The Most Disappointing Films of 2016

Well 2016 is coming to an end with just over a month left and what an eventful year it's been for cinema. Over the past 11 months we've seen a variety of fantastic films ranging from all genres and in the following month we are sure to see some more. However, this post is not about my favourite films of 2016, that post will come later in the year (after Rogue One probably), no this post is about the films this year that left me feeling a bit disappointed. Yes those films who raised my expectations with their clever advertising but ultimately did not live up to the hype, there have been quite a few of them this year, a lot of them superhero films, and I feel the need to express how I feel about these let downs. This is not my list of the worst films of 2016, these films aren't necessarily bad and I'm sure some people did really enjoy them, it's simply a couple of films that just didn't really do it for me. Also potential spoiler warning if you haven't seen some of the films on this list. In no particular order:

X-Men: Apocalypse

Ah the X-Men franchise, it's first two entries were so fantastic before being bogged down by the likes of The Last Stand and Origins. Then Matthew Vaughn came in and saved the franchise again with his prequel First Class before Bryan Singer connected both timelines with Days of Future Past. Then came Apocalypse, a film that had so much to live up to but ultimately fell flat. What should have been the X-Men's most epic adventure yet was, in fact, a familiar story with a messy plot and an overload of characters. Even the films baddie Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac) does very little to leave a lasting impression. The films story ticks off the usual X-Men film tropes, Xavier gets taken by the villain, his relationship with Magneto is on/off, Wolverine eventually shows up (in the most shoehorned Wolverine appearance ever), and the film in general just feels really predictable. Not to mention the fact that after fixing the timelines in the previous films they are even more jumbled up now and James McAvoy still hasn't made the transition into Patrick Stewart. Don't even get me started on Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique. I feel like this film could have done so much good, it could have given us a fantastic antagonist, an engaging story and further linked it to the original trilogy, unfortunately it does none of those things. On the plus side however, the Quicksilver scene manages to top that of Days of Future Past which is in itself quite an achievement.

31

Okay so Rob Zombies films aren't always very well-received which is understandable, he makes the films that he wants and doesn't try too hard to appeal to the masses. Despite this I usually enjoy his films (apart from Halloween 2) and was really looking forward to his most recent effort 31, a film that follows a group of carnival workers who are kidnapped and forced to play a game of survival against a troupe of killer clowns. The film looked gritty and relentless, something that Zombie does best, it also boasted a talented cast including Meg Foster, Richard Brake and Malcolm McDowell. However, the film didn't really bring anything new to the table and its tone often felt very muddled. Sometimes it felt like it was trying to be tongue in cheek with its zany characters and settings, yet other times the relentless violence and characters actions gave me the impression that Zombie was trying to do something more serious. It failed to maintain a consistent tone which was a shame because it is certainly one of Zombies more visually striking films. The violence wasn't anything out of the ordinary and not nearly as graphic as other Zombie films such as The Devil's Rejects, and while Richard Break gave a phenomenal performance as the sadistic Doom Head, none of the other characters really left a lasting impression. It looked as if it would be a zany, off the wall piece of exploitation but ultimately it was your usual recycled tropes with some cool visuals and a thin plot.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

I'm not afraid to say that I enjoyed Dawn of Justice, Affleck was an incredible Batman and its visual style was certainly captivating, I simply didn't enjoy it to the extent that I wanted to. A live action blockbuster with both Batman and Superman should be something epic, something that goes down in cinematic history, but this wasn't exactly how I expected it. A large portion of the films first act feels like one giant montage, the scenes are incredibly short and jump from one to another without really getting a chance to play out. Just when we find ourselves getting immersed in one scene it cuts to the next without letting us really engage with it in the way we'd like to. On top of that, for a while it doesn't really seem like it's going anywhere and lacks that sense of direction that we're used to with these kind of films. I felt as though the writers were trying to cram way too much into the film, they needed to establish Batman while following up to Man of Steel while establishing Wonder Woman while establishing Lex Luthor while shoehorning in Justice League cameos, it goes on. At times it feels like the film was doing this in an attempt to catch up with the Marvel Cinematic Universes 8 years of world building. It has some great qualities without a doubt, and I still haven't seen the extended (and supposedly improved) version, but I don't know, I was expecting something much less messy. Still, its tone and some of its characters have my hopes high for future DC films, I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing.

The Girl on the Train

Gone Girl was undoubtedly one of the best films of 2014, so when this film was described as 'the next Gone Girl' I was obviously excited to see it. What I was expecting was a suspense thriller with as much mystery as it had tension, what I got was a suspense thriller without the suspense. Don't get me wrong, the story is captivating and the identity of Megan's killer was a surprise to me, however the gradual build up just didn't feel tense at all. There was no point during the film where I felt on the edge of my seat or my heart racing rapidly, I was just sort of sat there waiting for things to get a move on and at times I genuinely felt bored. The editing was another thing that irritated me about the film, it alternates between a couple of different narratives which could have been executed really well, however the whole thing just feels like it was thrown together at random in an attempt to present a non-linear narrative. To be fair it was a really intriguing mystery story and Emily Blunt was incredible as the protagonist Rachel, not to mention that beautiful up state New York setting. But the story felt too sluggish most of the time and apart from Rachel, I was never really invested in any of the characters to the extent that I would have wanted to be. It's a bit of a paradox as although the film felt slow and dull, it simultaneously felt very rushed and didn't really give much time to development. It had potential, lots of it, but unfortunately it just didn't embrace that potential.

Captain America: Civil War

Civil War is one of my favourite storylines from the Marvel universe so when I heard the story was being worked into the new Captain America film I was ecstatic. I was expecting this to be Marvel's biggest and bestest film yet, and while it does have a huge scale I felt like it was just lacking something. 'But Marvel can do no wrong' I hear you yell, it's not what they're doing wrong it's just simply what they're not doing. The whole film just felt really bland and forgettable, it should have left me feeling like 'wow' but instead left me feeling like 'meh'. It was typical Marvel playing things safe yet again and not really going into new, more exciting territory. Sure Tom Holland's Spider-Man was a brilliant addition to the MCU and to be fair each character is given a considerable amount of attention, but despite the large scale and numerous characters nothing about this really felt fresh. Even Tony Stark's wisecracks have just become worn out and annoying. It just feels like the same Marvel team up we got in both Avengers films when it should have been a fresh, universe changing event the way it was in the comics. To be blunt, somebody should have died for god's sake, and I don't mean Starks parents I mean Captain America himself or maybe Rhodey seeing as he got shot down during the airport scene. I will give it to the film, it balances out its characters nicely and continues to build the ever expanding MCU, but would it kill the people at Marvel to try something a bit less predictable? Still, it's not nearly as bad as Iron Man 3 but we don't talk about that.

Nocturnal Animals

I had heard a lot about this films after it screened at festivals and such and I found the premise really interesting, the whole idea of the story within a story intrigued me and I could not wait to see this film. Basically what happens is that Susan (Amy Adams) receives a book from her ex-husband played by Jake Gyllenhaal and the film jumps back and forward from her narrative to that of the book. The story within a story, also entitled Nocturnal Animals, follows a man named Tony (also played by Gyllenhaal) who hunts down the men who killed his family with the help of a detective played by Michael Shannon. The events that occur within the book take up the majority of the film, it's a gritty revenge tale set in the Texas backroads, meanwhile in the 'real world' we learn about Susan's past relationship with her ex-husband. I really enjoyed this film when I was watching it, especially the story within a story, but what made it so underwhelming for me was what was happening in the 'real' world. Susan's story, while it does raise some questions, is pretty dull to say the least and never really amounts to anything. I was invested in her story for the most part but by the time the film came to an end the whole thing felt extremely anticlimactic, it spent so much time building up to nothing. The story within a story is fantastic, well-paced, well-shot and highly captivating to say the least. While the other story is relentlessly stylish, it lacks the sufficient substance to balance it out. Now I get the ending is meant to be symbolic or whatever but I didn't really feel like it worked, I just felt let down. The performances are incredibly all round and director Tom Ford injects incredible style into his film, but the payoff just feels highly underwhelming which is a real shame considering how well-crafted the film was.

Suicide Squad

As a huge DC fan and after Dawn of Justice didn't do so well I had really high hopes for this film. While I was initially skeptical due to the tattooed Joker and the soundtrack pulled straight from the radio of Hot Topic, I pushed these worries aside and assured myself that the film would be just fine. Long story short, it wasn't great. I tried to like this film at first, I tried to be fair and look at its good aspects but the more I reflect on it the more I realise that the bad outweighs the good here. The first act feels downright messy, cutting from one characters flashback to the next characters flashback while fitting in as much songs as it could in the process. It spends a good portion of the film merely setting thing up and while the tone is quite fun, it just feels a bit too sloppy. It does pick up in the middle but falls flat in the climax that's essentially the same thing we've been seeing in almost every recent superhero film: a giant bloody beam shooting into the bloody sky. How many times do we have to see the bad guy shoot a beam into the sky? Too many apparently. The cast is pretty impressive to be fair, especially Will Smith and Margot Robbie who arguably get the most screentime. Jared Leto isn't a terrible Joker and does the best with what he has, but after all that Joker hype he never really does anything to leave a lasting impression and gets about 15 minutes screentime in a 123 minute film. The films villain played by Cara Delevingne is criminally underdeveloped and her goals are extremely vague, does anyone really know why she shot that beam into the sky? She makes most of the MCU villains look like Hans Landa. I wanted so bad for this film to be good, for it to redeem the mistakes of Dawn of Justice and give fans faith in the DC Extended Universe, but it didn't. It was even more sloppy and uneven than its predecessor and while it did inject some humour to the DCEU, that simply wasn't enough to save Suicide Squad. Although if one good thing came out of this it's that Jai Courtney actually gave a great performance, that's right, the man who reduced Kyle Reese to a dull shell of his former self gives one of the stand out performances in this film.

Stay tuned over the next month because I'll be talking about my favourite tv shows of 2016 and my favourite films of 2016, until next time!

Guillermo Del Toro's 10 Greatest Creations

Guillermo Del Toro is arguably one of the most imaginative filmmakers of the modern era. His films are often a blend of beautifully dark fantasy and the harsh realities of real world conflict and are filled with interesting characters and incredibly memorable creatures. Del Toro has a penchant for creating bizarre and memorable monsters which is evident from his colourful filmography over the years. From his American blockbusters to his more independent Spanish language film, the Mexican born director has given us a large number of grotesque and nightmarish creatures over the years. This made it really hard to just choose 10 of Del Toro's creations for this list, but after much consideration and narrowing down, here are my 10 favourite Guillermo Del Toro creatures.

10. The Judas Breed- Mimic

When disease-carrying cockroaches plague the sewers of New York, what's the best way to control them? Well in Mimic the most logical thing to do is create a hybrid creature from the DNA of termites and mantises in order to take care of these pesky roaches. Unfortunately for the unsuspecting citizens of New York these hybrid creatures known as 'the Judas breed' begin to evolve and adapt, allowing them to move onto much larger prey. While Mimic isn't Del Toro's best film, The Judas Breed are a fantastic creation and a prime example of Del Toro's affinity for insects. They are clever creatures that evolve to the point that they are not only life-sized, but can mimic (hence the title) the actions and appearance of a human if they wish. By cloaking themselves in their wingspan and using a false face, these ghastly insects can easily pass as human and move about freely on the surface without being spotted. The creatures walk among us here in Del Toro's first American feature, hungry creatures at that.

9. The Crimson Ghosts- Crimson Peak

I feel like Crimson Peak is Del Toro's most misunderstood film as it was marketed as your usual supernatural horror as opposed to the gothic horror homage that it actually was. Regardless of your opinion on Crimson Peak, you cannot deny that the ghosts that appear in this film are creepy as hell. The most memorable spirits of Crimson Peak are the ghosts of Thomas' (Tom Hiddleston) ex-wives, skeletal figures with a blood-red appearance. The creatures were created with a combination of practical effects and CGI, many believed that they were fully CGI due to their bizarre movements, however this was not CGI but in actual fact it was thanks to the actor himself Javier Botet. Botet, who has appeared in films such as Mama and REC has a rare condition that gives him his elongated features and ability to contort his body in the strangest ways, giving him the ability to play his usually inhuman characters. It is Botet's movements that make these crimson spirits so spine-chilling, along with their grotesque appearances and scarlet skin. While they are terrifying to look at, the ghosts of Thomas' ex-wives are not the villains of this piece, rather helpful spirits attempting to warn Edith (Mia Wasikowska) of the horrors that lie in Crimson Peak.

8. Strigoi- The Strain

The Strain is a television series based off the books written by Del Toro and Chuck Hogan, and while he is obviously not fully in charge of the series, these grizzly vampires are signature Del Toro. The Strigoi are different from our usual vision of vampires, they are not charming and manipulative creatures, but savage and grotesque monsters. They are very animalistic in their movements and appearance, their most distinctive feature is their massive tongue with a stinger at the end that can be released when their jaws retract, they are very much a more finished version of the reaper vamps Del Toro used in Blade II. Their unhealthily pale skin, sunken features and bald head makes their appearance very reminiscent of Count Orlok from Nosferatu, while their long tongue and retractable jaw renders them to be very snake-like. These disgusting creatures infect others with disease by introducing worms into their body that carry the disease, their ghastly strain spread through New York incredibly quick and left the city under quarantine. It is clear from certain Strigoi such as Herr Eichhorst (Richard Sammel) that over time they evolve, developing speech and the ability to walk and act like a human, even going as far as to apply makeup to allow them to hide among the crowd. They are incredibly deadly creatures, more deadly than your average vamp.

7. Santi- The Devil's Backbone

One of Del Toro's most acclaimed films is his third feature, The Devil's Backbone, a ghost story set in an old orphanage during the Spanish civil war. The ghost of the piece is the mysterious Santi (Junio Valverde), a pale child with a wound on his head that emits a mysterious red mist. He resides in the orphanage and is discovered by newcomer Carlos (Fernando Tielve) who is terrified at first, yet despite his horrific appearance, Santi is a friendly ghost who wishes to help the children. Once an orphan at the facility, Santi disappeared the same night that a defused bomb dropped in the orphanage, since then both Santi and the bomb lie dormant and cause great distress among the citizens that reside there. Santi is the cause of great mystery in The Devil's Backbone, who was he? How did he die? What is he trying to tell the children? Like the ghosts in Del Toro's later work Crimson Peak, Santi may be ghastly in appearance, but at heart he is a friendly spirit who wishes to warn the children, not harm them. His tragic fate is integral to the films climax and adds some emotional depth to the film, Santi's story is a prime example of how Del Toro effortlessly blends fear and compassion in his films.

6. Kaiju- Pacific Rim

The Kaiju are a race of giant monsters that came to Earth from deep beneath the ocean, the villains of the piece, these creatures are an homage to Japanese monster movies, specifically Toho films. There are a number of different types of Kaiju, from the Mutavore to the iconic Knifehead, these interdimensional beats come in all shapes and sizes, well all large sizes anyway. They terrorised some of the world's biggest cities such as San Francisco and Hong Kong and forced the creation of giant robots called Jaeger's to combat them. Kaiju, which means 'strange creature' in Japanese, are clear tributes to monster movie precursors such as Godzilla and Rodan. Del Toro is a massive fan of monster movies so it was only a matter of time before he paid tribute to some of the greats. What is best about the Kaiju is that they are all so original and distinctive in design, none feel like carbon copies of the likes of Godzilla but instead they are all completely unique with only a few features borrowed from the legends of Toho. These are Del Toro's most colossal creations that not only pay homage, but also bring about their own brand of chaos and destruction which makes them incredibly formidable foes.

5. Karl Ruprecht Kroenen- Hellboy

Ok so technically Kroenen (Ladislav Beran) was not created by Del Toro, he is based on Mike Mignola's character from his Hellboy comics. However when Del Toro took Mignola's comics to the big screen, he took Kroenen in a vastly different direction but arguably made him much more memorable. While Kroenen's comic book counterpart was more academic and bookish, in Del Toro's film he is portrayed as Hitler's number one assassin. He is silent and relentless, equipped with hidden blades and kept alive by distinctive gas masks, Kroenen is a living terminator and the ultimate Nazi death machine. He is incredibly skilled in hand to hand combat and is capable of killing almost anything, not only that, but he himself is practically unkillable. Due to his clockwork heart and the fact that his blood has gradually dried up into sand, Kroenen is basically dead already, and how exactly does one kill a dead man? Kroenen may not be an original creation but Del Toro certainly put his own spin on the character, making him much more deadly and frightening, I feel like Del Toro vastly improved Kroenen's character from the comics. He is definitely one of Del Toro's coolest characters.

4. The Faun- Pan's Labyrinth

The first character of Doug Jones' dual role in Pan's Labyrinth, the Faun acts as a friendly guide to Ophelia (Ivana Baquero) through the dark fantasy world which she enters. While he is quite bizarre in appearance, from the spiral designs on his head to his goat-like horns and legs, the Faun is a benevolent being who seeks to aid the young Ophelia in her quest for immortality. He gives her a number of tasks that she must undertake including retrieving a key from a monstrous toad and a dagger from the terrifying Pale Man (I'll get to him later), yet despite these gruesome tasks the Faun appears to be acting in her best interests. Portrayed wonderfully by Del Toro's frequent collaborator Doug Jones and dubbed in Spanish by Pablo Adán, the Faun is like a darker version of something out of a Lewis Carroll book. He is eccentric, he is curious and he acts as a guide for the human Ophelia through a very inhuman world. His appearance is one of Del Toro's most well designed and was achieved through mainly practical effects and a bit of CGI to help create those goat legs. While he may look a little scary, he provides friendship and comfort from the isolated Ophelia and seeks to return her to her rightful place as princess Moanna.

3. Jesús Gris- Cronos

Cronos is Del Toro's feature-length debut and is the film that established him as the director he is today. It is a twist on vampire lore and follows antique dealer Jesús (Federico Luppi) who discovers a mysterious scarab-like contraption that injects him with a mysterious fluid, turning him into a vampire. Gris is a character who is both emotionally and morally conflicted, on one hand the cronos device makes him more youthful and full of life, on the other hand it is slowly turning him into a bloodthirsty vampire. While Gris succumbs to his bloodlust he struggles to control it and almost feeds on his poor granddaughter in one scene, he is a character who must choose between his youth and the safety of his loved ones. Gris is the most human character on this list, he is not a ghost or a monster (despite his gradual transformation), but a man struggling to resist temptation. As an old man who finds a way to revitalise his youth, it is understandable why Jesús becomes so attached to the cronos device despite its sinister side-effects. While he does eventually gain many vampiric characteristics, he is still a man with a lot of love for those close to him and even in his vampire form, will do anything to protect them. He is the epitome of what Del Toro's films are about, the juxtaposition between humanity and the bizarre, and as a man who finds himself on the verge of becoming a monster, Jesús Gris is a man with qualities of both.

2. Angel of Death- Hellboy II: The Golden Army

While The Golden Army is not nearly as good as the first Hellboy film, it does contain a lot more of Del Toro's distinctive creature design that makes his films so iconic. The most fantastic creature of the piece is by far the mysterious Angel of Death portrayed by Doug Jones. While it only has a very minor role in the film, The Angel is undoubtedly one of the greatest creatures to appear in a Del Toro film due to its incredible appearance. This giant, skeletal creature is most noticeable due to the abundance of eyes on its massive wingspan instead of its blank face. The hooded creature appears to a dying Hellboy (Ron Perlman) as he enters the underground city of Bethmora. With Hellboy on the brink of death due to a spear fragment lodged in his chest, his girlfriend Liz (Selma Blair) is faced with a choice of whether or not to save him. The Angel appears to be neutral, it cares not for whether or not Hellboy lives or dies and is simply there to carry out its purpose. However, when Liz makes her decision to let Hellboy live, the Angel helps to remove the shard before leaving the heroes, never to be seen again. Del Toro put a lot of creativity into this creature and it is one of his most iconic creations, I'd like to think it would come back some day if there was ever a Hellboy 3, but somehow I can't see that happening. 

1. The Pale Man- Pan's Labyrinth

The other character of Doug Jones' dual role in Pan's Labyrinth, the Pale Man is the more malevolent of the two and is by far Del Toro's most terrifying creation. A pale, hairless creature with sagging skin and no eyes, he resides by a crackling fire at a large banquet table. From images around the Pale Man it is implied that he enjoys eating children but when young Ophelia reaches his lair he is fast asleep. However, after eating a couple of plums despite warnings from her fairy companions, the sinister Pale Man awakens and pursues Ophelia through his lair in the films most terrifying sequence. The Pale Man's most distinctive feature is the presence of eye sockets on the palms of his hands instead of on his face, when Ophelia wakes him he places and eyeball into each socket and uses his hands to see. Every movement the Pale Man makes is chilling, he may be slow but it only makes him more imposing as he slowly advances on our young heroine. He is a grotesque creature and one of Jones' best performances yet, while he is not exactly integral to the plot and only appears in this scene, he is arguably the films most terrifying aspect. This nightmare inducing character is terrifying and grotesque, his hideous appearance and spine-tingling movements make him Del Toro's most memorable and most brilliant creation to date.

The 26 Greatest Musical Moments in Film

Music is an essential part of almost any film, it helps to set the tone of certain scenes and influences the way in which the film makes us feel. It can make a scene more tense, more uplifting and sometimes extremely depressing, in general it is fundamental in triggering certain emotions in us that ultimately makes a film much more memorable. Some scenes are defined by the songs that accompany them, the visuals and audio compliment each other in such a perfect way that something unforgettable is created. The following list is composed of what I feel are some of the greatest musical moments in film, I'd like to make clear that this is NOT a list about musicals, moreso scenes in film that have become iconic because of the music used. As musicals tend to have music and singing in almost every scene I'm going to exclude them, they deserve their own list. Also beware, there are potential spoilers in this list.

26. Bela Lugosi's Dead- The Hunger (1983)

The Hunger isn't exactly the best vampire film, I wouldn't even say it's the best vampire film of the 80's, but if one thing is certain it's that this film is stylish as hell. Nowhere is this style exhibited better in this film than in its opening scene that sees vampire duo Miriam and John Blaylock (Catherine Deneuve and David Bowie respectively) nonchalantly stalk through a goth club. The two just look so incredibly cool in their sunglasses and black garments as they casually scope out their prey, all to the tune of the 80's darkwave classic 'Bela Lugosi's Dead' by Bauhaus. The band actually perform during this scene as it cuts between Bowie and Deneuve, and the bands lead singer Peter Murphy, whose melancholic expressions seem to foreshadow the events that will follow. It is a very stylish scene that sets the dark, gothic tone of the film and had goths everywhere shaking in their leather jackets. 

Watch that scene here.

25. Somebody to Love- Cable Guy (1996)

Whether you like Jim Carrey or not, you can't deny that Cable Guy is one of his best films. While Carrey does essentially play his usual wacky self (with a lisp this time), the films dark undertones and theme of obsession make this a much more captivating film than his usual stuff. It still has its laughs however and boasts some iconic scenes such as the Medieval Times duel and this magnificent musical moment. During a party at Steven's (Matthew Broderick) apartment, Carrey's character tries his hand at karaoke and what follows is one of the most hilarious musical moments in any film of the comedy genre. From his bizarre accent, exaggerated facial expressions and his choice of song, Jefferson Airplane's 'Somebody to Love', this is one hilariously surreal scene. The image of Carrey grooving around to the sound of Airplane's psychadelic rock classic is one that you won't soon forget and one of the films defining scenes.

Watch that scene here.

24. Mad World- Donnie Darko (2001)

This surreal sci-fi film sees teenage outcast Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) struggle with premonitions of the impending apocalypse and a man in a giant bunny suit as he goes about his daily life in suburban Virginia. The film plays out like the lovechild of John Hughes and David Lynch with its surreal imagery and 80's soundtrack, it's full of memorably bizarre moments throughout. However, one of the most memorable and heartbreaking scenes comes towards the films end after Donnie makes a noble sacrifice in order to save the world, a montage that plays out to Gary Jules' cover of 'Mad World'. We catch glimpses of a number of characters who Donnie has interacted with throughout the film as they lay down to sleep, they have no knowledge of what he has just done, yet they show some sense of awareness that something has just happened. The sombre music playing over each of these characters after what has just happened is incredibly hard-hitting and leaves us feeling rather melancholic, a bittersweet ending to a wonderfully complex film. 

Watch that scene here.

23. Johnny B. Goode- Back to the Future (1985)

From the very beginning of this sci-fi classic it's clear that  time travelling teenager Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) has dreams of becoming a rockstar. He has incredible guitar skills and musical knowledge making him the perfect contender for future rock sensation, however he gets a bit side tracked with the whole time travel thing. But it's when he travels back to 1955 that Marty gets the opportunity to show off his musical talents in front of the whole school when he belts out a cover of Chuck Berry's 'Johnny B. Goode'. Fox has so much onstage energy in this scene and its clear that his character is putting his heart and soul into this song, he doesn't even realise how carried away he's getting until he witnesses the crowds shocked expression at the end. It's an upbeat, energetic scene and one of the films many highlights, what makes it even more memorable is the concept that Marty may have just inspired Berry himself to record the song after his cousin plays it to him over the phone. Good job McFly, good job.

Watch that scene here.

22. Peaches- Sexy Beast (2000)

Gal Dove (Ray Winstone) is a retired criminal living a peaceful life with his wife and two friends in a villa in Spain. He has reached the stage in his life where he doesn't have to work or worry about anything, he just relaxes by his pool beneath the blazing sun. Therefore the Strangler's groovy summertime classic suits the opening scene of Sexy Beast down to a T. The song alone conjures up thoughts of relaxing on a sunny beach somewhere, this makes it the perfect introductory song for Winstone's character as all he does is lay about in the sun. Gal has become so relaxed that even when a giant boulder lands in his pool he still appears to remain nonchalant about it, 'Peaches' is the perfect music to accompany this opening scene. Of course things aren't this relaxed for the entire film as Gal finds himself being pulled back into his former life of crime by former colleague Don Logan (Ben Kingsley), but this scene helps to give us a feel of how Gal lives at the beginning of the film. It's the quintessential calm before the storm.

Watch that scene here.

21. Can't Take My Eyes Off of You- The Deer Hunter (1978)

The Deer Hunter is quite a harrowing film, it portrays the gritty horrors of the Vietnam war and how it effected the human psyche. This may make a song like Frankie Valli's hit single 'Can't Take My Eyes Off of You' seem very out of place in the rather gripping film, however it makes what would have been a rather forgettable scene extremely memorable. The scene takes place near the beginning of the film where the two main characters Mike and Nick (Robert De Niro and Christopher Walken respectively) play pool in the local bar with their two friends Stan (John Cazelle) and Axel (Chuck Aspegren). As Valli's song begins to play in the bar, the friends gradually start to sing along before erupting in a drunken sing song. It's a scene that feels very natural and builds a lot of chemistry between the characters, they don't look like actors in a film but more like four friends having a few drinks down the local bar. It makes what happens later in the film a lot more impactful as the strong bond between the characters feels very realistic, what may seem like an insignificant scene is one of the foundations to making The Deer Hunter as emotionally gripping as it is.

Watch that scene here.

20. Man of Constant Sorrow- O Brother Where Art Thou? (2000)

This Coen Brother's classic that follows a trio of escaped convicts as they travel across the deep South has a brilliant soundtrack consisting of a number of country and bluegrass hits. There are plenty of brilliant musical moments in this film, but the most iconic is undoubtedly when the three main characters perform 'Man of Constant Sorrow' in front of a crowd of villagers. Under the guise of a band called 'The Soggy Bottom Boys', the trio emerge clad in fake beards and farmer clothing before performing the catchy folk song in front of a crowd who are evidently fans. In reality this is all a plot for the main character Everett (George Clooney) to win his wife back, but it's one hell of a performance and one of the films most memorable scenes. Clooney, albeit lip syncing, is immensely entertaining to watch during the performance along with his comrades played by John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson, it's upbeat, uplifting and retains that classic Coen brand of comedy that transcends a lot of other humour. While the song was performed by the trio in a recording studio earlier in the film, I feel like it works even better in this scene mainly due to their outlandish costumes and the crowds response. 

Watch that scene here.

19. You Make My Dreams- 500 Days of Summer (2009)

500 Days of Summer is more than just your average rom-com, its self aware sense of humour and somewhat meta style set it apart from the usual stuff to make it a very original film. One of the films most iconic scenes is a huge dance number set to the tune of 'You Make My Dreams' by Hall & Oates where Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and a number of bystanders break into spontaneous dance. It's a parody of sorts of the musical genre and most likely an exaggeration courtesy of Tom's imagination, bare in mind this scene takes place the day after his romantic night with Summer (Zooey Deschanel). It's quite a funny scene considering the context and how on top of the world Tom seems, it also keeps in line with the films self awareness. While it is more or less a pisstake, it's still a really uplifting scene and really captures how anyone feels when they begin to fall in love, never before has the feeling of the honeymoon phase been depicted so well onscreen.

Watch that scene here.

18. Get Down Saturday Night- Ex Machina (2015)

It's fair to say that this scene has become iconic since the release of Ex Machina last year, mainly due to Oscar Isaac's incredible dance moves. The scene begins with Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) about to question a servant named Kyoko (Sonoya Mizuno) about the true intentions of the mysterious software CEO Nathan (Isaac), contextually this is a serious matter. However the charismatic Nathan manages to swiftly change the subject by initiating a dance with Kyoko to the seriously funky 'Get Down Saturday Night'. The scene literally comes out of nowhere and is a huge contrast to the rather serious tone of the film, it acts as a comic relief scene but since then it has become so much more. Isaac and Mizuno show off their brilliant dance skills here, Isaac especially is quite suave and his dancing could charm the pants off anybody. What acts as the cherry on top of this cake of hilarity is the dumbfounded facial expressions of Gleeson's character who looks just as surprised as we are watching the duo tear up the dance floor. Already proven to be a talented actor and singer, this scene also shows that Oscar Isaac is a master of the dance as well. 

Watch that scene here.

17. Town Called Malice- Billy Elliot (2000)

All young Billy Elliot (Jamie Bell) wanted to do was dance, however as a boy he was expected stick to things like boxing or other activities that would have been considered 'masculine'. He is constantly struggling with the internal conflict between his love for ballet and his societies gender roles that inhibit him from embracing that passion. We see this internal conflict build up throughout the film, however when his brother (Jamie Draven) and dance teacher (Julie Walters) eventually argue over what's best for Billy, he breaks out into a cathartic dance to the tune of The Jam's 'Town Called Malice'. Bell is phenomenal in this scene as he manages to convey Billy's emotions through dance, his anger and frustration manifests itself in aggressive dance moves. The uptempo sound of The Jam's hit song intertwines perfectly with what's happening onscreen and manages to emphasise Billy's conflicting emotions perfectly. Along with the films powerful finale, this is one of the defining scenes in Billy Elliot and and always springs to mind whenever 'Town Called Malice' plays.

Watch that scene here.

16. After Dark- From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

This early collaboration between writer Quentin Tarantino and director Robert Rodriguez sees two criminals and the family they have held hostage face off against a vampire-ridden strip club, attempting to survive from dusk till dawn. This particular scene takes place before the bloodshed when vampiric stripper Santanico Pandemonium (Salma Hayek) takes to the stage to entertain the patrons. As her sensual dance begins, the house band played by chicano rock band Tito & Tarantula begin to play their song 'After Dark', making for a very hypnotic scene. It is clear from the faces of the patrons that they are falling under Pandemonium's spell, most evidently from the expression of Richie Gecko (played by Tarantino himself) who, in classic Tarantino style, winds up with her foot in his mouth. It's a very sensual scene and Hayek is fantastic at portraying the vampire seductress Santanico Pandemonuim, it also makes the horrific events that follow all the more shocking.

Watch that scene here.

15. Stuck in the Middle With You- Reservoir Dogs (1992)

If there's anyone who knows a thing or two about blending music and film it's writer and director Quentin Tarantino. His films are known for their catchy and diverse soundtracks that consist of a variety of memorable songs made even more memorable by the scenes which they accompany. His directorial debut, Reservoir Dogs, is a prime example of this. While there are many great musical scenes here such as the opening scene set to the George Baker Selection's 'Little Green Bag' and a later scene where Blue Suede's 'Hooked on a Feeling' plays, perhaps the most iconic scene of the film is the torture scene accompanied by Stealers Wheel's 'Stuck in The Middle With You'. Psychotic criminal Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen) attempts to gain information from a cop through means of torture, and he does this all to the tune of the classic Stealers Wheel song. It is a darkly comical scene and Madsen is more twisted than ever here, performing a sinister dance before taking his razor to the unfortunate cop and slicing off his ear. The scene also brings a whole new meaning to the song itself, as much as you try not to think of this scene whenever you listen to it, you simply won't succeed. It was clear from here that Tarantino knew how to make a good film.

Watch that scene here.

14. Hip to Be Square- American Psycho (2000)

Before he was Batman Christian Bale was Bateman, Patrick Bateman that is. This businessman turned murderer was the star of the show in American Psycho as he went around murdering people usually to the sound of his favourite music, in this case it's Huey Lewis and the News' hit song 'Hip to Be Square'. After luring co-worker Paul Allen (Jared Leto) back to his apartment, Bateman sticks the song on, explaining his interpretation and opinion of it while donning his signature raincoat to keep blood off his clothes. As the song reaches its iconic chorus, Bateman violently attacks Allen with an axe in what is one of the most darkly comical scenes of all time. The juxtaposition between the upbeat music and dark subject matter makes this scene unforgettable, Huey Lewis and the News is the last thing we would associate with murder which adds some hilarity to this otherwise gruesome scene. Bale's performance as the eccentric Bateman makes this scene even more iconic as he rambles on about his opinion of the band and even having a quick dance in his raincoat. His reason for killing Allen? Having a better business card than him and the last reservation at Dorsia.

Watch that scene here.

13. Puttin' on the Ritz- Young Frankenstein (1974)

Mel Brooks' parody of Universal's Frankenstein films sees the grandson of the original doctor Frankenstein continue his grandfather's work after years of running from his families legacy. The late Gene Wilder and Peter Boyle take on the role of the doctor and the monster respectively and this iconic musical number is one of the films most hilarious scenes. It sees the doctor trying to display his creation to a large audience by showing them a dance number he thought him, a tapdancing number to the tune of 'Puttin' on the Ritz'. The scene gives Wilder a chance to display that he is equally talented musically as he is an actor, while Boyle chimes in every now and again with his inaudible moaning. It's a very funny scene that pokes fun at the Frankenstein story with Peter Boyle's tone deaf monster, but at the same makes for an upbeat and entertaining musical number thanks to Wilder. The duo are fantastic together onstage and both are a joy to watch in their own ways, Wilder because of his immense musical talent and Boyle for his sheer hilarity. The crowd may not respond so well, but I know I certainly do.

Watch that scene here.

12. Don't Stop Me Now- Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Edgar Wright's big screen debut sees a group of survivors led by Shaun (Simon Pegg) navigate their way through a zombie apocalypse, making their way to their local pub The Winchester. Upon arriving at the legendary pub, the gang soon realise that they are far from safe when the pub soon becomes surrounded by a horde of zombies. Shaun and co. are then forced to fight off the bartender of The Winchester while Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now' plays on the jukebox. The juxtaposition between the zombie-centric violence and Queen's rather upbeat song is what makes this scene so enjoyable, Freddie Mercury isn't exactly what you'd associate first with zombies after all. There is also a sort of synchronization between the music and the actions of the characters, they beat the zombie with their snooker cues in time to the music while Lucy Davis and Penelope Wilton's characters nod along in the sidelines. It's a fine example of how Edgar Wright managed to turn one of the scariest horror subgenres into an odyssey of hilarity, it all works so well. It's also a prime example of Wright's impeccable taste in music.

Watch that scene here.

11. A Real Hero- Drive (2011)

Ryan Gosling plays a nameless stunt driver in this arthouse crime film from Nicolas Winding Refn, he leads a very isolated life and tends to keep to himself, that is until he forms a bond with his neighbour Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her young son. There is a very natural chemistry between the two, relying more on body language than dialogue, and this scene is the perfect example of how their chemistry develops. It sees them spending more time together and watches their relationship grow, all playing out to the tune of College's 'A Real Hero', it's a really beautiful way of building chemistry between Gosling and Mulligan's characters. The electronic music fits nicely into this wholesome montage sequence and it's in this moment that Gosling's driver seems to have finally found acceptance in Irene and her son, a means of escape from his isolated and often dangerous life. We know things don't turn out as easy for the driver, but for this moment in time it is clear that he is happy, that he has finally found acceptance and I think it's quite a beautiful scene.
Watch that scene here.

10. The End- Apocalypse Now (1979)

Francis Ford Coppola's Vietnam film based off Heart of Darkness shows the true horrors of war and what that can do to a person. No better is this embodied than in the opening scene, beginning with a shot of a forest in Vietnam with helicopters flying past, the tune of The Doors' haunting song 'The End' can gradually be heard creeping in. Soon the forest begins to burn by napalm and as it gradually burns, the music becomes more prominent making for some incredibly powerful imagery. As it does this, shots of the protagonist Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) fade onto the screen as he presumably reflects on his service during the war. Eventually the scene fades fully to Willard lying in his hotel room, the image of the ceiling fan reflecting the earlier helicopter propeller. It is an extremely powerful scene that hints at the psychological effects that war can have on the individual, Willard is clearly unsettled as he reflects on his experiences in Vietnam and the prospect of him returning is not an appealing one. The haunting music of The Doors playing over this scene makes it all the more impactful and adds a sense of hopelessness to a film that has only just begun. It sets the tone for what is a very tense and thought provoking piece of cinema

Watch that scene here..

9. Bohemian Rhapsody- Wayne's World (1992)

'Bohemian Rhapsody' is one f those songs that somehow everyone knows the lyrics to, a song that's guaranteed to initiate a sing song between every group of friends, and nowhere is that better exhibited than in the 1992 comedy Wayne's World. This scene during the opening credits sees Wayne (Mike Myers), Garth (Dana Carvey), and company drive around their hometown while listening to this Queen classic. The result is a hilarious musical scene that feels so real, fully displaying the passion poured into every group rendition of the song. The highlight of the scene comes towards the end when the gang begin to headbang to the sound of Brian May's heavy guitar, again, an experience that we can all relate to. The scene became so popular that 'Bohemian Rhapsody' went to #2 in the Billboard singles chart despite being released 17 years prior to Wayne's World. The scene is just a thoroughly accurate representation of how iconic this song is and how seriously it is taken during group sing songs, what's more is that Queen frontman died only months before the films release, making this scene a fitting tribute to the fallen musician.

Watch that scene here.

8. Canned Heat- Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

Napoleon Dynamite is one of the greatest comedies of the noughties, its subtle humour, hilarious dialogue and bizarre characters make it stand out from the usual brand of comedy from the time. The titular character played by John Heder is a lanky teen with a blonde fro and one facial expression, his pastimes include drawing mythical creatures and feeding his pet llama Tina, oh and he's one hell of a dancer. During the class presidential campaign one of the nominees, Napoleon's friend Pedro (Efren Ramirez), learns that as part of his speech he must perform a skit, despite having nothing prepared. That's when the heroic Napoleon steps in, taking to the stage to perform a dance routine to Jamiroquai's 'Canned Heat'. Napoleon breaks out some of the most outlandish dance moves I've ever seen, combining a number of dance styles to create his own bizarre brand of dance, all while wearing moon boots and maintaining his signature blank expression. It's a hilarious scene, seeing this awkward character suddenly break out into the funkiest of dance routines and acts as a fitting climax for this off-the-wall comedy.
Watch that scene here.

7. Tiny Dancer- Almost Famous (2000)

This comedy-drama from Cameron Crowe is by far one of the most feel good films of all time, following an aspiring journalist (Patrick Fugit) who goes on tour with a band named Stillwater, the film shows his growing friendship with the bandmates and veteran groupie Penny Lane (Kate Hudson). This scene takes place on the tour bus the morning after lead singer Russell (Billy Crudup) got wasted at a party. As Elton John's 'Tiny Dancer' starts to play on the radio, the passengers gradually begin to sing along, the bandmates, groupies and Fugit's character William, everybody joins in singing this rendition of the song. William then turns to Penny expressing his interest in returning home, however she then stops him, telling him that he is home. It's a wonderful scene that really emphasises the themes of friendship and acceptance, William had been trying to find his place in the world for so long and now he has finally found it. The scene just feels so natural as well, it's just like watching a group of friends singing along to the radio, it's one of the main factors in what makes Almost Famous such a feel good film.
Watch that scene here.

6. Singing in the Rain- A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of Anthony Burgesses dystopian sci-fi novel is arguably one of the director's greatest films. The tale of violent teenage gang leader Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell) was controversial at first, but over the years it has gained its deservant acclaim. One thing that makes this film so memorable is the association between violence and music, during some of the more violent scenes Kubrick chose to play various pieces of classical music, making the violence look like more of an art form than anything else. While there are a number of fantastic musical moments in this film, the best in my opinion is the 'Singing in the Rain' scene. After Alex and his droogs break into the home of an unsuspecting writer and his wife, they proceed to wreak havoc on their victims, beating the writer and sexually assaulting his poor wife. It sounds like a very hard scene to watch, but during the whole scene Alex sings his rendition of 'Singing in the Rain', making it a much more captivating scene. As he kicks the writer to the ground and destroys his house, he does his best Gene Kelly impression and it makes what would have been a very disturbing scene, well, even more disturbing, but McDowell's electric performance keeps us from looking away. Apparently Alex breaking into song was not scripted, Kubrick supposedly told McDowell to do what he felt right and this was the result. It is by far one of the films most chilling moments and gave a new meaning to the otherwise cheerful song.

Watch that scene here.

5. Where is My Mind?- Fight Club (1999)

Fight Club is one rollercoaster of a film, a tale of violence, anarchy and soap, it's quite an insane journey for our nameless protagonist played by Edward Norton. Spending most of the film with his new companion, soap salesman and anarchist Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), Norton's character discovers that he is in too deep and attempts to free himself from Durden once and for all. However, this is not as easy as he thought and what results is a violent climax atop a skyscraper. Norton's character does finally escape Tyler but cannot prevent his sinister regime, as his lover Marla Singer (Helena Bonham Carter) approaches him, as Pixies now iconic opening riff begins to play, he tells her that she has met him at a very strange time in his life. Too right. The song then plays out as the duo stand together hand in hand watching the world burn, a beautiful image of their silhouettes against the window of the skyscraper is then the last thing we see before this film fades out. It is a really beautiful way to end this utterly bizarre film, the sound of Joey Santiago's guitar playing over the images of explosions and destruction tie in really nice here and the chorus really reflects the mindset of the protagonist, questioning his own state of mind.

Watch that scene here.

4. You Never Can Tell- Pulp Fiction (1994)

I've already mentioned how talented Quentin Tarantino is at blending music and film together, and nowhere in his filmography is this more evident than in Pulp Fiction. The films soundtrack is iconic and contains a number of catchy tunes that play out during some of the most memorable scenes, my personal favourite being the dance scene between John Travolta and Uma Thurman's characters. Travolta plays a hitman who must take his bosses wife Mia (Thurman) out for dinner while his boss is away on business. At the 50's themed restaurant Jack Rabbit Slim's the duo discuss Mia's acting career, foot massages and even dissect conversations themselves before Mia insists they enter the restaurants twist competition. Travolta and Thurman are on fire in this scene, both of them showing off their incredible dance skills while adding their own distinct flares to the twist. Chuck Berry's classic rock and roll hit is the perfect song to accompany this scene, suiting the 50's theme of the restaurant and making for the perfect music to twist to. Travolta and Thurman already established their brilliant onscreen chemistry and this scene serves to cement that chemistry in cinematic history due to their incredible dance skills, it's no wonder they won the twist contest.

Watch that scene here.

3. In Dreams- Blue Velvet (1986)

This scene from David Lynches surreal neo-noir sees wannabe sleuth Jeffery Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan) being taken against his will to an apartment by the sadistic Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper). The owner of the apartment is Ben (Dean Stockwell), a flamboyant friend of Booth's who proceeds to lip sync the Roy Orbison song 'In Dreams' at Booth's request. It's quite an odd scene in typical Lynchian fashion, as the mysterious Ben mimes along to Roy Orbison, Hopper's character watches on with a look of profound sorrow on his face, as if the song has some deep connection with him. It is never made clear what the connection is between Frank and this song or why Ben mimes along to it for him, but this is a David Lynch film so details like this are better off left unexplained. Other small details that make this scene even more surreal are the reactions of Frank's henchmen, particularly that of Brad Dourif's character who performs an outlandish dance in the background. The song is then put to a stop when Frank becomes seemingly overwhelmed and turns off the stereo, leaving many questions for the viewer. This scene is classic David Lynch, it has a gaggle of strange characters, a catchy tune and a number of unexplained occurrences that contribute to making it a surreal and memorable moment.

Watch that scene here.

2. Just Dropped In- The Big Lebowski (1998)

This cult classic from the Coen's follows the exploits of The Dude (Jeff Bridges), a slacker with a penchant for bowling, joints and white russians, who gets caught up in a kidnapping plot. After he is spiked and knocked unconscious, The Dude experiences a surreal dream sequence involving bowling, Maude Lebowski (Julianne Moore) in viking armor, and Saddam Hussein. The dream plays out like a scene from a musical, complete with dancers clad in bowling-themed costumes and set to the tune of Kenny Rogers' 'Just Dropped In'. It's a wildly entertaining scene, Jeff Bridges has so much energy which contrasts to the usual laid back demeanor of his character The Dude while the production and costume designs give it that distinctly dreamlike atmosphere. Along with the presence of Julianne Moore in Viking armour and Saddam Hussein handing out bowling shoes, this is by far one of the greatest dream sequences in cinema. It's a very well choreographed scene as well, the back up dancers in particular are what give it that very musical feel while Bridges and Moore share a brilliant chemistry with their bowling themed dance routine. A hilarious dream sequence complete with surreal imagery and social commentary, The Big Lebowski is well deservant of the number 2 spot in this list.

Watch that scene here.

1. Jedi Rocks- Return of the Jedi (1983)

Only Joking...

1. Bornslippy- Trainspotting (1996)

The soundtrack to Trainspotting has become one of the most iconic of the 90's, consisting of a number of brilliant songs such as Iggy Pop's 'Lust For Life' and 'Perfect Day' by Lou Reed, the soundtrack to Trainspotting is one that defined a generation. With so many brilliant musical moments to chose from in the film it was hard to pinpoint just one, however I would have to go with the final scene that plays out to the tune of Underworld's 'Bornslippy'. After spending most of the film rejecting social norms and taking solace in the world of hard drugs, Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) finally decides to 'choose life' instead of heroin. After stealing money from his unhinged associate Begbie (Robert Carlyle) and fleeing from their hotel room, Renton vows to lead a more stable, drug-free life that he has been rejecting for so long. When Begbie awakens he is furious but it is too late, Renton is long gone and he doesn't look back. Playing out to the tune of 'Bornslippy', the final scene ends the film on a more hopeful note after a series of rather bleak events, Renton has seen what the heroin life can do to people and he has finally had enough, he is finally moving on. How serious he is about this new lifestyle is never made clear, regardless it is evident from the smile on his face that he is happy with his decision. Not only did the use of 'Bornslippy' make this an iconic ending, it also ensured that song at least one play at every party in the years that followed.

Watch that scene here.

In Praise of 'Child's Play'

When it comes to slasher franchises they usually go through four phases: the first phase being the 'good' phase, when the films are of good quality and are generally popular among fans and critics. The second phase sees the films gradually decline in quality before they get so bad that they enter the third phase, the hiatus phase. This usually sees the franchise take a break before they are scrapped altogether or they enter the fourth and final phase: the remake phase. We've seen this happen with many popular slasher franchises, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Halloween, all franchises that got off to a great start before declining in quality and eventually getting the remake treatment. However, one big slasher franchise has managed to avoid this tragic fate, a franchise that has managed to keep itself going for over 25 years without being remade, rebooted or any of that business. Yes of course, I'm talking about the Child's Play franchise.

Beginning back in 1988 with the original Child's Play film, the series follows serial killer Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif) who uses voodoo to transfer his soul into an innocent 'Good Guy Doll' named Chucky to escape death. What follows is a bizarre yet incredibly entertaining saga of films that sees Chucky go to military school, Hollywood, and even starting a family. But how does a franchise about a killer doll manage to maintain itself for over 20 years without being remade, rebooted or scrapped altogether? Well here's a couple of reasons why.

A Good Villain

No horror franchise is complete without its menacing villain, and despite his short stature, Chucky is very menacing indeed. The idea of a maniacal killer being inside something as innocent as a children's toy is unsettling enough, and Chucky's ruthlessness manages to back this up every time he takes a life. He will kill whoever it takes in order to find himself a new body to possess, he is even willing to kill children to achieve this. One of my personal favourite kill scenes in the franchise involves Chucky beating a teacher to death with a yardstick after she kept his target victim Andy (Alex Vincent) in detention and locked Chucky in a cupboard. While Chucky is ruthless in nature, he also has a sense of humour much like fellow movie killer Freddy Kruger. Right from the first film Chucky exhibits this darkly comical side to himself, spouting obscenities and wise cracks at almost all of his victims before ultimately killing them. It's an advantage that Chucky has this humourous side to him as you can't really have a killer doll of all things take himself too seriously. Above all else, he is a well developed character and is allowed enough time to develop in each of his films so that we actually care about what he does next and why he does it. In later films that tend to focus more on Chucky as an anti-hero especially do we see this sense of character development as he goes from murderous doll to family man.It's some of the most interesting character development in a horror film bad guy and is what sets him apart from the likes of Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers. He is crude, he is insane and he is pure evil, yet somehow we can't help but love the little maniac, he's a villain with personality which may not always be an advantage, but in this case it is.

Don Mancini

One of the reasons why slasher films decline in quality is because they fail to maintain consistent writers, new writers and directors are brought in for almost each installment which can lead to changes in the narrative, plot holes and sometimes even changing the story altogether in cases like Halloween: H20. However, the Child's Play franchise has managed to maintain one consistent writer since its very inception, the man behind Chucky, Don Mancini. Not only did Mancini create the character of Chucky in the first place, he has also written every Child's Play film from the original to 2013's Curse of Chucky and the apparent seventh installment currently in the making. Having the one consistent writer right from the beginning is a huge advantage for any franchise, they know their material inside and out, they know what their characters are like and how they would act, and ultimately they know what is best for their franchise. While Mancini has changed the tone of the franchise a few times over the years, he never changes his characters too much which means nothing they ever do is really out of character. Sure, Chucky is more comical in the later films, but he's always had that sense of humour so it never seems inconsistent. His films all take place within the same linear canon which allows for a coherent story and no mix ups with the narrative which is a big advantage for any franchise.

It Keeps Itself Fresh

Many slasher franchises become repetitive after a while as many of the films bare too much resemblance to each other that it's hard to tell them apart, case in point Friday the 13th. However Child's Play has seen a number of changes in tone and style over the years in order to keep it fresh which I feel is it's main advantage. Child's Play, Child's Play 2 and Child's Play 3 all feel like a self-contained trilogy that follows the ongoing rivalry between Chucky and Andy Barclay, the boy who he wishes to possess. In the first film he pursues young Andy, then follows him and his foster family in the second film and even follows him to military school in the third. While the third film isn't terrible, things do start to feel repetitive here and writer Don Mancini took this into account, changing the direction of the franchise in the fourth installment, Bride of Chucky. This takes a more comical, self-referential route that was popular in the 90's with films like Scream, and while the film wasn't popular among everybody, it's hard to deny that this was the right way to go in order to keep the franchise fresh. It even brought in Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly), Chucky's love interest and the titular bride. 

The fifth installment Seed of Chucky continues with the comedic tone, becomes even more self-referential and introduces Chucky's son Glen (Billy Boyd), it was an entertaining film but didn't do so well with critics, forcing the franchise to go into hiatus for 9 years. There were talks of remakes, reboots etc. but thankfully Mancini wrote, produced and directed the franchises sixth and most recent installment, Curse of Chucky. It veered away from its rather comedic predecessors and was a much more darker film, a Hitchcockian isolated thriller that follows a wheelchair bound woman (Fiona Dourif) who must survive against the evil doll. This frequent tonal change is important for the franchise to keep with the times and not be too repetitive and it certainly works here. None of the films feel too alike in the Child's Play franchise and they each feel like they bring something new.

Child's Play may not be the longest slasher franchise, or the most critically and financially successful, but it is one that manages to change and adapt itself in order to keep in line with the ever evolving horror genre. It came at the tail and of the great slasher boom of the 1980's, perhaps Mancini learned from the mistakes of past franchises and applied this knowledge to Child's Play in order to avoid the mistakes of other franchises. Regardless of how he did it, Mancini has crafted an entertaining horror franchise with a coherent story that spans over 2 decades, and while it has changed its tone many times over the years, Child's Play manages to maintain its universe from its story, to its characters to Chucky himself. To me, it is one of the greatest horror franchises of modern times. 

 

'Doctor Strange' Review

I'll be the first to admit that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become somewhat tedious, while I still enjoy its films and go to see each one I can't help but feel like things have become too repetitive. This is why I was so excited for Doctor Strange. From the first trailer the film looked like something completely new for the MCU, bringing in incredible visuals and the concept of sorcery that had previously been hinted at in other films. Now Doctor Strange has finally hit cinema's and, despite getting caught up with the usual Marvel movie tropes, it's a quite refreshing superhero film. It stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the eponymous Dr. Stephen Strange who, after losing the loss of his hands in a car crash, travels East where he finds himself entangled in a world of sorcery. The film co-stars Tilda Swinton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Rachel McAdams, and Mads Mikkelsen an is directed by Sinister's Scott Derrickson.

Like every MCU film, Doctor Strange has an incredible ensemble cast, this time led by the always superb Benedict Cumberbatch as Strange. He injects a distinct personality into the character in a similar way that Robert Downey Jr. did with Tony Stark, he's cocky, witty and has an incredible knowledge of music history. He really makes the character his own, right down to the intricate hand gestures used to conjure up spells, he has made Strange a welcome addition to the MCU. Tilda Swinton, who was met with immense controversy upon her casting as the Ancient One, proves here that she was the right decision for Stranges mentor. While being wise and all-knowing, Swinton also blesses the character with a sense of wit, making her an Obi-Wan type mentor to Strange. Arguably the most interesting character of the piece is Mordo, an ally of Strange played by the wonderful Chiwetel Ejiofor. He too acts as a mentor to Strange as well as a friend and his development throughout is one of the most captivating of any character in the MCU, I look forward to seeing more of him in future installments. Benedict Wong plays the unintentionally hilarious Wong who delivers some of the films funniest moments, there's a great scene involving Beyoncé that made me howl. McAdams and Mikkelsen both give the best with what they're given as Strange's love interest Christine and the villain Kaecillius, however they simply aren't given enough to work with in typical Marvel fashion. This is a real shame as the two are both immensely talented and I feel like they were both somewhat underplayed here.

As expected, the films visuals are the real highlight and are what sets this film apart from the other films of the MCU. They're like the best possible amalgamation of The Matrix and Inception, with plenty of running up walls and buildings folding on top of one another. The kaleidoscopic visuals are a real treat for the eyes and there's a fantastic scene towards the climax where they come into play wonderfully, they make for a different sort of Marvel film and allow for countless possibilities. From the reality-bending visuals to the incredibly trippy inter-dimensional projection scene reminiscent of 2001: A Space Odyssey, this film is one hell of a trip and the attention to detail during scenes like this is impeccable. It has the freedom to bend reality as it pleases to allow for more original action sequences and a more clever climax in contrast to the usual beam shooting into the sky, this new world of magic and sorcery is a welcome one to the MCU. Apart from these wonderful visual effects however, it still looks  and feels very much like every other Marvel film and doesn't really have any distinctive aesthetic to make it truly stand out. It had the potential to be a very different film stylistically and it almost does that, but at times it feels like it is being almost held back by that general Marvel look and feel.

Which takes me to the films story, the origin of Doctor Strange. Marvel are no strangers to origin stories which can often make things repetitive, while this was not the case with the likes of Ant-Man or Guardians of the Galaxy, unfortunately it is here. The films story does feel like a re-hash of Iron Man, a tale of a cocky young man who goes through a traumatic experience that forces him to change for the good and ultimately save the world. It's not something we haven't seen before and while it is a faithful origin for the character, it just feels all to familiar and predictable at times. Speaking of which, it feels like Marvel still suffer with their villain and love interest problems in the way that both are criminally underplayed here. Fair enough, McAdams' character is given more to do than just being a love interest and plays a crucial part in the latter half of the film, but for most of the film she's not even there and I feel like this is a waste of McAdams' talents. Similarly, the brilliant Mads Mikkelsen who plays the films baddie is also underplayed which is a real shame considering his talent for playing the villain. To be fair, his actions at least have some justification behind them, he's not just evil for the sake of evil but he has an extremist set of beliefs that lead him to commit his actions. While he does the best with what he's given, Mikkelsen's character unfortunately joins the long line of underdeveloped and underused Marvel villains. I feel like the general Marvel formula and tropes are what hold this film back so much, it suffers too much from familiarity which gets in the way of it doing anything wildly different.

While Doctor Strange does feel like it's held back by the usual Marvel formula, it does try to break free of this with its incredible visuals and new concepts. It's mind-bending special effects allow for the film to go places that no Marvel film has gone before and while it doesn't always take full advantage of this, it does enough to offer a brand new experience for cinemagoers. The good Doctor is a welcome addition to the shared universe along with some other interesting characters with vast amounts of potential. Doctor Strange doesn't just open a window of opportunities for the ever expanding MCU but an entire multiverse of possibilities, making it an extremely important installment to the franchise. It may not fully break free from the Marvel formula, but it brings some new and exciting concepts to the MCU that will hopefully help to change it for the better.