Blind Spot Series 2015

This great idea first came to my attention over at Ryan’s Ten Stars or Less and I couldn’t help but jump on the bandwagon. It’s origins rest in the capable hands of James McNally and Ryan McNeil but this humble origin story is slowly, effectively taking the movie blogging community by storm.

The idea; to put together a list of twelve movies that your good intentions have always aspired to see but for one reason or other you never could find the time to sit down in front of a screen with snacks at the ready and anticipation on the verge of resolve.

Missing out on the hype by a couple of days, February will feature two of the movies below with a full review. From then on it will be one per month. I figure one movie a month isn’t entirely out of the question, so onto the movies that made the list.

January – Akira (1988) – Katsuhiro Ôtomo

Described as the “definitive anime classic” by Empire Akira has always been a movie that appeals to me. It’s cyper-punk, neon tinged atmosphere set in Neo-Tokyo compels any lover of cinematic apocalyptic visions to settle down for two hours of anime magic.

February – Natural Born Killers (1994) – Oliver Stone

Quentin Tarantino’s Bonnie and Clyde inspired story under the direction of Oliver Stone has always intrigued me. Following the success of Tony Scott’s direction of True Romance how have others handled Tarantino’s intricately entertaining scripts?

March – The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) – Wes Anderson

I almost feel a little embarassed that Wes Anderson’s latest colourful adventure has made this list. The best example of a film on this list where I had every intention to pay my local cinema a visit but to no avail. Cannot wait for this one.

April – Seven Samurai (1954) – Akira Kurosawa

Akira Kurosawa’s Shichinin no samurai set the premise for a number of ersatz Hollywood remakes, most notable The Magnificent Seven. My second Japanese flick to make the list, does it stand up to the behemoth of Japanese anime? I should think so.

May – Downfall (2004) – Oliver Hirschbiegel

May 1st 1945; “The German Radio has just announced that Hitler is dead.” BBC radio broadcast. I’ll try not to get all historical on you with this review as Downfall marks the most serious of the Drama’s on this list.

June – Brazil (1985) – Terry Gilliam

Terry Gilliam’s cinematic vision is incomparable to anything I’ve seen before. Twelve Monkeys is one of my favourite movies and Brazil has been on my list for a long time. Bring on the weird, wacky, and wonderful dystopian Terry Gilliam.

July – WALL-E (2008) – Andrew Stanton

Before Toy Story 3 there was Up. Before Up there was one curious looking animation by the name of WALL-E, a humble waste collecting robot with the heart only a tin man could dream of. A little Western animation to challenge Akira and Princess Mononoke, how will it fare?

August – Horse Feathers (1932) – Norman Z. McLeod

The Marx Brothers, full of one-liners, musical lyricism and an unerring comedic disposition. Duck Soup is one of my favourite Marx Brothers movies and I hope Horse Feathers turns out to be no different.

September – Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) – Barry Levinson

2014 saw a charabanc of Robin Williams tributes following the sad news of his death. The death of one of cinema’s greatest comedic actors. His comedic legacy lives on through his films and Good Morning, Vietnam is a prime example.

October – Princess Mononoke (1997) – Hayao Miyozaki

I am yet to find significant fault with Ghibli and Miyazaki so I’m confident Mononoke will make for enjoyable viewing. The second of two anime choices on this list, how will it compare to Katsuhiro Ôtomo’s apocalyptic vision?

November – Magnolia (1999) – Paul Thomas Anderson

A while back I had the pleasure of viewing Paul Thomas Anderson’s inaugural feature film, Hard Eight. Having seen Boogie Nights and There Will Be Blood PTA’s style was lost on me a little bit. A Moviemakers Moviemaker if you will. Magnolia may be a challenge but I’m looking forward to it.

December – It’s A Wonderful Life (1946) – Frank Capra

A Christmas classic, at least that’s what I’ve heard. I’ve always been more of a Home Alone guy if I’m honest. James Stewart is no stranger to cinema, most notable for his appearance in almost everything worth seeing during Hollywood’s Golden Age. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) although politcally motivated still represents some of his finest work, along with his involvement in a number of Hitchcock classics. Will December 2015 prove why It’s A Wonderful Life?

Adding an authentic feel to this list, with the exception of Downfall, Brazil, Magnolia and It’s A Wonderful Life each title will be reviewed during the month of it’s actual release date.

~ Happy Viewing ~

UPDATE: Blind Spot 2016 is now underway and you can follow all the action here.