MIFF 2014: I Hired a Contract Killer

One of the guidelines I set for myself when choosing films to see was to have at least one film from one of the retrospectives in the program. The film I ended up seeing, I Hired a Contract Killer, was a part of the retrospective focusing on Jean-Pierre Léaud, a respected French actor who I have never heard of. I chose this film over the other ones being offered for a number of reasons. It was on at a good time, in a good cinema, and the premise looked brilliant. 

So, the basic plot is that lonely Frenchman Henri (Léaud) finds himself out of a job and with nothing to live for. After failing to kill himself numerous times, Henri finally decides to hire a hitman (Kenneth Colley) to actually do the job for him. However, before he can be killed, Henri meets Margaret (Margi Clarke) and the two fall in love. But the hitman is still after Henri, and he won't stop until the job is done. 

This is a strange little film, that could be considered either a dark comedy or a romantic comedy, with the film mixing dark subject matter and sweet romance throughout. The acting is odd, especially Margi Clarke as Margaret. The way she speaks some of her lines is quite weird, but it works for her character and makes her memorable. There is little dialogue, most of the information being conveyed through visuals and gestures.Which is how films should be! I'm not going to lie, I really like this film and how all the elements of plot, acting, comedy, and romance make it both un-Hollywood and unpretentious. And that was before I found out who the director was. 

The film is directed by Aki Olavi Kaurismäki, a Finnish director probably most famous for Leningrad Cowboys Go America, one of the best road-trip movies ever made, and one of my favourite films. I Hired a Contract Killer is very similar to Leningrad Cowboys (which is where the band comes from), in that the situations are a little outrageous, the acting is a little off, and the plot is a little convoluted, but all that mess creates a very fulfilling and funny film, that despite being dark has a sweet centre. I found myself liking all of the characters in this film, including the hitman who gets quite an interesting (if slightly cliched) backstory that makes him more sympathetic. But what stood out for me was the romance between Henri and Margaret. It was a different way of doing the whole 'love at first sight' thing that worked in the context of the film, and contrasted with the industrial and depressing setting.

If you are a fan of odd movies, interesting premises, or dark humour, then I would recommend this film. I put this film with the likes of Harold and Maude, or Keeping Mum, so if you like films like them then you'll probably like this. I'm just glad there are still some film-makers out there who managed to escape the Hollywood system to create interesting and different movies, that still manage to be both funny and romantic. It's a refreshing thing to watch after the crude comedies of Judd Apatow or the boringly offensive movies of Adam Sandler. So, I guess I'll be looking for more
Jean-Pierre Léaud and Aki Kaurismäki movies now. I hope some of you do the same. Until next time, readers.

MIFF 2014: Joe

It seems a shame that Nicolas Cage has become such a punchline in recent years, especially since he is a very good actor when given the right sort of material. Joe is one of the first films in years that lets Cage show how good an actor he can actually be. This is the sort of film that people who don't believe he can act need to see. But is the film as a whole, taking out the Nicolas Cage factor, actually an good? I think it is, but I do think there are also a few flaws here and there.

The film focuses on Joe (Cage) an ex-con who runs a deforestation business. It's through this business that he meets Gary (Tye Sheridan), a 15 year old boy who starts working for him. The film focuses on these two characters, their interactions with the other members of the backwater society they find themselves, and how they both survive such an uncaring part of the world. The two end up becoming friends, with Gary seeing Joe as the father he always wanted. Gary's actual father, Wade (Gary Poulter), is meanwhile creating a downward spiral that threatens to drag the rest of his family down with him.

So, thing about the character of Joe, is that he is essentially a thug with a heart of gold. There are some things that he does in the film that are really questionable, but Cage manages to make the audience stay on his side through it all (although that could have something to do with how the rest of the characters are written, but we'll get to that later). Tye Sheridan also does a good job as a kid who comes from a broken home, yet manages to retain his youthful optimism about most things despite how hard his life is. The film spends a lot time showing how beneficial the relationship between these two is to both characters, and they are the strongest parts of the film. Another nice thing that I liked was the destruction/rebirth symbolism through the jobs that Gary gets. It's some much needed hopefulness to the end of what would otherwise be a very depressing film.

And that brings me to my first criticism of the film. This is a very bleak and dark story, with some of the most hideous characters I've ever seen on film. There are two main antagonists, Wade and Willie-Russel (Ronnie Gene Blevins), who are so disgusting and despicable that they seem to almost be more like caricatures than characters. Almost. There are some moments in the film that make them more than one dimensional villains. But it is still unpleasant to watch what they do in the film. And they are given very little motivation or back-story. A lot of secondary characters lack that, actually. They just appear, we may learn one or two facts, and then that's it from them for the rest of the film. It's a bit annoying, but it sort of works with the rambling nature of the narrative. But part of still wants to know why Willie-Russel would wear a bunny mask when he rapes someone.

There are a few other nitpicks I had with the film. Most of the scenes are shot with intense close-up shaky cam, that makes me sick. If can stomach that sort of film-making, then well done. And the southern accents can sometimes get so thick that it's extremely hard to understand what the characters are saying at times. But those are minor things. I did like this film, and as I found myself thinking about it again for this review, I found myself liking it more. There is an air of menace that hangs over the film, that adds tension but also makes it hard to watch at times. But if you like good drama films or character studies, then I would definitely recommend this. If you are a Nicolas Cage fan, you may be disappointed he doesn't have many insane moments, though there is a highly amusing scene when he is drunk.

In the end, this is a film that should prove to many that Cage does have it in him to give an excellent performance in a film that doesn't have to be manic, or overly intense. It may be a dark film, but it is a good one. Until next time, readers.
 

MIFF 2014: The Young and Prodigious TS Spivet

I'm not going to lie, this is the film I was most looking forward to out of the entire MIFF program. Jean-Pierre Jeunet is one of my favourite directors, and the only director whose entire filmography I've seen. Including Alien Resurrection. This film marks his English language debut, and his first film shot in 3D. With all this in mind, when I went to see the film yesterday my expectations were pretty high. And not only were they met, they were exceeded!

First of all, this is the only time I have ever been impressed by 3D. The cinematography is truly breathtaking, and the use of 3D only enhances the visuals rather than hindering, like it does in so many other films. One of the main problems I have with the medium is that the overall film ends up too dark to completely enjoy, but here, the colour balance was good, and I could actually see what was going on. If only every film that used 3D didn't waste it as a cheap gimmick to be applied during post-production as a way to make extra money.

Also excellent is the acting. After stagnating for a few years, Helena Bonham Carter is excellent as TS's mother, Dr Clair. The character could have been played as feather-brained, but instead Carter plays her with a grounded personality, providing an interesting spin on the absent-minded professor parent-type character. But the real stand-out here is Kyle Catlett as the eponymous TS, a boy genius who tries to deal with a family who doesn't understand him in the wake of a terrible tragedy that affects them all. While there are moments when his youth comes across as almost grotesquely cutesy, but Catlett's personality manages to create a character rather than just a caricature.

I suppose I should now move onto the plot, which when described is fairly straight forward, but when you're watching it you come to realise that the film is not really about the plot at all. Anyway, the basic story is 10 year old TS Spivet invents a perpetual motion machine which wins a prestigious scientific award. After some thinking, TS decides to hitch a freight train to Washington DC from his Montana ranch to accept the award in person. When he arrives there, he realises that winning the award is not the answer to his problems that he thought it would be. That's what the basic plot is, but like I said, the film is more of a study of how this rather odd family comes to terms with a recent tragedy, and move forward from it.

The film is littered with the usual Jeunet-isms that may annoy if you aren't familiar with his style or are just not of fan of it. There is a voice-over narration that talks about seemingly inconsequential everyday occurrences, there are little animations or cut-aways to show these occurrences, a lot of time is spent describing little details, there is a vintage feel to the sets and costumes, Dominique Pinon turns up somewhere... the list goes on! I love his style, because it's different and unique to Jeunet. But I have found a lot of reviews describing this as 'overly twee'. And to a certain extent, I agree. But then you have to remember that this film is told from the perspective of a ten year old boy. The film explains how he notices the small details in his life and how he is fascinated by them, so naturally they should appear regularly in the film. If you keep that in mind, then this film becomes an interesting examination of how, while maybe not all children, at least this child reacts to the world around him.

It's not perfect (no film ever is!). One of the problems I had was that the plot sometimes got a little confusing, since a lot of cuts are used between the characters and their situations. But it's hard to know whether it's in TS's head, or if it's actually happening, or if it's a flashback. It's also resolved fairly easily and without any of the complications you expect to arise. But because the actions remain true to the characters (and because I'm a sucker for a good old fashioned happy ending), I can forgive the rushed feeling of the end.

If it wasn't already clear, I really, really like this film! I haven't managed to find out if it's getting a larger release in Australia, but I'm hoping it comes out to a wide release (it won't, I'm just setting myself up for disappointment). I hope Jeunet continues to make films as interesting as this, and his previous ones. If you're a fan, you shouldn't be disappointed. If you aren't a fan, then we can't be friends. If you have no idea who I've been rattling on about, then try and see this film. It's a good introduction to Jeunet's world, while also being good family entertainment. Enough gushing now. Until next time, readers.

MIFF 2014: Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films

Well, it's that time of year again! The Melbourne International Film Festival has returned again! This year I will be seeing 10 films! I am so excited! I think I've used enough exclamation marks though. Hopefully, I will stick to my plan of writing about each of the films I see. But if I don't, nothing will happen. I'll feel bad for a week, or something. Anyway, my MIFF adventure started last night at Melbourne Central Hoyts, with the newest (and apparently last) documentary from director Mark Hartley, Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films, who also directed Not Quite Hollywood, and last years Patrick.

Electric Boogaloo, as you could probably tell from the title, recounts the history of B-movie production studio Cannon Films, focusing on the two men who ran it during the 80s, Israeli cousins Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus. I've only recently been introduced to Cannon Films, having seen the 1983 Hercules that they made, but I have heard of some of their more legendary flops, like Breakin' and its sequel, American Ninja, Superman IV, and Masters of the Universe. This film goes through the making of these films, and more, and really highlights the craziness of the Golan and Globus, and how they ran the business. The film also explains how the company split them up and failed, for despite their great love of movies, neither man really knew how to make films that would be successful in America.

Like Not Quite Hollywood, the film uses talking heads to get across most of the story of Cannon. And it's incredible how many people they got to talk for the film. B-movie legends like Sybil Danning, Richard Chamberlain, Alex Winter, Dolph Lundgren, and Bo Derek are interviewed, but there are also a lot of behind the scenes people featured as well. Ranging from directors, writers, editors, and cinematographers to CEOs and chairmen of both Cannon and other film studios.

Clips are used from the films that being spoken about to great advantage. More than once I found myself thinking "Hey, that one looks fun! Stupid, but fun. I should check that out sometime." Archival footage of Golan and Globus is also used effectively to show the personalities of the two men, since neither agreed to appear in the film. The one complaint of the film I have is that because of the focus on the two men rather than the company as a whole, it didn't go into great detail about what happened to the company after the two split. I was a little confused as to whether Cannon continued without the both of them, but that's a minor complaint that a quick Google search can fix easily.

 All in all, this is a fitting tribute to a studio that may have had great dreams, but just lacked the talent and patience to really make them a reality. The spirit of Golan and Globus really came through the numerous interviews, and you got the idea that they knew how to sell movies to anyone. Making them was a different matter.

This was an excellent start to MIFF, and I am intensely looking forward to the next nine films I have in front of me. Until next time, readers.

Mediocre Movies: The Penny Dreadful Picture Show

In case some of you were getting your hopes up, no this has nothing to do with the new Penny Dreadful TV show. This is, instead, a horror anthology film from 2013 that I only found through my new (and weird) obsession with Re-Animator actor Jeffrey Combs. Yeah, he's in this. So is Sid Haig, who I'm told is another horror legend. If you're a fan of either, this film is not worth the cameo like appearances they make. I've not watched many anthology films, but out of the few that I have seen this is by far the worst. So, let's find out why.

There are three horror segments surrounded by a connecting story involving living doll Penny Dreadful (Eliza Swenson), who lives in an abandoned movie house with her friends Ned (Collin Galyean) and Wolfboy (Dillon Geyselaers), as she tries to find true love through a series of internet dates. The first film involves a couple and a creepy Jack-in-the-Box, and is appropriately titled 'Slash-in-the-Box'. The second film, 'The Morning After', is about lesbian vampires in the 1950s. And the third film is a parody/homage to films like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, where a bunch of hippies come across a creepy family in the backwoods, and is called 'The Slaughter House'. I'll go into more detail of the segments, and hopefully explain why this film fails. 

So, let's begin with the connecting storyline. This is the one that makes the least amount of sense. And also makes it clear that this is another brain child of Eliza Swenson, who I would have more respect for if any of the films she made were any good. I previously encountered her in the rather boring Witches of Oz, but I admire her for making films and for being involved with every aspect of the film-making process. If only her films were good! But anyway, back to Penny Dreadful.

Basically, the problem with the connecting segments is that we're thrust into this interesting world with these intriguing characters, but we're given next to no back-story for each of them. Why do they live in a disused cinema? If Penny is a doll, who created her? Why is she so obsessed with finding true love? Where do they get the films from? All these questions sort of culminate with the biggest one of all, what the fuck is actually going on? In all honesty, it feels more like an overly long pilot for a TV show that will never be made. Maybe it is, I have no idea.

These characters could be interesting enough in a film by themselves, but because they're basically acting like the Rod Sterling of the film we aren't given enough time with them to get more than vague impressions of them. And a lot of those impression feel really rushed, like the shorts were just hanging around and someone thought "Hey, why not make an anthology film?" and then wrote a really quick idea to connect them all together. It's not a bad idea, to have these three horrific misfits live together in an old movie theatre, but they way it's put together with the segments makes it feel really unfinished, rushed, and lacking. But let's move onto the segments themselves.

I'd say the segments were hit and miss, but all of them pretty much miss whatever target they were going for. The first one, 'Slash-in-the-Box', is potentially the best since it has the added benefit of being the shortest. However, the length is also the biggest complaint against the film, considering it's only about 3 minutes long. Blink, and you will miss this one. It's about a man who brings home a creepy old Jack-in-the-Box, and bad stuff happens. That's about it.

As a short, it does everything right. It has the right amount of character introductions and development, it has a sort of beginning, middle and end, and it follows the basic horror conventions for this type of horror story. But it's not very scarey. And just when you start to get into it, it stops. If this was taken out of the film, you wouldn't lose anything. That's not good when you're making any film, let alone an anthology film. It's so short, that I can't think of anything else to say about it, which should let you know how insignificant this segment is.

The second segment is probably the one that I would consider to be the best. For a lesbian vampire film set in the 50s, it delivers on all aspects. There are vampires, they are lesbians, and it's set in the 50s, what more could you want? The basic story revolves around Alice (Samantha Soule), who wakes up with a major hangover and an unclear memory of the night before. As we learn more about what happened to her, and what is currently happening to her body, we come to understand that she made a deal with shady lady Jez (Ramona Mallory) as a means to escape her otherwise dull life and even duller fiance.

The reason I would consider this one the best out of the three is that it is the most interesting in terms of story. Being a short, it can't go into too much detail about the characters back-stories, but we get enough to know why Alice would make the choice she makes. The acting is also the best, it's more naturalistic than other parts of the film. And the setting is very realistic as well. It's not perfect, some characters are flat (especially the fiance), and there are some unbelievable moments towards the end. But all in all, I didn't mind this one. It would make a very interesting longer feature I reckon.

And now we come to the one I was looking the most forward to, 'The Slaughter House'. A group of hippies/college students/friends are forced to find shelter with a creepy family after their car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. After arriving at the family home, the evening goes from creepy to disturbing as a series of morbid games are played between the friends and the family. I'm trying not to give away the twist here, so I'm sorry if I'm being vague about details and stuff. I also can't remember any of the characters names, which is another reason for the vagueness.

So, I'm going say it first. Jeffrey Combs is the best thing about this segment, but Sid Haig is the only one who leaves with any shred of dignity. I'm conflicted by this one. On the one hand, it's an interesting take on typical slasher films like Texas Chainsaw and derivatives. But I already have Tucker and Dale vs. Evil for a film that subverts the backwoods crazy family sub-genre. The biggest beef I have with this segment is that it feels unnecessarily mean spirited at time. And they also try to make torture funny... without being goofy.... it doesn't work. Most of the characters come across as incredibly unlikeable, so you don't really care what happens to them, and you almost want some of them to die. That's not good when they're your main characters.

In the end, this segment conflicts me. On the one hand, it is an interesting take on the backwoods, inbred crazy family. On the other hand, the mean spirited nature of some of it makes it hard to watch at times, and really get into it. And Jeffrey Combs is really wasted here, despite being hilarious!

And now we come to the question of whether this is mediocre or not? Well, it's not so much mediocre as a hot confusing mess of half-baked ideas that don't fully come together clearly. The nicest thing I can say about it is that the attention to detail in the sets and costumes are really good, but I would not recommend this for everyone. If you like horror anthologies, maybe you'll like this. If you're a Jeffrey Combs fan, it's cool to see him a role that I don't think he's done before. But again, it's not really worth watching the whole film for what basically amounts to an large-ish cameo.

I don't really know if I'd recommend it to anyone actually. If you're interested, you won't lose anything from watching it (except maybe 2 hours of your life), but generally I would not rate this one very high. It won't please more hard-core horror fans, and if you're a more casual watcher to the genre, then this might be too dark, though most of the gore does happen off-screen (or is so stupidly fake it doesn't shock). But yeah, this mediocre. I hope the next project that Eliza Swenson is working on is better than her previous endeavours.

This will probably be the last post I make before MIFF. This year, I am incredibly lucky to be going to see ten films from the program! I'm very excited, there are some really interesting films this year. Hopefully (not promising anything), I will do blogs on each of the films I see. I guess we'll find out when I get to them. Until next time, readers.

Best Animated Films - Not from the Big 5

I love animated films. I love the worlds people can create, the larger than life characters, the fun of it all. With the right imagination, an animated film can take you anywhere. So, I thought it would be a good idea to write a list. But not your ordinary list, if I just did an ordinary list of animated movies then it would be dominated by Pixar, Disney, and Dream Works. So instead, I went out of my way to put films on here that are not a part of the five biggest animated studios in the hope that it would expand peoples horizons or something like that.

First things first, the studios I've identified as the five biggest animated studios are:
Disney
Pixar
Dream Works
Ghibli
and Aardman.

So, no Miyazaki, no Wallace and Gromit, a lot of films I'm sure most of you haven't heard of, and now I'm just blabbering. Let's begin!

10. The Princess and the Cobbler (1993)

I took a long time agonising over whether or not I should put this one on the list, since it was released through Miramax, which is owned by Disney. But in the end, my nostalgia won me over. This is one of the first films I remember watching, and after re-discovering it years later I can see that it is not the best movie ever made. The plot is odd, the characters a little one note, and the songs are pretty awful. and don't get me started on the troubled production history. I could go into a lot of detail about the back-story to this film (it did take 28 years to get finished and released), but I'm not going to. Instead, all I will say is what makes it stand out is the animation. It is one of the most beautiful messes you will ever see, with one of the best chase scenes I have ever seen in cinema, let alone animated. So yeah, this one is a little indulgent. But I don't really care. I love this film and its animation, and I don't think I will ever stop.

9. Despicable Me (2010)

If adorable was a film, this would be it. What makes this film work so well is the way it combines slapstick and physical comedy with a really good script and characters. Plus, it's refreshing to see an animated film about parenting and fatherly love rather than romantic love (though that's thrown out the roof in the sequel, but the sequel is still good). And then there are the minions. I love these guys, they overstay their welcome slightly in the sequel, but here there is just the right amount of silly. This is a pretty perfect film for any family, no matter how old. I even managed to persuade my mum to watch it with me. Now that is incredible.

8. Sita Sings the Blues (2008)

I love how the poster calls this the greatest break-up story ever told, cause it really is. So, putting it simply, this is a retelling of the Ramayana using the songs of Annette Hanshaw intercut with the directors own disintegrating marriage and subsequent divorce. And it's free, the whole thing, on youtube. Go see it. You will not see anything like it. The animation here is really well done, with three distinct styles for each of the segments; cutouts for the telling and discussion of the Ramayana, this really cool vector-like artwork for the musical numbers, and a rougher, sketchier style for the modern day parts. It's possibly the second weirdest film on this list, but if you have any interest in Indian mythology, then it is definitely worth a watch. Plus the musical numbers are really fun.

7. Persepolis (2007)

So, I'm sure a few of you have heard of this one. It made quite a splash when it first came out, and despite only watching this recently I can see why. For starters, it happens to be an autobiographical animated film, directed by the original graphic novel's author, Marjane Satrapi. That in itself is unique enough. But then it also happens to be a coming of age story set against the backdrop of the Iranian Revolution. This is not an easy, popcorn film. But it is excellent. The animation style is really fluid and the designs are fairly simple, but that works in its favour since more flashy designs would get in the way of the story. If you want something a little more serious, that looks at recent history from a personal view-point, then I would definitely recommend this.

6. The Secret of Kells (2009)

I wish there were more historical, fantasy animated movies like this, because this film is beautiful! It's so gorgeous! The animation style takes inspiration from not only other animated films like The Princess and the Cobbler, but also from those big, old, Latin books that were held in monasteries and written out by hand and had gold leaf covering the borders! The story itself draws on both Celtic and Christian mythologies, centering around the book of Kells, which is an illuminated gospel book. It's really interesting the way Christian and Celtic ideas interact in 8th century Ireland, and you come away from the film with the feeling that both worlds need to co-exist and continue through the ages. It really is a fascinating film, with excellent characters that I love coming back to. And I haven't even gotten to the music! Definitely one to check out!

5. Yellow Submarine (1968)

This wasn't my first introduction to the Beatles (we'll get to that another day), but this certainly helped cement my love for the band. I think as a six year-old though, a lot of psychedelic imagery went over my head. Now, of course, I can watch this and love all the techniques that they used to create an incredibly different animated film, especially for 1968. There isn't that much plot, the film sort of jumps from song sequence to song sequence, showing off as many Beatles songs as they can. Which is completely fine with me. I think each of the song sequences work well for the songs they are put with. The one that stands out the most for me is 'Eleanor Rigby', I think this film matched the melancholy of the song just right. If you're a Beatles fan then you have to see this. And if you're not a fan, see it anyway! It may change your mind!

4. Coraline (2009)

If I didn't make it abundantly clear in my ParaNorman review, Laika is my new favourite animation studio. Their first film is dark, foreboding, tense, and a lot safer for kids that its source material, in all honesty. (Seriously, the book is so much freakier, but what do you expect from Neil Gaiman.) Coraline Jones is an excellent heroine, and her adventure is at turns spine-tingling and hilarious. I really love French and Saunders doing the voices for Miss Spink and Miss Forcible. And the design of both worlds created here is really stunning. Stop-motion animation at its most impressive. This is why I love animated films, because you get glimpses of worlds that couldn't be created in any other way.

3. Mary and Max (2009)

Wow, 2009 really was the year for excellent animation! Especially stop-motion. This is the first feature film from Adam Elliot, who created the incredible short Harvey Krumpet. Both use very exaggerated, almost grotesque character designs, and both mix deep pathos with witty humour. It's very dry, and very Australian. You will cry during this film. I know I did, and so did my mum. The story is fairly simple. It's a retelling of a correspondence between lonely Australian girl, Mary, and even lonelier American, Max, who has Asperger syndrome. Again, not an altogether easy film to watch due to heavy subject matter, but there are frequent moments of humour that lighten it, and the relationship between these two misfits is so compelling. One of the best Australian films ever made, in my opinion.

2. The Iron Giant (1999)

Yep, the film that made everyone in the 90s cry while simultaneously destroying Warner Bros. animation studio. I'm glad that nowadays it is seen as a classic. This film, it's just so nearly perfect. (No film is perfect, perfection is a myth. Nearly perfect is the next best thing.) The giant robot is awesome, the voice acting is excellent, the animation is beautifully created. I really can't fault it, except it's so darn sad! It's also a really smart film, and has themes and scenarios that might go over a lot of really little kids heads. Which is probably why it failed on its first release. But now, all those kids are grown up and they love it. Me included.

1. The Triplets of Belleville (2003)

I honestly don't know how to explain this movie. I could tell you the plot, but the film has a greater impact if you don't know what's going to happen. I will say that bikes are involved. And the most bad-ass grandmother that ever lived. Seriously, see it for the grandmother. She paddle-boats all the way to New York. She is that amazing. The animation is, once again, kinda grotesque. But absolutely incredible. It's so fluid and quick, and given some of the sequences, it's really astounding how quick the animation turned out. Yeah, I know I'm not really selling this film. And you're probably thinking 'Why should this be number one?' Well, this is the most interesting, different, uniquely animated, insane film, with amazing characters, and a plot that must've been thought up whilst on some kind of substance. It's ... it's leaving me wordless. That is how brilliant this is! See it! See it now!!

So, there's that list. I'm sure some of them you would've guessed. I hope a couple were a bit of a surprise. I hope to get another one out during the break, but I'm not making any promises. Until next time, readers.

Favourite Quentin Tarantino Characters

I haven't really talked about my love/hate relationship with Tarantino. It basically goes like this; I really like most of his films, but I don't particularly like the man behind the camera. He just seems like a bit of a jerk. But I can't deny his influence on the film industry and I do genuinely enjoy the majority of his films. There are a couple I don't like as much, but that's more down to personal taste than anything else. And I do think he knows how to write some very interesting and memorable characters. So here's some of my favourites, because I haven't done enough lists already recently. Anyway, enjoy!

10. Mr Pink from Reservoir Dogs

In all honesty, if they released a film that was just Steve Buscemi complaining for 90 minutes, I would go and see it. I'm not the biggest fan of Reservoir Dogs, I think it's an okay film but not the most brilliant ever made, so I haven't seen that many times. But Mr Pink is pretty much the reason as to why I keep re-watching this film, and I think a lot of that is Steve Buscemi being awesome. It's also because his character is pretty much the only one who survives that we don't much about, except that he doesn't tip waitresses. And I always liked slightly mysterious characters as opposed to one where we know a lot of their back story. Also, Steve Buscemi.

9. Sex Machine from From Dusk Til Dawn

The only character to appear on this list from a film that Tarantino scripted rather than directed, and I have two words as to why he should on this list; crotch gun. Motherfucking crotch gun. Also, for a role that is so small, only Tom Savini could've played him with as much gusto to make him memorable. And you can tell that Savini is just having so much with the role. So yeah, not much to this character except an awesome name and a motherfucking crotch gun, but sometimes that's all you need.

8. The Wolf from Pulp Fiction

Harvey Keitel is one of those actors who can never be uncool, and Winston Wolfe is the epitome of cool. And he's the one of the only people who can talk down to Samuel L. Jackson and survive with his dignity intact. While the cleaner character has been used before (Tarantino has said that Jean Reno's character from La Femme Nikita was an influence), but I doubt he has ever been as suave as he is in Pulp Fiction. Even though he only appears for a brief time at the end, he is one of the best characters in the film.

7. Calvin Candie from Django Unchained

I don't know any other actor who could create a villain so sleazy, racist, disgusting (both ethically and physically) and yet still retain some atom of charm. Leonardo DiCaprio created a villain that everyone should've hated, and yet people couldn't help but like him. And I think that it's down to the performance. If it had been any less over the top and flamboyant, then I doubt people would've enjoyed this character as much as they. Certainly I enjoyed watching him, although there was this little voice in the back of my head telling me I shouldn't. But I did. Damn Tarantino.

6. Aldo Raine and Shosanna Dreyfus from Inglourious Basterds

Yeah, I couldn't choose between these two awesome people from possibly my favourite Tarantino film (there is still a debate going on in my mind). And I don't think you could have two characters who are as different as these two are. First up, Lt. Aldo Raine, a man who would rather bash you over the head with a machine gun than ask questions, whose incompetence when it comes to blending in is only matched by his enthusiasm for scalping Nazis. In short, a man who prefers strength over tactics. And then there's Shosanna Dreyfus, probably the only Jewish person to ever survive a visit from Hans Landa, and then, when the opportunity arises, concocts a revenge plot to kill off all of the most important officials in Germany by burning down her only source of economic security. And she almost gets away with it! Shosanna makes up for the subtlety that Raine lacks in bucket loads. If only Daniel Bruhl and his dimples hadn't interfered. 

5. The Bride from Kill Bill vols. 1&2

The Bride is one of those characters who always comes into my head whenever I think of strong female characters. And there are many reasons why. Getting attacked before her wedding by her former accomplices, falling into a coma for four years, having her baby taken away from her and waking up to find out that she's been repeatedly raped by one of the orderlies is enough to make anyone want to crawl into the ocean and never come out. But not the Bride, who instead goes on a massive revenge spree, taking out each of her former allies. She's not called the deadliest woman in the world for nothing.

4. Jules Winnfield from Pulp Fiction

Jules is another one of those characters who oozes coolness out of his boots, and part of that is due to the fantastic and iconic speech he delivers in two very different situations. It also helps that he's played by Samuel L. Jackson, who can be both threatening and charming at the same time. The segments that he's in are my favourite in Pulp Fiction, and it's mainly due to Jackson's complete presence. When he's on screen, you don't watch anyone else. At least, I certainly don't. And out of the multitude of parts he's had in Tarantino's films, Jules is by far my favourite.

3. O-Ren Ishii from Kill Bill vol. 1

I don't think I've yet had the pleasure to talk about how much I love Lucy Liu. I think she's one of the most awesome actors around, and it just takes her name to make me want to see something. I put O-Ren above the Bride partly for this reason, but also because I just love this character. Which a back story of revenge much like the Bride's, she becomes the head of the Tokyo Yakuza, and kicks arse in board meetings against idiotic douchebags.

2. Col. Hans Landa

The choice between number 1 and number 2 was a tough, but I went with my gut instinct and this is the result. Again, a villain no one should really like and yet he was the most popular character in the film, and Christoph Waltz won an Oscar for this. Of course, being played by someone like Christoph Waltz certainly helps. But the writing for this character also gives him something that Calvin Candie lacked; depth. There is something to this character that makes him intriguing, especially towards the end of the film. He's an opportunist of every sense of the word, and when he knows that the Nazi party is going to fail, he looks for a way out. Which makes him even more despicable, if you think about it. But this is what makes him different and ultimately one of the best characters that Tarantino has ever written.

1. Jackie Brown from Jackie Brown

I've talked about coolness throughout this list, but I don't think anyone can beat Pam Grier when it comes to being cool. So, if you hadn't already guessed it, Jackie Brown is also possibly my favourite Tarantino movie (that debates still going on). And it's mainly for this character, who I think is one of the smartest characters in the Tarantino-verse. When you consider how many people she manipulated to get what she wanted, and when she must've started planning all the events of the film, it makes you realise how cunning she really is. Apart from that, she feels like an actual person, having kick-ass moments then vulnerable moments, feeling confident one minute and scared the next. I love women who wield swords and defy physics with their fighting skills, but it's characters like this who I really love. Characters who feel like real people, and that's why Jackie Brown is number 1.

I'm going to have to do a proper blog on Jackie Brown one day. But until then, I hoped you enjoyed this, I hope I didn't piss too many people off. Keep in mind, these are my favourites, my opinion. And if you don't agree, then good for you. Until next time, readers.