Hello there, and welcome to another year at Bradford College and the Library’s film blog! We start September with a nice and entertaining genre, to help settle you in among all the early confusion of college life – Satire’s. Satirical films are usually comedies that make fun of other genres (e.g., The well-known Scary Movie franchise based on the Scream films). Now, not all of these films would still be produced in the current climate, but they’re still some of the funniest you’ll ever see.
We begin with one of the more recent entries, Joe Cornish’s Attack the Block (2011). A satire of sci-fi/alien invasion films, its cast features the likes of John Boyega (Star Wars, The Woman King), Jodie Whittaker (Doctor Who) and Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz, Paul). The film’s setting is an apartment block in South London, Wyndham Tower [a fictional place]. Whittaker plays trainee nurse Samantha Adams, who has just moved into the block. One Bonfire Night [5th November], she is attacked and mugged by a teenage gang led by Moses (Boyega), but manages to escape when a strange meteorite falls from the sky, carrying an alien creature inside of it…
Moses kills the creature and takes it to drug dealer Ron (Frost), gaining his respect and a job. Meanwhile, Samantha reports the gang to the Police. But when more meteorites begin and the gang retreats into Wyndham, they are all forced to work together to survive. Attack the Block was positively received, seen as a refreshing new venture for the satire genre. Boyega’s performance was seen as a highlight and became his breakthrough in Hollywood. Christ Tilly [IGN] called it – “a blast from start-to-finish”, whereas Tom Philip [GQ] exclaimed that it “stands out as one of the best genre-mashup films of the decade.” Attack the Block is available now only on e-stream and you catch a glimpse of the action by clicking on the link below:
Travelling back almost 40 years, we turn to Western spoof Blazing Saddles (1974). Directed by the legendary “King of Satire” himself, Mel Brooks (Young Frankenstein, Spaceballs). Alongside Brooks, the cast features Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder (Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory) and Harvey Korman (Huckleberry Finn). In 1874, in the Wild West, construction begins on a new railroad. The railroad will need to be rerouted through the town of Rock Ridge, which peaks the interest of the dastardly attorney general Lamarr (Korman). Realising this railroad will increase the value of Rock Ridge, he sends a gang to push the townsfolk out, but they vow to stay and fight back.
The citizens demand Governor Le Petomane (Brooks) hire a new sheriff to help them, however he is slyly convinced by Lamarr to hire black railroad worker Bart (Little) as the sheriff (hoping it cause the citizens to leave). Bart is aided by alcoholic gunslinger Jim (Wilder), and sets about stopping Lamarr’s plan while trying to win the townspeople over. While it opened to mixed feelings, Blazing Saddles was on the whole praised for its absurdness and humour, being considered a cult classic in the present day. Jan Dawson [The Monthly Film Bulletin] noted that it “contains so many good parts and memorable performances”. You can view one of those performances of Brooks as the Governor by clicking the link below and watch the whole film only on e-stream for a barrel of laughs:
From westerns to disaster movies, third up is the timeless Airplane! (1980), directed by Jim Abrahams with David & Jerry Zucker (Ghost). The cast is headlined by Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty (She’s The Man) and Leslie Nielsen (The Naked Gun). The plot focuses upon Ted Striker (Hays) [an ex-fighter pilot, turned taxi driver], who has a severe fear of flying. Yet, when his flight attendant girlfriend Elaine (Hagerty) ends their relationship, he impulsively buys a ticket on her flight from Los Angeles to Chicago, in an effort to win her back – bad idea!
Things go hilariously wrong when all of the flight crew are mysteriously incapacitated, and it’s left up to Ted to land the plane safely, with help from fellow passenger Dr. Rumack (Nielsen). Widely regarded as one of the best films of 1980, Airplane! is viewed as a comedy classic to this day. As Janet Maslin [Chicago Sun-Times] denoted – “Airplane! Is more than a pleasant surprise… it’s just what the doctor ordered.” You can watch the full film on both DVD & e-stream, but experience a taste of the fun (a hysterical scene involving a blow-up auto-pilot) by clicking the link below:
Last but not least, we have the author’s choice – the exquisite political satire – The Death of Stalin (2017). Directed Armando Iannucci (Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa). Based on a French graphic novel, it is tells a fictionalized version of the events immediately after the death of former Soviet leader Joseph Stalin (1878-1953). It’s impressive ensemble cast includes: Steve Buscemi (Con Air, Transformers One), Sir Simon Russell Beale (Mary Queen of Scots, Thor: Love & Thunder), Sir Michael Palin (Monty Python), Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter) and Jeffrey Tambor (How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Hangover).
The story begins on the night of 1st March 1953, as Stalin suffers a severe stroke. The rest of the film takes place in the aftermath with Stalin on his deathbed, while a political battle erupts to replace both him & his ideologies. This battle includes several powerful figures such as: First Secretary Nikita Khrushchev (Buscemi), Stalin’s Deputy Georgy Malenkov (Tambor), Head of the Army Georgy Zhukov (Isaacs) and Foreign Secretary Vyacheslav Molotov (Palin). While some form alliances, Head of the Security forces Lavrenti Beria (Beale) hurriedly puts his own machinations into motion, making an enemy of all his rivals.
The Death of Stalin is an uproarious romp, mostly down to an incredibly talented cast. The performances of Buscemi, Beale and Isaacs are definite highlights. It was beloved by critics around the world - with Peter Bradshaw [The Guardian], awarding the full 5 and commenting that film – “is superbly cast, and acted with icy and ruthless force by an A-list line-up”. Whereas, Sandra Hall [The Sydney Morning Herald] gave it 4.5/5, considering it – “a devastatingly funny dissection of power politics. You can loan the full movie only on DVD now, but first observe the funniest of scenes when Stalin is found unconscious by simply clicking the link below:
Well, whether you are new to college or not, why not take a break from all the early stress of finding your way around and decompress with a free movie on the library? I find it a perfect way to escape from reality and get lost in another world, you might too.
Not sure how to access e-stream? Then simply click on the link below…
