I have just had a crazy idea. Based on a video I saw earlier this week, and an idea I had during lockdown, what about, instead of a simple list of favourite things, why not a knockout tournament?
Basically, instead of choosing where things go in an itemized list, why not a series of one on one contests, and see which one comes out on top. Well, I thought it might work, so lets give it a go and see. The only thing I have missing, is a betting odds insider bookie, for those of you who want to bet on whose going to win.
I have chosen eight films from my DVD collection, and I am going to pair them up in a random-ish order, Then I’m going to have a quick round of debating, and then the better film out of the two will go through to the next round (apologies now if this post is really long), until we have a Grand Champion.
So, before we get things underway, it’s time to meet the contestants. And as it’s just gone Christmas, that means we’ve recently had the latest series of the World’s Strongest Man (I didn’t see much of it). So, to go back to those more glorious years of about 15+ years ago, I am putting in a link below to Diesel Power by The Prodigy; and it’s up to you to try and read all the contestants stats before the song finishes. On Your Marks, Get Set, GO!
Director: Zack Snyder
Release Date: 2021
Five Word Synopsis: Batman, Superman, Steppenwolf, Boxes, Darkseid.
Director: Makoto Shinkai
Release Date: 2016
Five Word Synopsis: Boy, Girl, Body, Swapping, Meteor.
Director: Bryan Singer
Release Date: 2000
Five Word Synopsis: Mutants, Wolverine, Rogue, School, Kidnap,
Director: Makoto Shinkai
Release Date: 2019
Five Word Synopsis: Runaway, Tokyo, Rain, Girl, Superpower.
Director: James McTeigue
Release Date: 2005
Five Word Synopsis: Dystopian, London, Mask, Vigilante, Chancellor.
Director: Tony Scott
Release Date: 2010
Five Word Synopsis: Runaway, Train, Driver, Conductor, Heroes?
Director: Roland Emmerich
Release Date: 2004
Five Word Synopsis: Weather, Storm, Tornadoes, Tsunami, Freeze.
Director: Rick Friedberg
Release Date: 1996
Five Word Synopsis: Agent, General, Doomsday, History, Undercover?
Well done if you managed to read all the way through that before the song concluded, and also if you noticed that I am going in reverse alphabetical order. No major reason, just thought it might be a little bit more interesting. Anyway, contestants announced, lets begin the knockouts!
Heats:
Zack Snyder’s Justice League vs. Spy Hard –
Commentary: OK, so having gotten this far, I now need to starting knocking them out. Tricky one to begin with, as we have a Super Hero based Blockbuster, and a Parody of Spy Movies. Zack Snyder’s Justice League is quite a cool film, whose length can be be a worry, but it is nicely broken down into chapters. Spy Hard is more a collection of movie references from recently released films of that time, which include Jurassic Park, Pulp Fiction, and Home Alone. ZSJL has a good story, and builds to a creative ending, which may never get resolved. Whereas Spy Hard is just plain hilarious.
Winner: Spy Hard – It’s just so funny, and drastically shorter than the other one.
The Day After Tomorrow vs. Your Name. –
Commentary: Again, a different clash of styles, as a Teen Romance, goes up against a Disaster Thriller. Although both of them do have elements of Science Fiction in them too. I really like the works of Roland Emmerich, he’s one of my favourite directors, and this is easily one of his top 3 films. Your Name meanwhile is a beautifully crafted anime film, that tells a really nice story, which feels like it’s going for an un-concluding climax, but manages to find a way around it.
Winner: Your Name – It stands out more to me than The Day After Tomorrow, as it’s more of a film, whereas the other is more about spectacle.
X-Men vs. Unstoppable –
Commentary: Definitely a much closer fight now, as these are both more like action films. It’s a tough one, because X-Men is a largely forgotten film from over twenty years ago, which is a shame as it’s actually really good, and deserves more attention than most of it’s contemporise. Unstoppable meanwhile was the last film from Top Gun director Tony Scott, and to me, his best film. One is about Superheroes, the other is about a runaway train. Two very different films, but also two very good ones.
Winner: Unstoppable – Unstoppable is so action packed, and it doesn’t matter how many times you watch it, it’s always so intense, right up to the end. Even if you know what happens, you can’t wait to find out.
Weathering With You vs. V For Vendetta –
Commentary: The second film from () to appear on this post, and its another strong one. The plot is again rather delicate, as it’s about a boy, who meets a girl, who can stop the rain. Doesn’t sound like much, but it’s so delicate, and intriguing from start to finish. But that doesn’t mean the other competitor is a weak one. V For Vendetta is one of the most consistently enjoyable epics from the last twenty years. It covers a large plot, with lots of threads, and some well developed characters to, to create something truly unique. Both films here are unique ones, and very special unique ones too.
Winner: V For Vendetta – From just comparing the two; V For Vendetta is a much stronger and more memorable film, but only just when compared to Weathering With You.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QtIz9zWG3o&t=28s
So, Round 1 has concluded, thank you for sticking around, I do hope I am not boring you. Anyway; enough chit chat, let’s move into the Semi-Finals.
Semi Finals:
Your Name. vs. Spy Hard –
Commentary: To be honest, this feels like a pretty certain decision between these two. It’s not like the other one is a rubbish film, it’s not, its incredibly funny, and a really enjoyable flick. It’s just the other one is a much stronger film, one that tells a great story, features terrific characters, and is one of the best films of the last 10 years.
Winner: Your Name. – Yeah, it’s a pretty easy choice, it’s just a shame Spy Hard came up against such a strong film in this round. Top 4 is still pretty good though.
Unstoppable vs. V For Vendetta –
Commentary: Now this one is a much more challenging choice. We got one film which is an intense experience, that just gets tougher and tougher to bear. Whilst the other is more a political story, about one man taking on the establishment, in the only way he can see possible. I am really struggling to pick a top dog favourite from these two.
Winner: V For Vendetta – These two films are such good films, that I had to close my eyes and imagine them, and it came down to who had the stronger impression in my own mind.
And so, we reach the big conclusion of this little knockout event. And we have two very different films in the final, but whichever way it goes, they are both worthy finalists. So, let’s get this thing finished, as we arrive at the Final.
Final:
Your Name vs. V For Vendetta –
Commentary: Right, so, choosing between these two isn’t going to be easy, due to how great these films are. We have one of the finest animations not just this century, but to date. And we have one of the most hauntingly captivating adaptations ever produced to. Both feature great story’s, great characters, and memorable scenes. But which one, is the better film. OK, I think I have a winner.
Winner and Grand Champion (of this post): Your Name. is a fantastic film, but V For Vendetta is far more memorable, probably because I have seen it more times, but when choosing between these two, V For Vendetta stood far more than Your Name. For now at least!
So, there we have it, a blogging experiment, with an interesting format, and some decisive decisions. Did you enjoy it?
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