Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

I remember that when this film came out, it was the first time I looked at a Disney film and saw something that seemed a far-cry from the sugar-coated productions we are used to from the House of Mouse. Of course, this is rather foolish in that it ignores the staggering body count found in most of the animated Disney films, but here was a movie that a teenage boy could claim to attend and enjoy without the same embarrassment as admitting that Mufasa's death is one of the most formative and traumatic experiences of your life. But Pirates was and is a gem in this category, nothing particularly spectacular, but immensely enjoyable, suitable for kids with the sanitised pirate hordes, and featuring the indefatigable Jack Sparrow before he was diminished by being written as Jack Sparrow rather than a true character. The score is memorable, the humour is dark and rather adult in places, and the scenery is pretty stunning, particularly the Caribbean imperial outpost Port Royal. Seemingly endless sequels have caused the series to pall considerably, but the original is still extremely watchable, reminding us that far more important to piracy than the plundering, burning, maiming, murdering, and whoring is the freedom that comes from the open ocean. At least that is what Disney would like us all to think.

A large part of me hopes that Michael Bolton attended his own "piracy" court date dressed like this...

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

It's hard to explain why this film is as enjoyable as it is. The synopsis of "Two middle-aged men imbibe enough illegal chemicals to kill a herd of elephants while failing to complete a single journalistic assignment" hardly inspires confidence that this is anything worth watching, but this film is about the experience. The narration and dialogue is endlessly quotable, as one would expect from an adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson's work, and the cinematography artfully portrays a world that isn't entirely stable. The camera will sway and strange angles make the viewer feel slightly unbalanced, as if what you're seeing on-screen is just another level of drug-addled insanity. Both Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro play against type as two men who seem to be tottering on the edge of self-control, and both are magnificent, delivering some of the oddest dialogue ever written with absolute conviction. The rest of the cast is surprisingly star-studded, featuring Christina Ricci, Gary Busey, Cameron Diaz and Tobey Maguire in very short roles. But when you have an ex-Python at the helm, and two multi-award-winning actors in the lead roles, you can get away with that kind of thing. The best way to appreciate this film is simply to watch it, and let yourself get swept along for the ride.


He's nice enough, as long as you tell him about the f**king golf shoes.