Movie Review: The Imitation Game

Rated PG-13

115 minutes

Directed by Morten Tyldum

*Just as a note, I saw this movie 2 months ago, so this review will be recalling things as best as possible, but it could be inaccurate, so... believe what you will.*

Movie Review: The Interview

Rated R

112 minutes

Directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg

Movie Review: Exodus

Rated PG-13

150 minutes

Directed by Ridley Scott

2014 Winter Schedule

Ok, so I haven't ditched this. I've just been extremely busy. As a student, they call this time final season, and thus I've been studying my ass off instead of writing reviews for everyone to enjoy. Once again, I'm sorry. I've also been spitballing some new ideas with myself, but that's coming down the pipeline in 2015. But, nevertheless, I'll be going to a lot of movies over my 3-week (!!!) break. Listed are the movies that will be playing near me from Dec. 20-Jan. 11 and that I'm interested in.

Movie Review: The Theory of Everything

Rated PG-13

122 minutes

Directed by James Marsh

Thoughts about Birdman

Rated R

119 minutes

Directed by Alejandro G. Inarritu

Note: I so desperately want to write a long review on this movie, but it seems like everything that was needing to be said about this movie was said. As such, I have a mix between a brief thoughts and a movie review on this one, which is kind of funny, given that it's a favorite of mine. This isn't to diss the review I have written, but merely a means to say a film can be great, but was dissected enough that you won't have enough to say. 

Brief Thoughts: Dumb and Dumber To

Rated PG-13

110 minutes

Directed by The Farrelly Brothers

Movie Review: Interstellar

Rated PG-13

169 minutes

Directed by Christopher Nolan

First off, let me get this out of the way; I did have problems with the sound mixing. There were plenty of scenes that were drowned out by bass, especially that one scene (the one with Murph and Cooper as Cooper's about to go away). I'm just like everyone else. My theater isn't different. I'm just a regular joe.

Movie Review: Whiplash

Rated R

106 minutes

Directed by Damien Chazelle

How far would you go to push people to their best?

Movie Review/Spoiler-Free Analysis: Nightcrawler

Rated R

117 minutes

Directed by Dan Gilroy

What is the line between perfectionism and insanity? You want to be the best, but what measures do you go to to be the best? Louis Bloom takes perfectionism to the next level. He puts everybody in danger in order to get the shot for his television news video business. This is because as the film goes on, he becomes more and more enamored with the money of it. Louis wants to make the money to buy the lottery ticket he references in his pitch to an employer in the beginning in the movie, but he doesn't care how he gets it. 

Watch: The First Selma Trailer

Movie Review: Gone Girl

Rated R

149 minutes

Directed by David Fincher

(Note: This has been swirling around my drafts for 3 weeks. I found out I didn't hit publish when I started work on my Fury review, which is coming in the next day or so. Fail. Anyways, I saw this lying around and figured: welp, better late than never.)

Movie Review: The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them

Rated R

122 minutes

Directed by Ned Benson

Wine is an alcoholic drink. It's not something you've got attached to your side at all times. It's not a sentient being able to engage in conversation. You can just drink it instead of holding it in your hand swooshing it until you get drunk while your husband never gets a second of (memorable) screen time with it or you. You don't get so attached to wine that it seems like the passionate marriage of the family instead of you and your husband. Got it, Huppert? 

Brief Thoughts: The Drop

Rated R

106 minutes

Directed by Michael R. Roskam

Tom Hardy is the man.

Movie Review: This is Where I Leave You

Rated R

103 minutes

Directed by Shawn Levy

When I saw this movie, there wasn't a Shawn Levy film I'd seen that I didn't like on the initial viewing. He's far from my favorite filmmaker, but all his movies have come out at the right time in my life. The Night at the Museum franchise came out at the right time for me, I was in the mood for Real Steel when I saw it, and the few minutes of The Internship I saw were so hilariously bad that I couldn't help but really like it for being that bad. However, This is Where I Leave You was a step out of his comfort zone, so I had no idea whether or not it was going to work for me, initially at least. I liked the trailers, but mainly because they used the right music at the right times. But, I'm pleased to report that the streak continues.

Watch: First Trailer for A Most Violent Year

Watch: New Trailer for Men, Women, and Children

September 2014 Oscar Predictions: Part 1

Best Picture (assuming there's 10):
1. Foxcatcher
2. Unbroken
3. Gone Girl
4. The Imitation Game
5. Birdman
6. The Theory of Everything
7. Boyhood
8. Fury
9. Interstellar
10. Whiplash

Others (not in order): A Most Violent Year, Inherent Vice, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, Selma, Big Eyes, Wild, Into the Woods, The Grand Budapest Hotel, American Sniper, Mr. Turner, Nightcrawler, Rosewater, Men, Women, & Children

Best Director:
1. Bennet Miller, Foxcatcher
2. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Birdman
3. Angelina Jolie, Unbroken
4. David Fincher, Gone Girl
5. Christopher Nolan, Interstellar

Others: J.C. Chandor (A Most Violent Year), David Ayer (Fury), Jason Reitman (Men, Women & Children), Richard Linklater (Boyhood), Ava DuVarney (Selma), Paul Thomas Anderson (Inherent Vice), Tim Burton (Big Eyes), Morten Tydlum (The Imitation Game), James Marsh (The Theory of Everything)

Best Actor: 
1. Michael Keaton, Birdman
2. Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
3. Ben Affleck, Gone Girl
4. Steve Carell, Foxcatcher
5. Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

Others: Oscar Isaac (A Most Violent Year), Adam Sandler (Men, Women & Children), Joaquin Phoenix (Inherent Vice), James McAvoy (The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby), Miles Teller (Whiplash), Matthew McConaughey (Interstellar), David Oyelowo (Selma), Ralph Fiennes (The Grand Budapest Hotel), Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler), Timothy Spall (Mr. Turner), Jack O'Connell (Unbroken), Bradley Cooper (American Sniper), Channing Tatum (Foxcatcher), Brad Pitt (Fury)

Best Actress:

1. Julianne Moore, Still Alice
2. Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
3. Reese Witherspoon, Wild
4. Jessica Chastain, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby
5. Amy Adams, Big Eyes

Others: Scarlett Johansson (Under the Skin), Hilary Swank (The Homesman), Shailene Woodley (The Fault in Our Stars), Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything), Meryl Streep (Into the Woods)

Best Supporting Actor:
1. J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
2. Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
3. Neil Patrick Harris, Gone Girl
4. Edward Norton, Birdman
5. Logan Lerman, Fury

Others: Tyler Perry (Gone Girl), Robert Duvall (The Judge), Cristoph Waltz (Big Eyes), Michael Pena (Fury), Josh Brolin (Inherent Vice)

Best Supporting Actress:
1. Jessica Chastain, A Most Violent Year
2. Emily Blunt, Into the Woods
3. Emma Stone, Birdman
4. Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
5. Patricia Arquette, Boyhood

Others: Anna Kendrick (Into the Woods), Vanessa Redgrave (Foxcatcher), Laura Dern (Wild), Carmen Ejogo (Selma), Carrie Coon (Gone Girl)

Best Adapted Screenplay:
1. Gone Girl

2. Unbroken

3. The Imitation Game

4. The Theory of Everything

5. Wild

Others:

Best Original Screenplay:

1. Foxcatcher

2. Boyhood

3. Birdman

4. Whiplash

5. Interstellar

Others:

Analysis: I'm thinking that Foxcatcher will wreck this race. I think that Channing Tatum is incredibly close to being in the top 5 in Lead Actor, and if he goes to supporting, he's a lock. Unbroken is a war film, so if it's good, it'll be close to the top. Gone Girl is a serious X-factor. Based on the book, I think they'll dig it a lot, but I could be wrong. The TIFF two (The Imitation Game and The Theory of Everything) received great reviews, but I don't know if they're substantial enough for a win in BP (I haven't seen either, so don't hold me on this). If Sony Pictures Classics spreads the love down to Whiplash as well as Foxcatcher, it'll probably do some damage. A Most Violent Year would ordinarily be high up, but a lack of a release date makes me nervous about banking on it too much outside of Jessica Chastain.

Are my predictions good? Are they bad? Let me know!

Other category predictions coming in 1-2 weeks.  

Movie Review: Magic in the Moonlight

Rated PG-13

100 minutes

Directed by Woody Allen

Over the summer, I've been BOMBARDED with the trailer with this film. It was in front of X-Men, Edge of Tomorrow, Chef, and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. I was already going to see it, with it being a Woody Allen film and all, but that trailer was maybe harmful to the film. Most trailers for me manage to show enough intriguing stuff without blowing the entire wad. Unfortunately, Sony Classics was too confident, and maybe made a trailer better than the actual movie.

Brief Thoughts: Guardians of the Galaxy

Rated PG-13

120 minutes

Directed by James Gunn

Movie Review: Boyhood

Rated R

165 minutes

Directed by Richard Linklater

Boyhood is a brave frontier in filmmaking. Filmed over 12 years, Linklater has every house, school, car, and, most importantly, actor for significant stretches of time. No extras are replaced, no reshoots are needed. Everything is just a progression through time and space itself. Everything had to be just right for this film to be pulled off, and everything was just right. Call it a fluke, extraordinarily good luck, psychic powers, or just plain unbelievable, but it happened. And man, was it lucky that it got made and that it managed to be this good.

Movie Review: Lucy

Rated R

90 minutes

Directed by Luc Besson

No personal connection with this one. Just looked cool and I wanted to see it. Nothing deep. Sorry.

Movie Review: Life Itself

Rated R

120 minutes

Directed by Steve James

I never really had much of a connection with Ebert, the reviewer or the man. I only entered Ebert & Roeper (a topic not covered in this film) after Ebert's surgery. I rarely read his reviews, as the written form of reviews, frankly, was boring to me at 10. And when I saw Ebert Presents At the Movies, I was mad that he got all the "big" movies to review (a comment that got my dad to complain about that on the show's page, which in turn, Ebert responded to him). 

But, I still had an immense amount of respect for him. I mean, dude was behind shows talking about movies, which was the coolest at 8. Also, when Ebert Presents showed clips of Siskel & Ebert, I enjoyed him and his personality. I was upset when he passed, but I didn't really know him. So this documentary was a chance for me to be enlightened about Ebert. And I have to say, it enlightened me quite a bit.

Movie Review: Chef

Rated PG-13
115 minutes
Directed by Jon Favreau

I used to be enamored with cooking. I watched a bunch of Food Network shows, I took a lot of cooking classes, and I really liked eating high-quality food. I still like eating great food, but the other stuff I just left behind as I got older. I still cook a lot for lunch, and I know what foods go together, but that's it. This didn't reignite any passion I had for cooking or anything like that, but it sure made me hungry, especially since I didn't eat beforehand.

Movie Review: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Rated PG-13

130 minutes

Directed by Matt Reeves

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a summer blockbuster. It's going to make buckets of money. It has action and a bit of humor. It's about 2 hours, as seems to be the case with all of these type of movies. It has the components of the average blockbuster, but it takes them and uses them smartly to elevate the material. It's because of this that DOTPOTA is a welcome addition to the better than average summer blockbuster club.

Brief Thoughts: Trans4mers

Brief Thoughts: Trans4mers

Rated PG-13

165 minutes

Directed by Michael Bay

"We don't need you anymore."

Movie Review: Edge of Tomorrow

Movie Review: Edge of Tomorrow

Rated PG-13

113 minutes

Directed by Doug Liman

It feels so good to be validated. I've been this films #1 champ since Comic-Con 2013, saying that this could be great, and despite naysayers along the way, I've stayed with this film through and through.  And I have to say, the thanks I get is a huge validation, a feeling I don't feel enough. This movie is great fun, with all sorts of great action sequences draping the halls.

Brief Thoughts: X-Men: Days of Future Past

Brief Thoughts: Days of Future Past

Rated PG-13

Directed by Bryan Singer

130 minutes

Movie Review: Godzilla

Movie review: Godzilla

Rated PG-13

123 minutes

Directed by Gareth Edwards

Go Go Godzilla!

Most Anticipated Films of the year (halfway through)

I've been meaning to do this ever since January, but I've been slacking/waiting for release dates/writing papers/arguing with my dad and/or sister/watching Hell's Kitchen/fulfilling promises. Now that most of that is over with (Hell's Kitchen ain't over yet), I'll list the most anticipated of the year by month, including this one, and list a various amount of runner-ups. Note that I may not even be able to see every film on there, because there are rules, and I'm too much of a sissy to try to sneak in to stuff, even when it would inspire conversation/boost traffic/broaden horizons. But I'll take what I can get/push for stuff, and be happy with it. Another note is that these are not the only films I want to see from each month. There are plenty I want to see in addition to the most anticipated and the others in contention. Now, without further adieu, here are my most anticipated.

Movie Review: Transcendence

Movie Review: Transcendence

Rated PG-13

120 minutes

Directed by Wally Pfister

You almost broke my heart, Wally.

Movie Review: The Winter Soldier

Movie Review: The Winter Soldier

Rated PG-13

136 minutes

Directed by The Russo Brothers

Marvel's been running on fumes lately, in my opinion. Iron Man 3 didn't improve on a rewatch, and Thor: The Dark World didn't impress me in theaters, though I guess it could be claimed I was going in ready to be disappointed. So, I was kind of expecting this film to fall in place with the other recent Marvel Movies, but was also excited for it because of the cast and the great reviews that kept pouring in. And it was a good Marvel movie.

Movie Review: Noah

Movie Review: Noah

Rated PG-13

138 minutes

Directed by Darren Aronofsky

Logan Lerman plays Ham. Ham comes from a pig. Pigs are animals. Some are eaten by Ray Winstone. So, Logan Lerman is obviously eaten by Ray Winstone. Try to get THAT image out of your head.

Movie Review: The Grand Budapest Hotel

Movie Review: The Grand Budapest Hotel

Rated R

100 minutes

Directed by Wes Anderson

Wes, Wes, Wes. You're on a little hot streak, aren't you?

Movie Review: Non-Stop

Movie Review: Non-Stop

Rated PG-13

110 minutes

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra

Non-Stop wasn't a movie I wanted to see for a long time. I thought it looked kind of bad from the trailers, and I was never completely sold on it. Then, on opening day, I found out it was a whodunnit type film. Now, I'm impartial to detective-type stories, so I basically turned around on this movie.I wanted to see it, and decided to be more open to it. I rewatched the trailer, and thought it might have good action. So I went in with the full 180 in effect, and was looking forward to it.

Winner Predictions: Oscars 2014

I have an outrageous pick. For my outrageous pick, I'll provide reasoning. Since I haven't seen all the nominees, I won't be saying who should win. I will provide should've been nominated for major categories, though.

Brief Thoughts: The LEGO Movie

Brief Thoughts: The LEGO Movie

(every once in a while, I see a film that doesn't have enough to say about. It has nothing to do with quality, just about whether I have enough words)

Rated PG

100 minutes

Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller

Movie Review: The Monuments Men

Movie Review: The Monuments Men

Rated PG-13

110 minutes

Directed by George Clooney

Before I get into the review, let me give you some context. As the year went on, this movie went from not being on my most anticipated list to being my most anticipated film of 2013 (this year, it's either Interstellar or Foxcatcher). So, of course I was devastated when it got pushed to 2014. I still remained hopeful, and I still was anticipating it. It should also be noted that I am not the biggest fan of art, but that doesn't matter, as I'm not the most enthusiastic about folk music, and Inside Llewyn Davis was #2, and nearly snatched #1, on my top 10. But then the negative reviews started pouring in, and I had to lower my expectations even more. I do have the capacity to be different (I (marginally) liked the pilot for Dads, after all), so I was hoping this was one of those cases. It wasn't.

Top 10 Films of 2013

All in all, 2013 was a pretty good year for film. I was able to expand my film tastes significantly, but that doesn't mean I'm not impartial to a blockbuster. I got excited for many a film this year, and more often than not, the movie delivered. I wasn't always impressed, but when I was, I truly was. There's so much I liked that it pained me to keep certain films off the list. I wanted to celebrate this year as much as possible, but ultimately, I have to keep it to the top 10. After the jump, you will find my top 10, alongside honorable mentions. This was quite a year. Let's hope 2014 can be just as good.

Movie Review: Her

Movie Review: Her

Rated R
120 minutes
Directed by Spike Jonze

Before I begin, I guess I should say that I had my top 10 list (coming tomorrow) pretty much figured out before seeing this. There were 1 or 2 slots that had kinks, but all in all, it was pretty well figured out. Now, since I've seen Her, which, by the way, makes for a very awkward experience with one or more members of family, I had much more of a difficult time. Spike Jonze ruined everything. Again. 

Final 2014 Oscar Nomination Predictions

I'm going to be quick, though not as quick as the Golden Globe winner predictions (I scored 7/14... yeesh) I will provide analysis for Best Picture only, because I have nothing to say about the other categories. I have safe bets, I have big risks, and all that good stuff. So when you're sitting on your couch at 5:30 PST in the morning, remember these. These are major categories only, because I'm too much of a wuss to predict below-the-line categories. Best Picture has 10 films, because I don't predict cut-off points. They're just the 10 most likely.

2014 Golden Globe Predictions

I'm going to keep this short, but I have here my predictions for the 2014 Golden Globes, excluding TV. There are big risks, there are small gambles, and that's about it. Now sit back, and see the predictions. If you don't, I'll eat your heart, like Butch did in The Lone Ranger (which is underrated). Exempt are what I think should win, as I have not seen all the nominees, and calling one better than the rest without seeing all of them would be unfair.

Movie Review: Desolation of Smaug

Movie Review: Desolation of Smaug

Rated PG-13

161 minutes

Directed by Peter Jackson

Before the review, let me give you my state of mind regarding the Middle Earth franchises. The LOTR trilogy was so epic. It explored character, it had great action, and they felt like events. They got me pumped for An Unexpected Journey. But when An Unexpected Journey came out, I was severely disappointed. It was over-drawn, and boring. Case in point, there was a montage with the dwarves and Bilbo walking. I was bummed, and not really looking forward to this one. But then, the trailer for Desolation of Smaug came out, and I got excited again. I saw An Unexpected Journey again, and while I still didn't like it, I found it to be far, far better. Knowing that Desolation was going to be much more action-packed, I was pumped. I was expecting a B-. And then I saw the movie...

Movie Review: Inside Llewyn Davis

Movie Review: Inside Llewyn Davis

Rated R

105 minutes

Directed by The Coen Brothers

Inside Llewyn Davis was a contender for the first R-rated film that I'd see in theaters. While it obviously was Nebraska, that doesn't make the tale of Llewyn Davis any less special to me. Folk songs tend to not work for me, so while I was greatly anticipating this film, I had somewhat lower expectations for this one than, say, Saving Mr. Banks or Nebraska. But for 105 minutes, Inside Llewyn Davis made me truly love folk music. I saw this on Monday. Since then, I've listened to the soundtrack 3 times now. That's how much of an impact this movie had on me.

Movie Review: Saving Mr. Banks

Movie Review: Saving Mr. Banks

Rated PG-13

126 minutes

Directed by John Lee Hancock

Flashbacks. They are so delicate. Do them correctly, and your film could be seen as a masterpiece. Do them poorly, and your film is terribly handled, jumping back and forth between flashbacks and current day. Of course, it's no secret that Saving Mr. Banks has flashbacks. The question is, did they make or break the movie?

New Series Midterms: Part 1

Note: CW shows are excluded. I didn't watch their pilots, because I didn't have enough time, and it's by far the lowest rated network of the big 5. 

Sunday Shows:

Betrayal

Did I like the show's Pilot? 

No.

Did I continue to watch?

No.