"Ultimate Film": those seen, vaguely recalled and unseen

Phew! Can I just add a note that it's rather pleasing to note just how many of these films I have actually seen (and can remember seeing).

Seen
100 The Magnificent Seven 1960 (every blooming year when growing up!)
99 Gladiator 2000 (several times, including on the big screen - obviously though I cannot beat Lisette's big screen experiences with Mr Crowe... ahem)
98 Cinderella 1951 (Ah the Disney visits to the Odeon and Futurist cinemas in Nottingham!)
97 The Private Life Of Henry VIII 1934 (TV - a Sunday afternoon... bit boring actually)
93 Chicken Run 2000 (went to the pictures to see this; no shame in being one of the oldest in the audience without children)
92 The King And I 1956 (my mum was an enormous fan of mid-century musical theatre and movies, so you can imagine how well I knew this stuff. What's not to love about Yul Brynner stomping around in big pantaloons?!)
91 The Exorcist 1974 (Mark Kermode's fetishisation of this film aside, it IS a freaky and unnerving film. Should be on every Catholic's favourite film list - no irony intended)
90 You Only Live Twice 1967 (bizarrely, because I loved the theme song, one of my favourite Bond movies. Mr Cloud, yes, I hear ya: I have now learnt you do not need to worry about missing the start of a Bond film to pick up the storyline...)

Unseen
95 Notting Hill 1999 (Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts --- you would have thought I'd have seen this by now wouldn't you?)
94 The Lion King 1994 (Somehow this never appealed to me; it now being a stage musical doesn't exactly encourage me to do so either)

The "not just the films I saw last week" list: Channel 4's Ultimate Film List

Between marking assignments and fending of cough, colds, and hiccups (the last was our beloved Mr Cloud's problem of the weekend), I did manage to sneak a view of some of the C4 list "Ultimate Film".

What a refreshing change! A list that was not already selective before starting to gather votes (from a goldfish-brained amnesiac public). It was actually rather thrilling to not be able to predict the entire list. Let alone to see the power once wrought by the "genius" that was Anna Neagle... okay so on that last point even my nan would have groaned slightly (now Ronald Coleman, I know she had a thing for him!)

Just to draw a few general points from the list, its interesting to note the presence of musicals, romances and romantic dramas / comedies, family action films, and animation.

In other words, despite all pursuit of the contrary, boys aged 18-25 are not a sufficiently dedicated cinema attending demographic to really 'break the box office'.

More musings on this fascinating list through the week (subject as always to the pesky intervention of work...)

100 The Magnificent Seven 1960 - Estimated Admissions 7.7m
99 Gladiator 2000 - Estimated Admissions 7.8m
98 Cinderella 1951 - Estimated Admissions 7.9m
97 The Private Life Of Henry VIII 1934 - Estimated Admissions 7.9m
96 The Matrix Reloaded 2003 - Estimated Admissions 7.96m
95 Notting Hill 1999 - Estimated Admissions 8.05m
94 The Lion King 1994 - Estimated Admissions 8.08m
93 Chicken Run 2000 - Estimated Admissions 8.12m
92 The King And I 1956 - Estimated Admissions 8.2m
91 The Exorcist 1974 - Estimated Admissions 8.3m
90 You Only Live Twice 1967 - Estimated Admissions 8.3m
89 The Swiss Family Robinson 1960 - Estimated Admissions 8.3m
88 Mr Deeds Goes To Town 1936 - Estimated Admissions 8.3m
87 Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi 1983 - Estimated Admissions 8.35m
86 The Dambusters 1955 - Estimated Admissions 8.4m
85 Lawrence Of Arabia 1962 - Estimated Admissions 8.4m
84 A Bug's Life 1999 - Estimated Admissions 8.41m
83 Pinocchio 1940 - Estimated Admissions 8.5m
82 The Citadel 1939 - Estimated Admissions 8.5m
81 Close Encounters Of The Third Kind 1978 - Estimated Admissions 8.54m
80 Die Another Day 2002 - Estimated Admissions 8.58m
79 My Fair Lady 1965 - Estimated Admissions 8.6m
78 Reach For The Sky 1956 - Estimated Admissions 8.7m
77 Love Actually 2003 - Estimated Admissions 8.76m
76 Ghost 1990 - Estimated Admissions 8.78m
75 Four Weddings And A Funeral 1994 - Estimated Admissions 8.81m
74 Oliver! 1968 - Estimated Admissions 8.9m
73 Rebecca 1940 - Estimated Admissions 8.9m
72 Bambi 1942 - Estimated Admissions 9m
71 The Big Country 1958 - Estimated Admissions 9m
70 The Great Dictator 1941 - Estimated Admissions 9m
69 Live And Let Die 1973 - Estimated Admissions 9m
68 Saturday Night Fever 1978 - Estimated Admissions 9.02m
67 Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back 1980 - Estimated Admissions 9.09m
66 One Hundred And One Dalmatians 1961 - Estimated Admissions 9.1m
65 Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones 2002 - Estimated Admissions 9.16m
64 Lost Horizon 1937 - Estimated Admissions 9.2m
63 49th Parallel 1941 - Estimated Admissions 9.3m
62 I'm All Right Jack 1959 - Estimated Admissions 9.4m
61 Moonraker 1979 - Estimated Admissions 9.41m
60 High Society 1956 - Estimated Admissions 9.6m
59 One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest 1976 - Estimated Admissions 9.65m
58 For Whom The Bell Tolls 1944 - Estimated Admissions 9.7m
57 Men In Black 1997 - Estimated Admissions 9.73m
56 Finding Nemo 2003 - Estimated Admissions 9.79m
55 Crocodile Dundee 1987 - Estimated Admissions 9.8m
54 A Clockwork Orange 1972 - Estimated Admissions 9.9m
53 Monsters, Inc. 2002 - Estimated Admissions 9.93m
52 Bridget Jones's Diary 2001 - Estimated Admissions 10.15m
51 Superman The Movie 1979 - Estimated Admissions 10.19m
50 Mrs Miniver 1942 - Estimated Admissions 10.2m
49 I Live In Grosvenor Square 1945 - Estimated Admissions 10.3m
48 Carry on Nurse 1959 - Estimated Admissions 10.4m
47 Independence Day 1996 - Estimated Admissions 10.79m
46 The Godfather 1972 - Estimated Admissions 11m
45 The Sting 1974 - Estimated Admissions 11.08m
44 Doctor Zhivago 1967 - Estimated Admissions 11.2m
43 The Guns Of Navarone 1961 - Estimated Admissions 11.4m
42 Piccadilly Incident 1946 - Estimated Admissions 11.5m
41 The Jolson Story 1947 - Estimated Admissions 11.6m
40 Fanny By Gaslight 1944 - Estimated Admissions 11.7m
39 The Towering Inferno 1975 - Estimated Admissions 11.78m
38 Random Harvest 1943 - Estimated Admissions 12m
37 Toy Story 2 2000 - Estimated Admissions 12.18m
36 Doctor In The House 1954 - Estimated Admissions 12.2m
35 The Great Caruso 1951 - Estimated Admissions 12.4m
34 The Spy Who Loved Me 1977 - Estimated Admissions 12.46m
33 The Bridge On The River Kwai 1957 - Estimated Admissions 12.6m
32 The Greatest Show On Earth 1952 - Estimated Admissions 13m
31 E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial 1983 - Estimated Admissions 13.13m
30 Ben Hur 1959 - Estimated Admissions 13.2m
29 The Blue Lamp 1950 - Estimated Admissions 13.3m
28 Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace 1999 - Estimated Admissions 13.59m
27 Goldfinger 1964 - Estimated Admissions 13.9m
26 The Third Man 1949 - Estimated Admissions 14m
25 Mary Poppins 1964 - Estimated Admissions 14m
24 Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets 2002 - Estimated Admissions 14.18m
23 The Full Monty 1997 - Estimated Admissions 14.19m
22 Lord Of The Rings The Two Towers 2002 - Estimated Admissions 14.4m
21 The Ten Commandments 1957 - Estimated Admissions 15m
20 The Bells Of St.Mary's 1946 - Estimated Admissions 15.2m
19 The Lord Of The Rings The Return Of The King 2003 - Estimated Admissions 15.22m
18 Thunderball 1966 - Estimated Admissions 15.6m
17 The Courtneys Of Curzon Street 1947 - Estimated Admissions 15.9m
16 Lord Of The Rings The Fellowship Of The Ring 2001 - Estimated Admissions 15.98m
15 Jurassic Park 1993 - Estimated Admissions 16.17m
14 Jaws 1976 - Estimated Admissions 16.2m
13 South Pacific 1958 - Estimated Admissions 16.5m
12 Grease 1978 - Estimated Admissions 17.2m
11 Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone 2001 - Estimated Admissions 17.56m
10 The Seventh Veil 1945 - Estimated Admissions 17.9m
9 The Wicked Lady 1946 - Estimated Admissions 18.4m
8 Titanic 1998 - Estimated Admissions 18.91m
7 The Jungle Book 1968 - Estimated Admissions 19.8m
6 The Best Years Of Our Lives 1947 - Estimated Admissions 20.4m
5 Spring In Park Lane 1948 - Estimated Admissions 20.5m
4 Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope 1978 - Estimated Admissions 20.76m
3 Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs 1938 - Estimated Admissions 28m
2 The Sound Of Music 1965 - Estimated Admissions 30m
1 Gone with The Wind 1940 - Estimated Admissions 35m

Roots in Nottingham: a fine gig

The Roots are one of the most exciting acts in hip-hop, mostly because unlike many acts they are not insular to hip-hop music. Amongst the musical reference points in last night's breathtaking non-stop 2hour performance were the Shadows, Black Sabbath, The Beatles, funkadelia and hefty chunks of soul, as well as some fantastic inclusions from the history of hip-hop (including grandmaster flash and tribe called quest).

The place was heaving and they rocked big style: extended solos aside, nothing ever sagged and when the musicianship is as fine as theirs, you can hardly blame them for grandstanding with their solos!

Awesome experience!

Incredible Incredibles!

I SOOO want to be Elastigirl (okay, without the kids obviously! But Holly Hunter is SO cool!)

I can thoroughly recommend the latest venture from Pixar to hit the movie screens.... with one proviso. Ignore the certificate: it is NOT a "U", but rather a very sharp "PG" movie which will mostly bore or baffle anyone under the age of about 8 years old. The violence is quite dramatic and there are some quite adult issues being dealt with here: depression, alienation, self-esteem. I know these can affect children as well, but I suspect that slightly older children will appreciate this more.

These adult themes means it lacks the immediacy of appeal demonstrated by the "Toy Story" movies, but in some respects it is far superior to those. It's very smart, very funny, often quite scary, frequently moving, and ultimately a good thrill: a bit like a James Bond film (from which genre it liberally steals set scenes!)

Craig T. Nelson (who is obviously a major "Who's That Guy?" from his extensive resume) lends a great sense of gravitas to the lead role of Mr. Incredible that certainly deserves some plaudits, but all the cast admirably bring their characters to life through their vocal talents.

Go, enjoy - you do not need to take the kids!

Blog Absence: the intervention of life and death

Dear blog readers - hey, I know its mostly me talking to me but I may as well be polite.
It was probably no great loss to your lief functions but you may have spotted that old Rullsenberg has neither been setting forth her rules or rants recently. Apologies to all who sail on her wings.

Things have been a tad chaotic in my life thanks to the very unmetaphorical intervention of some real life experiences, most of them centred on death. Shucks folks: I appreciate the sympathy you're giving out, but I know life has to go on.

Thanks to all who helped through the process whether through phone calls, texts, emails, physical labour, loans and feeding: you were stars in your own ways.