Do you recall that scene in “Scream 2”, where Jamie Kennedy’s character imparts his words of wisdom to a class of students (and so, to us) as to the rule of film sequels? About what must be done to achieve a perfect sequel? Admittedly, the “Scream” formula itself began to run out of puff after the first film, but it laid the groundwork for this Top 10 list, namely the 10 best sequels ever made. Thankfully, this list automatically excludes the “Police Academy” and “Look Who’s Talking” films, so you can rest easy.

At first, compiling a list of favourite films that begin with the letter A appears to be a superfluous exercise – given some thought though it serves to highlight some classic movies, ones that deserve to be watched again and again!

10. Armageddon (Michael Bay)
Epic, loud and full of heroic bravado – would a Michael Bay movie be anything else? Harry Stamper’s (Bruce Willis) band of oil-riggers are the last hope to save Earth from total annihilation. Pure blockbuster entertainment that keeps the excitement at fever pitch once the mission reaches …

In the eighties, the high-concept movie was in vogue, its number increasing. Thanks largely to blockbusters “Jaws” and “Star Wars”, the eighties saw what was tried and trusted in the decade before it and simply repackaged the thrills for an audience wanting exactly the same entertainment.
The industry was drastically changing from the top down. Huge, multinational conglomerates who, quite rightly, viewed their acquisition as a profitable arm of the company bought a number of studios. United Artists merged with MGM in 1981, while 20th Century Fox was bought by oil …

The film is a nightmare envisioned on the screen – call it Ripley’s nightmare, indeed she’s asleep when we first meet her at the beginning and she’s asleep when we leave her at the end. It’s one of those dreams where you’re being chased and you just can’t seem to wake yourself up, as the thing that wants your blood gets ever closer. What James Cameron was able to do was recreate the adrenaline, the anxiety, the impending terror of those dreams, and sit you on a roller coaster as your head spins with images of something unimaginably awful, getting ever closer.