As a frequent and steady contributor to The Large Ass Movie Blog, (The LAMB), I always try to get more people involved with the site.
Every Month, the site runs a poll based on the list of films submitted by LAMB members for the prestigious ability of being named as the Movie of the Month that will be discussed on the LAMBCAST podcast during that given month.
I decided that each month I will watch each of the films chosen and give my rankings of those films in order to decide which film I should vote for and in doing so, maybe help some of you also decide which film to vote for.
The voting is open until Sunday the 23rd of Feb, so make sure to get your vote in soon.
This month, there were 10 Contenders suggested so here they are:
- Almost Famous (2000) [Cameron Kanachki, The Michigan Movie Guy]
- Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015) [Bubbawheat, Flights, Tights and Movie Nights]
- Ernest Scared Stupid (1991) [Mark Hofmeyer, Movies, Films & Flix]
- Little Shop of Horrors (1986) [Todd Liebenow, Forgotten Films]
- Mean Machine (2001) [Jeanette Ward, The Mundane Adventures Of A Fangirl]
- Nymphomaniac Vol I & II (2013) [Tim Costa, First Time Watchers]
- Ready or Not (2019) [Jason Soto, Whatever Jason]
- Sing Street (2016) [Audrey Fox, 1001 Movies and Beyond]
- Total Recall (1990) [Marc Armstead, French Toast Sunday]
- Wild at Heart (1990) [Nick Rehak, French Toast Sunday]
Here are my rankings along with brief thoughts on each film (click on the film title if you want to read my full review)
10. Nymphomaniac Vol I – Horrendous film that makes so little sense. This is the first part of a two part film and even when looking at both of these films as a whole, things are still completely absurd and crazy. The cast is quite talented, but not much actually happens in this film to help make us care about the characters. The story is all about how someone could try and disconnect the feelings of love and sex in life. The film is completely pointless and fails to be interesting in any way because it feels as if it’s juts a rambling story that has no real point to it and they never reach a place where things feel as if they are understandable or even poignant in anything that they do.
Nymphomaniac Vol II – Atrocious sequel that is even worse than the previous film (if that is even possible). The story goes into some very strange and dark places and never manages to find a way to redeem itself. Once again, the cast is great but completely wasted here. The abortion scene is the most disturbing one that will make anyone cringe. It didn’t need to be there and along with the rest of the film makes no sense what so ever. The attempt of this movie to try and explain why certain people may have problems finding a way to connect sex and love is not shown in a plausible manner and things are completely absurd from start to finish, even when watching both films back to back.
9. Ernest Scared Stupid – Absolutely horrible film that doesn’t make any sense at all. Varney is perfect in this terrible role that he became popular for. The story is quite silly and even kids wouldn’t really enjoy what they try to do here. The special effects are quite primitive and help make this look so fake. Stay away unless you lose a bet or are extremely inebriated. (1/10)
8. Wild at Heart – Another crazy Lynch film that is much too abstract for my taste. Things are just really weird and the characters fail to find an anchor that would make them worthwhile to care about. Talented cast that are mostly use to being a part of crazy films like this even if things remain too esoteric and existential for the viewer to really care about what happens to these characters along the way. Ladd was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her work on this film yet failed to win.
7. Mean Machine – Not the best remake of a classic 70’s film. The original version with Reynold’s is still much more enjoyable because they get the right tone for the humor and the depiction of the sport. Jones and Statham feel more like gimmicks in these roles than they should which hurts things a lot. The story isn’t very different from the original film and in general, the only real change felt is the sport itself which unfortunately just isn’t enough. (5/10)
6. Diary of a Teenage Girl – Off the wall film that actually works quite well despite this. The film moves in some very strange directions yet still remains quite believable the whole time. They are able to truly get into the mind of a teenager which adds to the reality of things. The characters unfortunately aren’t developed enough and that is somewhat problematic because we want to care more about them and everything that they do. The cast is quite good here and help make things work better even when there are certain situations that seem to go a bit over the edge. (6/10)
5. Ready or Not – Really fun and innovative film that works on so many levels. They find ways to keep things feeling fresh and original the whole way through which helps things so much. The cast is great and they all help make this premise so much fun to watch really well even if one isn’t the biggest fan of the horror genre. Love some of the twists and turns along the way because they add so much to the suspense. (8/10)
4. Almost Famous – Very interesting story. Hard to believe tho that this seemingly happened to Crowe himself. Very good coming of age film with an unbelievable soundtrack. (8/10)
3. Little Shop of Horrors – Great musical that works on so many levels despite it’s morbid look at things. Moranis is perfect in the title role and is helped by such an amazing supporting cast. I understand why they restored the original ending, but I’m still a fan of the theatrical ending. Amazing songs especially Downtown and Mean Green Mother. (8/10)
2. Sing Street – Excellent film that drew me in from the start and didn’t wanna let go. Loved the 80’s vibe that reverberated throughout including music, hairstyles and of course wardrobes. Great young actors are able to keep us interested and we care so much about what happens to them all. The original music for the film is so catchy and it really all feels like 80’s music. My favorite new film of this series so far. (9/10)
- Total Recall – Amazing story that is enhanced by the spectacular special effects which makes it all seem so fluid and real. Schwarzenegger is great in this role and this is among his best work as an actor. The story line does a wonderful job keeping so much of the premise ambiguous which allows the viewer to constantly try and guess what it real and what is imagination. Even by the end, there is a bit of doubt about this fact. The story flows in a great pattern and moves at a rapid pace which allows us to get a clear idea of what is at stake throughout. The supporting cast is also great with Stone, Ticotin, Cox and Ironside helping to keep the high level of suspense and thrills constantly within reach. Leaves the viewer with so much to ponder about life and the way that we deal with things on a day to day basis. (9/10)
So who should I vote for? – Definitely Total Recall. Its such an innovate and unique story line that works so well. This will be a really enjoyable podcast to be a part of or just listen to because of so many great themes that are explored here.
To vote, click here
Good luck to one and all!!!
MovieRob 