The Film Locker #5: Stanley Kubrick and 'The Shining'

Lets go Old-Skool. This is a guy who, although his catalogue goes back to the sixties - and through to 1999 - he only has a few films to his name. Fact of the matter is that these films are incredibly important. It is, no other than Stanley Kubrick.

We chose The Shining as the focus point as it represents the artistic, photography-based style combined with being a film that is incredibly entertaining and exciting.

Hatter has been a self-confessed Kubrick fan whereas I, though a fan, I am missing some big-guns from the Kubrick-Canon (or Kanon I should say) - namely Barry Lyndon, The Killing and Paths of Glory. But, no worries, that is why Hatter helps in conversation to explain how important these films are.

The competition can always be joined in on - and remember that the first one to answers gets a huge leap ahead from others because of the 4-points per question points-system - and if you were to get the questions all correct... well, you would be way ahead of the game. Not to mention how many weeks we have left! It can be anyones game at the moment!




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A-Z #80: Five Easy Pieces

You can pick up hundreds of DVDs for a round-pound each - it doesn't matter. It's never about quantity, it's about quality. A-Z is my way of going through my collection, from A-Z, and understanding why I own the films ... or you can tell me why I should sell 'em

#80 - Five Easy Pieces 

Why did I buy it?

I was reading Biskind's Easy Riders, Raging Bulls and purchased this to help me understand the whole BBS $1m filmmaking method - of which, Easy Rider and Five Easy Pieces were amongst them.

Why do I still own it?

Because I love the definition it provides of what defines a man - and what Nicholson is ultimately wants from life. Its not money, that's for sure. Nicholsons performance is brilliant and I firmly believe that more films should be made like this - opposed to the Rocky stories that generally present success and happiness as defined by financial wealth and 'beating' everyone else. Sometimes, people are happy to enjoy life as it is and that should be celebrated, not seen as a 'weaker' perspective on things.

A-Z #70: Easy Rider

You can pick up hundreds of DVDs for a round-pound each - it doesn't matter. It's never about quantity, it's about quality. A-Z is my way of going through my collection, from A-Z, and understanding why I own the films ... or you can tell me why I should sell 'em

#70 - Easy Rider 

Why did I buy it?

At the time I was reading Easy Riders, Raging Bulls by Peter Biskind I had not seen this film so, prior to reading, I knew I had to watch the film and did so on a rental. I was blown away and checked out what versions were available... suffice to say that there was Special Edition with the original DVD disc and a documentary-disc on Peter Biskinds acclaimed book Easy Riders, Raging Bulls which included interviews with Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda. To top it off, included in the sweet edition was the BFI Classic on the film written by Lee Hill. I couldn't be more impressed.

Why do I still own it?

Since watching it once, I have watched the film multiple times and it has so many facsinating insights into the time-period and profound statements about the world - how can we live in harmony with the world? What is America [in the late-1960's]? Some astounding performances from Hopper, Fonda and - most importantly - Jack Nicholson as the free-spirit alcoholic-lawyer with his definition of what freedom truly is. The film is littered with iconic moments - from Phil Spector making the drug-deal in the first instance and the Steppenwolf title-sequence straight through to the infamous ending. I could watch it again and again ...

A-Z #60: The Departed

You can pick up hundreds of DVD's for a round-pound each - it doesn't matter. Its never about quantity, its about quality. A-Z is my way of going through my collection, from A-Z, and understanding why I own the films ... or you can tell me why I should sell 'em

#60 - The Departed 

*Just realised I've missed #59 ... too late ... #59 will arrive in due course ...

Why did I buy it?

I remember when I watched this at the cinema - at the time I was training to be a teacher and I wasn't up-to-date with the films. Sarah and I were tryig to choose which film and we noticed at the last minute The Departed. It rang a few bells, primarily that Scorsese was directing. I took a chance and it remained one of my favourite films of the year. I pre-order the DVD and ensured I had the sweet HMV exclusive sleeve ...

Why do I still own it?

This is so incredibly rewatchable. The whole Boston setting, the duality of all the characters - Damon and DiCaprio, Nicholson and Sheen. I think I may sell it ... only to purchase the film on Blu-Ray. As it is an ensemble, it can be difficult to catch your breath - constantly shifting from one character to another alongside an incredible soundtrack and a finale that, for a first watch, is simply unbelievable. Scorsese can indeed remake films, through this adaptation of Infernal Affairs and, to top it off, even win Best Picture with the same film.

I think my personal love of this film is the 'facts' that inspired this interpretation. Namely James 'Whitey' Bulger - the gangster Jack Nicholson bases his character on. James J. Bulger, like Nicholson's Frank Costello is an Irish, American who is alleged to have led the Winter Hill gang in Boston during the 70's and 80's ... only to leave Boston in 1995. Never to be seen again. He is still on the FBI Most Wanted List and, the last official sighting was in 2002... in London.

A-Z #43: Chinatown

You can pick up hundreds of DVD's for a round-pound each - it doesn't matter. Its never about quantity, its about quality. A-Z is my way of going through my collection, from A-Z, and understanding why I own the films ... or you can tell me why I should sell 'em

#43 - Chinatown

Why did I buy it?

One of those 'classic' pieces of cinema and one of two 'most-important' film in Roman Polanski's back-catalogue (the other being Rosmary's Baby). Additionally, I am a big fan of all films of the Gangster genre, and so this undercover-thriller was a film I was destined to purchase and watch many years ago

Why do I still own it?

The first time I watched this, I did not own it. It was onlt a number of years later when I seemed to constantly find myself coming across the film again and again. It was nominated for Best Picture (and nominated for another eleven Academy Awards, but only taking one away for Towne's Best Screenplay) and losing out to The Godfather Part II - though incidently it did win Best Motion Picture at the Golden Globes. It crops up for disection within Syd Field's Screenplay: The Foundations of Screewriting. And, as the film-noir of the seventies, it always stands out from the crowd for its dark subject matter and grotesque ending. I only watched it recently again, prior to watching Polanski's The Ghost and it still stands as an incredible film - with incredible performances from Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway and John Huston. 

Maybe I am wrong, maybe there is a reason it didn't pick up the awards?

Remember - you can always email The Simon and Jo Film Show directly using this email: simonandjoshow@gmail.com

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Favourite Film Faces #11: Jack Nicholson in 'The Departed'

I heard Danny Boyle mention the Jack Nicholson quote "act accordingly" when referring to the inevitably of death.

And then I remembered someone mentioning how Nicholson was awful in The Departed.

He is awesome in The Departed. End of.

Remember - you can always email The Simon and Jo Film Show directly using this email: simonandjoshow@gmail.com

We are also on Twitter (simonandjoshow) and Facebook.