Defenseload

My Most Anticipated Films Guide for 2013

I sat down to share the ten movies that I really want to see in 2013...but then I got a little lost because there was so damn many of them. So I thought, what the hell, why dont I just list everything I wanna see? And that I did. Instead of just listing the films boringly, Ive sorted them into groups and Photoshopped the crap out of stuff. Without further ado, heres the guide to my excitement for this year:


As Ive said probably 194781397410 times during Annual Awards Nersim, Ive seen 0.07% 2012 movies. Ive pretty much missed all of the good ones...either because I cant be bothered going to the cinemas or I live in NZ so hahaha, we dont get any movies. These films are the ones that havent been released in cinemas yet. I will get to see The Perks of Being a Wallflower next week, since it will be on the plane (!). When I get back from Japan, I will be seeing Django Unchained, hopefully on the 25th. The Master comes out before then but theres a 0.06% chance that it will play at more than two cinemas in NZ. Im going to see Les Miserables on the 21st (hopefully) with a friend, who is also coming with me to see Silver Linings Playbook, which also comes out on the same day as Lincoln, Zero Dark Thirty and Anna Karenina - Ill probably only see Zero Dark Thirty in cinemas though. Holy Motors, Amour, Smashed and Rust and Bone probably wont show anywhere near me, but I eagerly await their DVD releases.


Was 2012 the year of Matthew McConaughey. I dunno...2013 seems pretty strong. I still have to see The Paperboy, which Im not all that excited for but hey, Nicole Kidman urinating on Zac Efron, thats a once in a lifetime experience! Another 2012 movie of his was Mud, Jeff Nichols follow up to the brilliant Take Shelter, which went to Cannes but will be released this year. Thats one of my most anticipated. Lately, Matty M has been fading away for his role in The Dallas Buyers Club, which Im 99.78% sure hell be amazing in. One of my most anticipated for the year is The Wolf of Wall Street, which is headlined by Leonardo DiCaprio throwing money to da peasants. Plus, it is Martin Scorsese, and men in suits.


Im pretty sure every year is going to be the "year of Jessica Chastain". She was relitavely quiet in 2012 until Zero Dark Thirty showed up...but this month shes on the trailer disc at work three times for Lawless, Madagascar 3 and Coriolanus. In 2013, Ill obviously be seeing Zero Dark Thirty, maybe Mama even though it doesnt look like my thing (but she looks badass), and if Wilde Salome finally gets a release, then Ill be seeing that. Im especially excited for The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: His & Hers, a two-film project co-starring James McAvoy and Jess acting idol Isabelle Huppert. Sounds interesting!


Because Terrence Malick is becoming a prolific guy, it would seem. To the Wonder will be out mid this year, but hes also got Knight of Cups and Untitled Terrence Malick Project (formerly known as Lawless, before, yknow...) slated for 2013. I imagine hell edit those projects for a little while longer, but Im particularly excited for the untitled one, as it has Ryan Gosling, Rooney Mara, Michael Fassbender, Natalie Portman, Cate Blanchett and Berenice Marlohe in it. Wow.


These films are all bound to literature greats in some way: August: Osage County is based on a famous play by Tracy Letts, who also wrote Killer Joe; The Counselor (starring Michael Fassbender) is the screen-writing debut of Cormac McCarthy, who has written more famous novels than I can count; Kill Your Darlings is about the Beat generation from the 40s/50s, focusing on Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and William Burroghs; and Much Ado About Nothing is based on the Shakespeare play - and it is adapted by Joss Whedon, who decided to make it on one of his holidays. How awesome is that?


While Christopher Nolan may not be bringing out anything this year, I have plenty of other directors bringing out the new stuff this year. Neill Blomkamp, who wowed me with District 9, is bringing out his follow-up, Elysium. Jason Reitman will hopefully make it 5/5 with Labor Day. Nicolas Winding Refn has re-teamed with Ryan Gosling for Only God Forgives. Sofia Coppola, one of my absolute favourite directors, is coming back with The Bling Ring, which Im sure will be preeeeeeeetty. Danny Boyle is done with his Olympic opening ceremony and cutting off arms and such, and hes releasing Trance. Steve McQueen will probably make another flawless film with Twelve Years a Slave. Derek Cianfrance follows up his debut Blue Valentine with The Place Beyond the Pines. And my most anticipated for the year is definitely The Great Gatsby, because I looooooove Baz Luhrmann films.


Joseph Gordon-Levitt is out to make himself even more perfect by making a movie of his own: Don Jons Addiction, which Im very much anticipating. As he enters the film-making world, Steven Soderbergh is set to leave it, with his final feature being Side Effects, starring Rooney Mara and Channing Tatum. Sad face.


As with any year, there are copious amounts of sequels. Im definitely not anticipating Grown Ups 2, but theres some other cool sequels to some movies that I really liked coming out this year. We have Iron Man 3, which kinda worries me since it is the third film in the series, but it looks like it is taking a darker route and it has Rebecca Hall, so Im sold. Star Trek Into Darkness looks awesome, and I loved Star Trek (although I may need to rewatch it). Kick-Ass is one of my all-time favourite movies, so Im interesting to see what they do in the second round. And then theres Thor: The Dark World, which I keep forgetting is happening this year, but therell be more Tom Hiddleston!


Along with Catching Fire and maybe an Oscar for Silver Linings Playbook, Jennifer Lawrence has Serena to look forward to in 2013. Greta Gerwigs TIFF hit Frances Ha has a release set up for mid this year. Violet and Daisy, starring Saoirse Ronan, played at TIFF in 2011, but has only just scored a release date for this year. To be honest, I didnt know what category to put Spring Breakers in, but I used to love Vanessa Hudgens so I stuck it in here. That movie looks insane. And then theres Stoker, which stars Mia Wasikowska, along with Nicole Kidman, Matthew Goode and Jacki Weaver. That looks insane, too.


Gangster Squad, after a production delay, hits cinemas on the 17th here - Im not sure Ill go and see it in cinemas since theres 2948 other movies coming out, but Im looking forward to eventually seeing it. I hadnt heard of Now You See Me until the trailer hit the web a couple of months back, and Im very excited to see it now. Man of Steel also looks pretty awesome, and I guess its as close to a Chris Nolan film as Im gonna get this year. Lastly, theres Warm Bodies, which looks just lovely. Plus, it would seem that Nicholas Hoult is the next big thing this year.

What do you think? What are your most anticipated for the year?

Available link for download

My 15 Favourite Films Filled with Colour

Down here in NZ, Summer is just around the corner, and theres no better way of getting Summer into my system than by injecting some colour into my life. And you know one way that colour is used better than it is anywhere else? In films. So I decided to compile a list of films that use all of the colours of the rainbow extremely well. There are some films - like Shame or The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - that use blue hues well, but there are other films that just go all out. And here they are (in alphabetical order):


(500) Days of Summer (2009), Dir. Marc Webb - Despite its summery title, (500) Days of Summer spends most of its time with warm autumn tones. However, thanks to Zooey Deschanels beautiful blue eyes, Webb decided to dedicate some of the films palette to the colour blue - as evident in the dance sequence. Plus, a good bit of the films colour comes from the awesome clothes that Summer wears.


A Single Man (2009), Dir. Tom Ford - This is a depressing movie about suicide, but lets not forget that it is the debut feature of fashion designer Tom Ford. He adds so much style to the film (to the point that most people complain that it is style over substance, but I whole-heartedly disagree), whether it be through the clothes or the art direction. His attention to detail is impeccable, and thats what you could expect from someone like him.


Beginners (2010), Dir. Mike Mills - Like (500) Days of Summer, Beginners spends a lot of its time in autumn tones, but there are many prominent flashes of colour throughout the film. Theyre most evident in the "this is what _____ looks like..." montages, with one montage even just showing blocks of bright colour. Otherwise, the clothes can reflect it - from Christopher Plummers bright scarves to Melanie Laurent pairing a red dress with blue stockings.


Boogie Nights (1997), Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson - Right from the very beginning, with that famous tracking shot around the night-club which introduces everyone within a single take, you know just how colourful Boogie Nights is going to be. And it retains that colour right until the end, with the bright-yet-jaded colours of the 70s coming out in full force.


Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), Dir. Michel Gondry - I suppose a film that has a main character who likes to change her hair colour all the time should be quite colourful, and thats exactly what Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is. The reason it is so colourful, though, probably comes down to its stellar imagination.


The Fall (2006), Dir. Tarsem Singh - Theres absolutely no contest: Tarsem Singhs The Fall is the most colourful, and probably the prettiest, movie ever made. It goes through all of the realms of the imagination, apparently without any special effects, but sadly only wound up with a small release that garnered a cult following. Singh has a wonderful attention to detail, which was also evident in this years Mirror Mirror, which wasnt great but it is definitely one of the best looking films of the year.


Gone with the Wind (1939), Dir. Victor Fleming - Between this and The Wizard of Oz, Victor Fleming had a damn fine year in 1939 with Technicolour. Gone with the Wind is a stunning example of early Technicolour at its finest, and it seems to get more impressive with age. I can barely believe that this film was made over 70 years ago.


Hairspray (2007), Dir. Adam Shankman - Musicals have the largest capacity of any genre to use colour extremely well, and Hairspray is no exception. Everything about this film exudes colour, especially the many  colourful big dresses, which always make me jealous.


Marie Antoinette (2006), Dir. Sofia Coppola - Sofia Coppola is no stranger to making sumptuous, colourful films, and while Marie Antoinette is my least favourite of hers, it is the best example of her aesthetic talents. Filled with light shades of pink and blue and any other colour you could find in a candy shop, Marie Antoinette really does look like a good enough film to eat. And then theres all of those cakes...


Meet Me in St Louis (1944), Dir. Vincente Minnelli - This movie tends to make me feel all warm inside because I watch it every single Christmas night without fail. Plus, these early MGM musicals tend to be amazing in Technicolour. This movie always reminds me of a gingerbread house, because it is just that colourful and cute.


Moulin Rouge (2001), Dir. Baz Luhrmann - Say what you will about Baz Luhrmann, but there is no denying that the guy knows how to use colour on film. Moulin Rouge is the best example of his talents, and maybe one of the best examples of film as an aesthetic medium. The exuberance and vibrance of the film is something that Ive never really seen matched by anything else. But Im sure The Great Gatsby will rival it.


The Red Shoes (1948), Dir Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger - The Red Shoes is another example of stunning early Technicolour, especially in the ballet sequence. Powell and Pressburger were masters with their colour, obvious in both this and Black Narcissus.


Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), Dir. Edgar Wright - Scott Pilgrim vs. the World isnt a film that does things the easy way. The graphics and effects in this film are out of this world, making this film a prime example for how editing can really change a movie. It is just a non-stop adrenaline rush, emphasised by the many colours it has in it.


The Tree of Life (2011), Dir. Terrence Malick - Any Terrence Malick film could be up here. The guy knows how to make things beautiful. The Tree of Life is probably his most beautiful work. The colours that we see in this film are all the colours of life, from the Creation sequence to the beautiful sequences of people being people. And then theres Jessica Chastains hair. It is all so beautiful.


The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964), Dir. Jacques Demy - Again, this is another musical that makes the most of colour. The colour bursts out of this film, particularly because of the pink wallpaper that adorns the umbrella shop - which is also filled with colourful umbrellas. Just like theres no escaping from the singing, theres no escaping from the colours. And dont get me started on Catherine Deneuves beauty.

What do you think? What are your favourite colourful films?

Available link for download

My Unofficial 5 Worst and 10 Best Films of 2012

Oh hey, so since the year is ending and Ive seen less than five 2012 movies (okay, thats a lie, but seriously, I havent even seen Argo), I thought I may as well still do list the films I loved and loathed from the small selection Ive seen. As I explained last night, these are films that had their American release date (or in the case of one of them, will probably not have an American release date so it is the NZ release date) this year, because Ive already cleaned up 2011. First, lets look at the five worst films Ive seen this year.


5. Rock of Ages
I really liked Adam Shankmans last musical, Hairspray. All I wanted was a nice, groovy musical with toe-tapping, feel good, sing-along songs. I got auto-tune piled upon more auto-tune. Gee thanks, Glee.
Tom Cruise was at least okay and really seemed to be in his element as filthy rocker Stacee Jaxx, but the rest were just people singing and dancing like theyd been boosted up on energy drinks. In other words, nothing was very good at all.


4. Battleship
Forgive me when I say that I didnt have very high expectations for this film, based on the board game. And those expectations were met: there were a lot of explosions for two hours, accompanied by a lot of slow-mo, and not much else. Oh Liam Neeson, what were you thinking when you decided to be in this movie for five minutes? You too, Alexander Skarsgard. I practically watched it just to see you being hot and you got killed off so I had to spend the remaining five hours with Taylor Kitsch and Rihanna. Yay.




3. Iron Sky
The fact that some great indie films like, I dont know, Margaret, struggle to get made and then we get a movie about Nazis coming back to Earth from the moon straight away. Theres probably a place for this movie but Im not entirely sure of where that is.


2. Project X
Aside from Magic Mike and Ted, this movie has been the most popular one to hit Dannevirke teendom this year. Im fairly sure everyone has seen it, which is a little depressing because as much as I love films and all, this movie is literally a piece of dog poo wrapped up in even more poo. Just poo poo poo is what Im saying. I mean, wipdeedoo, youre a group of dumb teenagers who think the only way to be popular is to throw a huge party which destroys literally everything. Id probably like this movie a little more if I was at all into drinking (which Im not, unlike everyone else my age). But as it stands, I am greatly offended that this is what people think of teenagers as.


1. Thats My Boy
Just the most offensive, unfunny and over-the-top thing that Adam Sandler has ever graced us with. It is so terrible that I want to gouge my eyes out every time I see the cover of it.

Now we have all of that negativity out of the way, here are my unofficial ten best...


10. The Most Fun You Can Have Dying
I honestly cant believe how well-made this NZ film was. It was just so different to what Im used to seeing for this country - a film that is in touch with just about everything, and is so beautifully shot, ringing back to the days of the French New Wave movement. Heralded by a great central performance by Matt Whelan and an interesting supporting performance from Roxane Mesquida, The Most Fun You Can Have Dying will likely only get an audience from NZ (and Australia, as it showed at one of their film festivals), but it deserves so much more than that.


9. 21 Jump Street
Honestly, I just love this movie because it is so damn funny. I dont even like either Jonah Hill or Channing Tatum all that much but theyre just so damn funny. And Brie Larson is so adorable. I dont really have much else to say other than I laughed and laughed and laughed at this movie, and even on my fourth watch I still had plenty to laugh at.


8. Bernie
Richard Linklater is a much better filmmaker than I think people give him credit for. He has one of the most strangely intricate filmographies out there - he doesnt have a distinctive style or genre, but is films are consistently good. Bernie is no exception. It tells the bizarre true story of Bernie Tiede, a do-gooder who kills his partner, an elderly widow, after hes had enough of her manipulative ways. Filmed in a documentary style way, even featuring interviews with some of the people who knew Tiede and his story, Bernie is a rather interesting project that was certainly a lot more different than I had expected. Jack Black, Shirley Maclaine and Matthew McConaughey are all so great in their roles, too.


7. The Raid: Redemption
A film where the actions speak louder than words, and it is all so awesome to watch. People just beat the crap out of each other and somehow, this makes for some of the most visceral, entertaining scenes of the year. It is just endlessly fantastic.


6. Your Sisters Sister
I didnt have a clue of what this film was about when I started watching it, but that didnt matter - the less you know about it, the more surprised youll be by it. This film is driven by conversation and a couple of acts which end up meaning a lot more than you thought they would, and this is all driven home by stunning performances from Emily Blunt, Mark Duplass and Rosemarie DeWitt.


5. The Avengers
I can honestly say that I havent had a better time at the movies than I did with The Avengers. It was just so fun and entertaining, with plenty of stellar comedic punches and great action sequences to match. I cant really say that it is the best superhero movie ever, but I had a damn good time watching it, which is all I could really ask for.


4. Brave
This film has stayed with me since I first saw it in June, mainly because I find it to have one of the best messages for the younger generation to surface in quite some time. It is a simple film, and it gets its message across simply - and we have to remember that thats what kids movies are supposed to be like. This isnt a Pixar failure. Sure, Toy Story 3 is a masterpiece, but Im fairly sure that worked better for an older audience. Brave hits all the right notes, particularly because of the unique heroine, Princess Merida.


3. Looper
What is so amazing about Looper is that it has all of the blockbuster trimmings, but it is made like a true indie. It sometimes feels as if it is in a league of its own, being both glossy and rustic at the same time. It is a stunning vision of the future, without delving into the dream-like fantasies that most people use when trying to imagine the future. Plus, it features one of Bruce Willis best performances in years.


2. Killer Joe
I dont even know where to begin with this film. It is so batshit insane that I had to watch most of it through my fingers, but still, it is strangely comic and terrifying and...just everything. The film needs to be praised first for Matthew McConaughey, then by the work of its brilliant cast, and then by the fact that it is so brave and it doesnt shy away from ANYTHING. The only thing Im worried about is the fact that one day, Matty Ms kids (apparently his wife had another child today, congrats!) will see this film, and then hell have a lot of explaining to do. Im not even related to him and I honestly cant handle how amazing he was in this film.


1. The Dark Knight Rises
Im kinda over explaining why I love this film so much, but I will say that this time last year I knew that this would top my list, and I wasnt disappointed. Everything about this film, apart from maybe Marion Cotillard before her reveal and her death scene, is just so magnificent. That is all.

What do you think of my selections? What are your favourite and least favourite films of 2012?

Available link for download

My 15 Favourite New To Me Films of 2012

Sure, there are still four days left in the year and usually I manage to fill these last days up with some great movies, but I might as well list down my 15 favourite new-to-me movies Ive seen this year. It was a rather hard task to whittle these down to so few, especially considering there were over 300 movies in contention - meaning that I achieved my New Years resolution of seeing at least 300 new-to-me movies (how I found the time, Ill never know). So here we have my 15 favourite new-to-me films of the year, and what a good movie watching year I had.


15. The Heiress
Admittedly, this 1949 classic starring Olivia De Havilland and Montgomery Clift was one I watched because I couldnt go and see Jessica Chastain and Dan Stevens in the stage production of it, currently on Broadway. However, this was a more than worthy substitute. Olivia De Havilland gave a firey performance as Catherine Sloper, a woman who is all too vulnerable to everything but eventually comes into her own. A really interesting portrayal of society ideals put to the test in the 1800s.


14. The Red Riding Trilogy
So technically these are three films, but you cant really judge the separate films on their own merits - they must be viewed as a whole. I watched the three British made-for-TV films over one night before I started school again, and I was so impressed with how intricately detailed this was and how everything came together. It was a stunning achievement for a made-for-TV project - in fact, TV just keeps getting stronger and stronger every year.




13. Breathless
I checked out Jean-Luc Godards masterpiece as part of my French New Wave month, and I really enjoyed it for its simplicity and of course, people just talking to each other. Sadly, now, if I should ever talk about this film with anyone, theyd probably get it confused with the straight-to-DVD Ray Liotta film of the same name. Oh, Ray Liotta, you have to take the fun out of everything.


12. My Neighbour Totoro
This movie was just so cute that I wanted to hug it. And when I go to Japan I will probably buy every Totoro related thing I can find. Well, every Totoro thing that will be able to fit in my suitcase without difficulty.


11. Mystic River
I wouldnt say Im exactly an expert on Clint Eastwood films (but seeing J. Edgar has made me a little uneasy towards his films), but Mystic River is the finest film of his that I have seen. It is a rather depressing, gritty tale of how everyones lives end up colliding and how the past comes back to haunt them. Sean Penn, Tim Robbins and Kevin Bacon were all fantastic in this film.


10. Alien
Amongst all the Prometheus buzz (that was both good and bad in equal measure), I felt like the only person on Earth who didnt really care about that film, but it did serve as a pleasant reminder for me to get off my butt and watch Alien. And what a good thing that was, because I absolutely loved this film, despite the fact that Im really not all that fond of sci-fi films. It is probably one of the greatest horror movies of all time - and sometimes when I feel ill, I wont deny that the thought of that alien bursting out of John Hurts chest doesnt cross my mind.


9. Belle De Jour
Among my New Years resolutions was to watch more foreign films. I cant say if I really succeeded in that (I should have set a number or something), but I did start early - I remember watching Belle De Jour, starring the divine Catherine Deneuve, all the way back in February. Luis Bunuel created a simply beautiful, mysterious piece of film that was quite different from anything Id seen at that point.


8. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
Another Catherine Deneuve film (shes been a big player in my 2012, as in one of the first days of the year I also saw Repulsion, which only just missed out on a place here), but this time, we have a musical. Thats not to say that it is all happy. Even though it is one of the most colourful films Ive ever seen, it is doused in sadness. Kinda like Les Miserables. Okay, it is nothing like Les Miserables.


7. Vivre Sa Vie
Thanks to that French New Wave month, I saw some great films, and this one was the best of them. Again, there are people just talking with each other, but then theres that scene between Anna Karina and the man at the restaurant is still pretty much the best conversation Ive ever seen.


6. Days of Heaven
I waited around eight months for this to finally become available on Fatso, and I just about died when it was. And then I just about died when I actually watched it because it was so beautiful. I did things somewhat backwards - The Tree of Life was my introduction to Terrence Malick, even though everyone was like "if youre not familiar with Malick, it just wont work for you." It actually did work for me, but that film and Days of Heaven are two extremely different films. Theyre joined by beauty, but Days of Heaven feels much more natural. I just adore every sunset shot in it.


5. Grave of the Fireflies
I remember when I watched this, having a nice Friday night to myself. At the end of it, I was crying so much it hurt. It definitely rivalled that terribly awful thing in Downton Abbey as the most heartbreak a screen has ever caused me.


4. The Dark Knight Rises
This movie is amazing. That is all.


3. Mulholland Dr
This was another movie that took its time to become available on Fatso, too. It was also my introduction to David Lynch, and what an introduction it was. I just dont know how hed be able to sleep at night knowing that hed made a movie like this. Because it is so intricately great and beyond any realms of any imagination.


2. Shame
My favourite film of last year, easily, and one of my favourites of all time. It is as close to a modern masterpiece as well get: an observation of anguish, of a life teetering on the edge, performed with true bravura by Michael Fassbender. The film is beyond wonderful, and it is ground-breaking without trying to break any ground in the first place.


1. Goodfellas
I had to watch it a second time to fully appreciate its awesomeness, but it is right up there as one of my top favourites. Martin Scorseses masterpiece is thrilling, epic, and certainly makes the most of its 150 minute running time. Even Ray Liotta is really good in this film...it is a shame that he was never really able to carry that one on.

What do you think of these films? What were some of your favourite new-to-you films you saw this year?

Available link for download