Kal X. A

It is my firm belief that the standard versions of The Lord of the Rings should be jettisoned in favour of the extended editions universally. Sure, the near 4 hour runtime is a tad steep, but for an absolute masterpiece like this, it's work every second and the first act of undoubtedly the best trilogy in cinematic history!

Underworld is one of those select few films which received a less than favourable reception at it's initial release, but has gone on to remain a favourite of the dark vampire genre for the past decade. Why, you might ask? Because in the intervening decade, there has been enough bullshit released on celluloid, dvd and blu-ray to prove the initial naysayers direly wrong about their initial thoughts on the movie. In comparison to the derivative and horridly one dimensional quote-unquote vampire films which have come out in the intervening period, Underworld still seems fresh and interesting after thirteen years of finalized existence; as a film it's held up well, and the story is still interesting and grim enough to be taken seriously by the serious horror / action enthusiasts. Vampires and Lycans are both presented as a serious races who live and exist purely in nights and shadows. There is no sparkling in the sun, there is no Vampire Slayers (although that was an interesting idea in the 90s and still holds up on it's own), and there is no overtly campy love story, instead Michael and Selene are both presented right away as adults in a very mature world. At the end of the day, it's a film about vampires done well, although I can't say the same about every sequel of the franchise

Really one of those films that is as fantastic as many people give it credit for. We are not so much shown what heroin does to a young person directly but rather we see Renton, Spud, Sick Boy, Tommy, and co. experience it through a secondary lens via their experiences with junk despite this really being a film about people and how they react to different situations they find themselves in. We see their faults, we see their redeeming factors, and most of all, we see their personalities come, go, and linger like the hits they take. It would be a simpler road to make this film entirely grim as the scenario itself is, but to add comedy and a very much present sense of humor is a stroke of genius. It was a difficult task even in the 1990s to make a film showing the grim reality that some find themselves trapped in (i.e. a group of junkies in late 80s Edinburgh), but to make it believable and worthy of sitting through is a feat all in it's own. Anyone looking for clarity on why Ewan McGregor is as lauded as he is need not look further than this film.

Pink Floyd's Pompeii documentary chronicles the band during the vital period between 1971 and 1973 between the recording of their classic albums Meddle and The Dark Side Of the Moon, inter spliced with recording footage and a live concert performed in October 1971 to an empty amphitheatre in the ancient city of Pompeii. It's difficult these days to understand how vital Pink Floyd were to the 1970s and how their music really defined a collective of eras which many people still love to this day. The concert itself showcases Pink Floyd at their zenith in terms of live abilities. It shows the band working together as a whole before Roger Waters began nudging his way into the de facto lead role of the band's creative output. The band deliver a version of "Echoes" which is often heralded as proof that there is a God along with numerous other songs including "Careful with that axe, eugene," "One Of These Days" with all it's cheesy and ultra-seventies film effects, and probably the fastest, most breakneck but heavenly version of "A Saucerful Of Secrets" followed by the second part of "Echoes" with an opening with sounds like the perfect soundtrack to the Second Coming of Christ. The rest of the film is part interesting look into the behind the scenes process, and part look into the Floyd's cuisine habits of the day with both David Gilmour and Roger Waters being visibly stoned out of their minds in some scenes whilst Richard Wright and Nick Mason seem more collected and present in reality. For a documentary today, it would appear to be riddled with faults, but as a Pink Floyd super enthusiast, I can appreciate it's historical value just fine.