An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)

I wasn't sure what to expect of this film. You have probably heard the ending referenced on countless TV shows. It seems to be one of those films that has worked its way into the general consciousness, but I won't give it away just in case you don't know. I think it's enough to say that it is known as one of the classic romances, with Richard Gere as Zack Mayo in probably his second most famous role. Yet it is also sold as a new Naval recruit's attempt to get through a tough officer training academy. Could I expect soppy romance or gritty military drama?

Cue an over the top 80's soundtrack of power ballads and an opening few scenes featuring Zack's alcoholic, whore chasing father (Robert Loggia) and my expectations rose. Loggia is an actor with real character. A voice like whiskey and cigarettes distilled over nails. Yes I am a huge Scarface fan and therefore a big fan of Loggia! Sadly he is very underused and after stealing the show at the start the film quickly moves on without him.

Another good performance comes from Louis Gossett Jr as the ever angry drill sergeant in charge of turning Mayo from smug rebellious layabout into a leader of men. I got the feeling that I was watching a light version of Full Metal Jacket, then I found out that was made in 1987 so I have to concede it wasn't as much of a cliché as I thought.

The main theme of the film however seems to be an extension of the American Dream. It is chased down clearly by Gere in his attempts to become an officer, but also more confusingly by two local girls. Paula and Lynette get tarted up every weekend and prowl the bars hoping to bag themselves a future officer. I could go into a big rant at this point about how women have become more empowered these days, how they don't need men to become a success. Yet every time I turn on the TV or look at a magazine I'm faced with a wannabe WAG! Now don't get me wrong, I know that most women want success in their own right, and that most women cringe at the idea of being a trophy wife. But let’s face it ladies, there is a tiny minority of opportunistic, cosmetically augmented, way too tanned hunters on the prowl. To be fair it seems a good career if you can get it but I just don't want to hear about it every day!

This distortion on the pursuit of the American Dream does lead to an unexpected dark twist in the film, probably saving it from sinking in a shallow sex haze as Mayo and Paula embark on an obvious course.

With a few good performances (to be fair Richard Gere is good also, and actually has dark hair it’s so old school!) I was pleasantly surprised by this film.

6/10

Last Night (1998)

Sometimes you read a film blurb and think YES that sounds like an interesting idea.

I found this Canadian film on Film4. Imagine it is your last night on earth. What would you do? As far as I am aware I have never seen a Canadian film. I know the Southpark writers are Canadian (does that mean Team America: World Police is a Canadian film? Disregard the previous if that is the case.) The description promised "a very different group of individuals with very different ideas of how to face the end" (thanks to IMDB.com). I thought I had to give this a go, it sounded pretty far from your typical Hollywood blockbuster.

My mind wandered as I sat to watch the credits. Seeing the possibilities of a world without hope. People without any fear of a tomorrow that will never come. I saw riotous street gangs, unashamed debauchery and desperate acts from desperate people. Maybe I had just been watching the news too much recently! The idea of a world that you knew was going to end in 6 hours really caught my imagination. People can be bad enough when there is accountability, but take all consequence away...

Well if you take away a Canadian's accountability they go to the supermarket to get ingredients for a last meal, or go round their mums for a mock-up Christmas dinner apparently. I am happy to excuse a films low budget, but a lack of ambition cannot be forgiven. I'm sure some people who have watched this (there must be half a dozen of them on this planet somewhere) will point to the fact that it is an understated look at people's need to find some connection with their fellow man. That not all films need lightening pace, witty dialogue or kooky charm. But in the absence of big bangs and loud explosions you need to have some kind of charm or humour, even a subtle sense of dread to make a film like this work.

10 minutes into this film I was bored. It had none of the above I'm afraid. I wanted to like it but the lead actors lack of any kind of charm made it really difficult to care that the world was about to end. Anyone who has been in Play night club in Swansea will probably know this feeling! The closest thing to a likeable character was ginger love machine Alex who resolves to fulfil all of his ambitions, sexual of course. Ironically he would probably have enjoyed Play.

I feel it is my responsibility to watch a wide variety of films on this little journey, so I am glad I gave this a go and made it to the end, much like the people must have been glad it was ending in this piss boring town (sorry, that was the last bad pun I promise). What started as a great idea shrivelled into a poor attempt to show peoples need for a human connection, no matter how fleeting.

Best to give this one a miss in my opinion.

3/10

Super 8 (2011)

Considering my nostalgic mood I got a bit excited when I read about Super 8.

Spielberg produced, directed by that JJ Abrams bloke that did Lost and Startrek! Couldn't be bad could it? Also it was my first trip to the cinema in a depressingly long time. I was starting to feel like a big kid already.

Me and Soph started with possibly my favourite part of going to the cinema... guess the ads! You must have played that as a kid. Watching cluelessly as a loud flashy music video looking stream of images bash your eyeballs. Then you see the brand logo on screen and both shout out FORD!! followed by a few F*%$s and T!£*s as you realise it’s a draw. Never mind, on to the next ad. So after annoying the people around us with our giggles and cursing the film started.

Bloody hell what a slow and depressing start. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Now for the film review bit.

Super 8 is set in 1979 in small town America. It follows high school kid Joe Lamb and his group of misfit friends as they try to make a zombie movie on a Super 8 camcorder. Charles is the bossy Orson Wells wannabe director, Cary the nutty, braces wearing explosives nut and Martin the nice but dim leading man of their little production. I’m sure there was another friend but I can't quite remember what he did... And then there is Alice, troubled and sad, who steals our little Joe's heart.

There is more than a touch of The Goonies about the group, or possibly Stand By Me. The film geeks will instantly spot a couple of flattering homages throughout.

Following the above mentioned slow start the film really begins when the group are out shooting a scene one night and capture a huge train crash on film. Soon their quiet town is swarmed with mysterious air force men and strange goings on.

The main story might annoy a few people but I was too charmed by the boys banter and the films friendly style to care really. It never gets close to the manic boisterousness and pure chemistry of the kids in The Goonies but there are some really good scenes of childish bickering that made me smile.

As the town goes mad and events spiral way past the control of a group of children I really did start to feel for them. Some decent performances from Joe (Joel Courtney) and Alice (Elle Fanning) really hold things together. Also Charles (Riley Griffiths) has some good moments. Stick around while the credits are rolling for probably my favourite part of the film!

There is clearly an attempt by Abrams to pay homage to some great films from the past, for which I salute him. Strands of ET, The Goonies, Stand By Me and Night of the Living Dead among others are obvious yet it never quite captures the magic of these. I did leave the cinema with a smile on my face and a tinge of melancholy nostalgia for a long gone childhood. When you could spend all summer running around obsessed with the latest film you had seen (I wanted to be in Highlander sooo much one time I spent months sparring with bamboo canes with my friend shouting "there can be only one!") The boy’s obsession with making their movie really brought that home.

Far from perfect but very likeable.

7/10.

They don't make 'em like they used to

I grew up watching films in the 80's. Great films.

Some of my favourite childhood memories involved our giant VCR. I still remember the day my grandfather brought it home. A huge grey slab of flashing lights, whirring and clicking proudly on its perch beneath our TV.

I loved going to the video shop and arguing for 20 minutes with my brother about which film we were going to rent. I loved the fact that you sometimes had to rewind it before you could watch it because some lazy bugger had rented it before you. Then came the trailers... Loved those trailers.

Then best of all a brand new, never before seen, spectacle of wonder and adventure. I know I probably should have gotten out more as a child... But growing up in rainy South Wales meant I always preferred an evening with George Lucas or Steven Speilberg. Let’s face it, it's a lot more fun battling evil empires, discovering hidden treasure and saving the world than being the last kid picked for football down the park on a wet Tuesday evening.

It got me thinking that they just don't make films like they used to. It made me sad that my son would grow up watching the formulated unoriginal drivel that Hollywood seems to churn out today. I feel lost in a shower of remakes, sequels and bloody romcoms starring the latest pretty but vacant fops on the Hollywood conveyor belt. I started wondering if there really were any decent films still being made. If I would ever have another moment like the first time I watched Raiders of the Lost Ark, staring mouth agape as Indy runs from a horde of Incas or laughing as he casually pulls his gun and shoots the master swordsman spinning his blade like a dervish.

I'm setting myself a goal to watch a film a day for the next year, hoping that I can restore my faith in the filmmaker’s powers to entertain and enthral us. It will be a busy year as I have a 9 month old son who demands more attention than his mother, and with my wedding fast approaching it could get hectic.

I'm off to watch Super 8 to kick off this challenge, I will get a write up posted asap.

So if I don't see you, good morning, good afternoon, good evening and good night.