Top Five

When making something like a thesis film, it's easy to get caught up in all of the bullshit and forget about why you wanted to make the film in the first place and what the film is actually about. That is why, this week, I decided to take a step back and list my top five favorite movies and really think about why I enjoy watching them over and over again and why they give me with such an emotional response.

1) Shaun of the Dead (my favorite movie of all time)

Shaun of the Dead is about two slacker roommates in their late-twenties that struggle to survive a zombie apocalypse that terrorizes their small town in Great Britain. This movie is a comedy/horror. It’s funny because it follows two very unlikely heroes as they try to protect the ones they love from a zombie apocalypse. In a particular scene, the survivors pretend to act like zombies to “fit in” with the undead as they make their way to a safe place. Though this movie has a ridiculous plot with ridiculous characters, it’s filled with many messages. One of the main messages is the message of love and friendship. When everything goes to hell, the main character, Shaun, who never had much responsibility in his life prior to the zombie invasion, must protect his mother, his girlfriend and his best friend. Even through the hardship, Shaun must step up and leave behind his everyday slacker desires to keep everybody safe.

2) Cool Hand Luke

Cool Hand Luke is about a misguided war veteran who is arrested and sent to a prison camp where he refuses to conform to the prison life. This movie is very moving because, as the viewer, you fall in love with the main character, Luke. Luke is a free spirited rebel that inspires hope in the other inmates. The scene where the guards make the inmates pave a dirt road is particularly uplifting because Luke turns it into a game. Normally a physically demanding job, the inmates have fun paving the road as each side races the other side to finish first. Cool Hand Luke explores hardship and adversity but making the best of it. Though the inmates are put to hard work, Luke keeps everybody’s spirits high showing that even through a horrible experience, there is still light.

3) The Producers

The Producers is about a washed up producer who teams up with an accountant to over-sell shares on a Broadway play that’ll surely flop to make a large profit. The play that the producers choose to finance is called Springtime for Hitler. It’s supposed to be extremely pro-Hitler and offensive but the actors in the play turn it into a hilarious mockery that everybody loves. The message in this film is that though the main characters may have had a bullet proof plan to get rich, the plan was illegal, which eventually led them to jail. Though they may have had everything planned out, there were still some aspects that they couldn’t predict which led to their downfall.

4) The Dark Knight 

The Dark Knight is about the iconic super hero Batman as he struggles to defeat his most prominent villain – the Joker. This movie is a psychological thriller because Batman must deal with the Joker: a villain notorious for his erratic and unpredictable behavior. The scene where Batman is in the interrogation room with the Joker is extremely unnerving because it’s the first time we see Batman lose his temper. Batman is usually calm, collective, and focused but the Joker is able to get into his head and take advantage of him. There are many messages in this movie. The Dark Knight focuses heavily on the grey area of right and wrong. Batman typically overcomes his difficulties in a black and white way, but with the Joker, he needs to go against his moral code in order to defeat him.

5) (500) Days of Summer

(500) Days of Summer is about a young man who falls in love with a girl who doesn’t believe in love. The movie is a romantic comedy. The scene where the Tom, the main character, visits Summer, the girl he falls for, at a party shortly after they broke up is particularly funny because it split screens the harsh “reality” that Tom is undergoing and the uplifting “expectations” that Tom fantasizes about. Though it may be a depressing scene, it is presented in a light and comedic way. (500) Days of Summer explores the messiness of love. The main character falls for this girl that ultimately breaks his heart and he feels like he has lost his soul mate. He’s convinced that there isn’t another girl out there that suits him better. But he eventually learns that it isn’t the end of the world and he can move on and be happy.

Spaced

Spaced is a British sitcom directed by Edgar Wright and starring Simon Pegg as Tim, and Jessica Stevenson as Daisy. The show was short-lived, as it only ran for two seasons - one in 1999 and then again in 2001. Spaced revolves around Tim and Daisy, two somewhat comically depressing protagonists, both of whom are looking for an apartment after getting kicked out of their respective homes. Initially strangers, Tim and Daisy meet coincidentally while both looking at the same apartment ad. While the apartment seems to be the perfect match for both of them, the landlady requires tenants be a ‘professional couple.’ So of course, Tim and Daisy pose as a couple to get the apartment. 

Spaced has a couple big appeals to me, the first of which is the supporting characters and their interactions with each other. Supporting characters are comprised of Tim’s friends, Daisy’s friends, and other people in the apartment building. Very few characters in the show had ever known or met each other beforehand, and they all represent vastly different character tropes. These characters are all comically exaggerated, such as Tim’s best friend Mike Watt (played by Nick Frost) - a member of the Army Reserves, a job which he takes very seriously much to his avail. The fact that most characters in the show are strangers with one another along with the extreme clashing of character types leads to many hilariously awkward and absurd situations. Here is one such situation in which Tim has a 'heart-to-heart conversation' with his neighbor Brian, an eccentric tortured artist:

Secondly, the main appeal which drew me into the show was the director and actors. I found Spaced quite some time after it originally aired, after watching and loving Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. These movies are the first two of the “Cornetto Triology”, all of which were made by the trio of Edgar Wright (director/writer), Simon Pegg (writer/actor), and Nick Frost (actor). Spaced allowed me to watch a creation from that same trio, that was made before the “Cornetto” films. That made it all the more interesting for me, as watching through you can basically see how the films evolved from the show. The comedic style and timing used are very similar, and even little things like transitions used and little quips from Simon Pegg carry over to the movies.

Spaced is somewhat unpolished and doesn’t really hold up from a production standpoint today, so it might not be the easiest show to get in to. But if you’re a fan of the “Cornetto Trilogy” and somehow haven’t seen Spaced, I’d recommend it. In the end, it’s only 14 episodes over two seasons, and a fun watch. 

The World's End and The Cornetto Trilogy

Back in 2004, Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg released BAFTA nominated zombie-comedy Shaun of the Dead.  Directed by Edgar Wright and written by both Wright and Simon Pegg, this film instantly became a cult classic, starring Simon Pegg and his friend Nick Frost.  Pegg and Wright pledged to do two more movies together and they decided to call it the "Cornetto Trilogy".  The joke here being that each film features a different flavor of Cornetto Ice Cream in a quick shot (The Cornetto is an exclusively UK treat).  2004's Shaun of the Dead featured a strawberry Cornetto.  2007's police comedy Hot Fuzz featured a blue Cornetto.  The newly released The World's End features a mint chocolate chip Cornetto.  I really am a big fan of this trilogy and have to say that The World's End was by far the most hilarious, witty and creative of any in the trilogy.  Edgar Wright has a distinctive style featuring crash zooms, whip pans and really quick transitions that really help pace the comedies that he directs.  Click here to see an example!
What really makes The World's End special comes from its writing style.  This was one of the most well written comedies I have seen in quite a while.  The basic plot is that Simon Pegg's "Gary King" has never truly gotten beyond his high school years, which really were where he peaked.  Back in high school, he and his four friends (played by the hilarious team of Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Eddie Marsan and Paddy Considine), decided to try and complete the Golden Mile, which is completed by drinking one pint in each of the town's 12 pubs.  The young friends never did manage to complete the mile and Gary King never got past it.  He manages to get the gang back together and what proceeds to occur is a comedy featuring five middle age men finding out that their stamina isn't what it was and that their town is hiding an alien force they must go toe to toe with.  The plot features a brilliant sense of parallel between the high school team and the current middle aged one.  I won't say much more, as it is loaded with spoilers!

Between Edgar Wright's beautiful cinematographic style/directing, Wright's and Pegg's writing and the acting from the five main cast members, this film makes itself the strongest of the Cornetto trilogy and an all around must see!  It currently has a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes!  See trailer here.

Shaun of the Dead

Shaun of the Dead is actually one of my favorite movies. When I first saw it I thought it would be a terrible zombie movie that is just looking to be more of a comedy than focus on zombies, but it is actually a really funny movie and an excellent zombie movie. I think the beginning of the movie when the virus first breaks out is the best part and seems somewhat accurate of what would actually happen. A woman ends up in Shaun's backyard and him and Ed are convinced that the woman is just drunk and needs to get home. Only until the woman constantly tries to grab Shaun does he shove her off and realizes that she is a zombie. She falls onto the platform for one of those huge umbrellas, and the circular tube goes through her stomach. I also really like the camera work and effect during this shot, as you can see through the woman's stomach as she slowly gets up and continues to go near Shaun and Ed.

This movie has an excellent story, hilarious scenes, and I really like the camera work. Oh yeah, and some guy gets his insides ripped out. Thats pretty cool too.

movieclips on youtube

i found this channel on youtube that has a bunch of different film clips. they are organized by actors, directors, genres , themes and even props

the clip below is form the genres "british horror" which gives you an idea of how organized it is




they even have clips listed under the props they use like the one below is for "staffs" and they have a bunch of them




again this should give you an idea of how much information  you can get just from this one youtube channel.


check it out! ( the exclamation mark shows i mean it) Its a great way to look at clips form special directors, actors, genres and themes if your looking for inspiration this  is a good spot to start.