guilty pleasures
OK, I admit I’m oft accused of doing a ‘Kermode’ (a ‘Barry Norman’ back in the day) and concede that my ultimate top-ten does include more than its fair share of art-house, black & white and world-cinema releases. It’s even been levelled at me that, due to my obvious elitist snobbery, I remain intentionally close-minded to the popular blockbuster. But I’m only human and I have to concede there are a number of films that, whilst they wouldn’t be accompanying me to Roy Plomley’s desert island, are nonetheless, beyond reproach, and non-negotiably so. These are my celluloid guilty-pleasures and if they’re on TV you can bet your bottom dollar they’ll be on my TV. Usually on a Sunday afternoon. So there. I love ‘em all, I’ve watched each ripping-yarn far too many times to recall and don’t need to justify it to anyone. So, without further ado and in no particular order, cue the drum roll and strike the Rank Cinema’s going for:
Blade Trinity
Braveheart
Gladiator
Where Eagles Dare
Layer Cake
The Man Who Would Be King
Robin Hood (any/all versions including both Kevin Costner’s and Russell Crowe’s. I know!)
Inglorious Basterds
The Last of the Mohicans
Colombiana
School of Rock
By the same token there’s one film that will never appear on any of my lists and that is the world’s most over-rated, hyped film of all-time, the pure hokum Hollywood hooch, the superbly executed, manipulative, implausible triumph of every feel-good stereotype, The Shawshank Redemption. Oh, and yes, there were eleven. Get me, I just don’t care!
