Classics: 12 Angry Men

12 Angry Men. 

12 Angry Men is a courtroom drama that was released in 1957 directed by the legendary Sidney Lumet (Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon). The plot revolves around jury deciding in a murder trial that involves one juror that believes the defendant is not guilty while the other 11 believe he is guilty. The movie features an ensemble cast of 1950's actors headlined by Henry Fonda (Grapes of Wrath, Once Upon a Time in the West). 

12 Angry Men is a bonafide classic, it was nominated for 3 Oscars, is a part of the Criterion Collection, was selected to be preserved in the National Film Registry, holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is the number 5 movie on IMDB's top 250 movies. The main point of this review is to ask, does it hold up?

The first thing that really jumps out at me is the screenplay, the writing in this movie is phenomenal, every word means something. 12 Angry Men is 96 minutes long and nearly the entire movie takes place in one room with just the jurors talking and debating the innocence of the defendant. One of the best decisions made in the making of the movie is to leave the jurors nameless even to the audience. The way the movie deals with race in 1957 is impressive, it is impressive even by today's standards so there's something to be said about that. 

It's hard to really explain this movie in a way that sounds interesting because this film should not be interesting, it's 96 minutes of dialogue and debate in one room, it should be boring, but it's not. Some may think that it is hell, the move is in black and white too which will throw some people off right away. Part of m love for the movie may stem from my love of politics and law itself which obviously lends itself favorably for the movie. 12 Angry Men gets unbelievably intense and the arguments get underneath the skin in a way that hasn't been done as well since. 

If there was a modern movie that I'd try to compare it to is Lincoln, it's a movie that doesn't contain much action and is about debate just as 12 Angry Men is. The movies are vastly different but they are similar in the way that many people can see that the movies are boring and nothing but talking but 12 Angry Men is much more than that (I'm not saying these 2 movies are comparable in greatness, I liked Lincoln but it's not nearly as great as 12 Angry Men).

Rewatchability: 4.5/5, it's one of those movies that I could watch endlessly, I don't get bored by it and it keeps my attention throughout. The film doesn't get diluted by the result of the ending like some other movies can (I'm looking at you, Buried). 

Rating: 5/5, I don't give a perfect score out lightly and by no means does it mean that the movie is perfect but 12 Angry Men is the kind of movie that I love, it's timeless, thought provoking and enjoyable. For me, the movie has earned every accolade it's gotten and deserves to be studied the way that it is. 

Circle - Review

Circle. 

Circle is a 2015 psychological thriller directed by two first time directors named Mario Miscione and Aaron Hann. Circle stars an ensemble cast of 50 people, a bunch of unknowns, and a few familiar faces, most notably Julie Benz of Dexter fame. What drew me to Circle was its intriguing story (plus it's on Netflix so it's free yo), Circle is about 50 strangers that show up in a room in a circle and have to vote on who gets killed until there is one left. The vote happens every 1-2 minutes so they're forced to make a decision or a random person gets killed by this mysterious orb in the middle of the circle that strikes each person with a bolt of electricity. There's death but 0 gore, after 7/8 people die the group begins to debate a way to do this as logically as possible. The movie really gets at you because it makes you think of yourself in the position and how you'd handle it. The film quickly starts going down a pretty dark path all of 10 minutes into the movie when the group decides to kill of the oldest members of the group to buy themselves some time to debate what to keep doing. 

The movie tackles a lot of big issues, it brings up age, sexuality, religion, race, veterans and some parts really hit you hard. 

It's an interesting movie that's hard to talk about without giving much away but it's definitely worth the watch and it'll make you think a lot for a 90 minute movie. 

Rewatchability: ?/5, I very honestly don't know how rewatchabal this movie is, while I can totally see myself wanting to watch this again and watching it with friends, I don't know if knowing the movie's end will take away from the viewing experience again. 

Rating: 4/5, I liked this movie a lot, I didn't expect much from it which could be the reason I rated it so highly but it was a good movie, it'll make you think and I will definitely be recommending it to friends. 

Saturday the 14th: The Drownsman - Review

The Drownsman. 

The Drownsman is a 2014 Canadian horror film and the 4th film directed by Chad Archibald who's directed nothing of note as of yet. The Drownsman stars a bunch of unknowns whose credits include most of Archibald's other films. The story follows Madison who almost drowns in a lake and has visions of this "Drownsman" and is terrified of water afterward that gets so bad that she skips her best friend's wedding even though she's the maid of honor. (In writing this I started to wonder how this girl bathed, the film shows her being terrified of rain and bathtubs not just big bodies of water so I'm kinda wondering here. She doesn't even drink water, she has like a portable IV that gives her her fluids.) From what I can gather, this "Drownsman" is like Freddy Krueger where he can only get you in his domain (Freddy in your dreams and Drownsman in water). 

After Madison's friends attempt an intervention by pretty much throwing her in a tub, the Drownsman starts coming after all of the girls in classic slasher fashion. Well it's not that scary but I don't think it really tried to be and if I'm being honest, I thought twice about drinking out of my water bottle during the movie so I guess it took a small victory there. 

The acting is pretty bad, the directing is overall pretty okay. The story is kinda dumb but it's a horror movie so who cares? There's a pretty solid plot twist that kicks off the third act of the movie that I very honestly did not see coming. 

The biggest issue with the movie is that you don't really care about the characters and the villain isn't at all interesting. What made Freddy great was his banter and witty remarks, what made Jason great was his mask and machete, the Drownsman on the other hand doesn't talk and looks like a dude who just walked through a swamp, he doesn't have a memorable quality about him that sticks in your head after the movie is over. But there are the makings of a solid franchise here, if you get a better team to do some sequels then I wouldn't be too opposed to a Drownsman series. The Drownsman himself isn't memorable but Jason didn't wear his iconic mask until his third movie so there is still some hope to make the Drownsman a more memorable slasher (drowner). Plus I can't lie, the movie poster is pretty awesome and it's a clear homage to the original Nightmare on Elm Street poster. 

Rewatchability: 1.5/5, I probably won't wanna watch it again but if a few years from now we get a good sequel then I might come back to the OG and check it out. 

Rating: 2/5, a very by the numbers horror movie without much scares to show for it, as I said earlier it could end up becoming a decent franchise if put in the right hands but as of now, it's a forgettable slasher film. 

007: Spectre - Review

Spectre. 

Spectre is the 24th film in the James Bond franchise and the 4th starring Daniel Craig. Spectre serves as the film that ties the other Craig films together. While it is nice to have all of the films to become intertwined, some of the references and ties seem a little forced and awkward. 

The opening sequence of the film takes place during Mexico's Day of the Dead celebration and lends itself to really nice costume design and a phenomenal opening sequence that we've grown used to in this era of Bond. The movie opens with a magnificent tracking shot that follows Bond around and really shows of Sam Mendes' direction. 

As per usual all of the performances are top notch, Craig can play Bond practically in his sleep and has really nailed the character. Ralph Fiennes does a great job as M and as a successor to Judi Dench. Dave Bautista of Guardians of the Galaxy and WWE fame is good in the movie but literally has 1 line, not an exaggeration, 1 damn line. 

2-time Oscar winner Christoph Waltz who no longer needs an introduction was his usual brilliant self. Unfortunately he has started to become typecast as the conniving and smart villain who he again plays in Spectre. His role while good could've been much better had the seeds of his plan been planted in the previous movies a la the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He is the self proclaimed "author of Bond's pain" yet the revelations he shows do not hit hard enough due to the fact that we were just introduced to him in this film. Waltz does the best he can with the character and is the thing that keeps this villain from being a run of the mill villain. He doesn't come close to Skyfall's Raoul Silva played by Javier Bardem.

A lot of this movie seemed unnecessary, at 2.5 hours, I think more could've been left out. It's hard to explain, especially without revealing information but there were scenes and storylines that could've either been left out or taken care of much quicker. 

It's hard to judge this movie, do we judge it as an action movie, a James Bond movie or as a Daniel Craig-Bond movie? To keep it simple, I'm going to compare it to Craig's other films because the other incarnations of Bond differ too much to adequately compare to. Spectre is the 3rd best of the 4 Craig films. That seems bad but to be fair Skyfall's and Casino Royale are among my favorite Bond movies ever with Skyfall being one of my favorite movies of the last 5 years. Spectre was destined to be a let down, Skyfall was too good of a film to be followed up by a movie of the same quality but nonetheless Spectre is a good movie. 

Rewatchability: 3/5, I'm always down to watch a good Bond movie but this won't be the first one I grab for in the collection. 

Rating: 3.5/5, a quality addition to the Bond franchise that I think will be remembered better over time as opposed to off the heels of Skyfall. I walked away happy with the film and would definitely recommend it to any Bond or action movie fan. 

The Visit - Review

The Visit. 

The Visit is a 2015 horror movie directed by the infamous M. Night Shyamalan. Honestly Shyamalan hasn't made a good movie in a long time so my expectations for this were pretty low. The film is about two children who go to visit their grandparents for a week and they turn out to be a little odd. It stars two kids I've never seen before and two old people and they all gave pretty good performances. 

The movie is a lot funnier than I expected, not unintentionally funny but actually funny. It's relatively scary, it's much more unsettling, from the moment they get to the house there's a feeling of unease that never really stops throughout the entire movie. In this unease is where the movie shines, you can tell something is up with the grandparents but you don't know what it is and it lets your mind imagine all of the possibilities. 

There's not much to really say about this movie without giving much away so I'm not gonna talk about it anymore. 

Rewatchability: 1/5, it was a good one-view movie, it had good things about it but I'm not rushing back to the theaters to see it or to get it on DVD. 

Rating: 3.5/5, a solid movie where the unsettling feeling lasts with you even after the credits roll and will leave you discussing the movie a while after. With that said it wasn't a great movie that id recommend to everyone but it was still enjoyable. 

The Perfect Guy - Review

The Perfect Guy.

The Perfect Guy is a 2015 thriller directed by David M. Rosenthal (A Single Shot) and stars Sanaa Lathan (The Best Man Holiday), Michael Ealy (The Following) and Morris Chestnut (The Best Man Holiday). The Perfect Guy is essentially a movie about stalking and takes off after the break up of Lathan and Ealy's characters. 

Where this film succeeds lies in Michael Ealy, he does a great job in this role and as shown in The Following has the creepy side of him on full display here. It also shows glimpses of a deeper movie with complex characters but unfortunately doesn't capitalize on the opportunities. 

Where this film fails is in its characters, they're cardboard cut outs, not one is complex or very interesting. The story itself also goes exactly how you'd expect it to go with not much deviation from your standard obsessed lover story. 

The Perfect Guy is fine, for all of my complaints about it I still enjoyed watching it. The performances are good, Michael Ealy is a standout. It showed a few flashes of being a deeper movie but never cashes in on the opportunity and therefore suffers a bit. What could be interesting is a spinoff (I know, spinoffs are 99% trash but this could work) based around Michael Ealy's character because as you find out later in the film, there is some information that you could go much more in depth with in his own film. 

Overall: Decent film, I'd watch it again if it was on TV and I enjoyed it despite some flaws. 

Rating: 3/5, I won't be adding this to my blu-ray collection but at the same time I'm glad I saw it and it wasn't a waste of time or money. 

Dope - Review

Dope. 

Dope is a 2015 coming of age dramedy directed by Rick Famuyiwa (Brown Sugar) and stars Shameik Moore as Malcolm in his first leading role. The cast is rounded out by Zoe Kravitz (Mad Max: Fury Road), Kiersey Clemons, Tony Revolori (Grand Budapest Hotel) and rapper A$AP Rocky. 

In a nutshell, Dope is about a high schooler named Malcolm who is growing up in a bad neighborhood in LA yet is a straight-A student with ambitions of Harvard. He and his friends get tangled up in a drug situation leaving them with kilos of MDMA and a gun with the rest of the film showing how they deal with this situation. 

Firstly, the chemistry between the 3 friends played by Moore, Clemons and Revolori is phenomenal, you truly believe that they've grown up together and have been friends for years and you feel like you're a part of their group too. The movie is actually pretty funny too, mostly due to the interactions within these 3 friends. The drama in the film is handled pretty well and there's a few parts toward the end of the movie where things get really real really fast yet it doesn't seem out of place because throughout the movie the balance between drama and comedy was blended seamlessly. 

The most important thing in a coming of age movie is that the main character becomes a different person by the end of the film in a believable way and Dope succeeds in doing this. The movie takes place for the most part in what seems like a week, maybe a little shorter, but I think a lot of people can attest that in high school, a lot can change in 7 days, maybe not to the extent of the events of the movie but still. 

It is impossible to talk about this movie and not bring up the music because it is such a part of the movie that the film would be different without it. Malcolm and his friends are throwback 90s hip hop heads and actively pursue looking and acting like it's currently 1995. I personally love hip hop, especially this era so when the movie plays a song from the 90's like Nas's "The World is Yours", I feel right at home. I also haven't wanted to buy a soundtrack this badly since Django Unchained and I'm real close to actually buying it. 

Dope is not a movie for everybody, if you don't love hip hop you're experience will suffer a bit, not to say you can't enjoy it but you won't love it. Dope also tackles some pretty big topics such as stereotypes within race and racism itself; it's not as overt and in your face as American History X, it's subtle and seems to boil over a bit toward the end of the film in one of the best monologues in film that I've seen in a long time. You'll have a lot of fun with this movie and you'll be left thinking quite a bit after it's over about who you are and how people perceive you and a movie that can do that is pretty special. 

Rewatchability: 5/5, I can see myself throwing this in my Blu-Ray player pretty much at will and will definitely be buying when it comes out, possibly even seeing it again in theaters if a friend is interested. 

Rating: 4.5/5, almost got the perfect score but I just couldn't get it there. The acting was great except for Tyga but he's not in it enough to matter, the directing was good and even had some pretty cool slo-mo use and a couple parts that used a reverse-simulation really well. I tweeted this out earlier and I'll say it here as well, Dope is low key the movie of the summer, it's highly enjoyable and unlike most summer movies, it's smart. To be as lame as humanly possible and to put it in the best words possible, simply, Dope is dope.

P.S.: It doesn't have to be a sequel or anything but someone needs to get Shameik Moore, Kiersey Clemons and Tony Revolori in another movie together because they were seriously one of the best trios on camera in a long time and I need more. 

 

Jurassic World - Review

Jurassic World.

Jurassic World is the fourth installment in the Jurassic Park franchise and the first installment in 14 years. Directed by Colin Trevorrow (Safety Not Guaranteed) and starring Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Bryce Dallas Howard (50/50), Jurassic World is simply a movie that plays out the "what if" scenario that arose from the first film of: "what if Jurassic Park had actually opened and been operational?" In this film the park is open, operational and a pretty big hit and they come up with an idea to spike attendance by creating a new dinosaur. And because there'd be no movie without some conflict, Mrs. New Dino escapes and starts murdering anything with a pulse. 

Let's Get This Out of the Way. This is 100% a summer blockbuster eat so much popcorn you feel like throwing up afterward movie. This is not Jurassic Park. All of that being said, this film is massively enjoyable; admittedly it starts out a little slow but the way they show how the park works is interesting because they make you feel like it's as normal as going to DisneyWorld in this universe which is essential to the plot. 

Chris Pratt absolutely kills this role, this guy has so much charisma and acting chops that I really can't wait to see what he does next and he's quickly becoming an actor who gets me into the theater simply because he's in it. Bryce Dallas Howard is fine, she's a little wooden in some parts but she gets the job done. 

This is a Little Nit-Picky. I love dinosaurs, always have since I was a little kid so for me to believe that a world can exist in which we've brought them back to life and even created a hybrid is pretty easy. What I couldn't get passed in this movie (this isn't a spoiler) is that Bryce Dallas Howard's character spends the entire movie in high heels. She sprints from dinosaurs in heels and even runs through woods and jungles, I realize this is insignificant to the movie but it irked me. 

The best part of this movie is it's climax, without giving anything away, it's awesome, the most fun I've had in the theaters since Avengers 2. The acting was solid, directing was solid, CGI was pretty good and was just a blast to watch.  

Rewatchability: 4/5, I'd watch this again now if I could and I see myself buying it when it comes out on Blu-Ray. 

Rating: 4/5, supremely enjoyable and fun to watch, clearly not better than the original, not many movies are, but it's the best Jurassic Park sequel we've gotten and it's a hell of a lot of fun. 

P.S.: The whole raptor training thing was actually handled pretty well and didn't seem so silly in the context of the movie. 

Lost River - Review

Lost River. 

Lost River is a 2015 drama/fantasy film written and directed by actor Ryan Gosling (Drive, The Notebook). This is Gosling's first attempt at directing and it sees him telling a story of family, love and dark secrets. Lost River stars Christina Hendricks (Mad Men), Iain De Caestecker (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) and Matt Smith (Doctor Who) and tells the story of a mother trying to save her family  while her son attempts to discover a whole new world in the town of Lost River. 

First off, the acting in the film is really good, I liked how they casted actors known more for their TV work instead of film and all 3 main actors played characters way different than their famous TV roles. It's nice to see Christina Hendricks getting movie roles because she was great on Mad Men and I definitely wanna see more of her. Matt Smith really impressed me, I don't watch Doctor Who but I've seen clips of him from it and in Lost River he plays a maniacal character so well that I hope he takes more villainous roles in the future. 

Gosling's directorial style is complicated. Being his first film, Lost River is kind of all over the place. While it definitely has a unique visual style it obviously borrows elements from guys like David Lynch and Nicolas Winding Refn with a dash of older-Tim Burton in there for good measure. 

Lost River is weird, no other way to put it but, it's also ambitious. Gosling is in an interesting position as his star power is big enough to have people interested in a film he directs solely because of his name, hell that a why I checked Lost River out in the first place. What he can try to do is use his name to draw in an audience and at the same time create these artsy, indie-type movies that see crossover success. Gosling definitely has a directorial eye and there are many flashes of promise throughout this film that show that he has a bright future ahead of him behind the camera but those flashes alone aren't enough to hold Lost River up on its own. It's a solid film, not great, nor is it bad, it's just kind of there. I wouldn't recommend it to the average moviegoer but any movie buff or fan of indie and more artsy films will definitely find some enjoyment in this. 

Rewatchability: 2/5, if a friend really wanted to watch it I'd watch it with them but outside of that I don't see myself rewatching it. 

Rating: 3/5, as stated earlier, it's a decent film with flashes of promise, a weak plot but good acting. The film as a whole is okay but it gives you enough to interest you and intrigue you on what Ryan Gosling will direct next and hopefully begin to mold his own unique style of filmmaking.  

Furious 7 - Review

Furious 7.

Not entirely sure why they keep messing with the names of the movies but whatever.

NOTE: Since this is a Fast & Furious film and also considered a blockbuster, this review won't be reviewed the same way as an Oscar contender would. 

Furious 7 is the 7th installment of The Fast and Furious series whose humble beginnings started back in 2001. As an overall fan of the series (there are a few I don't like, namely Tokyo Drift and Fast 6) I was reasonably excited for this new one. 

Furious 7 sees horror heavyweight director James Wan of The Conjuring and Insidious films taking over duties from Justin Lin who had directed the past 4 films. The usual cast is back with the only real additions being Kurt Russell and Jason Statham, both of which are badass. Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Ludacris, Tyrese Gibson, The Rock, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster all reprise their roles. 

So the first half hour-ish of this movie is just bad, I was so uninterested in it that I was praying it picked up. Luckily, it did. Once the action picks up in this movie it barely gives you time to breathe which is awesome and exactly what you want from a movie like this. 

Where the hell was The Rock in this movie? I swear he had 20 minutes of screen time in this 147 film, he's by far been the best part of the last 2 movies and you could argue a main reason these movies are still going. That was a big mistake on the films part. The film also relies on Vin Diesel quite a lot, I assume these scenes were originally supposed to have Paul Walker in them but I'll get to that later, and Diesel's acting really isn't enough to carry the more dialogue driven aspects of the movie. 

As I said earlier, once the movie picks up, it's awesome. Movies like these, you really need to turn your brain and try not to think "there's no way that could happen" which I only said to myself one time in this movie which isn't bad since I said it the entire 6th movie. The cast has unbelievably good chemistry which they should since they've had umpteen movies working together now and I think Ludacris and Tyrese Gibsons characters are my new favorites because their banter back and forth is hysterical. 

Now, to the Paul Walker situation. Walker died about halfway through filming and they used what he finished in the film and had a combination of stand ins and CGI used to finish his scenes which I respect as their decision. Some of the scenes are incredibly easy to tell that it's his stand in doing the scene which I can't really fault the film for because they did the best they could and if I didn't know that Walker had died midway through, I might not be able to tell. They also reference not wanting to go to anymore funerals in the beginning of the movie which is rather haunting to watch and hear. I thought the send off they gave Paul Walker and his character were the best they could've done and was done with great respect. 

Overall: It's a fun movie, it's one of the better ones in the series for me. The action was done well and the cast as always has great chemistry. The problems I have with the movie are pretty minor, minus the awful first 30 minutes of it. They've said already that they're making an 8th movie and I really hope it's the last because this one really wrapped up beautifully and I wish it was the last one. 

Rewatchability: 3/5, I'll probably watch it again but it's definitely not a go to, other movies in the franchise would beat out this one if I wanted to watch one of them. 

Rating: 3.5/5

Insurgent - Movie

DISCLAIMER: I didn't read the Divergent books so this review is based purely off of the film itself. 

Insurgent.

Insurgent is the sequel to 2014's Divergent being adapted from the Divergent Series written by Veronica Roth. As with every series it seems these days the third book is being split into two movies but we're not at those yet. Insurgent takes place directly following the events of Divergent and continues Tris (Shailene Woodley) and Four's (Theo James) quest for revolution. 

I actually liked Divergent a lot more than I had expected going into it and thought the series would have some potential. That being said, Insurgent let me down a bit. 

But first, the good things of the movie. Shailene Woodley kills it in this role as Tris and really is the shining star in this series. Miles Teller is great in it too but gets too little of screen time but I'll fault that on the source material instead of the movie especially since he was cast before he became pretty famous. Theo James stars opposite Woodley and while he was a good casting choice for his role, I kinda don't like him. 

There are these scenes in the third act of the film in which Tris has to undergo tests in which she has to in an almost alternate world get through some sort of obstacle whether mental, physical, emotional or all three. These tests are the highlight of the film and the point where I was fully invested in the story. 

Now the bad. Insurgent suffers from an overly convoluted plot that is actually kinda hard to follow. There are many  points where you're not sure what's real and what's fake or who's who. For me, the first hour of the film was kind of all over the place, hard to follow and frankly, a bit boring. I'm not heartless, I understand the second installment in any trilogy is used a lot for character development and setting up for the final installments which can make for boring films but, this is when you rely on the strength of your characters and that's where Insurgent falls short. Tris is by far the strongest character in terms of development while mostly everyone else is a cardboard cut out of a character. This brings the movie down quite a bit but it is still pretty enjoyable to watch. 

This Part is a Bit of a Rant: Being that this is a rant, most of it is my opinion and doesn't really deal with the movie in a fair way, that being said, ranting time. Tris's boyfriend and really second in command for the revolution is a guy named Four. I know they explained it barely in the first film and maybe the book explained it more but the film explanation isn't good enough. There's a point where his mom calls him by his birth name: Tobias and he slams a table and yells "My name is Four!" This takes me out of the movie because I can't take it seriously how everyone seriously calls this dude Four. There were points in the movie where I would be laughing to myself because of how ridiculous it sounds when Woodley is crying out for her boyfriend and she's saying "Four", she almost sounded like a distressed golfer. All of this kind of pointless bitching aside, I enjoyed the movie. 

Replay Value: 2/5, I'd watch it again in preparation for Allegiant Part 1 or if one of my friends really wanted to watch it. I don't really think I'd watch it again for my own personal enjoyment. 

Rating: 2.5/5, rather disappointing considering how much I enjoyed Divergent but, Insurgent just didn't really do it for me. Enjoyable overall and a must see if you're a fan of the series, obviously, but if you're looking for just a sci-fi ish movie to escape in, this may not be for you. 

Birdman - Review

A man becomes a critic when he cannot be an artist. - Gustav Flaubert - Spoken by Edward Norton's character Mike

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance. 

Since the title is so long I will refer to the film solely as Birdman for the review. Birdman is a 2014 film that is up for many Oscars and is my prediction to take home the statue for Best Picture. 

Birdman is the story of Riggan played by Michael Keaton (Robocop, Batman) who is an aging actor who's played a major superhero in the past and is now trying his hand in a Broadway play. The cast is rounded out by Edward Norton (American History X), Emma Stone (The Amazing Spider-Man 2), Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover) and Naomi Watts (King Kong). Birdman is directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu (Babel). 

Let me start off by saying that this movie really is for film lovers, from the way it's shot to the plot, this was made to be watched by people who really love movies. The film is directed in a series of long takes or long shots which were helped made famous by Martin Scorcese. According to IMDB there are only 16 visible cuts in the entire film with the majority of the film being following shots. What the film really has going for it is the acting, these actors seemed to have all brought their A+ game and they all, for me, deserved their Oscar nominations. I'd go out and say that this is Emma Stone's best performance of her still young career and Edward Norton was unbelievably good as well. Birdman was actually unexpectedly funny, mostly due to Norton's character, Mike, who had some great one liners. The performances that Iñárritu was able to get out of this cast were fantastic; it was great to see Galifianakis in a role that's against his type and his character was more on the serious side and he was great in this role, albeit a much smaller role.

This is a film where there really isn't much bad to say about it because there's really nothing wrong with it. I can see the casual movie fan not really enjoying the style of the film because of the frequent long takes and the unique way the film looks; not only this but the movie itself is a commentary of the film industry and those within it so it may not resonate too well with casual viewers. The directing in the film is amazing, the acting is second to none, the story is alright, it's really the performances in front of and behind the camera that makes this movie special. If it weren't for Boyhood I think Iñárritu would've taken home the Oscar for Best Director, technically he still can since the ceremony hasn't happened, that being said I still stick by my predictions of Birdman winning Best Picture and Michael Keaton winning Best Actor.

I really enjoyed this movie, it's not my favorite of 2014, it possibly wouldn't have cracked my top 10 since 2014 was a great year for movies. I did appreciate the look into the behind the scenes of actors and how they are, more and less, outside of Hollywood. This is a movie that I think all big movie fans really should see, especially for someone who wants to get into filmmaking in any way. It's almost Tarantino-like where the movie has things in it that only big movie fans will pick up and it's really for the better.

Replay Value: 3/5, it's a movie I'd definitely watch again, I wanna see it at least one more time and I wouldn't be opposed if a friend wanted to watch because I think it would be a pretty good movie to watch with some friends. All of that being said, I don't know that I'd buy this on blu-ray, it's not a movie you just throw on just because, it's a movie to sit down and watch.

Rating: 4/5

2015 Oscar Predictions

The Oscars also known as the one night a year that pisses film fans off more than The Phantom Menace. This year's award ceremony will be the 87th ceremony and will celebrate the film year of 2014. There were plenty of snubs and surprises but that's not what this post is about; this post is my predictions for who will win each category, not who I WANT to win because that would be a completely different list. The layout is going to be the category, then the nominations and I will put in bold my prediction to take home the statue.

Let's Get Started.

Best Picture:

American Sniper
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

Best Actor:

Steve Carell in Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper in American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch in The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Eddie Redmayne in The Theory of Everything

Best Supporting Actor:

Robert Duvall in The Judge
Ethan Hawke in Boyhood
Edward Norton in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Mark Ruffalo in Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons in Whiplash

Best Actress:

Marion Cotillard in Two Days, One Night
Felicity Jones in The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore in Still Alice
Rosamund Pike in Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon in Wild

Best Supporting Actress:

Patricia Arquette in Boyhood
Laura Dern in Wild
Keira Knightley in The Imitation Game
Emma Stone in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Meryl Streep in Into the Woods

Animated Feature:

Big Hero 6 (I really want this to win but I don't think it will.)
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Song of the Sea
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

Adapted Screenplay:

American Sniper
The Imitation Game
Inherent Vice
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

Original Screenplay:

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Boyhood
Foxcatcher
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Nightcrawler

Cinematography:

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Ida
Mr. Turner
Unbroken

Costume Design:

The Grand Budapest Hotel
Inherent Vice
Into the Woods
Maleficent
Mr. Turner

Best Director:

Alejandro G. Iñárritu for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Richard Linklater for Boyhood
Bennett Miller for Foxcatcher
Wes Anderson for The Grand Budapest Hotel
Morten Tyldum for The Imitation Game

Documentary Feature:

CitizenFour
Finding Vivian Maier
Last Days in Vietnam
The Salt of the Earth
Virunga

Documentary Short:

Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
Joanna
Our Curse
The Reaper (La Parka)
White Earth

Film Editing:

American Sniper
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Whiplash

Foreign Language Film:

Ida from Poland
Leviathan from Russia
Tangerines from Estonia
Timbuktu from Mauritania
Wild Tales from Argentina

Makeup and Hairstyling:

Foxcatcher
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Guardians of the Galaxy

Original Score:

The Grand Budapest Hotel by Alexandre Desplat
The Imitation Game by Alexandre Desplat
Interstellar by Hans Zimmer
Mr. Turner by Gary Yershon
The Theory of Everything by Jóhann Jóhannsson

Original Song:

“Everything Is Awesome” from The Lego Movie - Music and Lyric by Shawn Patterson
“Glory” from Selma - Music and Lyric by John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn
“Grateful” from Beyond the Lights - Music and Lyric by Diane Warren
“I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me - Music and Lyric by Glen Campbell and Julian Raymond
“Lost Stars” from Begin Again - Music and Lyric by Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois

Production Design:

The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Into the Woods
Mr. Turner

Animated Short Film:

The Bigger Picture
The Dam Keeper
Feast
Me and My Moulton
A Single Life

Live Action Short Film:

Aya
Boogaloo and Graham
Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak)
Parvaneh
The Phone Call

Sound Editing:

American Sniper
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Interstellar
Unbroken

Sound Mixing:

American Sniper
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Interstellar
Unbroken
Whiplash

Visual Effects:

Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar
X-Men: Days of Future Past

The Top 10 Movie Sequels of All Time

Let's face it, movie sequels are a huge risk in terms of keeping the integrity of the original film alive. Sequels need to capture the magic of the first film while making improvements on it at the same time, a tall order. A lot of sequels suck, just look at most comedy and horror sequels, yet some are able to go above and beyond their predecessor. I'm limiting my list to be the exact second movie in the series which means you won't see Toy Story 3 or Return of the Jedi on this list. This was on of the hardest lists I've had to make, not so much as narrowing it down to 10 films but the actual ordering of the list was incredibly difficult.

HONORABLE MENTIONS As always there a few films that miss the cut even though they are great movies but looking at this list, it'd be hard to take one off to put one of these on so here's a few honorable mentions: Aliens, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, 22 Jump Street and American Pie 2

10. X2: X-Men United - X-Men 2 was probably the first superhero movie that had some dark themes to it throughout the film. It expanded on the 2000 original and was able to make a good superhero drama with characters you really care about. We're in an era now where every superhero movie is intense, dark and overall pretty serious in tone (with a few exceptions); this film is their grandfather.

9. Rocky II - Rocky is the epitome of American, from his seemingly always underdog status to his will to never give up. This series is honestly one of the best out there and to my shame I never watched until last year and Rocky II is quite possibly the best one. It builds off of the original and were able to not only advance the story in a logical way but were able to advance these characters in a way that most movies can't do. The ending of Rocky II also has a fantastic pay off built up over the course of the movie and the movie before it and is wholly satisfying.

8. Saw II - The only horror film on this list but it truly deserves it. Some say that had the Saw series ended after the third film that it would be one of the best horror trilogies ever but, Hollywood is greedy. Regardless, Saw II takes all of the greatness of the first and exploded it, going from two people playing his game to eight. It takes the psychological aspect of the game and makes it so these people almost destroy themselves before the game is even over. This is one of my favorite horror movies ever and clearly one of the best sequels.

7. Spider-Man 2 - Annnndddd back to superheroes. Spider-Man 2 for a long time was my go to film when someone asked for an example of a sequel that's better than the original. This movie has a fantastic villain in Dr. Octopus, a great inner struggle within Peter Parker and some awesome fight scenes. You'd be hard pressed to find a movie that makes such good improvements over its predecessor. This is one of the best superhero films ever made, period.

6. Terminator 2: Judgement Day - When I first saw The Terminator a few years back, I was expecting a little bit more or at least a little different than what I got. When I first saw T2 a couple days afterward I had realized this was the movie I had been expecting. This is as damn near perfect of a sci-fi movie as you can get not to mention it may be the most badass movie of all time, it's the definition of cool. The CGI is incredibly stepped up from the original which is expected as there was 7 years between the films and it holds up decently well here in 2015. The villain is absolutely ruthless and is only outmatched in badassness by Arnold himself.

5. Toy Story 2 - Toy Story is in the running for my favorite trilogy of all time and in my opinion, the 2nd installment is reasonably overlooked compared to Toy Story and Toy Story 3. Toy Story 2 brings in new characters who are a welcome addition to the crew while still keeping the original characters much involved and still loved. This is Pixar at its best which is surprising because for me, their sequels is where they falter a little bit. This movie captures the magic of the original all over again and makes for a fantastic film.

4. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - One of the best trilogies of all time gets an installment that does everything right, from the drama, the action sequences and don't even get me started on the Battle of Helm's Deep which is one of my favorite battle scenes from the entire trilogy. The film is not just a bridge from Fellowship of the Ring to Return of the King, it's an essential piece to the story and Peter Jackson was able to make a film that perfectly advanced the story and the characters and is even a good standalone film.

3. The Godfather, Part II - Some may say it's blasphemy for this not to be everyone's favorite sequel of all time but, for me, there are two better. That being said, there's no denying the greatness of a three hour plus masterpiece. The loss of Marlon Brando did nothing to hurt the film instead opting for the prequel route and the casting of Robert De Niro in the role of Vito Corleone. While this was near the beginning of a young De Niro's career it's easy to tell that he was a big reason why this movie is as good as it is. This is not to take anything away from Al Pacino or Robert DuVall's performances but instead help praise them because their performances were so good. It's hard to describe this movie as it's almost so good it's hard to say why, it's a film that everyone should see and I don't say that lightly.

2. The Dark Knight - Man, superhero movies are killing this list right now but seriously this is movie is outrageously good. It's less of a superhero film and more of a great drama/action film that happens to have Batman in it. This is the movie that we will look back on in years to come as the film that changed superhero movies forever and made audiences and critics alike take them seriously. Christopher Nolan, Christian Bale, Heath Ledger and company really transformed this film into something bigger than just a movie. What I love about this trilogy is that each film is a great standalone film, all 3 have a beginning, middle and end, none of which take 5 minutes out to set up the next film. Nolan was able to crate a unique universe and a unique experience where Batman isn't a superhero in the traditional sense, he's a realistic figure in a realistic world. This is one of my favorite movies ever and it will forever be the truest Batman movie to me.

1. Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back - Yes, it's the fifth in the series BUT, it was the second film made and everything I've been able to find from when the film was first released has no sign of calling it episode 5 back in 1980, so for me and 98% of the world, this is the true sequel in the Star Wars franchise. I know I've said it a few times in this list already but this is seriously one of the best movies ever, between the great reveal toward the end and everything before it are the definition of excellence. I don't see how you can like film and not like this movie, alright I guess I can see it if you hate sci-fi but you see my point. This movie stepped up the game so much that it deserves its own class in film schools. I can't explain the greatness of this film because it's inexplicable, you just have to watch it for yourself.

Boyhood - Review

Boyhood. 

Boyhood is a 2014 film directed by Richard Linklater (Before Midnight, School of Rock) simply about a boy, Mason, growing up. It's a coming of age tale that was filmed over the course of 12 years with sections of each year of Mason's life being shown in the film. 

We watch Mason, played by Ellar Coltrane, grow from the age of 5 to 18 in the span of 2 hours and 45 minutes. The plot is simple, almost so simple that it sounds boring but this film isn't about the plot, it's about the characters. Ethan Hawke (The Purge, Sinister) and Patricia Arquette (Boardwalk Empire) play Mason's parents with Linklater's own daughter Lorelei playing his sister. 

Boyhood is truly a cinematic experience as we get to watch the entire cast grow older and once the film is ending you start to feel like these characters are a part of your family too. It sounds cheesy but being able to watch him and his sister interact when they're and when they're 16 gives you the feeling that you watched these kids grow up. Even Arquette and Hawke grow 12 years older and what makes this special is the true ageing of the characters. 

I truly hope Richard Linklater wins the Best Director Oscar for this film because of the immense dedication this took to make. He even had a plan for how to finish the movie if he were to die over this 12 year production (Ethan Hawke would've taken over directorial duties). 

The best part of this movie is its relatability, watching Mason grow up is like watching home videos of yourself growing as he goes through the same trials and tribulations that most of us have. What's surprising about this movie is how much I wanted to watch it again, I thought this would be more like Unbroken where I loved the movie but couldn't see myself watching it much more. This isn't the case with Boyhood, I watched the movie last night and threw it on again today, with how heavy and emotionally investing this movie gets, the fact that I wanted to watch it again so quickly is something special.

Replay Value: 4/5, like I said I'm watching the film a second time in a little under 24 hours, this may because I'm on somewhat of a high from how much I enjoyed the film the first time but I can see myself watching it again, quite a few times. 

Rating: 4.5/5, a fantastic film that had I seen it before I made my Top 10 Movies of 2014 list, definitely would've made the list and possibly pretty high. 

My Top 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2015

This list was actually a bit harder to compile than my top 10 movies of 2014 was. I tried to use some sort of criteria for this such as I only picked movies that have a current release date for sometime in 2015. Some of the films on this list have little information about them out yet but do have release dates for this year but I'll expand on these movies in the list itself. I also didn't use movies that are coming out within the next couple of weeks such as, Project Almanac, which I'm pretty excited for (even though it's coming out in January). So without further adieu, here are my top 10 most anticipated films of 2015.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Kingsman: The Secret Service, Child 44, Minions, Ant-Man, Straight Outta Compton and Black Mass. These six films are films that I am excited for but not just enough to make it onto this list, Kingsman because it's coming out in the next month, Child 44 because we have no trailer and the April release date worries me as it looks more like an Oscar season movie. Minions looks good but I think it may suffer with the lack of Gru and his daughters, Ant-Man's trailer was mildly underwhelming yet I'll still see it. Straight Outta Compton and Black Mass are movies with interesting plots and good actors but without a trailer for either or even an official movie poster for either, I couldn't put them on my list.

10. In the Heart of the Sea - This film is based on the book of the same name by author Nathaniel Philbrick about the true story that inspired the infamous tale Moby Dick. I'm currently in the middle of the book and so far it's fantastic, if director Ron Howard who I have massive faith in can translate this book into film then I have no doubts that it will be a great movie. Outside of Chris Hemsworth (Thor), there isn't much star power in terms of acting but with Ron Howard at the helm, I don't think that will matter much.
Release Date: December 11

9. Chappie - My excitement for this film is my faith in director Neill Blomkamp (District 9, Elysium). Chappie is a film about artificial intelligence in robots and stars Hugh Jackman and Dev Patel (The Newsroom) and looks to continue Blomkamp's films dealing with high levels of social commentary. If he was not the one directing this, I can't say my level of excitement would be this high but he and the trailer restored my faith.
Release Date: March 6

8. Mad Max: Fury Road - This movie is the prime example of an extremely effective trailer; I had zero interest in this movie when it was announced, despite Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises, Warrior) being cast in the main role. Fury Road is the fourth film in the Mad Max series all directed by George Miller just as this installment is. This film has the potential to be the Guardians of the Galaxy of 2015 for me, a fun, don't take it so seriously film. Go watch the trailer, it'll pump you up.
Release Date: May 15

7. The Hateful Eight - The biggest reason this film isn't higher on this list is because not much is known about it outside of it's basic plot, director and a few cast members. The eighth film by Quentin Tarantino stars Channing Tatum (22 Jump Street), Samuel L. Jackson (Django Unchained) and quite a few frequent collaborators of Tarantino. The plot seems similar to that of his last film, Django Unchained with it revolving around post-Civil War bounty hunters in Wyoming. If we had a trailer or anything else to go on, this would be higher up on the list, but we don't.
Release Date: November 13

6. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part II - Even though third books in trilogies being split into two movies are the bane of my existence, I can't deny that I'm incredibly excited for the conclusion of this series. While The Hunger Games series doesn't mean as much to me as the Harry Potter series, I am anxiously awaiting its end. Each film in the series has been better than the one before it and I'm sure once we get a trailer for the film I'll want to re-watch Mockingjay, Part I, if not the entire series.
Release Date: November 20

5. Spectre - Spectre is the 24th James Bond movie and fourth to with star Daniel Craig. What truly excites me about this installment is the villain being played by none other than Christoph Waltz (Inglorious Basterds, Horrible Bosses 2). Waltz has quickly become one of my favorite actors in Hollywood and is at the point where I'm up to see anything that he's in. Spectre is being directed by Sam Mendes, director of Skyfall; so like The Hateful Eight, we don't have a trailer for the film yet but all of the pieces are here for another great Bond film.
Release Date: November 6

4. Jurassic World - While many are skeptical about this movie, and maybe rightfully so, I am very excited for this movie. I loved dinosaurs as a kid and the Jurassic Park series is a definite favorite of mine and with the addition of Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy) in a starring role, this movie has the potential to be one of the best of 2015. Director Colin Trevorrow has only one feature length film to his credit (this being the 2012 romantic comedy, Safety Not Guaranteed) Jurassic World is near the top of my anticipated list but it also has a reasonably high possibility of being a disappointment; with only one trailer out, it's hard to tell how this movie truly will turn out.
Release Date: June 12

3. Inside Out - Our first Pixar film since 2013's Monster's University has the potential to be Toy Story or Finding Nemo good; don't believe me? Watch the trailer, preferably the teaser first and then the full trailer to get the best idea of the story. The film deals with the five emotions in our heads and how the interact with each other, similar to 2001's Osmosis Jones, a film who's title I never thought I'd say again. The film has a pretty impressive voice cast and is being done by a team who's previous credits include Monster's Inc., Finding Nemo and Up. The amount of faith I have in this film is outrageous and could possible steal my spot for favorite movie of 2015 by the end of next year.
Release Date: June 19

2. Avengers: Age of Ultron - The sequel to the record shattering The Avengers sets the stakes even higher with one of the more destructive trailers I've seen in a while; imagine almost a cross between the 2014 Godzilla and Iron Man 3 trailers. Ultron, voiced by James Spader (The Blacklist) has the possibility of being the next Loki in terms of a villain being adored by fans. Watch the trailer and tell me you don't get goosebumps, this will be a fantastic movie and a worthy sequel to one of the greatest superhero movies ever made.
Release Date: May 1

1. Star Wars, Episode VII: The Force Awakens - Raise your hand if you were surprised at this being at the top spot, no one? Didn't think so. If anyone tells you that this is the most anticipated movie of 2015, they're lying, everyone wants a new Star Wars movie, with or without George Lucas. J.J. Abrams taking over at director may be the best thing for the franchise after the mostly bad prequel trilogy. All that's known about the plot is that it takes place 30 years after Return of the Jedi and even with a short trailer, still no more than that is known. I'm hopeful for a full length trailer after Age of Ultron has been released as Disney wouldn't want to step on their own shoes because even if you get a Star Wars trailer in the previews during Age of Ultron, the world and internet will explode about the trailer and not the film. I could know literally nothing about this movie and it would still take my top spot and I will most likely be doing a full Star Wars marathon right before the movie comes out, partially to pump me up more for Episode VII and partially because I'll take any reason to watch six movies consecutively.
Release Date: December 18

FINAL THOUGHTS: These 10 films are the 10 films that all have the potential to be on my top 10 films of 2015 and I for my sake I hope they do. I also hope that there's a movie that I overlooked that I end up seeing that is a real surprise and knocks one of these 10 off. Since it's only January, not all of the films of 2015 have been announced yet, most Christmas Day and Oscar season movies don't get announced until later in the year and those are always films to consider once the year picks up steam.

So here's to 2015, hopefully we'll get great films, good ones and hopefully not too many stinkers, the latter is inevitable though.

The Top 10 Movies of 2014

2014 overall was a pretty solid year for film. When looked back on I think 2014 will be a year that people look at to see when the indie film industry struck back against the mainstream. Just look at the Best Picture nominations and you can see that the indie/art-house really hit hard this year. This is my top 10 list and admittedly there are some movies that I missed. Boyhood, Birdman, Selma and Whiplash were movies that earned high praise and that I wanted to see but unfortunately I was unable to see these films.

Before we get to the best of list, I wanted to a quick shout out, or in this case a dishonorable mention. What I mean by this is that I want to tell you my least favorite movie of 2014.

Annabelle. Seriously this movie is awful. It took everything about the original film (The Conjuring) that was good and threw it all out the window and made a by the numbers horror movie that wasn't scary in the least nor was it in interesting. For these reasons, Annabelle is my worst film of 2014.

...and now, the real list, my top 10 films of 2014, enjoy!

10. Unbroken – I reviewed this a few weeks back and I loved it. It’s a well-executed movie that is powerful and moving, all that being said, it’s not a movie you watch many times; it’s near 3 hours and incredibly draining just from the magnitude of the story. It’s well acted and looks gorgeous and I really think Angelina Jolie should’ve been nominated for Best Director.

9. Captain America: The Winter Soldier – 2014 was a hell of a year for Marvel movies and the Captain America sequel kicked it off. The movie straight up kicks ass and is my favorite phase 2 movies of the characters from The Avengers. This movie stepped up the intensity and the magnitude of the stand-alone Marvel movies and is all the better for it.

8. Fury – I didn’t get a chance to review this after I saw it but it was a great movie that was one of the most intense movies out there. Certain scenes in the tank were not only fun to watch but seriously raised my blood pressure. I would consider this to be the Saving Private Ryan of this decade, it’s gritty, gruesome and takes all of the romanticization out of war; plus Brad Pitt kicks ass.

7. As Above, So Below – The only horror movie to crack my top ten in one of the worst year for horror movies in recent memory. There really were only a few good horror movies this year and this was the best of the best. The movie is not only scary but it challenges your mind and goes in directions you wouldn’t think it ever would. It’s definitely a movie that makes you say/think “WTF” quite a few times and somehow, the ending does the whole movie justice.

6. Big Hero 6 – This was the last movie to make the list as it was the last movie I saw. While not a Marvel movie, it’s a Disney-made movie based off of a Marvel comic. This was not only the best family movie of the year it’s the best animated movie of the year (sorry The Lego Movie). This film has great animation and voice work but more importantly, it’s hysterical and has a lot of heart. This is a movie that I actually hope they make a sequel or two because as long as they keep the original cast and hopefully director, this could become a very good series; but as it sits now, it’s a fantastic stand-alone film.

5. 22 Jump Street – Speaking of sequels. Rarely does a sequel do its predecessor justice and even more rare does that happen with sequels. 22 Jump Street somehow manages to capture what was so great about the first movie and capitalizes on it and even surpasses the original. It’s the funniest movie of the year by far partially because it’s a very self-aware movie that knows what it is and doesn’t try to hide it at all.

4. X-Men: Days of Future Past - As said earlier, 2014 was a huge year for Marvel, X-Men, while not under the Marvel license a fantastic movie that attempted to combine the two timelines of X-Men movies we have through time travel while being able to erase the wretched third installment in the original trilogy, X-Men: The Last Stand. This movie was incredibly good and for a little while was able to hold down my pick for best movie of the year.

3. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - Good god is this movie good. I wasn't sure they'd be able to top Rise of the Planet of the Apes especially with the departure of star James Franco but I was proven wrong. This film focuses much more on the apes, especially the political relationship and struggle between Caesar and and Koba. The movie was a fantastic sequel that surpassed the original film and really excites you for the third and possibly final installment in the Planet of the Apes reboot.

2. Interstellar - This movie. This movie is near 3 hours and the entire time in the theater I was not only on the edge of my seat but I was so beyond interested in the film and where it was going, it was crazy. As a kid I always loved outer space and the universe so to see a movie take what we know about outer space and push through the limits of it was the perfect film for me, especially since it was directed by Christopher Nolan who, if his next movie is just as good as the rest of his resume, may start to creep into my favorite director conversation along with Scorsese and Tarantino. What's truly great about this movie is that in channels your inner child and wonder yet still seems to be grounded in reality which is an incredibly thin line to walk.

1. Guardians of the Galaxy - Like you thought it'd be anything else. This film marks Marvel's fourth appearance on this list which may seem like a lot but this truly was one of their best years in a long time. Guardians was their most ambitious film yet as they chose a comic that not many people read that lacked name recognition with most people. This is also incredibly different from any other Marvel film out there, it's hysterical and most importantly it doesn't take itself too seriously and that's part of what makes this movie great. Another part is that the film really distinguishes itself from every other Marvel movie and brings a freshness to the cinematic universe which is very welcome. If you know me personally, this being my favorite movie of the year should come as no surprise as I couldn't stop talking about it.