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.

Barfly

Filmed in 1987 by Barbet Schroeder and produced by American Zoetrope, this telling of the classic Charles Bukowski story stars Mickey Rourke as the lead, Henry Chinaski and co-stars Faye Dunaway.

Plot: Henry is a drunk, a barfly, he hangs around the local pub and fights the barman on a regular basis, usually losing. He also writes and flirts in a an oddly successful and lacklustre way. He meets a woman (Dunaway) and moves in with her straight away, two drunks understanding in each other the same things.

There really isn't a great deal more to this story, but it is as a story and in the telling, that we delve into this life they lead. Henry is the a functioning alcoholic who writes short stories and has them discovered...not that it really changes anything but the amount of drinks he can buy.

It's an odd cast. Rourke plays a character, but having read some of bukowski's more widely spread novels and having see the recent film of his book Factotum, I'm not convinced that he plays Chinaski and not just a random, aggressive drunk. This film doesn't capture Bukowski's writing as faithfully as it could, shame.

If you are a fan and given the prose, you should be...watch Matt Dillon's 2005 version of Factotum.  

Fun Fact: Faye Dunaway insisted on a lingering shot of her legs in one scene. Whether it was to prove her sexuality or whether she simply thought it added to the character I don't know, she did have great legs for a then, 45 year old though.

Teen Wolf

Ever fancied seeing a full length advert for 'Bic'? Well here it is...1985 style.

Michael J.Fox (Do I really need to tell you?!) stars as the teenage, high school basketball player, intent on getting his rocks off with the hot blonde girl, but she's got a fella and Micky J just ain't hot enough...until he gets worked up and becomes a were-wolf...cue the eighties pop song and revel in the wolf dancing.

Moral of the story?...Women dig hairy fellas!

Gross: $33,086,661

Fun Fact: Directed by Rod Daniel, the man that brought us K9. There was a TV series (Teen Wolf, imaginative title, i'm sure you'll agree) and sequel, Teen Wolf Too starring comedic genius, Jason Bateman, as the original wolfs cousin.

The Illustrated Man

Released in 1969, The Illustrated Man is a film based on three of eighteen short stories by the Sci-Fi maestro, Ray Bradbury.

It's rubbish!

Starring Rod Steiger, this film follows a tattooed traveller, who meets another traveller and tells him the story attached to each of his full body illustrations (that includes bum and todger). It encompasses alternate realities, space travel and the end of the world...all on a very low budget it is clear to see. The whole thing is bitty and laborious from beginning to end.

Why is it cult? Cult ain't always good folks...on this occasion, it's the films poor showing at the box office, it's realitve obscurity and the fact that it is based on Bradbury's works...loosely and lazily.

Fun Fact: Director Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen) was hired in 2007 to remake this disaster...we're still waiting, but not really that bothered.