Gladiator

Directed by: Ridley Scott

Starring: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Oliver Reed, Richard Harris, Connie Nielsen, Djimon Hounsou, Ralf Moeller, Derek Jacobi.

Year: 2000

Following my three month hiatus from this blogging business, I felt I had to ease myself back in with what is quite possibly my favourite film of all time (along with the Godfather Part 1&2).

(Please excuse the awful trailer, as it does not do justice to this film in the slightest, apart from a few good shots of Crowe looking intense!)

Set in AD180, the film centres on Maximum Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe), a Roman General leading his troops in the final battle of what has been a epic two-year campaign around Europe. He commands the utmost respect from both his men and his emperor, Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris): so much so that the latter chooses him over his own son, the vile Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), to be the next ‘protector of Rome’ and hand the city back to the people to become a republic once again. Commodus, stung by this perceived betrayal, commits patricide and frames Maximus for the crime. Escaping death by the hands of the Praetorian guards, Maximus returns home to find his wife and son crucified and initially loses the will to live. He is captured by slave traders and ends up in Zucchabar, North Africa, under the ownership of slave trader Proximo (Oliver Reed) to fight in the gladiatorial arena. He quickly demonstrates his fighting talent and, when Commodus announces a period of violent games to appease the masses, is sent to Rome to do battle on the biggest stage of them all, the Colosseum where he sets his sights on vengeance against Commodus and justice for his family.

Crowe delivers a tour de force performance as the stoic and ultra-focused Maximus, which ultimately won him the ‘Best Actor’ Oscar. Phoenix is compelling as the vile and malevolent Commodus, finding the fine line between utter delusional psychosis and the hopeless devotion to his late father, and his creepy incestuous obsession with his sister Lucilla (Connie Nielsen). Reed is at his intense best as the morally skewed Proximo: he died two weeks before filming ended, so extensive use of CGI was needed to complete his part. Harris is typically on form as Marcus Aurelius, whilst other notable actors include Derek Jacobi as Senator Gracchus and Djimon Hounsou and Ralf Moeller as fellow slaves Juba and Hagen. The film won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Sound, Visual Effects and Costume. The soundtrack, written by Hans Zimmer, is a particular favourite of mine, with some superb emotive climaxes accompanying the most prominent scenes in the film. There are some epic lines, including the famous “My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius…”, spoken in the middle of the Colosseum and publicly humiliating Commodus. The ending is one of the most heroic ever depicted (in my opinion), as is almost guaranteed to make even the manliest of men choke back the tears.

This film particularly resonates with me as the character of Maximus is what every man should aspire to be: devoted, loving yet still animalistic when he needs to be; who will fight tooth and nail for justice, against oppression and for those he loves the most. One of the most memorable moments in the film is when Commodus taunts Maximus:

Commodus: “They told me your son squealed like a girl when they nailed him to the cross. And your wife moaned like a whore when they ravaged her again and again and again.”

Maximus: “The time for honouring yourself will soon be at an end. Highness.”

The lack of reaction sums up Maximus as a character. He decides to act with great restraint, dignity and humility as opposed to becoming enraged, as the memory of his family gives him the strength to be the “better man”, a notion that is never in doubt during the film but exemplified perfectly in this scene. Sometimes what you don’t do/say is more important than what you do/say, and knowing the time and place in which to finally ‘do it’ is an art and the climax of the film is a perfect example.

So if you haven’t seen it, watch it: there is only so much to which I can do justice in these few words. Everything about this film makes it compelling and you will find yourself watching it again, again and again, reciting the lines along to the film like a nutcase and replaying the epic speeches ad nauseam. Just remember: What you do in life, echoes in eternity.”

The Lion King

Directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff

Starring (voices): Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones, Rowan Atkinson, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella and Whoopi Goldberg

Year: 1994

In a previous post, I mentioned that Star Wars was possibly my first cinematic experience. I lied. It was the Lion King. I remember it well. Being spellbound by the opening sequence, crying when Mufasa died, being scared to hell of Scar and the hyenas, and laughing at Ed (who definitely has mental issues!). I was completely mesmerised. The story takes some inspiration from Hamlet: uncle kills father, son exacts revenge. It goes as follows:

Simba is born to King Mufasa, ruler of Pride Rock and the surrounding pridelands, and his wife Sarabi. Black sheep of the family, Mufasa’s brother Scar, grows jealous of Simba’s legacy and decides to plot against Mufasa, killing him and guilt-tripping Simba into exile. Whilst in exile, Simba meets meerkat Timon and warthog Pumbaa who teach him the mantra “Hakuna Matata”, which means “no worries”. Simba lives a carefree life in the jungle, until his childhood friend Nala turns up to tell him how desperate the situation is back at Pride Rock. Simba, still feeling the guilt and shame following the death of his father, initially refuses to return but is persuaded by wise old baboon Rafiki. He heads back to Pride Rock for the showdown with Scar, and to regain his birthright.

The result is a highly entertaining animated feature, with typical Disney elements scattered throughout. Earl Jones is perfect voicing the authoritative Mufasa, whilst Irons is positively malevolent as Scar. Atkinson provides some comedic moments as hornbill chief advisor Zazu and Sabella and Lane almost steal the show as Timon and Pumbaa. My favourite character is Rafiki, the Yoda-esque shaman and all-round good egg. He is like your crazy old uncle who speaks in riddles, yet is the glue that keeps the family together. The hyenas are also highly entertaining, with Whoopi Goldberg as the sadistic leader who keeps the two boys in check.

The soundtrack is a class apart: vocal numbers written by Tim Rice and Elton John and the score by Hans Zimmer, which won the Oscar for ‘Best Original Score’. With such memorable songs as ‘Circle of Life’, ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight’ (which won Best Original Song at the same Academy Awards) and ‘Hakuna Matata’, the overall strength of the movie is enhanced. I think this is why, for me, the Lion King is my favourite Disney film: the music is what makes it. Along with such a strong cast of voice actors, this is a step up from anything Disney did before, and I think it still sets the standards by which Western animated films are judged.

Star Wars – Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi

Directed by Richard Marquand

Starring: as Episodes IV and V, also Ian McDiarmid

Year: 1983

The epic conclusion to the saga sees R2D2 and C3PO head to Tatooine to try and negotiate with Jabba the Hutt for Han’s release, joined later by Chewbacca and Leia who are captured. Luke then arrives to try and finalise the deal but is also captured. Vader and Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) are constructing a new, more powerful Death Star and trying to coax Luke into joining the Dark Side. The Rebel Alliance are planning an all-out offensive on the Imperial fleet, but the odds are stacked heavily against them. Who will end victorious?

In my (humble) opinion, this film doesn’t pack the same sort of punch as its predecessors. Maybe that is because no really strong characters are introduced to help keep the story fresh, apart from the sinister and completely evil Emperor Palpatine. The films starts and ends strongly, but has a very soft middle section which I suspect may be more towards catering for the younger audience rather than for the ‘die-hards’ wanting to see what the outcome of it all is. This is, in my view, what lets the film down somewhat.

Enough of the negatives: the special effects are stepped up a notch, the Emperor adds a real sinister edge to the proceedings and Luke seems to have grown a lot in his stature as the last hope of the Rebels, but you fear the conflict may be taking its toll on him internally. Han still has all the best lines, C3PO and R2D2 are still arguing and Vader still strikes fear into the heart of everyone. The pivotal scene, between Luke, Vader and the Emperor is guaranteed to have you on the edge of your seat, and maybe even with a tear in your eye by the end.

Unfortunately, Lucas decided to go for the profit-driven approach, making Episodes I, II and III fairly recently. I pull no punches in saying they aren’t a patch on the original three, although the final hour in Episode III is pretty good. The original trilogy still stands the test of time and introduced a raft of characters into popular culture still prevalent today. You just have to look at Family Guy’s episode devoted to Star Wars, or the Robot Chicken version, to see how the story still influences us even now. The special effects may not be revolutionary now, and yes, some of the dialogue is hammy. But with space travel only really coming to public attention ten years before the first film was released, this gave the viewing public a glimpse of what space could be like, and made them wonder if there was anything else out there. It’s this phantasmagorical edge that filled the seats at theatres across the world, and no matter how breathtaking special effects become in the near future, ‘Star Wars’ will always have a special place in the world of film, even if (although it would be unjust if this was the only reason) just for originality.

Star Wars Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back

Directed by Irwin Kershner

Starring: as Episode IV, also Frank Oz, Billy Dee Williams and Jeremy Bulloch

Year: 1980

Set three years after Episode IV, the plot focuses on Darth Vader’s relentless pursuit of Luke Skywalker and the rest of the Rebel Alliance. Locating them on the ice-planet Hoth, the Empire strikes the base, causing the protagonists to split up: Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca and C3PO escape aboard the Millennium Falcon tailed by Vader’s Star Destroyer, whilst Luke and R2D2 escape to the swampy planet of Dagobah in order to find Yoda (Frank Oz), Obi-Wan Kenobi’s teacher, and continue his training in the way of the Force. The Millennium Falcon eventually makes its way to Cloud City, run by Han’s old friend Lando Calrissian (Williams), unaware they have been tailed by bounty hunter Boba Fett (Bulloch).

More technically proficient and much darker than the original, this is the seminal point of the original trilogy and the most recent offerings. Vader (accompanied by the evocative ‘Imperial March) has a much more pronounced role in the storyline, with a seemingly dangerous obsession with Luke: this Vader is much scarier than in the previous film. The “will they, won’t they” saga surrounding Han and Leia, along with their constant bickering, adds another level of intrigue whilst the introduction of Yoda into the storyline provides the franchise with one of its most distinctive and loved characters. Luke turns away from his incessant moaning in the original and progresses with the Force to guide him. The addition of Calrissian helps paint some sort of picture of Han’s past and also goes some way towards explaining how he came to acquire the Falcon! The one sided arguments between the irritable C3PO and R2D2 provide some sort of comic relief, whilst Chewbacca provides a ‘family friendly’ ally to the group, as some sort of bodyguard/protector, but also with his own moments of comedy not meant to overshadow his importance to Han as a friend.

I much preferred this installment to ‘A New Hope’, primarily due to the presence of some sort of back story meaning the movie can hit the ground running. Too many scenes stand out, but for me, the scene where the spaceship is recovered on Dagobah hits the spot. Again, I don’t want to say any more than that so as to avoid any spoilers, but rest assured, this is a ‘must-see’ film and has left me itching to watch ‘Return of the Jedi’ tonight!

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

Directed by: George Lucas

Starring: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guiness, Harrison Ford, David Prowse and James Earl Jones.

Year: 1977

We all know how it starts: that gigantic scrolling text accompanied by John Williams’ epic score. On a personal note, this was quite possibly my first major cinematic experience. I won tickets in a competition run by the local newspaper for the 20th anniversary re-release of the three Star Wars films. I was taken to the cinema by my Dad, who was quite possibly more excited than I was! I couldn’t help but be completely blown away by what I was seeing: it was something I had never experienced before. It led to a few years worth of obsession, collecting Star Wars-themed pogs (remember those?) from packets of Walkers crisps and receiving various toys (the R2D2 one was a particular favourite). Star Wars is a series that will go down as probably the greatest, most original trilogy ever committed to screen, even if the original trailer looks ridiculously tacky and, with a bit more nakedness, could easily be a porn film!

Set in galaxy “far away”, this is the story of good (eventually) triumphing over evil, unrequited love (for good reason!) and loss. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) is a native of Tatooine, a desert wasteland of a planet. Bought up by his parents, he lives a life of boredom and unfulfilled desires until he intercepts two droids (R2D2 and C3PO) carrying an important rescue message from Princess Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) for a certain Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness). Finding the aforementioned Kenobi, he discovers that his father was a member of the Jedi Knights, an intergalactic order of peacekeepers thought to be extinct and that Kenobi was a friend of his father. Luke is imbued with the ‘force’, a mystical power which can be harnessed through training, for good or evil, by those blessed with the ability. In order to rescue Princess Leia, he must confront the evil Darth Vader (David Prowse, voiced by James Earl Jones) who is major player in the evil Galactic empire set on universal domination. Hiring the services of smuggler Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and his furry wookie first mate Chewbacca on-board the Milennium Falcon, they all head out to try and rescue the Princess and defeat the villainous Vader aboard the aptly named space-station ‘Death Star’.

Not wanting to say much more than that so as not to ruin the plot for those who haven’t seen the film, this is an epic tale through space and time, designed for adults and children alike. The series is fairly well known for destroying the (fledgling) careers of most of the younger actors involved, except that of Ford, who gives a great performance as lovable scoundrel Solo in his first major role (interestingly enough, Ford was working as a carpenter for Lucas when hired to read lines for actors auditioning for Star Wars. Lucas was so impressed with his portrayal as Solo he gave him the part!) Guinness is typically brilliant as wise Jedi Kenobi, whilst Earl Jones and Prowse excel in portraying the terrifying Vader, whose deep breathy voice still strikes fear into the heart of the bravest men.

One of the major contributing factors to the success of the film was the brilliant score by John Williams, perhaps highlighted by the ‘Vader Death March’ which has gone down in cinematic history, along with perhaps the Jaws theme tune, as one of the most evocative when associated with a particular character.  Upon release, the movie smashed the previous box office record held by ‘Jaws’ in North America, surely in part to the merchandising campaign which whetted the appetite of the public before release.

‘Star Wars’ will go down as a watershed in cinematic history, as the film that perhaps best defined the sci-fi genre and breaking the boundaries of special effects, which at the time were groundbreaking. Nothing which came before or after, in my opinion, will ever define a generation like Star Wars. I’m sure my father would agree!

“May the Force be with you”.

The Usual Suspects

Directed by Bryan Singer

Starring: Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Kevin Pollack, Stephen Baldwin, Benicio del Toro, Pete Postlethwaite and Chazz Palminteri

Year: 1995

“The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist”

Told in flashback by an interrogated Verbal Kint (Spacey), this is the story of a failed robbery attempt involving five criminals: McManus (Baldwin), Fenster (del Toro), Hockney (Pollock), Keaton (Byrne) and Kint. Bought together on a seemingly fabricated charge, they eventually group together to carry out an attack on a ship for a lawyer called Kobayashi (Postlethwaite), who claims to work for legendary Turkish criminal Keyser Soze. Soze is a supposed criminal mastermind, who has eluded capture for years and never seems to be close to getting caught. Kint is being interrogated by customs official Kujan (Palminteri), who seems to have a fixation with Keaton, a corrupt ex-cop who has seemingly gone straight.

There are some great performances here, none less than Spacey’s turn as Kint, the cerebral-palsy affected short conman. He deservedly won the Best Supporting Actor for his efforts, telling the complicated story with neurotic brilliance whilst being questioned. Byrne is entirely believable as the bad boy turned good, with a tormented look plastered across his face for the majority of the film. The rest of the cast also put in brilliant performances, but are merely just pieces of the puzzle.

Saying anything more than that would be an injustice to the brilliantly constructed film, in which the script-writing is first class (Christopher McQuarrie won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay). Don’t worry if it sounds confusing: it is! And that is the beauty of the piece; it keeps you completely immersed, then hits you right at the end with a huge sucker punch. The ending is so brilliant that if you see it coming, you deserve an Oscar in the ‘Best Foresight’ category. I’d be surprised if anyone really knows what exactly the outcome is. It really is a fantastic mystery.

There isn’t really much more I can say here without giving anything away. My parting note to you is to say: “Watch it”. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

Beauty and the Beast

Directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise

Year: 1991

The third film releasing during the Disney Renaissance was this offering, set in the idyllic French countryside. The Beast was once a charming prince, whose arrogance and selfishness was punished by a sorceress when she turned him into a hideous monster, and enchanted his entire castle, servants et al. He was given until his 21st birthday to find someone who loved him in return, otherwise he would be cursed to live as a beast forever. The heroine of the piece is Belle, daughter of a nearby village’s resident crackpot inventor, who lives in book-induced world of fantasy and fairytale. Her life, however, gets turned upside down after her father’s imprisonment by the Beast for trespassing in his castle. She sacrifices her freedom to set her father free, replacing him as the Beast’s prisoner. Slowly but surely, she manages to warm the heart of the Beast whilst reciprocating his feelings. The village’s resident ‘Adonis’ Gaston, however, wants Belle for his wife and will stop at nothing to get the girl, by fair means or foul.

Quite honestly, it is very difficult to write about a Disney film without seeming horribly sentimental, as proven by my awful plot description above! The film, however, is a real trip back to childhood, with all the ingredients of typical Disney fare: the beautiful heroine (Belle), the redeemed hero (Beast), the sickening pantomime villain (Gaston) and the scene-stealing side characters (Cogsworth, Lumiere and Chip first and foremost). The background scenery, although slightly dated now, is superb and the soundtrack first class with plenty of memorable moments. The first ten minutes of the film are exceptional: the bittersweet soundtrack coupled with the stained-glass portrayal of the Beast’s back-story followed by a fantastic ensemble number set in the village. ‘Be Our Guest’ remains one of the most well choreographed Disney numbers, and the final battle/confrontation between the beast and Gaston is genuinely tense. Belle’s portrayal as a young female intellectual started to burst the gender stereotypes from earlier Disney offerings, and the film’s dim view on Gaston’s chauvinism definitely showed a more modern approach to animated film-making. The film won two Oscars: one for Best Original Score (Alan Menken) and the other for Best Original Song (Beauty and the Beast). It was also the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture, beaten by Silence of the Lambs (could there be much more of a contrast there?!).

Beauty and the Beast was definitely a progression by Disney towards more modern film values, and preceded two of their best features: Aladdin (1992) and the Lion King (1994). This picture, however, deserves to be sat up there with the best Disney has ever had to offer. Whilst not a big fan of animated films, I definitely enjoyed a trip down memory lane last night and with a few more yet to come on my list, there are bound to be a few more of those nights during the next 247!

Network

Directed by Sidney Lumet

Starring: Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Robert Duvall and Beatrice Straight

Year: 1976

“I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it any more”

Perhaps the most memorable line taken from a truly fantastic script, Network is without doubt one of the most well written films I have ever seen. The story revolves around long-time UBS news anchor Howard Beale (Peter Finch) who, after being told he has two weeks left on air due to declining ratings, seems to have a nervous breakdown and proceeds to announce that he will commit suicide live on next week’s show. His rant gets him fired but programming executive Diane Christensen (Faye Dunaway) believes that his brand of Nostradamus-esque fire and brimstone will boost ratings, a view not shared by Beale’s long standing friend and news division president Max Schumacher (William Holden). Christensen and Schumacher begin an unlikely affair and much to his chagrin, Beale’s new slot is placed under the control of the programming department by conglomerate boss Frank Hackett (Robert Duvall) where the show becomes the highest rated news show on TV.

This film is a eerily accurate precursor as to how the mass media has become sensationalist, breaking with the convention of the news agenda of the day. Finch is superb as the disillusioned news-anchor, seemingly going through a nervous breakdown without anyone but Holden noticing. The ‘mad as hell’ scene will surely go down as one of the greatest ever committed to film, whipping up the public into a frenzy and creating a star out of Beale. Dunaway delivers a masterful performance as Christensen, a woman who is aware her life is purely work focussed, leaving no room for love and life, and seeminly incapable of connecting on an emotional level with anyone. This is reflected in her distructive affair with Schumacher, who after the initial obsession, realises that his love for her is not reciprocated. Holden portrays Schumacher as a tortured soul, torn between his long-standing marriage, his affair and his friendship with Beale. His torturous yet logical admittance of the affair to his wife (Beatrice Straight) is one of the most saddening yet cruelly funny moments of the film, mirroring the decline of the news values at UBS. Duvall portrays Hackett as a profit-driven conglomerate puppet, whose only aim is to seemingly please the shareholders of CCA (the parent company that owns UBS) with very little or no regard for the industry or the main players. The film is full of diatribes, masterfully delivered dialogue and a very dark brand of comedy, especially during the scenes with Beale ranting then fainting soon after. The lack of soundtrack adds to the bleak reality of the situation; there is never any doubt that the show will fail, only when it will fail. The scene where Dunaway takes a weekend break with Holden, continuously rambling on about the show even during sex, shows how distorted her grasp on values and human life is and how she seems to script her life according to how it would work for a viewing audience.

Dunaway, Finch and Straight won Academy Awards for their portrayals, whilst Paddy Chayefsky won the award for Best Screenplay. Amazingly the film lost out to ‘Rocky’ for best picture, which I can only describe as a travesty. The voice-over, provided throughout by a deadpan Holden, was copied for the film ‘Anchorman’ which displays a lot of elements of ‘Network’ in a comedic fashion.

The last 5 – 10 minutes shows how morality can be completely ignored when dealing with capitalist ventures, and the grim reality of the situation only really dawns on you after the credits have rolled.  In short, a real eye opener: we are really all just puppets at the end of the day.

Howard Beale: “I just ran out of bullshit.”

Leon – The Professional

Directed by Luc Besson

Starring: Jean Reno, Natalie Portman and Gary Oldman

Year: 1994

“Leon” is a story about milk-drinking Italian hitman Leon (Jean Reno) who takes in 12 year old Mathilda (Natalie Portman) after her family are brutally murdered by corrupt and psychotic cop Norman Stansfield (Gary Oldman) and his drug-squad lackeys. Set in modern day New York City, Leon reluctantly agrees to train Mathilda to be a ‘cleaner’ (professional killer) whilst she has revenge in mind against Stansfield.

The major theme permeating through this film is the complicated relationship between Leon and Mathilda. Leon, who has been living alone since he started ‘cleaning’, is not used to sharing his life with anyone apart from his best friend: a pot plant which he meticulously cares for. All of sudden, this young and impressionable pubescent teen invades his solitary existence and threatens to derail it. Mathilde develops a love for Leon, which she discloses to him numerous times throughout the film: it is unclear, however, whether the love she feels is sexual desire or platonic masquerading as lust. This is one of the most challenging facets of this feature, and some scenes veer towards the inappropriate although never suggesting a darker subject matter occurring off-screen. In fact, one of the most touching scenes is Leon’s rejection of Mathilda and his explanation of how he came to be in New York working for the mob. I won’t spoil it, but you will be hard pushed to hold back the heartache.

The performances by the main three actors are absolutely first class. Jean Reno portrays the emotionally stilted Leon with typical intensity, showing the less-glamorous side of killing, yet also showing his childishness in the scene where he sits transfixed to ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ at the theatre. In her first major feature film, Natalie Portman gives an incredibly mature performance as vengeful Mathilda, and manages not to stray into the melodrama that can sometime cause a film to feel overly-sentimental. My favourite performance, however, is that of Gary Oldman as Stansfield. While it may be over the top and completely psychotic, Oldman manages to use his full range of facial features and postures to create a genuinely terrifying cop from hell. His “everyone” moment goes down in my personal top 10 of movie rants, and the confrontation with Mathilda in the toilet is enough to send the shivers down the spine, and verifies that he has completely lost the plot.

Overall, Luc Besson does a fantastic job meshing these three outstanding performances across the backdrop of a seedy New York cityscape. My only criticism, which comes from a very personal point of view, is that I would have liked to have seen more of Stansfield, but perhaps the impact would have been lessened had he spent more time on screen. The song by Sting (Shape of My Heart), played over the end credits, is the perfect ending to what is a fantastic 110 minutes which is guaranteed leave you with a lot to think about until well after the credits have stopped rolling.

IMDB Top 250 introduction

I may be a Sports Journalist in training, but one of my other passions is watching films. And I am, in the most part, quite fussy about the films that I watch. This hasn’t always been the case (I did have a Steven Seagal phase) but as I have increased in age, I have found that my appreciation for older and more serious films has increased.

Last Thursday night, I decided to take on a challenge: to watch the top 250 films according to IMDB in 250 days. A few points before I start:

1. I realise that this list isn’t a critic’s choice – more like a public vote. So some of the films you may see me writing about may not be critically acclaimed but more a reflection of public opinion.
2. There are some notable omissions, so after the 250 have been cracked, I have a few more films that are included on lists such as the AFI Top 100 and the BFI Top 50 that I will cover.
3. I am not a professional film critic. Far from it. All views are my own, and I apologise for any staggering lack of ignorance if a true film buff stumbles upon this blog and decides to criticise.
4. Please feel free to comment, it would be great to see feedback and suggestions as to how I can improve this blog/films I may want to watch.

Thanks for reading, and hope you enjoy the list.

Josh