Here's a little something out of the norm. My favorite songs of 2014. Seeing as I'm a movie guy I can't really rank these from what I find as the best in any particular order. But I figured I'd share with you all my favorites songs of the past year. The only qualification it needs is that I must have downloaded in 2014. So here you go, in alphabetical order, my favorite songs of 2014.
Aloe Blacc - Wake Me Up (acoustic)
Big K.R.I.T. ft. Raphael Saadiq - Soul Food
Black Fire Pistol - Run Rabbit Run
Constantine & Ricky Gervais - I'm Number One
Epic Rap Battles of History - Steven Spielberg vs. Alfred Hithcock
Eric Church - Dark Side
Imagine Dragons - I Bet My Life
James Newton Howard & Jennifer Lawrence - The Hanging Tree
Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash - Don't You Think It's Come Our Time
With the year coming close to an end I want to check out at least two more movies before we enter 2015. With so many films to check out I decided to ask you guy: What movies should I see?
This list is of the movies that are showing at my go to theater, PLEASE CHOOSE AT LEAST THREE MOVIES. Even if you haven't seen it, what movies would you want me to check out and give an opinion about. Leave your picks in the comment section or at my Facebook page or at Twitter @DocJohn90.
Thank you for your input.
Here's the list: Annie D: Will Gluck W: Will Gluck, Aline Brosh McKenna S: Jamie Foxx, Quvenzhane Wallis, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, Cameron Diaz
Big Eyes D: Tim Burton W: Scott Alexander, Larry Karaszewski S: Amy Adams, Christoph Waltz, Danny Huston, Joe Polito, Kysten Ritter, Jason Schwartzman, Terrence Stamp
Exodus: Gods and Kings D: Ridley Scott W: Jeffrey Caine, Adam Cooper, Bill Collage, Steven Zaillian S: Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, John Turturro, Aaron Paul, Ben Mendelsohn, Sigourney Weaver, Ben Kingsley
The Gambler D: Rupert Wyatt W: William Monahan S: Mark Wahlberg, John Goodman, Brie Larson, Michael K. Williams, Jessica Lange, Anthony Kelley
Into the Woods D: Rob Marshall W: James Lapine S: Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine, Tracey Ullman, Christine Baranski, Johnny Depp
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb D: Shawn Levy W: David Guion, Michael Handelman S: Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Dan Stevens, Ben Kingsley
Penguins Of Madagascar
D: Eric Darnell, Simon J. Smith
W: John Aboud, Michael Colton, Brandon Sawyer
S: Tom McGrath, Chris Miller, Conrad Vernon, Christopher Knights, Benedict Cumberbatch, John Malkovich
Top Five D: Chris Rock W: Chris Rock S: Chris Rock, Rosario Dawson
Unbroken D: Angelina Jolie W: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, Richard LaGravenese, William Nicholson S: Jack O'Connell, Domhall Gleeson, Miyavi, Garrett Hedlund, Finn Wittrock
Wild D: Jean-Marc Vallee W: Nick Hornby S: Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Thomas Sadoski, Gaby Hoffmann
Thank you for your input. Like the blog on Facebook. And follow the blog on Twitter @DocJohn90
I'm sure some of you have already heard about the Seth Rogen and James Franco movie The Interview (2014, dir. Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen) being pulled from theaters due to threats made by a group of hackers.
Now I've usually tried to avoid political stuff from my blogs but seeing as how this is dealing with movies, and I've been asked about my thoughts on the incident by a friend of mine, I thought I'd say a few words.
I didn't really have much interest in seeing The Interview, not because of its politics or anything but because it just didn't look that funny to me. But when I heard it got pulled from theaters I thought it was a bit much. But when ever something like this comes up I try to look at every angle.
Grant it I'm still not sure about all the ends in and outs on this whole thing, I'm sure there's finer details I'm missing but here's my thoughts on it as of right now.
On one hard, I oppose it being pulling it from theaters. I mean, we've released movies, shorts, and television shows that have been nothing but making a mockery of a foreign and domestic leaders. Charlie Chaplin made a complete mockery of Adolf Hitler in his film The Great Dictator (1940, dir. Charlie Chaplin). The Three Stooges even took their jabs at the Axis party in countless shorts. Even in recent years, countless TV shows have thoroughly destroyed America's leader, it would take forever to count all the shows and movies that made fun of George W. Bush. The biggest examples in recent years of extreme political satire comes from Trey Parker and Matt Stone who have had a ball with their show South Park and their movies South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut (1999, dir. Trey Parker) and Team America: World Police (2004, dir. Trey Parker), the latter of which take no prisoners in its satire and featured satirizing of North Korea's Kim Jong Il. So why was The Interview pulled and not these movies? I'm sure these movies got a handful of threats but they still premiered. Hell, after You Natzy Spy! (1940, dir. Jules White) The Three Stooges were pretty much put on Hitler's death list after that. Maybe Kim Jong Un doesn't have a sense of humor.
But the threats were made after Sony Studios were hacked and many of their classified info was leaked to thousands, and these people were making threats about bombing theaters releasing the movies and given how hackers are becoming more of a threat considering how we have 'Hacktivists' who have come through with their threats. This day and age we do have to take into consideration the idea that threats made online can come to flourish.
So, to summarize its a really complicated issue. One the one hand I do believe they should have released the film, but at the same time we can't take threats lightly this day and age. So this is a mixed bag for me, but then again I may not be the proper person to talk about this.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies D: Peter Jackson W: Philippa Boyens, Guillermo del Toro, Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh S: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellan, Richard Armitage, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ken Stott, James Nesbitt, Cate Blanchett, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Orlando Bloom
It is now the end of an era. Academy Award winning director Peter Jackson has released his final entree in his Lord of the Rings franchise with The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies. I obviously saw it and... it isn't as grand to me.
Before I go any further I should probably let you people know what my thoughts are on the other films. Now the The Lord of the Rings films I at first didn't care for that much but I've grown to really like and appreciate them. It could be that at the time when they came out I was in my pre-teens and I didn't want to like anything popular or "main stream" or whatever pretentious mood I was in. But now that I'm older I definitely like them, probably not as much as everyone else but I do like them. Though I do still have problems with them, mainly that Frodo (Elijah Wood) just seemed too helpless at some points. And a bunch of other things but that's a whole other dicussion. I do like these films, just not as much as other people.
But what about The Hobbit films? Well, they're frustrating. While I do enjoy them in their own way there are a lot of elements that just bother me from a story telling and film making angle. I know what I'm about to say is something a lot of people have said but it does bare repeating in my book, this story should not have been three movies.
A good chunk of the stuff that was added to these films just seems completely unnecessary, and these things kind of reach their peak of pointlessness in this film. The two things that just come off as completely unneeded are the subplots involving the orcs, mainly Azog (Manu Bennett), and the love triangle with Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly), Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Kili (Aidan Turner).
Let me just get this off my chest right now, this movie has WAY too much CGI. I mean, way, way, way, WAY too much. It gets to the point where it looks like a video game instead of a movie. This isn't me being anti-CGI because I'm not, I'm fully aware that there are things that have to be done with computer graphics but Jackson just goes overboard with it. The one thing you can say about the original trilogy is that while there was a good amount of CG work there were a lot of practical effects and makeup being used. You got the sense that there was something there. But in this case there's just so much that I don't feel a real sense of being there. All the villains are CG which takes their threat levels down a whole lot. But the worst case of over done CG is with the dwarf character Dain portrayed by one of my favorite comedians of all time, Billy Connelly.
Now when I first heard about Connelly being in this film I got excited. I was like, 'Oh man! The loud and bombastic Billy Connelly is going to be playing a dwarf character called Dain Ironfoot! This is going to be awesome!" But then I saw that he was all CGI. I'm not talking about scenes where he's riding his war pig or something (yeah, he rides a giant boar) but I mean, everything with him, which is just so bizarre to me. Now grant it, Connelly isn't as spry as he used to be and last I checked he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. But even still they couldn't have him stand in for a scene where's he's just talking to people? They couldn't have him stand in and talk to Thorin, his bloody cousin?! Well, at least we get to hear him tell the Elves to, "Sod off" that was awesome. Shame we didn't get to hear him play the banjo.
Okay so I've ranted about the effects and such but what about the actual story. Well its just a mess to me. There's no real sense of pacing to me. It all seems rather rushed with some big editing problems. Also a lot of the additional story elements just don't have a big impact. For me the whole thing with Thorin and Azog just didn't have anything really powerful, also (SPOILER) having Thorin die due to wounds he got from Azog just didn't do it for me. I really wish it happened during the titular Battle of the Five Armies. The battle just seems like an after thought. Which seems like a hard thing to do considering how we have a character, Beorn (Mikael Persbrandt), who turns into a giant bear and fights off the villains. Why would you not show that?!
Then there's the Two Elves, One Dwarf love story. I understand why it was added, it was meant to add a little more character to the story with the other dwarves who don't really have a story in the original book. But instead of adding something it comes off as a cliched and really, really cheesy. How cheesy? Well one of the lines from Legolas after being told to report to his father, Thranduil (Lee Pace) the Elevenking, he says, "He can control me... but he can't control my heart." I am not joking. That line was spoken. That is George Lucas prequel films love scene level corny.
Again, I'm sure everyone else has said this but Tauriel and Legolas are pointless. I give Jackson credit for trying to add more female characters to this story, but she just gets boiled down to love interest girl who just happens to be a bad ass because she fights, even though she still needs to be rescued. Yeah she really didn't add anything, Lilly did a good job acting, but the character just wasn't that great.
Speaking of the Elves, my biggest problems with the Elves themselves is that they're just too invisible, mainly with Legolas. The fight scenes with him just get ridiculous and, again, just comes off as a video game boss battle. There was no tension.
Okay, I've done nothing but complain throughout this whole article but there are good things. It is nice that they had an arc with Thorin and his dragon sickness, and I've probably said this before but I like how the dwarves are given unique personas, though I think Thorin was done a bit better in the Rankin/Bass version (Spoilers). But still what Jackson did was more than what Tolkien did in the book. My favorites of the bunch are Ken Stott as Balin and James Nesbitt as Bofur. It could be the hat for the latter and it could be that Scott sort of reminds me of Jon Pertwee, I don't know I just like these two. Though I do wish Bilbo gave them more of a personal goodbye to them, espcially to Bofur. Mainly because of this scene. Even if it came down to a Dorothy-Scarecrow 'I think I'll miss you most of all' kind of thing. But anyway they're still cool, and that hat is still cool.
And the performances from Ian McKellan and Martin Freeman are good. But my favorite moments are with Luke Evans as Bard. I really dug this guy and I felt for him. I especially love the intro scene with him confronting Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch). That scene was probably the best of the whole film.
So in the end, these films have been frustrating. They have been kind of like the Star Wars prequels. While there are good elements they just fall short of what the originals were. But I'm sure if you're already a big big fan of these movies, then you'll dig it. As for me, while I certainly have my problems with the films, I can't say I'd be oppose to seeing them again.
What did you guys think? Leave your thoughts in the comment section.
This is a new series of articles I'm doing where I pick a relatively small moment from a movie that I think has a great meaning in the movie, at least to me. The moment in question could be a little thing the actor did, a lighting decision, something in the background, anything. This could be a moment that speaks volumes about a character, the story, the themes, anything like that. With that said, since it's still the Christmas season, and this was the film with the moment that inspired this article series, Arthur Christmas (2011, dir. Sarah Smith).
As some of you know I've already done a review of this film, which you can read here, and I'm sure some of you are wanting me to cover a different Christmas film, but I noticed something about the film when I made this picture the cover photo for my personal Facebook page,
This scene takes place in the office of the eponymous Arthur (James McAvoy). Which is much more cramped and modest when compared to the main control room and sled that are occupied by Arthur's older brother Steve (Hugh Laurie) and his dad Santa (Jim Broadbent).
These large and high tech bases are obviously more modern and are of grander scale. But one difference I noticed about Arthur's office and the other offices is that pretty much everyone is working through their computers, while Arthur isn't. Obviously Arthur has a computer on his desk and given that his job is writing return letters to children who wrote to Santa you'd think he'd use it to make his job I tiny bit easier, but instead he decides to hand write each letter.
To me this can represent the characters of Arthur and Steve very well. While Steve does the deliveries in a quick and time efficient way it's all rather impersonal. While Arthur is taking his time and hand writing each letter to the child, knowing that it would mean the world to hear back from them, and making it a hand written letter can mean so much more than just printing out a form and just filling in the blanks. Which is something that Steve pretty much does later one when he decides to deliver the missed child their gift, though it turns out to be the wrong child.
He doesn't even notice it's the wrong child until after he's done reading his dull and impersonal statement letter.
In the end, even though Arthur is clumsy and makes mistakes, we see how he is clear fit for the position of Santa because he wants to take the time and make it special to each child. While Steve, who is technically more competent and organized, is just a guy who does stuff by the books and thinks about the numbers and not who those numbers are.
It's stuff like this that really do add a lot to a film.
What do you guys think of this series? Want to see more of this?
If so let me know in the comments and feel free to mention movies that have great little moments like this.
It;s awards season, everybody! Yep, The Academy Awards are just around the corner and I don't know about the rest of you but The Oscars are my Superbowl. I don't know what it is but I get so excited around this time. I have my own little bracket system and everything.
This post is the first of three Oscar prediction rounds. This first one is basic and not set in stone, anything can change. The second round will be released on January 14, the day before the Oscar nominees are announced. The final round will be released on February 22, the day of the Oscars.
Now these aren't exactly my opinions on what I think should win. But I've realized that when making these predictions you bet on what you THINK will win, and not what you WANT to win. And this is just based on my own little rating system. What's getting buzz, what's won, critic reception and so on.
In previous years I've only made bets on Picture, Director, Acting, Writing, Music, and Cinematography. But this year I'm making predictions on all the categories. Except for the short film categories. Mainly because I don't have much to base my prediction on.
That being said here is my first round of predictions
Picture:
1. Selma
2. Boyhood
3. The Grand Budapest Hotel
4. Whiplash
5. Birdman
6. The Imitation Game
7. The Theory of Everything
8. Love is Strange
9. Nightcrawler
If there's a 10th nomination: Gone Girl
Director:
1. Richard Linklater - Boyhood
2. Ava DuVernay - Selma
3. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu - Birdman
4. Wes Anderson - The Grand Budapest Hotel
5. David Fincher - Gone Girl
Actor:
1. Michael Keaton - Birdman
2. Jake Gyllenhaal - Nightcrawler
3. David Oyelowo - Selma
4. Benedict Cumberbatch - The Imitation Game
5. Eddie Redmayne - The Theory of Everything
Actress:
1. Rosamund Pike - Gone Girl
2. Julianne Moore - Still Alice
3. Reese Witherspoon - Wild
4. Felicity Jones - The Theory of Everything
5. Marion Cotillard - Two Days, One Night
Supporting Actor:
1. Edward Norton - Birdman
2. Ethan Hawke - Boyhood
3. J.K. Simmons - Whiplash
4. Mark Ruffalo - Foxcatcher
5. Robert Duvall - The Judge
Supporting Actress:
1. Patricia Arquette - Boyhood
2. Emma Stone - Birdman
3. Jessica Chastain - A Most Violent Year
4. Keira Knightley - The Imitation Game
5. Tilda Swinton - Snowpiercer
Original Screenplay:
1. Boyhood
2. The Grand Budapest Hotel
3. Nightcrawler
4. Birdman
5. Selma
Adapted Screenplay:
1. Gone Girl
2. The Imitation Girl
3. Inherent Vice
4. Wild
5. The Theory of Everything
Animated Film:
1. The Lego Movie
2. How to Train Your Dragon 2
3. Big Hero 6
4. The Boxtrolls
5. The Book of Life
Production Design/Art Direction:
1. Birdman
2. The Grand Budapest Hotel
3. Snowpiercer
4. The Imitation Game
5. Fury
Cinematography:
1. Birdman
2. Mr. Turner
3. The Grand Budapest Hotel
4. Interstellar
5. Selma
Costume Design:
1. Mr. Turner
2. The Grand Budapest Hotel
3. Maleficent
4. Into the Woods
5. Belle
Film Editing:
1. Boyhood
2. Birdman
3. Whiplash
4. Gone Girl
5. Nightcrawler
Makeup & Hairstyling:
1. Guardians of the Galaxy
2. Foxcatcher
3. Maleficent
Sound Mixing:
1. Snowpiercer
2. Whiplash
3. Gone Girl
4. Noah
5. Transformers: Age of Extinction
Sound Editing:
1. Snowpiercer
2. Whiplash
3. Gone Girl
4. Noah
5. Transformers: Age of Extinction
Visual Effects:
1. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
2. Guardians of the Galaxy
3. Interstellar
4. Snowpiercer
5. Edge of Tomorrow
Original Score:
1. The Imitation Game
2. Gone Girl
3. Interstellar
4. The Theory of Everything
5. Fury
Original Song:
1. Selma - "Glory"
2. The Lego Movie - "Everything is Awesome"
3. Big Eyes - "Big Eyes"
4. The Hunger Games: Mockinjay - Part 1 - "Yellow Flicker Beat"
5. Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me - "I'm Not Gonna Miss You"
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