Raging Bull (1980)

While The Fighter got a heft of critical praise and an Oscar win for Christian Bale this just-gone award season, it's worthwhile remembering there was once another almost-never-made-boxer-and-his-brother under-dog story of a very different kind. Back in the 70's and 80's the Martin Scorsase/Robert De Niro duo struck gold time after time. Crazed loner Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver or their co-op in Mean Streets, the pair seemed golden. So putting their brains and passion together to form a story based upon real life boxer Jake Lamotta's life story could have only ended one way. Cinematic perfection (or close to it).

Shot entirely in black and white the film takes us from a young(ish) Jake taking on bouts with Sugar Ray Robinson, as well as slowly drip feeding us his darker side, how Jake easily switches from "best buddy" and loving, playful brother to dark, uncaring and downright violent. The movie takes us all the way through his success, and unfortunately, his brutally honest downfall. While the character remains pretty much unsympathetic throughout, one can't help feeling he never meant to be the person he was, he just didn't know any other way. While that doesnt excuse lashing out at his brother (subtle yet memorable Joe Pesci) and wife (Cathy Moriarty in her film début) for little or no reason, it goes a small way to at least explaining it.

The end result of golden boys De Niro and Scorsase is this black and white gem, seemingly a stylistic choice it was apparently also to disguise small historical inacuracies like cars and the colour of the boxing gloves from the 40's, and it works besutifully. The fights are both stylistically shot while also making you feel every punch. A lot of love went into this film, and it showed on screen, De Niro gained 60 pounds to play the older and out-of-shape Lamotta and it's little touches like that (taking months out from filming to put on the weight) that sell you the character more than what would have been done these days, a fast suit and a balding wig.

While the test of time well tell weather or not The Fighter has the same staying power as this brooding masterpiece, Raging Bull has rightfully taken it's crown as possibly the greatest boxing film of all time (yes, better than Rocky). Small draw backs like the occasional sound flunk was something I could forgive given how much stress Scorsase was under during the editing process, and didn't hinder my enjoyment one bit.

Stunning, honest, violent, tear inducing with no real "feel good" resolution to the tale, this film will break your heart, but you'll love it. 9/10

Heavy Metal (1981)

If you were to take elements of Blade Runner, The Fifth Element, 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Jetsons, then throw them together using "He-Man: Masters Of The Universe" style animation and putting as much violence, tits and sci-fi as you can in to one feature... THEN you add 70's and 80's heavy metal music to it (featuring the likes of Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult and Journey) you may have something close to the 1981 feature Heavy Metal.

This bizzare Canadian animated feature, based on the magazine of the same name, manages to envelope all of the above while featuring the voice of Euegene Levvy and John Candy (the oddity grows doesn't it?) is split into several segments, all linked by a strange green glowing green orb that spans the length ad breadth of time and space.

Going off onto various Sci-fi tangents the film is at one moment showing you a WW2 plane being taken over by zombies, then takes you to a distant planet who's only saviour is a partially clothed young white headed female warrior. IT'S NUTS! That being said, it was thoroughly enjoyable. The crude animation and absurd plot still keep you eagerly anticipating the next futuristic yarn, while the animated chicks may not be as titillating as you'd think, it's still some imagery Badassery on-screen.

Overall, a fun little animated piece that (other than the animation) has aged pretty well, watch it alone for John Candy's robot seducing, making love and proposing to a human woman... priceless. 8/10

Flash Gordon

Perhaps one of the most insane, idiotic and unashamably hilarious films I have ever seen. For the most part, Flash is depicted as an unbearable idiot. Here is a man with the expression of a lemming and the IQ of a puddle, who we are to get behind and support as he takes down an evil empire. How does he take it down? Well, with blind luck, mainly.

Everything about the film is dated and budget. The aesethetics are garish and laughable. The action scenes are among the stupidest I have ever seen. When Flash uses his 'American Football Powers' to beat back the armed to the teeth guards, I thought my stomach was going to explode. The heroine is a wimp, yet manages to beat up about six guards using nothing by hiding behind things at ninety degree angles from the guards, the supporting cast look like they want to be somewhere else (yes you, Timothy Dalton) and who could blame them? 

It's obtained a cult following, and probably rightly so, but I can't really see myself wanting to see this film ever again, even out of novelty value. So bad, it's good. Then bad again.

3/10

Romero's 'Dead' Series - Part 1 (1968-1985)

One of my favourite directors. One my favourite series of films. I'm biased. While zombie films divide the movie going public, I'm here to stick up for them and give the unbeliever a glimpse of why they really should be on board.

Night of the Living Dead (1968) is often considered one of the original horror films, and certainly the scariest of the entire series. Any reviewer can talk about its cultural significance, the censoring, the legacy and interpretations, but lets not get too carried away. The film, or the most part, is solid, well written and tight. Direction is controlled and simple, with good use of light and dark to really get the most of the grim surroundings, making the house and fields area even more daunting and eerie. Characterisation is an obvious strength, each sympathetic in their own way. The ending is fantastic, and while the pace sags in places, the pay off is well worth the wait. On the whole, the film is a humourless, horrid spectacle that intrigues as much as it entertains, but bears very little resemblance to Romero's later work, of which I am more of a fan. The wit and fun of the sequels is strangely absent. While a solid classic, for me it's not something that can be re-watched and enjoyed more than a few times. 7/10

Dawn of the Dead (1978) is possibly one of the greatest horror films ever made. In fact, I would consider it to be one of the greatest films ever made, period. Social commentary and consumerism satire aside, it's tremendous fun. Sure, the direction is occasionally a little shaky. Okay, the dialogue is mostly ridiculous and borderline insane. It's one of those rare films that will provoke completely different responses from people. Some would see it as a horror, some as a comedy. I like to enjoy both perspectives when watching. Some of the sequences and exchanges between characters are undeniably funny, but there's always this heavy weight bearing down on the film, you can really feel the impending doom, the inevitability of the fact that even though they're living in luxury and the zombie's can barely put one foot in front of the other, they will eventually all die a horrible, theatre paint red death. Amazing fun, great effects, superb tone, a true original. 10/10

Day of the Dead (1985) was a true sequel to Dawn in style and substance. Perhaps even more bleak and dark than Dawn, the underground military base, home to grisly experiments and borderline psychotic soldiers makes for some riveting viewing. The balance of power between the parties involved is perhaps even more scary than the gore, as for the first time we are given a true antagonist in Captain Rhodes, who is delightfully unhinged, a victim of his environment and responsibility. Then add to the mix a lot of surreal dark humour, an Irishman with a catch phrase, caravans, 'a mouthful of Greek salad', a typically zany score, guts (lots of), an awesome opening scene and a better closing half an hour of zombie nonsense. It may not have the wide reaching themes of Dawn, but it's just as much fun. 9/10

Coming soon, Part 2 and the not so amazing 21st century Romero films...

Bond - The Timothy Dalton Years (1987-1989)

After the series was left stale by the end of Moore's tenure as the British icon, it would take a strong lead and taking some risks to get the series back on track. Despite only starring in two films, Timothy Dalton brought a more mature, realistic and often darker Bond to the table for the better.

While The Living Daylights (1987) has a few Moore's traits left over, it's a worthy stab at something a little different. We still have the odd innuendo, but nothing as ludicrous as what has come before, except maybe a ski chase scene involving a cello case. The plot is at times a little overcomplicated, but at it's best it's a strong, character driven world cruiser with an enjoyable turn from Joroen Krabbe as the central antagonist. Strangely, we see Bond blatantly lie and take complete advantage of a helpless female simply for the mission, something never really done before in the series. That in itself shows a shift in the tone, however small at this stage.

It was in License to Kill (1989) that Dalton and the character really came in to its own. The story is not simply a man on the job, but a quest for revenge. Despite a typically Bond-esque pre-credits opening, the film quickly darkens, hitting Bond with some pretty severe personal blows. It had been since pre-Moore era we had seen Bond humanised and effected by a plot in such a way we were given a real reason to root for him. The film plays out efficiently, the action is slick and Dalton shines in what was probably the best Bond in over a decade. It's only a shame we weren't given a third Dalton film in order to see how the character may have progressed. I believe the best was yet to come.

6/10 a piece.