Venue Co-Editors Micah and Robyn’s favourite films!

While we’ve been hard at work getting Venue ready for the new year, we figured it was time for you to get to know the people behind our paper better, and what better way than through some of our favorite films? If summer is starting to drag and you’re looking to pass the time, here are some recommendations to add to your watchlist!

ROBYN’S TOP 5

5. Kung-fu Panda (dir. by John Stevenson and Mark Osborne, 2008)
So, to be honest, I don’t watch a lot of films. In fact, I don’t watch all that much TV at all. That being said, I do have a fair few films that are near and dear to my heart, that I have seen many, many times, and one of those is an animated DreamWorks movie about a Panda played by Jack Black learning martial arts. It’s a modern classic, and I’m accepting no criticism.

4. Knives Out (dir. by Rian Johnson, 2019)
My favourite films have always been the ones with at least a hearty portion of camp, so an Agatha Christie-inspired story filled with beautiful visuals, weird rich people, and at least a bit of murder was bound to be up my street. I felt like I was working alongside detective Benoit Blanc as I watched all the mysteries unfold.

3. Emma. (dir. by Autumn de Wilde, 2020)
One thing I think a lot of Jane Austen film adaptations forget to include is whimsy. The 2020 adaptation featuring Anya Taylor-Joy does an excellent job at correcting this, and I think it captures the humour and warmth that Austen was trying to achieve in her novels. Something I especially love about this movie is the attention to visual detail: not only is every frame stunning, but the costumes are both gorgeous and historically accurate.

2. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (dir. by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman, 2018)
All I can say is that I wish this film came out when I was younger. Everyone that watched it thought it was amazing; the art style, the story, the character arc — all remarkable and beautiful. Perhaps this says more about me and my sense of humour, but each time I have watched it I have always ended up howling with laughter, and that cements this film as my second favourite film of all time.

1. Stardust (dir. by Matthew Vaughn, 2007)
This film is my favourite film of all time. I love it so much that I am honestly not even sure what to say about it. This is a film that feels like a hug, like a shoulder to cry on, and a friend. It centres itself in a fantastical, fairy-tale-inspired world that is rife with evil witches, princes with a lust for blood, and a literal star that comes to life. And, perhaps most importantly, the film has its own song written by Take That.

MICAH’S TOP 5

5. Almost Famous (dir. by Cameron Crowe, 2000)
My fifth favourite movie is constantly on rotation. Depending on my mood, it fluctuates from Dirty Dancing to La Boum 2 to The Rocky Horror Picture Show. However, I just rewatched Almost Famous so it’s still fresh in my mind and as a hardcore 1970s rock fan, it scratches my brain in a perfect way. From the costumes to the soundtrack to Phillip Seymour Hoffman playing rock journalism superstar Lester Bangs, it’s everything a rock film should be and more.

4. Les Demoiselles de Rochefort (dir. by Jacques Demy, 1967)
I was raised by a family that loves musicals, and The Young Girls of Rochefort is one of the first movies I remember watching. A masterpiece of dance, colour, and the music of Michel Legrand, The Young Girls of Rochefort is both the perfect movie musical, and the pinnacle of French cinema. Starring the likes of Catherine Deneuve and Gene Kelly and featuring an unexpected murder subplot, I could never get sick of it.

3. Scream (dir. by Wes Craven, 1996)
Two things that I love are slasher movies and meta comedy. Naturally, this leads to a slight obsession with the Scream franchise. Not only is the cast as talented as it is sexy (prime Matthew Lillard, I see you), but the film balances humour and horror perfectly and hits every narrative beat. Its place as one of my favourites was solidified at the end of my first year at UEA, when my friends and I rented out lecture theatres for a Scream marathon to celebrate the start of summer. RIP unlimited room bookings.

2. Before Sunrise (dir. by Richard Linklater, 1995)
Although I often name Before Sunrise and Before Sunset interchangeably when listing my favourite films, the former speaks to me in how it captures the feeling of falling in love in your early 20s. Over the course of one night, the characters’ feelings for each other develop in a way that’s romantic yet believable, and you can’t help but root for them. Plus, I firmly believe that the man who directed School of Rock can only make masterpieces.

1. When Harry Met Sally (dir. by Rob Reiner, 1989)
I cannot think of a better rom-com than When Harry Met Sally. Not only is it impossible not to fall in love with Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal, but it also captures a perfectly idealistic snapshot of 1980s New York City. I would go so far as to argue that When Harry Met Sally has the most amazingly constructed screenplay of all time, but that’s Nora Ephron for you.