Year: 2008

It’s just past the Oscars now, so what better subject for the Thursday Thirteen than films … Looking to pick out what I thought notable over the past year or so for this one :

1 – Transformers. Great action and they just about get away with putting in their own origins here. It’s rare that a movie conversion can use its comic origins as written and this one is no exception. But they did a very good job with what they did do.
2 – Camera work … Yes, shakeycam does make you feel as if you’re there but like a lot of fads, it’ll often get taken to excess. Plus it would be good to see the action in fights in films like Transformers instead of just seeing a blur.
3 – The “It’s Different” prize – not seen a film like Sweeney Todd for a while … Helena Bonham-Carter must have had an absolute ball doing this one 🙂 And the CrazieBoys definitely enjoyed watching.
4 – Remembering … Elizabeth Golden Age let us remember one of the pivotal periods of British history. Must look up the history books to see what really happened.
5 – Most Charming Animation – Ratatouille. Ok, some bits make you cringe but most of it made us laugh. Plus there’s the Pixar introduction short movie, this one is one of their best.
6 – Interesting Beginning – Golden Compass. May have to acquire the books from these …
7 – Characters I’d Most Like To Be A Slave Of – a tie between Michelle Pfeiffer’s Lamia and Angelina Jolie’s Grendel Mommy. Life expectancy might be a bit limited however.
8 – Film I was happiest to miss – Pirates 3.
9 – Film I unfortunately didn’t miss – Spiderman 3.
10 – Best non-human character – Pantalaimon. The way that little demon shifts between forms on screen is incredible.
11 – The ‘Did That Really Happen?’ award – American Gangster. Good film this one, almost as good as The Departed which I missed at the cinema.
12 – Beowulf for raising the bar on CGI again.
13 – Most Wanted on dvd – Bourne Ultimatum.

There’s a few films I missed this year. Movies like Across The Universe and Atonement. Plus I successfully avoided watching No Country For Old Men and a few other potential turkeys.