Cool Runnings (1993)

When the Jamaican sprinter Derice Bannock fails to qualify for the 100-yard sprint for the Olympics due to a minor accident, he decides to go to the Olympics anyway, not as a sprinter however, but as a bobsledder. He meets dishonoured coach Irving Blitzer, who is living in Jamaica and convinces him to coach the first Jamaican bobsledding team. They form a group with push-cart driver Sanka Coffie, sprinter Yul Brenner and rich Junior Bevil and without any sponsor, fly to Calgary to participate in the 1988 Winter Olympics. In the freezing weather Derice, Sanka, Junior, and Yul are only laughed at since nobody can take a Jamaican bobsledding team led by a disgraced trainer seriously. But team spirit and a healthy self-confidence may lead to a few surprises in the upcoming Olympics. Cool Runnings is a hilarious movie that I thoroughly enjoyed and is inspired by, but not a true account of, the true story of the first Jamaican Olympic bobsled team and is a heartwarming story for the whole family to enjoy. It has some very good life lessons with some great comedic scenes throughout. The bobsledding team have some great banter, which is frequently joined in by Irv. Out of all the members, I particularly love Sanka the most due to how he is easily the funniest character in every scene he is in. My personal favourite moment with him is when the whole group is raising money for the team so they can fly over to the games. One of Sanka's attempts is by singing yet no one gives him any money until one man comes along and says, "I'll pay you a dollar to shut up" and I just couldn't stop laughing. I love every moment he is on screen. The coach, Irv, is played by the phenomenal actor John Candy who has some extremely funny sequences also, which got plenty of laughs from me as he does in all of his films like, for example, The Great Outdoors (1988), Uncle Buck (1989), Planes, Trains And Automobiles (1987) and Spaceballs (1987). He, unfortunately, passed away one year later after this film was released, only at the age of 43, which is very upsetting and a real shame as he was an amazing actor in so many wonderful films. I love his scenes like the recruiting for the bobsledding team with the use of a video demonstration. Instead of being a positive look at the sport it ends up showing all the crashes and dangers of the sport to which the video ends with the words 'Crash Kills Bobsledder'. Irv even says "Always remember, your bones will not break in a bobsled. No, no, no. They shatter." I love the whole scene mainly because right after this presentation, matched with these words, Irv proceeds to ask who wants in to find everybody has left. It is such a brilliant scene that always gets a laugh from me. Each member of the Jamaican bobsledding team are all great and I love that they are each shown as separate people with different goals and ways of thinking making their journey along the way all that more compelling. The friendships they develop throughout the film are so engaging and a true highlight. I think the best development is seen with Yul Brenner who doesn't get along with Junior Bevil after his accident cost him his place in the Olympics. He is always harsh to Bevil however, over the course of the film they become friends and he helps him with the confidence to stand up to his father. Seeing the team grow and overcome their problems is so entertaining and rewarding in the end. My favourite scene in the entire feature is the ending when the team finishes the race. It is a really emotional and uplifting moment that gained the respect of all the people and teams who originally mocked them as they clap them to the finish line. Jamaica had finally earned all of their respect in the most powerful scene in the whole film, which is certain to have many viewers choked up and cheering alongside everyone else. Overall, this film is a great deal of fun, which can be watched with the whole family. It is full of great messages, hilarious timeless comedy and an enjoyable round of characters. I would highly recommend giving this film a look over as it is truly delightful.

Runtime: 1h 38m

Director: Jon Turteltaub

Genre: Adventure / Comedy / Family / History / Sport

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Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (1966)

Policeman Tom Campbell stumbles upon the TARDIS after mistaking it for a real police telephone box and ends up being taken to the year 2150 A.D, by Dr. Who. They arrive in London only to see that it is completely deserted, with not a person in sight nor the sound of birds in the sky. Buildings are falling apart and the place is eerily quiet. However, the group soon discovers that the world is currently being controlled by the evil forces of the Daleks. Dr. Who is surprised to see the Daleks after their last confrontation where they were destroyed on their planet Skaro. Some of the people have survived the ongoing invasion by hiding, to prevent them from being turned into Robomen. Living dead men, forced to work for the Daleks in their occupation. Dr. Who teams up with the survivors to take down the Daleks and save the planet. This is my favourite of the two Doctor Who - Dalek movies. The first: Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965) is a terrific sci-fi movie where we see the planet of the Daleks: Skaro and the Dr. alongside his granddaughters and Ian help to defeat them to save the race of the Thals. In this sequel, the Daleks are back however, they are from a different point in time to the previous ones we saw and their destructive ways have now come to Earth. This is a great action-packed sci-fi adventure with some absolutely cool Dalek scenes with some extremely brutal kills too, making them the threatening and terrifying beings we have all come to know and love. I personally enjoy the darker tone of the feature and how truly gritty it is. It doesn't shy away from some horrific deaths and all-out warfare, which I appreciated for the fact it made the Daleks something to actually fear. The best sequence in the film, in my opinion, is the battle at the Dalek's spaceship taking on both the metal monsters and the Robomen. From huge explosions to ruthless deaths and high-stakes action, this is such a heart-pumping experience. Seeing Daleks in full-blown conflict will never stop being the coolest thing ever. Even their spaceship is cool, blasting vehicles down below in a great blaze with some superb special effects on display. Invasion Earth was a perfect film for me since I grew up watching it repeatedly being a huge fan of the Daleks at the time (and still am). Having these iconic metal creatures shown in a movie format was up there as one of the best decisions of the time, especially during the peak of Dalekmania. It was a brilliant take on one of the most anticipated episodes of the classic era of Doctor Who (TV Series 1963-1989) during William Hartnell's run with the return of the Daleks after their first explosive appearance, which sprung the craze: Dalekmania. There were many amazing additions to the cast in this film too, with my personal favourite being: Bernard Cribbins who, had some great comedic scenes and was a big help in the fight against the invasion despite being a reluctant traveller to the future. He is also present in many of the Carry-On films and, funnily enough, had a role in the Revival Era of Doctor Who (TV Series 2005-2017), however, as a different role unrelated to this. I enjoyed his character in both renditions of the Doctor Who media. The music, composed by Bill McGuffie is also really invigorating and gets you eager for the adventure ahead with some magnificent musical pieces. I thoroughly enjoy the theme song played during the opening titles because it includes the TARDIS sound effects, which are played throughout the song creating the coolest piece in the whole film. Unfortunately, we never got a third instalment to these movies, which is a massive disappointment as it would have been based on the third Dalek story of the show in which the Daleks chase after the Doctor in their own time machine. Such a shame it never got made cause I know it would have been insane. Overall, Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. is one of my all-time favourite films and is easily the best of the two Dalek movies, which I frequently revisit. If you are in search of an exciting science fiction adventure for the whole family then definitely go check out this film and its predecessor, they are a great deal of fun. I think this is worthy viewing for all Doctor Who and, especially, Dalek fans.

Runtime: 1h 24m

Director: Gordon Flemyng

Genre: Adventure / Drama / Sci-fi

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Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965)

When Dr. Who shows his time machine, the 'TARDIS', to the clumsy Ian, the boyfriend of his granddaughter Barbara, he accidentally transports them and Dr. Who's granddaughter Susan somewhere unknown in space and time. They land on the petrified planet of Skaro where they spot a city. Exploring further, they venture into the city only to find no one there. However, they are captured by the Daleks, deadly mutants living inside metal casings who kill anything and everything that crosses their path. They soon learn that the Daleks have been at war with another race known as the Thals and their nuclear war destroyed the planet, petrifying everything. When the Doctor and friends escape the clutches of the Daleks, they come into contact with the Thals, who are much kinder and help them to fight back against the tyranny of the Daleks. I cannot stress enough how much I adore this film. I grew up watching it, alongside the sequel, repeatedly and they have always held a very special place in my heart. They are still two of my favourite films today and continue to be rewatched in my household. This film is the first of two Dalek stories to introduce Doctor Who to the big screen following the Dalekmania craze of the 1960s. Dr. Who and the Daleks, alongside its sequel's story, follows the first two Dalek stories shown from the BBC show: Doctor Who (TV Series 1963-1989) featuring the first Doctor - William Hartnell in 1963. These two stories were given to Gordon Flemyng who brought them to cinemas, and best of all, in colour, unlike the original serials, which were filmed in black and white. I, personally, have loved the Daleks my whole life, especially from a young age and this film along with its sequel was a big influence on my favouritism of the characters. I was first introduced to them in the revival era of Doctor Who (TV Series 2005-2017) when I was growing up, which fuelled my interest in the menacing creatures and led to my discovery of the two films. Taking the role of the Doctor is Peter Cushing who is one of my favourite actors of all time mainly for his roles in many of the Hammer Horrors movies and his iconic role as Tarkin in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). This film made many changes to the show's version of the stories like making the Doctor a human scientist rather than an alien called a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey and changing Barbara who was Susan's Teacher alongside Ian in the serials into his granddaughter and her boyfriend. They also made the TARDIS a creation of the Doctor and Susan rather than his alien spaceship. These changes ultimately make this film feel like its own product rather than being a carbon copy of the show whilst keeping most details and plot points the same, condensing the drawn-out stories into one feature-length adventure. Both of the original stories that were given the rights to big-screen adaptations are some of the best in the show's creation and led to two even greater pieces of sci-fi. I think many aspects of the film were greatly improved upon from the show, especially in terms of the scope. For example, the use of matte paintings enhanced the scale of mountains and backdrops to the final confrontation between the Thals and Daleks. That massive battle at the end is simply epic and easily the most exciting sequence and a highlight for me. I loved seeing the Daleks in all their bright and vibrant colours, which wasn't fully felt in the show during its black and white years and allowed for the Daleks to have much more variety of colours like the mainly silver with blue to the more interesting black with gold and red colour schemes. I must also give credit to the music composed by Malcolm Lockyer, which brings so much energy and groovy 60s vibes into every scene. Overall, I adore this film and nothing can ever change that. I will forever remember this film for playing a special part in my childhood. It is so much fun and a phenomenal science fiction adventure. Also, if you are a huge fan of the Daleks and Doctor Who then why not check out these films that were a result of the show and the villain's popularity? Also, check out the follow-up movie, and my favourite, Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (1966).

Runtime: 1h 22m

Director: Gordon Flemyng

Genre: Adventure / Drama / Sci-fi

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1917 (2019)

During World War I, on April 6th 1917 on a battlefield in Northern France, two British soldiers: Lance Corporal Schofield and Lance Corporal Blake receive seemingly impossible orders. In a race against time, they must cross over into enemy territory to deliver a message that could potentially save 1,600 of their comrades, including Blake's brother, from walking straight into a deadly trap. Braving the many dangers of the great war the two soldiers venture forth to save the lives of thousands. I was blown away by this movie. The cinematography was incredible with some of the most amazing shots I have ever seen, especially with the way it was filmed to appear as one continuous shot throughout. The technique used in the film was so well done, that I almost thought it truly was done in one shot. The only times this is broken on screen is when the screen fades to black, otherwise, it was cleverly hidden in plain sight through scenes of passing behind a tree, which would end the scene and begin the next but it was done so seamlessly that if you weren't looking so hard to catch it out, you would think it was completely continuous. Filming in this style was such a brilliant idea because it constantly has you moving forward and you feel every step on their journey in real-time, feeling like a third soldier on this mission, getting us up close and personal. With little to no breaks, we are taken on that journey and experience all the hardships first-hand. This can best be seen during the opening segment with the crossing of no man's land, which is a difficult area to navigate with obstacles like barbed wire and craters. This feature is a huge testament to director, Sam Mendes and the crew for creating a technical filming achievement that has me wanting to see more films done in this way. I have always been fascinated by the 1st and 2nd World Wars as a part of our history and is a period I find very interesting to learn about, especially since this historical conflict is presented much less than WWII in media, both movies and video games. This film perfectly encapsulates the gritty feel and look of a world at war, showing us the true horrors of the time. The film isn't heavily action based with full-out warfare, it has some action and tense fights but nothing so grand as you expect from most war films, which if anything works to this film's advantage of visual storytelling. If it is more action, battle-filled products set in the 1st World War, there are plenty out there and if you like video games check out the magnificent: Battlefield 1 (Video Game 2016) that has the same amount of detail as this movie. I think this film does a phenomenal job at breaking those expected stereotypes of war films, especially by implementing the one-shot technique, which ups the tension and gets us, the viewer, in the world, feeling close to the characters on their journey and mission. The whole film is laced with heart-in-mouth moments that have you uneasy at every step with a constant dread at what could be around the corner. Both Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) and Schofield (George Mackay) are exceptionally well-played in this film and are extremely compelling. A great deal of weight is put on the expedition with the knowledge of Blake's brother as one of the 1,600 lives in danger, which drives them forward as a constant weight on their shoulders. It is very hard to pick my favourite moment, but if I had to choose one, it would be the most iconic scene where Schofield runs across the on-charging soldiers over the front line as explosions blow around them. Truly a superb sequence certain to have you on the edge of your seat. Overall, 1917 is unlike anything I have witnessed, especially for the war genre. The amount of effort and time that has gone into making this is really impressive, right down to the smallest of details they implemented to make it so believable (which can be seen in the behind-the-scenes video below). From crossing no man's land and the devastation around them to running through a destroyed town lit only by flares and burning buildings in an on-foot chase, this film has so many visually detailed and intriguing shots certain to have you in complete awe. I can say that this is undoubtedly worth looking at. What a masterpiece.

 

Runtime: 1h 59m

Director: Sam Mendes

Genre: Action / Drama / War

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The Glenn Miller Story (1954)

The unemployed trombone player, Glenn Miller is always broke, chasing his sound to form his band and buying back his instrument in the pawn house to survive. When his friend Chummy MacGregor is hired to play in the band of Ben Pollack, the band-leader listens to one of Glenn's compositions and invites him to join his band. While travelling to New York, Glenn visits his former girlfriend Helen Berger, in Boulder, Colorado, and pleads with her to wait for him. Two years later he quits the band and proposes to Helen and they move to New York to marry. After the success of 'Moonlight Serenade', Glenn Miller's band became known worldwide. Glenn and Helen go on to have two children and have a very comfortable life. During World War II, Glenn enlists in the army and travels to Europe to increase the morale of the allied troops by playing his music to the soldiers. In the Christmas of 1944, he travels from London to Paris for a concert which will be broadcast, however, his plane is lost and never found. This is a great biography depicting the life of the amazing musician and composer Glenn Miller, a vibrant tribute charting Miller's rise from obscurity and poverty to fame and wealth in the early 1940s. James Stewart takes on the role of the legendary bandleader and does an amazing job at bringing this historical figure to life, just as the film brings all the beautiful sounds alive once more. Stewart is one of my favourite actors who has starred in so many great films that I love such as: It's a Wonderful Life (1946) and Rear Window (1954). I have thoroughly enjoyed all his roles in every single one of his films and this was no exception. As a huge fan of Miller's music and all of the period music, I found this film to be incredibly fascinating to learn about the man who brought new sounds that changed music, even drastically shaping the era of its release. I find his music to be so captivating and I can only imagine how it was received when it came out for the first-ever time. In this biography, we see Miller from his earliest years at his poorest and most ambitious stages to his rise to fame and his mysterious disappearance (and likely death). It is still crazy to think how he just suddenly vanished. It was a really big shock and shame to the world with all the wonderful music that he brought to so many people worldwide. It will have been an even bigger fright and sadness to his wife and children who never found out what happened on that fateful flight. What makes it even worse is that he was lost during Christmas, the most happiest time of the year. He went missing on the 15th of December, 1944. My favourite musical pieces from Miller have to be both 'In the Mood' and 'Moonlight Serenade' and this film brings them alongside so many other hits to our screens. I further loved how they represented the effects the music had on the wider population, especially during the war where it boosted morale during the most trying of times. Another highlight of this movie that I liked, was the relationship between Glenn and Helen, played by June Allyson. They were simply perfect together and were shown to be so very happy and their romantic chemistry is overflowing in all their scenes together, which makes it all the more upsetting to think about how he would later disappear on that flight. Other supporting well-known musicians feature in this film, from Louis Armstrong, Gene Krupa, and Frances Langford to The Mondernaires. Overall, I extremely enjoyed this film mainly due to my being a huge Glenn Miller and James Stuart fan. I especially loved hearing all of his iconic music in a whole new way and there is plenty to fall in love with all over again with them being played throughout. It is so interesting seeing his life story and learning more about the magnificent band leader. The Glenn Miller Story is undoubtedly a film for fans of Miller that shouldn't be overlooked. It is a phenomenal biography, with an amazing cast rounding it off as a great look into a musical legend's life.

Runtime: 1h 55m

Director: Anthony Mann

Genre: Biography / Drama / Music / Musical / Romance

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Ulysses 31 (TV Series 1981-1982)

It is the 31st Century and Ulysses is a famous explorer and pilot in space but he desires to go home to Earth to his wife. He takes his son Telemachus and Telemachus's new robot gift, Nono, with him and takes the space-ship Odyssey with computer Shyrka and his crew. En route to Earth, Telemachus is kidnapped and taken to the Cyclops, a huge robot with one eye, worshipped by a cult. Ulysses destroys the Cyclops and as well as rescuing Telemachus takes Numenor and Yumi, two children from the planet Zotra with them. However, this enrages the ancient gods of Olympus, still existing after all this time, and in revenge, puts the crew and Numenor into a deep sleep, wiping the location of Earth from Shyrka's memory, and putting the Odyssey in the universe of Olympus. The only way out is for Ulysses to find the Kingdom Of Hades, but Ulysses, Telemachus, Yumi, Nono and Shyrka have to defend against the Trident: the forces of the gods and the dubious community of the Universe in a desperate search for finding a cure for the crew and to find the Kingdom Of Hades for a way home to Earth. I absolutely adore this show for multiple reasons! It is a cult classic gem that is lesser known to the wider world making it all the more a must-see for it truly is one of the best shows ever created. Ulysses 31 is a beautifully illustrated show with some incredible animation and visuals that are simply stunning. I have always been interested in hand-drawn animation because of the amount of detail and care put into each frame can be seen throughout. It takes my breath away to see all of the efforts that have gone into the final product and how amazing every moment looks. As well as being a huge fan of animation, I am also very fond of the 1980s so mixing the two together brings us the phenomenal content that is this show. Originating in France with the combined work with Japan, the show was aired in 1981 where it received such popularity later being dubbed in English and aired in the later years of the 80s in the UK. All 26 episodes can now be found on YouTube for free making this show all the more accessible for everyone to enjoy. Every single episode has been worked on by enhancing the quality, updating audio, altering distorted sounds and bringing the show back to life, looking better than ever. A big thanks go out to TheAdamAdamant for all the hard work put into restoring such a brilliant series. I have linked below a playlist of the entire show so be sure to go check them out if you get the chance. It is undoubtedly worth it, I can assure you. I love how unique of a concept this show had with the intriguing idea of having Greek mythology stories retold in a futuristic setting in the 31st Century, which led to some superb storytelling combining the two mediums seamlessly. We can see some fantastic science fiction elements on display within this show whilst still holding onto the imagery that is associated with Greek mythology. From a space station in the shape of a helmet, space ships resembling tridents used by the god's forces, the robotic cyclops and plenty more iconic characters and stories from the mythology updated in a futuristic manner. I adore the ship designs used, with the overwhelming amount of detail on display like all the flashing lights, which make it look alive and like a real working piece of machinery. My favourite of all the ships shown is undoubtedly the Odyssey, which looks so cool, both outside and inside. All the characters are equally entertaining, each with their own struggles to overcome, working as a team, always at one another's side. Ulysses is easily my favourite of the crew with his knock-off lightsaber from the show's obvious inspiration of the time: Star Wars. The intro theme is just sheer perfection. It's so catchy and memorable, which is up there as one of my all-time best-loved show intros. Overall, I cannot stress enough how much I adore this cult classic serial. It is one of the greatest shows I've ever seen and it could be one of yours! I love the animation, the music is unbelievably epic, the stories grand and the characters extremely likeable. It is science fiction at its peak, especially with the outstanding level of quality in every episode.

 

Seasons & Episodes: 1 Season - 26 Episodes

Creators: Nina Wolmark, Jean Chalopin

Genre: Action / Adventure / Animation / Drama / Family / Fantasy / Sci-fi

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King Kong (1933)

Carl Denham needs to finish his movie and has the perfect location: Skull Island. But he still needs to find a leading lady. This 'soon-to-be-unfortunate' soul is Ann Darrow. No one knows what they will encounter on this island and why it is so mysterious, but once they reach it, they will soon find out. Living on this hidden island is a giant gorilla and this beast now has Ann in its grasp. Kong grows attached to Ann and protects her from all the prehistoric life that surrounds them. Carl and Ann's new love, Jack Driscoll, must travel through the jungle looking for Kong and Ann, whilst avoiding all sorts of creatures and beasts. Eventually, the gorilla is captured and brought to New York. In the middle of a show on Broadway, Kong escapes and mass panic ensues as he rampages through the city. What a classic film! One of the most iconic in cinematic history that has shaped the movie industry that has become so cemented in pop culture. Its importance and relevance are shown through countless references over the years in movies and other media. Films like King Kong show the amazing work of early movies and I can only imagine how amazing this was to people of the day. It must have been a true adventure and a real thrill. I love the models that are used for all the prehistoric creatures and Kong, which are well implemented into shots and are so well animated. I've always been a fan of stop-motion because of the amount of detail and time it takes to make the models come to life and the dedication put into it. Today CGI is the go-to method, it is stunning and believable but I appreciate the time and care these older movies put into such elements. One of my favourite uses of stop-motion and detailed models is in Clash of the Titans (1981) which was done by Ray Harryhausen who was inspired by this film. That can be said for most stop-motion animators as it inspired them to create their own and as they grew up they would later fulfil their love for it in movies like in Star Wars where the team of ILM used models like Kong. If you like seeing behind the scenes of stop-motion and the development of special effects check out the amazing documentary: Light & Magic (TV Series 2022). This feature is truly a spectacle that is extremely compelling with some great acting on display here, showing how truly incredible big blockbuster films were in their earliest years. To be transported into another world where a giant gorilla faces off against prehistoric creatures from the Tyrannosaurus to the Pteranodon, in huge battles. People then were only just getting used to sound being used in motion pictures and it will have been a tremendous leap into a picture like Kong. There had never been anything quite like this at that time and it went all out in creating some fantastic visuals and effects. Not only that, but this film is rather brutal too. We see Kong break a T-Rex's head by prising its jaws apart which is very gruesome however it is such a phenomenal moment. That whole fight sequence is a perfect demonstration of the sheer hard work put into this film, really pushing the boundaries and delivering a satisfying pay-off. A magnificent fight that combines real life with animation, blending them seamlessly. Everyone is familiar with the iconic scene of Kong climbing the Empire State Building and fending off the attacks of the airplanes, which is such a heartbreaking sequence. However, it is one of the most recognisable moments in film history and has equally sprouted many references in other movies over the years. Overall, King Kong has to be one of the most important and recognisable films in movie history with so many amazing scenes, great performances and effects it stands the test of time as one of the greatest. Also, if you enjoyed this classic why not check out the equally entertaining remake, King Kong (2005). It uses CGI special effects that make the adventure all the more exciting making it an exceptional remake.

Runtime: 1h 40m
Director: Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack

Genre: Adventure / Fantasy / Horror / Sci-fi

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