Short Circuit

What can you really say about this film? It's an eighties robot comedy...with a heart.

Plot: The US Government have created a whole gang of robots for advanced warfare. There's like seven of em or something. There's a demonstration for the top brass, a lightning strike and one of em, number 5, comes alive. He runs away, meets a chick, they dance to Travolta music and live happily ever after...then there's a sequel.

Stars Ally Sheedy (Breakfast Club) and Steve Guttenburg (Police Academy series, Coccoon)

Gross: $40,697,761

Fun Fact: The robot, Johnny 5, was designed by (Syd Mead) the fella that worked on Blade Runner and Tron. There was even a song to accompany it, Who's Johnny, by El DeBarge...I'll be honest, I haven't heard it...but I'd love to!

Batman

Brilliant.

While yes, the new Batman's are awesome, this one still stands up exceedingly well. It has that wonderful mix of originality, truism and humour...and the director, Tim Burton does not, on this occasion, go ridiculously overboard.

Plot: Batman/Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) is a caped crusader, he is also a billionaire, so he can afford a few cool toys (Batmobile mainly) and he goes around fighting the bad guys cos Gotham Cities police are a tad corrupt. He also has to give The Joker (Jack Nicholson) a bit of a beatin' from time to time. Also starring Jack Palance and Kim Basinger.

Budget: $48,000,000

Gross: $411,348,924

Fun Fact: Tim Burton directed Pee Wee's Big Adventure, it's success is the reason he got this shot. Batman creator, Bob Kane saw the production at Pinewood Studios and endorsed the film fully.

Superman

Starring the iconic Christopher Reeve, supported by Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman and directed by Leathal Weapon supremo, Richard Donner, Superman is the standard that superhero films go by, despite its rather dated appearance now.

Filmed in 1978, this origin story is as faithful to backstory as any before or after.

Plot: A refugee from another planet crashes to Earth as an infant, is rescued and raised by a loving farm couple, grows up and saves the world with super powers.

Budget: $55,000,000

Gross: $300,218,018

Fun Fact: 3 sequels, 1 spin off (Supergirl) and a recent remake, Superman Returns. Possibly the most amazing element of the Superman story is the production, the fact that Supe's father in the film, Marlon Brando, only read the script when he arrived on set, earned $3,700,000 and got 11.75% of the gross.

Condorman

Starring Michael Crawford and Oliver the legend Reed, this film is a real guilty pleasure.

This 1981 spy adventure follows Mr Crawford as a comic book illustrator, who ends up helping an attractive KGB agent defect (as you do), but to do this, he's gonna need a few gadgets...like all the cool stuff from his comic, including his Condorman outfit.

The best thing in this film? other than the spy stuff...Oliver Reed's glass eye.

It's another Disney film too...odd how they churn out the cult and the commercial.

Fun Fact: Music by Henry Mancini.

The Golden Child

This 1986 comedy is brilliant!

Starring Eddie Murphy (back when he had some edge to him) and introducing the world to the delights of Charlotte Lewis, we are treated to a film that has heart, but is very able to poke fun at itself.

Plot: Eddie Murphy is a finder of lost children, Charlotte Lewis has lost one...fine, 'cept, seems the one she misplaced was the Golden Child, a child destined to bring peace to the world. That'd be fine, but it seems the devil want's him too and dispatched Charles Dance to grab him. Then Eddie has to go to Nepal and get all spiritual and stuff, then there's a weird dream sequence and Charles turns into a flying monster...there's also a dancing Coke can, don't ask, just enjoy. 

Dunno the budget, but it made $79,817,937.

Fun Fact: John carpenter turned down the chance to direct and Mel Gibson was originally slated to star...can you imagine?!

Time Bandits

One of the most random and varied films you'll ever see...and it has lots and lots of "small" people in it.

Filmed in 1981, directed by Terry Python Gilliam and starring Sean Connery (King Agememnon), John Cleese (Robin Hood), Ian Holm (Napoleon), Kenny Baker (R2D2-not in this film though) and Ralph Richardson (Supreme Being), this is the story of how "God's" little helpers stole his time map and how a little boy had an adventure.

Awesome. Really. It's odd though, really odd, but great!

Probably Gilliam's biggest commercial success;

Budget: $5,000,000

Gross: $42,365,581

Fun Fact: Music by George Beatle Harrison.

The Crazies

Shot in 1973, George A.Romero created a cult classic that stands the time test and as often happens these days, resulted in a remake (not a bad one either).

Plot: The US military accidentally releases a biological weapon on an unsuspecting little town. The result is mass dementia. The government has to clean house...with flame throwers.


Budget: $275,000

Gross: $143,784

Fun Fact: Alternate title Code Name: Trixie.

Dr Horrible's Sing-a Long Blog

Directed by Joss Buffy Whedon as an online series, this musical/superhero/villain comedy is without doubt a laugh riot from beginning to end.

Starring Nathan Fillion (Firefly) as Captain Hammer and Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser) as Dr Horrible, we are led down the evil path of the doctor and learn of his conflicts with the captain and his infatuation with the only person in the world that could prevent his turning bad, Penny.

I can't rate this idea highly enough. Conceived by the Whedon brotthers during the Hollywood writers strike a few years ago, the team came together to create an original and enjoyable take on the age old superhero/villain conflict.

Fun Fact: Dr Horrible 2 is in te pipeline, but will be a little delayed, given Joss Whedon's directorial duties on The Avengers movie.

Stranded

Filmed in 2001, Stranded (also known as The Shelter) is that rare thing...a good sci-fi film. Don't get me wrong, I love sci-fi, but I also watch a lot of crap too. This ain't crap.

Starring Vincent Gallo (Buffalo 66) and Maria de Medeiros (Bruce's pregnant chick in Pulp Fiction) this story tells us what happens when a small team of astronauts crash land on the planet mars. Some swift calculations and they decide a walk's as good as a nap and off they go...

Oddly, this film received only 5.3/10 on IMDb, I can only assume they were misled and thought they'd see something different. This is a cult film, low budget, high fun.

Fun Fact: Also starred Johnny Ramone!

Frogs

So, I tried, I really tried with this one...but it was shoddy at best.

Very disappointed.

Plot: Pesticides sprayed, animals miffed, revenge is taken...job done.

Very very bad! Shot in 1972, directed by George McCowan (The Magnificent Seven Ride!) and in the eco-horror genre, Frogs is a trial from beginning to agonising end...good luck!

Fun Fact: This actually stars Sam Elliott.

The Three Musketeers

A more stellar cast you will never see!

As a child I spoon fed myself this series of films and continue to imbibe.

Filmed in 1973, The Three Musketeers is directed by Beatles filmmaker Richard Lester and stars anyone how's anyone...Oliver Reed (British icon and that big fella in Gladiator), Richard Chamberlain (THE Alexandre Dumas actor), Raquel Welch (do I really need to tell you?!), Michael York (now best known as Basil in the Austin Powers franchise), Faye Dunaway, Charlton Heston and Christopher Lee!!!...how can this cast not make you run for the dvd?!!!

Plot: some kid comes to the big smoke, full of gusto and hope, to make his mark in the world and beome a musketeer (the french kings primary swordsmen), what he discovers is love, humour, friendship and challenge.

Fun Fact: There are three in this legendary series, the first two originally designed as one, 3 hour Beatles vehicle. RIP Roy Kinnear.