Mike Goes To Movies

4. The Matrix (1999) I would say that The Matrix is hands-down one of the coolest films of recent time, however, the fact that it spawned a fashion movement that is, at best, unsettling to witness may slightly detract from the awesome impact of the film and its reception after release. In truth though, The Matrix inspired all action films and VFX that came after it in ways that cannot be understated. The revelation of the techno-mix of VFX kung-fu with bullet-dodging, gravity-warping fight scenes, was like nothing that had been seen on-screen before and a certain game changer for the sci-fi action genre. The plot itself, though dystopian like many other science fiction stories, subverts the usual tropes of its genre. Though it technically does take place in the future, it relates back to our own present time (then-1999). The film throws the audience for a complete spin by innovatively calling into question the complete reality that Neo (and, as a result, we, the audience) live ...

6. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2002) and Avengers (2012) Okay, so this one really isn't fair at all... But, what the hell, top 10's are tough so I'm just going to go ahead and cram a whole load into this one. To the fanboy in me all three of these franchises have been infinitely important and influential. I was a huge fan of LOTR and all things Marvel prior to the movies coming out and, as most will attest, it is incredible how well they have both translated on-screen. While Star Wars originated in film, it has since evolved into every other available medium, similar to the other two, and clearly become its own mammoth nerdustry. I am going to keep these blurbs briefer today as multiple films fall under the blanket of each of these titles as well the impacts for myself of each franchise, or the films within, could take up more time from your day than I deserve to steal away from you. However, I have chosen o...

7. Ex Machina (2014) The genre of science fiction is at its finest when the story acts as a reflection of our world, the direction it is (believed to be) headed in and the moral questions that arise from there. One particular sci-fi theme that is endlessly written about is humankind's continuous thirst for scientific discovery and power and where we draw the line stating that humans have gone too far. Often in these stories, the line is posited based on some kind of eventual ramification from the innovation. For example, the effect of the discovery may tangibly lead to death/harm to people, the environment and/or the planet. To the audience, the question is then asked - have we gone too far? Where the scientific discovery concerns matters of 'life' the question is sometimes posited in a more existential or, even, religious way such as - have humans gone beyond the bounds of what God intended for us? This is a theme that I personally find fascinating and you will see that...

8. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) The Royal Tenenbaums was the first Wes Anderson film I saw. This film was foundational in showing me that a movie can have its own distinctive style and voice. As most will probably agree, you can know you're watching a Wes Anderson film by watching it for only a scene or two. It's that clear. And, that, in my opinion, is pretty cool. There are those out there who are a bit 'over' or tired of Anderson's films, partially due to the fact that they are 'all similar' or evoke a similar style or feel. I don't agree with this and believe that most of his film's have a unique enough story to stand well on their own. The Royal Tenenbaums, in particular, has a character-depth and a darkness to it that many of his others do not possess. The Grand Budapest Hotel and Fantastic Mr. Fox I also hold in very high regard but Tenenbaums I still hold as my favourite. As with many of the best comedy-dramas, The Royal Tenenbaums...

Mike's All-Time Top 10 To ease into things a bit, I thought I would be self-indulgent and list off some of my favourite films. This list may not be entirely accurate... Numbers 1 and 2 have been clear in my head for a long time in those respective positions. The rest of the list, however, I just thought up now, and so, they may be somewhat interchangeable with one another, and also, had I thought longer about this list, other films may actually more deservedly hold those spots. A few thoughts about this list: 1) Yes, I am still fairly childish; many of these films are genre films: horror/sci-fi/fantasy, they are simply ones that I grew up with, 2) I do not have any comedies here because I find that where I place them frequently changes over time (maybe I'll do a separate comedy list at some point), and 3) in some of these cases, I simply wanted to do service to a particular director and so I chose one that I thought represented them well. This list is of my favourite fil...