We've had the end of
year best and worst countdown and this year i've decided to include a
new end of year list to accompany it, this year see's the first
Cine-ApOscars awards. Counting down what I believe are the best of
the year with catagories ranging from best Comedy film, best TV show,
best home release of the year and best label of the year. To check
out the awards, click read more and join us in celebrating film....
As it is impossible for
me to see every film and Dvd/Blu-Ray release i've opted to select the
ones that I have seen that have made an impression on me.
BEST HORROR FILM OF THE
YEAR
THE NOMINEES ARE...
The Evil Dead
No One Lives
Mama
The Lords Of Salem
Curse OF Chucky
American Mary
AND THE WINNER
IS.....CURSE OF CHUCKY
This was a hard one but
two films were stand outs this year but one a little more than the
other, the winner of the first Cine-ApOSCAR for best horror film is
CURSE OF CHUCKY. I loved it, it made my top 5 of the year and is a
return to old school slasher form for the cursed Goodguy doll. Still
with the humour but more focused on the many ways Chucky can kill.
It's highly entertaining and it's good to see Brad Dourif back on
screen as Charles Lee Ray. Don Mancini's direction and script are
really good considering the budget and that it was released straight
to DVD and On Demand but never the less Curse OF Chuck is a hell of a
lot of fun and beat almost every other horror film to win the award.
BEST SCI-FI FILM OF THE
YEAR
THE NOMINEES ARE...
Gravity
Pacific Rim
Riddick
Oblivion
Europa Report
Star Trek: Into
Darkness
AND THE WINNER
IS.....GRAVITY
While the other films
on the list are all fun and interesting films, Gravity does something
none of the other films did, had me gripped from the get go. Sure
it's not a perfect film and there is one moment where I wanted to
shout out “ for fucks sake” and then all was revealed but this
film belongs to Sandra Bullock who puts in a fantastic one woman
performance in the central role. The way this film was shot is
incredible and being very very anti 3D I must say, this film needs to
be seen in that format if viewing it on a large cinema screen. It
works for the film as it's not so much a distraction that comes
across a lot in films, however I did at one point find myself
reaching up to grab a screw that was floating in the air. It's
probably one of the best films about space that i've ever seen that
is supposed to be grounded in reality. That's why it wins my best
Sci-fi Cine-ApOSCAR.
BEST COMEDY FILM OF THE
YEAR
THE NOMINEES ARE...
The Heat
The World's End
Alan Partridge: Alpha
Papa
Stitches
Identity Thief
Warm Bodies
AND THE WINNER IS....
ALAN PARTRIDGE: ALPHA PAPA
Another tough category.
The World's End made my Number 2 slot in my top 10 best and worst but since writing that, Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa has become the
funniest film i've seen all year. Steve Coogan brings his greatest
creation to the big screen in what you could call an action comedy or
what he calls him self Siege Face. It's consistently laugh out loud
funny, some very endearing moments and some pretty sad moments
punctuated by an inappropriately times Joke that again has the viewer
laughing out loud. It's instantly quotable which can't really be said
for Worlds End because it takes a few viewings to get the jokes, but
with Alpha Papa, the jokes a thick and fast and funny a fuck. My only
problem is that classic Partridge characters Lynne and Michael are
sadly under used but throw in a funny role for Colm Meany and a
shotgun head holster and Alpha Papa is a fucking Riot from the get
go.
BEST ACTION FILM OF THE
YEAR
THE NOMINEES ARE...
Fast And Furious 6
Escape Plan
The Last Stand
Olympus Has Fallen
Ninja 2: Shadow Of A
Tear
Django Unchained
AND THE WINNERS
ARE....NINJA: SHADOW OF A TEAR
Three of the nominees
landed in my top 10 best list but having viewed this film only the
other night and being a massive fan of both actor and director, I
feel that this film really defined what an action film should look
like, much like The Raid did last year. Ninja: Shadow Of A Tear is a
sequel to a 2010 DTV action film starring Scott Adkins as Casey
Bowman and directed by Acclaimed martial arts and action director,
Isaac Florentine. This one takes place in Japan, Thai Land and Burma
and the fight scenes are just incredible, no quick cut edits where
you can't see what the fuck is going on just straight up steady cam
ass kicking and Adkins' skill as a martial artist is on show to full
effect in this flick. Just straight up, bone crunching, ass kicking,
sword fighting, flippy shit action through and through.
BEST COMIC BOOK MOVIE
THE NOMINEES ARE...
The Wolverine
Iron Man 3
Man Of Steel
Kick Ass 2
Red 2
Oblivion
AND THE WINNER IS....
THE WOLVERINE
I never thought i'd put
a stand alone Wolverine film as the best comic book film of the year
after the abomination that was Origins, this time around a decent
director, James Mangold, helms and they don't include about 50 other
characters that disappear with in 20 minutes. The extended cut is the
route to go as it shows the real wolverine, a violent wolverine and
the most badass Wolverine that has been portrayed on screen. There
are some epic action sequences in this and apart from the train scene
and the Silver Samurai, there's very little CGI. Jackman is awesome
as Logan as usual too. Just a pretty badass addition to the X-Men
universe.
SPECIAL AWARD FOR MOST
BIZARRE AND WTF? FILM OF THE YEAR
DEAD SUSHI
Oh man you need to see
this completely mental Japanese film from the director of the equally
mental Machine Girl. Dead Sushi follows mutant killing zombie sushi
that starts killing business men at a restaurant. I don't even know
how to explain this film. A man turns into a walking shark, sushi
rolls turn into a floating sushi battleship and the main protagonist
has a small talking piece of egg sushi that sits on her shoulder.
Such a WTF film. Definitely worth watching.
BEST TV SHOW OF THE
YEAR
THE NOMINEES ARE...
Orphan Black
Arrow
The Walking Dead
Revolution
Breaking Bad
American Horror Story
AND THE WINNER
IS.....BREAKING BAD
Okay this something we
rarely touch upon on CA, TV. This year has seen some great TV shows starting and some finishing but out of all the Nominees, there is no
denying that Walter White and Jesse Pinkman are two of the greatest
TV characters ever created. Breaking Bad is one of the greatest TV
shows ever written, directed and especially acted. From it's first
season as a quirky dark comedy to almost full blown Scarface of new
mexico, the rise and ultimate fall of cancer riddled science teacher
turned Meth cook/drug king pin had viewers hooked from season 1.
Bryan Cranston played Hal, the put upon dad from sitcom Malcolm In
The Middle and Walter White see's cranston shake off that TV show and
revel in a character so complex and down right scary that you forget
about Hal. His multi Emmy winning role is matched by Aaron Paul's
Jesse Pinkman, dragged along on a ride of unimaginable danger and you
can't help but love the little junkie because he gets put through the
ringer in almost every season. Add to the show an unbelievable
supporting cast and ladies and gents, you have one of the greatest
television shows ever.
BEST ANIMATED TV SHOW
OF THE YEAR
THE NOMINEES ARE...
South Park
The Simpsons
Adventure Time
Archer
Family Guy
American Dad
AND THE WINNER IS... ARCHER
This slot would
normally be reserved for South Park but this year I discovered a new
show, one that beats all other, that show is the fucking
hilarious....ARCHER. Archer is the best spy in the world but he's also
an alcoholic, sex addicted douch bag, obsessed with 80s movies and
Burt Reynolds. He has mother issues (his mother is his boss and also
an alcoholic) he works with a sort of dedicated team of
“professionals” and consistently find himself getting into
situations he can't get out of, plus it's funny as fuck. So many one
liners, quotable catchphrases and memorable moments. The voice cast
do such a brilliant job and it's the line delivery that makes it much
funnier. I highly recommend Archer, in fact the fifth season returns
in January....DANGER ZONE!!!!
BEST ACTOR IN A
TELEVISION SHOW
THE NOMINEES ARE
Bryan Cranston –
Breaking Bad
Aaron Paul – Breaking
Bad
Andrew Lincoln – The
Walking Dead
Stephen Amell – Arrow
James Spader – The
Black List
Billy Burke –
Revolution
AND THE WINNER IS...
BRYAN CRANSTON
I would probably be
shot for not listing this actor as the winner so Bryan Cranston wins
the award for his portrayal of Walter White, the chemistry teacher
diagnosed with lung cancer whose rise and fall in the drug business
is chronicled over the show's 5 season run. At points Cranston's
performance covers everything from down right scary to looking like
Ned Flanders (diddly). It's such a departure from Malcolm In The
Middle's Hal too, as Hal was more of a doofus but Walter is smart,
cunning and at times very very evil. It's with pleasure that I award
this ApOSCAR to Bryan Cranston.
BEST ACTRESS IN A
TELEVISION SHOW
THE NOMINEES ARE...
Lauren Cohan – The
Walking Dead
Elizabeth Mitchell –
Revolution
Anna Faris – Mom
Tatiana Maslany –
Orphan Black
Melissa McBride – The
Walking Dead
Anna Gunn – Breaking
Bad
AND THE WINNER IS...
TATIANA MASLANY
Orphan Black is one of
the best undiscovered shows of the year and it's main star Tatiana
Maslany should be applauded for her phenomenal performance of not
just one, not just two but six different characters. Her ability to
turn herself into these 6 characters and not make the audience think
it's the same actress is an incredible style of acting. Each of the
characters have their own personality and each their own lives and
it's Maslany's acting skill that makes the show what it is, it's also
one of the best shows of the year.
BEST DVD / BLU- RAY
EXTRA OF THE YEAR
THE NOMINEES ARE...
Cannon Fodder – The
Making OF LifeForce (High Rising Productions) LifeForce (Arrow Vid)
Dean Of Darkness –
Interview with DOP Dean Cundy (Red Shirt Productions) The Fog (SF!)
Rumble On The Lot –
80 minute Retrospective (Fiction Factory) Streets OF Fire (Second
Sight)
AND THE WINNER IS...
CANNON FODDER: THE MAKING OF LIFE FORCE
Production company High
Rising productions has been a staple of Arrow video's releases almost
since the label's conception and as the quality in releases grows, so
does the quality of the extras. An exhaustive look at the making of
Cannon's 1985 sci-fi horror opus, Cannon Fodder features interviews
with everyone from Director Tobe Hooper, Stars Matilda May and Steve
Railsback and other members of the production team who all give
in-depth stories on the what went on behind the scenes. It's a
fascinating documentary on the do's and don'ts of film making and at
nearly 80 minutes of run time, it's a perfect companion piece to such
a mental film.
BEST DVD / BLU-RAY
RELEASE OF THE YEAR
THE NOMINEES ARE...
Lifeforce – Arrow
Video
The Fog – Scream
Factory
The Fury/ Blow Out -
Arrow Video
Fast And Furious 6 –
Universal
Streets Of Fire –
Second Sight
From Beyond – Second
Sight
AND THE WINNER IS...
LIFEFORCE (ARROW VIDEO)
There were a lot of
great releases in 2013, Streets of Fire is a definite personal fave
but Arrow's handling of Cannon's Lifeforce set the benchmark for
independent companies to try and reach, an exquisite package full of
extras that take the time to delve into the making of the film, the 3
commentaries, the transfer of the film, which by the way looks
incredible and was supervised by director Tobe Hooper, the packaging,
with it's newly commissioned artwork and reversable sleeve.
Everything put together is how Blu-Ray should be done. A brilliant
release.
HOME ENTERTAINMENT
LABEL OF THE YEAR
ARROW VIDEO
Our final award is for
best home entertainment label of the year, this award is for the
label wich has put so much hard work into their releases, the
packages they've compiled for their releases and the just the care
put into to making these films available in the best possible way.
There are some absolutely cracking DVD/Blu-ray labels around, Second
Sight, Olive films, Scream/Shout Factory, Twilight Times but for me,
the best of the best has to go to ARROW VIDEO for the incredible year
they've had with releases, not just their upgraded releases like
Tenebre, The Beyond and Inferno, but the DePalmer series with titles
including Dressed To Kill, Blow Out, The Fury and the upcoming
release of Sisters, the MGM flicks like The Car, Lifeforce, Motel
Hell, Runaway Train and Big Trouble In Little China. The Pam Grier
film Foxy Brown, and the 1978 remake of Invasion Of The Body
Snatchers, and those are just an example of the year they've had.
2014 looks to be an even better year with a few titles already slated
for early new year release like Larry Cohen's The Stuff, White OF The
Eye and DePalmer's Phantom Of Paradise and that's just a few up until
March. This is a label that has gone from strength to strength and as
long as they keep releasing quality editions of cult films then i'll
continue to support them any way I can.
Well there we go folks,
that brings us to the end of the first Cine-ApOSCARS. Hope you
enjoyed the read and tune back in next December for the second annual
awards.
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