged son.   That, and the fact that Hayden Christensen didn’t do the character any damn favors.   Despite all that, Vader still remains one of the most iconic and evil machine-based characters in cinema history.   With the power of the Force at his beckoning, Vader is able to choke out Grand Moffs from across the room and fly a TIE fighter with the best of them.   We’ll just forget he trained at flying those TIE fighters by racing in pod races as a slave boy.   We’ll try to forget.   It’s hard, you know.

04. Roy Batty

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He’s slick, he’s suave, he’s slightly crazy and has nothing to lose. Oh yeah, he’s also ticked off at the human race for creating him as a slave and has vowed himself an enemy of mankind to the final day of his artificial life. Roy Batty looks just like us, except he’s stronger and faster and just as smart. Stay on his good side, or risk ending up on the underside of his boot.

03. T-1000

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With a mimetic poly-alloy body, the ability to mimic anyone’s appearance and voice, and the capability of turning its limbs into knives and stabbing weapons, the T-1000 is the sleekest and coolest assassin in the sci-fi universe.   SkyNet really outdid itself when it came up with this one, as the T-1000 is seemingly unstoppable.   Of course, leave it up to an overprotective T-800, an annoyingly, 14-year-old Edward Furlong, and a vat of molten steel to screw up SkyNet’s plans.   Regardless of its destruction, the T-1000 is still the coolest character in the ‘Terminator’ franchise, and it remains one of the most evil characters in all of science fiction.

02. Hal 9000

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HAL 9000 was the original, voice-driven, evil computer on a manned space mission, and he has lived up to that role in the decades since ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ came out.   Voiced by Douglas Rain, who did very little else in his career, HAL had a soothing voice that was basically rubbing your back to find the soft spot to stick the knife.   At one point, HAL sets an astronaut adrift.   While a fellow astronaut goes out to rescue him, HAL locks the both of them outside.   What a prick!   Since its initial release in April ’68, there have been similarly evil, artificial intelligence-driven computers who have turned on their human counterparts.   HAL 9000 was the first and the best of these.

01. The Sentinels

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Easily the most formidable, ruthless and darn near indestructible evil machines ever portrayed on film. It takes massive rounds from some pretty heavy freaking artillery just to slow down these massive flying squid-like baddies with the spider-eyes and deadly tentacles. They’re fast, agile, smart, adaptive and on top of everything else, they travel/hunt in packs. The Sentinals are the ultimate killing machines!

TOP TEN TUESDAY: Greatest Opening Scenes

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They are the first things we see.   They are the launching point for your film.   They are the opening scenes.   Many opening scenes drive home right from the start what the film is all about and the attitude the filmmakers are projecting towards their audience.   Some don’t work, but there are several opening scenes that stick out in cinefile’s minds all over.

It’s hard to put together a list of the 10 best opening scenes, but we’ve done our very best.   Below, you’ll find what we Movie Geeks believe to be the best of the best in opening minutes of a film.

A quick note:   We don’t want to hear anyone bitching about how ‘Saving Private Ryan’ is not on this list.   Yes, the Normandy landing is an incredible scenes, one of the greatest battle sequences ever.   However, think back to ‘Saving Private Ryan.’   Think back to the very beginning of the film.   The Normandy invasion is not the opening scene.   Rather, the bookend scene at the cemetery is the very first scene we see after the opening title.   So, there.   Put that in your movie geek pipe and smoke it.

Now, onto the list:

10. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring


9. Citizen Kane


8. Pulp Fiction


7. A Clockwork Orange
THE NARRATION NEAR THE END OF THIS CLIP IS IN ITALIAN. APOLOGIES FROM THE EDITOR.


6. Star Wars: A New Hope


5. Magnolia


4. Once Upon a Time in the West


3. Fight Club


Watch Fight Club : opening title sequence in Entertainment |  Ã‚  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com


2. Apocalypse Now


1. Touch of Evil

Top Ten Tuesday: Movies About the Wrongfully Accused

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To bring another realism to the situation of the WM3, we decided to put together the top 10 movies about the wrongfully accused. Going more off subject matter than cinematic excellence we have come up with these for everyone, enjoy.

10. Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

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‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ is a modern classic, a film that broke so many technological barriers 21 years ago when it was released.   Yet, even today, the animation found in the Robert Zemeckis film is still as adequate as it ever was.   It shows how amazing the direction and the acting by Bob Hoskins were that the two, lead characters have such charisma between one another.   Sorry, but ‘Tango & Cash’ have nothing on ‘Valiant & Rabbit.’   On top of the frivolity and cartoon aspects, the movie also has quite an interesting story about celebrity and the nature of being framed.   Tell me you weren’t just a little freaked out when you first realized Judge Doom was a toon.   ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ is an incredible film.   It’s one of those rare instances of a film 20-years-old or older that actually deserves a sequel and never got one.

9. Double Jeopardy

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‘Double Jeopardy’ is a film that takes the pretty standard notion of a woman getting framed for the murder of her husband and turning it on its ear.   In this film, the husband faked his death, the wife already served time for the murder, and, so, she can kill him free and clear without the law touching her.   ‘Double Jeopardy’ came near the end of the whole “women in peril” era of films that came our way near the end of the ’90s, and Ashley Judd was the queen of that film.   This is the best, creating suspense and drama all along the way but still able to throw a few surprises our way here and there.   Tommy Lee Jones somewhat reprises his role of someone hunting down an escaped fugitive, but he gives a great performance, as well.   ‘Double Jeopardy’ is a fine film full of thrills.

8. In the Name of the Father

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Based on a true story, ‘In the Name of the Father’ is an incredibally moving motion picture with or without Daniel Day-Lewis churning out one of his signature performances. Â  Here, the amazing actor plays Gerry Conlon, one of the Guildford Four, who were falsely accused of an IRA bombing in 1974 despite having no evidence whatsoever linking them to the organization. Â  The four were held in prison until their eventual release in 1989. Â  What director Jim Sheridan pieces together with his film is a heart-wrenching depiction of the life of the falsely accused prisoner without the political subtext getting in the way. Â  ‘In the Name of the Father’ is a humanist film with dramatic turns and staggering performances by the actors involved. Â  Day-Lewis may lead, but Emma Thompson and Pete Postlethwaite, as Conlon’s father, Giuseppe, who was also falsely imprisoned as one of the Maguire Seven, also give outstanding performances. Â  All three were nominated for Academy Awards as was Sheridan for Best Director and the film for Best Picture of 1993. Â  ‘Schindler’s List’ got all the glory at that year’s Oscars presentation, but ‘In the Name of the Father’ is a film that is not to be missed by any means.

7. The Warriors

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“Warriors!   Come out to play-ee-ay!”

Now try to get David Patrick Kelly’s creepy voice and the sound of beer bottles clanking together out of your head. Â  Can’t, can you? Â  That’s because ‘The Warriors’ is such an unforgettable gem of a film, an early effort from director Walter Hill that remains to this day as, arguably, his best. Â  A cultural rewriting of Sol Yurick’s 1965 novel, the film, made 14 years after the novel was first published, embroils us into a world where there are three thugs for every cop. Â  After the peace-seeking leader of the biggest gang in town, Cyrus, is assassinated, the Warriors, a gang from Coney Island, are accused of the deed. Â  Now, they have one night to get fromPelham Bay Park back to their home turf with every other gang in New York out for blood. Â  It’s a hard-edged film that wears status as both cult classic and an intricate look at gang-related lifestyles. Â  ‘The Warriors’ is a film that many have not seen, but everyone should check it out. Â  Now, can you dig it?

6. My Cousin Vinny

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Even though we are dealing with some very serious subject matters, it does help to lighten the mood and ‘My Cousin Vinny’ does a great job of doing just that. Joe Pesci plays the lawyer cousin of a wrongfully accused older Danielson Ralph Macchio and his friend. They stand trial for murder with a lawyer who has never represented anyone before.

5. JCVD

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If you haven’t seen this movie yet, then you’re probably suffering the same delusion that most of us have before seeing this, related to the fact that surely another film from Jean Claude Van Damme is sub-par. Well, me friend, you are so wrong and you need to remedy this immediately. Yeah, it’s a movie about an action-movie star that’s down on his luck. There’s action involved but isn’t the focus and this psuedo-docudrama featuring Van Damme as himself builds to an amazing climax and features a performance from Van Damme so great you’ll deny it’s really him. Easily, the biggest suurpise sleeper hit from 2008. What are you waiting for, see this movie… and don’t give me the whole “it’s subtitled” excuse! If Scott saw the movie and liked it, you have no excuse.

4. The Shawshank Redemption

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In this, the first feature film collaboration between Frank Darabont and Stephen King, Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman both deliver stellar performances in one of the best movies of all time… period! This prison drama details the struggle of Andy Dufresne, a man wrongfully accused for the murder of his own wife. He maintains his innocence throughout the film, fighting for his freedom but also working to build freindships and better the lives of others during his time behind bars. Equal parts touching, dramatic, frightening and inspiring, this movie is a MUST SEE. End of discussion!

3. The Fugitive

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Harrison Ford walks in on his wife being murdered, but all the evidence points to him being the killer. He gets convicted and sentenced to death but during his transport the bus crashed and he is able to escape to mount his own investigation while trying to avoiding Tommy Lee Jones. This is a great film especially one that deals with the subject matter of being wrongfully accused. Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones both give pretty great performances here and you walk away with some pretty memorable scenes.

2. The Green Mile

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Tom Hanks, Sam Rockwell, Michael Clarke Duncan, and David Morse star in Stephen King’s ‘The Green Mile’ about a former slave who is on death row for raping and murdering a young girl. While awaiting his execution the guards start to realize that John Coffey is special, and also innocent.

This is one of my favorite adapted Stephen King novels, in fact it took a while for me to believe this was actually a Stephen King piece of work(hey, I was only 16!).

1. Paradise Lost 1 & 2

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What other movie could possibly be #1 than a true story documentary about 3 young men who are wrongfully imprisoned for the murders of 3 eight year old boys. So far there are 2 movies in the series of documentaries but a 3rd is on its way in post production. If you havent seen these and really want to get your blood boiling then go out and pick these up.

Top Ten Tuesday: Superhero Spin-offs that shouldn’t happen

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Since ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ is coming out on Friday, we thought it would only be right to tell you which superhero spinoff’s should not happen. So we present to you Top Ten Tuesday: Superhero spinoffs that shouldnt happen:

10. Aquaman

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As if the fact that the Aquaman project has been in development Hell longer than almost any super hero project out there and that I haven’t once heard a single person say “Dude, I totally can’t wait to see the Aquaman movie” outside of the cast of ‘Entourage’, the character also happens to be one of the oldest. Aquaman was one of the original characters developed by the Marvel(ED Note: Even the movie geeks make mistakes!) DC dudes. Personally, the whole concept is dated and lacks any real contemporary interest. I mean, really, when a 98% nude guy with Spock’s ears and little wings on his ankles emerges from the ocean for the first time on the big screen, are you going to be saying “Oh my God! My life is complete!”

09. Marvel Zombies

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First of all, as much as I and every other cool person on this planet loves zombies, making a movie of this would definitely be taking things too far. The Marvel Zombies comib book series was cool, but the truth is that it was a nifty gimmick that Marvel came up with that became so popular that it spawned a whole new parallel universe for the creative folks at Marvel to play around with. Yeah, the series was, and still is, insanely popular, but as a movie would just be ridiculously expensive, pointless and would ultimately fail because anyone not familiar with the Marvel Zombies storyline would see this and either be confused out of the ghords or just plain pissed off (especially the old school fans). That is assuming many non-comic book readers even go at all.

08. Superboy

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Quick!   What was the worst part of ‘Superman Returns’?   If you said the fact that Superman had a son/potential spinoff film, you win the golden fleece today.   Director Bryan Singer, evidently, made his passion ‘Superman’ project, and that included a subplot involving the bastard child with superpowers.   I’m sure Warner execs were frothing at the mouth at the idea of spinning this subplot off into another, potential franchise.   Why the hell else would they let a film slip through their fingers that cost upwards of $270 million?   I’m sure makeup artists were even consulted to see what an aged Brandon Routh would possibly look like.   Hey, we don’t need a ‘Superboy’ movie.   We don’t even need another ‘Superman’ movie unless it features any other plotline than Lex Luther trying to one-up the real estate world.

07. Juggernaut

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He’s the Juggernaut, bitch.   Why, oh why, is Juggernaut on this list?   Is it possible that a Juggernaut spinoff movie was even even thunked up?   You bet your geeky ass, it was.   Back in November, 2007, Joe Carnahan, Joe Friggin’ Carnahan!, announced his desire to head up a project that would spin off the Vinnie Jones-filled character into his own film.   Of course, this was right around the time Jones had just signed up for a role in the prequel to Carnahan’s ‘Smokin’ Aces.’   Hey, nepotism lives, right?   Luckily, nothing ever came out of this, but we were that much closer to seeing a film about a guy whose one, true power is he can go through walls.   Seriously, what does Juggernaut have that David Copperfield doesn’t?   Nothing.   That’s what!

06. Any Characters from ‘Mystery Men’

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Although this movie is considered by some a Cult Classic, I still say that it sucks and was a shame to see so many great actors in this film. If they were ever to do a spinoff of the superheroes from this movie I would be very disappointed.

05. Deadpool

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Hey, a Deadpool movie might sound sweet.   Marvel’s answer to Snake Eyes is a pretty badass character.   Unfortunately, from what we can assess from early word off of ‘Wolverine’ and the tv spots that practically give the final act away, this is not the Deadpool we want to have his own movie.   Ryan Reynolds is kickass and hilarious, but, unless this spinoff movie is a prequel of sorts, he’s not gonna be featured in it much, anyway.   Just look at the Deadpool action figure.   That’s not Ryan Reynolds.   It looks like Dhalsim and the creepy girl without a mouth from ‘The Twilight Zone: The Movie’ had a freakishly muscular child, then duct taped knives to its forearms. No thank you, film world.   We’ll pass.

04. Any Character from Fantastic Four

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This super team has been around forever in comic books, but their fan base is a select group of readers. I don’t think many younger fans of the genre are that into Fantastic Four, which partially explains why the first two films bombed. The only human beings that could “love” those movies would be kids. In my opinion, this is another title that is showing it’s age. The team as a whole has some appeal, given their mutual origin story, but if a spin-off were ever made of any of the characters individually it would be distastrous. Even The Thing couldn’t have his own successful spin-off, unless maybe he agreed to a Full Monty scene, possibly satisfying the curiosity of certain ‘Mallrats’ fans.

03. The Joker

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This is a tough one. The Joker is a fascinating character and there’s no limit to what could be done with him in his own movie, but then again… he’s a villain. And as a villain, his rightful place is in a movie pitted against Batman. Thusly, such has occured twice now and both times with great success. I say, be done with The Joker and let him rest in peace while enjoying everlasting immortal iconic fan reverence. Let’s not bring him back merely to fail and die a humiliating and shameful death, only to be remembered by all but the most die-hard fans as the older, fatter drug-addicted Elvis bent over the kamode. Come one, let’s explore some other villains a little, shall we?

02. Any Characters from Watchmen

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‘Watchmen’ hit theaters with less sucess than originally expected and I can just see it now, someone planning a Rorschach movie. Let me tell you that this is a BAD idea, and the only way this film and characters will work as a cohesive unit. To attempt an origin story of just one character without including the rest would be asinine.

01. Storm

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Halle Berry was pissed after ‘X-Men’ and ‘X2,’ because Storm wasn’t given much to do.   Come on, Halle.   She changes the friggin’ weather.   Her special power is basically the embodiment of what Sean Connery’s Sir August de Wynter was trying to do in ‘The Avengers.’   We all know how that turned out, don’t we?   All of Berry’s cryings amounted to nothing more than one of the most retarded scenes in ‘X-Men: The Last Stand’ where Storm, feeling dejected, causes the sky to grow cloudy.   Someone snaps her out of her funk, she whites out her eyes, and it’s sunny again.   Wow!   What a thrilling moment that was.   You want two full hours of that crap?   That’s about what you’ll get with a ‘Storm’ film.   Fortunatlely, Berry’s abilities to carry a superhero film on her own register about as well as someone breaking wind registering on a Richter Scale.   It’s a good thing, too, because no one wants to see this spinoff.

TOP TEN TUESDAY: Earth Day 2009 – Best Movies on Earth

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Earth Day 2009 is upon us and while there are many more beneficial ways to celebrate the planet Earth, nature and the environment than watching movies, there are some worthy films available out there on the fairly vast theme that Earth Day encompasses. So, once you’ve done your recycling, gardening and whatever other Earth Day practices you may have, here’s a few films I’d like to recommend viewing while you relax from a long day’s effort to make our planet a cleaner and safer one to live on.

Planet Earth (2006) – This 11-part epic mini-series is a must see for everyone, seriously! Watch it on Blu-Ray, even better! From pole to pole, this series takes us on a truly beautiful and cinematic exploration of the planet we live on yet typically know so little about. If you have the time, this is a great way to celebrate Earth Day and be mesmerized by the wonders of nature. I know this is what I’ll be watching, for the seventh time, on Earth Day.

Blue Planet (2001) / Deep Blue (2003) – Even though it came out five years before ‘Planet Earth’ and didn’t benefit from the same technology, ‘Blue Planet’ is still an extraordinary series on life in the oceans. Given that they make up 70% of the Earth’s surface, they deserve an in depth exploration. I chose to stick ‘Deep Blue’ in here with it because, while worthwhile on it’s own merit, it acts as a kind of introductory piece to both ‘Blue Planet’ and ‘Planet Earth’. I suppose you could call it a Cliff’s Notes for the two series.

An Inconvenient Truth (2006) / The 11th Hour (2007) – I lumped these two together for a specific reason. I wouldn’t even have ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ on this list if not simply to illustrate a point. That point being it’s not a great movie at all. Subject matter aside, ‘AIT’ features Al Gore (not an electrifying speaker) standing on a stage with a digital slide show talking about how the Earth is dying. Boring! On the other hand, Leonardo DiCaprio’s ‘The 11th Hour’ is an engaging documentary that involves the viewer, gives people solutions instead of just whining and understands that the human species will perish long before we could ever truly “kill” the planet. ‘AIT’ got all the hype, but 11th Hour’ deserves more recognition.

FLOW: For Love of Water (2008) – The one thing we as human being, and life in general, needs more than anything else is water. We love the stuff and in more ways than just nourishment for our bodies. ‘FLOW’ tackles the subject matter of how we use this natural resource and the possible reality that it is dwindling quicker than we can sustain it’s presence and usefulness. This is an eye-opening film and presents information significant to us all.

Garbage Warrior (2007) – What can you do with garbage? What would you do to help make the world a cleaner place to live? What would it take to accomplish this? These are the three questions addressed in this fascinating documentary about architect Michael Reynolds’ The film chronicles his fight to introduce and encourage a radically new form of sustainable housing and his struggle against the bureaucracy that restrains his dream. Definitely an enjoyable film and appealing to anyone interested in green living.

Darwin’s Nightmare (2004)Â   – An amazing and telling documentary about the effects of the fishing industry in Tanzania’s Lake Victoria. The Nile Perch was introduced into the lake by the industry to farm for the European market, but the predatory fish has all but wiped out the other species, leaving little for the native people to survive on. The film is disturbing and sad, but at the same time an honest look at how industry interrupts the natural order of things.

Manufactured Landscapes (2006) – This beautifully shot documentary follows photographer Edward Burtynsky as he travels the world documenting changes in the Earth’s landscapes due to industry and manufacturing. The film puts a spotlight on our effect of business and population on the planet while still somehow finding beauty in it all.

Rivers and Tides (2001) – This portrait of artist Andrew Goldsworthy is an amazing example of a person whose entire life has been influenced and affected by the beauty and power of nature and how he’s taken his creative drive and applied it back to nature without leaving a negative impact.

Microcosmos (1996) – Originally touted as a children’s movie, this up-close look at the insect world is actually quite compelling for kids of all ages. You’ve never been this close to so many bugs and been so mesmerized by the fascinating lives they live. ‘Microcosmos’ also helps to convey the important role that insects have in our lives and in the planet’s ecosystems.

Baraka (1992) – No, this isn’t another documentary about the new president. It is however, an incredibly beautiful visual tour of some of the world’s most pristine landscapes and natural wonders. The film is more of a feature-length music video for nature than a narrative film, containing no true plot other than “Wow! Earth is beautiful!” The movie is a more universally accessible and less-overwhelming experience than Godfrey Reggio’s ‘Life‘ trilogy, but those of worth seeing as well.

TOP TEN TUESDAY: Best Mockumentaries

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Since I am in the process of making one of the greatest Mockumentaries ever, I thought it would also be a good idea to show everyone some of the other great ones. The list below is some required watching before you decide to make your own Mockumentary.

10. Man Bites Dog

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This mockumentary consistently falls under people’s radar, despite being released on Criterion DVD. Then again, that can be said for many deserving films on Criterion. This French faux documentary is a little disturbing and has a dark comedy after bite, but is played mostly to invoke the sense that it’s really true. The story has a camera crew following a serial killer and documenting his way of life. The crew must cope with witnessing his acts of theft, rape and murder without getting involved and spoiling the purity of their documentary.

09. CB4

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This is the hip hop/rap equivalent to Spinal Tap, in which it follows 3 up and coming rappers as they start to hit fame and fortune. The group is a parody of the famous rap group N.W.A., and a few other gangsta rap groups. CB4 stands for Cell Block 4 who become the hottest rap group with songs like “Sweat From My Balls” and “Straight Outta Locash”.

Chris Rock stars in this movie as MC Gusto, he also wrote the story and screenplay for the film. This also helped land cameos from Ice Cube, Ice T, Shaquille Oneal, Halle Berry, Flavor Flav,   Eazy-E, and The Butthole Surfers(huh?).

08. The Grand

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This phony documentary takes the insanely popular “sport” of professional poker and pokes jabs at it’s popularity on all levels, but does so with a more subtle touch than your typical mockumentary. The characters are ridiculous but believable and the the movie still manages to maintain that unique suspense that comes with watching a good round of poker while still being funny as Hell.

07. A Mighty Wind

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Christopher Guest’s third in his string of mockumentaries tackles the world of folk music, documenting a group of retired folk singers and musicians that come together for one big Woodstock-style folk music reunion concert. Despite most of these characters being pathetic relics of the past, Guest and his regular crew of comedic geniuses still manage to instill a sense of empathy and likability in the characters. Even the music is kind of catchy, although I wouldn’t go driving around listening to it in my car with my sound system blasting.

06. [rec]

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This Spanish film is the absolute best the genre of “first-person-shot-horror” has to offer.   The idea of being trapped in an apartment complex with a bunch of raging zombies is terrifying enough.   Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plaza, the directors behind ‘[REC]’, put their audience squarely in the middle of all the action, throwing scare after scare at the camera.   This is scary stuff right here.   In fact, the final 10 minutes of the film are among some of scariest moments I’ve seen in recent memory.

‘[REC]’ was remade last year for American audiences as ‘Quarantine,’ and, if you just have to see an Americanized version of the film, you can do worse than this remake.   It is essentially a shot-for-shot remake of the original film, but it offers just as many thrills, as well.

For a full Movie Melting Pot on ‘[REC]’, check this out!

05. Fubar

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I know what you are saying ‘Fubar’, I have never even heard of that mockumentary. Well sir, you are missing out and need to jump on Amazon to snag a copy of this movie. My buddy Mike introduced me to this movie called ‘Fubar’, a Canadian Mockumentary that he makes all of his new employees watch as a rite of passage. The even funnier part is that they ordered this movie and received it 2 years later! He was explaining the premise to me and it sounded like the worst movie in the history of bad movies. He put the dvd in and immediately starting laughing before it even started playing, pretty weird.

What I found after watching about 4 minutes of the movie is an utterly ridiculous story of two aging headbangers Terry and Dean(pictured above). These guys do nothing but drink beer, play foot hockey, and grow “hockey hair† aka mullets and beat the hell out of each other and anything they come in contact with..including Tron.

04. Best In Show

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If you like absurdist comedy and you like dogs, then you have no excuse for having not seen this movie. As Christopher Guest’s second foray into the relatively young genre of mockumentary filmmaking (at the time) this movie is brilliant comedy. Stereotypes galore, a stellar cast of mostly improvised dialogue and tons of great dogs to boot. The situational comedy and comedic timing in this movie are spot on and in my opinion, this is his best of the four mockumentaries so far from Guest.

03. Borat

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Borat is a fictions character from the Sacha Baron Cohen TV Show ‘Da Ali G Show’. The full title of the movie is ‘Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan’, but as you can see its much easier to just say ‘Borat’.

This is a different style Mockumentary because there are only a couple of actors in the film, the rest are real people he is interacting with and essentially making look ridiculous. This is the most recent super succesful Mockumentary film, but its look like his next character movie called ‘Bruno’ will surpass the success of ‘Borat’.

Borat is supposed to be from Kazakhstan, and he is making his way through America filming how we do things so he can go back and attempt to improve the Kazakhstan culture. This movie probably also holds the record for most lawsuits filed from its filming because everyone that ended up looking like a moron wanted to sue them even though they signed release forms.

02. Blair Witch Project

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The Blair Witch Project is the highest grossing indie film of all time, and has the highest ratio of profit to cost ever. After premiering at Sundance in 1999 it saw a wide release that summer. It grossed nearly 250 million worldwide, as opposed to only costing 35,000 to make.   The film was almost entirely improvised and was shot in 8 days, giving them almost 19 hours of footage to edit.   Since the movie was supposed to look as real as possible each day the directors would give each actor an outline of what needed to accomplish for that day, and at night they would purposely freak them out as if it was really happening.

This is probably the least Mockumentary style film on the list, but it was shot like a dockumentary and the characters and events are fake thus we have one of the most successful Mockumentaries of all time.

01. This is Spinal Tap

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‘This is Spinal Tap’ is not just a cult classic, but a cultural icon of a movie. This mockumentary is about a fictional 80’s glam rock hair metal band called Spinal Tap. Rob Reiner created and stars in the doc as the film maker, so essentially he is just playing himself, playing himself..does that make sense? This movie helped launch Christopher Guest into another mockumentary film maker who is responsible for films like ‘Best in Show’, ‘A Mighty Wind’, and ‘Waiting for Guffman’.

This movie still stands the test of time, and its the epitomy of how to make a Mockumentary. Not only did they make the movie, but they also released 2 albums, and coined the term “Turn it up to 11”..if I could only be so lucky.

Top Ten Tuesday: Greatest Comedy Duo’s 1990-Present

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Top Ten Tuesday features a different top ten list every week, and on Tuesday. Today we are focusing on the greatest comedy duo’s from 1990-present. Check back weekly for a new top ten list.

10. Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan

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Sure, ‘Rush Hour 3’ was a disaster, but the first two installments in this franchise were as fun as a barrel of monkeys. Really, I’ve compared them and it’s true. I love Jackie Chan. LOVE him! But, this isn’t just about Jackie. Putting him together with Chris Tucker was an unexpected joy. They play well off of each other and the chemistry, while not perfect, fits well.

Lee: Ah! Beach Boys!
Carter: Oh, hell no! You didn’t just touch my goddamn radio!
Lee: The Beach Boys are great American music.
Carter: The Beach Boys gonna get you a great ass whuppin’. Don’t you ever touch a black man’s radio, boy! You can do that in China but you can get your ass killed out here, man!

9. Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman

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‘Weekend at Bernies’ will never be on a top movies of all time list but that doesnt mean that Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman dont deserve to make our list of greatest comedy duos. If you dont agree with me then I hate you and your opinion sucks.

8. Beavis and Butthead

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One of the only cartoons i have ever really been able to watch since i was about 9 was Beavis and Butthead. We werent allowed to watch it my house so I usually had to either sneak the rental on VHS,
or wait for reruns on FX. Although most of their stuff was TV based they did one movie called ‘Beavis and Butthead Do America’ which my cousin Jerrad and I managed to see in theaters 6 times. It hurt me to put them so low on the list, but I couldnt come up with a better reason to put them any higher than this. My favorite Beavis and Butthead episode is ‘Sperm Bank’, check it out.

7.   John Favreau and Vince Vaughn

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The above picture was from the first of two John Favreau/Vince Vaughn starring movies, the second being ‘Made’. Both are almost as equally funny but I think I prefer ‘Made’ over ‘Swingers’ (gasp!) just because Vince Vaughn had honed his delivery a little bit more, but Favreau is classic in both movies. If you havent seen ‘Made’ then do yourself a favor and go out and buy it baby, its money.

6. Jeff Bridges and John Goodmanbridgesandgoodman

Seriously if I need to explain why ‘The Big Lebowski’ is on this list then maybe you shouldnt be here enjoying all of the awesomeness that we serve up to you on a daily basis. Jeff Bridges and John Goodman bring the thunder that is known as pure comedy badassness to your house, shower, take a poop without flushing, expose themselves to your grandma and then leave without saying goodbye.

5. Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly

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Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly are pure comic gold and its obvious if you ahve seen ‘Step Brothers’ or ‘Talladega Nights’. Will Ferrell makes anyone look good, and seem funny but John C. Reilly can really bring it himself so these guys are a perfect duo and have 2 freaking funny movies together. Although alot of people hated ‘Step Brothers’ I think its one that needs multiple viewings and you cant truely apprecaite everything after the first viewing. Check out some of these freaking awesome quotes:

Dale Doback: Suppose Nancy sees me coming out of the shower and decides to come on to me. I’m looking good, got a luscious v of hair going through my chest pubes down to my ball fro. She takes one look at me and goes ” Oh my god, I’ve had the old bull now I want the young calf” and grabs me by the weiner.

and another:

Brennan Huff: Listen, I know that we started out as foe. But after that courageous act that you showed me against the one they call Derek, maybe someday we could become friends. Friends who ride majestic, translucent steeds, shooting flaming arrows across the bridge of Hemdale.
Dale Doback: I would follow you into the myths of Avalon if that’s what you mean.

4. Tenacious D: Jack Black and Kyle Gass

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Jack Black and Kyle Gass are Tenacious D, even though their one movie together as Tenacious D failed by most people’s standards, but mix in their comedy rock albums, the television show and you have one of the best comedy duos ever. Besides, ‘F%^$ Her Gently’ is one of the best rock ballads of all time.

3. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost

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Frost and Pegg, just the sound of those two names together makes me laugh because I know if they appear in a movie together I’ll soon be experiencing the glorious pain of laughter-excursion. These guys know comedy, but they also know movies in general, which is why ‘Shaun of the Dead’ and ‘Hot Fuzz’ are nearly perfect. Comedic timing, physical comedy, sarcasm and the clear and obvious influence of being true movie geeks all add up to the newest and perhaps most talents comedic duo to emerge in recent years.

Ed: Any zombies out there?
Shaun: Don’t say that!
Ed: What?
Shaun: That!
Ed: What?
Shaun: The zed-word. Don’t say it!
Ed: Why not?
Shaun: Because it’s ridiculous!
Ed: All right… are there any out there, though?
[looking out of the letter-box, he sees an empty street]
Shaun: I can’t see any. Maybe it’s not as bad as all that.
[he turns his head and sees a pack of zombies]
Shaun: Oh, no, there they are.

2. Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd

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You could have coupled Seth Rogen in with anyone, and the same could be said with Jason Segel/Paul Rudd. I decided to go with these guys based off ’40 Year Old Virgin’, and ‘Knocked Up’ which arent even soley these guys together but their scenes often times make the movie. The “you know how I know you’re gay” scene in 40 Year Old Virgin still makes me smirk when I think about it, and watching it nearly makes me pee everytime.

Cal: You’re gay, now?
David: No, I’m not gay. I’m just celibate.
Cal: I think… I mean, that sounds gay. I just want you to know this is, like, the first conversation of, like, three conversations that leads to you being gay. Like, there’s this and then in a year it’s like, “Oh, you know, I’m kinda gonna want to get back out there, but I think I like guys,” and then there’s the big, “Oh, I’m… I’m… I’m a gay guy now.”
David: You’re gay for saying that.
Cal: I’m gay for saying that?
David: You know how I know you’re gay?
Cal: How? How do you know I’m gay?
David: Because you macram&eacuted yourself a pair of jean shorts.
Cal: You know how I know *you’re* gay? You just told me you’re not sleeping with women any more.
David: You know how I know you’re gay?
Cal: How? Cause you’re gay? And you can tell who other gay people are?
David: You know how I know you’re gay?
Cal: How?
David: You like Coldplay.

1. Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes

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What more needs to be said about Jay and Silent Bob? They started off as mere drug dealers in ‘Clerks’ and evolved into the superheroes ‘Bluntman and Chronic’ that is featured in ‘Chasing Amy’ and ‘Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back’. I still think Kevin Smith needs to be a full feature superhero movie. Kevin Smith plays the silent one, hence the name Silent Bob. Jason Mewes plays the wise cracking, super horny leader of the group Jay. I shouldnt have to tell you why these guys are number 1, so if you need to know anymore than that go out and watch the complete View Askew library you jerk.

TOP TEN TUESDAY: Movies about Getting Drunk!

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Short but sweet, here’s our lists of our Top 10 Movies about getting drunk, hammered, wasted, plastered… whatever you want to call it when you drink until you’re sh**-faced in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. Be safe, have fun… and we’ll drink one to all the Movie Geeks out there playing movie drinking games.

Jeremy:

  1. The Big Lebowski
  2. Strange Brew
  3. The Lost Weekend
  4. Barfly
  5. Withnail & I
  6. Bad Santa
  7. Days of Wine and Roses
  8. Beerfest
  9. The Thin Man
  10. Leaving Las Vegas

Ram Man:

  1. Arthur
  2. National Lampoon’s Animal House
  3. Leaving Las Vegas
  4. Old School
  5. Billy Madison
  6. Less Than Zero
  7. Strange Brew
  8. Hancock
  9. Bachelor Party
  10. Beerfest

Jerry:

  1. Superbad
  2. Beerfest
  3. Bad Santa
  4. Baseketball
  5. Redneck Zombies
  6. Bad News Bears
  7. Arthur
  8. Old School
  9. National Lampoon’s Animal House
  10. Pirates of the Caribbean

Travis:

  1. Legend of Drunken Master
  2. Withnail & I
  3. The Big Lebowki
  4. Superbad
  5. Days of Wine and Roses
  6. Who’s Afraid of Virgina Wolfe?
  7. Strange Brew
  8. National Lampoon’s Animal House
  9. Old School
  10. Swingers