timdraft #4: Movie Category Draft (1 Viewer)

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

16 Points

Hot Fuzz

Englishness: -

On the positive –

This is a lovely look at the English countryside and the odd people residing in them. From the people that can’t be understood, to the small town ways. Plenty of pub scenes feature and very English at heart. The language used eg “What a chunt” in certain scenarios is so very English, as is someone urinating inappropriately. Timothy Dalton is delightfully wicked.

On the Negative – Some of the scenarios are rather far fetched, especially the crazy conclusion, but given that it is a horror/action spoof that is almost a given.

Some of the characters are also far too 2 dimensional.

More than a homage to American movies, especially action ones with its shootouts etc, which is so terribly un English.

Way too many false endings, but again it’s a horror spoof so that is expected.

Quality of Movie – Another recent movie with a very high number of reviews and significant for a comedy has a very high rating of 91% on the tomato meter.

That number does seem high to me, but it is a good movie despite its many flaws. Enjoyable, but satisfying.

Other comments – Goody Two Shoes to open up gets big bonus stars and there is great use of music throughout, especially as Timothy Dalton turns up at crime scenes with “Romeo and Juliet” and “Fire”. I’ve lived in a village like this and while this is a preposterous premise a lot of the small town mannerisms are spot on.

Overall Ranking for this category – While this movie is not in the same league as Shaun of the Dead, made by and acted by the same team, it is delightfully wacky and fun. It is about 20 minutes too long, all in the concluding act. While this movie doesn’t trouble the top tier here there is a lot quaintly English about most of the movie, despite the obvious “Ammericanisms”. An overall score of 78%

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

17 Points

The King's Speech

Englishness: -

On the Positive, is about a hugely influential King who played a role in morale boosting for Great Britain (again, not England) during WW2. George was a royal that people felt pity for and that brings him down from the elitist argument, although how much more elitist can you get that King of the UK. It shows the royals mixing, as much as they can, with “common” folk

On the negative, one of the major characters is Australian and played by an Australian. The King is also not of England, but of Scotland, NI, Wales and the Commonwealth. Although the monarchy is perceived to be English it is more than that.

It is also a period drama of rich English people and there is a lot of pomp and ceremony, which only flies in elite circles not the commoners.

Quality of Movie – This is a strong point. It is a very good, quality movie that won numerous awards and has a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 94%. I enjoyed the movie immensely and on this point it is one of the strongest in the category

Other comments

While this may seem like an outsiders view of what the “real England” is, it is far from it. Real people don’t associate in and with these circles. The movie is an excellent piece of film making and thoroughly entertaining, although not the first thing I’d consider in this category.

Overall Ranking for this category. I give this movie an overall score of 80 relating to this category, which mainly comes from its quality.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

18 Points

Billy Elliot

Englishness: -

On the Positive

True northerners on display here with the language just right.

Works better that Billy comes from a northern background, given their “old school” approach to dancing, sexuality and anything basically. If Billy had come from London it wouldn’t have worked as well.

Striking miners dispute is at the core of the film given the time period with scabs, strikes and the Thatcher regime declaring war against the lot of them in vivid scenes showing the police “Breaking the strikers” on the orders from up high.

Housing schemes are just right, as is suburbia. We even see an outside toilet.

The impact of the Thatcher policies are fully evident on the town the movie is filmed in.

On the Negative – The dad is a stereotype and the brother even worse. “Dancing is for poofs” . I have no doubt that the sentiment is right, but the way it is portrayed here is stupid. Especially given his turnaround because Billy is actually good at the poofs game.

The dad crying scene at the coal mine is stupid.

The gay best friend is not needed, especially given the ages of the character. I know by making Billy straight they have to have a gay character for targeting “key demographics”, but this was ridiculous.

Quality of Movie – This gets 85% on the rotten tomatoes meter and the complaints focus on the manipulation, sweetness and formulaic approach of the movie. While there is a lot of “focus group” about this movie, it works overall despite its flaws

Other comments – Like Kes ranked above it, siblings sharing a room, but over the last 30 years the poor northerners have graduated from sharing a bed to having separate beds in the same room. Same belligerent ashole brother .

Telling comment from the dad when taking Billy to London “I’ve never been past Durham”. Very telling comment and typical of the Northern English.

Nice soundtrack, featuring I love to Boogie, London Calling, A Town called Malice gets it bonus points.

Overall Ranking for this category – This is among the 2nd tier, but misses on the top due to some sloppy writing and poor performances from Billys family. Very English in showing the heart of the North though and this elevates it highly. An overall score of 81%

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

I've talked to Tish, and I'll do the dance scenes. I've seen all but two of the movies, so this shouldn't be too difficult.

But first, I have to see So You Think You Can Dance.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

19 Points

The Damned United

Englishness: -

On the Positive – Brian Clough is an icon in England on similar level to the Sir Alex Ferguson. While Ferguson is Scottish, Clough is proudly English.

The Football scenes are realistic and the drama realistic if you know the story.

On the Negative - Once again we have a Welshman in the lead role, which counts a little against it. Funnily enough the wonderful Michael Sheen, spent significant time in the town that brought us Richard Burton and Anthony Hopkins, 2 other Welsh actors that feature in significant movies here.

Has a high level of Scottish involvement in Billy Bremner, Jimmy Gordon and Davie Mackay, but these were all Scottish footballers/managers relevant to the story. Another of the main cast is Irishman Colm Meaney as Don Revie. Although both Clough & Revie were English, having 2 Non Englishmen play them is a negative.

Quality of Movie – As one of the more recent movies here, has significantly more reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and does very well to score 94% positive on the Tomato meter. It is definitely an enjoyable film, with Sheen in great form. The movie is short and doesn’t waste a minute.

Other comments - Having Tony Blair, David Frost and Brian Clough on your resume is an impressive feat for Sheen. This movie features Soccer from England, the home of Football. Has to be given a lot of bonus points, especially given the credibility of the action shots and the believability of behind the scenes action.

Overall Ranking for this category – This one is a hard one to place given the significant non English involvement. That does however get counteracted by the fact that it is football and the passion, glory and meaning to the English people of this game is evident in this film, making it a very English film in the process. The iconic Brian Clough is brought to life by the wonderful Sheen. Despite the significant flaws, this deserves to rate above Tom Hoopers other movie here and gets an overall score of 82.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

20 Points

Four Weddings and a Funeral

Englishness: -

On the Positive

Funny, well written and has charm. A lot of that comes from Grant who is exactly what a lot of Americans think your average English man is like, when that couldn’t be further from the truth. Definitely features a certain kind of elite London Englishness very prominently

On the Negative

A bit too upper crust, but a least Hugh Grant isn’t a lord etc. Features the educated class a bit too much and commoners are kind of absent, with just about every posh stereotype in different characters. Once again features the obligatory gay couple. John Hannah’s prominent Scottish accent stands out as well as Andie McDowells yank accent.

Quality of Movie – Grant in his full foppish glory is charming at first, but wears thin after a few movies. This movie suffers from repeat viewings and has a lot of scenes that just bomb. It is however a very full movie with engaging characters and well performed. Scores 96% on the rotten tomato meter

Other comments - Features the chaos of English motorways, which is a bonus. Rowan Atkinson steals the movie as the bumbling and nervous reverend. It stretches credibility a few times, but it’s a very fine movie that is steeped in posh England

Overall Ranking for this category

This is a hard one to rank as the Englishness is evident, but it is posh and London England. The movie was a smash and it is definitely an enjoyable movie. It has to drop below the top tier for me though and despite its positives, there were better representations of the “real” England chosen. Overall score 84

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

21 Points

Kes

Englishness: -

On the Positive

Pure Yorkshire accents here

Shows the futile life in Northern Towns, from Birth, siblings sharing a bed, depressing school life, down to the mine, get married and have kids. Repeat cycle.

Shows the school kids playing a soccer match, complete with a cheating PE teacher and scores at the bottom ha ha

Features the old school discipline with the use of the cane and a fight with children coming from all quarters to watch.

Great scenes and training involving the Hawk

On the Negative – Its biggest positive was also its biggest negative, the accents take getting used to.

We really didn’t need to see a prolonged boys shower sequence.

The character played by the brother is 2 dimensional and while important in the climax of the film, he is an annoying #####.

Quality of Movie – Gets a 100% on the rotten tomatoes website from its 24 reviewers and it is fully deserved. Wonderful portrait of English life in the north and the a wonderful view on the working class. Authentic is the best way to describe this movie. There doesn’t appear to be a false note here and Ken Loach did a great job with the direction.

Other comments – You get a real look at the glum housing that a lot of English people have to live in. Despite this movie being over 40 years old, not much changes in Northern English towns like this.

Shows the Dandy, a staple for English kids (or it used to be)

Pub Lifestyle shown as well as dodgy cover bands, as well as the bawdy ballads on Saturday night.

Overall Ranking for this category – A very good movie, that probably loses a couple of spots by the amateurish aspects of the casting. Still it is a great achievement given the material and the grimness needed to portray the area. This is a perfect portrayal of a northern town that relied on the coal industry. This gets an overall score of 86%.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

22 Points

Nil By Mouth

Englishness: -

On the Positive – Seeing true Englishness here. No lords and ladies here, fantastically written pub talk and lots of natural swearing, especially from Jamie Foreman as Mark. Loads of slang terms and a real portrait of the modern downtrodden in London. Loads of drunken violence, including the king hits, which is all too prevalent on English streets and the terrible domestic violence. Stars a fat ugly English woman in Kathy Burke, who is stunning, especially for those of us who saw her as a teenage boy in Kevin and Perry. Features English gambling dens, drug problems , dodgy strip clubs and of course the irrepressible Ray Winstone.

On the Negative – This movie is a hard watch and the grimness of it all disturbing.

This may be the real England, but it’s hardly going to be a pleasure to see this.

Quality of Movie – With a rating of 65% by the Rotten Tomatoes crew, it falls down several notches in comparison to most of the other films here. That is because it is a very confronting film and hardly likely to be labelled entertainment. Reality often isn’t. If every movie in this category was like this, I would have hung myself, but this is exactly the kind of film that is needed in this category.

Other comments – Gary Oldman wrote, directed and produced this movie. I just wished he starred in at as well. Starts promisingly with a pub sequence (3 pints of lager) and continues into many fine observations of the troubled “lesser off”. Winston is brilliant as the deeply troubled lead.

Features the word #### (rhymes with runt) 41 times, and no I didn’t count them. Liberal amounts ie a lot of the f word as well.

Overall Ranking for this category – This is the real England and it scores very high there. It is a good film to watch once, but not really something you want to see again. Gets an excellent overall score though as there is no falseness here and the drafter did well taking this. Score of 87%.

 

[krista4]

I've talked to Tish, and I'll do the dance scenes. I've seen all but two of the movies, so this shouldn't be too difficult.

But first, I have to see So You Think You Can Dance.

I'm watching it right now, too. I love this show.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

23 Points

Shaun of the Dead

Englishness: - On the Positive

We get some variety of English accents here.

Brilliant look at suburban England.

English bus seen here as well as the poor work ethic of the English underclass as we see Shaun in his boring job.

Shaun oblivious to the Zombie holocaust and events around him is wonderful and hilarious social commentary.

One of the only movies here to truly feature something so very English, ####### Rain.

Any movie that features a cricket bat has got to be good.

Doesn't shy away from being really gory after we're invested in the characters. The death of one character is particularly shocking and gruesome.

On the Negative

Bogs down in the middle section as our heroes try and make their way to the pub.

Some of the group that get away are a bit tedious

Zombie consistency is a problem

Quality of Movie – 91% on the Rotten Tomatoes meter, which is extraordinary for a film like this.

Wonderful direction, pacing and action. Humorous without losing dramatic effect

Other comments – Plenty of pub scenes and features those stupid fruit machines I could never understand the appeal of. Lovely understated moments throughout the film like early on with the constant police/ambulance sirens in the background.

Kids dribbling a football in the streets early on

Lovely music and commentary as they are throwing albums at the zombies

The last 5 minutes are truly splendid.

Overall Ranking for this category – This movie works much better than Hot Fuzz from the same team. I rated that movie in the top half and this movie is way better and more true England here. If it weren’t for some utter classics above and the fact that it is my pick would be higher.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

24 Points

The Full Monty

Englishness: -

On the Positive – Displays the gloom of rural England during the Industrial decline with an English city in its full depressing glory on display.

The movie features real people, real problems, but has a great heart at the centre of the movie.

Even features a football reference with the Arsenal offside trap, which garners a bonus point or 2.

On the Negative

Lead actor is Scottish, although he does put on a great Sheffield accent. Story can be picked apart and for many there is no solution to the depressing lives they lead.

Wouldn’t be much fun to show that on film though.

The obligatory, for an English movie, men coming out as gay storyline was superfluous.

Quality of Movie – Scores 95% on the rotten tomatoes meter. It’s obviously not a serious movie, but it has plenty of heart and is frighteningly real in its depiction of what unemployment will do to men. From the suicide attempts, impotence, family relationships through to the depression and scheming to make money. The movie bounces back in style as the men have some hope in the form of their dance/stripper troupe. Brilliant writing and directing elevate this into an excellent movie featuring real English people and not caricatures.

Other comments - Highlight for me was when the guys were lining up at the Dole office, Hot Stuff comes on and they do their dance routines subconsciously. The difference between this and something like Kinky Boots is that the characters are 3D and elevate from the page, the writing has real heart and it shows the grit of England, rather than superficiality.

Overall Ranking for this category – This is the kind of movie that this category was designed for. It does an excellent job in showcasing the real English heartland and the grime there within. No lords and ladies here and no one has a ####### Butler. Has an overall score of 92 out of 100.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

25 Points

Secrets and Lies

Englishness: -

On the Positive – Such beautifully developed characters, all except 1 very English. Brenda Blethyn is absolutely brilliant in the lead role and the others are all wonderful, fully rounded characters.

This movie gets to the heart of suburban England and the strife that resides in all families. The look of absolute astonishment when Cynthia drops her bombshell is so revealing into the souls of the characters. The peripheral characters such as the receptionist and boyfriend of the sister are beautifully understated in their minor parts.

On the Negative – One of the characters is Scottish, but on the whole it’s an English cast set in England. Features the south of England, but that’s a minor flaw.

Quality of Movie – Gets a 94% on the rotten tomatoes meter with 2 negative reviews. These concentrate on it being overrated or unfocused on its characters and meandering too much. These are stupid criticisms, this is simply a beautiful film. There is so much depth in the characters and it is moving, revealing and so detailed in its observations.

Other comments – Mike Leigh is always an interesting film maker who tends to let things flow rather than be a strict disciplinarian. Features some wonderful dialog (face like a slapped arse. The revelations flow thick and fast in the final act in the wonderful birthday party sequence. The nice guy Maurice finally explodes after trying to please everyone in an excellent understated moment.

Overall Ranking for this category – This was a joy of a film, beautifully played, acted and observed.

Some secrets are not revealed and through it all Blethyns wonderful, emotional performance is stunning. I have to rank this very high. Both as an English film and as a movie in general. 97%.

 

[krista4]

Well done, JML, even though I wish you posted "I like the soundtrack" as a criterion. Really great rankings anyway.

 

[BobbyLayne]

JML just raised the bar for all judges. Great write-ups.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

England1 point Green Street (Hooligans)2 points Harry Potter and the Philosopher's (Sorcerer's) Stone3 points Performance4 points The Ladykillers5 points The Iron Lady6 points The Long Good Friday7 points Layer Cake8 points Chariots of Fire9 points Kinky Boots10 points Alfie11 points Becket12 points Gosford Park13 points The Remains of the Day14 points Four Lions15 points The Lion in Winter16 points Hot Fuzz17 points The King's Speech18 points Billy Elliot19 points The Damned United20 points Four Weddings and a Funeral21 points Kes22 points Nil by Mouth23 points Shaun of the Dead24 points The Full Monty25 points Secrets and Lies

 

[Nick Vermeil]

England1 point Green Street (Hooligans)2 points Harry Potter and the Philosopher's (Sorcerer's) Stone3 points Performance4 points The Ladykillers5 points The Iron Lady6 points The Long Good Friday7 points Layer Cake8 points Chariots of Fire9 points Kinky Boots10 points Alfie11 points Becket12 points Gosford Park13 points The Remains of the Day14 points Four Lions15 points The Lion in Winter16 points Hot Fuzz17 points The King's Speech18 points Billy Elliot19 points The Damned United20 points Four Weddings and a Funeral21 points Kes22 points Nil by Mouth23 points Shaun of the Dead24 points The Full Monty25 points Secrets and Lies

Nice work!

 

[AcerFC]

Wish I could say nice job JML but I've never seen one of those movies. Simey gave me my England movie

 

[Val Rannous]

15 Points

The Lion In Winter

Englishness: -

Other comments– I had never seen this, but I don’t mind a historical drama as long as its not one of those clichéd 1800 lords and lady ones.

OK, now I'm really interested in you answering a question I have. When Mrs. R and I were discussing English Films, I wanted to take something like Anne of the Thousand Days, or (one of my favorite films) A Man for All Seasons, but got talked out of it due to the listed criteria (which is why I mentioned earlier about nailing the criteria). Any comment on where either of those would have possibly ranked?

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Now I feel awful. My three choices in this category were Shaun of the Dead, Kinky Boots, and The Full Monty. I told Val to pick Kinky Boots because I thought it would do better. I kind of feel it's underrated here. As far as realism goes, half those people remind me of members of my own (very English) family. For me, it expresses a lot of how the English experience sex as a topic for discussion. It kind of reminds me of the now dated movie No Sex Please, We're British.

And how would Mrs. Miniver have done?

 

[timschochet]

Total Rankings after 7 Categories

Aerial Assault 126

BobbyLayne 122

Nick Vermiel 122

krista4 117

AcerFC 109

Tremendous Upside 107

Tiannamen Tank 102

Karma Police 97

Val Rannous 97

DougB 96

John Madden's Lunchbox 96

timschochet 96

Andy Dufresne 95

Mister CIA 94

Mrs. Rannous 91

Time Kibitzer 91

Joffer 88

tish155 87

rikishiboy 83

Kumerica 80

higgins 79

hooter311 68

Dr. Octopus 61

jwb 60

Usual21 54

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

15 Points

The Lion In Winter

Englishness: -

Other comments– I had never seen this, but I don’t mind a historical drama as long as its not one of those clichéd 1800 lords and lady ones.

OK, now I'm really interested in you answering a question I have. When Mrs. R and I were discussing English Films, I wanted to take something like Anne of the Thousand Days, or (one of my favorite films) A Man for All Seasons, but got talked out of it due to the listed criteria (which is why I mentioned earlier about nailing the criteria). Any comment on where either of those would have possibly ranked?

I haven't seen either of these days, but I think you may have been in trouble with Anne of the Thousand Days.

4 of the 5 leads are all non English (Burton, Bujold, Colicos and Papas).

The Rotten Tomatoes rating is 42%. Now this isn't the be all and end all of my opinion, one of the top 5 here ranked at 65% on the tomato meter, but I would really need to enjoy this movie for it to have ranked here. It already has significant things against it.

As for A Man for all Seasons, I have a feeling this would have done very well. Leo McKern is Australian, but spent significant time in England and obviously Orson Welles is American, but outside that the plot looks fascinating. It gets 79% on the tomato meter and all the negatives say it's boring.

Now I feel awful. My three choices in this category were Shaun of the Dead, Kinky Boots, and The Full Monty. I told Val to pick Kinky Boots because I thought it would do better. I kind of feel it's underrated here. As far as realism goes, half those people remind me of members of my own (very English) family. For me, it expresses a lot of how the English experience sex as a topic for discussion. It kind of reminds me of the now dated movie No Sex Please, We're British.

And how would Mrs. Miniver have done?

Who reminded you of your family? Simon/Lola or the boring lead guy?

Believe me it wouldn't have taken much for this movie to fly past the likes of Gosford Park/Remains of the Day etc, it just needed more grit and more realism (see Kes or Billy Elliot for similar themes)

I was hoping someone would have taken one of the better Carry On films. That would have done well.

As for Mrs Miniver, I haven't seen it.

It's really old school, but does get 90% on RT. Looks ok, but no idea where it would place without watching it.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Who reminded you of your family? Simon/Lola or the boring lead guy?

My family are pasty white English people, so not Lola. But many of the factory workers are typically English. Their humour, their body language, their attitudes just make think of family reunions.

The costuming in Anne of the Thousand Days is amazing. And having Baltar from Battlestar Galactica as Thomas Cromwell is just great.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

I need specific scenes for two movies: Which dance scenes from Robin Hood and Moulin Rouge should I be looking at?

 

[Aerial Assault]

Nice job on the rankings, JML! Love the detail. I knew I was taking a risk with a Merchant/Ivory pic (Remains of the Day) but I thought you were more than fair to it and all selections. Great category, picks, and judging.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Wish I could say nice job JML but I've never seen one of those movies. Simey gave me my England movie

I haven't seen about 75% of those movies, but I'll say great job on the write ups and detailed analysis.

 

[Aerial Assault]

RESLOTTING OF SOLARIS (1972) INTO EXISTING OUTER SPACE RANKINGS

In issuing his Outer Space Rankings, Outer Space Judge Val inadvertently watched the Steven Soderbergh/George Clooney film Solaris (2002), but the drafter selected the Russian film Solaris (1972). The confusion apparently arose from the fact that both films are adaptations of the same source material. My mandate, as I understand it, is to review and reslot the actually drafted film entitled Solaris into Val's existing rankings in an attempt to repair the misconstruction of the selection.

Solaris (1972) is a Russian film treatment of a classic science fiction novel by Polish author Stanislaw Lem. Lem wrote _Solaris_ in 1961, and the creation of both it and its first film adaptation eleven years later are somewhat remarkable given that both took place behind the Iron Curtain. Given science fiction's generally accepted role as an arresting allegorical vehicle for present-day social commentary, the issuance of both through the wall of Soviet bloc censorship is very interesting. The film, directed by Andrei Tarkovsky, is a relatively faithful adaptation of Lem's novel, with some departures that were likely necessary for a cinematic translation.

THUMBS UP: The film is extraordinarily thought-provoking and eerie. Many critics over the years have found it ponderous, unbearably slow, and dull, and admittedly, this is no Hollywood science fiction epic like, for example, the first three films drafted for the category and (appropriately) ranked in the top three by Val. First and foremost, this is a foreign film with a futuristic setting that is now more than 40 years old, and as such, it certainly resists any initial embrace. At its core, the plot revolves around a psychologist who is dispatched from Earth to a remote space station to investigate the puzzling behavior exhibited by the crew of the outpost. (It is not explained in detail how Earth is able to maintain contact with the station, nor is the means of interstellar travel exhaustively examined; the movie is less about the mechanics of space-related concepts than it is about human interaction.) The atmospherics of the fascinating and touching opening act, in which the main character prepares for his departure from Earth, heighten the tension, and the mystery of the space station, orbiting the fictional planet Solaris, is very effectively established. Soon, in a plot that has been revisited over and over again in sci-fi since, the main character falls prey to the same phenomenon as the station's existing crew, and he confronts an ultimately frightening examination of his own perception of reality, all of which is sparked by an alien intelligence that remains unseen, ambiguously motivated, and utterly unfamiliar.

Solaris is often compared to Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). Some plot elements are similar, and the comparison is intriguing because 2001 (which is loosely based on a story by Arthur C. Clarke, but is debatably an original creation) was released four years before Tarkovsky's film, but seven years after Lem's novel. Both feature mysteries, involve the workings of extraterrestrial forces that are only partially discernible to the human protagonists, and depict expeditions to investigate anomalous events. However, while 2001 is hailed as a work of genius, Solaris is often, unfairly in my view, dismissed.

The directing in Solaris is excellent in terms of setting the mood and allowing the complex themes that the film explores to play out. The classically-themed score (featuring, like 2001, German composers, here Bach instead of Strauss) is haunting. The visuals are ambitious and often stunning.

THUMBS DOWN:

The pacing of Solaris is a problem, and showcases the dilemma that Tarkovsky faced with his adaptation. There is some action, but not enough to break up the relentlessly slow march of the movie's plot. Comic relief is not featured. However, these are minor criticisms given the likely impossibility of fully conveying Lem's ideas on the silver screen. Some of the acting is hit-or-miss. Tarkovsky was reportedly unhappy with some of the casting choices; it's never been clear to me if he regretted his own decisions, or relied too much on the advice of others and later rued it. Moreover, the concept that Solaris explores, and its setup, are by now so familiar, thanks to the repeated variations on it them in at least 15 different episodes of various Star Trek incarnations and at least four other movies that I can think of just off the top of my head, that watching Solaris now for the first time makes one wish that everyone would just get to the point already. (To be clear, Solaris, either as film or novel, did not invent the idea of communication difficulties cross-culturally, nor the concept of an expedition dispatched to find out what happened to an ill-fated precursor mission, but the novel may have been one of the first works of fiction to set either or both concepts in space.) This, of course, means that we unfairly judge Solaris by what it more than likely later influenced. Still, the film has many barriers for the modern viewer to clear, and while some of them are not the film's fault, others are.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Since this is not a de novo review of Val's rankings (which I found to be very good and well-defended), I will only place Solaris above material to which I feel it is clearly superior. This includes Sunshine, Outland, Starship Troopers and The Last Starfighter, all of which have many good qualities but feature equally disappointing flaws. Val's ranking of The Day the Earth Stood Still represents a problem that prevents me from going any further, because I would not have ranked TDtESS as low as he did, and it seems unfair to move it another slot lower. If I could, I would move TDtESS up several slots and rank Solaris above Pitch Black and Spaceballs as well, and I might even push Serenity higher and thus rank Solaris above The Fifth Element and Contact as well. As it stands, given my limited jurisdiction, I will raise Solaris four spots, so that it receives five points, which lowers the scores for Sunshine, Outland, Starship Troopers and The Last Starfighter one point each.

Outer Space Movie Final (Revised) Rankings

25 points – Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

24 points – Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back.

23 points – Aliens.

22 points – Apollo 13.

21 points – The Right Stuff.

20 points – Wall-E.

19 points – Galaxy Quest.

18 points – 2001: A Space Odyssey.

17 points – Forbidden Planet.

16 points – Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

15 points – A Trip to the Moon.

14 points – Silent Running.

13 points – Avatar.

12 points – Total Recall.

11 points – Contact.

10 points – The Fifth Element.

9 points – Serenity.

8 points – Pitch Black.

7 points – Spaceballs.

6 points – The Day the Earth Stood Still.

5 points – Solaris.

4 points – The Last Starfighter.

3 points – Starship Troopers.

2 points – Outland.

1 point – Sunshine.

One to beam up.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Total Rankings after 7 CategoriesAerial Assault 126BobbyLayne 122Nick Vermiel 122krista4 117AcerFC 109Tremendous Upside 107Tiannamen Tank 102Karma Police 97Val Rannous 97DougB 96John Madden's Lunchbox 96timschochet 96Andy Dufresne 95Mister CIA 94Mrs. Rannous 91Time Kibitzer 91Joffer 88tish155 87rikishiboy 83Kumerica 80higgins 79hooter311 68Dr. Octopus 61jwb 60Usual21 54

Goodbye, mediocrity. I'll never forget you!

 

[Dr. Octopus]

RESLOTTING OF SOLARIS (1972) INTO EXISTING OUTER SPACE RANKINGS

In issuing his Outer Space Rankings, Outer Space Judge Val inadvertently watched the Steven Soderbergh/George Clooney film Solaris (2002), but the drafter selected the Russian film Solaris (1972). The confusion apparently arose from the fact that both films are adaptations of the same source material. My mandate, as I understand it, is to review and reslot the actually drafted film entitled Solaris into Val's existing rankings in an attempt to repair the misconstruction of the selection.

Solaris (1972) is a Russian film treatment of a classic science fiction novel by Polish author Stanislaw Lem. Lem wrote _Solaris_ in 1961, and the creation of both it and its first film adaptation eleven years later are somewhat remarkable given that both took place behind the Iron Curtain. Given science fiction's generally accepted role as an arresting allegorical vehicle for present-day social commentary, the issuance of both through the wall of Soviet bloc censorship is very interesting. The film, directed by Andrei Tarkovsky, is a relatively faithful adaptation of Lem's novel, with some departures that were likely necessary for a cinematic translation.

THUMBS UP: The film is extraordinarily thought-provoking and eerie. Many critics over the years have found it ponderous, unbearably slow, and dull, and admittedly, this is no Hollywood science fiction epic like, for example, the first three films drafted for the category and (appropriately) ranked in the top three by Val. First and foremost, this is a foreign film with a futuristic setting that is now more than 40 years old, and as such, it certainly resists any initial embrace. At its core, the plot revolves around a psychologist who is dispatched from Earth to a remote space station to investigate the puzzling behavior exhibited by the crew of the outpost. (It is not explained in detail how Earth is able to maintain contact with the station, nor is the means of interstellar travel exhaustively examined; the movie is less about the mechanics of space-related concepts than it is about human interaction.) The atmospherics of the fascinating and touching opening act, in which the main character prepares for his departure from Earth, heighten the tension, and the mystery of the space station, orbiting the fictional planet Solaris, is very effectively established. Soon, in a plot that has been revisited over and over again in sci-fi since, the main character falls prey to the same phenomenon as the station's existing crew, and he confronts an ultimately frightening examination of his own perception of reality, all of which is sparked by an alien intelligence that remains unseen, ambiguously motivated, and utterly unfamiliar.

Solaris is often compared to Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). Some plot elements are similar, and the comparison is intriguing because 2001 (which is loosely based on a story by Arthur C. Clarke, but is debatably an original creation) was released four years before Tarkovsky's film, but seven years after Lem's novel. Both feature mysteries, involve the workings of extraterrestrial forces that are only partially discernible to the human protagonists, and depict expeditions to investigate anomalous events. However, while 2001 is hailed as a work of genius, Solaris is often, unfairly in my view, dismissed.

The directing in Solaris is excellent in terms of setting the mood and allowing the complex themes that the film explores to play out. The classically-themed score (featuring, like 2001, German composers, here Bach instead of Strauss) is haunting. The visuals are ambitious and often stunning.

THUMBS DOWN:

The pacing of Solaris is a problem, and showcases the dilemma that Tarkovsky faced with his adaptation. There is some action, but not enough to break up the relentlessly slow march of the movie's plot. Comic relief is not featured. However, these are minor criticisms given the likely impossibility of fully conveying Lem's ideas on the silver screen. Some of the acting is hit-or-miss. Tarkovsky was reportedly unhappy with some of the casting choices; it's never been clear to me if he regretted his own decisions, or relied too much on the advice of others and later rued it. Moreover, the concept that Solaris explores, and its setup, are by now so familiar, thanks to the repeated variations on it them in at least 15 different episodes of various Star Trek incarnations and at least four other movies that I can think of just off the top of my head, that watching Solaris now for the first time makes one wish that everyone would just get to the point already. (To be clear, Solaris, either as film or novel, did not invent the idea of communication difficulties cross-culturally, nor the concept of an expedition dispatched to find out what happened to an ill-fated precursor mission, but the novel may have been one of the first works of fiction to set either or both concepts in space.) This, of course, means that we unfairly judge Solaris by what it more than likely later influenced. Still, the film has many barriers for the modern viewer to clear, and while some of them are not the film's fault, others are.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Since this is not a de novo review of Val's rankings (which I found to be very good and well-defended), I will only place Solaris above material to which I feel it is clearly superior. This includes Sunshine, Outland, Starship Troopers and The Last Starfighter, all of which have many good qualities but feature equally disappointing flaws. Val's ranking of The Day the Earth Stood Still represents a problem that prevents me from going any further, because I would not have ranked TDtESS as low as he did, and it seems unfair to move it another slot lower. If I could, I would move TDtESS up several slots and rank Solaris above Pitch Black and Spaceballs as well, and I might even push Serenity higher and thus rank Solaris above The Fifth Element and Contact as well. As it stands, given my limited jurisdiction, I will raise Solaris four spots, so that it receives five points, which lowers the scores for Sunshine, Outland, Starship Troopers and The Last Starfighter one point each.

Outer Space Movie Final (Revised) Rankings

25 points – Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

24 points – Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back.

23 points – Aliens.

22 points – Apollo 13.

21 points – The Right Stuff.

20 points – Wall-E.

19 points – Galaxy Quest.

18 points – 2001: A Space Odyssey.

17 points – Forbidden Planet.

16 points – Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

15 points – A Trip to the Moon.

14 points – Silent Running.

13 points – Avatar.

12 points – Total Recall.

11 points – Contact.

10 points – The Fifth Element.

9 points – Serenity.

8 points – Pitch Black.

7 points – Spaceballs.

6 points – The Day the Earth Stood Still.

5 points – Solaris.

4 points – The Last Starfighter.

3 points – Starship Troopers.

2 points – Outland.

1 point – Sunshine.

One to beam up.

Can you reslot Sunshine as well?

 

[tish155]

I need specific scenes for two movies: Which dance scenes from Robin Hood and Moulin Rouge should I be looking at?

Robin Hood, men in tights.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtmbZnXSQ7k

 

[Aerial Assault]

Can you reslot Sunshine as well?

The circle of life, right? Actually I'm jealous of Val. I paid insufficient attention to the Outer Space category as it was being drafted (probably because I made my pick in it so early, with the seventh overall pick of the draft) to realize that I had seen every movie taken and liked absolutely every single one of them. In contrast, my three categories unfortunately include some films that I'm not fond of, but two of the three categories are just scenes, so.

BTW, for Tim (and everyone else who cares) - - I have completed my rewatch of all the selected Superheroes Movies and will have my rankings and writeups issued soon. Now that I got warmed up, I'm eager to do some more writing, even if I might not have as much to say as I did here.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

I thought Layer Cake might do a bit better than that.

Oh well.

 

[AcerFC]

BTW, for Tim (and everyone else who cares) - - I have completed my rewatch of all the selected Superheroes Movies and will have my rankings and writeups issued soon. Now that I got warmed up, I'm eager to do some more writing, even if I might not have as much to say as I did here.

 

[Aerial Assault]

BTW, for Tim (and everyone else who cares) - - I have completed my rewatch of all the selected Superheroes Movies and will have my rankings and writeups issued soon. Now that I got warmed up, I'm eager to do some more writing, even if I might not have as much to say as I did here.

Dude. I totally forgot to tell you how glad I was that you enjoyed Entre Les Murs. I had a feeling I had a sleeper of some sort there, but was thrilled that you liked it so much.

 

[joffer]

I need specific scenes for two movies: Which dance scenes from Robin Hood and Moulin Rouge should I be looking at?

 

[Andy Dufresne]

I need specific scenes for two movies: Which dance scenes from Robin Hood and Moulin Rouge should I be looking at?

I still don't get why Nini sabotages Christian and Satine's relationship. It was in her own self interest that they maintain the ruse.

Still love the movie though.

 

[joffer]

7 Points

Layer Cake

Englishness: -

On the Positive

Top notch performance from Craig and sharp direction from Matthew Vaughan.

It is set in England and features numerous cockney/wide boy performances

On the Negative – This was made at the height of the British gangster movies following Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, which surprisingly wasn’t picked. Layer Cake needed to stand out in this flooded genre. It does enough, but has flaws.

i think it was taken for gambling scene

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

No problem with the ranking of my pick, The Last Starfighter, and while I love Galaxy Quest and concur it was too high, I find the 2-point ranking of Sunshine to be egregious. 85% of that movie was excellent, gorgeous, and well crafter.

No, it wasn't. The movie is ridiculous. Why would anyone send those fledermaus-scheisse crazy idiots to do anything more complicated than clean toilets? The expedition is supposed to be saving the Earth, not providing a bad movie tropes list. Hmmm- I find out there's an extra person on board. Do I tell everyone so they are warned? Nope, I stroll right on over so he can pick us off one at a time. There's no leadership structure. And yes, I saw the whole captain/second officer thing go by; but since they weren't actually leading, I don't see how that counts. Add to that the suicidal nutbag and the eco whackadoo and all you have is a hot mess. And the ghastly über shaky-cam is just not to be believed.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

No problem with the ranking of my pick, The Last Starfighter, and while I love Galaxy Quest and concur it was too high, I find the 2-point ranking of Sunshine to be egregious. 85% of that movie was excellent, gorgeous, and well crafter.

No, it wasn't. The movie is ridiculous. Why would anyone send those fledermaus-scheisse crazy idiots to do anything more complicated than clean toilets?

Oh damn that's funny.

 

[Tiananmen Tank]

Popping in to say that all of the judges have done a great job so far, especially JML. I'll be putting monologues up Sunday/Monday. I had rankings done but decided to run through the list with a group of friends for a bit of help, and because it'll be a good time.

 

[joffer]

3rd page drunk bump

 

[Mister CIA]

3rd page drunk bump

Barney Frank says what.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Oof. Page 4?

Mother's Day weekend

Wow, I haven't been paying attention - old unsure came back by popular demand!

Anyway, yeah, Preakness weekend...

 

[jwb]

There will be shocking scenes judging sometime this week.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

Is any more judging going to happen?

Would like to know before I watch all the sex films and fight scenes.

I watched all 25 of the England films from start to finish and can't believe in that time we only have 7 categories completed

 

[Val Rannous]

Is any more judging going to happen?

Would like to know before I watch all the sex films and fight scenes.

I watched all 25 of the England films from start to finish and can't believe in that time we only have 7 categories completed

Well, we did know this would be slower than some drafts, just because of the volume of work involved in judging. I'm working on scary scenes, but didn't want to start until I finished Outer Space. It's coming...

 

[charvik]

Is any more judging going to happen?

Would like to know before I watch all the sex films and fight scenes.

I watched all 25 of the England films from start to finish and can't believe in that time we only have 7 categories completed

I'm 3/4 through sport scenes... taking longer than I expected, due to work, but I'm making slow and steady progress.

I also think no one wants to follow you. :;

 

[jwb]

Is any more judging going to happen?

Would like to know before I watch all the sex films and fight scenes.

I watched all 25 of the England films from start to finish and can't believe in that time we only have 7 categories completed

I was in the same boat w/ shocking scenes. But since more judging has happened, I'm going through them now, and should be finished later this week.

 

[BobbyLayne]

I usually knock my judging out pretty quickly, but I haven't even started historical portrayals. We move to the cottage in 10 days, I'll have more time then.

 

[krista4]

As previously promised, I intend to do romantic gesture this weekend. If anyone has not posted or sent me their scene, they will suffer the consequences.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

I'm working on dance scenes now. But i had to pause to watch the dancing on TV. It's done 'til next week, so I can finally concentrate.