Quentin Tarantino’s Favourite Films of 2011

Quentin Tarantino continues the good tradition naming his favourite films of the previous year. He picked 12 films this time, which impressed him the most, including blockbusters and independent works. He must love watching fantasy, and I totally agree with him that "Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes" and "X-Men: First Class" were one of the best in this genre in 2011. But I never thought he might enjoy so much "Midnight In Paris" and "Young Adult", not because they are bad, but very sentimental for such a tough guy like him.

The biggest surprise is that he put "The Artist" and "Our Idiot Brother" on one level. The last one doesn't deserves it, but it looks like Tarantino watches everything and can enjoy very different films.

1. "Midnight In Paris"
2. "Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes"
3. "Moneyball"
4. "The Skin I Live In"
5. "X-Men: First Class"
6. "Young Adult"
7. "Attack The Block"
8. "Red State"
9. "Warrior"
10. "The Artist" / "Our Idiot Brother" (tie)
11. "The Three Musketeers"

Source - The Quentin Tarantino archives

Do you agree with this list?

Soundtrack 2011

There is some time until the Golden Globe and Oscar awards, so I decided to continue summing up the previous film year. This time it is all about music.

I picked ten songs and compositions, which became my favourite ones.

1. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (feat. Karen O) - "Immigrant Song"
Film: "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" by David Fincher.

This song became even more popular than its original, which Led Zeppelin sang. It channeled the dark atmosphere of the film and made the opening sequence incredibly creepy and beautiful.



2. Kavinsky - "Nightcall"
Film: "Drive" by Nicolas Winding Refn.

"Drive" soundtrack is one of the best I heard this year, and "Nightcall" is a very catchy track, which always reminds me of Ryan Gosling driving away.



3. Alexandre Desplat - "Statues"
Film: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" by David Yates.

Alexandre Desplat knows how to create a magic and feisty composition. The scene before the Battle of Hogwarts is very impressive, especially the part when teachers, students and the Order of the Phoenix are trying to protect the school. It was breathtaking to watch and not the less to listen.



4. Rival Sons - "Torture"
Film: "Real Steel" by Shawn Levy.

"Real Steel" has a combined soundtrack of hip-hop and rock songs, but this one matches my taste perfectly.



5. Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes - "I've Had the Time of My Life"
Film: "Crazy, Stupid, Love" by Glenn Ficarra, John Requa, originally from "Dirty Dancing" by Emile Ardolino.

I fell in love with this song a long time ago, since I saw "Dirty Dancing" for the first time, so I was glad to hear it in this romantic comedy. You have to be a really good dancer to lift a girl like that.



6. Hans Zimmer - "I See Everything"
Film: "Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows" by Guy Ritchie.

Less than a minute, but it gives me goose bumps.



7. Hans Zimmer - "Blackbeard"
Film: "Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" by Rob Marshall.

The film was average, but the score is great. Hans Zimmer made the first appearance of Blackbeard very badass.



8. Kerris Dorsey - "The Show"
Film: "Moneyball" by Bennett Miller.

Such a sweet girl with a very good voice sings for his father. I didn't like this film, but two scenes, where this song is featured, are very good and sentimental.



9. Henry Jackman - "Magneto"
Film: "X-Men: First Class" by Matthew Vaughn.

I'd call it "The Rise of the Great Villain". Fassbender's character got the best composition, which is good at describing his inner world.



10. Alexandre Desplat - "Lily's Theme"
Film: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" by David Yates.

The most tragic melody I've heard in the last Harry Potter films. It prepares the audience for a serious final of this story.



Which are your top-10 songs you heard in films the previous year?

5 Sexiest Film Characters of 2011

Inspired by Empire magazine, I made my own list of the sexiest characters. But it is so hard to choose, so I decided to make it in the limit of one year.

P.S. Those characters are in no particular order.

1. Captain Jack Sparrow
Film: "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides"

Yes, Johnny Depp still has it. His pirate is one of the most memorable, sly, and funny characters of the decade. And, of course, I like his hair and make-up. If someone says it makes him less manly, I will laugh, because he is more manly than half of todays' Hollywood.

2. Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto
Film: "X-Men: First Class"

Michael Fassbender played a few memorable characters in 2011, but I choose his young version of the great villain. Why? He is handsome, powerful, a bit mysterious. Thanks to him I wasn't missing Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in this X-men film.

3. Jamie Rellis
Film: "Friends with Benefits"

There were a few similar films about friendship and sex this year, but this one I enjoyed the most, mostly because of Mila Kunis. She is smart, independent and beautiful, and her Jamie Rellis was the same. I'm glad that this Ukrainian girl makes her dreams come true.

P.S. I bet many men were jealous of Justin Timberlake, while they were watching "Friends with Benefits".

4. Marilyn Monroe
Film: "My Week with Marilyn"

Marilyn was a sex symbol, and she is still one of the most beautiful and charismatic women of all times, so she totally deserves to be included in my list. Michelle Williams is a good actress and she perfectly channeled the inner beauty of miss Monroe, which always made her so special.

5. Driver
Film: "Drive"

This film is one of my favourite of the previous year. Ryan Gosling shocked me again, because he played his part very well. We don't know the real name of his character, but I admire the choice he made. If "Drive" had another final, I probably wouldn't include its main character here. Yes, it is incredibly sexy when a man saves a woman.

Who are your top-5 sexiest characters of the previous film year? Leave your list in comments below.

"X-Men: First Class" - Funny deleted scene

I've found this video on The Huffington Post and just couldn't resist sharing it. It shows a fragment from "X-Men: First Class", when Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) were visiting a strip club to find there a new mutant. To persuade this girl, Charles demonstrates his power in a very unusual way. Magneto looks charming, doesn't he?

"X-Men" Style

Continuing writing about impressive and memorable costumes I remembered one of my favorite comics adaptation "X-Men". Two talented designers Louise Mingenbach and Judianna Makovsky did a good job with the appearance of the characters. They underlined their superpowers and made the characters unique but from the same team (goodies or baddies). So here it is some of my favorite costumes of Storm, Rogue, Wolverine, Magneto, Cyclops, Jean Grey and others. And, of course, I enjoy their leather jackets.