The Aardman Collection

I didn't know it at the time, but as a regular viewer of children's art shows Take Hart (1977–83) and its successor Hartbeat (1984–93) I got my introduction to Aardman Studios through Morph, the show's loveable claymation character (far right in pic above). But it's as creators of the Wallace and Gromit stop-motion animations that the studio is best known - at least in the UK, further afield it may be as makers of Chicken Run (2000). Regardless of which of their creations you think of first, there's no denying that the Bristol based studio is deserving of a Collection post all of their own. I bet even Chas would agree.

Wallace and Gromit:
01. A Grand Day Out (1989)
02. The Wrong Trousers (1993)
03. A Close Shave (1995)
04. Cracking Contraptions (2002) TV Series on Nut Box
04. The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
05. A Matter of Loaf and Death (2008)
06. World of Invention (2010)  TV Series on Nut Box

Other Works:
A Grand Night In: The Story of Aardman (2015)
Shaun the Sheep Movie (2015)

The Third Window Films Collection

Of all the so-called 'boutique' labels that continue to licence and distribute film on optical media, none is more consistently interesting to me than UK-based Third Window Films. I don’t buy every title the company release, I’m not that kind of collector, I buy only the ones that I’m interested in, but that in itself is a significant portion of what TWF have on their roster. Because of that discerning approach you won’t find links to every TWF film below the cut, but you'll find all of what I presently own (and a few from past Nutshell authors).

Satoshi Kon Collection

The image used above is representative of just a small part of the public persona that Kon allowed people to see. I picked it in part because it expresses how I feel a world without people like him having left footprints in would be, and also because it's from Perfect Blue (1997), which was my introduction to his world and the film that gained him recognition in the West.
The other side of the public Kon was an explosion of colour and unfettered creativity that saw him explore many of the same themes repeatedly but never in an uneventful or over-familiar way. He was a dreamer of beautiful things and terrifying things and things that were simultaneously both.

Films on In a Nutshell:
01. World Apartment Horror (1991)
02. Memories (1995)
03. Perfect Blue (1997)
04. Millennium Actress (2001)
05. Tokyo Godfathers (2003)
06. Paprika (2006)
07. Ani-Kuri 15 (2008)

Manga on Nut Ink:
01. Tropic of the Sea (2013)
02. OPUS (2014)
03. Dream Fossil (2015)

NOTE: Kon also made a thirteen-episode anime television series called Paranoia Agent (2004). It's unlikely that I'll ever get to post about it on the TV blog, but I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys the director's films.

The Ray Harryhausen Collection

I'm not the kind of fan who feels that going out of my way (or even crossing a street) to meet someone famous is in any way a productive use of my time. I'd much rather sit at home and admire the person's work, because any true artist worth their salt would agree that it's the work that's important, not the individual. Even so, there are a small number of people who, if I was to cross paths with, I would take the opportunity to thank for choosing to share their art with the world. A simple but sincere "What you did mattered," is worth infinitely more than a thousand sycophantic or fawning fans screaming.
Ray Harryhausen is one such person. What he did mattered. His family and friends will have known his intimate side. The rest of us can know his artistic side, the side that he shared time and again through the films he worked on.

The Studio Ghibli Collection (UK)

This Collection post will be most useful to folks that are resident in the UK, so apologies to anyone who isn't. It's because the numbering on the spine of the UK (R2) DVD editions of the films causes problems when lined up numerically. Anyone viewing the features in that given order will discover that The Cat Returns (2002) comes before Whisper of the Heart (1995), which is the reverse of how they should be seen. Perhaps the distributor (Optimum) numbered them in the order they licensed them? I don't know, but the errors and occasional duplicate numbering for subsequent Blu-ray editions drove many collectors with OCD slightly barmy. If you live in the UK and want to watch the films in the order they were released by Studio Ghibli, then ignore the actual DVD spine numbers [in brackets]. The correct production order is as follows:

The Child's Play / Chucky Collection

In the pantheon of killer dolls in horror movies one name arguably reigns supreme: Chucky. I'm not suggesting the series has delivered the most memorable film in the entire genre, but as characters go it's hard to argue with the notion that Chucky is as good as it gets. For me, that's in large part due to casting. Brad Dourif is amazing in the role; had it been anyone else I don't think the series would have been as successful as it is.
At time of writing, all of the Child's Play and Chucky films have been reviewed on the blog. Click the links below to be taken to each one's review:

01. Child's Play (1988)
02. Child's Play II (1990)
03. Child's Play III (1991)
04. The Bride of Chucky (1998)
05. Seed of Chucky (2004)
06. Curse of Chucky (2013)
07. Cult of Chucky (2017)

The Band / Artist Collection

Mini reviews of a filmed live performance by a band or artist OR a collection of their music videos on shiny disc. There's no scripted musicals, films about music culture or genres, etc, or biopics of musicians.

Clicking the existing Music label will retrieve most of what's listed below, but an A-Z is more direct and enables you to avoid the stuff that you don't like.

The Midnight Movies Collection

When theatres opened their doors in the small hours the night-people gathered: insomniacs; sun-dodgers; loners; stoners; thrill-seekers and intellectuals in search of something creatively stimulating, challenging or boundary-pushing. Collectively, folks bored with mainstream productions.
In response the venues served up B-Movies; schlocky sci-fi and horror; foreign and home-grown exploitation, sexploitation, and blaxploitation; art house, avant-garde and the just plain weird. The venues became places where like-minded people could discover stuff that bypassed most people's radar.
It's classed as a genre by many folks, but I prefer to think of it as an umbrella term that's able to accommodate many different genres. Some examples:

The Four or More Collection

I mentioned in The Trilogies Collection that film series that had gone past three entries were excluded from being listed therein, so Four or More was born. Below the cut you'll find links to film series that probably should've ended sooner and, in some rare cases, ones that ended too soon.
If there was an existing Collection post with links to all relevant films in a particular series, I've linked directly to it instead because it made my life easier... and making my life easier is my new favourite pastime.

NOTE: If text is coloured pink, it means no review currently exists for it.

The Bunny Collection

Is there someone in there....................Why do you wear that stupid bunny suit............I bet with those long ears you can hear the voices....................Be careful, you're handling a VIP, after all...............................I don't have regrets about anythin' anymore...................It'd be bad if Yoko got even stupider............................I know, you can be strong, too..............Put....the.....bunny....back.....in.....the box......What's the matter, snuggle-bunny, finding out the world isn't all sunshine and rainbows?

Click the red link, you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.........

The Final Fantasy VII Collection

Admittedly, VII, and the universe that grew out of it, exists exalted in the minds of fanboys and those for whom nostalgia is not only king, but verily, everything. While I do have nostalgia for the game itself, I am not actually one of either of those numbers. I have experienced the below items—that I’ve personally reviewed—multiple times over the intervening years. In fact, I engaged with them, and their myriad faults, immediately prior to the time of this writing. As a critical fan, I see not only their shortcomings, but also the strengths buried therein. I am able to continually find inspiration, joy, and emotional resonance in this world’s characters, without having to turn a blind-eye to the problems the individual releases have as interactive and non-interactive pieces of media.

The track is far from the smoothest, but for me,

"There ain’t no gettin’ offa this train"~

Source:
Final Fantasy VII
Official Final Fantasy VII Strategy Guide

Sequel Film:
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete

Prequel Anime:
Last Order: Final Fantasy VII

Spin-Off Game:
Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII

Copyright-Skirting Costume Accessory:
Spirit Deluxe Wide Blade Sword

Nutted by NEG.

The Game to Movie Collection: Part Two

Adapting a video game to animation should be an easier process than adapting one to live action. The transition is smoothed by not having to realise the game's visual style in real world terms; it can be recreated exactly. But, like before, the fact that games are plotted so very differently to other mediums proves to be a hurdle. I've a lot of sympathy for writers that at least try their best. There are even a significant number of success stories, some of which you'll find linked below. Like Part One it's a list that'll likely be added to in the future. Click the coloured text below to see the full collection:

The Game to Movie Collection: Part One

Forever on the lookout for an existing market to exploit (because originality is hard), and despite multiple past failures, the Hollywood predators often stray into the gaming world. I’d give them credit for repeatedly trying if it was for noble reasons, but mostly it isn't. They hope that an IP with an established fan base can be turned into a profitable venture with minimal effort.
It's a lengthy list (sorted alphabetically) that will no doubt increase in the future, so I've put it after the cut. Click it to see the full collection:

The Ju-on Collection

The franchise began life in 1998 as two short films directed by Takashi Shimizu that formed part of a TV Movie named Gakkô no kaidan G (1998); they were Katasumi (In a Corner) and 4444444444 (Ten Fours), respectively.
It then moved to V-Cinema for The Curse I+II (2000) before finally making the leap to a full theatrical release with Ju-on: The Grudge (2002). Its success was such that Hollywood soon followed with a series of English language remakes, two of which were even helmed by Dir. Shimizu himself.
If you only want to experience the best that each region has to offer, the Nutshell contributors recommend number 03 in the Japanese language selection below, and number 02 in the English language selection.

Japanese Language Films:
01. Ju-on: The Curse (2000)
02. Ju-on: The Curse 2 (2000)
03. Ju-on: The Grudge (2002)
04. Ju-On: The Grudge 2 (2003)
05. Ju-on: Black Ghost (2009)
06. Ju-on: White Ghost (2009)
07. Ju-on: The Beginning of the End (2014)
08. Ju-on: The Final Curse (2015)
09. Sadako vs. Kayako (2016)

English Language Films:
01. The Grudge (2004)
02. The Grudge: Director's Cut (2004)
03. The Grudge 2 (2006)
04. The Grudge 3 (2009)

NOTE: Sadako vs. Kayako (2016) is a crossover with the Ringu franchise. For short reviews of films in that series see The Ringu Collection.

The Sword and Sorcery Collection

Wiki describes the term as 'a subgenre of fantasy generally characterised by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent conflicts,' with elements of 'romance [...] magic and the supernatural.' It mentions also that it often overlaps with Heroic Fantasy films, as does my list below.
The Hyborian Conan is the undisputed king, but there are plenty of other heroes for hire; you'll more than likely find them standing stoutheartedly on hills while the sun sets; temporarily chained in dank castle dungeons; or jovially drinking and wenching in taverns. I still love the genre, but I feel that modern film techniques have sucked most of the soul out of it – its heyday is over, sadly. Here's what we've got so far (arranged alphabetically):

The Magnificent Seven Collection

It doesn't matter to me whether or not the Western genre is representative of how life really was back in the day. I don't care if it's been exaggerated, romanticised or straight up invented. What matters is that it provides a recognisable framework within which many different types of story can be told: the frontier town, the bandits, the selfless hero, the guns for hire, etc, are versatile tools in the hands of experienced writers. The original Magnificent Seven film is that versatility in action. It's a remake that's respectful to both its Japanese source material and its own parent genre, proving that some stories truly can be universal at heart and it's just the telling that changes. The western appropriation of the seven hired hands is so good that it even spawned a number of imitators and sequels of its own:

The Source:
01. Seven Samurai (1954)

The Films:
01. The Magnificent Seven (1960)
02. Return of the Magnificent Seven (1966)
03. Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969)
04. The Magnificent Seven Ride (1972)

The TV Series:
01. The Magnificent Seven: TV Series (1998–2000)

Films Influenced By TMS:
01. Battle Beyond the Stars (1980)
02. The Seven Magnificent Gladiators (1983)

The Remake of the Remake:
01. The Magnificent Seven (2016)

The PTU Collection

The real PTU (Police Tactical Unit) are a special unit within the Hong Kong Police Force that perform a number of roles, such as patrolling streets, providing backup to other divisions when needed, aiding disaster response teams, and participating in riot control, among other things. This PTU do all of that, too, but they're fictionalised. Their methods aren't always legal, but they cover their asses well, looking out for each other by stalling for time and hiding truths, except when there's a personal rivalry taking precedence.
The original film was by Hong Kong filmmaker Johnnie To (aka To Kei-Fung) in 2003 and remains to this day one of his best works. The five subsequent TV Movies used some of the same actors but as different characters.

The Original Film:
01. PTU: Police Tactical Unit (2003) Dir. Johnnie To

The Tactical Unit TV Movies:
01. Tactical Unit: The Code (2008) Dir. Wing-cheong Law
02. Tactical Unit: No Way Out (2009) Dir. Lawrence Ah Mon
03. Tactical Unit: Human Nature (2009) Dir. Andy Ng
04. Tactical Unit: Comrades in Arms (2009) Dir. Wing-cheong Law
05. Tactical Unit: Partners (2009) Dir. Lawrence Ah Mon

The Stephen King Collection

Most of the Stephen King fans that I know personally are willing to acknowledge that when it comes to Films and TV Series adapted from the author's books and short stories, the ratio of crap to outright classic favours the crap. That's not King's fault, of course, and it certainly hasn't hindered sales of his books. It might even have helped them, initiating the "Man, that was garbage; I wonder is the book any better?" train of thought that sometimes ends with an actual book purchase. (Surely that's not just me?)
I'd love someday to have every adaptation represented on these pages, but I don't think it'll ever happen. Regardless, I'm compelled to gather what we have into one post - for my own personal use, if nothing else.

Films here on In a Nutshell:
King has a label all to himself. Click HERE.

TV Series on Nut Box:
King has a label all to himself on Box, too. Click HERE.

Books and comics on Nut Ink:
You guessed it, there's a King label. Click HERE.

The Comic to Screen Collection (Manga Version)

I know it's technically incorrect, but I'm using the term 'manga' to encompass the whole of the Asian comics industry. Asia is HUGE (forty-eight countries!) but most of what's listed below the cut will be of Japanese origin. That's not representative of a bias, it's simply because Japan seems to adapt more of their comics to screen than the other regions do and/or what gets imported to the west favours that situation. Because I'm restricted to needing English subtitles, importing stuff we don't officially get is rarely a viable option.

There are separate listings for live action and animation, but in each case the text has to have been in existence before the film/TV series to qualify.

NOTE: If you want a list of English language films adapted from comics see The Comic to Screen Collection (No Pants Version). It's a superhero-free zone. No Collection exists for superhero films. Enough talk, on with the linkage:

The Comic to Screen Collection (No Pants Version)

Well, no spandex pants, that is, because when you say the words "comic book movie" to cinemagoers who've never been inside an independent comic store then they'll likely think of Hollywood celebs as costumed superheroes doing impossible things, but there's a lot of non-superhero comics that have been given the film or TV treatment and so this Collection celebrates them.

A lot of what's listed below the cut aren't as colourful or as mega-budget as their spandex-filled counterparts, but in many cases they feature characters that are equally as memorable, albeit for a different reason: because they have relatable feelings and foibles that we can better empathise with.

NOTE: Selection doesn't include films adapted from Manga, Manhua, etc. I gave them their own dedicated post: Comic to Screen Collection (Manga Version).