Thursday, 4 August 2011

Films that make me feel good - part 1 of probably many..

Anyone who knows me well also knows I'm a film buff.. I have a cultish taste in films and I thought I'd simply share some of the films that I love to watch to cheer myself up...

1) Doomwatch: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068498/combined

When I was in my twenties with alot of spare time on my hands and few cares I used to stay up all hours watching films and TV. Channel 4 had a brief run on UK B movies that were on at some crazy hour of a Saturday Morning. This was one of those and they were like small treasures to me being a Sci-fi fan. Love alot of Tony Tenser's stuff as you'll see.
This film is a followup to a now little know UK TV series..kinda like a precursor to the X Files but with a more Environmental bias.

Doomwatch title

2) A Matter of Life and Death: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038733/combined

In many peoples estimation the Greatest film ever made. Mine included. I 1st saw this with my Father in the house I now own. I must have been about 7 and it's gentle fantastical view of heaven plus the fact that David Niven looked like a thinner version of my father really grabbed my attention. Though Niven is the star and gives a great performance the film is stolen by the Duo of Roger Livesey (A criminally forgotten character actor of the 40's & 50's and Marius Goring as the delightfully pompous french Conductor trying to get Niven to allow him to take him to heaven after losing him in fog at his allocated time of death.... watch it, it will make more sense lol

6 a matter of life and death april 14 601x256

3) The Body Stealers: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065089/combined

From the same stable as Doomwatch, this is a lovely flawed gem of a film. Again part of the Channel 4 late night B movie season I loved so much. Patrick Allen (he of the iconic Barrett Adverts in the 70's) is the lead here with interestingly Sean Connerey's Brother Neil, and yes its as you imagine.. a somewhat less handsome version of Sean.. Also the Spaceship for Dr Who - Daleks invasion earth make a cameo appearance.. It's silly and very flawed, but I love it..

Body stealers poster 02

4) Atlantis Interceptors: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086135/combined

The 80's was a great decade for film... Maybe not as classic quality wise, but classic in it's own trashy glossy way... In B movies apart from horror one film spawned more clones and admirers than any other.. Mad Max..Yes made in 79 I know... But just like Alien..or even more so a whole industry of Imitators appeared like poppies on a battlefield. Alot of the better ones from Italy. I saw most of them from a mobile video rental service called flix. Alot of them are ok for a couple of views such as Exterminators of the year 3000 and Bronx Warriors, but this somewhat more ambitious entry always stuck with me. Synopsis thus: A team aboard a drilling rig are trying to raise an old sub, however in doing so they awake an ancient race of warriors from an unnamed island (Atlantis??) who just happen to dress in torn denim and leather and drive hacked up chevrolet's and dodge trucks covered with horns etc, who then begin attacking the mainland. The heroes are a couple of Mercenaries who appear to be hired killers at the start of the movie.. It's just great!!!

Atlantis interceptors


More to come..yep..sorry...



1 comment:

Matt Wynne said...

Nice one Al - A Matter of Life & Death is a huge favourite of mine too. My interest in the RAF was already at a fever pitch and I watched this as kid, the shiny version of heaven and the always slightly tongue in cheek mood of it have always state with me.