Films You SHOULD Have Watched : Trilogies

Alright, surprise surprise -  we're all still here.  

Evidently the world did not end today. But since we have all had a traumatic near death experience, what more appropriate means of celebrating our beautiful lives than by watching more films?

I was shocked and appalled to hear from a ridiculously large number of people that they haven't seen certain films I deem to be impossible to live without having watched. Yes, films are entertainment but they also influence how we think, act and go about our lives on an unprecedented level.

So, don't thank me yet, but I have compiled a list of films you should stop what you're doing and watch right now if you already haven't. So here is your Christmas present, I'll be reeling off the mandatory list in a series of categories. Yes I am that nice.


Part One:

Trilogies

- THE LORD OF THE RINGS  -

The Fellowship of the Ring (Peter Jackson, 2001)




The Two Towers (Peter Jackson, 2002)

The Return of the King (Peter Jackson, 2003)



I shouldn't have to explain why these utter gems are on the list. If you haven't seen them - or worse don't like them - you need to rethink your life.





-THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY-

Batman Begins (Christopher Nolan, 2005)
The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan, 2008)
The Dark Knight Rises (Christopher Nolan, 2012) review here

Nolan here rewrote the superhero genre to an extent it was no longer deemed lame. This superlative series, like Lord of the Rings, has a long running time. But what could you possibly be doing that is more interesting or important than saving Gotham? If you're really not into superhero stuff, fail, but at the very very least check out The Dark Knight for Heath Ledger's stunning performance as the Joker, which frankly put the films on the map.




- THE MATRIX TRILOGY -

 (although I'll forgive you if you just watch the first )


The Matrix (Andy and Lana Wachowski, 1999)
The Matrix: Reloaded (Andy and Lana Wachowski, 2003)
The Matrix: Revolutions (Andy and Lana Wachowski, 2003)

I could have put these epics in the 'epic' or 'mind fuck' category, but they're here so suck it up. The Wachowski's deserve a pat on the back for their dynamic action sequences, groundbreaking mind orgasm of a storyline and their peculiar dedication to the colour green throughout the franchise.





That's all for now, folks! Next time I'll be listing the 'golden oldies' you should catch up on. Lemme know if you think I should add any more. 

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

First things first, I have to apologize for not writing a post in way too long. I have no excuses I am just a loser. Please forgive me?


I think I speak for every Lord of the Rings fan when I say that the marriage of Peter Jackson's filmmaking and J.R.R Tolkein's stories is not something I thought I would witness again in my lifetime. So when I heard he was making The Hobbit, it was like a thousand Christmases squidged into a paradisaical film-formed present. I prayed it wasn't too good to be true.

And I am as jubliant as Father Christmas on crack, riding a roller coaster into a ball pool of chocolate, to announce that Jackson, as ever, does not disappoint.

Of course what we're all here for is that Middle Earthen feel. There is an utter escapism which the franchise encapsulates to an extent other films have not been able to even scratch the surface of. I consider the Shire my second home. Also like LOTR, this is a walking tourism advertisement for Kiwi-land. There are sumptuous sweeping heli-shots of snow dusted mountains, Elven valleys, rugged cliff peaks, rolling hills, snow dusted mountains... yeah you've seen Fellowship of the Ring.




The soundtrack plays a lot on the nostalgic hobbit theme, as well as other familiar LOTR hits and its own original music. Character wise, they've also chucked in a jumble of your old favourites, including good old Saruman (two laughs a minute, as ever), a less severe Elrond, the enigmatic has-she-been-on-the-pipeweed Galadriel, and of course Gandalf, who seems to get involved in the midst of everything, like, all the time.

Oh yeah and this beautiful geezer may have a role to play.

Additionally, The Hobbit has a new feel to it. Jackson was adamant this was not just a prequel to LOTR but a story in its own right, and this one does have its own distinctive feel to it. We're not about Mordor here, no one cares about Gondor or the return of the I'd-rather-be-a-hobo King, it's all about the Lonely Mountain guys. Basically, the dwarfs, led by Richard Armitage's bewilderingly attractive Thorin, used to live there until they were kicked out by a cranky dragon called Smaug, and now they want it back. Somehow Gandalf ropes a reluctant youthful Bilbo Baggins into joining in on the quest.

Here dwarfkind gets more of a look in in the narrative, with the gang of dwarfs providing energy and amusement aplenty. From the moment Bilbo sets his hirsute foot out of his front door, there is non stop action and suspense. There are encounters with trolls, to entrapment in goblin's layers, to riddle games with sociopathic Gollum, to battles with wargs and fat white, handless orcs. To be crass, you really get bang for your buck here, which is what I particularly liked about this film as oppose to the first LOTR, which is (despite, and not detracting from, its masterpiece) a little slow paced at points. This is a different, less atmospheric, but more of a guns-blazing, bustling, vivacious action-sandwich.

Does anyone else get what I mean by the peculiar allure of Thorin?

If I had to pick between the two, life or death style, I'd still go with Lord of the Rings. It is the more epic story, through no fault of the The Hobbit (blame J.R.). Nonetheless, a feast for the eyes and imagination, The Hobbit is pretty damn swish.