Christopher Nolan, USA, 2010, 148 min.

This film is a spectacle. Momentous in its visuals, intriguing in its structure, surprisingly poignant in its characters. Its a big-budget film, slick solid and well-paced with a great original screenplay and high-caliber acting.

After flirting with greatness in his Batman films, Nolan has finally done it. He has made a Great film. I am not a Nolan-fanboy, blindly obsessed with anything he makes, but for 2 1/2 hours I knew what it was like to be one.

This film wins the award “Best Fight Scene” for Joseph Gordon-Levitt flying around a hotel in twisting aerial combat.

Giorgos Lanthimos, Greece, 2009, 94 min.

A father and mother have kept their children locked in their walled country home for years, teaching them absurd things and having them live with absurd rules.

It is strange, engaging, funny and shocking at times. Directed with a slow burn and acted with innocence. But is it weird of weird’s sake? It depends on what you get out of it. I think that it was a commentary on what could happen if you raise children based on a strict upbringing and arbitrary rules. Sound familiar?

This film wins the award “Best Dance Scene” for the eldest daughter’s soulful solo whirly-gig shimmy thing.

Victor Salva, USA, 1989, 81 min.

This is a standard low-budget horror film about a team of murderous clowns. It’s Victor Salva’s first feature film and shortly after it was made he was convicted for sexual relations with it’s young male star.

Salva obviously films the trio of young male brothers through a unique lens. We see them in underwear, naked and bathing etc. It’s a bit odd and creepy to say the least. The film also has a teenage Sam Rockwell in his first film role.  It’s a bad film that I can only recommend as a cultural oddity.

This film wins the award “Longest Shoe-laces” for Casey’s foot-long high-top laces that always seem to come untied when a clown is right behind him.