Following on from Friday”s theme, tonight happens to be the X-Factor final. Now for many I can understand that the X-factor is thoroughly entertaining television programme – and that opinion is absolutely fine, to a certain extent. However, what Cowell”s series has done for the British institution of the Christmas No. 1 borders on
hateful (View the source of this page if you want to see what I really think about it – it”s a bit grim).
If Simon Cowell could have his way with narrative storytelling, then art as we know it would be for the chop – and the death of all culture would be a noble end. As such, tonight I though we should celebrate Christmas in all it”s commercial vulgarity, and exploit that to watch something playful and fun – and an adequate kid”s film to boot if you think you”re child is up to it.
Gremlins (1984)
Joe Dante, 105 mins They say a dog isn”t just for Christmas, but for life. Giving anything live, you have to treat your pet with care and attention. In the world of Gremlins, the new pet has three simple rules to abide by if you wan”t to look pokies online after them: don”t give them water, don”t feed them after midnight, and keep them away from bright light. I”d quite enjoy a version of this film where these rules weren”t broken in any way, as Gremlins would make a killer pet. As it is though, the world of cute animals turns to horror in this delightful faux-horror from the 80s. One thing you have to admire about the 1980s, is their use of special effects. Despite age not looking fondly on the technique, the care and attention that working on these effects with a reality – as
opposed to the infinitely cheaper computer generated equivalents today
– gives them a bodily presence that just works. Made today, this would be a waste of your time, but with what”s used this film is a delightful relic of when movies were something truly special. But if you aren”t up for a horror film, maybe take a look at our alternative film…
Tokyo Godfathers (2003)
Satoshi Kon & Shôgo Furuya, 92 mins It may not feature horror, but Tokyo Godfather is a gem of a film that could not be further from the dire glitz and zombie-esque glamour that is the re-animated corpse of popular music intrinsic with the X-Factor. Set in Tokyo, as much in the animated tradition of the east as it is in its capital, Tokyo Godfathers follows a homeless community in their festive struggles. This has heart in buckets where X-Factor is even running low on coal, and is unfortunately lost from most people”s radar; if you get a chance, please watch this and share it as it is a film which deserves to be seen. And if you”ve yet to experience anime, prepare to sink some hours in watching some quality films…
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