Necrotongue

The first time I saw The Life of Brian was in my 1st year of high school. It instantly became one of my favorite comedies and I’ll never get tired of watching it over and over again. If I were a devoted Catholic, I would have to whip myself with a barbed wire while watching it lest the Almighty think I was enjoying it. Hilarious scenes, great writing, and superb acting. The sheer number of memorable lines and historical references make this comedy absolutely timeless. All I have to do is think of Otto's suicide squad, Pilate, the ex-leper, or the line to the crucifixion, and I'm chuckling to myself again.

What to say about the Monty Python's Flying Circus sketches? Brilliant! Timeless! Incredibly funny! Unparalleled! I don't think anyone's ever come up with anything better. Granted, the last season wasn't as good as the previous three but considering that the series was made between 1969 and 1974 and it has been making me laugh out loud for almost thirty years, that's really saying something. The Pythons' humor is incredibly timeless and the lines from some of the sketches are perfectly applicable to everyday life. But now for something completely different...

The theme of Viking raids is interesting to me. I don't know much about them beyond the basics and the series made me do some digging to get some context. The writers created the right mixture of intrigue, fighting, and insights into the off-season activities of the Norsemen to keep me hooked. Interestingly, the Viking who stands out the most for me in the series is the 168cm tall Lagertha. Until the end of the third season, I was fully satisfied, but the fourth season was a bit disappointing due to the constant visions and hallucinations that needlessly fragmented the plot. I can only hope that the fifth season will bring it up to 5 stars again.

This film has faced plenty of negative criticism over the years, which I think is totally undeserved. I get that George Lazenby is the main problem. I certainly agree that he comes across as wooden and even a bit sleazy. Except for the lead, I have no major complaints, though. I enjoyed the story, it had some funny lines, if I ignore the ridiculous reference to Connery in the beginning. The pace was great, plus, Bond vs. Kojak!

Here we go. Not even the Japanese could keep their women safe from this extremely invasive British agent and so it’s not rare in Japan to come across citizens speaking Japanese with a strong Scottish accent. The leap into the realm of sci-fi is more than obvious, and despite the plot being far-fetched beyond belief, the film does have a certain charm.

Thunderball is the first Bond film to go to the absurd. The original theme of espionage during the Cold War is replaced with fighting against secret organizations (especially the main one). The Soviets will be sidelined from now on. What’s more, circumstances will often force them to cooperate with the British in the fight to save the world. Not that I mind, it's just that it's no longer a spy film but an action sci-fi. Still worth four stars.

Goldfinger’s caption could be "Macho Strikes Again". I guess only Bond can turn a lesbian into a heterosexual by the sheer force of his masculinity. Compared to the previous two films, there is less of the espionage atmosphere but more of the gadgets and one-liners. Bond films have taken on a new direction.

The most genuine spy film of all the Bond films. Connery's Bond met his match in Robert Shaw. SPECTRE and the Soviet Union got a proper hammering, without unnecessary frantic action scenes. It definitely belongs to the best of this genre.

A Bond film made according to the way Ian Fleming wrote it. No one-liners or humor that we are used to in later films. This Bond is extremely reserved, and the plot corresponds to the original intention to make a spy film rather than an action film.

Shaun of the Dead has long been my favorite zombie comedy. I love the English sense of humor as well as the Pegg and Frost, and I got both. Plus, Bill Nighy as Phillip is also part of the package. The cast is great, the script is flawless, and it’s a multi-genre film, so there’s something for everyone. Simon Pegg has done a great job here both as a writer and an actor. He may not be everyone's cup of tea, but as far as I’m concerned, he’s one of my favorites. And remember, all roads lead to Winchester!