I'm back in England now after enjoying the last few weeks in France with friends (which apparently left you guys to rip up the place). While I was there I realised something about what this blog became in its first weeks. In my excitement over starting my course and having focus for the first time in years I may have gone a little blog happy.
I guess it was similar to those times when you find a new band that you fall in love with. You listen to every song again and again as if each one of them is the best song since Boys Don't Cry. This can be kept up for weeks as you listen and love every chord and every lyric but one day you listen to Dreaming of Manhattan and realise that, while this is from the same band that gave you Do Better, not every song is golden.
And so, this is where I am. From now on I'll screen my thoughts, reconsider my views and make an attempt to improve what gets placed here. Hopefully I'll find my way to a better writing style but if not, at the very least, there'll be less random thoughts from my head that a surprising amount of you seem obliged to read (a fact that I thank you for endlessly).
Of course, there is a secondary reason for this change and it is somewhat more personal. It came from a separate realisation during my time away and it may surprise a few of you that it has taken me this long to get here but, in essence, I want to yell less.
Now, this isn't me saying I want to argue less. I love arguments as well as my passion for politics and pop culture but something does need to change. I want to be able to maintain a sense of composure while I argue rather than going on the aggressive as I so often do. This change won't be easy but maybe in considering my views more in my writing I can start to bring that into my real life too.
From now on you'll be hearing slightly less from me but what you hear should hopefully be slightly more thought out. In this vain I wanted the next thing I write to be something I've thought about a lot and so it will be a piece on British identity (if there is one) called Who Are We?.
Wednesday, 24 August 2011
Friday, 5 August 2011
Top 5 Holidays
In the ungodly early hours of Sunday morning I'll be leaving the country via ferry with ten friends to stay in France for two weeks. As always before a trip like this I'm unreasonably excited and thinking back over all of my best holidays. Here are the Top 5...
Number 5 - Devon 2008
Before we were brave enough to leave the country, my friends and I went on our second holiday to a beautiful house in Devon. The week fell in one of the happiest but most confused times of my life and was one of those situations where everything just seemed to come together and I could ignore any issues because I was surrounded by the best people.
What I remember most is that this week was a complete example of everything I had wanted from my friendships. The days were spent either travelling around the local area (which took a long time to get to) when the rain let up and sitting around playing games when it didn't. At night people drank which led to large amounts of running around, singing and unexpected henna use.The holiday also gave me the chance to start building the incredible friendship I now have with my first girlfriend after a long time of distance between us.
I won't say any more for a reason that will be made clear later, but for now I'll just finish with that fact that this week and the holiday before set a trend that I hope will last for decades to come.
Number 4 - New Zealand South Island 2002
One of the things I loved about living in New Zealand was how the country managed to contain two completely different identities. I lived on the north island in Wellington and much of life around there paralleled life in England with the exceptions of some cultural changes and a far more relaxed attitude to life. However, when we spent a few weeks travelling around the south island we found something entirely different.
The natural sights of beautiful forests and lakes that were so still they acted as mirrors for the surrounding peaks are carved into my memory clearer than anything I've ever seen. We took a cruise down through the river where parts of Lord of the Rings were filmed and I got to touch seals as they swam where the sea came inland. Past all the beauty and spectacle of the trip I loved travelling with my family. It was a family that had left everything we knew behind and journey across the world together. It was this holiday and the whole New Zealand experience that brought me closer to them.
Number Three - Ischgl 1996
While I was growing up my dad spent a lot of time working in Germany which led to some great holidays that I can barely remember. What I do remember (in vague pictures built up in my mind) are several trips to Austrian mountains where I learnt to ski. I love skiing and Austria as a country but one of my favourite memories of these holidays is having my dad read The Hobbit to myself and my brother as we went to bed.
Number Two - Norfolk 1998
I don't have a huge amount of memories from when I was a child. It's kind of as if some terrible event happened that I'm blocking out but I know that isn't true (well I think I know it isn't true). My favourite memories of growing up were the new years. Every year after Christmas my family would travel to Norfolk with two others and we would have the most amazing breaks.
What really sticks in my mind about the whole thing was the tradition of it all. It obviously took a lot of work from all of the parents to keep it going but to me it just seemed to happen ever year and I would get to have fun with other kids and parents without any stress or hassle. It was my first experience of just enjoying something without having to fear losing it.
The most important thing about those holidays is that it's where I realised what I wanted from my friendships and my life. My parents had these amazingly close bonds to people that had been built over time and so much of what I've done since has been in the hope of one day having equally strong bonds and spending new years with old friends and our children, just having fun and not worrying about losing it.
Number One - Devon 2010
Devon 2008 was incredible but Devon 2010 was the realisation of a dream I'd envisioned since I was a boy. You just read about the formation of that dream but when a slightly different group of us went away for a week last year I found all those things I'd wanted. It was the most relaxed and enjoyable week I've ever had. There was no drama and no arguments. Everyone got along and I loved every single day we spent there (even the one I spent cleaning up the results of an horrendously drunk night).
One highlight was a day spent at a place called The Big Sheep which we had driven past and ignored every year to the dismay of Champagne. There were lots of cute animals and things that I probably should have found more interesting, but the awesome outside laser tag thing was the main surprise. The whole week was so great because it wasn't about creating friendships or starting traditions. We had the friendships and the traditions sorted already and it was time to just enjoy them.
That week made a dream come true decades before I expected it to and set a benchmark for all other holidays I'll go on in the future. For awhile I even worried that other holidays would be found wanting in comparison to this one but the fact that I'm this excited about leaving on Sunday lets me know that even something as great as this holiday can be topped.
An honourably mention goes to the awesome weekend at Alton Towers for Brian's birthday. I thought two nights wasn't really enough to count as a holiday but it really was a great way to end an incredible year.
So I'll be gone for a few weeks now, but I'll try to have something interesting to say when I get back. Bye.
Number 5 - Devon 2008
Before we were brave enough to leave the country, my friends and I went on our second holiday to a beautiful house in Devon. The week fell in one of the happiest but most confused times of my life and was one of those situations where everything just seemed to come together and I could ignore any issues because I was surrounded by the best people.
What I remember most is that this week was a complete example of everything I had wanted from my friendships. The days were spent either travelling around the local area (which took a long time to get to) when the rain let up and sitting around playing games when it didn't. At night people drank which led to large amounts of running around, singing and unexpected henna use.The holiday also gave me the chance to start building the incredible friendship I now have with my first girlfriend after a long time of distance between us.
I won't say any more for a reason that will be made clear later, but for now I'll just finish with that fact that this week and the holiday before set a trend that I hope will last for decades to come.
 |
| Devon Crew 2008, minus Champagne due to life threatening illness. |
Number 4 - New Zealand South Island 2002
One of the things I loved about living in New Zealand was how the country managed to contain two completely different identities. I lived on the north island in Wellington and much of life around there paralleled life in England with the exceptions of some cultural changes and a far more relaxed attitude to life. However, when we spent a few weeks travelling around the south island we found something entirely different.
The natural sights of beautiful forests and lakes that were so still they acted as mirrors for the surrounding peaks are carved into my memory clearer than anything I've ever seen. We took a cruise down through the river where parts of Lord of the Rings were filmed and I got to touch seals as they swam where the sea came inland. Past all the beauty and spectacle of the trip I loved travelling with my family. It was a family that had left everything we knew behind and journey across the world together. It was this holiday and the whole New Zealand experience that brought me closer to them.
Number Three - Ischgl 1996
While I was growing up my dad spent a lot of time working in Germany which led to some great holidays that I can barely remember. What I do remember (in vague pictures built up in my mind) are several trips to Austrian mountains where I learnt to ski. I love skiing and Austria as a country but one of my favourite memories of these holidays is having my dad read The Hobbit to myself and my brother as we went to bed.
Number Two - Norfolk 1998
I don't have a huge amount of memories from when I was a child. It's kind of as if some terrible event happened that I'm blocking out but I know that isn't true (well I think I know it isn't true). My favourite memories of growing up were the new years. Every year after Christmas my family would travel to Norfolk with two others and we would have the most amazing breaks.
What really sticks in my mind about the whole thing was the tradition of it all. It obviously took a lot of work from all of the parents to keep it going but to me it just seemed to happen ever year and I would get to have fun with other kids and parents without any stress or hassle. It was my first experience of just enjoying something without having to fear losing it.
The most important thing about those holidays is that it's where I realised what I wanted from my friendships and my life. My parents had these amazingly close bonds to people that had been built over time and so much of what I've done since has been in the hope of one day having equally strong bonds and spending new years with old friends and our children, just having fun and not worrying about losing it.
Number One - Devon 2010
Devon 2008 was incredible but Devon 2010 was the realisation of a dream I'd envisioned since I was a boy. You just read about the formation of that dream but when a slightly different group of us went away for a week last year I found all those things I'd wanted. It was the most relaxed and enjoyable week I've ever had. There was no drama and no arguments. Everyone got along and I loved every single day we spent there (even the one I spent cleaning up the results of an horrendously drunk night).
 |
| Devon Crew 2010, minus Rosanna due to early leaving. |
One highlight was a day spent at a place called The Big Sheep which we had driven past and ignored every year to the dismay of Champagne. There were lots of cute animals and things that I probably should have found more interesting, but the awesome outside laser tag thing was the main surprise. The whole week was so great because it wasn't about creating friendships or starting traditions. We had the friendships and the traditions sorted already and it was time to just enjoy them.
 |
| A good game of Shoot the Greek. |
An honourably mention goes to the awesome weekend at Alton Towers for Brian's birthday. I thought two nights wasn't really enough to count as a holiday but it really was a great way to end an incredible year.
So I'll be gone for a few weeks now, but I'll try to have something interesting to say when I get back. Bye.
Tuesday, 2 August 2011
Not Quite My Favourite Post Secret of the Week
Unfortunately there wasn't anything I connected with on a particularly personal level this week on Post Secret so instead I got thinking about how odd it would've been if the person who sent in the secret I wrote about last week was one of the people who viewed the blog. I would love to know if I interpreted it in the right way and if not, what they thought of what I said.
But anyway, here's a couple of funny pictures...
I wish I could say I made these but I didn't. They're from the internet. There are a lot of them out there, Post Secrets that have been messed with (or improved) and these are two of my favourites. They show one of my most feverish beliefs, that everything should be mocked. No matter how much you may care about or enjoy something, never forget the funny side of it because that's when you disappear into arrogance and pretentiousness. Also, I do still think about how awesome Arrested Development was.
So yeah, short blog today. Blame the people who sent in less interesting secrets (unless you're one of those people, in which case I apologise profusely). The next one I put up will be my last before a few lovely weeks away in France with my friends, so it will be a Top 5 Holidays.
But anyway, here's a couple of funny pictures...
I wish I could say I made these but I didn't. They're from the internet. There are a lot of them out there, Post Secrets that have been messed with (or improved) and these are two of my favourites. They show one of my most feverish beliefs, that everything should be mocked. No matter how much you may care about or enjoy something, never forget the funny side of it because that's when you disappear into arrogance and pretentiousness. Also, I do still think about how awesome Arrested Development was.
So yeah, short blog today. Blame the people who sent in less interesting secrets (unless you're one of those people, in which case I apologise profusely). The next one I put up will be my last before a few lovely weeks away in France with my friends, so it will be a Top 5 Holidays.
Sunday, 31 July 2011
Top 5 Songs Which Will Remind Me of Uni
I decided to go with more reminiscing about university for this Top 5 so here's the music will always be attributed to Surrey for me...
5. The Used - Pretty Handsome Awkward
It was a few months into my first year when I went to a No Wave night and a girl I'd never met played this song. I was in a strange place and had been drifting through uni without making any real connections to anyone, but that changed as I met the girl playing this song. Eventually I got to know her and realised that she was almost as awesome as I'd hoped she would be in those first moments but the feeling that this song reminds me of is being dwarfed by the sheer ability of some people to make me feel so young.
As I first spoke to her I felt an oddly comforting version of inferiority. It was as if anything I'd done in the past could be written off as the history of a teenage boy and now an adulthood could start to occur with this new person. Of course, in time you always discover that an adulthood contains many of the same mistakes you made in your teenage years, but this song will always remind me of that vague sense of hope that comes with the first year of university and an opportunity to start everything all over again.
4. Dr. Horrible's Singalong Blog - A Man's Gotta Do
One of the things I love about friendship groups is when everybody gets into something together. It can be music, films, TV or just things like in jokes and traditions. I know some people on the outside see these things as annoyances and ways to stop new people from joining in with established groups, but I don't see it like that. I think that if the people of a friendship group are letting you see their in jokes, its because they are OK with you being in on them, and you just have to take the time to get to know them all.
Anyway, there was a time in second year when it seemed like every single member of Game Soc got obsessed with Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog. It was a great time as people would randomly break out into the songs and random quotes could make people laugh. That's what I really like about those kind of in jokes, they reduce the requirement's to create happiness down to just a few words. I could have taken any song from the musical, but I choose this one because it was also my favourite song to come on shuffle at the gym as hearing Nathan Fillion singing like that is great motivation.
A final point on this one is that Gareth makes one hell of a bad-ass Dr. Horrible.
3. Throwdown - Baby Got Back
Most of my memories with this song involve me being incredibly drunk. From No Wave nights to Conspiracy to parties, this song has been sung everywhere in Guildford. However, my favourite memory of it comes from the second year lake party. I was pretty drunk by this point (as anyone who saw me that night can attest to) but I do remember holding Brian in total pride to my friends from home who had turned up while he sang every word of the song. It was an odd way for a feeling to form, but now this song makes me think of how well my friends from uni mix with my friends from home and how happy that makes me.
2. Mark Aaron James - Kleptomaniac Girlfriend
There aren't many of Mark Aaron James' songs that won't remind me of uni. He played at house parties in two separate years and both nights were brilliant. This song itself will remind me of the parties we threw in Milhouse as getting a room full of people to sing along with the chorus was an awesome moment. Mark is such a nice guy as well as being the most impressive writer of lyrics I've ever heard. Having him around Guildford really added something to the atmosphere.
1. Say Anything - Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too
Once again, this could've been an obvious ending to the Top 5 for some people. At some point early on in final year I got pretty obsessed with the music of Say Anything. Something about the openness and honesty of their lyrics combined with Max Bemis' unique view of the world spoke to me and I couldn't help but over analyse every single song. There isn't much to analyse in this example, just pure hilarity. The song kept coming up throughout the year, from quoting it at random times, to playing it for the enjoyment of house mates as well as a "fuck you" to pretentious metal head douche bags at No Wave and singing it into a mike as an odd choice as a favourite song during a recorded interview type thing. This song will go down as a reminder of the amount of fun that was had in my final year of university thanks to the people who surrounded me.
My next post will be a second of My Favourite Post Secret of the Week providing there is one, or Some Random Thing I Think Of if there isn't
Oh yes, honourably mentions for the lines "It's just one of those days..." and "Say, EAT MY GOAL!"
5. The Used - Pretty Handsome Awkward
It was a few months into my first year when I went to a No Wave night and a girl I'd never met played this song. I was in a strange place and had been drifting through uni without making any real connections to anyone, but that changed as I met the girl playing this song. Eventually I got to know her and realised that she was almost as awesome as I'd hoped she would be in those first moments but the feeling that this song reminds me of is being dwarfed by the sheer ability of some people to make me feel so young.
As I first spoke to her I felt an oddly comforting version of inferiority. It was as if anything I'd done in the past could be written off as the history of a teenage boy and now an adulthood could start to occur with this new person. Of course, in time you always discover that an adulthood contains many of the same mistakes you made in your teenage years, but this song will always remind me of that vague sense of hope that comes with the first year of university and an opportunity to start everything all over again.
4. Dr. Horrible's Singalong Blog - A Man's Gotta Do
One of the things I love about friendship groups is when everybody gets into something together. It can be music, films, TV or just things like in jokes and traditions. I know some people on the outside see these things as annoyances and ways to stop new people from joining in with established groups, but I don't see it like that. I think that if the people of a friendship group are letting you see their in jokes, its because they are OK with you being in on them, and you just have to take the time to get to know them all.
Anyway, there was a time in second year when it seemed like every single member of Game Soc got obsessed with Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog. It was a great time as people would randomly break out into the songs and random quotes could make people laugh. That's what I really like about those kind of in jokes, they reduce the requirement's to create happiness down to just a few words. I could have taken any song from the musical, but I choose this one because it was also my favourite song to come on shuffle at the gym as hearing Nathan Fillion singing like that is great motivation.
A final point on this one is that Gareth makes one hell of a bad-ass Dr. Horrible.
 |
| Gareth as Dr. Horrible, thanks to Karl Lindgren. |
3. Throwdown - Baby Got Back
Most of my memories with this song involve me being incredibly drunk. From No Wave nights to Conspiracy to parties, this song has been sung everywhere in Guildford. However, my favourite memory of it comes from the second year lake party. I was pretty drunk by this point (as anyone who saw me that night can attest to) but I do remember holding Brian in total pride to my friends from home who had turned up while he sang every word of the song. It was an odd way for a feeling to form, but now this song makes me think of how well my friends from uni mix with my friends from home and how happy that makes me.
2. Mark Aaron James - Kleptomaniac Girlfriend
There aren't many of Mark Aaron James' songs that won't remind me of uni. He played at house parties in two separate years and both nights were brilliant. This song itself will remind me of the parties we threw in Milhouse as getting a room full of people to sing along with the chorus was an awesome moment. Mark is such a nice guy as well as being the most impressive writer of lyrics I've ever heard. Having him around Guildford really added something to the atmosphere.
 |
| Some of the crowd of people in Milhouse watching Mark Aaron James. |
1. Say Anything - Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too
Once again, this could've been an obvious ending to the Top 5 for some people. At some point early on in final year I got pretty obsessed with the music of Say Anything. Something about the openness and honesty of their lyrics combined with Max Bemis' unique view of the world spoke to me and I couldn't help but over analyse every single song. There isn't much to analyse in this example, just pure hilarity. The song kept coming up throughout the year, from quoting it at random times, to playing it for the enjoyment of house mates as well as a "fuck you" to pretentious metal head douche bags at No Wave and singing it into a mike as an odd choice as a favourite song during a recorded interview type thing. This song will go down as a reminder of the amount of fun that was had in my final year of university thanks to the people who surrounded me.
My next post will be a second of My Favourite Post Secret of the Week providing there is one, or Some Random Thing I Think Of if there isn't
Oh yes, honourably mentions for the lines "It's just one of those days..." and "Say, EAT MY GOAL!"
Friday, 29 July 2011
Top 5 Comic Book Films
With Captain America being released today, I thought it was a good time to write up one of my favourite top fives. It was the first of the X-Men films that really brought me into the world of being a true geek and since then there have been countless great examples of films about costumed heroes, as well as some terrible ones like Catwoman, Elektra and Scott Pilgrim (kidding). I love a lot of comic book films, but the following are my five favourites.
Number 5 - X2
I don't believe there's ever been a film made of Marvel characters that achieved its potential. That said, X2 came the closest. Starting with a wonderful use of Nightcrawler and progressing through a wide cast of brilliant heroes and villains. Putting Magneto on the good side was a gutsy move for a film marketed to a mainstream audience. Also, watching Wolverine go feral to defend the school was a lot of fun.
While X-Men 3: The Last Stand brutally slammed the symbolism of mutants as any marginalised group in society into viewers faces with no attempt at subtlety, the preceding film managed to delicately hint at it. The clearest sight of this is Iceman's scene in which he tells his parents he is a mutant. Everything about the film is great but what puts it behind all of the others on this list is that it just doesn't come together as well. The end product just isn't as much fun or as interesting, but still, it's the best Marvel have got (for now).
Number 4 - Kick-Ass
Two things set this film apart from the rest of the list. The first is that nothing within it is impossible or particularly unrealistic. The second is that it came from humble beginnings. Every other film here had the benefit of using some of the best examples of comic books created, but Kick-Ass came from a comic that offered it little to stand on. Every single change that the film team made only improved the story and the characters and that's something you really have to respect.
The lack of any fantasy elements as well as the violence and an offensive little girl gained the film some harsh criticism (albeit from the same people who give harsh criticisms to gay marriages and immigrants) but these things are what give the film its edge. With a separation from the super powers and escapism found in most comic book films came a realism that led to my love of this story that shows just what people could be capable of given enough money or boredom. Beyond that what completed this film was a soundtrack that would be unbeatable, if it weren't for the next three films.
Number 3 - Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
From the lowest of starting points to one of the highest. The Scott Pilgrim comics are one of the funniest creations known to man and the film almost managed to live up to them in every way. Sure, some characters lost depth in the cutting process, but there is only so much you can put in one film, and Kim still manages to be completely brilliant even without 75% of her dialogue. What makes this film great really is the characters, from the evil ex's to Scott's friends and real life enemies (well them and every single beautiful geek reference provided by director Edgar Wright).
Scott Pilgrim's view on the world gives the struggle to get what you want an entertaining twist as the action, the music and the comedy creates a world that's only just outside of our own. In the end, the film is still a love story, and its nice to believe that even someone as immature as Scott can find happiness by beating up enough douche bags.
Number 2 - Watchmen
Terry Gilliam is one of the greatest directors to ever create a film, but even he once deemed the Watchmen graphic novel (and this is one of few comics that deserves that term) "unfilmable". Thank God, then, Zack Snyder decided to disregard those words and film it with epic results. With the complete version coming in at over three and a half hours long, there is so much achieved within the film. Never have politics and personal issues of sanity and inferiority been displayed in such detail in a film about costumed heroes.
Even with the huge run time, some of the finer details are lost from the comic, but all the important things are there as every single character is shown in such depth. If you want to see heroes being heroic, watch Iron Man, but if you want to watch the idea of being a hero used as a backdrop to preview some of the most interesting mind states in literature, then watch this. However, what gives this film its place on the list, and almost won it the title, is that the action is still incredible. The direction and soundtrack lend itself so well to what is happening that the characters do seem heroic, despite all of their flaws. Oh, and one final point, the film ending is better than the comic book ending (no matter what the snobbiest of geeks would have you hear).
Number 1 - The Dark Knight
It isn't often that the world's best director pulls in a selection of the finest actors of multiple generations to play parts they seemed to be born for, set to a beautiful soundtrack with some of the most interesting source material ever provided, but it all happened here. Christopher Nolan toppled an entire genre when he used Batman's two greatest enemies to show more of the hero than had ever been seen. A tale of just how much people will sacrifice for what they believe in, we were shown what it takes to be a true hero, and just how hard it can be to do the right thing.
So much has been said about Heath Ledger's portrayal of The Joker that I won't hang on it, but its clear to see that few roles have ever been dedicated to in the same way. Beyond this is an entire cast giving performances that made me engage more with this film than any other comic book film in history. I'm a Marvel nerd at heart and I always have been, so when I watched this film I really didn't want it to beat X2, but in the end there can barely be a comparison. One is a glossy show of superpowers that's greatest triumph is the display of a metaphor, while the other is a journey into how much it would take to commit to something you believed in while still hanging on to your own ideology.
Of course, there's a chance that Captain America or, more likely, The Avengers could take a place on this list. That's the great thing about comic book films now, there's so many of them that some are bound to be great. And have a look at this...
So that's it, some more random crap that I decided. Thank you for reading. The next blog goes back to me missing Guildford and will be the Top 5 Songs That Will Remind Me of Uni.
Number 5 - X2
I don't believe there's ever been a film made of Marvel characters that achieved its potential. That said, X2 came the closest. Starting with a wonderful use of Nightcrawler and progressing through a wide cast of brilliant heroes and villains. Putting Magneto on the good side was a gutsy move for a film marketed to a mainstream audience. Also, watching Wolverine go feral to defend the school was a lot of fun.
While X-Men 3: The Last Stand brutally slammed the symbolism of mutants as any marginalised group in society into viewers faces with no attempt at subtlety, the preceding film managed to delicately hint at it. The clearest sight of this is Iceman's scene in which he tells his parents he is a mutant. Everything about the film is great but what puts it behind all of the others on this list is that it just doesn't come together as well. The end product just isn't as much fun or as interesting, but still, it's the best Marvel have got (for now).
Number 4 - Kick-Ass
Two things set this film apart from the rest of the list. The first is that nothing within it is impossible or particularly unrealistic. The second is that it came from humble beginnings. Every other film here had the benefit of using some of the best examples of comic books created, but Kick-Ass came from a comic that offered it little to stand on. Every single change that the film team made only improved the story and the characters and that's something you really have to respect.
The lack of any fantasy elements as well as the violence and an offensive little girl gained the film some harsh criticism (albeit from the same people who give harsh criticisms to gay marriages and immigrants) but these things are what give the film its edge. With a separation from the super powers and escapism found in most comic book films came a realism that led to my love of this story that shows just what people could be capable of given enough money or boredom. Beyond that what completed this film was a soundtrack that would be unbeatable, if it weren't for the next three films.
Number 3 - Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
From the lowest of starting points to one of the highest. The Scott Pilgrim comics are one of the funniest creations known to man and the film almost managed to live up to them in every way. Sure, some characters lost depth in the cutting process, but there is only so much you can put in one film, and Kim still manages to be completely brilliant even without 75% of her dialogue. What makes this film great really is the characters, from the evil ex's to Scott's friends and real life enemies (well them and every single beautiful geek reference provided by director Edgar Wright).
Scott Pilgrim's view on the world gives the struggle to get what you want an entertaining twist as the action, the music and the comedy creates a world that's only just outside of our own. In the end, the film is still a love story, and its nice to believe that even someone as immature as Scott can find happiness by beating up enough douche bags.
Number 2 - Watchmen
Terry Gilliam is one of the greatest directors to ever create a film, but even he once deemed the Watchmen graphic novel (and this is one of few comics that deserves that term) "unfilmable". Thank God, then, Zack Snyder decided to disregard those words and film it with epic results. With the complete version coming in at over three and a half hours long, there is so much achieved within the film. Never have politics and personal issues of sanity and inferiority been displayed in such detail in a film about costumed heroes.
Even with the huge run time, some of the finer details are lost from the comic, but all the important things are there as every single character is shown in such depth. If you want to see heroes being heroic, watch Iron Man, but if you want to watch the idea of being a hero used as a backdrop to preview some of the most interesting mind states in literature, then watch this. However, what gives this film its place on the list, and almost won it the title, is that the action is still incredible. The direction and soundtrack lend itself so well to what is happening that the characters do seem heroic, despite all of their flaws. Oh, and one final point, the film ending is better than the comic book ending (no matter what the snobbiest of geeks would have you hear).
Number 1 - The Dark Knight
It isn't often that the world's best director pulls in a selection of the finest actors of multiple generations to play parts they seemed to be born for, set to a beautiful soundtrack with some of the most interesting source material ever provided, but it all happened here. Christopher Nolan toppled an entire genre when he used Batman's two greatest enemies to show more of the hero than had ever been seen. A tale of just how much people will sacrifice for what they believe in, we were shown what it takes to be a true hero, and just how hard it can be to do the right thing.
So much has been said about Heath Ledger's portrayal of The Joker that I won't hang on it, but its clear to see that few roles have ever been dedicated to in the same way. Beyond this is an entire cast giving performances that made me engage more with this film than any other comic book film in history. I'm a Marvel nerd at heart and I always have been, so when I watched this film I really didn't want it to beat X2, but in the end there can barely be a comparison. One is a glossy show of superpowers that's greatest triumph is the display of a metaphor, while the other is a journey into how much it would take to commit to something you believed in while still hanging on to your own ideology.
Of course, there's a chance that Captain America or, more likely, The Avengers could take a place on this list. That's the great thing about comic book films now, there's so many of them that some are bound to be great. And have a look at this...
So that's it, some more random crap that I decided. Thank you for reading. The next blog goes back to me missing Guildford and will be the Top 5 Songs That Will Remind Me of Uni.
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