Best Picture - 2009

Kicking off this Best Picture showcase with the nominees from 2009.  This was the first time since 1943 that the Academy nominated ten movies for Best Picture, rather than the usual five.  It was said at the time that the rule was changed to generate more interest in the awards ceremony itself, although there is plenty of speculation that the rule was changed because there was a lot of controversy and outcry regarding both 'The Dark Knight' and 'WALL-E' not getting nominated for Best Picture.  Whatever the case may be, doubling the field definitely brought in some surprise nominees.


Anyway, here are the Best Picture nominees from the 82nd Academy Awards in alphabetical order.  I'll post the plot, a brief review, if they won anything and what all they were nominated for.

 

'Avatar' (PG-13)
James Cameron's first feature film since 'Titanic' centers around Jake (Sam Worthington), a paraplegic Marine who is dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.  With Sigourney Weaver as a scientist, Giovanni Ribisi as a businessman wanting to get ahold of Pandora's supply of "unobtainium" and Zoe Saldana as one of the native Na'vi and Jake's love interest.

This small, independent movie went on to became the highest grossing movie of all time, with $2.7 billion worldwide and $760 million domestically, largely thanks to higher priced 3D tickets and IMAX 3D tickets.  For better and for worse, this ignited the current cash grabbing 3D craze that makes sure that most movies coming out of Hollywood are in 3D.

So what were my thoughts as I exited from the packed theater with my 3D glasses that cold day in December?  I remembered liking it at first but I wasn't enthralled with it.  The 3D was all right but the special effects were very good.  As far as the story itself, well we've seen it all before.  The acting and dialogue both range from mediocre to rather poor.  As time went on and it started getting more and more accolades I started believing that 'Avatar' was massively overrated.  I was thrilled when it lost Best Picture.  I do want to watch it again sometime to see if my views on it have changed since.  Or I could just wait until 2016 to revisit these characters and Pandora when 'Avatar 2' is released.     

OSCARS WON:  Best Art Direction, *Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects
ALSO NOMINATED FOR:  Best Picture, Best Director - James Cameron, Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Film Editing

*How do you win cinematography for something that's shot in front of a green screen and uses computers to make the scenery?

 'The Blind Side' (PG-13)
This nomination came way out of left field.  The first sports-related drama nominated for Best Picture since 2004's boxing tale 'Million Dollar Baby', 'The Blind Side' follows the story of Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who became an All American football player and first round NFL draft pick with the help of a caring woman (Sandra Bullock) and her family (including Tim McGraw, Lily Collins and Jae Head).

I'll be honest.  I only went to see this because it was nominated for Best Picture.  When it was originally released I didn't see it because I didn't think it looked all that good.  It got mixed reviews yet the commercials for it at the time were talking about how Bullock's role has Oscar potential and I just rolled my eyes.  But low and behold, her role did end up getting nominated for many awards, and shortly after this was nominated for Best Picture it was released into theaters.

The only thing I liked in this movie was Kathy Bates as Michael Oher's tutor.  Other than her performance, I did not like this movie.  It felt like some preachy, predictable drama that I could find on ABC Family and Lifetime.  None of the football scenes really did anything for me either.  If I want to watch a football movie that has dramatic weight to it and isn't preachy with it's message, I'll stick with 'Remember The Titans'.  Heck, even 'Friday Night Lights' does it better.

I still don't believe that Bullock deserved the Oscar for this movie. 

OSCAR WON:  Best Actress - Sandra Bullock
ALSO NOMINATED FOR:  Best Picture

 'District 9' (R)
This also came out of left field.  The first mockumentary to be nominated for Best Picture, 'District 9' is about an extraterrestrial race that is forced to live in slum-like conditions in South Africa but suddenly finds a kindred spirit in a government agent (Sharlto Copley) who is exposed to their biotechnology.

It's different, very weird, very violent, disturbing at times with it's not-so-subtle Apartheid themes, and very foul mouthed for those easily offended by foul language.  But it's also a very good movie, realistic special effects and and a strong lead performance by Sharlto Copley, who has since gone on to be in 'The A-Team', 'Elysium', and the upcoming 'Maleficent'. 


OSCARS WON:  None
NOMINATED FOR:  Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay - Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, Best Film Editing, Best Visual Effects

 'An Education' (PG-13)
The first art house/independent movie that I saw in the theater, where I was probably the youngest in the theater by about 30 or so years.  'An Education' is a coming-of-age story about Jenny (Carey Mulligan) a teenage girl living in 1960s suburban London, and how her life changes with the arrival of David (Peter Sarsgaard), a charming playboy nearly twice her age.  Also features Alfred Molina as Jenny's dad, Emma Thompson as the headmistress at Jenny's school, and Dominic Cooper and Rosamind Pike as shady friends of David's. 

This is another movie that I really had no intention of seeing until it was nominated.  I remember reading good things about it, but I don't believe I ever saw a trailer for it.  It's been four years since I went to go see it so my memory is a bit hazy.  Heck, I just looked up the trailer for it on YouTube to kickstart my memory a little bit.  Anyway, from what I can remember I thought that this was a really good, well shot movie with a strong performance by Carey Mulligan.  She should've won the Oscar.  Not Bullock.

OSCARS WON:  None
NOMINATED FOR:  Best Picture, Best Actress - Carey Mulligan, Best Adapted Screenplay - Nick Hornby

'The Hurt Locker' (R)
During the Iraq War, a Sergeant (Jeremy Renner) recently assigned to an army bomb squad is put at at odds with his squad mates due to his maverick way of handling his work.

Caught this one on Redbox shortly before the Academy Awards ceremony.  It's....okay.  Sometimes it gets very suspenseful, like when Jeremy Renner decides to defuse a car bomb without wearing his bomb suit.  Other times, like when Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie are in a standoff with some Iraqi insurgents in the middle of the dessert, it gets boring. 

It's ironic that the highest grossing movie of all time was bested by the lowest grossing Best Picture nominee of all time.  Also ironic that Kathryn Bigelow, who became the first female to win Best Director, is also one of the many ex-wives of James Cameron.  Speaking of Kathryn Bigelow, I'll have another movie of hers to talk about for the 2012 nominees (one that I liked far better than 'Hurt Locker').  

OSCARS WON:  Best Picture, Best Director - Kathryn Bigelow, Best Original Screenplay - Mark Boal, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing
ALSO NOMINATED FOR:  Best Actor - Jeremy Renner, Best Original Score, Best Cinematography,

 'Inglourious Basterds' (R)
In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a plan to assassinate Nazi leaders by a group of Jewish U.S. soldiers (including Brad Pitt, Eli Roth, Til Schweiger, B.J. Novak) coincides with a theatre owner's (Melanie Laurant) vengeful plans for the same.

This was the first Quentin Tarantino movie that I had seen, and even after seeing most of his other movies (still haven't seen all of 'Death Proof') this one still remains my favorite.  I can watch this over and over again and never get tired of it.  From the acting to the camerawork to the musical score and everything in between, virtually everything about this movie is top notch.  The story is also a lot of fun as it presents a rather alternate version of events in World War II.

I'll have another Tarantino movie to talk about for the 2012 nominees.        

OSCAR WON:  Best Supporting Actor - Christoph Waltz
ALSO NOMINATED FOR:  Best Picture, Best Director - Quentin Tarantino, Best Original Screenplay - Quentin Tarantino, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing

 'Precious:  Based on the novel Push by Sapphire' (R)
In New York City's Harlem circa 1987, an overweight, abused, illiterate teen (Gabourey Sidibe) who is pregnant with her second child is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that her life can head in a new direction.  With comedian Mo'Nique as Precious' abusive mother, singer Lenny Kravitz as a nurse, and singer Mariah Carey as a social worker. 

This one I got from Redbox during Spring Break four years ago.  This isn't exactly a crowd pleaser.  It's disturbing.  It deals with child abuse and sexual assaults rather graphically, and goes on to other disturbing topics that I'm not going to write about here.  Sure the acting among the leads is pretty good and it can raise awareness that situations like the ones seen in the movie actually do happen but I don't know if I would actually go so far as to recommend the movie to others based on it's content.  I've watched it once, and that was enough.  Does it deserve it's acclaim?  Sure. 

OSCARS WON:  Best Supporting Actress - Mo'Nique, Best Adapted Screenplay - Geoffrey Fletcher
ALSO NOMINATED FOR:  Best Picture, Best Director - Lee Daniels, Best Actress - Gabourey Sidibe, Best Film Editing

 'A Serious Man' (R)
Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg), a Midwestern physics professor, watches his life unravel over multiple sudden incidents. Though seeking meaning and answers amidst his turmoils, he seems to keep sinking.

I just watched this last week.  It's time at Redbox had already came and went by the time the nominations were announced.  I've seen a few other Coen Bros. movies ('O Brother, Where Art Thou?', 'Burn After Reading', 'No Country For Old Men', and their 'True Grit' remake) so I figured "Why not?"

Oy vey.  This movie can be summed up as "Michael Stuhlbarg (from 'Hugo' and 'Men In Black 3') has the worst luck in the world".  His job security is in question, a student tries to bribe him, his wife wants a divorce and wants to marry his best friend, he doesn't connect with either of his kids, his brother (Richard Kind) mooches off of him, both of his neighbors bother him (albeit in vastly different ways).  You can definitely tell that this is a Coen Bros. movie with it's dry wit and quirky characters that don't really amount to much.  The stoned bar mitzvah scene is kinda amusing as is Stuhlbarg's reactions to some of the events, but that's pretty much all the movie has going for it.  And the ending to this movie is about as abrupt as the ending to 'No Country For Old Men'.

I'll have another Coen Brothers movie to talk about for the 2010 nominees.   

OSCARS WON:  None
NOMINATED FOR:  Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay - Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

 'Up' (PG)
The first animated movie to be nominated for Best Picture since 1991's 'Beauty and the Beast'.  By tying thousands of balloons to his home, 78-year-old Carl (voice of Ed Asner) sets out to fulfill his lifelong dream to see the wilds of South America. Russell (voice of Jordan Nagai), a wilderness explorer 70 years younger, inadvertently becomes a stowaway.

What can I say about 'Up' that hasn't been said already?  Honestly not a whole lot.  The first 10 minutes of 'Up' is not only the best part of this movie, it's also a lot better than most movies in general.  As a whole, it is in the upper echelon of Pixar movies.  Sad, funny, sweet, actually kinda action packed, it has a little bit of everything and has something for everyone.  


OSCARS WON:  Best Animated Feature, Best Original Score
ALSO NOMINATED FOR:  Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay - Tom McCarthy and Bob Peterson and Pete Doctor, Best Sound Editing

 'Up In The Air' (R)
With a job that has him traveling around the country firing people, Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) leads an empty life out of a suitcase, until his company does the unexpected: ground him.  With Anna Kendrick as Ryan's new coworker, Jason Bateman as Ryan's boss, Vera Farmiga as a businesswoman who Ryan constantly runs into on various flights, and Zach Galifianakis and Danny McBride in small cameo appearances.  

 Much like Jason Reitman's other movies ('Juno', 'Young Adult', 'Thank You For Smoking') this one also balances between being very funny but also being kinda sad and dramatic.  Clooney's performance is great, capturing someone who seems comfortable with living his life in airplanes, airport terminals, and hotels but at the same time he feels a sense of loneliness.  It's relatable to anyone who has ever fully realized and felt that they've been going through the motions of doing something without actually being fully invested.  It's also nice seeing Anna Kendrick in something that isn't related to 'Twilight' in any way, shape or form.   

OSCARS WON:  None
NOMINATED FOR:  Best Picture, Best Director - Jason Reitman, Best Actor - George Clooney, Best Supporting Actress - Vera Farmiga, Best Supporting Actress - Anna Kendrick, Best Adapted Screenplay - Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner

Updates for 2014

Meant to write this up shortly after the new year began.  But let's face it:  In the grand scheme of time, a little over three weeks into a new year is still shortly after it began.  Anyway, here is a list of things to expect from this blog in 2014.

• NEW FEATURES
  What?  Things would get get boring if I just kept doing the same things over and over again.
  1. Best Picture Showcase
     -Since my freshmen year at Ball State I told myself that I would try and watch every single Best Picture nominee from there on out.  Some movies I didn't really have any desire to watch, but since they were nominated for Best Picture I forked over my hard earned cash and watched them (i.e., 'The Blind Side', 'Winter's Bone', etc.).  So, starting with the 2009 nominees and working my way up to this year, I will look at the Best Picture nominees for that particular year.  I will basically do a mini review of them, what were they nominated for, what did they win, and if I've watched them since.  There is one from 2009's list I still have to watch and another from 2012's list that I also have to watch. 
  2. Franchises
     -Simply put, I'll talk about an entire movie franchise.  Mini reviews of each movie, a little bit about it, and any other random stuff I think about.  I had planned on starting off with the entire James Bond series but that might that a little while.  I'll start with with something a little bit smaller but I haven't decided what that will be yet.
  3. Favorite Movies
     -Simply put, I'll talk about my favorite movies.
     
     
     
      
• CONTINUING FEATURES
  
  1. Usual movie reviews
      -Yes I will still have the usual movie reviews.  I still need to write one for 'Philomena' and hopefully I'll go see 'Her' sometime soon.  Now, how often I will do reviews I'm not completely sure.  I saw 70 movies last year.  And that's just from movies that were in theaters last year.  A huge majority of those were trips to the theater by myself (some with friends and family), with quite a handful of Redbox rentals, some on Netflix, and one at a free event at Ball State.  I don't make any money off of this blog, so this is all coming from my own money.  It's an expensive hobby but it is one that I highly enjoy doing.  I currently do not have a job but I will have one fairly soon along with a few other opportunities to help out and also make some money.  So will I match 70 or even go beyond it?  I highly doubt that.  But we'll see. 
         
  2. "I Finally Watched..."
     -I've enjoyed doing this series.  'Gladiator' was really good, 'Titanic' honestly was great, 'It's A Wonderful Life' was...all right, and 'Santa Claus Conquers The Martians' is horrible BUT it has a certain charm to it that makes it very watchable.  It's good to watch older classics, recent so-called classics, random movies I've just missed altogether or just bad movies that I've avoided entirely.  This series will continue sometime soon with 'Beverly Hills Cop'.
  3. Awards Season
     -It's the middle of awards season.  I've already talked about the Golden Globes, the Razzie nominations and Oscar nominations.  The Razzies are March 1 with the Oscars happening the very next day.  I'll have picks up for both of those although the Razzies are a little bit harder to predict since they don't really take themselves all that seriously.  Also might do a random post about what the nominations would look like if I was the Academy.  
       
  4. Random stuff about me
     -These posts had a tendency to get a higher amount of views than most of my reviews.  So every now and then I'll write up something about myself.
       
  5. NFL/Sports in general
     -The Pro Bowl and the Super Bowl coming up, along with a season wrap-up that will briefly say something about every team.  Once all of that is said and done that will be it for sports talk apart from random asides, until the regular season starts up again.     
     
     
     
• UNDER CONSIDERATION
  
  1. Editorials
     -I wrote only one of these last year, about the Boston bombings.  I wasn't going to write anything about it but after getting a suggestion that I write something about it and collecting my thoughts I managed to come up with something.  If I do another editorial, it would be whenever inspiration strikes. 
  2. Twitter/Facebook
     -I might start a Twitter account for this blog and make a Facebook page as well.  Haven't fully decided yet.
     
     
     
     
     Also I still will gladly take suggestions and I love to hear feedback.  Leave a comment, send a tweet, anything.  I can't improve if I don't get any feedback.
     
     

NFL Playoff Pick 'Em - CHAMPIONSHIP

Well...the only positive from the Colts/Patriots game was that Tom Brady didn't throw a single touchdown.  Even though I picked the Panthers to win I'm still glad that they lost since I'm not really a fan of Cam Newton.  And how about that idiotic ending to the Saints/Seahawks game....


Anyway, Championship Sunday is finally upon us.  Only 3 meaningful games left in the season...technically 4 if you really want to count the Pro Bowl but nobody really takes that game seriously. 

Patriots @ BRONCOS
49ers @ SEAHAWKS

Last week:  2-2, 50%
Playoffs:  5-3, 62.5%
Regular Season:  154-102, 60.16%
Overall:  159-105, 60.22%

Oscar Nomination Reactions

Oscar nominations were announced this morning.  Without further ado, here are the nominations for the 86th Academy Awards, along with comments. 




BEST PICTURE
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Her
Nebraska
Philomena
12 Years A Slave
The Wolf of Wall Street

COMMENTS:  I guess I now have to go see 'Her' and watch 'Philomena' at some point.  Other than that this isn't all that surprising.  'Gravity', 'Nebraska', '12 Years A Slave' and 'The Wolf of Wall Street' are all great.  'Captain Phillips' was okay.  Both 'American Hustle' and 'Dallas Buyers Club' shouldn't be nominated.  Sorry, but I didn't like those. 





BEST ACTOR
Christian Bale, American Hustle
Bruce Dern, Nebraska
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street
Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years A Slave
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club

COMMENTS:  Looks like I wasn't nominated for my role as a college student who coincidentally starts a blog just after a break up.  I wrote a speech and everything.  Oh well.  In all seriousness  I've actually seen all of these.  Overall this isn't surprising.  McConaughey and DiCaprio may have won the Best Actor trophies at the Golden Globes, but I still feel that this one is all Ejiofor.  It would be awesome if Dern won, but that's not gonna happen.





BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
Bradley Cooper, American Hustle
Michael Fassbender, 12 Years A Slave
Jonah Hill, The Wolf of Wall Street
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

COMMENTS:  Also seen all of these nominees.  I guess the only surprising thing is the knowledge that the fat kid from 'Superbad' and the leader of the Wolf Pack from 'The Hangover' trilogy both now have two Oscar nominations under their belt (Hill previously nominated for Best Supporting Actor for 'Moneyball', Cooper previously nominated for Best Actor for 'Silver Linings Playbook'). 





BEST ACTRESS
Amy Adams, American Hustle
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock, Gravity
Judi Dench, Philomena
Meryl Streep, August:  Osage County

COMMENTS:  I've only seen two of these (Amy Adams and Sandra Bullock).  Meryl Streep could be filmed sitting in a lawn chair, chugging Bud Light and still be nominated for an Academy Award, extending her record of 18 nominations.  And Amy Adams is a great actress....I just didn't like 'American Hustle'. 





BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine
Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
Lupita Nyong'O, 12 Years A Slave
Julia Roberts, August:  Osage County
June Squibb, Nebraska

COMMENTS:  Same nominees from the Golden Globes.  I've seen three of these (Jennifer Lawrence, Lupita Nyong'o, June Squibb).  Jennifer Lawrence is a great actress...but miscast.  Honestly, if she wins I'll be upset. 





BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
The Croods
Despicable Me 2
Ernest & Celestine
Frozen
The Wind Rises

COMMENTS:  Pixar's not in the running this year.  Haven't heard much about 'Ernest & Celestine' or 'The Wind Rises'.  But this one is 'Frozen''s to lose.





BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
The Broken Circle Breakdown (Belgium)
The Great Beauty (Italy)
The Hunt (Denmark)
The Missing Picture (Cambodia)
Omar (Palestine)

COMMENTS: ...um...okay?





BEST DOCUMENTARY - FEATURE
The Act of Killing
Cutie and the Boxer
Dirty Wars
The Square
20 Feet From Stardom

COMMENTS:  I've seen none of these.  Nor have I really heard all that much about these.  Moving on...





BEST DOCUMENTARY - SHORT SUBJECT
CaveDigger
Facing Fear
Karama Has No Walls
The Lady In Number 6:  Music Saved My Life
Prison Terminal:  The Last Days of Private Jack Hall

COMMENTS:...moving on...





BEST SHORT FILM - LIVE ACTION
Aquel No Era Yo ("That Wasn't Me")
Avant Que De Tout Perde ("Just Before Losing Everything")
Helium
Pitaako Mun Kaikki Hoitaa? ("Do I Have To Take Care of Everything?")
The Voorman Problem

COMMENTS:...moving on...





BEST SHORT FILM - ANIMATED
Feral
Get A Horse!
Mr. Hublot
Possessions
Room on the Broom

COMMENTS: ...moving...wait, I've seen one these!  'Get A Horse!' played in front of 'Frozen'.  A mix of 2D and 3D animation using recordings of Walt Disney himself as the voice of Mickey Mouse.  It started off great...than got a little long....and the 3D kinda ruined it....but still nice to see it nominated.





BEST SOUND EDITING
All Is Lost
Captain Phillips
Gravity
The Hobbit:  The Desolation of Smaug
Lone Survivor

COMMENTS:  If you know the difference between Sound Editing and Sound Mixing then you're a better person than I'll ever be.





BEST SOUND MIXING
Captain Phillips
Gravity
The Hobbit:  The Desolation of Smaug
Inside Llewyn Davis
Lone Survivor

COMMENTS:  Yep....I got nothing.....





BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
American Hustle
Gravity
The Great Gatsby
Her
12 years A Slave

COMMENTS:  Old sport, it's good to see 'Gatsby' pop up in some of these technical awards. 





BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Grandmaster
Gravity
Inside Llewyn Davis
Nebraska
Prisoners

COMMENTS:  I completely forgot about 'The Grandmaster'.  I remember seeing a few commercials for it but that's about it.  Other than that I do agree with the other nominees.  I didn't care for 'Prisoners' all that much but one of the few good things about it was it's cinematography





BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING
Dallas Buyers Club
Jackass Presents:  Bad Grandpa
The Lone Ranger

COMMENTS:  'Bad Grandpa' was nominated.  That is awesome.  And unexpected. 





BEST COSTUME DESIGN
12 years A Slave
The Grandmaster
The Great Gatsby
The Hobbit:  The Desolation of Smaug
American Hustle

COMMENTS:  Solid list of nominees...all though 'The Grandmaster' kinda came out of nowhere...





BEST FILM EDITING
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
12 years A Slave

COMMENTS:  Solid list of nominees.  You know, except for 'Dallas Buyers Club' and 'American Hustle'.  





BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Gravity
The Hobbit:  The Desolation of Smaug
Iron Man 3
The Lone Ranger
Star Trek Into Darkness

COMMENTS:  This is actually a great list.  But at the same time this is 'Gravity''s to lose. 





BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Book Thief
Gravity
Her
Philomena
Saving Mr. Banks

COMMENTS:  Good to see 'Saving Mr. Banks' get nominated for something. 





BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"Alone Yet Not Alone" - Alone Yet Not Alone
"Happy" - Despicable Me 2
"Let It Go" - Frozen
"The Moon Song" - Her
"Ordinary Love" - Mandela:  Long Walk To Freedom

COMMENTS:  I've only heard 'Happy' and 'Let It Go'.





BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope, Philomena
Richard Linklater and Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, Before Midnight
Billy Ray, Captain Phillips
John Ridley, 12 Years A Slave
Terrence Winter, The Wolf of Wall Street

COMMENTS:  Solid list of nominees...I guess. 





BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Woody Allen, Blue Jasmine
Craig Borten and Melissa Wollack, Dallas Buyers Club
Spike Jonze, Her
Bob Nelson, Nebraska
Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell, American Hustle

COMMENTS:  Another solid list of nominees...except for 'Dallas Buyers Club'.





BEST DIRECTOR
Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity
Steve McQueen, 12 Years A Slave
Alexander Payne, Nebraska
David O. Russell, American Hustle
Martin Scorsese, The Wolf of Wall Street

COMMENTS:  Yet another solid list of nominees.




The Oscars, hosted by Ellen DeGeneres, will be held on March 2.  I'll have picks up by then. 

Razzie Nomination Reactions

A lot of awards honor Hollywood's best...but only one dives straight into the garbage that went to theaters in 2013.  That would be the Golden Raspberry Awards, aka "The Razzies", started in 1981 in a living room.  Most "winners" don't actually attend the ceremony, but some do attend and have a sense of humor about it.  For instance Halle Berry showed up to accept her Worst Actress award for 'Catwoman' (which truly is a bad movie) and brought along the Oscar that she won for 'Monsters Ball'.

Another thing:  The Razzies never ever take themselves all that seriously, and they'll do whatever they want.  Adam Sandler and Tyler Perry have been nominated for Worst Actress, and former President George W. Bush "won" Worst Actor for the anti-Bush Michael Moore movie 'Fahrenheit 9/11'.  Clearly that win was more as a joke than actually saying that he did give the worst performance in a movie.

Anyway, I'm rambling.  Here are the nominations and some comments for each.



WORST PICTURE
After Earth
Grown Ups 2
The Lone Ranger
A Madea Christmas
Movie 43

COMMENTS:  I actually liked 'Lone Ranger'.  Didn't really care all that much for 'Grown Ups 2' or 'Movie 43' but I didn't hate them.  I avoided 'After Earth' and 'A Madea Christmas'.   


WORST ACTOR
Johnny Depp, The Lone Ranger
Ashton Kutcher, Jobs
Adam Sandler, Grown Ups 2
Jaden Smith, After Earth
Sylvestor Stallone, Bullet To The Head & Escape Plan & Grudge Match

COMMENTS:  Johnny Depp wasn't THAT bad as Tonto.....



WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Chris Brown, Battle of the Year
Larry The Cable Guy, A Madea Christmas
Taylor Lautner, Grown Ups 2
Will Smith, After Earth
Nick Swardson, Grown Ups 2 & A Haunted House

COMMENTS:  I keep hearing that Larry The Cable Guy was the only good thing about 'A Madea Christmas'.



WORST ACTRESS
Halle Berry, The Call & Movie 43
Selena Gomez, Getaway
Lindsay Lohan, The Canyons
Tyler Perry, A Madea Christmas
Naomi Watts, Diana & Movie 43

COMMENTS:  Don't really have any comments on these.  Naomi Watts' skit in 'Movie 43' was actually kinda funny....extremely strange but still kinda funny. 


WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Salma Hayek, Grown Ups 2
Katherine Heigl, The Big Wedding
Kim Kardashian, Temptation:  Confessions of a Marriage Counselor
Lady Gaga, Machete Kills
Lindsay Lohan, inAPPropriate Comedy & Scary Movie 5

COMMENTS:  Lady Gaga wasn't THAT bad in 'Machete Kills'. 



WORST SCREEN COMBO
The entire cast of Grown Ups 2
The entire cast of Movie 43
Lindsay Lohan and Charlie Sheen, Scary Movie 5
Tyler Perry and either Larry The Cable Guy or that worn out wig and dress, A Madea Christmas
Jaden Smith and Will Smith on planet Nepotism, After Earth

COMMENTS:  Okay that 'Planet Nepotism' line was funny.  And yes, that is how it is written in the actual nominations.  




WORST REMAKE, PREQUEL, RIP-OFF OR SEQUEL
Grown Ups 2
The Hangover Part III
The Lone Ranger
Scary Movie 5
The Smurfs 2

COMMENTS:  I still defend 'Lone Ranger' as a good movie.   



WORST SCREENPLAY
After Earth
Grown Ups 2
The Lone Ranger
A Madea Christmas
Movie 43

COMMENTS:....um....okay? 



WORST DIRECTOR
Elizabeth Banks and Steven Brill and Steve Carr and Rusty Cundieff and James Duffy and Griffin Dunne and Peter Farrelly and Patrik Forsberg and Will Graham and James Gunn and Bob Odenkirk and Brett Ratner and Jonathan van Tulleken, all for Movie 43

Dennis Dugan, Grown Ups 2

Tyler Perry, A Madea Christmas & Temptation:  Confessions of a Marriage Counselor

M.  Night Shyamalan, After Earth

Gore Verbinski, The Lone Ranger


COMMENTS:  Yes, 13 people directed the various skits that comprised 'Movie 43'.  Other than that I've got nothing. 








The Razzies will be held March 1, the day before the Oscars.  Speaking of Oscars, those nominations are going to be announced tomorrow morning so I'll have something up about those sometime tomorrow. 

REVIEW - 'Nebraska'

'Nebraska' (R) ***1/2
I kick off 2014 with the latest big budget blockbuster from Alexander Payne, director of 'The Descendants', 'Sideways', 'About Schmidt', 'Election' and 'Citizen Ruth'.  'Nebraska' follows the story of Woody Grant (Bruce Dern) , an aging, booze-addled man who is determined to walk from his hometown of Billings, Montana to Lincoln, Nebraska to claim a million-dollar Mega Sweepstakes Marketing prize.  His wife Kate (June Squibb) and his older son Ross (Bob Odenkirk) believe that the whole thing is a sham and that Woody should be put in a home. His younger son David (Will Forte) also believes that it's all a sham but is more sympathetic and reluctantly agrees to take him to Nebraska.  Along the way they stop at various bars, Mount Rushmore, and Woody's childhood hometown of Hawthorne, Nebraska.  Once in Hawthorne they have to deal with various family members and old acquaintances of Woody's, and we get to learn a great deal about Woody's past and how he is the way he is now.

I liked this movie a lot.  It's a very relatable movie.  The acting in this is phenomenal.  Each of the actors creating characters that feel real.  You can see (or have already seen and personally know) these characters existing in real life.  Bruce Dern's Woody is an alcoholic who has served his country in Korea, is a bit reserved and appears distant to almost everybody he knows, appears to be in the early stages of dementia, doesn't say a whole lot, and is bold and stubborn to still try and do whatever he wants to do.   June Squibb's scene stealing Kate is self-centered, has no mental filter whatsoever, berates her husband and sons constantly but still cares for them, and sometimes just straight up insults people.  Some people might be put off by some of the things she says and does, and indeed sometimes it is a bit shocking, but it's not out of the realm of possibility that someone like her would say or do those things.  We've all seen people like Woody and Kate.  And who knew former 'Saturday Night Live' funnyman Will Forte could be so good in a more grounded, more dramatic role?

Along with the acting, every other aspect of this movie is also top notch.  It's beautifully shot in black and white, and honestly this movie would not have been as good if it was in color.  Not much I can say to support that other than that the small town settings and the various shots of the countryside look great in black and white and just adds a simple, homely feel to the movie that doesn't make it seem pretentious (unlike last year's 'Frances Ha').  The heavily violin-based score also is great and once again feels simple and homely.  It's mostly a drama, but when it shifts to comedy it's very funny and not out of place at all.      

The only other Alexander Payne-directed movie that I've seen was 'The Descendants', which was also very good and like this movie shifted from drama to comedy seamlessly when necessary.  Comparing the two I'd day 'Nebraska' is the better movie.  This is also Alexander Payne's first movie that he directed that he didn't actually write, having previously co-written each of his previous directorial efforts.  He also had a hand in writing 'Jurassic Park III' and 'I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry'.....

'Nebraska' is very funny, very well acted with realistic characters and dialogue, beautifully shot and starts off 2014 on a great note.  It's always nice to go see a smaller movie even though I'm usually the youngest in the audience by about 30 or so years.




TRAILERS
It's rare when I get ticked off about the amount of trailers before a movie.  But trailer after trailer after trailer after trailer after trailer after trailer after trailer kept showing and I just wanted the movie to start.  And I personally found it kinda funny that THESE trailers were in front of 'Nebraska'...a bit of a different audience than what will be seeing these movies....

'Ride Along' - NO.  To quote someone sitting in the back row, "That doesn't look like something I'll go see".  And indeed, I won't.  I don't find Kevin Hart to be funny at all. 

'I, Frankenstein' - This doesn't look all that good, but it could be fun.

'That Awkward Moment' - It looks kinda funny.

'Vampire Academy' - Saying that this looks bad is giving it WAY too much credit.

'Labor Day' - Kate Winslet and her son are more or less held captive in their own home by a runaway convict, and soon he bonds with the son and falls in love with her.  Looks a bit creepy.
 
'Devil's Due' - A found footage version of 'Rosemary's Baby'.  Yep.  I'll pass.  Speaking of found footage I still need to see the newest 'Paranormal Activity' movie...

'Jack Ryan:  Shadow Recruit" - I should be sick to death of this trailer by now.  Still looks like it could be all right.  

NFL Playoff Pick 'Em - DIVISIONAL ROUND

Well last weekend was a great weekend of football.  Hopefully this weekend is just as good or better.  And honestly each of these games could go either way. 


Saints @ SEAHAWKS
COLTS @ Patriots
49ers @ PANTHERS
Chargers @ BRONCOS


 

Last week:  3-1, 75%
Playoffs:  3-1, 75%
Regular Season:  154-102, 60.16%
Overall:  157-103, 60.38%

Golden Globe Predictions

Well awards season is in full swing.  Various guilds (such as the Screen Actor's Guild, Director's Guild, Producer's Guild, Writer's Guild, etc.) are announcing or have already announced their nominations and the Academy Award nominations will be announced next week.  I'll read about those various guild nominations but I won't be posting anything about them.  The Academy Award nominations I'll be posting a "reaction" to them just like I did for the Golden Globes.

But enough rambling.  Time to predict the Golden Globes.  Maybe I'm better at picking these than I am at NFL games...although If I remember right I didn't do very well in my Golden Globe picks from last year.  Oh well, on with the picks and some comments about each.  My picks are highlighted in red, except for one of them.  





BEST MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
12 Years A Slave
Captain Phillips
Gravity
Philomena
Rush

COMMENTS:  No change in what I've seen since my nomination reactions post.  I'm going with the heavily favored '12 Years A Slave' but 'Gravity' also has a legitimate shot at winning this.    

 

BEST MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY
American Hustle
Her
Inside Llewyn Davis
Nebraska
The Wolf of Wall Street

COMMENTS:  Since my "Reactions" post I was able to see 'American Hustle' (didn't really care for it all that much) and 'The Wolf of Wall Street' (liked it quite a bit).  'Her' and 'Inside Llewyn Davis' will be here this weekend.  'Nebraska' has been here for a few weeks but I havent had a chance to go see it.  Anyway, the hype is surrounding 'American Hustle' and while I didn't exactly care for it all that much there just hasn't been a whole lot of buzz about the other nominees.  If 'Hustle' doesn't win, maybe 'Wolf of Wall Street' or 'Inside Llewyn Davis' could sneak in. 



BEST ACTOR - DRAMA
Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years A Slave
Idris Elba, Mandela:  Long Walk To Freedom
Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
Robert Redford, All Is Lost

COMMENTS:  This is Ejiofor's to lose.  If someone he DOESN'T win, I see it going to McConaughey.  Redford has an extremely slight chance at an upset.




BEST ACTOR - MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Christian Bale, American Hustle
Bruce Dern, Nebraska
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street
Oscar Isaac, Inside Llewyn Davis
Joaquin Phoenix, Her

COMMENTS:  My initial gut instinct was to go with Christian Bale, but then I had another gut feeling about Bruce Dern.  He did win Best Actor at Cannes, and sometimes award shows like to honor seasoned actors that have been praised in the past, but haven't gotten a whole lot of awards recognition or simply haven't won yet (i.e. Christopher Plummer's awards sweep for his role in 'Beginners', Jeff Bridges for 'Crazy Heart').  However, if Dern doesn't win, honestly it's anybody's game.



BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
Daniel Bruhl, Rush
Bradley Cooper, American Hustle
Michael Fassbender, 12 Years A Slave
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

COMMENTS:  Fassbender VS. Leto.  Both transform into their roles and it honestly makes you forget that you're watching these actors:  you're watching these characters.  I'll give the edge to Leto.  If he doesn't win, Fassbender better win.  But who knows.  Maybe 'American Hustle' has a huge night and Cooper wins this.



BEST ACTRESS - DRAMA
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock, Gravity
Judi Dench, Philomena
Emma Thompson, Saving Mr. Banks
Kate Winslet, Labor Day

COMMENTS:  Since my reactions post I've now seen TWO of these performances (Bullock and Thompson).  I would love it if either of them won, but all the buzz has been about Blanchett.  Something about actresses in Woody Allen movies...they seem to garner A LOT of acclaim.  If Blanchett doesn't win, then I'd put money on Bullock or Thompson.



BEST ACTRESS - MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Amy Adams, American Hustle
Julie Delpy, Before Midnight
Greta Gerwig, Frances Ha
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Enough Said
Meryl Streep, August:  Osage County

COMMENTS:  It's Adams VS. Streep.  I'll stick with the buzz that 'American Hustle' is getting.  If Gerwig somehow wins I'll be upset.  



BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine
Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
Lupita Nyong'O, 12 Years A Slave
Julia Roberts, August:  Osage County
June Squibb, Nebraska

COMMENTS:  Lawrence has been getting a lot of buzz for what in my opinion is a miscast role.  Nyong'O's role is by far the more powerful and more emotional performance.  If Nyong'O doesn't win this, it's probably because 'American Hustle' had a huge night and J-Law gets her second Golden Globe.  



BEST ANIMATED FILM
The Croods
Despicable Me 2
Frozen

COMMENTS:  Usually with award shows, you can never go wrong with picking Pixar.  But considering that 'Monsters University' wasn't nominated, you go with the next option:  Disney.  If 'Frozen' doesn't win....I don't know.  Maybe 'Despicable Me 2'.

 


BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Blue Is The Warmest Color
The Great Beauty
The Hunt
The Past
The Wind Rises

COMMENTS:  Of course I wasn't going to highlight that in red.  It's been getting universal acclaim ever since it debuted at Cannes, so I'm sticking with it.  If 'Blue' doesn't win, maybe 'The Past' or 'The Hunt'.  Those alternate choices are shots in the dark.    

  

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"Atlas" - The Hunger Games:  Catching Fire
"Let It Go" - Frozen
"Ordinary Love" - Mandela:  Long Walk To Freedom
"Please Mr. Kennedy" - Inside Llewyn Davis
"Sweeter Than Fiction" - One Chance

COMMENTS:  Another safe bet for picking awards shows and original song categories:  Stick With Disney.  If 'Let It Go' doesn't win....um....maybe 'Please Mr. Kennedy' or "Ordinary Love".    



BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
All Is Lost
Mandela:  Long Walk To Freedom
Gravity
The Book Thief
12 Years A Slave

COMMENTS:  Well, why not 'Gravity'?  If it doesn't win then maybe 'All Is Lost' or '12 Years A Slave'.

 

BEST SCREENPLAY
Spike Jones, Her
Bob Nelson, Nebraska
Jeff Pope and Steve Coogan, Philomena
John Ridley, 12 Years A Slave
Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell, American Hustle

COMMENTS:  Once again I'll stick with the buzz that 'American Hustle' is getting.  Honestly if Singer and Russell don't win it's anybody's game, although the lone real long shots would be Pope and Coogan. 
 

BEST DIRECTOR
Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity
Paul Greengrass, Captain Phillips
Steve McQueen, 12 Years A Slave
Alexander Payne, Nebraska
David O. Russell, American Hustle

COMMENTS:  Usually Best Picture and Best Director go hand in hand.  If McQueen doesn't win this, then it's because 'American Hustle' is having a huge night and Russell wins.  Or perhaps 'Gravity' has a huge night and Cuaron wins.

REVIEW - 2013

2013 (No MPAA rating) ****
2013 was a year I began and ended with at my grandparents house.  I remember waking up January 1, 2013 to a few missed texts, one of which asked why I tweeted that 'Project X' was among one of the worst movies I saw in 2012.  Closing out 2013 I was standing in the TV room, holding a glass of champagne and trying to send various snap chats and texts. 

2013 saw the Baltimore Ravens win the Super Bowl, much to my dismay. 

2013 saw 'Argo' winning Best Picture, over the likes of 'Amour', 'Beasts of the Southern Wild', 'Django Unchained', 'Les Miserables', 'Life of Pi', 'Lincoln', 'Silver Linings Playbook' and 'Zero Dark Thirty'.  If you haven't seen 'Argo' it actually is a really good movie.  Heck, most of those other nominees were also really good. 

2013 had heartbreak like no other.  And that is all I will comment on that, other than that I received some really good advice during that time, I also received the worst advice that I have ever heard during that time as well.

2013 proved that yes, the Pope can retire.  This ushered in the election of a new Pope that was the first Pope ever from Argentina, the first ever from South America, the first ever from the Western Hemisphere and the first non-European in over a thousand years.  He has achieved worldwide acclaim for his humility and service to the poor. 

2013 proved that even ONE SECOND is still way too much time left on the clock for a college football game. 

2013 showed that former child stars will still try way too hard to prove that they aren't kids anymore.

2013 saw the bombings at the Boston Marathon and the subsequent lock down of Boston for the manhunt to find the two suspects.  Conspiracy theories and sensationalized headlines immediately sprung about, with the Ball State Daily News' headline of 'Boston Massacre' sticking out the most amongst those sensationalized headlines. 

2013 I finally started a blog, with inspiration from someone who probably would not want to be named.  I had wanted to start one for a while, but after discovering that this person had a blog of her own that helped me have to drive to start one.  I've written about myself, my summer job, movies, stuff from my classes, and wrote a piece about the Boston bombings.  I've had fun doing this and will continue to do this, and I enjoy hearing whenever someone else says that they enjoy reading my blog.

2013 saw that goat noises can be inserted into random hit songs to much hilarity.

2013 saw the Colts lose in the playoffs to eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens.  But that NFL season ended and a new one began in the fall, with the Colts once again winning the AFC South.  Just like the Manning years, the Colts have managed to win with a great QB, not much of a running game, and an inconsistent defense.  Looking forward to seeing what 2014 has in store for the Indianapolis Colts.  I was able to go watch a preseason game against the Bills, and it was how Colts preseason games usually ended up being:  a loss, with the other team looking GREAT.  The Bills kinda went in the polar opposite direction of that...

2013 saw egotistical celebrities name their child after a direction.  I feel shame just writing that.  It's giving attention to people that we shouldn't be giving attention to.  It's not the child's fault that it one day might be directionally challenged.  It would be like if I named my kid Silver, Tupper, Under, Glass, Hard, Soft, Dinner, Una (pronounced 'Uhna'), Be or simply A.

2013 was my favorite summer of working at Camp Chief Little Turtle.  Getting reacquainted with friends I hadn't heard from since the previous summer and becoming closer to some, to meeting new ones and also becoming close to some.  Not perfect by any means, but still a lot of fun and I'm very much looking forward to doing it again. 

2013 saw my niece turn 1 and my brother in the Army get deployed to Afghanistan.

2013 saw me to go places that I had never been to before.  Even though I had lived in Muncie during the school year I hadn't been to Amazing Joe's (pricey, but good), Scotty's Brewhouse (very pricey, but very good), The Locker Room (good drink specials and surprisingly good food for it being a bar)  or The Chug (cheap drink specials).  Piper's in Indianapolis was another restaurant I went to that I hadn't been to before (great brunch).  I hadn't been to Anderson University before this year. 

It was also a year where I went to places that I had been to before, but ventured further in them.  I had been to the mall in Anderson but I had never been to the movie theater inside of it.  I saw 'Safe Haven' and 'We're The Millers' at that theater.  I had also been to the Fashion Mall at Keystone in Indianapolis during FBLA state conferences, but I had never been to the arthouse, independent movie theatre inside of it.  I ended up driving there to see '12 Years A Slave', 'All Is Lost', and 'Blue Is The Warmest Color'.

2013 also had it's good byes.  Hollywood said good bye to James Gandolfini, Roger Ebert, Paul Walker, Peter O'Toole, Richard Griffiths, Jonathan Winters, Ray Harryhausen, Cory Monteith and James Avery, among others.  My family said good bye to our cat Only.  Yes, Only was his name.  


The music of 2013 came in like a wrecking ball.  It told me to light 'em up, be brave, get lucky, go berserk, cruise and live for the applause.  To go to the nearest thrift shop where I can find treasure, roar, play with cups and grab my suit and tie.  It welcomed me to the new age and was radioactive.  It told me that the lines were blurred and that I'll never be a royal.  2013 claimed that we can't stop, but others strongly disagreed.  2013 claimed to have the best song ever, which many people (including myself) also strongly disagreed with.  In the pantheon of great questions that songs have asked over the years, 2013 had the courage to ask "What Does The Fox Say?".  It also introduced the Harlem Shake.....whatever that is.  Seriously...someone just give me a reason as to why that's popular.  But the music of 2013 sometimes also made me think about the time when I was your man.  But it's important to not dwell too much in the past and look forward to what the new year will bring.  Whatever 2014 has to offer, I know that we'll be safe and sound.

2013 was a good year for movies.  I've written plenty about various movies in 2013 already, but in to sum it up it had it's fair share of great movies ('Saving Mr. Banks', 'Gravity' among them), good movies ('The Heat', 'The Croods' among them), and disappointing movies (including 'American Hustle' and 'Monsters University').

2013 I finally graduated from college.  It wasn't easy, but it wasn't too difficult.  It was a very interesting four and a half years.  It seemed like yesterday I was walking up the stairs moving into Hurst Hall.  Now I'm sitting on the couch at home, waiting on my degree to one day come in the mail as Ball State has their second snow day.  When I was there, we NEVER had snow days.  A few times we were 'delayed', but never closed for the entire day.  We did have two gun-related lockdowns while I was there.  And in both cases, no gun or gunman was found.  It does feel weird knowing that it's all over and that life goes on.  

2013 was an interesting year, full of ups and downs.  Despite the full **** rating, it wasn't perfect.  Heck, nothing in life is ever perfect.  You laugh.  You cry.  You get surprised.  You get disappointed.  You celebrate.  You learn.  You live.  You mourn.  You play.  You have a good time.  You have a bad time.  You do well on something.  You don't do well on something.  Wash, Rinse, Repeat until the day I die. 


TRAILERS

REAL JOB - This has been in development hell for awhile.  Still unsure of when this will actually happen, but it will happen at some point.      

CCLT - The fourth and possibly last installment in the yearly series working at Camp Chief Little Turtle in Pleasant Lake, IN.  Last year's installment was the most fun and it will be hard to top it, but we'll see how it goes.   

SUPER BOWL - Either the Broncos/Chargers/Colts/Patriots VS. Either the 49ers/Panthers/Saints/Seahawks, with Bruno Mars headlining the halftime show.  If it ends up being Patriots VS. Panthers I'll root for the commercials.   

THE OSCARS - It'll be way too long, but who knows maybe it'll be funny at least.

THANKSGIVING - There will be a lot of food.  And football.  And sleep.  A long day, but it should be fun.

CHRISTMAS - Food, presents, family and Christ's birth.  A long day, but also should be fun. 

NEW YEARS - Food, alcohol and watching the ball drop in Times Square.  A long night, but also should be fun.   

2014 Movie Preview - Top 10

The 10 movies that I'm really looking forward to in 2014.  These aren't in any kind of order.  Release dates are tentative and subject to change. 


THE MONUMENTS MEN (February 7)
This was supposed to be released in December but had to be pushed back to February to allow more time for post-production.  George Clooney (who also directs, co-writes and co-produces), Matt Damon, John Goodman, Bill Murray, Jean Dujardin ('The Artist', 'The Wolf of Wall Street') and Cate Blanchett in a movie about a group of artists and architects who try and steal back valuable works of art from the Nazis before they're destroyed.  I was disappointed when it was pushed back but with that aside this looks really good.   

GODZILLA (May 16)
Godzilla is the latest cinematic property to get the reboot treatment.  If the official trailer is any indication, this could be an awesome movie.  Or it could suck.

THE LEGO MOVIE (February 7)I knew about that they were making a Lego movie but then I completely forgot about it until I saw the trailer for this in front of 'Monsters University'.  The more trailers I see for this movie the more it looks like it'll be a lot of fun.  Especially in 3D.

A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST (May 30)
Seth MacFarlane directing/co-writing/co-producing/starring in a Western Comedy?  Sold.

22 JUMP STREET (June 13)
'21 Jump Street' was hilarious.  Comedy sequels don't always live up to the first movie, but hopefully this bucks that trend.

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 (June 13)
I loved the first "How To Train Your Dragon".  That pretty much sums up why I am looking forward to this sequel.

DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (July 11)
I loved "Rise of the Planet of the Apes", so hopefully this sequel lives up to it.  And if the teaser trailer is any indication, I won't be disappointed with this. 

THE HOBBIT:  THERE AND BACK AGAIN (December 17)
I was mixed about the first 'Hobbit' movie but I enjoyed the second movie so much that I'm really looking forward to this final chapter.  I still hold the belief that 'The Hobbit' didn't need to be three movies. 

INTERSTELLAR (November 7)
Not entirely sure what this movie is about, but it's the latest from Christopher Nolan.  Sold.

THE HUNGER GAMES:  MOCKINGJAY - PART 1 (November 21)
I got this book for Christmas.  'Mockingjay' is 390 pages....should NOT be split into two movies.  But with that aside being a fan of 'Hunger Games' I'm still really looking forward to this.



What are you looking forward to seeing this year?

NFL Playoff Pick 'Em - WILD CARD

"Playoffs?!?  Don't talk about--playoffs?!?  You kidding me?  Playoffs?  I just hope we can win a game" - Jim Mora

It's January, so you know what that means?  The NFL Playoffs are back!  Should be an interesting post season to say the least.  One of these picks I kept going back and forth on...hopefully it doesn't come back to haunt me...  

Chiefs @ COLTS
Chargers @ BENGALS
SAINTS @ Eagles
49ERS @ Packers


 

Last week:  13-3, 81.25%
Playoffs:  0-0, 0%
Regular Season:  154-102, 60.16%
Overall:  154-102, 60.16%

2013 Movies in Categories

Today I'm lumping every single movie I saw last year into some category.  I saw quite a few movies so this might take a while...



IT'S NOT BAD, JUST NOT MY THING
Safe Haven

MIXED BAGS
Insidious Chapter 2
Evil Dead
Man of Steel
Side Effects
Blackfish

PROOF THAT I'M NOT BITTER AND CYNICAL ABOUT BEING SINGLE
The Spectacular Now
Blue Is The Warmest Color
Silver Linings Playbook

PROOF THAT I AM BITTER AND CYNICAL ABOUT BEING SINGLE
To The Wonder

AWESOME!!!
Hansel & Gretel:  Witch Hunters

OH YEAH...I DID SEE THAT...
The Croods
Epic
The Host
Identity Thief
A Haunted House
Movie 43

FRANCHISES GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
Iron Man 3
Star Trek Into Darkness
Fast & Furious 6
The Wolverine
Jackass Presents Bad Grandpa
Despicable Me 2
The Hunger Games:  Catching Fire
Anchorman 2:  The Legend Continues
The Hobbit:  The Desolation of Smaug

FRANCHISES GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION
A Good Day To Die Hard
Scary Movie 5
The Hangover Part III
Monsters University
Kick Ass 2
Machete Kills
Thor:  The Dark World
Grown Ups 2

UM...IT'S OKAY
42
Oblivion
The Great Gatsby
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone
Captain Phillips
Olympus Has Fallen
Pacific Rim

BEST.  ENDING.  EVER!!
This Is The End

OVERRATED
Prisoners
World War Z
Dallas Buyers Club
American Hustle

BETTER THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE
Warm Bodies
Now You See Me
The Lone Ranger
The Heat
We're The Millers
Gravity
The Purge
Frozen
Saving Mr. Banks

PRETENTIOUS
Frances Ha

VERY CREEPY
Mama
The Conjuring

VISUALLY STUNNING, THE REST WAS 'EH'
Only God Forgives

THIS REALLY WASN'T 'THAT' BAD
Oz The Great and Powerful

STARTED OFF GREAT...THEN DETERIORATED
Elysium
Gangster Squad
The Kings of Summer

GOTTA LOVE BRITISH HUMOR!
The World's End
 
THE 20th CENTURY CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENTS IN A NUTSHELL
Lee Daniel's The Butler

RESONATING
12 Years A Slave

EXTREMELY QUIET WITH BARELY ANY DIALOGUE, BUT TENSE & NEVER BORING
All Is Lost

AHHNULD'S BACK!!
The Last Stand

LIVED THROUGH IT BUT STILL SUSPENSEFUL
Zero Dark Thirty

DEBAUCHERY
The Wolf of Wall Street




I think I saw way too many movies in 2013...might have to change that in 2014...2015 EVERYTHING is coming out so I'll be busy then if I'm still doing this.

NFL Week 17 Pick 'Em and Some Other Stuff

Last week of the regular season.  I had hoped to stay under 100 losses but barring divine intervention that's probably not going to happen.  Oh well.  It's been..........an interesting regular season, to say the least.  Many teams falling from grace, some other teams rising, other teams consistently inconsistent, and other teams just knocking down opponents left and right.

Browns @ STEELERS
Redskins @ GIANTS
Ravens @ BENGALS
Texans @ TITANS
Jaguars @ COLTS
Jets @ DOLPHINS
LIONS @ Vikings
PANTHERS @ Falcons
Buccaneers @ SAINTS
Bills @ PATRIOTS
Rams @ SEAHAWKS
PACKERS @ Bears
49ERS @ Cardinals
BRONCOS @ Raiders
CHIEFS @ Chargers
EAGLES @ Cowboys

Last week:  10-6, 60% 
Overall:  141-99, 58.58%

                                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2013 Surprises

Now that I've talked about my favorites of 2013 and disappointments of 2013, I'll talk about the movies that surprised me in 2013.

SURPRISES
'The Lone Ranger' - From the previews, it looked like it could go either way being really good or really bad.  I thought it was a fun movie so it was a pleasant surprise.  It was also surprising that after I had seen it I looked up the reviews and saw that most were scathing.  It also didn't do very well at the box office.  Oh well. Movies are subjective after all.

'The Heat' - The only movie I saw twice in theaters this year, both times with coworkers from my summer job.  I was surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did (apart from the opening credits) and I was laughing throughout most of the movie.

'Despicable Me 2' - Apart from the minions, I only thought that the first one was mediocre.  Not only did I love this sequel but it was also my number 5 movie of 2013. 

'Gravity' - I talked about this in length in my best of 2013 blog post so I won't repeat myself too much here.  Simply put, I didn't think it looked that good.  Heard a lot of great things, went and saw it, and it was amazing and my number 2 movie of 2013.

'Blue Is The Warmest Color' - Let's just say I usually don't go see movies like this.  And this was another one where I heard great things about it so I decided to go see it (As a double feature with 'All Is Lost') and thought it was really good and on my honorable mentions list. 

'Frozen' - I wasn't too impressed with the trailers, but once again I heard and read about the overwhelmingly positive reviews for this movie and after a long day at school I decided to go see it.  Boiling it down, sure it's a Disney Princess movie but it's got something for everyone.  Also liked it so much it was an my honorable mentions list.  I sense a pattern....

'We're The Millers' - Wasn't too impressed with the trailers, and after holding out for the longest time I eventually decided to go see it.  I thought this was hilarious.

'The Hobbit:  The Desolation of Smaug' - Also went into detail about this one the other day, so simply put I wasn't a big fan of the first movie and I liked this one a lot.  Also ended up on my honorable mentions list.

'Saving Mr. Banks' - I seem to be repeating myself for most of this post.  Simply put, I wasn't too impressed with the first trailer I saw for this.  Ended up seeing it, and it ended up being the Best movie I saw in 2013. 



What movies surprised you in 2013?

2013 Disappointments

Now I didn't necessarily see any movie that I would straight up call "one of the worst movies I've seen this year".  Some movies I was enraged at for a little while watching them, but usually that feeling would subside and the movie would be partially redeemed.  I never really had a miserable experience this year while sitting in the theater or sitting in a chair in my dorm room watching a DVD.  So since I was never fully enraged or miserable I can't in good conscience make of 'Worst of the Year' list.  So instead I have a list of movies that I thought to disappointing in some way, shape, or form.  Most of these I honestly thought were okay and each had something good about them.  But I was still disappointed in some regard. 




Disappointments
'American Hustle' - The trailers for it looked awesome, it has a great cast and it's from David O. Russell, who directed 'Silver Linings Playbook'.  So what went wrong?  Pacing issues resulting in a lack of getting invested with the story and characters.  It does have one great scene but even that goes on a little long.

'Dallas Buyers Club' - Kept hearing a lot of great things about this movie.  Despite some overall good performances from Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto, this still had several moments that just took me out of the movie entirely and I just felt drained after watching it.  This movie and 'American Hustle' were the only times watching a movie in the theater in 2013 that I kept checking my phone for the time and fidgeting around in my seat.

'Frances Ha' - Another movie I heard great things about, and even the trailer for it wasn't half bad.  Instead of a funny, everyday slice of life movie I was expecting I saw a dull, not funny, pretentious movie.  How this is getting critical acclaim is beyond me.

'The Great Gatsby' - The first trailer I saw for this was in front of 'Prometheus', and it looked GREAT.  But this suffered from being way too long, clunky dialogue early on in the movie and an out-of-place rap soundtrack.  It does have a great performance from Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby.

'Insidious Chapter 2' - I liked the original movie enough that I could recommend it, so when I heard that there was going to be a sequel I was excited.  Watching it....the first third I hated, the last third I actually kinda liked and overall it goes to some really strange places.  Honestly it was really close to being the only one on my 'Worst of the Year' list, but the last third helped redeem it.  Somewhat.

'Kick Ass 2' - The first 'Kick Ass' was awesome!  This movie...not awesome.  Too much shaky cam, an annoying villain, and it's just not as funny as the first movie.

'The Kings of Summer' - AMC kept playing advertisements for this during "First Look" before the actual trailers started.  Sometimes I enjoy smaller, independent movies and this one actually looked really good.  But the story is stretched thin and it was hard to root for the characters that you're suppose to be rooting for.

'Machete Kills' - The first 'Machete' was awesome!  This movie...not awesome.  Instead of being entertainingly stupid it just came off as stupid.  This 'Machete' was duller.  And some subplots could've been removed entirely.

'Man of Steel' - That first trailer in front of 'The Dark Knight Rises' was GREAT.  Subsequent trailers and commercials were also GREAT.  This movie....was a letdown but overall it's okay.  It does feature a great opening on Krypton, a good villain and some good action scenes and special effects.  But it's WAY too long, really dark, it gets confusing in parts, and Amy Adams simply isn't Lois Lane.  Still looking forward to the sequel though.

'Monsters University' - 'Monsters Inc.' is a great movie.  This prequel had it's moments, but it's just a mediocre movie.

'Pacific Rim' - Special effects are great, but the movie itself is just kinda 'eh' and it gets really repetitive.

'Prisoners' - Initially I had no plans to see this, but after seeing that it was getting rave reviews I decided to get out of my dorm room and go see it.  And...it's way too long and just not very engaging.  It does feature great performances from Paul Dano and Melissa Leo.

'Side Effects' - This was from Steven Soderbergh, who directed the great 'Contagion'.  This looked thrilling, but overall it was tonally inconsistent.  Sometimes it was thrilling, other times I was bored.

'To The Wonder' - I loved Terrence Malick's previous movie ('The Tree of Life') and I was eager to watch this.  And honestly I was really liking it for the most part but then it started to drag, repeat itself, and a certain subplot during the movie just completely rubbed me the wrong way.  Let's just say I probably shouldn't have watched this movie on the day that I did.  Any other day this subplot might have been overlooked.

'World War Z' - This is another one where initially I didn't think it looked all that good.  But then it received good reviews and made a lot of money, so I decided that I'd get it on Redbox whenever it became available.  Too much quick cut editing, horrible CGI, a rather bad ending, Brad Pitt looks bored during the entire movie, and overall it's just forgettable.




OTHERS:
Okay these movies aren't very good nor was I expecting them to be good but they aren't so bad that they're 'Worst of the Year' material.

'Grown Ups 2' - Simply put I just didn't think this was funny.  I wasn't mad like I was at the first 'Grown Ups' movie.  Just stared blankly at my TV.

'The Hangover Part III' - The least of the 'Hangover' trilogy.  Some funny parts, but for the most part the movie is actually fairly serious.

'Movie 43' - Kept hearing about how awful this was, so I decided to rent it.  Is it as bad as all the reviews say it is?  No.  It does have a few funny moments, but this tried WAY too hard to try and most of the time I just kinda stared at my TV.  Then again I might have been tired from marathoning 'The Incredible Burt Wonderstone', 'The Kings of Summer', and this movie. 

'Scary Movie 5' - I only saw this because I saw the others.  I chuckled every now and then but for the most part I was staring blankly at the movie screen.




So there you have it, my 2013 disappointments and a few other movies that I didn't think were all that good.  Not horrible, just not that good.  What are some movies you saw this year that you didn't like or you were disappointed by?