Editorial: Oscar Noms '09: Thoughts & Predictions

'Tis that time of year again, the beloved (or loathed...) Awards Season! The Academy Award nominations were revealed today in their time-honoured fashion, and as always they threw up some surprises. Before listing the nominees and revealing my prediction for the winner in each category, I thought I'd offer a few random thoughts and observations. All together now... "What about The Dark Knight?!?!"

• - In all honesty, I'm not surprised that TDK wasn't nominated, and not overwhelmingly disappointed - yes, it's a good film, but hardly the best thing since sliced bread. More disappointing for me is the lack of love for The Wrestler, which only received nods for Best Actor (Rourke) and Supporting Actress (Tomei - a pleasant surprise, to be fair). It's probably just too niche a film for the Academy.
• - In terms of numbers, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is the big leader with an impressive 13 noms, which has only ever been bettered by two films: Titanic and All About Eve. I can't see it winning in any of the major categories though, but at the very least Visual Effects seems a likely win. I need to see this film.
• - The Reader got a lot of love (5 noms), which is odd considering it's hardly a great film (see my review). It's one of those Oscar Bait films that seem to get nominated just because of their subject matter than because of actual quality. The fact that the Weinsteins are behind it is not insigificant either - they powered Shakespeare In Love to an unfathomable Best Picture win a decade ago.
• - If Heath Ledger doesn't win for Supporting Actor, I'll be seriously miffed, as his performance is brilliant, regardless of his sad death. However he seems like such an overwhelming favourite that a backlash from voters may occur.
• - Staying with Supporting Actor, it's great to see a nom for Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder. Not a brilliant film but he certainly stood out.
• - Slumdog Millionaire managed a substantial 10 nominations overall, which is all the more impressive considering it's a small film and therefore can't compete in categories like Visual Effects. It's the clear front runner for the big one.
  
• - Animated Film really seems like a pointless category; not because WALL-E is undeserving of a win but because there are so few films to choose from. It also prevents any animated films from ever being nominated for Best Picture nowadays.
• - Likewise this year the Best Song selection is odd - only three noms (usually there are five) and two for the same film, Slumdog Millionaire. Every year one film gets nominated more than once in this same category.
• - Overall an interesting selection - the Best Pic category looks pretty strong even though I've only seen two of them thus far. But I can't see the ceremony's ratings slide improving; increasingly these days popular films and those deemed awards-worthy are seen as two opposing definitions. It's only when there's another popular hit that also gets lots of noms - another Lord of the Rings or Titanic - that general interest will improve.

With that out of the way, here are the noms and my predictions (in italics), which as always do not necessarily represent my personal preference.

BEST PICTURE
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
MILK
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE READER
FROST/NIXON

BEST ACTOR
Sean Penn - MILK
Mickey Rourke - THE WRESTLER
Frank Langella - FROST/NIXON
Brad Pitt - THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Richard Jenkins - THE VISITOR

BEST ACTRESS
Meryl Streep - DOUBT
Anne Hathaway - RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
Kate Winslet - THE READER
Melissa Leo - FROZEN RIVER
Angelina Jolie - CHANGELING

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Heath Ledger - THE DARK KNIGHT
Robert Downey, Jr. - TROPIC THUNDER
Philip Seymour Hoffman - DOUBT
Josh Brolin - MILK
Michael Shannon - REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Marisa Tomei - THE WRESTLER
Amy Adams - DOUBT
Penelope Cruz - VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
Taraji P. Henson - THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Viola Davis - DOUBT

BEST ANIMATED FILM
WALL-E
KUNG FU PANDA
BOLT

BEST DIRECTOR
Danny Boyle - SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
David Fincher - THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Stephen Daldry - THE READER
Ron Howard - FROST/NIXON
Gus Van Sant - MILK

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Simon Beaufoy - SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Eric Roth - THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Peter Morgan - FROST/NIXON
John Patrick Shanley - DOUBT
David Hare - THE READER

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Courtney Hunt - FROZEN RIVER
Dustin Lance Black - MILK
Martin McDonough - IN BRUGES
Mike Leigh - HAPPY-GO-LUCKY
Andrew Stanton and Jim Reardon - WALL-E

BEST ART DIRECTION
CHANGELING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
THE DUCHESS
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
CHANGELING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
THE READER
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
AUSTRALIA
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DUCHESS
MILK
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
THE BETRAYAL
ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE ROAD
MAN ON WIRE
THE GARDEN
TROUBLE THE WATER

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
"The Conscience of Nhem En"
"The Final Inch"
"Smile Pinki"
"The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306"

BEST EDITING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
FROST/NIXON
MILK
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
THE BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX
THE CLASS
DEPARTURES
AUSTRIA
WALTZ WITH BASHIR

BEST MAKEUP
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
DEFIANCE
MILK
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
WALL-E

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"Down to Earth" - WALL-E
"Jai Ho" - SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
"O Saya" - SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

BEST ANIMATED SHORT
"La Maison de Petits Cubes"
"Lavatory - Lovestory"
"Oktapodi"
"Presto"
"This Way Up"

BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT
"Auf der Strecke (On the Line)"
"Manon on the Asphalt"
"New Boy"
"The Pig"
"Spielzeugland (Toyland)"

BEST SOUND EDITING
THE DARK KNIGHT
IRON MAN
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
WALL-E
WANTED

BEST SOUND MIXING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
WALL-E
WANTED

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
IRON MAN
THE DARK KNIGHT

The ceremony is on Feb 22nd. Is it really that time already?

Editorial: Is George Lazenby the best Bond?

No, he isn't. Let's get that out of the way first. But he was a damn good incarnation of 007, and his negative reputation - based mainly on the fact he only did one Bond film - is not deserved. Read on to find out why...


For those who don't know or need reminding, Lazenby starred in the sixth James Bond film adventure, 1969's On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Based on one of Ian Fleming's strongest Bond books and sticking closely to it, the film has recently grown in popularity. What was once the most obscure 007 film - it was the last one, pre-Brosnan, that I saw - has, with the availability of the film on DVD, has come to be seen as an overlooked gem.

That is entirely deserved. Eschewing the cartoony aspects of (the still very enjoyable) predecessor You Only Live Twice, OHMSS is an excellent thriller with a tragic and hard-hitting ending, and an emotional story unique to the franchise until 2006's Casino Royale. But what struck me most upon viewing it recently is how well poor ol' Lazenby's performance holds up.

He was cast as an unknown based on his part in a TV advert. The producers liked his looks and his physicality - he proved adept at hand-to-hand stunt combat, which explains the regularity of them in the film. This (notably Australian) non-actor was given the unenviable task of filling Sean Connery's shoes. As has been said elsewhere, at the time replacing Connery would have seemed like someone other than Harrison Ford playing Indiana Jones. Basically, just wrong. Predictably, critics were lukewarm.

I would like to suggest, however, that it has ultimately proven to be a good thing that Connery didn't star in this film. Originally, it was meant to be the fifth Bond, but outside factors led the producers to make the Japan-set You Only Live Twice instead. Although an entertaining action extravaganza, Connery was by this point clearly bored with the role and just coasting along for the paycheque. An uninterested performance of this sort would have absolutely not worked for the powerful and emotional story of OHMSS.

Lazenby is called upon to deliver some heavyweight scenes in the film, not least the reaction to his new wife's sudden and brutal murder. His simple but heartfelt acting here and elsewhere in the film really gets across the tragedy of the scene, and you really believe that Bond was in love. Conversely, I believe it would have been hard to believe Connery's Bond would really fall in love with anyone. Perhaps circa 1963's From Russia With Love it would have been plausible, but by 1967 Connery's Bond had become more of a wisecracking caricature - not purely through the fault of the actor, I have to add, but nonetheless undeniable.

The only part of the film which I feel doesn't work is the portion in which Bond infiltrates Blofeld's mountaintop lair posing as genealogist Sir Hilary Bray. That's mainly because for this sequence Lazenby is dubbed - which is not only distracting, but also disguises the quality of Lazenby's acting. Apparently he had honed a posh British accent for the sequence but the powers that be elected to dub him with the voice of the actor playing the real Sir Hilary. It's a rare misstep in the film, and thankfully is not a major problem.

It's a true shame that Lazenby didn't return for another outing. We ended up getting the risible Diamonds Are Forever, a campy, ludicrous farce that undid all of this film's good work. It's not true that Lazenby was fired, however - despite a decline in box office from the mid-60s heights, OHMSS was still a hit. It was entirely the actor's choice not to return - he believed in the wake of the new wave of American films, including the likes of Easy Rider and Bonnie and Clyde, that Bond would soon be outdated and would not last. He also thought that having done the film he would get plenty of other acting offers. He was, of course, wrong on both counts.

Ultimately, his legacy as Bond is a unique one, and the film he headlined has proven to be one of the best in the 46-year-old series.

Bond: Top 5 Villains' Lairs

As the release of Bond 22, AKA Quantum of Solace, is looming, here we celebrate the Bond legacy by looking back at the whole franchise. Look out for several Bond Top 5s over the coming week!

Top 5 Villains' Lairs

5. The space station - Moonraker
OK, so Bond has no business going into space, but Drax's orbiting space station is certainly a spectacular set, heavily inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey. It really sums up the no-expense-spared approach that Cubby Broccoli took for Bond's most outlandish adventure.

4. St. Cyril's Monastery - For Your Eyes Only
For Your Eyes Only divides opinions, but for me it's always been a highlight of the Moore era. This is one reason why. The sequence in which Bond scales the sheer cliff face brings the sort of realistic suspense to the franchise that hadn't been seen for over a decade.

3. The supertanker - The Spy Who Loved Me
Although not really the villain's lair in the film - that would be Stromberg's underwater city, Atlantis - it is his base of operations, and deserves to be included here for its sheer scale. No stage existed in the world big enough to house it, so they built one.

2. Piz Gloria - On Her Majesty's Secret Service
This beautiful mountaintop retreat actually exists, sitting atop the Schilthorn in Switzerland. Indeed, both the exteriors and many of the interiors were shot on location; they weren't sets. But it seems made to be in a Bond film, and provides the opportunity for an awesome climactic helicopter assault.

1. Hollowed-out volcano - You Only Live Twice
There could only be one winner here. Blofeld's volcanic hideaway is such a brilliant concept, wonderfully executed. It sums up You Only Live Twice's comic book approach, which doesn't work entirely, but it does allow for this mindblowing set. This may be my first memory of a Bond film, and at the time I thought it was the coolest thing ever.




Disagree with a ranking? Have I forgotten something? Post in the comments!

Bond: Top 5 Stunts

As the release of Bond 22, AKA Quantum of Solace, is looming, here we celebrate the Bond legacy by looking back at the whole franchise. Look out for several Bond Top 5s over the coming week!

Top 5 Stunts

5. Dangling out of a plane - The Living Daylights
The climax of Timothy Dalton's first outing sees him and a baddie grappling with each other while clutching on to a net which was hanging out of the back of a plane. The stuntmen did it for real, but hadn't anticipated the turbulence, and nearly couldn't hang on.

4. Dam dive - GoldenEye
This impressive bungee jump is one of the first things that we see in GoldenEye, and, though meant to be in Russia, was actually performed on the Versasca Dam in Switzerland. It's a suitably spectacular start to the Brosnan quartet.

3. Freefall fisticuffs - Moonraker
This opening sequence of Moonraker involves Bond and returning baddie Jaws duking it out in mid-air for one parachute. It's incredibly filmed, and actually required something like 80 separate real jumps to shoot. Pity it's all but ruined by the punchline - Jaws survives by landing on a circus tent. That's Moonraker for you.

2. Crocodile stepping stones - Live and Let Die
You'd think they would just use fake floating crocodiles, but that would be too mundane: Bond's escape from the crocodile farm in Roger Moore's debut actually involved a poor guy (the actual owner of said farm) running across real, living reptiles. Luckily, all he lost was a shoe.

1. Bridge jump - The Man With the Golden Gun
Another example in the Moore era of an incredible stunt almost being ruined in the quest for a cheap laugh, but the naff sound effect added to this spectacular corkscrew car leap can't disguise its daring. It was basically a one-shot deal, and even with so many variables involved, they nailed it, landing the car perfectly on the other side after rotating a full 360 degrees. It had never been done before.




Disagree with a ranking? Have I forgotten something? Post in the comments!

Bond: Top 5 Bond Girls

As the release of Bond 22, AKA Quantum of Solace, is looming, here we celebrate the Bond legacy by looking back at the whole franchise. Look out for several Bond Top 5s over the coming week!

Top 5 Bond Girls

5. Elektra King (Sophie Marceau) - The World Is Not Enough
Bad girls are hardly rare in Bond films, but rarely are they as well-written as Sophie Marceau's Elektra, who ultimately turns out to be, uniquely, the film's primary villain. Not only is she sexy as hell, she also completely acts Denise Richards off the screen. (Maybe not the hardest thing to do, but still...)

4. Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) - Casino Royale
For once, Casino Royale provided a strong and realistic female character in a Bond film. Refreshingly neither a blonde bimbo nor a wannabe action heroine, Vesper's relationship with the rugged new Daniel Craig-shaped Bond is actually genuinely touching. Eva Green deserves much of the credit.

3. Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman) - Goldfinger
Probably the only Bond girl whose name is more famous than the character itself - and it's a name that surely you wouldn't get away with in today's more conservative times. Honor Blackman also holds the, er, honour of being the only Bond girl older than the leading man, but she still looks the part. What makes the character is the fact that she doesn't just submit to 007's charms immediately.

2. Tracy Di Vincenzo (Diana Rigg) - On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Arguably the first time a Bond girl was more than just window dressing, Diana Rigg's Tracy provides George Lazenby's sole effort with its beating heart, and it's the unique relationship between the pair - not to mention its tragic end - that makes On Her Majesty's Secret Service such a strong entry in the canon.

1. Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress) - Dr. No
She hardly does anything and only makes her entry about two thirds of the way into the film, but what an entry. Look up "Bond Girl" in the dictionary and you get this image. Well, you would if Bond Girl was in the dictionary. And it was a dictionary with pictures.




Disagree with a ranking? Have I forgotten something? Post in the comments!

Bond: Top 5 Henchmen (and Henchwomen)

As the release of Bond 22, AKA Quantum of Solace, is looming, here we celebrate the Bond legacy by looking back at the whole franchise. Look out for several Bond Top 5s over the coming week!

Top 5 Henchmen (and Henchwomen)

5. Xenia Onatopp - GoldenEye
Subtlety is hardly the name of the game when it comes to naming women in Bond films, and saucy minx Xenia's surname basically spells out how she kills her (male) victims: during sex, she wraps her legs round them and squeezes hard. Probably not the worst way to die.

4. Nick Nack - The Man With the Golden Gun
Basically the Mini Me of his time (but far less cute and twice as creepy), the brilliantly monikered Nick Nack may appear in one of the worst Bond films, but he's the part you remember most. Well, him and Scaramanga's third nipple.

3. Oddjob - Goldfinger
Goldfinger was basically the film that invented all of what became the Bond trademarks, not least the nasty bola-hat-throwing Korean known only as Oddjob. He first proves his skills by slicing the head off an antique stone statue. Now that's evil.

2. Red Grant - From Russia With Love
As he appeared in Bond's second ever screen adventure, Grant came before henchmen had to have a gimmick. We know he means business straight from the start, as he garrottes a fake Bond in the very first scene. Eventually he gives away his identity to the real Bond by committing that cardinal sin of ordering red wine with fish. No no no.

1. Jaws - The Spy Who Loved Me/Moonraker
Jaws was so popular that he is the only henchman who's ever been in two separate movies. OK, so what happens to him in Moonraker completely rapes the memory of the character, but he's a genuine threat in The Spy Who Loved Me and provides probably Bond's best physical adversary (certainly in the Roger Moore cycle).

Disagree with a ranking? Have I forgotten something? Post in the comments!

Bond: Top 5 Gadgets

As the release of Bond 22, AKA Quantum of Solace, is looming, here we celebrate the Bond legacy by looking back at the whole franchise. Look out for several Bond Top 5s over the coming week!

Top 5 Gadgets

5. Remote-controlled BMW - Tomorrow Never Dies
This awesome little gadget (well, I guess as remote-controlled vehicles go, it's not so little) provided the undoubted highlight of Pierce Brosnan's second outing as 007. It also led to probably the best action sequence in the Brosnan era, as well as being damn funny to boot.

4. Little Nellie - You Only Live Twice
The helicopter so cute they gave it a name. Almost small enough to pack in a suitcase, the introduction of this mini-chopper may have been the first sign of the Bond franchise jumping the shark, so to speak, but it's certainly a memorable image. During the shooting of the sequence a stuntman got his leg chopped off by a rotor blade. Ouch.

3. Lotus Esprit - The Spy Who Loved Me
Or, the car that's also a submarine. The actual real-world usefulness of such a concept - who really needs to drive into the sea on a regular basis? - is immaterial, because it's just so damned cool. Even if it does leak.

2. Jet Pack - Thunderball
Although on screen for all of, ooh, 5 seconds, the tin-foil-wrapped (or at least, that what it looks like) jet pack gives Bond an awesome means of escape in Thunderball's pre-credits sequence. And the best part? It actually works. Although the user will probably die horribly.

1. Aston Martin DB5 - Goldfinger
Not only is this obviously the best gadget Q has ever created, it's also quite possibly the most famous car in the history of movies. Its arsenal of weapons and tricks is unbeatable, and it was so good that they brought it back for Thunderball, albeit briefly. And after seeing Goldfinger, who hasn't wanted a passenger ejector seat?




... And the worst:
Invisible Aston - Die Another Day
Just about everything was wrong with the final Brosnan Bond, but this was probably the cardinal sin (well, this and Madonna). I mean, there's ridiculous and then there's bleedin' stupid. Who would want to make something so beautiful disappear anyway?


Disagree with a ranking? Have I forgotten something? Post in the comments!

Editorial: Indiana Jones and the Perfect MacGuffin

I'm still letting my experience of viewing Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (KotCS) settle in, but I have one overwhelming feeling, that of disappointment.

Another thing I keep thinking is that the perfect Indy 4 has already been made, way back in 1992: Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis.

For those unaware, Fate of Atlantis is a classic point-and-click adventure game released by LucasArts. Not only was it a fantastic game in its own right, it also had a superb script and storyline, at the centre of which was an unbeatable "MacGuffin": the lost city of Atlantis.

("MacGuffin" is a term coined by Alfred Hitchcock to describe an object that is a catalyst for the plot or motivates characters' actions but is ultimately irrelevant. Marion Crane's stash of money in Psycho, which results in her visiting the Bates Motel, is the perfect example.)

There's been a good deal of discussion about the Crystal Skull, the MacGuffin in the new film, and many of the criticisms of the film have identified it as a flaw. Like Temple of Doom's Sankara Stones, it is weak as a plot device because it's too obscure. The Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail worked well because (aside from them both having the obvious religious connection) they are well known objects. Everyone's heard of them, so they don't need too much explaining. KotCS, on the other hand, spends so much time explaining its central MacGuffin that it sometimes forgets to actually move the plot forward.

There have been reports that the Skull was the idea of George Lucas, and that Spielberg and Harrison Ford were not altogether happy with it. Nevertheless, the same was said about the Grail in The Last Crusade, but that worked well enough. Apparently Spielberg added the father/son plotline in that film to compensate for the weakness of the central gimmick.

Back to the point. Atlantis is the utterly perfect MacGuffin for an Indy film: a fascinating archaeological mystery that almost everyone has at least heard of. Some claim that the game was based on an early idea for the next Indy film after Crusade which never came to fruition. It's a real shame, because as the game proved, it provides a wonderful premise for an Indy adventure.

The way I look at it, Indy 4 was a huge success that is worthy of its precessors' good name. It was called The Fate of Atlantis.

Summer Preview 2008

It's hard to believe, but the summer movie season (by which I mean May to August) is almost upon us once again. Last summer belonged to the threequel; this year there's an interesting mix of new stuff based on well-known source material, a few sequels, the long-awaited return of a film icon, and even some original fare.

For those who are at all interested, here I'll count down my top 10 most anticipated films of the summer. Not the most original list, but then that's kind of appropriate considering we're talking about blockbusters. These are not necessarily the films I think will make the most money, just those that have me licking my lips with anticipation to varying degrees.

Without further ado, in reverse order (the YouTube videos are the films' trailers)...


10. Hancock - 2 July
Will Smith's latest star vehicle after the megahit I Am Legend sees him starring as a drunken superhero. If the title sounds a bit dull and non-descript, try the original title out for size: Tonight, He Comes. Wonder why they didn't stick with that one.

9. The Incredible Hulk - 13 June
I'm looking forward to this film with some trepidation but I'm also cautiously optimistic. I was a fan of Ang Lee's much derided Hulk, so this sequel's change in direction towards a more action-centric style doesn't entirely fill me with joy. However, the capable Ed Norton is taking Eric Bana's place as Bruce Banner, and he also has taken considerable creative control. The latest word, however, is that the director (Louis Leterrier) and Marvel have been at loggerheads over the final cut, and Marvel - who preferred a leaner, more action-packed version, of course - have apparently won out. At least a longer cut may be on DVD.

8. Iron Man - 2 May
Marvel's other tentpole this year is the one that kicks off the summer, and their latest hope for a new Spider-Man-like super-franchise. Everything seems to bode well - the casting especially, with Robert Downey Jr., Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow and others all handpicked by the director, John Favreau. I have to say, though, that the trailers have left me a little cold. I will be happy if my scepticism is proven unfounded.

7. Gone Baby Gone - 6 June
An unusual choice, you may think, considering that this - Ben Affleck's directorial debut - was released months ago in the States. Here it was delayed due to the plot's similarities with the Madeleine McCann case. It garnered excellent reviews from critics, who praised Affleck's direction and the acting of his brother Casey in the lead role (and Amy Ryan was Oscar nominated for best Supporting Actress). Not typical summer fare, then, but it's nice to have a break from all the explosions.

6. Doomsday - 9 May
Another film that our Stateside brethren have already had the opportunity to see, Doomsday is Neil "The Descent" Marshall's latest and most ambitious effort. The film seems to be a bonkers cross between Escape From New York (classic John Carpenter) and Mad Max. Despite some so-so reviews, I think it looks like great fun and the concept, although unoriginal, certainly appeals to me. And I wasn't too impressed with The Descent.

5. Hellboy II: The Golden Army - 22 August
Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy has plenty of fans, but its unspectacular box office takings wouldn't seem to demand a sequel. Del Toro's commitment has paid off, however, and here he looks like his imagination is really let loose. The original was an offbeat delight (which I only saw the charms of second time round, I admit), and I'm hoping this can build on its successes.

4. The Happening - 13 June
I'm an M. Night Shyamalan apologist, despite not loving Lady in the Water (but it's not as bad as some made out) or The Village (because of the ending). I am, however, a big fan of Signs and especially Unbreakable. The Happening sounds like it could be a true return to form, with an epic apocalyptic plotline. Shyamalan may sometimes love himself too much but young directors like him who write their own original scripts are increasingly rare.

3. Wall-E - 18 July
Speaking of originality, Pixar are bringing us what looks like the most original film in years this summer, in the form of Wall-E, the tale of a loveable scrap-collecting robot who works alone on an abandoned Earth. The imagery looks absolutely stunning, and the film is apparently almost entirely devoid of dialogue, relying on Ben Burtt's sound design instead. Pixar still haven't failed, and I will be truly shocked if Wall-E does not continue their streak. It could even be one of their very best films yet.

2. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - 22 May
Cumbersome title aside, the signs are good for the return of Indy, 19 years after his last adventure. The trailer shows that Spielberg and co are not departing much from the Indy we know and love, and they're making the right noises concerning the desire to use as little CGI as possible. I personally thought that The Last Crusade was a perfect way to end Indy's cinematic life, but if Skull succeeds, I think we'll all be happy to welcome him back.

1. The Dark Knight - 25 July
In truth, summer 2008 is for me all about one film - Christopher Nolan's follow-up to his brilliant franchise rebirth Batman Begins. Heath Ledger's death is tragic and will unavoidably change our experience of watching the film. Nevertheless, if Knight lives up to its enormous potential it will be a tremendous tribute to the talented actor (who will still star in one more film, Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus). Rumours are spreading that the film is set to have a running time of as much as 3 hours, which for me is fantastic news - and credit to Warner Bros if they have the cajones to allow it. I don't want to jinx the film, but I really cannot see how it could fail. The Dark Knight has "classic" written all over it.

So there's your lot folks. No doubt not all of these films will turn out great - if they do it will be one hell of a summer - but I'm hopeful that amongst this bunch there will be some films well worth remembering.

Editorial: Uwe Boll is a Genius

Uwe Boll is the greatest living director on Earth.

At least, that's what he seems to think. For those who haven't seen his films or even heard of him (the lucky ones), he's a German director of absolutely dreadful, but surprisingly glossy B-movies mostly based on videogames, including House of the Dead and Alone in the Dark. Fairly recently an online petition was started to demand that he stops making films entirely, and Boll has even responded, saying that if there are a million signatures he will actually comply. Currently there are over 206,000. (Find it here if you want to add your name.)

Recently Boll has made a filmed statement relating to this, which has to be one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Enjoy.

If he's serious in the above video, that just proves he is a complete moron. If he's joking, the man may be right - he might be a genius.

This leaves me in a bit of a moral quandary. Yes, he makes awful, dire films (calling them films is an insult to the medium, really) but they are entertainingly terrible. House of the Dead, for example, is absolutely hilarious. In some perverse, masochistic way, world cinema may be a lesser place without him.

There is also a pro-Boll petition, here, which currently has the rather pitiful total of 4,464 signatures. I haven't signed either of the petitions due to my dilemma.

Whatever Boll ends up doing - and I really can't see him giving up, a million signatures or not - his latest "masterpiece", Postal, is due out in the US in May, and early word actually suggests it may not be utter balls. In the UK, we've got the DVD release of In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale to look forward to, starring our own Jason Statham and a whole load of other recognisable names who should know better. I can't wait.