Shame (DVD/BluRay Combo) Review

DVD/BluRay Review of Shame from director Steve McQueen starring Michael Fassbender & Carey Mulligan.

Image Courtesy of Alliance Films
Legal Line © 2011 New Amsterdam Film Limited, Channel Four Television Corporation and The British Film Institute. All Rights Reserved. Distributed exclusively in Canada by Alliance Films. All Rights Reserved.

Dir: Steve McQueen (Hunger)
Cast: Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan, Nicole Beharie, James Badge Dale
UK, 2011

Reason to see: Huge acclaim & kudos, especially for Michael Fassbender's performance

Shame certainly feels like one of the powerhouses films from last year. I had seen the emotional heartbreak of Hunger from director Steve McQueen and starring Michael Fassbender, I thought I would be prepared to dive in to one of pairings again with this New York set drama. Retrospectively, I'm not sure that anything can really prepare you for Shame. What could really prepare you for following sex obsessed/addicted Brandon (played by Michael Fassbender) during the film? I really don't think anything can. There is something really unnerving about the character of Brandon in so many ways, not just the addiction but the fact that people can so easily be charmed over by him or in the case of his sister (played by Carey Mulligan) heavily rely on him, and although we see him baring all he often remains a huge mystery.

Shame is one of the films where I feel like a putz that I wasn't taken by it, a film that I would rather just agree with folk on it's brilliance but I can't. Not that it isn't brilliant, but that's not what I took away from the film. Are the performance astounding? Yes they are. Is it talking about something taboo? Yes it was. Was it gorgeously shot? Yes it was. Did I care about ...anyone? A-ha. There we go. For me, that was the missing ingredient. There were moments that I felt for Brandon, but mostly empathetically to his current emotional states of being as opposed to his obsession/addiction/situation. I felt the weight he was baring, and therefore empathized, but outside of near-breaking point moments I had no patience for his plight. It was a quite strange experience, and this is my personal reaction to the film which brings me farther the point of knowing to trust my gut that films of almost purely emotional hardship are not for me. For the high drama fan though, Shame is a great fit as it hits all the marks you'd want and expect for a powerful, emotional journey with striking performance and a haunting sense of realism.

DVD/Blu-Ray Extras:

• Q&A with Michael Fassbender (35 minutes) from the Hackney Picturehouse - January 2012 with Dave Calhoun; Film Editor, Time Out. Film clips and Q&A (including audience questions) discussing his filmography, working with director Steve McQueen, the draw to the film, his first reaction to the idea of the film, the duality of the character of Brandon vs being an addict, working with Carey Mulligan and the setting of New York.
• Interview with Michael Fassbender (3 minutes) discussing the character of Brandon, on sex addiction, the challenges of the film and on working with Steve McQueen and Carey Mulligan.
• Interview with Carey Mulligan (2 minutes) discussing the character of Sissy, on preparing and getting the role and on working with Steve McQueen and Michael Fassbender.
• Trailer
  

Shame is available on DVD as of April 17, 2012. Check it out over at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I didn't love it
I'd watch it again for the performances
I'd recommend it drama fans, especially for the emotional journey

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2012


Michael Fassbender in SHAME


Michael Fassbender in SHAME


Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan star in Shame

The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom (DVD Review)

Writer/Dir: Tara Johns - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Macha Grenon, Julia Stone, Gil Bellows, Rebecca Croll, Trevor Hayes and the voice of Dolly Parton
Canada, 2011

Reason to see: Canadian & coming of age film is a yes/yes for me!

I’ve been aching to see The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom ever since it released here in Toronto almost a year ago, as I’ve realized I love the genre and we’ve had a really great run of young coming of age films recent that truly speak to and of the experience of young girls and women. It’s so refreshing to see moments of young girls depicted with an true, emotional resonance. The awkward stages of life, the changing wave of friendships during puberty, the realness of life and how the whole world of emotions that surface with fierce intensity at a time that can often be shown as just fun and games. Those of us that go through it know better, and it’s shown bravely in The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom.

I adored this film. It’s a Canadian film set in the early 1970’s about a girl who thinks Dolly Parton could be her mom. It really has the very young coming of age vibe perfectly, and I love when films get that right (see also Grown Up Movie Star). There is always a kitsch appeal for films set in the 60s and 70s and even now in the 80s and it’s lovely to see them get the time period so well in an earnest in true sense over flamboyant flavour appeal. The film actually makes interesting commentary on style and changing of the times in a way I’ve not seen before, which was very impressive.

The emotional journey of young protagonist Elizabeth (Julia Stone) is where the film really hits home, her struggle, her searching and her creating her possible past to make sense of her present self is a beautiful and often heart breaking story to see. She’s a great character, both unique and accessible, whom we live with and thrugh during the film. I loved many of the characters in the film, including her Phil (Gil Bellows in another fantastic performance) and Marion (Macha Grenon completely wowed me), and I especially loved the Stella (Rebecca Croll), the free-thinking, feminist hairdresser/friends mom who lives across the street. Who couldn’t love Stella? We all need a Stella in our lives, she was fantastic.

The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom was a complete treat. I’ve really come to cherish seeing young female protagonist stories, especially when they are journey film like this with have strong acting and interesting characters. It felt so real. Beautiful & daring, I highly recommend it.

DVD Extras:
Trailer

The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom is available on DVD as of January 24, 2012. Check it out over at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I loved it
I'll watch it again
I highly recommend it

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

Also see my review of The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom on Episode 59 of the Movie Moxie Podcast:


© Shannon Ridler, 2012

Real Steel (DVD+BluRay Combo Pack) Review

Image © 2011 DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Dir: Shawn Levy (Date Night, Night at the Museum)
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Dakota Goyo, Evangeline Lilly, Kevin Durand, Anthony Mackie, Hope Davis, James Rebhorn
USA/India, 2011

Reason to see: I love sport films and am big fans of many of the cast members including Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lilly & Kevin Durand.

I was really excited to see Real Steel on DVD as I missed it in the theatre, it has Hugh Jackman (whom I love) and also qualifies as one step closer to being Oscar-ready with my film viewing as it’s nominated in the Visual Effects category.

Real Steel is a robot boxing film set in the near future from Disney film that came out in 2011, and right off the bat I really enjoyed it. There is a really strong, emotional story in the film that truly brings it to life. The storytelling and character development is very creative, and I loved how they show what the characters go through with such a creative, layered way in terms of showing process and development through robot boxing; it was an absolutely brilliant decision that really connects with the viewer. I was exciting going into the film just for the fact that Hugh Jackman was in it, but the transition to see him here almost felt like a challenge because his character of Charlie is not a super nice guy, which is very against type for him, but because he’s such a great actor he can totally pull that off. Charlie has flawed quality to him, but you still can’t help but love and root for him, even though you don’t feel like you should as his track record of being always down on his luck seems to stem from his own choices. But you still hope he’ll turn the corner and come out with better choices. We do see his life change a bit and shift to allow for more change, which is always and interesting tale to tell.

The human story of the film gives us an easy way to connect to it, but the robot boxing story reads just as strongly and is quite exciting. A lot of the choreography for the robot boxing was actually done by people, and it’s a combination of actual tangible robots and a CGI but many of the sets and fighting were actually real. It’s an interesting change over time to see, because the expectation now can be that it’s just awesome effects as oppose to an actual crowd and it’s hard to tell whether or not what we are seeing is real or not. I try not to let that tailor my opinion too much, but I was surprized to hear from the commentary how much was real, when my visual interpretation as a viewer, was that I was seeing computer generated effects. Bizarre, I guess it’s good learning and a testament that we don’t always know what we are seeing. That being said it was gorgeous to look at and I was impressed with not only the actual boxing and fighting in the film, but also the real human story in it that was easy to access and emotionally real. I didn’t expect to be caught by the tenderness of the story, but I truly was.

I also found the subtle near future seeing quite interesting, especially as it connects to a very timely theme of people being down on their luck and many one or two steps removed from the shiniest and newest technology, the theme of doing the best with what you have and also the value in something other than what’s the newest. That was very compelling. I would definitely recommend Real Steal.

DVD Extras:

• Feature Commentary with with director Shawn Levy on the film as a humanist sports drama, the balance of accessible yet near-future setting, serendipitous moments during the filming and creating of the film, of the tone and style of the film being different from his other work, the ongoing motif and theme of reflection & shadows, the amount of people that went into the design, creation and execution of the robots; and a lot about how how much we see is real in terms of the settings and the robots - they actually did build robots and use them in the film in combination with digital robots, he does talk about the robots but notes that that will be discussed more in other features, working with actors including what an amazing actor Hugh Jackman is, how likable Dakota Goyo is and when the dialogue was improved, on Danny Elfman composing the score. He also chats about the expected structure of sport films and the underdog story, what people want to and expect to see. I loved hearing about his directorial style and habits, and the importance of going with the plan (I love plans...), but also noticing and working with the beauty around you, as well as the concept of the best idea wins. I loved that. Plus, discussion the fights were choreographyed and fought by Garrett Warren and Sugar Ray Lenoard
• Making of Metal Valley (14 minutes) design drawing and specs, behind the scenes, shooting, film clips & interviews with director Shawn Levy, executive producer Mary McLaglen, production designer Tom Meyer, special effects supervisor Joe Digaetano, stunt coordinator Garrett Warren, stunt double Kelli Barksdale, 1st AD/executive producer Josh McLaglen, co-producer Eric Hedayat, visual effects supervisor Erik Nash, editor Dean Zimmerman on the creation of the Metal Valley setting in the film from using found elements and location, filling it in the set with props, robots, and rain; the set up and actual stunts (and test footage of the stunts), the choice to shoot outside, the practical effects and the safety consideration for the most complicated sequence of the film over it's 4 day shoot. A lot of focus on the stunts here, including rehearsals, testing, actual filming of actor/stunt doubles, the digital effects added and the final product.
• Building the Bots (5 minutes) film clips, robot design & creation, behind the scenes and including interviews with robotics supervisor John Rosengrant, director Shawn Levy, actors Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lilly & Dakota Goyo ,production designer Tom Meyer, on the choice and affect of using real robots in combination with visual effects, seeing the robot creation including concept sketches & designs, the personalities behind the robots including choices on how they encapsulated personalities into the robots, the realism of using real robots controlled by puppeteers, plus being on site at Legacy Effects which carrys on the tradition on Sam Winston (Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Aliens, Predator),
• Bloopers (2 minutes) line flubbs, ad libs, physical goofs, these are hilarious. A a great set of bloopers, you can really feel the earnestness and love of the cast, I loved them all but especially seeing Hugh Jackman actually not being able to do something (is that possible?) and Kevin Durand's announcer ad libs were great.

BluRay Extras

• All DVD Extras (see above) Plus: deleted & extended scenes with introduction by director Shawn Levy, Countdown to the Fight: The Charlie Kent Story, Reel Steel Second Screen: Ringside with director Shawn Levy - simultaneously explore exclusive interactive content with your iPad or computer as you watch the movie and Sugar Ray Leonard: Cornerman's Champ
  

Real Steel is available on DVD+BluRay Combo Pack as of January 24, 2012. Check it out over at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I loved it
I'll watch it again & again
I widely recommend it

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

Also check out my review of Real Steel on Episode 60 of the Movie Moxie Podcast.



© Shannon Ridler, 2012

Abduction (DVD Review)

DVD Review of action/thriller starring Taylor Lautner & Lily Cole



Image Courtesy of Alliance Films
Legal Line © MMXI Lions Gate Films Inc. All Rights Reserved. Distributed exclusively in Canada by Alliance Films. All Rights Reserved. © MMXI Lions Gate Films Inc. Tous droits réservés. Distribué exclusivement au Canada par Alliance Vivafilm. Tous droits réservés.

Dir: John Singleton (2 Fast 2 Furious, Shaft (2000), Poetic Justice).
Cast: Taylor Lautner, Lily Collins, Jason Isaacs, Maria Bello, Sigourney Weaver, Alfred Molina, Michael Nyqvist
USA, 2011

Reason to see: As a Twi-fan I'm curious to see Taylor Lautner shapes up outside the Twilight series

Abduction follows teen Nathan (Taylor Lautner of Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn: Part I) who appears to have the fun time life of a teen just partying and hanging out with friends, although he gets a sense that maybe he just doesn't fit with his family and his life. Although there are some oddities here and there, they all seem easily explained by a core of supportive adults around him including his parents Kevin (Jason Isaacs of the Harry Potter series) and Mara (Maria Bello of Beautiful Boy, Carjacked). It's odd because there is the air of mystery but also very clearly the being misplaced feeling which give the film a very Bourne feeling. In fact, I keep wanting to call Abduction the Baby Bourne film, even though it's totally out of character for me to review by comparison but in this case it really does fit: questions about identity, intense desire to find the truth, and of course action all around.

It feels like it's a recipe that should work but I felt like the film couldn't decide exactly who it's audience was. In a lot of ways Abduction is decidedly teen: cute young romance angst, insecurity, family focus and although the teens are part of the action it's very much reactionary. Nathan is pretty resourceful and smart, but I didn't really believe that he was going to outwit whoever the 'they' was who were after him. Although the threat felt pretty high stakes, I didn't actually feel that much tension in the film. But above all, the one thing I didn't understand was why there were all these little digs are women and girls, considering Taylor Lautner has first billing, the filmmakers must know that with that the audience is going to be very femme-heavy. Why have these little lines and moments that are off the cuff or overt dissing the female characters? To make it more macho? I think the fact that they made it extremely clear that he did his own stunts is enough for the macho factor. And, to be fair the stunts and action were rather impressive so I will definitely give it credit for the action as it's due.

I found Abduction ending up being somewhere between entertaining and amusing. Does Taylor have the action chops? Yep, he does. Were Jason Isaacs and Maria Bello? Yep, they was. Did I want a more complete and/or interesting story? Yep, I did. Did I want more Michael Nyqvist? Yep, for sure. For me, Abduction fell short in more spots than it shone, although if the film was purely and exercise to see if Taylor can do action - then, it succeeded at what it set out to do.

See also Abduction review on the Movie Moxie Podcast #58

DVD Extras:

• Abduction Chronicle: On Camera Production Journal with Taylor Lautner
• The Fight for the Truth: Making Abduction
• Initiation of an Action Hero: Taylor's Amazing Stunts
• Pulled Punches: Gag Reel

Abduction is available on DVD as of January 17, 2012. Check it out over at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I didn't love it
I may watch it again
I'd recommend it as a teen action flick

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2012


Karen (Lily Collins) and Nathan (Taylor Lautner) in ABDUCTION. Photo credit: Bruce Talamon


Nathan (Taylor Lautner) and Karen (Lily Collins) in ABDUCTION. Photo credit: Bruce Talamon

Checking In on 2011 Most Anticipated Films

I always find it fun to check in on the films I was most looking forward to during the year (from the very beginning of the year as well as the mid year additions) to see how they faired. Often the results end up being very different than expected, although now that I've had that happened several times I wonder if I will expect it next time round! But, I hope I don't let that effect my future casting of my 2012 Most Anticipated Films List which is already in the works. But, before we get there lets take 1 more look back at the year that's passed.



Below Expectations

First up, the sad news. The films that disappointed, were miss marketed, didn't meet their potential or expectations. This isn't always about the quality of the film, but more often matching of expectation to result.

X-Men: First Class (placement on original list: #23)
Seeing as this was only #23 I guess I wasn't all that excited about it but even if it wasn't on my most anticipated list it would have still ended up being the biggest disappointment of the year. How they turned a world of misfit mutants that I've loved for years into a historical set origin story (which is fine) that is filled with gender crap (i.e. intentional imbalance) I'll never understand, and worse I'll never forgive. I mean seriously, in a world of MUTANTS all the women end up being disempowered but their 'powers' and all have moments of full or partial nudity is something that does not represent the world they've build and completely shuts me as a viewer and fan out.

Immortals (placement on original list: #14)
Oh, man I'm almost embarrassed this one was on the list but bear in mind it was before the trailer came out. I loved Tarsem's films to date but this sword & sandals epic was seeped too much in brutality for my tastes and worse yet lacked a very important element: a hero.

Red Riding Hood (placement on original list: #10)
I had high hopes for this Catherine Hardwicke directed retelling of the classic tale and as beautiful as it was the story was very clunky and the acting only okay. I still love many of the actors in it and it had some moments, but overall very disappointing.

The Muppets (placement on original list: #9)
I'm really sad that The Muppets ends up in this spot of the list, I had really high hopes for it and it easily had the best marketing of any film this year. One caveat of that marketing though was that the story of the film itself wasn't very clear outside actually going to it, and I found that it really focused on nostalgia and had a sadder tone than I was expecting. I went to see The Muppets, not to spend more time thinking about wanting to see them. I already had that journey all year waiting for the film.

The Help (mid-year addition)
And this is where I get to say that just because a film was below expectations it doesn’t mean it was a bad film. The Help is a very good film, but the book is excellent and although I found watching the adaptation very emotional and was thrilled to see a female dominate cast, I didn't love how often they chose to go with comedy. I also was disappointed in some of the changes, including how clear cut they make situation and people's experiences, when often it's a more complex, grey beast.



Not Quite Met Expectations

Water for Elephants (placement on original list: #7)
This is a bit of a weird one as I didn't love the film, but I didn't love the book either. However, the film make me appreciate the book more than I had going in and for that it means it gave me something of value so I had to rank it higher than first place. that being said I did still think I would enjoy it more especially considering he period and the circus setting. The changed some of the character complexities too, which I wasn't all that thrilled about.

Warrior (placement on original list: #8)
Now Warrior is a bit of a touchy because it's one where the film just turned out to have a very different focus that I expected as I went in thinking action/fight as it's around a MMA fight where two brothers are in the running, but it's very much a family drama as well as a pulse on trying times and what people are willing to do to work through it. I wouldn’t say it isn't a good film, it's just not the film I thought it would b. I continue to be impressed with both Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy who play the estranged brothers here, and I really enjoyed seeing the fighting. The DVD extras are extensive on this, and I highly recommend checking them out. I was particularly impressed with Philosophy in Combat: Mixed Martial Arts Strategy extra with MMA trainer Greg Jackson & actor Frank Grillo talking about the connection between art and sport which has been a subject on my mind for quite some time.



Met Expectations

This is one of the oddest categories because whether the films were okay or amazing, they could end up side-by-side in these results.

The Eagle (placement on original list: #19)
I quite enjoyed The Eagle, and I think it's important to watch it from the perspective of an adventure story based on a young adult novel that follows young guys who have lived already beyond their years. It's not a story we often see, I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop and the art direction is great.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (mid-year addition)
Wow, this was one of the most fun films of the year and was my yearly reminder that the box office loves family friendly films. It's PG across the board but takes on social commentary like any good Ape movie. The only reason I didn’t rank it higher was the lack of any strong female characters in the mix

Source Code (placement on original list: #17)
It feels odd to put Source Code just at met expectations, but that is likely because after Moon my expectations for Duncan Jones are very high and he delivered yet again in this mind-bending current day science fiction thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (mid-year addition)
Another odd placement for met expectations, but yet again it is because I had high expectations and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was very good. Drives me a little bananas that I've not reviewed it but it came during the end of year windfall of films. Highly recommend checking it out for all espionage film fans and beyond. Fabulous cast who do a great job and it's always nice to see Gary Oldman take centre stage.



Exceeded Expectations

This is by far the biggest return category and it has a very high number of Book to Film Club choices, more book adaptations and a prequel. I guess I don't hold high expectations for those films but we lucked out this year with many great results

The Thing (2011) (placement on original list: #3)
I did two things that I think helped make me really enjoy this film. I steered way the hell away from the trailers and I didn't re-watch the 82 Carpenter version until after seeing this prequel. That made it so I was still aware of the original enough to get the nods and shout outs, but not so much that I was looking for them. I enjoyed it a lot and look forward to seeing it again.

One Day (mid-year addition)
This one exceeded my expectations because although I loved the book, I just didn't think it was possible to adapt it in terms of the volume of content and also getting the uniqueness of the relationship but they really nailed it. I think it's great that the screenplay was written by novelist David Nichols, which I'm sure had a lot to do with making it work overall. And I loved the casting - Anne Hathaway & Jim Sturgess were perfect as Emma & Dexter. Loved it.

Hugo (placement on original list: #24)
Another Book to Film Club selection where I only just enjoyed the book, I think the fact that it feels so directly playing to film fans kind oddly pushed me a little away from it. But, the film itself really captures a wonderful sense of wonder in trying times but without removing the element of emotional hardship or pain, and actually dealt with it instead of dismissing or ignoring it.. I also loved the focus and discussion around legacy of work, which really isn't something I got from the book.

I Am Number Four (placement on original list: #12)
This was the first film from the Book to Film Club and for that it will always hold a special place in my heart and I had no idea I would love it so much. I loved the combination of science fiction with a young adult protagonist and the great moments around family in the film which totally aren't the focus but really warmed my heart. Plus, shout out to a blogger character in the film! WOOT!

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 1 (placement on original list: #26)
I think enjoying Breaking Dawn Part 1 might very well be the biggest surprize of the year for me. It reminded me that regardless of the expectation going into a film, you can still end up with something different that you think you will get – even from a series that you may know extremely well. It's a great coming of age film and romance and most importantly a woman’s story.

The Three Musketeers (placement on original list: #21)
I think this is the final Book to Film Club film in the list and I had no idea how they could condense such a huge novel into a film, especially one that obviously was going for a fun action/adventure feel but they pulled it off. I understood the book so much more after seeing the film and I had so much fun watching it.

Fast Five (placement on original list: #25)
I've enjoyed the previous Fast and Furious films I've seen for the ridiculous fun that they are, but when I went to see Fast Five I realized that the franchise much have a fan base because there were all these nods to the other films, strong depth of character moments, awesome character introductions and the like. I felt like I was seeing a fan film from a non-fan perspective, and it actually made me want to go back and see all the films again (or for the first time....damn that Tokyo Drift! How did I miss that one?). But in all honestly I had so much fun watching this film and was grinning like an idiot the entire time.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (placement on original list: #1)
What can I say about Harry Potter that hasn't already been said? It truly treaded new ground being a epically long film series based one a fantastic set of books and I am so glad they parsed out the last book into two films, because I loved 7.1 so much, I loved how they took their time with it instead of jumping to the climax of 7.2. It was also wild to realize that for people who hadn’t read the books they didn’t actually know what would happen in this film! I guess that's why it felt slightly anticlimactic, but it was still amazing and I will look forward to revisiting it time and time again.



Far Exceeded Expectations

I find it interesting that this category had films that already were placed very high on my list and that I was expecting a lot from, and even then they delivered more than I could have ever imagined. Amazing. A good reminder that you can keep the expectation bar high and still get wondrous results.

The Adjustment Bureau (placement on original list: #2)
I think this was the first film I really fell in love with of the year, even though it's not perfect it made me realize I don't care about perfect as much as I though. Which, coming from a perfectionist (on many things, not all things...but many things), is quite a feat. Beautiful, brilliant and a unique blend of science fiction and romance wit a dash of dance. Lovely.

Battle: Los Angeles (placement on original list: #16)
I know this is a divisive film for many and I stand firmly on the side of the pro's. I love the heroism and bravery it showcased and I also loved the sound design. Yep. Those are 2 ways to Shannon's heart. Bravery & great sound.

Thor (placement on original list: #5)
I loved Thor on so many levels, from the ability to have high fantasy and current day in the same film, to have a very different but believeable character journey, right down to the markeitng and the trailers which actualy didn't show to much. And yes, for Chris Hemsworth and his amazing arms and amazing acting. It's just goodness all around.

The Tree of Life (placement on original list: #15)
I love when a film can be both ambiguous and clear at the same time; this is one that does it. Somehow allowing the viewer to bring just as much to the film and the film itself brings makes its a truly experiential viewing experience. I loved everything about it.

Drive (placement on original list: #13)
I honestly didn't think I could love a film like I love Drive. I literally felt like it was being spoken in a language in which I needed no translation, I just understood it on a base level. Every moment, every turn, every gaze had a meaning, a purpose and a point. I loved every minute of it and ache to see it again.



And the last little odds & sods...

Not all of the films I had my eye on made it to the screen quite just yet, and there are even a few that did but I didn't get out to see. Here are those last few films.

Still to Come

• The Woman in Black #18 - is just around the corner with a February 3, 2012 release date
• The Apparition #22 - bumped to 2012 although date not specified.
  

Still to See

• Drive Angry 3D #20 - own on DVD and how to see soon
• Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows #11 - I just saw it and really enjoyed it
• Curling #6 - hope to catch on DVD and am sad I missed it in the theatre
• Anonymous mid-year addition - I missed this in the fall releases! I so should have see in over Trespass as my Hollywood film at TIFF this year
• Sur le rythme #4 - This Québécois dance film starring So You Think You Can Dance Canada Season 1 winner Nico Archambault never came out theatrically in Toronto, but I will catch it on DVD
  

And that is *really* if for 2011! I hope it was a good year for you :)

Shark Night 3D (DVD Review)

DVD Review of monster-horror film Shark Night starring Sara Paxton, Dustin Milligan & Chris Carmack


Image Courtesy of eOne Films

Dir: David Ellis (Final Destination 2, The Final Destination (2009), Snakes on a Plane)
Cast: Sara Paxton, Dustin Milligan, Chris Carmack, Joel David Moore, Katharine McPhee, Sinqua Walls, Donal F. Logue, Joshua Leonard, Alyssa Diaz, Chris Zylka
USA, 2011

Reason to see: Shark Movie! I don't know why, but I can't stop watching shark movies. Good thing there are a lot of them to go around.

It may, or may not, be that well know but I have a bizarre love of shark films. From the classic Jaws to the craziness of Deep Blue Sea & Sharktopus, I can't get enough of the scares and screams of shark films. It's lucky that we have lots to choose from! The most recent big screen shark film to hit DVD is none other than Shark Night which fills the bloody waters of the micro-genre well giving us lots of scares, crazy water works and even some new twists and turns following the dead-eyed creatures that chomp.

The film does starts with a well seasoned monster/horror movie premise of college kids going to relax and party on a waterside location, where the locals ain't all that happy to have them around. It's not all strangers in a strange land though they visit Sara's family cabin for the fun times, even if she hasn't been there in a while. I'll leave the rest of the story for you to discover while watching, and for most horror film fans I would definitely say hands-down just watch it & enjoy it. Shark Night happily surprized me on several fronts, first and foremost with the story which is almost embarrassing to admit that it actually surprized me but I'll give that as a compliment not only to the film but also to the marketing for leaving the story of the film... in the film itself. Kudos there for sure. I also was happy that they didn't go over the top with gratuitous nudity here, which may disappoint some horror fans but as a female horror fan I find it often what can turn me off a film. It decides to turn a different cheek here as it's actually Chris Zylka (Kaboom, 'The Secret Circle') who fills out this category the most.

On top of the chomping and the general shark craziness and fun horror spins, what I really enjoyed about Shark Night was the cast. Sara Paxton in particular brought the cute girl who used to be a local to life, and I was happy to see this I saw recently in The Innkeepers where she was positively delightful and it's awesome to see that she can bring that again and again. It was also a treat to see Dustin Milligan (Repeaters) who fills the nice shoes, Chris Zylka (Kaboom) is great at being over the top charmer and Chris Carmack does a great job as the slightly weathered local Dennis.

Overall, Shark Night was a really fun horror flick that keep me guessing and keep on chomping. I'll happily watch it again and think it's a great addition to the fantastic frenzy of shark films.

DVD Extras:

• Shark Attack! Kill Machine! (5 minutes) Although it's not explained exactly what this is, I am pretty confident in saying that it's a chronological truncation of just the shark kill clips from the film. Would have been fun if they had a running kill count or crossing off character names; just a little something to add to the fun and cheer along with plus help make it clearer to know exactly you are watching.
• Ellis' Island (4 minutes) behind the scenes, interviews with director David R. Ellis on being around sharks his whole life, the shark research involved, having actors doing their own stunts, working in 3D and the challenge of working underwater, plus actors Chris Carmack, Dustin Milligan, Donal Logue, Sara Paxton, Sinqua Walls, Joel David Moore, Alyssa Diaz, Chris Zylka on working with director David R. Ellis, and the process doing their own stunts, working in the water, working in 3D, the importance and balance of character and action.
• Trailer
• Plus: Be sure to watch until the end of the credits for an awesome cast easter egg

Please Note: Although theatrically known as Shark Night 3D, I viewed this on DVD in 2D.

Shark Night is available on DVD as of January 3, 2012. Check it out over at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it
I'll watch it again
I strongly recommend it to horror fans & shark-film fans

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2012


Sara Paxton and Dustin Milligan star in SHARK NIGHT 3D. Photo Credit Steve Dietl Courtesy of eOne Films.


Chris Carmack stars in SHARK NIGHT 3D. Photo Credit Steve Dietl Courtesy of eOne Films


Chris Zylka, stars in SHARK NIGHT 3D.Photo Credit Steve Dietl Courtesy of eOne Films.

The Guard (DVD + BluRay Review)

DVD Review of the amazing dark comedy The Guard starring Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Liam Cunningham & Mark Strong.


Image Courtesy Alliance Films
Legal Line © Boyle Film Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Distributed exclusively in Canada by Alliance Films. All Rights Reserved.

Writer/Dir: John Michael McDonagh - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Liam Cunningham, Mark Strong, Fionnula Flanagan, Rory Keenan, David Wilmot, Katarina Cas, Michael Og Lane
Ireland, 2011

Reason to see: Highly acclaimed and so far I've loved all the Irish films I've seen (being a wee bit Irish meself likely helps!)

The Guard is a dark comedy following Sergeant Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleeson) as a Irish policeman in community of County Galway which when a out-of-the-norm crime occurs, outside help arrives in the form of FBI agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle). Although both are officers of the law, their styles and conduct could not be more different from one another if they tried, and they may in fact tie. A unique spin on comedy, this (non) buddy cop film forays into new territory of humour, crime and bizarre circumstance.

I was initially hesitant going into this one not thinking myself a fan of comedy but I am so glad that didn't sway me away as The Guard is brilliant. It left me howling in laughter while also being aghast, with the kind of humour that you don't think it's possible to get away with but works and is funny every, single time. Brendan Gleeson (Perrier's Bounty, Harry Potter series) is formidable in the lead here as the morally ambiguous and often brash Boyle, yet there is also a very sensible and regular folk quality to him as well as a quiet, beautiful kindness. In high contrast we see the straight-shooter, always elegant and proper Everett who brings more formality to every situation. To add to the awesome cast, we have a fantastic set of baddies including two actors I always love to see: Liam Cunningham (Centurion, The Escapist, 'Outcasts') and Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes, Robin Hood (2010)). In fact Mark Strong as a British baddie delivers one of my favourite supporting performances of all of 2011. Extremely memorable and hauntingly dark.

The film plays beautiful with juxtaposition, with characters and situations seemingly ridiculous yet always perfect. Great timing, great chemistry, fantastic acting and a pretty freaking impressive story to boot. The Guard easily ranked high on both my Best Films of 2011 and Most Enjoyed Films of 2011. It's funny, and even though it's crass, brash and ballsy, the main characters aren't mean spirited which I think is ultimately what won me over.

The Guard if freaking brilliant. If I swore in my reviews I would swear for emphasis, but since I don't I'll get tell you to go see The Guard. I loved it and I highly recommend it.

DVD Extras:

• Feature Commentary with director John Michael McDonagh and actors Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle pretty entertaining commentary although oddly you can 'hear' them watching the film as their is some silence in talk which is okay because the film is really entertaining and it's clear they had a fun time making it and enjoy the jokes and there is lots of interesting commentary about the response to the comedy pluse a fair amount of discussing/notation to the styling and colours of the film, the inspiration behind the film, the laughter to sophistication ratio, the jokes that went over the heads of the audience, things that were cut from the film, actor shout outs, film references, favourite lines, choices on line delivery, lots of notations to what gets a laugh & great reveals, the explanation of few extras, when they did their own stunts, the dynamic between Brendan Gleeson & Don Cheadle's characters, challenges with the weather, nods to westerns and funny stories from filming.
• The Second Death - A Short Film that Inspired The Guard (11 minutes) directed by John Michael McDonagh and starring Liam Cunningham. Moody dark drama that's got a really impressive weight or remorse to it, and the ever-fabulous Liam Cunningham. Great DVD extra, and really happy to have a chance to see the short.
• Deleted Scenes & Extended Scenes (20+ scenes, 24 minutes) tons of great scenes are found in this set of extended and deleted scenes including more buddy cop scenes schooling the newbie police officer, crime theories, police procedures, interviews plus family drama & character delvopement and some more great camradarie scenes Brendan Gleeson & Don Cheadle; great scenes although many it's understandable why they didn't make the final cut as even for this film feel quite controversial and others give some more clear direction when ambiguity served them well.
• Outtakes (3 minutes) great moments, physical goofs, line flubs, funny tension and awesome laughter outbursts.
• Behind-the-Scenes (18 minutes) behind the scenes of filming scenes including scene set up to filming, clowning around on set as well as interviews with actors Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle, Liam Cunningham, Mark Strong, Rory Keenan, David Wilmot, Katarina Cas, Michael Og Lane,Fionnula Flanagan discussing their characters, the character histories & relationships and often specifically their connection or contrast to The Guard (Brendan Gleeson's) character and working with and impressions of writer/director John Michael McDonagh; as well as the actors on the ending of the film.

The Guard (2011) is available on DVD as of January 3, 2012. Check it out over at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I LOVED it - It ranked #5 in my Best Films of 2011 list and #6 Most Enjoyed Film of 2011
I have and will continue to watch it again, repeatedly
I highly & widely recommend it

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2012


Brendan Gleeson (left) and Rory Keenan (right) star in THE GUARD, an Alliance Films release.


Don Cheadle stars in THE GUARD, an Alliance Films release.


David Wilmot (left), Liam Cunningham (center), and Mart Strong (right) star in THE GUARD, an Alliance Films release.

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (DVD Review)

DVD of the creepy horror film Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2011) starring Bailee Madison, Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce.


Image Courtesy of Alliance Films

Dir: Troy Nixey ("Latchkey's Lament")
Cast: Bailee Madison, Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce, Julia Blake, Jack Thompson
USA/Australia/Mexico, 2011

Reason to see: Horror movie

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2011) is a remake of a 1973 film of the same name, and sometimes I can be harsh on remakes but I thought I would give this one a try. We follow a young girl named Sally who comes to stay with her father (Guy Pearce) who is restoring an old mansion. There certainly was a sense of the house being wounded, like patching over worn out pieces over and over until even the patches are threadbare, and this tone floats through the film giving it a creepiness that really works for horror. So I was feeling like we were off to a good start.

I was actually quite looking forward to Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2011), because I'd not seen the original and therefore was looking forward to seeing the story for the first time. That didn’t turn out quite as I had imagined, because I figured out the story pretty early. I know I watch a lot of horror & supernatural films, and lots of film, but it felt too clear to me. Perhaps mystery wasn't the goal. A lot of the scares come across in tone and ideas so there is still that, but even then at times when for really visceral look-away-from-the-screen moments, which wasn’t quite the kind of surprize I was hoping for.

On the flip side, the film definitely had things that I enjoyed. The mansion it is set in is beautiful, it feels so rare to see something of that scale and it has great art direction showing the house in different states of repair and distress. I also loved that it had a young girl as the protagonist and Bailee Madison does a great job at being the sullen Sally. I was also impressed by Katie Holmes, who did a fair amount with a role that wasn't that meaty. I could really feel that her character had a full and complete history and I wanted to know more about it. I also really liked the relationship between their two characters, it felt unique and I really enjoyed that. I’ll look forward to seeing both of their work in the future.

Sadly, the film has more than a few conveniences that are jammed into the story to make later things work, and you can feel they are devices. Horror is a challenge that way, you really need to be able to establish that with subtly because it certainly needs to be there, but it also needs the logic for us to believe it at all times. It also like it wanted to be set in the past not the present but it ...was in the present. Why not just set it in the past? It's already got the nostalgia of the dilapidated house; I could have seen it in the past. Perhaps that would be too much given that it’s a remake. Overall, I liked the idea of the story and the tone that it set, but I didn’t always believe what was happening. From the conveniences to the characters moments, there were too many things that didn’t quite work which is really too bad. A few tweaks here and there would have had us twitching in our seats.

Warnings: Disturbing imagery & ideas and some gore

DVD Extras:
Don't Be Afraid... Documentary of 3 Featurettes:

• The Story (6 minutes) film clips, behind the scenes and interviews with director Troy Nixey, executive producer William Horberg, producer/co-writer Guillermo del Toro and actors Guy Pearce & Katie Holmes on making a classic horror film, bringing the film to life, on the original film and how scary it is, the 15+ year process of bringing the film to life, the crossover of ideas/themes between this film and other del Toro films, the updating of the character of Sally to a more currently believable character, the relatable family dynamic and struggles, the films connection to stories and folk lore.
• Blackwood's Mansion (5 minutes) film clips, behind the scenes, concept art and interviews with director Troy Nixey, production designer Roger Ford, executive producer Stephen Jones, cinematographer Oliver Stapleton and actor Katie Holmes on historical architecture, the design of the Blackwood house, the colour palettes in the film, the contrast between the inside & outside worlds in the film, how they created the house for the film, the choice to work against a 'scary looking' house, the stages construction for the film and the creepy feel texture created for the film.
• The Creatures (9 minutes) concept art, creature sculptures, previsualization, behind the scenes, film clips and interviews with producer/co-writer Guillermo del Toro, visual effects producer Iloura Digital Ineke Majoor, visual effects producer Scott Shapiro, director Troy Nixon, lead VFX supervisor Iloura Digital Glenn Melenhorst, executive producer Stephen Jones on the question of to show or not to show the monster in monster films, the characters of the creatures, what they wanted the creatures to look like and their histories, the visual nod/connection of the creatures to the original film, the inspiration for the movement of the creature, discussion and example of previsualization, the onset filming, mapping & techniques done to incorporate them with the visual effects done; plus young actor Bailee Madison on working with not actually seeing anything.

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2011) is available on DVD as of January 3, 2011. Check it out over at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it, but wanted to enjoy it more
I'd watch it again
I'd recommend it for people that like drama-centric creepy films

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2011 - 2012
Originally reviewed for Theatrical Release - September 8, 2011


Guy Pearce stars in Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, an Alliance Films release. Photo Credit Carolyn Johns


Bailee Madison stars in Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, an Alliance Films release. Photo Credit Carolyn Johns


Katie Holmes (left) and Bailee Madison (right) star in Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, an Alliance Films release. Photo Credit Carolyn Johns

My Year in Film: 2011 Movie Memories & Insights

Above: Nowhere near my fave film of the year - but one of the the few pics I have of me at the theatre!

As we turn to the new year I want to take one final look back at 2011 and some of the very interesting, important and light bulb moments and realizations of the year.

Perfect Isn't Everything
Every year I make a list of films, be it favourite, bests, moments, memories, or a combination of all. I thought I would prefer consistency in this list year after year and at the end of 2010 I thought I had cracked the nut: Perfect Films. Films where there is nothing that needs to change about them and I could recommend widely. And last year I came up with The Perfect List and kept my eye out for them. But this year, I found a wrench thrown into that works with a film called The Adjustment Bureau. I LOVED this movie. But it wasn't perfect. That left me conflicted, because I wanted to give it the highest accolades but it didn't meet the definition I created to litmus test films as a way for ranking. Ah, well. I tried but it just reminds me that matching movies to audience is more clear & helpful than 'defining'.



I Saw Myself In Film
This was likely the biggest revelation I had this year, in film or our and happened in what felt like the most unlikely of place, while watching Soul Surfer. Yes, the film is a biopic on Bethany Hamilton, a teen surfer girl who lives in Hawaii and has some huge challenges to face. I went into this film because I like water movies, but I had no idea what a deep, relating experience it would be. I really 'got' her story. But more than that I felt it was my story too as I went through something similar and seeing it was like seeing a reflection of my own experience. It was a huge revelation not just the experience but that it was so unusual for this to *be* an unusual experience as many people see films to see just that - their experience be it past, present, or future/hopeful on screen. But until then, I never had. In fact, the only other character I've seen in film that I'd say was pretty spot-on like me (when I was a kid) is Lucy Pevensie from the Narnia films. It was really wild, and I can see why people are drawn to films where they see themselves as it's a very powerful experience.



Book to Film Club
One of my biggest endeavours of the year was running the 2011 Movie Moxie Book to Film Club where we read 11 books that were being turned into film adaptations, and 7 of them were released in 2011 with another 1 on DVD and at least 1 being released in 2012. I would have loved for them have all to be released, but sometimes it's hard to gauge! But it was 4,318 pages of book goodness and many insights along the way. I certainly enjoyed some books more than others but overall it was an enlightening, enriching and fun experience and I loved hearing peoples impressions of the books and films. I'll definitely be doing the Book to Film Club again 2012.



Let's hear it for FUN films
I think us film folk can often get tunnel vision focus of 'serious' films, sometimes even leaning on them so hard that we forget films have value for many different reasons. I realized this while in the theatre during 2011 while grinning ear to ear and laughing from deep in my belly. Films like Fast Five, The Three Musketeers (2011), Fright Night (2011), Kung Fu Panda 2 and I Am Number Four. Those were all really fun films that I really enjoyed this past year.



Incomplete Challenges, No Marathon, Wha?
One of the oddities of the year was that I didn't have a marathon, like in previous years when I ran the Vampathon, Wolfathon, Sword & Sandals marathon or even Harry Potter and Star Trek countdowns. I was this close to doing the Summer of SciFi but had to pass on it when I unexpectedly had to move, and I completed an exploration of 33 genres through the Movie Moxie Podcast but I didn't think of that as a marathon (although it was an epic endeavour!). My second 101 Films in 1001 Days came to a bleak close with only seeing 2 of those films in 2011 and only knocking back 71/101. I did pretty well with my Owned/Unseen Challenge and am giving myself the rest of the weekend to knock off the final 3 titles. Looking back though, I realize that the big marathon was the Book to Film Club, it took up the energy and format I used for marathons. Perhaps I also kind of forgot about it because I had 2 planned for 2012 from way early in 2011 that I forgot to do one! It's a mystery.


Above: all the boxes on the floor are boxes of movies

Checking in on the Numbers
I often gripe on the ones that got away, or than one more review that I want to do, but I have to say that I'm pretty happy that come the end of the year I've seen 101 of the 400 theatrical releases, and reviewed 82 of those films (plus an additional 23 straight-ish to DVD), and plan on having another 10 reviewed by the end of the month which will be a 90% review rate (or 80% if I don't do those 10!). Yep. I'm happy with that number. Plus as we turn to 2012 I'm at a total of 999 Reviews. What will be 1,000?

I Felt Like I Was The Audience
When you see as many films as I do, it almost goes without saying that they aren't all 'for you', or in this case 'for me'. Like I noted with Soul Surfer, I'm very used to not having my own experience reflected but that doesn't mean I don't love an appreciate seeing and learning about other ideas and experiences. Sometimes that can be a lot of work, and sometimes it's an idea or point of view I'm neither interested in or care to understand. But on occasion, something beautiful happens and I feel I was actually the intended audience. That I understand the language in which the film is speaking, and that it's speaking directly to me. This year the film that spoke to me was Drive. I understood every moment of that film on a visceral, direct-to-my-heart level. It was very powerful.



So, Yeah... I Don't Really Dig Drama or Comedy.
Another odd revelation for going through the genre analysis, was that these two HUGE genres are never my go to genres. Thankfully we live in a time with enough variety that I can work through almost every other genre before getting to straight-up dramas or comedies. But I will give that for performances, it's hard to beat drama and I found further clarity that with comedy I enjoy Canadian, British & some foreign comedies but given a choice I'll always go for action, art house, dance, martial arts, sport, sword & sandals, vampires, horror, supernatural, fantasy and especially science fiction first. Every time. I still get odd looks when I share this realization with people though, and have run into a few road blocks of possibly not being taken 'seriously', but in a time of films like The Tree of Life, Another Earth and TrollHunter / Trolljegeren I think that's just not the reality.



Monster Movies & B-Movie
Another great revelation this year was realizing a love of B-Movies, especially monster movies. From Sharktopus to Dinoshark to Mega Python vs. Gatoroid to Dinocroc vs Supergator I was all over these crazy movies. They are so much fun, even if they aren't 'good'. Actually, sometimes they are better if they aren't good - but not always. I think one of the things I love about them is that you know what you are getting into. There is a monster/crisis/natural disaster and then the challenge to defeat it and on that journey there will be many one liners, possibly familiar faces and many casualties and screaming along the way. I love them. Best watched with popcorn, and almost always exactly 90 minutes long. Fun times!



Elsewhere
This year I've also been hanging out outside the Movie Moxie mostly in the podcasting realm with Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast which is now at 118 episodes going strong since 2009 and Hexed: Sisterhood of the Supernatural will have it's second anniversary soon - who knew there would be so much paranormal TV to talk about? I've also done several guesting on the Saturday B-Movie Reel over at Tuning into SciFi TV which has been a lot of fun. I love chatting about film (and TV!).



Writing Writing Writing
It's also been a big year of writing for me, and I've done tons of reviews, festival coverage, journalling and planning but I've also been writing a memoir-like something that I don't even really know what it is but it really shifted my thinking on things and led to many interesting realizations, many of which I've discussed here in this post. It's pretty rough and very much about the process over the product, but I would like to keep it up and hopefully have more of the thoughts and ideas translate into the written word here on the site. I guess that is where my 2012 year will begin.

Metacritic Top Lists 2011

Last list before the New Year, the Metacritic check in! And they must have changed their site format because previously I got 200 results and now I find 99 per search! Bizarre! Only 3 titles cracked their all time reviewed list (and only one of those came out here in Toront: My Perestroika), but there are lost of interesting titles to peruse from their 2011 list including lots of documentaries. Man, now I have even more films to add to my to see list!

See also the IMDB Top 250 list at Dec 31, 2011.

2011 Movies on the Metacritic Top List as of Dec 31, 2011
39. We Were Here
44. A Separation
95. My Perestroika

Metacritics 100 Best Reviewed films from 2011 as of Dec 31, 2011
1. We Were Here
2. A Separation
3. My Perestroika
4. Poetry
5. The Artist
6. The Arbor
7. I Travel Because I Have to, I Come Back Because I Love You
8. Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
10. Moneyball
11. The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceausescu
12. 13 Assassins
13. Cave of Forgotten Dreams
14. Of Gods and Men
15. Children of Hiroshima
16. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
17. The Interrupters
18. City of Life and Death
19. Nostalgia for the Light
20. Take Shelter
21. The Tree of Life
22. Meek's Cutoff
23. Position Among the Stars
24. The Descendants
25. Project Nim
26. Hugo
27. Le Havre
28. Incendies
29. The Trip
30. Certified Copy
31. To Be Heard
32. Mysteries of Lisbon
33. The Inheritors
34. Beginners
35. Weekend
36. Kati with an I
37. Thunder Soul
38. Melancholia
39. Midnight in Paris
40. Tuesday, After Christmas
41. The Mill and the Cross
42. The Four Times (Le Quattro Volte)
43. Senna
44. Coriolanus
45. Drive
46. The Soft Skin (1969)
47. My Joy
48. Putty Hill
49. Foreign Parts
50. The Guard
51. The Yellow Sea
52. The Princess of Montpensier
53. Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness
54. Benda Bilili!
55. Bill Cunningham New York
56. Circo
57. Louder Than a Bomb
58. Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest
59. El Sicario: Room 164
60. Rebirth
61. Jane Eyre
62. Buck
63. Inni
64. Martha Marcy May Marlene
65. World on a Wire (1973)
66. Margin Call
67. Bobby Fischer Against the World
68. A Dangerous Method
69. Submarine
70. Love Exposure
71. Rango
72. Silent Souls
73. Attack the Block
74. Win Win
75. Bridesmaids
76. Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame
77. The Muppets
78. Pariah
79. The Desert of Forbidden Art
80. Caterpillar
81. Point Blank
82. Scheherazade Tell Me a Story
83. Pina
84. The Woodmans
85. Tabloid
86. Into the Abyss
87. The Time That Remains
88. Winnie the Pooh
89. Higher Ground
90. Dark Days
91. How I Ended This Summer

Metacritic Top Reviewed Films All Time as of December 31, 2011
1. Balthazar (re-release)
2. Lawrence of Arabia (re-release)
3. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
4. The Godfather
5. The Leopard (re-release)
6. The Conformist (re-release)
7. Sweet Smell of Success (re-release)
8. Fanny and Alexander (re-release)
9. Superman II
10. Seven Samurai (re-release)
11. Shoah (1985)
12. The Night of the Hunter (re-release)
13. Army of Shadows
14. Pépé le Moko (re-release)
15. Pan's Labyrinth
16. Metropolis (re-release)
17. Rififi (re-release)
18. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
19. The Adventures of Robin Hood (re-release)
20. The Producers (re-release)
21. Days of Being Wild (re-release)
22. The French Connection (re-release)
23. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
24. Ratatouille
25. Modern Times (re-release)
26. The Social Network
27. A Hard Day's Night (re-release)
28. Days of Heaven (re-release)
29. The Manchurian Candidate
30. Spirited Away
31. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (re-release)
32. Pulp Fiction
33. Killer of Sheep
34. The Hurt Locker
35. Sita Sings the Blues
36. WALL-E
37. The Battle of Algiers (re-release)
38. Sideways
39. We Were Here *2011 Film
40. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
41. Carlos
42. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
43. Reversal of Fortune
44. A Separation *2011 Film
45. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
46. Schindler's List
47. Taxi Driver (re-release)
48. La Dolce Vita (re-release)
49. Frantic
50. Amadeus
51. Yi yi: A One and a Two...
52. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
53. The Class
54. Raging Bull
55. 35 Shots of Rum
56. Umberto D (re-release)
57. Masculine Feminine (re-release)
58. There Will Be Blood
59. Beauty and the Beast (re-release)
60. Toy Story
61. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
62. Werckmeister Harmonies
63. Toy Story 3
64. Moolaadé
65. The Fast Runner (Atanarjuat)
66. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
67. Le cercle rouge (re-release)
68. The Triplets of Belleville
69. The Queen
70. Repulsion (re-release)
71. Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion
72. Children of Tokyo
73. Beau travail
74. Do the Right Thing
75. Waltz with Bashir
76. Secrets & Lies
77. Patton
78. No Country for Old Men
79. Raiders of the Lost Ark
80. After Hours
81. The Crying Game
82. Ran (re-release)
83. Saving Private Ryan
84. A Prophet
85. Winter's Bone
86. L.A. Confidential
87. Bloody Sunday
88. Apocalypse Now
89. My Voyage to Italy
90. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (re-release)
91. La commune (Paris, 1871)
92. Solaris (re-release)
93. The Sweet Hereafter
94. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (re-release)
95. My Perestroika *2011 Film
96. Topsy-Turvy
97. Being John Malkovich
98. Before Sunset
99. The Incredibles

IMDB Top 250 in 2011

Every year on the last day of the year I do a check in on the IMDb Top 250 List, to see how many new of the year have been added. This year we only had 5, and to compare you can see 2010 with 7 titles and 2009 had 6 titles. It's noted that its calculated from regular voters, which is interesting as IMDB list often feels like it has more fandom picks over highly acclaimed and exceptional films, but this year I would say it feels like it's here those two meet. I also like to check in on this list as it's a dynamic one that ebbs and flows over time, so having a snapshot of what the year was like, at the end of the year, is something like I like to see. Speaking of seeing it appears I will have to see A Separation at some point as it is appearing all these year-end lists! Hopefully it will come out in Toronto in 2012.

See also the Metacritic Best Reviewed Films at Dec 31, 2011.

2011 additions to the IMDb Top 250:
108. A Separation (2011)
146. Warrior (2011)
193. Drive (2011)
195. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
201. Hugo (2011/II)

IMDb Top 250 (as of December 31, 2011)
1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
2. The Godfather (1972)
3. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
4. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
5. Pulp Fiction (1994)
6. 12 Angry Men (1957)
7. Schindler's List (1993)
8. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
9. The Dark Knight (2008)
10. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
11. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
12. Inception (2010)
13. Fight Club (1999)
14. Seven Samurai (1954)
15. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
16. Goodfellas (1990)
17. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
18. City of God (2002)
19. Casablanca (1942)
20. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
21. The Matrix (1999)
22. Rear Window (1954)
23. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
24. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
25. The Usual Suspects (1995)
26. Psycho (1960)
27. Se7en (1995)
28. Forrest Gump (1994)
29. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
30. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
31. Memento (2000)
32. Leon: The Professional (1994)
33. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
34. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
35. Apocalypse Now (1979)
36. American History X (1998)
37. North by Northwest (1959)
38. Citizen Kane (1941)
39. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
40. American Beauty (1999)
41. Toy Story 3 (2010)
42. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
43. Taxi Driver (1976)
44. Alien (1979)
45. Spirited Away (2001)
46. City Lights (1931)
47. Vertigo (1958)
48. The Shining (1980)
49. Paths of Glory (1957)
50. Amélie (2001)
51. The Pianist (2002)
52. M (1931)
53. WALL·E (2008)
54. The Departed (2006)
55. Double Indemnity (1944)
56. The Lives of Others (2006)
57. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
58. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
59. Aliens (1986)
60. Modern Times (1936)
61. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
62. Life Is Beautiful (1997)
63. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
64. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
65. Back to the Future (1985)
66. Das Boot (1981)
67. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
68. The Third Man (1949)
69. The Prestige (2006)
70. L.A. Confidential (1997)
71. Chinatown (1974)
72. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
73. The Green Mile (1999)
74. Cinema Paradiso (1988)
75. The Great Dictator (1940)
76. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1974)
77. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
78. Rashômon (1950)
79. Gladiator (2000)
80. Raging Bull (1980)
81. Amadeus (1984)
82. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
83. Some Like It Hot (1959)
84. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
85. All About Eve (1950)
86. Bicycle Thieves (1948)
87. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
88. Braveheart (1995)
89. Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
90. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
91. Metropolis (1927)
92. Oldboy (2003)
93. The Apartment (1960)
94. Unforgiven (1992)
95. Downfall (2004)
96. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
97. The Sting (1973)
98. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
99. Princess Mononoke (1997)
100. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
101. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
102. The Elephant Man (1980)
103. Up (2009)
104. On the Waterfront (1954)
105. Die Hard (1988)
106. Gran Torino (2008)
107. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
108. A Separation (2011)
109. The Seventh Seal (1957)
110. The Great Escape (1963)
111. Rebecca (1940)
112. The Lion King (1994)
113. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
114. Batman Begins (2005)
115. Yojimbo (1961)
116. Sin City (2005)
117. For a Few Dollars More (1965)
118. The General (1926)
119. Heat (1995)
120. Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
121. Blade Runner (1982)
122. Fargo (1996)
123. Snatch. (2000)
124. Ran (1985)
125. Black Swan (2010)
126. Wild Strawberries (1957)
127. Jaws (1975)
128. Hotel Rwanda (2004)
129. The King's Speech (2010)
130. Touch of Evil (1958)
131. No Country for Old Men (2007)
132. Toy Story (1995)
133. The Big Lebowski (1998)
134. The Deer Hunter (1978)
135. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
136. Cool Hand Luke (1967)
137. The Sixth Sense (1999)
138. It Happened One Night (1934)
139. Strangers on a Train (1951)
140. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
141. Annie Hall (1977)
142. Scarface (1983)
143. Ikiru (1952)
144. Platoon (1986)
145. High Noon (1952)
146. Warrior (2011)
147. Donnie Darko (2001)
148. Into the Wild (2007)
149. Trainspotting (1996)
150. The Gold Rush (1925)
151. The Kid (1921)
152. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
153. The Wages of Fear (1953)
154. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
155. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
156. Million Dollar Baby (2004)
157. Notorious (1946)
158. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
159. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)
160. Gone with the Wind (1939)
161. There Will Be Blood (2007)
162. The Secret in Their Eyes (2009)
163. The Thing (1982)
164. Amores perros (2000)
165. Groundhog Day (1993)
166. Casino (1995)
167. Life of Brian (1979)
168. Ben-Hur (1959)
169. Finding Nemo (2003)
170. The Terminator (1984)
171. The Big Sleep (1946)
172. Les diaboliques (1955)
173. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
174. The Graduate (1967)
175. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
176. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
177. Stand by Me (1986)
178. District 9 (2009)
179. V for Vendetta (2006)
180. Twelve Monkeys (1995)
181. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
182. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
183. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
184. Good Will Hunting (1997)
185. Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
186. Network (1976)
187. Gandhi (1982)
188. The Night of the Hunter (1955)
189. The 400 Blows (1959)
190. Mary and Max (2009)
191. The Battle of Algiers (1966)
192. The Wrestler (2008)
193. Drive (2011)
194. 8½ (1963)
195. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
196. The Princess Bride (1987)
197. Dial M for Murder (1954)
198. The Killing (1956)
199. Persona (1966)
200. Ratatouille (2007)
201. Hugo (2011/II)
202. The Hustler (1961)
203. La Strada (1954)
204. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
205. The Exorcist (1973)
206. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
207. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
208. Fanny and Alexander (1982)
209. Star Trek (2009)
210. The Wild Bunch (1969)
211. Avatar (2009)
212. Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
213. Stalag 17 (1953)
214. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
215. Barry Lyndon (1975)
216. Rocky (1976)
217. Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
218. Sherlock Jr. (1924)
219. The Truman Show (1998)
220. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
221. Nights of Cabiria (1957)
222. Infernal Affairs (2002)
223. Mystic River (2003)
224. Let the Right One In (2008)
225. Roman Holiday (1953)
226. Festen (1998)
227. Rosemary's Baby (1968)
228. Elite Squad: The Enemy Within (2010)
229. In Bruges (2008)
230. Magnolia (1999)
231. The Incredibles (2004)
232. Rope (1948)
233. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
234. Big Fish (2003)
235. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
236. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
237. Manhattan (1979)
238. Harakiri (1962)
239. Ip Man (2008)
240. Ed Wood (1994)
241. Tokyo Story (1953)
242. Stalker (1979)
243. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
244. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
245. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
246. Shutter Island (2010)
247. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
248. Three Colours: Red (1994)
249. Nosferatu (1922)
250. Castle in the Sky (1986)