Ghost movies

Happy Halloween everyone. I hope you are enjoying your week. This weeks final post is that of Ghost movies.

It would be impossible not to include Ghost in the list. I know it won the oscar for best picture but I put that down to the year being not so great on the films that could have won when compared to other years. Still, it has a good cast and is an easy watch.

Other great Ghost movies include:

Ghostbusters - can't go wrong with Dan Ackroyd, Bill Murray and Sigourney Weaver. The special effects are a little dated but it is still a wonderful film. The sequels are also easy viewing but the original is wonderful.

Casper - good hearted family entertainment with a great cast.

Blackbeard's Ghost - this is definitely one for children. Peter Ustinov is wonderful in this film and the comedy is timeless.

A Chinese Ghost Story - not for the little ones but is a fantastic Hong Kong Film that is definitely worth a watch

The Others - a great scary movie with Nicole Kidman which I have recommended in other posts

Dark Water - the Japanese do horror movies very well and this one is no exception

The Shining - unmissable Kubrick classic

The Sixth Sense - again a wonderful movie with a great cast - Toni Collette and Bruce Willis are fantastic.

The Orphanage - not a typical horror film but is a great watch

The Frighteners - I love this Peter Jackson movie - well balanced script that is handled wonderfully by the actors

House - another Japanese horror that is definitely worth a watch. It is not your typical horror film and is beautifully put together.

The Exorcist - a scary classic that will appeal to the horror fans.

Again, the list is not going to include every single movie with a Ghost in it. It should be enough to get you started. Any glaring omissions, let me know.

That's it for this week. Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

Zombies

Happy Halloween! Keeping with this week's theme of scary movies that are worth a watch, we move on to zombie movies.

Zombie movies traditionally have been low budget films. They have gained a lot of attention recently with the release of World War Z starring Brad Pitt. This film is unfortunately, despite the big budget and international release, is not the best Zombie flick.

Ones that I think are definitely worth a watch are listed below:

Zombieland - Woody Harrelson rocks in this incredibly entertaining movie. Fantastic choice of actor for the role. He nails it.

Shaun of the Dead - a very funny UK zombie film that is from the guys that make an equally funny series called Spaced and an equally good film called Hot Fuzz

Army of Darkness - as with the other Evil Dead movies, this one is fantastic

Night of the Living Dead - a cult classic by George Romero, one of the grandfathers of Zombie films

Dawn of the Dead - another George Romero classic

Braindead - aka Dead Alive - Peter Jackson's version of a Zombie movie. Very gory, quite funny and worth a watch.

La Horde - a French Zombie classic

Mutants - some would argue that it isn't a Zombie movie but I would argue it is. My preference is for the French version over the US one.

Grindhouse - if you like Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino films, this one is definitely for you. Great, great film.

Nightmare City - Italian Zombie film that is definitely worth a watch for those who love Zombie movies.

Zombie - Another Italian Zombie film - definitely worth a watch and is still quite a scary film despite its dated 70s soundtrack

Land of the Dead - Dennis Hopper is fantastic in this film directed by George Romero

That's it for today. Have a wonderful night everyone that is going trick or treating or attending a Halloween party. Tomorrow we will wrap up the scary movie theme with Ghosts.

Werewolves

Again with the Halloween theme. Today's post is about Werewolf movies - the good and the not so good. Let's face it with scary movies being largely a b-grade genre, good werewolf movies are few and far between.

Also keeping with my dislike of the Twilight films, I am not including them as something to watch on this list. The werewolf films that I do think are worth viewing include:

A Werewolf Boy - this is more of a drama/romance than a scary movie but it is really beautiful. Special effects could be better.

Wolf - Jack Nicholson and Michelle Pfiefer - two class actors in a pretty good werewolf film

Silver Bullet - Steven King film (not the best Steven King film out there but it is quite a good werewolf movie)

Teen Wolf - Featuring a very young Michael J Fox shortly after finishing Family Ties. This film is not a scary movie - it really is a teen movie which I happen to like. There is also a sequel Teen Wolf Too starring a young Jason Bateman that unfortunately is nowhere near as good as the original.

An American Werewolf in London - An all time classic. Great script and has some very funny moments.

Big Bad Wolf - this film is a comedy horror and is surprisingly good if you are into teen slasher films.

Dog Soldiers - A fun horror film - really worth a watch

The Howling - a true classic Werewolf movie

The Wolfman - with Anthony Hopkins and Benicio Del Toro headlining, this is one good werewolf movie.

That's it for today. Any glaring omissions? Let me know.

Vampires - Beyond Twilight

Keeping with this week's Halloween theme, I thought I should make today's post about vampire movies.

Vampires have regained popularity over the past few years with the success of the Twilight movies. I have to be honest with you, I really have no interest in watching the Twilight films as they send the wrong message to young girls.

The vampire movies that I like include films such as:

The Lost Boys (Not just a great film - it also has a wonderful soundtrack. I have watched this many times and always wondered what happened to Jason Patric)

From Dusk Till Dawn (A Rodriguez classic - again easy multiple viewings are possible)

Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (Not just because it has Brad Pitt - it is actually quite true to the spirit of the book)

Bram Stoker's Dracula (Cannot go wrong with Francis Ford Coppola and the magnificent cast in this film)

Nosferatu (For those who enjoy a good silent film - this one is really well done given the technology available at the time)

Daybreakers (A really good movie with a good cast - Ethan Hawke is very much an underrated actor)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (I was also a big fan of the series that spun off as a result of the film. The script is wonderful and the actors do a good job with it)

The Hunger (The Tony Scott version (may he rest in peace). It is a heavily stylised film which I found beautiful to watch. I will admit that it won't appeal to everyone)

Thirst (my preference is for the Korean version over the remake)

Let the Right One In (my preference is for the original over the remake)

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (for those looking for a so bad it's good Snakes on a Plane style Vampire movie)

Marebito (Because all scary movie lists should feature at least one Japanese film)

That's it for today. It should be enough to get you started. Any glaring omissions - let me know.

Scary Movies

With this week being Halloween, there are several scary movies hitting the small and big screen at the moment. I have to say I was really slow getting into scary movies/horror because as a child I had a hard time delineating between fiction and reality and so my parents in their wisdom sought to shelter me by ensuring I was never exposed to the genre while they were around.

Eventually I saw my first scary movie as part of a charity event in high school. The film was Evil Dead II and I have to say it wasn't really scary - more a lot of fun to watch with a group of high school students.

Scary movies are generally separated into two categories - horror and thriller.

Wes Craven, to me, is the king of horror. Scream and Scream 2 are my personal favourites directed by him because they have an element of fun and have wonderful scripts. Other classics directed by Wes include A Nightmare on Elm Street (featuring a very young Johnny Depp), The Hills Have Eyes and The Serpent and the Rainbow.

For horror fans, other films that are great to watch include Halloween, The Exorcist, Carrie (I have gone for the original here as I am yet to see the remake), Final Destination, Saw, The Blair Witch Project, The Purge, Children of the Corn, The Ring, Kwaidan, Marebito, Dark Water (because there should be some Japanese horrors in here), Dawn of the Dead (my preference is for the original over the remake) and  The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (either version is good).

For the schlock/comedy horror, Peter Jackson's films Bad Taste and The Frighteners are a must see.

As for thrillers, I found Copycat to be incredibly scary. Watching the film alone at 2am no doubt contributed to the experience.

Other great thrillers include:
Psycho (my preference is for the Hitchcock version although the remake is ok)
Cujo (Stephen King is a great scary writer and Cujo is one of the best conversions of one of his books to film)
The Silence of the Lambs
Event Horizon
The Shining (every list should include a Kubrick film where possible and this one is timeless)
Cape Fear (Dare I say I prefer the De Niro version to the original although both are good)
The Omen (Such a fantastic film - the trilogy is quite a good watch for those looking for a full evening/weekend's viewing)
Rosemary's Baby
The Others (Quite a good film for Nicole Kidman)

That's really it to get you started. Are there any you think I should include on the list? Let me know.

Animation that's not for children

Today's post is about animation that is not generally suitable for small children.

My first experience of watching a film that wasn't strictly general exhibition was the Japanese classic Akira. I thought it was pretty good. I then saw it in Japanese with English subtitles and found it to be exceptional. There are nuances associated with animation in its native language that don't come through when the films are dubbed into another language - Akira was definitely one such film.

Other animated gems that are more for adults include:

Ghost in the Shell

Ninja Scroll

Appleseed

Grave of the Fireflies

GTO

Barefoot Gen

Waltz with Bashir

Only Yesterday

Mary and Max

Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade

Perfect Blue

Paprika (Said to be part of the inspiration behind the film Inception)

A Scanner Darkly

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie

Go to Hell!! (An odd Australian animated film. The animation itself is not in the style of anime - it is quite crude but I found the film to be wonderful)

Sword of the Stranger

Sky Blue

Most of the list above is Japanese as they specialise in this genre however there are a few from other countries included as well. Again, it is by no means a complete list, just one to get you started. I would recommend watching all these in their original language with subtitles where possible,

Any glaring omissions, let me know.

Road Trip

Hello, Today's post is not based on the movie, Road Trip although it is worth including as a one to watch if you are a fan of teen films, this post is based on the road movie genre.

There are several great road trip style movies out there that are comedies, thrillers and dramas that are definitely worth a watch. Some of my favourites include:

Thelma & Louise - not just for a very young, hot Brad Pitt - the acting and scenery in this film is wonderful.

Easy Rider - some of the footage is a little dated now but an interesting glimpse of 60s American culture

Road Trip - just an easy laugh and a couple of classic scenes

Planes, Trains & Automobiles - one for the whole family to enjoy

The Muppet Movie - again one the whole family will enjoy - the soundtrack is still good after all these years

The Sure Thing - easily one of my favourite John Cuzack movies - I have seen this film many times and have enjoyed it each time

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - I do love Johnny Depp and I will readily admit this film will not appeal to everyone but I enjoyed it.

The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert - as an Australian, I love this movie - it does highlight the differences between rural and big city Australia

The Chase - this one is a personal favourite of mine because the storyline is less than plausible but the cast is fantastic and they really do a good job with the script.

The Motorcycle Diaries - a really, really wonderful film

Little Miss Sunshine - I was in stitches watching this film from the opening scene right to the end

News from the Good Lord (Des Nouvelles du bon Dieu) - if you like offbeat and interesting movies - this one is definitely for you. I saw this film very late one night on the Australian television channel SBS - I think it was the cult film of the week and have not been able to track down a copy since but I loved it. The whole premise of the movie is unusual and it is really well put together. If you can get your hands on a copy - watch it.

Smokey and the Bandit - bit of fun with Burt Reynolds

I am not going to pretend this is a complete list - just one to get you started if you like the genre. Any that you think I should include, let me know. If anyone is aware of any Asian road movies, let me know. I would love to watch a couple.

War

My husband is a huge fan of the History Channel and it amazes me how much he knows about various wars throughout history and the weaponry that is associated with them - should I be afraid? I just put it down to him being a boy.

That said, there are many war films out there that will appeal to both men and women, but lets face it, just as rom coms are considered chick flicks, war movies are generally considered to be a boy movie genre.

Ones that I have enjoyed include:

Apocalypse Now - everyone should see this
Full Metal Jacket - one of my favourite Kubrick films to this day
Platoon
All quiet on the western front (my preference is for the 1930s version)
Das Boot
Europa Europa
First Blood (aka Rambo part 1- not strictly a war movie but worth a watch nonetheless)
Black Hawk Down
Braveheart - technically it is a war movie so I have included it in this list
Empire of the Sun - probably one that appeals more to both men and women (featuring a very young Christian Bale - arguably along with Jodie Foster, Natalie Portman and Joseph Gordon-Levitt one of the best actors to make the transition from child actor to adult actor out there)
The Dirty Dozen
Memphis Belle - one that definitely will appeal to women as much as men
The Thin Red Line
Ran (because I felt the list should include a Kurosawa film)
Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War (because I felt a Korean war film made by Koreans should be on the list and this really is a great one)
Gallipoli (I love Peter Weir movies - if you have a big screen tv, this one is great)
Breaker Morant (I love Bruce Beresford movies and this is one of his early ones)
The Hurt Locker - this film had me on the edge of my seat and deserved the oscar for best picture
Saving Private Ryan
The Killing Fields (Having visited Phnom Penh and visited the actual fields - I have never felt so sick about what human beings are capable of. This film really is wonderfully done)
Letters from Iwo Jima
Glory (For the Civil War fans)
The Battle of Algiers (definitely more of a "boy movie")
Battleship Potemkin (I felt I should include a Russian Silent film and this one really is great given when it was made)
Good Morning Vietnam

Anyway, that's my list for today. Let me know if you think there are any I have missed.

Mockumentaries - Let's turn it up to Eleven

For those that are unfamiliar with the genre, mockumentaries are films (or television programs) that are presented in a documentary format and are usually satires. There are a couple of films out there that really push the envelope of mockumentary format and have generated much debate because they don't use actors but use real people but stage the environment or have them work within a storyline to provide some social comment.

Christopher Guest is the god of mockumentary film making. His credits include This is Spinal Tap, Best in Show (a personal favourite), Waiting for Guffman and A Mighty Wind. All of which are worth a watch to those who love this type of film.

Other films that are worth a watch include:

Drop Dead Gorgeous
Series 7: The Contenders
Man Bites Dog
Kids
Lake Mungo
I'm Still Here
Spring Breakers (not strictly a mockumentary but I have included it here because it is definitely worth a watch for those who like to be challenged by what they see)
Forgotten Silver
Kenny
Bob Roberts (Tim Robbins is a legend for making and starring in this movie)

I am not a fan of Sascha Baron Cohen - I find his style of comedy has to be at the expense of those around him but he does use the mockumentary format and so I have included his films below as some of you may enjoy them.

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Bruno
The Dictator

That's it for today. Have I missed any gems that you think should be in here? Let me know.

Actors that rarely make a bad film: Don Cheadle

After thinking about yesterday's post about films with a great soundtrack ending with Boogie Nights, I was then reminded of the fact that Don Cheadle was in that film and what an under-rated actor he is.

I will be the first to admit that I haven't seen every film Don Cheadle has been in but I will say that he is a real chameleon who is going to be remembered for having not been typecast into any specific type of role throughout his career.

The man has done serious, fun and interesting work over the almost three decades the man has been acting and has featured in some of my favourite movies.

Below is the list of films that include Don Cheadle in a credited role that I really think are worth a watch. That said, if you discover a film has Don Cheadle in it, you generally can't go wrong.

Hamburger Hill (for those into realistic Vietnam war films)

Colors (crime drama with a good ensemble cast)

Roadside Prophets (off beat road movie that is really worth a watch)

Things to do in Denver when your Dead (I loved this film - the cast is exceptional and the script is wonderful)

Devil in a Blue Dress (Pretty good but not as good as Things to do in Denver - good performances by Denzel Washington and Don Cheadle)

Rosewood (Not an easy film to watch and it is based on a true story. That said, it is a good film if you can make your way through it)

Boogie Nights (I love this film, the entire cast are wonderful and I was hoping this film would resurrect Burt Reynolds career but it didn't)

Bulworth (A film that I think was ahead of its time. A great political satire)

Out of Sight (Dare I say a good film with Jennifer Lopez - fun and doesn't require a huge amount of thinking)

Traffic (I love this film - it is heavy going and quite long so may not appeal to everyone - wonderful ensemble cast)

The United States of Leland (Great little movie - definitely worth a watch - great cast)

Crash (awesome film - quite challenging to watch)

Hotel Rwanda (Again awesome film that is challenging to watch)

Traitor (two of my favourite actors (i.e. Don Cheadle and Guy Pearce) - good crime drama)

That's my list to get you started. Are there glaring omissions? Let me know.

Movies with a great soundtrack

There are a few films out there where I have finished watching and immediately sought out the soundtrack because the mix of songs in the film were that good.

There have been a couple of occasions where I have been disappointed with the actual motion picture soundtrack when compared to the songs that featured in the film which is why I have a preference for watching the films over listening to the soundtrack.

Below is a list of a few of the films that I think have a great soundtrack

Good Morning Vietnam - the motion picture soundtrack is great as it includes snippets of Robin Williams from the film along with some great 70s tracks

(500) Days of Summer - timeless modern music

A lot like love - great film too.

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels - not only a great soundtrack but a great film too

Pulp Fiction - because life would be incomplete without a Tarantino film

Singles - for those who like 90s Seattle Grunge

Empire Records - unfortunately the motion picture soundtrack is pale in comparison to the songs that feature in the film. Don't watch the director's cut/special edition - it's rubbish - go for the original version of the film. Features a brat pack of sorts including Renee Zellweger, Liv Tyler and Skeet Urlich. A nice film that doesn't require much thinking.

The Big Chill

The Breakfast Club - I love John Hughes movies - he captures teen angst brilliantly and this film has a wonderful script and 80s soundtrack

In the Mood For Love - Asian Jazz and some rare Nat King Cole music

Amadeus and Immortal Beloved - for those who love classical music

High Fidelity 

The Blues Brothers - a flop when it came out but it has a wonderful soundtrack

The Commitments

Stand By Me

Easy Rider

Buena Vista Social Club - for Cuban music

Boogie Nights

That's my list for those looking for a film they can hum along to or just appreciate the music. What about you? Do you have a favourite soundtrack movie? Let me know.

The Germans Are Coming

I have to admit that I haven't seen a lot of German films but those I have seen, I have really enjoyed. The countries that I have lived in generally don't offer a large foreign film selection at the cinema. In Australia, French and Spanish films tended to be screened more than German films and in Singapore, European foreign films barely rate a viewing. They tend to be screened for a week or less and the session times are quite random.

That said, a few gems have made their way onto the screen and I have had the opportunity to enjoy them. The ones that I would recommend include:

Good bye Lenin! (A wonderful look at Germany during the fall of the Berlin wall)
The Lives of Others (Deserved of the Best Foreign Film oscar)
Das Boot (even if you are not a fan of war movies, this is worth a watch)
Run Lola Run (really good action/thriller)
Metropolis (an oldie but a goodie - was the inspiration of Madonna's Express Yourself music video)
Downfall (several parodies of a particular scene from this film have appeared on You Tube - the acting is superb)
The Counterfeiters (A really wonderful true story that is worth a watch)
Europa, Europa (Not strictly German as other countries were involved in the production of this film but it is predominantly in German so I have included it here)
The Edukators (Please bear in mind this is a low budget film - but definitely worth a watch)

Again, this is not a list of all of the great German films out there. Just a list to get you interested if you like foreign films.

Any glaring omissions? Let me know.

If you have close to or more than 3 hours to spare

I have spoken to friends about films, quite long ones, that I have seen and enjoyed and they have said "that's 3 hours of my life I can never get back".

Watching a long film these days is something that really has to be planned. For me, these types of films are ideal for those incredibly hot summer days when it really is too hot to be outside. In Australia in summer, that time is generally between 11.30am and 3.30pm.

On the last really stinking hot day that I was living in Australia, my husband and I went to Westfield Bondi Junction to see Avatar in 3D in order to escape the heat. Fortunately we enjoyed the film and didn't feel as though we had wasted a few hours of our lives.

There are lots of films that are real events. Ones that I have really enjoyed I have listed below:

Secrets & Lies (A film that really needs the time given to it for the story to evolve naturally)
Casino
The Godfather 
The Godfather Part II
Heat
Gandhi
Schindler's List
Goodfellas
The Dark Knight
Inglourious Bastards (Tarantino is a god)
The Aviator
Braveheart (Back when Mel was in form)
Eyes Wide Shut (I liked it but I am aware it was a film that polarised people when it came out)
Meet Joe Black (Perfect for reminiscing about a youthful Brad Pitt)
Titanic
Traffic (One of my favourite Steven Soderbergh films - he is a man that directs an ensemble cast really well)
The Deer Hunter (A truly remarkable film)
Django Unchained (I personally feel this is Tarantino's best work to date)
Spartacus
Ben-Hur
Lawrence of Arabia (I still enjoy watching this one today - great cast, lovely scenery)
The Ten Commandments (While the effects have dated, it is interesting to note it took 10 years to make and lots of people died during the making of the film)
Gone with the Wind (Brilliant acting, again some of the effects are dated but still worth a watch)
American Gangster
Zodiac (I don't recommend watching this one late at night - I found it to be quite scary)

There are several others that can fit into this list including a certain Lord of the Rings Trilogy and the Harry Potter Series. Again, this is just a starting point for those that are interested in a long film and wanting to escape for a few hours.

What's your favourite long film? Let me know.

For those who like their comedy black

I mentioned in a previous post that Fargo is one of my favourite Coen Brothers movies. The mention of the film has inspired this post which is for those who like black comedies.

For those unfamiliar with the term, black comedies are generally ones that take a serious issue and make humour of it which often creates an unsettling or disturbing effect on the viewer.

Stanley Kubrick's Dr Strangelove or How I learned to Stop Worrying a Love the Bomb is a classic example of black humour and is definitely worth a watch for anyone that hasn't seen it.

Other films that I believe most people will enjoy that fit into this genre include:

• Thank you for Smoking
• Man Bites Dog (definitely for those that are into the television series, Dexter)
• Series 7: The Contenders (makes Survivor and Big Brother look like child's play in terms of reality television)
• Bad Boy Bubby 
• Harold and Maude 
• Heathers
• MASH (movie not TV series although both are timeless)
• To Die For (one of Nicole Kidman's better films)
• Delicatessen
• Igby goes down (This film really deserves to be seen)
• 50/50 (Not sure if I would call it a black comedy as such but definitely worth a watch and given its central theme is given a comic treatment have included it here)
• Grosse Point Blank (a personal favourite not to be confused with the short lived television series Grosse Point - definitely for those who have a soft spot for 80s/90s indie music and John Cuzack)
• Little Miss Sunshine (Toni Colette is one of the most underrated actresses of her time - generally she is never in a bad movie... ditto Greg Kinnear as an underrated actor)

I am not going to pretend that the list is by any means a list of all of the black comedy films out there worth watching but definitely one to start on for those interested in these types of films.

What is your favourite Black Comedy? Let me know.

All About Food

You know the films that I am talking about. These are the ones that you watch and walk out of hankering for Chinese/French/Spanish food purely because of the foods you have seen consumed in the film. For me, after watching Eat Drink Man Woman, I couldn't get down to BBQ King in Chinatown fast enough and Chocolat inspired me to hunt down a source of chilli chocolate in Sydney. I have to say my preference is for my chocolate to be sans chilli  - the taste isn't really my thing - although I do like other food to have a good coating of chilli.

There are so many films that fit the bill of inspiring people to eat the food consumed in them. Below I have a list of some that I would recommend to people that have a food fetish.

Babette's Feast
The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (also for those that like stylish costumes - Gaultier designed all of them)
Like Water for Chocolate
Spanglish (A rare occasion where Adam Sandler is not a "Billy Madison" character)
Le Grande Bouffe
Mostly Martha
Julie & Julia
Tampopo (It will make you want to eat a Japanese meal afterwards)
Big Night
Ratatouille
Chocolat
No Reservations (quite a cheesy movie but great food visuals)
Udon (Again, it will make you want to eat Japanese food)
Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?
Eat Drink Man Woman - perhaps order Chinese takeout before watching this one - or at least have a Chinese restaurant booked for immediately after it.

I am not going to pretend that this list is by any means complete. It really is just a sample for those looking for a film with food as a major theme in the film.

Which film is your favourite when it comes to food? Let me know?

We just broke up

I'd like to say we have all been there. Turning up at a cafe, ready to hear the "It's not you, it's me" or "I just don't see us as forever", "you deserve someone that's going to appreciate you more than I do", "We've grown apart" etc... If you were emotionally invested in the person breaking this news you may decide to watch films that will make you cry like The Notebook or Titanic while indulging in copious amounts of ice-cream, alcohol, etc... and pining for the person you thought you were and may well have been in love with.

Then what? I think films that offer hope and can provide some perspective make for better viewing because every relationship, regardless of how it turns out, can teach us something about ourselves should we choose to look at that relationship objectively.

Films that I believe do this really well include Legally Blonde, (500) Days of Summer, High Fidelity, Annie Hall and The First Wives Club. What I like about these films is that they leave the viewer with a good feeling - rather than the need to reach for a bucket of ice-cream or another shot of tequila.

If, however, you are interested in having a good cry I would steer away from films like The Notebook, Pride & Prejudice, (actually any Jane Austen/Meg Ryan/girl from Grey's Anatomy whose name eludes me at the moment etc... or romantic comedy especially ones that involve a break-up/reuniting) and look for tear-jerkers that are not ones that have a romantic element to them. Films like Dad, Mr Holland's Opus, Dead Poets Society, Beaches, Philadelphia, Thelma & Louise, Steel Magnolias, Schindler's List, Lorenzo's Oil and Life is Beautiful. They will give you an emotional outlet without having the focus of romance or your relationship.

So what do you watch after a break up? Let me know.

Documentaries - ones that are really engaging

Not to be confused with mocumentaries, i.e. those comedic gems that play on the documentary format to reveal a story, documentaries are generally films that are out to educate their audience about a topic and to (with the exception of Michael Moore) provide a balanced view.

It is rare outside of the realm of the film festival for documentaries to garner an international release on several screens within a country. Generally, for that to happen, they need to have a pretty big sponsor - like Michael Moore or Al Gore.

Documentaries of the Michael Moore kind have a specific objective and provide a very one sided view of a topic. If you are into that style of documentary then the following films will appeal to you:

Bowling for Colombine (although one-sided the inclusion of people like Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Chris Rock really make this documentary an enjoyable watch)
Sicko
Farenheit 9/11;
Super Size Me;
Food, Inc; and
An Inconvenient Truth

For the nature lover, I found the following couple of documentaries to be incredibly engaging:

Winged Migration; and
Microcosmos

For those who are more interested in documentaries that follow people as they participate in or overcome a challenge, you cannot go past the following films:

Spellbound
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters; and
Touching the Void

For those interested in fashion, The September Issue is definitely a great watch.

For those who like musicians, Madonna: Truth or Dare (aka In Bed with Madonna) is great as it is when the woman really was at her peak in terms of celebrity and was the first musician to do this. People like Beyonce and Katy Perry have done similar films since but they are nowhere near as good as this one.

I am not much of a sports documentary viewer as I prefer the based on a true story drama type of sports movie like Invictus and The Replacements and so I cannot offer any recommendations on this type of film. I am of two minds as to whether I would watch a documentary about Lance Armstrong.

My most recent viewing of a documentary was The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters and I have watched it a couple of times now and found it to be incredibly engaging. The film almost doesn't feel like a real documentary because it is a real subculture that I haven't had exposure to and the people in it are quite unique.

What's your favourite documentary?

Why Everyone Should See At Least One Coen Brothers Movie

I feel like my first acknowledged viewing of a Coen brother's movie came quite late in my cinematic education and I would love to save others the mistake of not seeing their work sooner rather than later. I think I was 23 at the time and I was overwhelmed by how well the film was constructed. In my mind, their work is flawless.

For those that aren't aware of them, the Coen brothers are Joel and Ethan Coen. Together with quite a tight knit crew and a few regular actors that appear in almost all of their movies, they create wonderful films that need to be seen by anyone with an interest in cinema. The cinematography, screenplay, acting, editing, lighting etc... ALWAYS work. That said, even within Coen Brothers films, some films are better than others.

Together the Coen Brothers have received (according to imdb sources) some 90 awards from some 122 nominations including 4 Oscars from some 13 nominations. In the modern era of the Oscars, those statistics are incredible.

For those who love Hollywood movies, I would suggest Intolerable Cruelty as your introduction to a Coen Brothers movie. It is probably as close to a Hollywood film that is still quintessentially Coen Brothers, as the Coen Brothers get.

For those who are really into interesting camera techniques, you cannot go past The Big Lebowski and Barton Fink.

For those that like landscapes, No Country for Old Men will satisfy your senses.

For those that like their comedy really black, Fargo is definitely your cup of tea.

My first experience of a Coen Brothers movie was The Hudsucker Proxy - although I didn't know that it was made by the Coen Brothers at the time.  I loved it. The storyline was a little quirky and the cinematography, editing and acting were seamless. I had no idea where the storyline was going as the film evolved which only enhanced my engagement with the film.

It wasn't until I saw Barton Fink some four years later that I realised who the Coen Brothers were and I made it my mission to see everything that they had made that I had access to within the video shop where I worked and in no particular order. I would also try to convince anyone looking (or even not looking) for a film recommendation to see one of their movies - usually The Big Lebowski or Fargo (two of my personal favourites).

For those wanting to view the Coen Brothers movies in chronological order, they are as follows:

1. Blood Simple
2. Raising Arizona
3. Miller's Crossing
4. Barton Fink
5. The Hudsucker Proxy
6. Fargo (should have won best picture)
7. The Big Lebowski (I am surprised this film wasn't nominated for cinematography)
8. O Brother, Where Art Thou?
9. The Man Who Wasn't There
10. Intolerable Cruelty
11. The Ladykillers
12. No Country for Old Men (a well deserved best picture)
13. Burn After Reading (exceptional reason as to why Brad Pitt deserves an Oscar for his acting ability)
14. A Serious Man
15. True Grit
16. Inside Llewyn Davis

For the die hards, you can include Paris, je t'aime after The Ladykillers and To Each His Own Cinema after No Country for Old Men as they directed segments in each of those films but for full directed by the Coen Brothers in their entirety, the list above is pretty much complete as at this time.

So that's it for today. Let me know your thoughts - if you have a favourite Coen Brothers movie, what is it and why?

I have children coming and they have seen everything made by Disney and Pixar in the last decade

I have a little girl and at the moment television holds her interest for about a minute, unless she is watching herself or on Skype with the grand parents so I am yet to have the problem of entertaining children that have seen 'everything'. That said, I am personally quite a big fan of some films that are specifically targeted to children. There are a few gems that are like the Simpsons in that they operate on a couple of levels so that both children and adults are entertained.

Given we are in 2013, this post is all about films made prior to 2003. Outside of the classic disney animations (Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, The Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast, Fantasia, Cinderella, Pinocchio, The Sword in the Stone, Sleeping Beauty, Aladdin, Bambi, Dumbo, The Little Mermaid, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and The Lion King), there are several other films that are a great watch.

Ones that are on my list include The Wizard of Oz, The Muppet Movie, The Princess Bride (a personal favourite of mine), Labyrinth, The NeverEnding Story (although I will admit the special effects are quite dated now), The Sound of Music, Scrooge (for those looking for Christmas viewing), The Goonies, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (again, the effects are now quite dated), Hook, Stand by Me (more for older children than littlies), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Flight of the Navigator, Mary Poppins, Matilda, Shrek, The Original Star Wars Trilogy (i.e. Chapters 4, 5 and 6 - I haven't been able to watch beyond the Phantom Menace of the newer films. I feel like George Lucas sabotaged my childhood memories (and that's being nice. I could use more offensive language to describe what he has done) with the creation of the newer films, Storm Boy, Charlotte's Web, Watership Down, Babe and The Secret of NIMH.

A memory about the last film on the list. When I was little, my sisters and I were walked from home all the way to the cinema - it is about 3 kilometres which in child terms seemed like forever by my Grandmother to go and see The Secret of NIMH at the cinema. When we arrived, my grandmother bought tickets for us and told us to go in. We asked if she was joining us and she said no but she would be waiting for us when we the movie finished. I wasn't aware of it at the time but my grandmother's cigarette addiction was so bad that the prospect of sitting through a film for 90 minutes without smoking was so unappealing to her that she preferred to not see it.

Anyway, that's it for today. I know that the list doesn't have every single children's film made prior to 2003 and I have only looked to include ones that I think are worth watching. Are there any children's films made prior to 2003 that you think should be on the list? Let me know.

Kiwi Classics

Given the recent America's Cup, I thought it would be good to shed some light on the film industry of New Zealand. New Zealanders' are more affectionately known around the world as Kiwi's. A kiwi is a bird that is native to New Zealand.

New Zealand is a country that is about 3000 kilometres east of Australia and is shaped like Japan. It is a small country in terms of population - only around 4 million people. When most people think of New Zealand, they think of Lord of The Rings, Flight of the Conchords, the All Blacks and now, a country that almost captured the America's Cup for a second time. For such a small population, the film industry in New Zealand is remarkable. New Zealand has produced some fantastic films as well as some very talented people.

Excluding James Cameron who now owns a large portion of the North Island of New Zealand, New Zealand's other famous film export is Peter Jackson. Before Peter became a household name for films like The Lord Of the Rings Trilogy, King Kong and The Frighteners, he directed some really good horror films in New Zealand that capture the Kiwi sense of humour. Films like Bad Taste, Meet the Feebles and Braindead (aka) Dead Alive and although not strictly horror, Heavenly Creatures.

Other Kiwi gems that are worth a watch include Black Sheep, The Price of Milk, Topless Women Talk About their Lives, Boy, The World's Fastest Indian, Eagle v Shark, Goodbye Pork Pie, Once Were Warriors, Whale Rider, Sione's Wedding (aka) Samoan Wedding, Smash Palace, The Orator, Scarfies and Out of the Blue.

Have I missed any of your Kiwi favourites? If so, let me know.

Guilty Pleasures

A friend of mine recently went and saw Pacific Rim at the movies and when I asked him what it was like he said it was a film that rehashed special effects from Transformers, had an incredibly far-fetched storyline, terrible acting and a cliched script. He loved it.

There are films out there that you know are bad but you love watching them nonetheless. My guilty pleasure is Starship Troopers. I always pictured Casper Van Diem as a candidate to play Superman. He really is very easy on the eyes, especially in Starship Troopers and it, like Pacific Rim, has a less than plausible storyline, predictable script and acting that makes critics blush with embarrassment but I love it. I have seen it no less than ten times now and have enjoyed it each time.

Other films that could be considered guilty pleasures include Battleship, Independence Day, The Chase, Showgirls, Con Air, Coyote Ugly, The Rock, Road House, Twilight and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.

I am excluding deliberately poorly made low budget films like Attack of The Killer Tomatoes!, Plan 9 from Outer Space and more recently Sharknado as they are there own specific genre and so are not what I would consider to be guilty pleasures.

What are your guilty pleasures? Let me know.