C.C.C. Issue #9: Top Ten Directorial Debuts

C.C.C. Issue #9: Top Ten Directorial Debuts (Best First Feature Film)

This past weekend I watched Don Jon, which was written, directed, and starred Joseph Gordon Levitt. Something about this movie struck a cord with me, and I must say I thought it was an incredibly well made film, especially for a directorial debut. This list is all about great movies directed by filmmakers who, at that point in their careers, had yet to actually direct a feature film before.

Top Ten Directorial Debuts (Best First Feature Films from Great Directors)

This is a list of films by directors who, at that point in their career, had never directed a feature film. They are being ranked both on how good the first film was, and how successful their career has been since that first film. So no, you won’t be seeing M. Night Shyamalan here. 

Criteria: must be well known director whose first movie was successful and well received, and have since directed other successful films. 

Honourable mention: Dawn of the Dead (2004), Zack Snyder. A fairly impressive reimagining of the George Romero zombie classic and a fine feature debut indeed. Snyder went on to direct the successful graphic novel adaptations 300 and Watchmen, and even tackled Superman with 2013’s Man of Steel, which will see a sequel confirmed for release in 2016. 

10. Mission: Impossible 3, J.J. Abrams 

I never was a huge fan of the Mission: Impossible films. I didn’t mind the first one, revered the second, but found the third one to be quite enjoyable. J.J. Abrams—co-creator of the popular show LOST—brought exhilarating action and flashy special effects to M: I 3, and has since found himself a niche in the sci-fi/action genres by successfully rebooting Star Trek with two films, as well as writing and directing the original coming of age summer blockbuster Super 8. He is also an executive producer on some of the biggest shows in recent memory, including Fringe, Revolution, and the aforementioned LOST. He is set to co-write and direct the highly anticipated Star Wars: Episode VII for 2015.

9. The Sugarland Express, Steven Spielberg 

Spielberg came from humble filmmaking beginnings. Before he ever introduced the world to the most famous set of cinema chompers with Jaws, the friendly aliens of Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T., or the prehistoric residents of Jurassic Park, Spielberg directed the neo-noir drama The Sugarland Express. It follows a couple on the run from the law through Sugar Land, Texas. Holding a strong critical rating and having won best screenplay at Cannes, it was a mere preview of what was to come for the director, who is now a house hold name and has won numerous awards for his work. From Schindler’s List to Indiana Jones, his list of directorial efforts is more than impressive, and despite a few misfires, is mostly solid from his latest projects all the way back to his first. 

8. The 40 Year Old Virgin, Judd Apatow 

Who would have thought the widely popular and successful films of Judd Apatow would begin with a story about a man who is still a virgin at age 40, portrayed by Steve Carrel, an actor (at that time) not well known? Apatow’s directorial debut was near the beginning of a series of successful comedies with recurring collaborators including Seth Rogen, Steve Carrell, and Paul Rudd, as well as many others whom he had worked with previously, such as on the short lived TV series Freaks and Geeks. Apatow has only directed four films, but holds many more writing and producing credits to his name, and his debut was nothing short of hilarious.

7. Sixteen Candles, John Hughes

Popular 80’s director John Hughes is best known for his high school teen comedies, which kicked off with Sixteen Candles, starring Molly Ringwald, who would go on to star in his next flick, The Breakfast Club. Perhaps Sixteen Candles is not the best or the most well remembered of his 80’s comedies, but it is still a funny, heartfelt story of a low key girl whose birthday is forgotten by her busy, chaotic family. As the events unfold, her sweet sixteen ends up being less bitter than she had expected it to be. Many elements of this film have become famous in pop culture and parodied, such as the Asian character Long Duck Dong, and the ritual of acquiring underpants. Hughes also directed the comedy classics Weird Science, Ferris Beuller’s Day Off, and Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. 

6. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), Tobe Hooper 

Tobe Hooper’s first film is so terrifying, you almost wonder if it actually happened. I could write paragraphs about the frightening conditions in which this film was shot, but I won’t, so if you are curious as to what they were like I recommend watching Masters of Horror, a documentary on horror films which can be found on YouTube (link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tKYnMwyzm4&list=FLL_OQ1wSwBTnITRm-1GmLsw&index=20). As far as the film goes, it truly is one of the best slasher’s ever. Hooper went on to direct other great horror flicks, including the Spielberg-produced Poltergeist. 

5. Reservoir Dogs, Quentin Tarantino 

Honestly, I feel Reservoir Dogs is a little overrated. For a long time I refused to watch it, but when I finally gave in, I was a little upset with myself that I waited so long. It’s not as smart of a movie as it thinks it is, but it’s still so cool and entertaining. Tarantino’s first movie introduced us to many of the elements his films are now so well known for, including dialogue that has nothing to do with the film (a recurring theme in all), out of sequence storytelling (most notably from Pulp Fiction), and over the top violence (again, recurring throughout). Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs is sharp, pulpy, and probably more of a classic than it has the right to be. 

4. District 9, Neill Blomkamp

When Neill Blomkamp came on the Hollywood scene with District 9, no one really had any expectations, and no one could have anticipated how mind blowing his relatively low budget sci-fi thriller would turn out to be. District 9 introduced us to terrific leading man Sharlto Copley and showcased Blomkamp’s flare for visuals, as well as delivered compelling storytelling and gritty realism. District 9 was not only successful financially, but critically as well, even being nominated for three academy awards including Best Picture. Blomkamp’s follow up, 2013’s Elysium, may not have impressed critics quite like his breakout film, but I firmly believe he will continue to deliver epic, brilliant, and entertaining films for the rest of his career.

3. The Shawshank Redemption, Frank Darabont 

Arguably the best film adaptation of a Stephen King story, Frank Darabont already had many writing credits before bringing King’s novella to the big screen. Why he waited so long to direct a film is beyond me; I guess he was waiting for a story worth directing, and he definitely found an excellent one. The film wasn’t the immediate success one would have expected, but it has since become highly regarded as one of the greatest prison films ever. Darabont also wrote and directed The Green Mile, another Stephen King adaptation tale set in a prison, which was also a terrific adaptation of the novel, as well as a great movie in its own right. Shawshank was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, but lost to Forrest Gump. I can see how Forrest Gump would have a wider appeal, and it is undoubtedly a great film, but I think Shawshank deserved that Oscar more.

2. Clerks, Kevin Smith 

What I love most about Kevin Smith’s directorial debut is the story about how he got it made. Produced on a mere $ 27,575 budget, Smith shot the film in the convenience and video stores at which he worked, and to get the money went to such extremes as max out credit cards, dip into college funds, and even sell part of his comic book collection. Now that’s dedication. Luckily for Mr. Smith it paid off, as the film went on to make 3 million at the box office and kick off his career. It also began his unofficial View Askewniverse, a fictional universe in which several of his films and other works take place. There’s no way I would have such confidence in making a film essentially about nothing, but luckily Kevin Smith did, because what he ended up with was one of the best comedies of the nineties. 

1. Night of the Living Dead, George A. Romero 

Romero’s apocalyptic zombie series started out as nothing more than a film about the dead coming back to life. Now, zombies are a staple of popular culture, and those flesh eating, nightmarish hordes owe their success to Romero’s seminal film debut. Made on a low budget, the filmmaker found it hard to try and get the film distributed, as it was seen back then as being too graphic and controversial. Nowadays, Night of the Living Dead is deemed a classic of the horror genre, and the first of the popular ...of the Dead series. Romero directed all subsequent entries, including Dawn of the Dead, Land of the Dead, and the most recent, Survival of the Dead. Romero himself is seen by many cinephiles—including myself—as one of the most important horror directors of the century.

C.C.C. Issue #8: Top Ten Breaking Bad Episodes

C.C.C. Issue #8: Top Ten Breaking Bad Episodes 

Top 10 Breaking Bad Episodes

Even if you don’t watch TV, you’ve heard of Breaking Bad and how awesome it is. It greatly increased its number of viewers each season, has received overwhelming critical praise, and just won the Golden Globe for Best Television Series—Drama. Does it deserve all the success? There is no doubt in my mind, that this is one of the best TV shows of all time. From beginning to end, this series was, simply put, amazing. For those of you who haven’t seen the show or have missed episodes, MAJOR SPOILERS lie ahead as I recount my ten favourite episodes and all the greatest moments of this excellent TV drama.

10. “Box Cutter” Season 4, Episode 1

Kicking this list off is the season four premiere, which set the tension fuelled relationship between meth cooks Walt and Jesse and their frighteningly calm employer, Gus Fring, for the rest of the season. This tense and shocking episode picks up where the season three cliff hanger left Jesse having just shot a gun at Gale, the chemist who had been set to replace Walt, but it was never revealed if he actually shot the gun at Gale’s head or not. It becomes immediately clear Jesse killed him. Walt and Jesse end up waiting in the meth lab for Gus’ reaction to this unexpected act. The suspense is tremendous the entire time. How is Gus going to react to this risky and violent act? Gus shows up, and completely out of nowhere kills one of his own men with a box cutter in a grisly display. It’s at that moment they understand how cold and calculated Gus is, and that to mess with him again will spell their doom. 

9. “Felina” Season 5, Episode 16

Like the commercial said, “All bad things must come to an end.” The final episode of the series was one fans eagerly crowded around their television sets to see—trust me I know, I was one of them—and watch they did, as the series finale premiered to the tune of 10.3 million viewers. The episode finally concludes the epic story of Walter White A.K.A. Heisenberg, and in true Breaking Bad fashion. At this point, the man Walter White is dead, and only his alter ego, Heisenberg, remains. He devises a remote control machine gun trunk turret, and blows away the neo-Nazi gang holding Jesse captive. Jesse gets some revenge on Todd by choking him to death, Jesse and Walt have one last encounter, and neither of them bothers to kill the other, even after all the shit they went through together. Jesse escapes to freedom, and Heisenberg dies. It’s not a heroic death, nor is it tragic. He simply got hit with a bullet, bled out, and fell over dead, just as the police showed up to take him away. Heisenberg simply left meth land as subtly as he entered it. The episode may not have pulled out any huge surprises, but it did wrap things up nicely and the last ten minutes were beyond captivating. Breaking Bad ended on its own terms, and though I was sad to see it go, was left completely satisfied. 

8. “Gliding Over All” Season 5, Episode 8

This episode came at the end of the first half of season 5, premiering in September 2012. Luckily I watched the first half of the final season on DVD, only a couple months before the second batch premiered in August 2013. Fans who saw this episode on TV and had to wait nearly a year to see what was next must have been going insane. The episode basically wraps up lots of things, including Walt’s official involvement with the meth cooking world. Jesse and he part ways, they get their money, and Walt and his family sit down for a nice family barbeque. Just when everything seems to be perhaps as back to normal as it can be, DEA agent and brother-in-law Hank goes to the washroom while at the White family’s home for dinner, and has the ultimate oh shit moment. Hank discovers who Heisenberg really is: his own brother in law, Walt. Queue the cliff hanger to end all cliff hangers. If only Hank hadn’t taken that dump, things would have ended fine. 

7. “Pilot” Season 1, Episode 1

The one that started it all. Even from the very start, Breaking Bad was brilliant. I had heard good things about this show, and so purchased the first season on a whim in January of last year. Right from the get go Breaking Bad had me in its grip. It was bold, original, and extremely well acted (Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston completely deserved those Emmy’s). I had to watch at least the first episode just because of how it opened. I wanted to know how a man, wearing nothing but a gas mask and his tighty whities, ends up driving a Winnebago through the desert with a dead guy in the back. The way it opened with the eventual climax of the episode was yet another stroke of genius. A great opening episode to a great series indeed. 

6. “Fly” Season 3, Episode 10

This episode is essentially about nothing. It takes a break from the usual drama of the main plot to focus on Walt and Jesse just cooking a batch of meth in the lab. Walt is trying to eliminate a fly from the lab to avoid contamination, something Jesse could care less about. Walt begins to fixate on this fly, and we get a perfect showcase of the acting talent in this show. Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston carry the entire episode—not easy when you’re pretty much the only two actors on screen for over forty five minutes. The episode is brilliantly directed by Rian Johnson, who directed a couple other key episodes. It’s neat to see the character dynamics at play here, and the reason the episode stands out is it’s unlike any other from the whole series.

5. “The Cat’s in the bag...” Season 1, Episode 2

This is the episode that solidified Breaking Bad’s status as a must watch show for me, and it’s only the second one. Jesse has to dispose of a dead body, but does so incorrectly by placing it in hydrofluoric acid in his bathtub, resulting in the bathtub melting through the floor in the first truly shocking and hilarious scene of the show. It’s absolutely disgusting as a soup of blood and guts and acid and melted tub splatter everywhere, but it’s also so funny to see the characters’ reaction. Plus, it’s just so over the top, you can’t forget it. Too bad Mythbusters proved the gag wouldn’t have happened like that in real life during their Mythbusters Breaking Bad special. It was still cool anyway. 

4. “One Minute” Season 3, Episode 7

Somehow there aren’t any episodes from season two in this list. Every season was great, and I considered putting the second season finale in fourth place, but it just couldn’t compare with the nail biting suspense of this unforgettable season three episode. At this point in the show, Tuco, the drug lord Walt and Jesse first worked for, has been killed. But, Tuco’s two twin cousins are on the trail of the elusive Heisenberg, and they end up trying to take out Hank in one of the most thrilling action scenes from the entire series. In Breaking Bad, it is never certain who might live and who might not from episode to episode (like much of the best TV shows these days, bringing Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead to mind). I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, never certain if Hank was going to bite the dust or bite the bullet and kill the brothers. This one event affected Hank greatly, and it was where I truly started to care about him as a character more than ever. 

3. “Dead Freight” Season 5, Episode 5

This episode got a well deserved Emmy nomination for its writing. It entails Walt and Jesse’s elaborate and epic train heist to get a huge supply of methylamine. They enlist the help of some other guys including Todd, a young guy who appears low key at first, but turns out to be way more mentally unstable than expected. The whole heist is nerve wracking and the odds are stacked against them, but by the skin of their teeth they manage to pull it off. Everyone is jumping up and down in celebration. Then, in a shocking cliff hanger ending, a kid on his dirt bike shows up and sees them celebrating. Todd doesn’t hesitate to shoot the kid in the head, thus setting up Todd as one sick puppy for the rest of the series, as well as adding to the mayhem that plagues New Mexico resulting from Walt’s rise to power. This episode masterfully piles on the suspense and builds to an explosive, cliff hanging conclusion. 

2. “Face Off” Season 4, Episode 13

This is the exhilarating fourth season finale, where Gus is finally killed in an unforgettable scene. All season, Walt and Jesse have been plotting to eliminate their all-too powerful employer, whom they are certain plans to kill them when he is done with their services. Tuco’s Uncle Hector, known as the old man in the wheelchair by most, gets his overdue revenge on Gus and ticket out of the old folk’s home all in one explosive package. Walt devises a bomb which is attached and triggered by the old man’s wheelchair. After much uncertainty about whether it would work or not and just as Gus discovers he’s been hoodwinked by his own meth cooks, the bomb goes off. Gus walks out of the room, at first appearing uninjured, but turn the camera, and oh my god...half his face is gone! A truly shocking and brilliant moment. Honestly, if the series had ended here, I wouldn’t have been completely disappointed. It was a very cool and somehow very satisfying ending to season four, but all in all, I’m glad Vince Gilligan brought the series to a more conclusive ending than this.

1. “Ozymandias” Season 5, Episode 14

For me, this was the climax and official ending of Breaking Bad. The subsequent two final episodes were wrapping up and epilogue; this was where it really ended for Walt and everyone connected to him. So much happened that the entire episode was a nonstop thrill ride, loaded with tension and multiple jaw dropping events. First off, the death of Hank was a purely stunning, heart stopping scene. Then, Walt’s extreme betrayal of Jesse literally had me at the edge of my seat; anything could happen at any second, Hank just got shot in the face, his partner Gomez is dead too, Jesse could be next, the tension is through the roof. Then, after more unnerving dread, the episode reaches the scene in which the White household ultimately disintegrates, and Walt loses what he fought all these seasons for: his family. All of this made for what I think was the most overpowering and emotional episode of all. Rian Johnson directed the tension fuelled scenes flawlessly, and made this the defining Breaking Bad episode.

C.C.C. Issue #7: Top Five Unknown Movie Sequels

C.C.C. Issue #7: Top Five Movie Sequels you've never heard of

This issue is something of a sequel to last week's. Before, I was counting down the ten movie sequels I think are as good, if not better than, the first. This week, I will be examining five sequels that have gone under most people's radar (including my own), or faded from memory as the year's have passed. I have ranked them both on how good or bad the sequels are, and how well known they are, both compared to the original films and to one another. Next week I might  switch it up and look at the more negative side of things, in a top ten worst movies countdown, or I will take a look at some TV. I haven't decided yet, but make sure to check it out!

Top 5 Movie Sequels you’ve never heard of

Criteria: Must not have been as successful as original, and be a sequel to a movie at least relatively well known.

5. Ace Ventura Jr. Pet Detective (2009). Sequel to: Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995). 

This sequel/prequel you may or may not have heard of. Ace Ventura is a Jim Carrey cult classic, definitely one of the funniest movies of 1994. Love it or hate it, the sequel which followed the next year, When Nature Calls, didn’t live up to the first one’s originality or hilarity. However, it was still miles better than this direct to DVD threequel, which follows the misadventures of Ventura’s son trying to save his mother from going to jail. Met with an enormously negative response from critics and viewers, the only way I found out about this one was by looking at the Ace Ventura box set. It contained 1 and 2, the animated series, and an advertisement on the box for Jr. Needless to say, I don’t own this abysmal and nearly unknown TV film. 

4. The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999). Sequel to: Carrie (1976)

I found this pointless sequel in a five dollar bin at a used bookstore—weird place, I know. Well, it’s the only other place I’ve seen it other than amazon.com. And let me tell you, the reviews for it on amazon suck. Brian de Palma’s Carrie was an effective adaptation of Stephen King’s first novel, and the remake didn’t receive the overwhelmingly negative response I had expected. This sequel to the original opened at second place back in spring 1999, and only made under 18 million dollars in total at the box office. Compared to its estimated 21 million dollar budget, that made it a pretty big flop. Indeed it was, both financially and critically. No one remembers this film, no one really knows about this film, and it doesn’t deserve to be remembered.

3. The Birds II: Land’s End (1994). Sequel to: The Birds (1963)

Remember the Alfred Hitchcock classic about killer birds? No, not Psycho, not Vertigo, The Birds! I was surprised to find out this had a sequel, not because a sequel to this well known classic seemed unlikely, but because I had never heard of it. As it turns out, this sequel was a made for TV sequel...and it’s considered an unrelated sequel. How can a movie called The Birds II not be a direct sequel to The Birds? Well, apart from featuring attacking fowl, that is correct.  Major negative reviews here as well (beginning to see the pattern?) and it even featured Tippi Hedren—who was in the original—but as a different character! That makes less sense than the title. Ah, who cares, this movie is for the birds anyways. 

2. Return to Oz (1985). Sequel to: The Wizard of Oz (1939)
 

This sequel represents the longest span of time between a film’s release and its sequel’s release. Coming out a whopping 46 years after Dorothy went off to see the wizard, this film chronicles her return to the world of Oz and the discovery that it is destroyed, leading her to try and save the world with new found friends. Dorothy is played by Fairuza Balk, who had never been in a film before this. Unlike the previous three films on this list, this one received only mixed reviews, and has since gone on to garner a cult following, despite having performed poorly at the box office upon initial release. Obviously many people have heard of The Wizard of Oz, and younger audiences are beginning to learn about it thanks to Sam Raimi’s prequel Oz: the Great and Powerful. But I had never heard of this sequel until only recently. And I still haven’t seen it! It may have been acknowledged upon release, but I think a lot of people nowadays have forgotten this Disney flop, or don’t know about it at all. 

1. The Son of Kong (1933). Sequel to: King Kong (1933)

Everyone knows King Kong. No one knows the sequel. Let me start at the beginning. First was the 1933 black and white classic, which featured Willis O’Brien’s world famous giant ape battling stop motion dinosaurs on Skull Island and scaling a model Empire State Building on Madison Avenue. It was remade in 1976—with a couple cheesy Toho installments in between—but that remake paled in comparison to the original. An atrocious 1986 sequel was made called King Kong Lives, and finally a proper, epic, well made remake came out in 2005, from Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson. But wait, forgetting anything? That’s right, a direct sequel to 1933’s King Kong was made and released the same year, this one about a return expedition to Skull Island and the discovery of Kong’s son, whom they nickname Little Kong. I haven’t seen the whole film myself, but am well aware of its existence. It seems like no one knows this movie exists, which is ironic, because it is probably the best of all five of these sequels. That is why it’s number 1: it is an unknown sequel to one of the best known pieces of classic cinema. 

C.C.C. Issue #6: Top Ten Best Movie Sequels

 C.C.C. Issue #6: Top Ten Movie Sequels

Welcome back to Clayton's Critical Countdown. I've decided to stick to one new list per week. That will give all you readers time to keep up and help me maintain a schedule. This week is all about sequels that are awesome, then next week I might continue the sequel theme and look at some sequels you've probably never heard of. If you have a suggestion for a top ten list, let me know!

Top 10 Movie Sequels 

This past year, as with most years, saw many movie sequels come and go, some of them among the biggest movies of the year (Iron Man 3, Star Trek: Into Darkness, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug) and others more than disappointing (Riddick, The Hangover Part III, RED 2). For this list, I’m going to take a look at ten movie sequels I feel are better than, or at least on par with, the original. 

Criteria: Sequel must improve on the original in some way, exceed original, or be a worthy continuation of the franchise (if it’s part of one) 

10. The Silence of the Lambs

First up is the unofficial sequel to 1986’s Manhunter, following FBI trainee Clarice Starling and her frightening case involving a serial killer nicknamed ‘Buffalo Bill’, with assistance from Dr. Hannibal Lector: the most memorable cinematic cannibal ever. This time around, Anthony Hopkins plays Lector, and Jodie Foster is Starling. Despite what other critics have said, I didn’t like Manhunter much and didn’t think it was that great.  I thought the whole film was very slow and low key, especially compared with subsequent adaptations of Thomas Harris’ novels, and Brian Cox’s performance as Lector was forgettable at best. This is definitely not the case with Hopkins (he won an Oscar, after all). Both Hopkins and Foster are fantastic in their respective roles, and the dread throughout this film is top notch. I still contest that this film isn’t a thriller, but rather a horror film. Seriously, a guy gets his face cut off and put on another guy’s face, that kind of stuff only happens in a horror film! I can accept it being classified as a psychological thriller because it definitely is that, but there’s no debate about Silence of the Lambs being a horror film. Anthony Hopkins went on to portray Dr. Lector in the sequel Hannibal directed by Ridley Scott, and the remake of Manhunter, re-titled Red Dragon, which I like a lot more.   

9. 28 Weeks Later

 

Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later was a seriously frightening horror film featuring some of the scariest zombies seen in 21^st century cinema—mainly because they were also the fastest zombies seen to date. Although I liked its dark, sinister tone and Cillian Murphy’s performance, 28 Weeks Later impressed me slightly more. It was more action packed, just as bloody, and featured one scene which actually made me gasp and cover my mouth and eyes (if you’ve seen it, you know what I’m talking about!) This is one sequel not everyone agrees is better, but I find it more enjoyable because it’s more of an action film than a horror film, and focuses on excitement over suspense—not that there isn’t any excitement in 28 Days Later, and not that there isn’t any suspense in 28 Weeks Later. What it comes down to is these are both excellent modern day zombie flicks. 

8. Hellboy 2: The Golden Army

This comic book hero first blazed the screen in Guillermo Del Toro’s stylish Hellboy. I really enjoyed this unusual superhero and all the lore of the world, but it still seemed to have some difficulty establishing the hero while simultaneously telling a story worth telling—an issue I feel many first comic book inspired films face. With Hellboy 2, there’s no messing around. The main characters are already established, and now we get to really enjoy some of the drama they go through. This includes meeting new characters and new villains. My favourite new character is Johann Kraus, voiced by Seth MacFarlane. I also thought the action was much improved, and there’s some clear evidence regarding Guillermo del Toro’s love for giant monsters with the presence of the elemental forest god (any question of his giant monster passion was completely confirmed by 2013’s Pacific Rim). Better visual effects, better story, and more spectacle than previously seen, you’ll have a hell of a time with Hellboy 2. 

7. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

I don’t need to talk too much about this film, but rather why I chose it as number 7. Of all The Lord of the Rings films, Two Towers squeaks by as my favourite one for a few reasons. All three movies are great, however, Fellowship was very slow at times and had trouble getting the story moving, and Return of the King just wouldn’t end; despite being extremely epic, Peter Jackson still felt he had to make three separate endings. With Two Towers, everything is perfect. There is a fantastic end battle sequence, great characterization, excellent creatures, and it’s well paced. It may be darker than Fellowship, but when films are done in three parts (see the original Star Wars and The Dark Knight trilogies) the middle chapter is always the darkest, the low point before the exciting finale. I cannot deny Return of the King’s sheer scope and emotionally gripping scenes (it won how many Oscars, after all?), but Two Towers immersed me in the world of Middle Earth most effectively, and was never boring. 

6. Die Hard With a Vengeance 

Many deny that any of the Die Hard sequels come close to the original, but I think Vengeance does. The third in the series, this one sees John McClane in his native New York for once, the return of director John McTiernan who directed Predator and the first Die Hard, and the addition of Samuel L. Jackson as McClane’s new sidekick. The action may reach points of total ridiculousness, but I thought it was appropriately elevated from Die Hard 2, and the villain is a pretty cheesy throwback to the first film, but Jackson and Willis make a good duo and exchange some great dialogue—a hundred times better than the comparably lame Die Hard 2. And let’s not even talk about 2013’s A Good Day to Die Hard, because it definitely was the film in which this series died, hard. Die Hard With a Vengeance is an underrated action flick that I highly recommend. 

5. Spider-Man 2

 

2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man was admittedly way better than Spider-Man 3. A lot of fans claim it’s a better origins story than Sam Raimi’s first Spider-Man, which I think is debateable. What I can’t debate is which Spider-Man film is the best, because I firmly believe Spider-Man 2 is indisputably the greatest. Doc Ock is a superb villain, perfectly balanced with villainy craziness and scientific reasoning. The action is great, but what’s most well done is the emotional journey Peter Parker/Spider-Man goes on. It is unparalleled by superhero movie standards. One of the best superhero films, Spider-Man 2 still thrills me as much today as it did when I saw it as a kid in theaters. 

4. Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

Now I’m getting into some seriously awesome movie territory. The original Star Wars is beloved, but many fans and critics alike see Empire as being the pinnacle of Star Wars films for a number of reasons. It is considerably darker, the special effects were perfected, and of course it has one of the most renowned lines of dialogue ever: “Luke, I am your father.” New characters are introduced, and all of them instantly become iconic, none more so than Yoda. The film has perfect momentum, slowly building up to the legendary showdown between Darth Vader and Luke, then ending on one of the best cliff hanger endings in cinematic history.  The Empire Strikes Back isn’t just my favourite Star Wars movie, but one of my favourite movies of all time.

3. The Dark Knight

 

Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy reinvented Batman in a bold, realistic way three successful times—a feat within itself. It’s probably not surprising that the second entry is my favourite. Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker will be studied by film students decades from now, I’m sure of it. He may be the highlight of the film, but everything else about The Dark Knight works, from Christian Bale’s solid performance to the edge of your seat thrills and action, from the adrenaline pumping score by Hans Zimmer to the scene by scene suspense. From the opening scene to the final shot of Batman riding away on the Bat Pod, the movie has you in its grasp and doesn’t let you go.

2. Aliens

Ridley Scott’s Alien was a benchmark for both the science fiction and horror genres. When it was announced that James Cameron, a relatively unknown director then (he would one day claim the top 2 spots for most successful films with Avatar and Titanic), people were shocked to hear that his sequel would be more a hard hitting action flick than a slow paced horror. Luckily, 20^th Century Fox backed up Cameron’s vision for the sequel, and the bold move paid off, as Aliens received even higher ratings than the first film. Even though I loved H.R. Giger’s alien design, I think I like Stan Winston’s re-design even better, and the Queen Alien is one of the most foreboding animatronic creatures ever. The film is full of fantastic effects, totally quotable dialogue, and emotional depth lacking from the first film. Aliens is a near perfect movie in my eyes. “Game over man, game over!”

1. Terminator 2: Judgement Day

James Cameron claims the top 2 spots on my favourite sequels list, just like the list of most successful films. If you read C.C.C. #1 on Top 5 Movie Trailers better than the actual movie, then you know my opinions in brief on the Terminator films. T2 is a masterpiece. It’s incredible to think that it came out in 1991, and the effects don’t even look dated. Everything one looks for in a sequel was checked off by Cameron, who crafted what I believe to be his greatest film achievement ever. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800 returns to the past, but his mission this time is to protect teenage John Conner from the ruthless T-1000, a liquid metal terminator much more advanced than Arnold’s model. The action is suitably elevated, as are the depth of the characters and well constructed plot. It could not have been better. The action is flawless, the plot is incredible, and the list goes on. If you call yourself a fan of actions movies (or movies in general) and haven’t seen T2, then you won’t truly be one until you see this. This is a must watch.