Review: Following (1998) (Elementary Nolan!)

“I wasn’t following you”

Twenty years ago, Christopher Nolan put out his directorial debut: Following. Don’t get it confused with the TV show starring Kevin Bacon. Of course, Nolan is a massive name nowadays. He can direct what he wants, and people will go out in their masses to watch it. It’s strange, in a way, that in the same year a fellow auteur released his debut. Darren Aronofsky released Pi (click here for my review!), and the two have progressed in wildly different ways since 1998. However, both put out distinct films that have their own voice. And both debuted with rough and ready films, that whilst not quite masterpieces, showed oodles of potential (and the themes they’d follow for the duration of their careers).

HAMMY’S TOP 10…FILMS UNDER 90 MINUTES

I recently read that the Doomsday Clock is at 2 minutes to midnight. We are that much closer to destruction, thanks to Trump! Isn’t it hard to find time without being pressured by knowing that the world could end at any second? I have so many films to watch! It’s not just about finding time; it’s about finding the right amount of time. Say I want to watch Gone With The Wind (on the to-watch list!). I’d have to put a sixth of a day’s worth of time aside to watch it! There’s only two minutes to midnight, for goodness sake! I can’t be watching Gone With The Wind! The lack of time makes deciding which film to watch very difficult. So it got me to thinking…what about those films that clock in under an hour and a half? After some serious thought, I decided upon ten films to watch if you’re struggling to decide on a film but have less than an hour and a half to spare (and are also concerned about the Doomsday Clock).

Review: Pi (1998) (More Than The Sum Of Its Parts?)

“My mother told me not to stare into the sun…”

Twenty years ago (roughly), a young filmmaker released his first feature film: Pi. That man was Darren Aronofsky, and since then he’s directed a few of my favourite films. However, when I was first introduced to Requiem for a Dream, I didn’t quite know what to make of it. I knew I liked it. But I was overwhelmed by it. I needed more Aronofsky. His only other film was Pi…so I eventually found it. And again, I was overwhelmed by it. It’s rough and ready and not quite a masterpiece, but it was a sign of great things to come from Aronofksy.

HAMMY’S TOP 10…UNDERRATED FILMS

Last week, I posted my list of Top 10 Overrated Films. In the interests of fairness, I’ve been thinking about underrated films. You know, those ones that pass under the radar, aren’t seen at the cinemas/have a limited release, and are quietly forgotten about…but are in fact awesome! Or those that were released to middling/negative reviews but I actually enjoyed. I had an absolutely massive list of underrated films, but it’s difficult to decide what’s underrated, isn’t it? But it was rather difficult to narrow them down to just ten. But here it is…my Top 10 Underrated Films!

HAMMY’S TOP 10…SURREAL FILMS

There are films that you can burn after watching, those that are disposable entertainment. There are those that are entertaining, yet have something to say. These leave you thinking. Then there are those films that defy definition. Hollywood used to be called the dream factory. Some directors take that name literally and offer us films that don’t adhere to straightforward narratives. These films aren’t for everybody. They are like sweet dreams…or beautiful nightmares. They are, in a word, surreal.