X-Men: Days of Future Past Review

I have a love/hate relationship with this franchise. I am a sucker for any X-Men film and still consider X2 to be one of the greatest comic book films of all time. However, I have been let down by a few as well, most notably X-Men: The Last Stand, where Brett Ratner took my second favorite comic storyline (The Dark Phoenix Saga) and made it an abomination of epic proportions.  However, Bryan Singer is back at the helm of this film and the results are amazing.

This film starts with an epic battle sequence between a few mutants from the future including series newcomers, yet fan favorites Blink and Bishop. Also back are Iceman, Kitty Pride, Storm, Magneto, and Xavier amongst others.  They are fighting a war against the Sentinels, mutant killers who have the power to adapt to different situations using different mutant powers.  The mutants are losing terribly so Kitty Pride sends Wolverine's consciousness back to the 70s to stop the war before it starts.  He has to get Xavier and Magneto together to stop Mystique from murdering Dr. Bolivar Trask, the inventor of the sentinels and in doing so, stop the war before it begins.  A convoluted seeming plot to be sure but it makes sense as you watch the film.

I was impressed with a few overall film aspects of this movie.  The acting in this movie, particularly from James McAvoy as the younger Xavier is particularly impressive.  If this movie was released in October or later, we would be talking about McAvoy as an Oscar contender, and rightfully so.  My favorite performance was from Evan Peters who plays Quicksilver.  He fully steals the few scenes he is in, including one in particular that is just so much fun to watch.  Also giving a great performance is Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique.  In First Class, I don't feel that she owned the role like she could have but in this movie she embodies the role to perfection.  I loved it.

I also love the direction of this movie.  Bryan Singer leaves no shot unwashed and no dialogue unused.  Every second is necessary and there is no fat to trim.  The film has a 2 hour 11 minute runtime and it's used perfectly.  I normally find movies like this to have some fat and slow in parts but this never dragged once.  To top it off, Bryan Singer uses this film to correct any plot inconsistencies created by other films (*cough* Brett Ratner) in the ending.  I won't give anything away but that is done perfectly as well.

Overall this movie is entertaining and I loved experiencing it.  It is my favorite film of the year so far, and possibly the best comic book film of all time.  I give it an A+

Captain America: The Winter Soldier Review

So the Cap is back, and he has stepped it up.  Those of you who really know me, know that I am a huge nerd for comic book movies, especially Marvel.  Don't get me wrong, Batman is cool, but I can't think of another DC hero I really like.  On the other hand, I love me some X-Men, Spider Man, Thor, Hulk, Iron Man, and especially Captain America.  However, the first Captain America was not my favorite movie ever (my review isn't on this blog but I gave it a C+).  This movie stepped it up huge.

The great part about this movie is I can judge it on two levels, both as a comic book movie and an overall film.  Like The Dark Knight some years ago, this movie succeeds on both levels really well, but I believe succeeds better as an overall film than as a comic book movie.  In a comic book movie, I am looking for a few different things, most notably, some great supernatural action, a fun plot, and a great villain.  This movie has two out of the three.  By nature, you don't get a lot of supernatural action in a Captain America film since there are no real superpowers in play.  However, the plot in this movie is great, and the villan(s) are fantastic as well.

Without giving away too much, this movie plot causes it to play out almost as a political spy thriller, and it does it in a great way.  SHIELD has a huge fight on its hand against a reformed Hydra (the evil science arm of the Nazi party that the Captain fights off in the first film).  However, in this film, Hydra has infiltrated many high levels of the US Government, including SHIELD itself.  This creates a situation where Captain America and those still loyal have to stop a plot by Hydra to kill millions of people using SHIELD technology.  Thrown into the mix though is that Hydra has recruited a master assassin from the days of the Soviet Union known as the Winter Soldier.  He is strong, fast, ruthless and a cold-blooded killer.  As the Captain fights him it is obvious that he is fighting his equal, if not someone greater than him.

One of the great things about this film are some of the supporting characters and the performances.  Chris Evans looks more and more comfortable with the role of Captain America the more screen time he gets.  There is also some serious moral dilemmas that he has to fight against in this film, both between his own ideologies and those of SHIELD along with his fight against the Winter Soldier.  This is the first time in his three films where he shows a real propensity for acting range, and it was refreshing to see.  My favorite performance is from Scarlett Johansson who returns as Black Widow.  The banter between her and Captain America is amazing, and provides some great comic relief for the film.  Other great performances come from series newcomers Frank Grillo as a SHIELD operative, Robert Redford as the US representative to the World Security Council, and Anthony Mackie as Falcon, a army veteran who befriends Captain America, and helps him in his task of taking down Hydra.

One thing I was pleasantly surprised about with this film was how dark the tone was.  Being an avid fan of the comic book story lines, when I heard they were bringing in the Winter Soldier as a major antagonist for this film, I believed the only way this movie could work was if it was a fairly dark tone, and they completely nailed it.  The tone of this film was perfect, even if it did depart from the light hearted tone of the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  This got me super stoked for Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Overall, I loved this movie.  My only real complaint is that it could have been slightly shorter.  It seemed to drag in a few parts, but to fill in the plot they needed much of what they had so I can't say what they may have cut to shorten it.  This is an amazing overall film, and probably second to the Avengers as a comic book film.  I give it an A.

Top 10 Anticipated Movies of 2014

Hey guys.  March is almost over so we are through the drudgery of bad movies that come out the first few months of every year.  This year was no different, with the exception of The Lego Movie which I was more entertained by than even American Hustle, my favorite movie of last year.  There have been some truly dreadful movies released to this point of the year, so let's look forward with some optimism.  Here are my 10 most anticipated movies of the rest of 2014.

First let me start with a few honorable mentions that just barely couldn't crack the Top 10:

-Guardians of the Galaxy 
-How to Train Your Dragon 2
-Maleficent
-22 Jump Street

10. Serena

This is a fall release and presumed Oscar hopeful.  It is also a romance drama, which means it is more than likely going to get the tag of a "chick flick," but I am excited about it for one reason: it is a romance movie starring Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper in the lead.  This is the same duo that made Silver Linings Playbook one of my favorite movies in 2012.  They are electrifying on screen together, and I was sad they didn't really share scenes in American Hustle last year.  This has potential to be great just because of them.

9. Neighbors

I normally don't look forward to comedy movies, but this one looks pretty funny.  It comes out, I believe in June and I'm already starting to see commercials for it.  It stars Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne who have an entire frat, led by Zach Efron, move in next door to them.  The results of that neighborly feud look to be hilarious.  On top of that, it is directed by the team that made This Is The End.  Needless to say, I am in.

8. Interstellar

Christopher Nolan doing sci fi.  Umm, yes please.  This movie just looks awesome.  I have really only seen stills and some short 10 second clips but it looks like it could be gold.  Plus, Christopher Nolan wrote and directed it, and his last movie he did that with was Inception, which is one of my all time favorite movies.  He is a genius storyteller and director.  He also has Matthew McConaughey in the lead, who is coming off a stretch of greatness that I have no reason to believe won't continue.

7. Gone Girl

I am probably the only person on earth that believes the re-invented Ben Affleck is not just one of the greatest directors in Hollywood, but is also a great actor as well.  (Now that being said, he used to be terrible, but has come back with a vengeance and is great now.)  For those who don't believe that, go re-watch Argo and The Town, all of which he wrote, directed, and starred in.  Great in all of them.  In this movie, he plays a man who's wife disappears on their wedding anniversary.  It has the makings of a great mystery thriller, especially since it is being directed by the great David Fincher, who gave us the American version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo a few years ago.
 
6. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

If you had asked me to make this list last year, Catching Fire would not have been anywhere near the top 10, but that movie was so incredible (led by a new director between the first and second movies) that I am full tilt on board for movies 3 and 4.  Francis Lawrence is staying on to direct the last two films so I have no doubt they will maintain their quality.  Now, I have never read the books, and I have been told that the story only gets better from those who have, so I am excited.  Plus, let's be honest, can you ever go wrong with more Jennifer Lawrence?

5. The Amazing Spider Man 2

Okay, full disclosure, I came dangerously close to walking out of the first Amazing Spider Man movie out of sheer boredom.  It looked like it had potential when it first came out.  It starred Andrew Garfield, who I thought was the best part of The Social Network, and Emma Stone, who is the only actress I love more than Jennifer Lawrence right now.  However, I just couldn't get into it.  Now, with a couple repeat viewings I do like it a little more, but I'm not huge on it.  That being said, this movie looks fantastic.  

Sony is starting, with this film, to begin the creation of their own cinematic universe, not unlike the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Avengers and related films) that will include at least 4 Spider Man films, a Venom stand alone, and a Sinister Six movie.  Only true nerds (like myself) know what all those are, but look it up on Wikipedia and you'll realize why I'm so excited.  I am really excited by a lot of what I'm seeing in these movies.  Peter Parker, as portrayed by Andrew Garfield, is great.  It looks funny, but with fantastic action sequences.  And Jamie Foxx looks like he will make one great villian as Electro.  I also didn't think they could find a good actor to replace James Franco as Harry Osborn from Spider Man 2 (the Sam Raimi version), and then they cast Dane DeHaan, who was the kid who goes nuts in Chronicle, and I realized I was wrong.  He may be able to do the quiet duplicity of that role better than even Franco did.  Definitely stoked for this one.

4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Okay, so I'm a sucker for good comic book movies.  What can I say.  This is the earliest release on this list, coming out April 4, or just two weeks from now.  I wasn't a huge fan of what Marvel has done so far in Phase 2 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World, but this movie looks like it will be Marvel getting back on track.  Now don't get me wrong, I did enjoy both earlier films in Phase 2 but they just weren't up to Marvel standards.  With this (and to a lesser extent Guardians of the Galaxy) I think Marvel will be getting back on track.  I am really excited to see Captain America fight Bucky Barnes, and hopefully have the realization that he is fighting his best friend, let alone the fact that Bucky is still alive.  (People who are movie fans but aren't aware of the comic book lore, please don't yell at me for spoilers, this isn't one.  They have made it clear that Bucky Barnes is the Winter Soldier.  They even showed his face in the trailer for goodness sake.)

3. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

So I was a huge fan of Rise of the Planet of the Apes.  I am a huge fan of the trailers I have seen.  I am a huge fan of Gary Oldman.  It should be no surprise that this movie is this high on this list.  I am really excited for the direction of where this franchise is going.  The original movies and Rise weren't light hearted movies by any means, but at the same time, this movie looks to be going much darker than any of the other movies in the storied history of this franchise.

2. Godzilla

I saw my first Godzilla movie when I was young and I have since been waiting my entire life for a really good Godzilla movie.  In my naivety I thought I had one when I was like 11 years old and saw the Matthew Broderick movie.  Of course, as I grew up, and my movie tastes became more refined I realized how bad that movie was.  So when I heard they were doing Godzilla again I was not too excited.  And then I saw the trailer.  Holy cow, this movie looks so good.  Godzilla looks amazing, and we know he will be fighting monsters which is awesome.  Plus it is a movie that has Bryan Cranston in it so I'm totally down.  I can't wait to see more of this movie as they continue releasing trailers.

1. X-Men: Days of Future Past

I've already said I am a sucker for comic book movies, and there is no comic book franchise I am a bigger sucker for than X-Men.  I saw a trailer for this movie a little bit ago that was essentially just a teaser.  It showed short shots of each character and introduced the tone of the film, which is great.  It seems like this will be a darker tone than the X-Men: First Class film that immediately precedes it.  Plus, we get two Xaviers (played by Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy) and two Magnetos (played by Ian McKellan and Michael Fassbender) and that can never be a bad thing.  And, just because it was a theme earlier, there can never be enough Jennifer Lawrence.

So there is my list.  Let me know what you guys are excited for that's coming out this year.  I am really excited to hear your lists.

The Lego Movie Review

I know I'm a week behind on this film, but I have been really busy and haven't had a chance to write up my review but here is my review of The Lego Movie (for the four of you left in America who haven't seen it).

Let me start by just saying that I loved this movie.  I haven't had this much fun at the movies since the first time I saw Inception back in Summer 2010, and that includes seeing Avengers, Hunger Games, American Hustle and so forth.  I have a hard time believing there will be 10 movies that can come out this year I will love more than this film.  Taking just animated movies into account, I believe this is the best animated film since the first Toy Story movie.  It is so full of heart, the story is just amazing, and it is hilarious from start to finish.

Part of what makes this movie great is that unlike things like The Smurfs, this is not a kid movie.  This is a kid friendly movie that has mass appeal to all ages, like most Pixar and Dreamworks movies.  I think the best comparison I can make is to Shrek, which had so much adult humor that wasn't so obvious to make it an adult film, but had great adult appeal.  This is exactly the same way.  The Lego Movie is directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller which is the brain trust behind both Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and 21 Jump Street (the movie not the TV show).  Here we get the best of both worlds.  Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is a great kid's movie with some adult appeal, but not quite getting there, and 21 Jump Street is adult comedy at it's finest and easily is one of the 5 funniest movies I have ever seen (on par with movies like Airplane, Office Space, and The Hangover).  Here we get a lot of the adult aimed jokes that made 21 Jump Street so funny (without the profanity) mixed with the heart and fun that makes Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs great as well.  What comes from it is pure magic.

Just like in live action films, a great cast can make or break a film, and this movie has an amazingly talented set of actors voicing the characters.  And unlike some films where the people voicing characters are "voice actors" rather than screen actors, almost everyone in this film (including some of the great cameos - which I won't give away) is a highly accomplished screen actor.  The main character Emmett is voiced by Chris Pratt (Andy Dwyer from Parks and Recreation) and is just perfect for this role.  He adds so much energy and heart to this role that a lesser actor may not have been able to portray.  My favorite voice cast of this entire film though is Will Arnett (Gob from Arrested Development) as Batman.  He was just amazing.  He took the character of Batman (and part of this is the writing but it would have died in the hands of someone lesser) and did a great parody on it while still being respectful to the character as a whole.  There are other great voice roles from Elizabeth Banks (Effie from The Hunger Games Saga), Liam Neeson, Will Ferrel and Morgan Freeman amongst others.  Also keep a look out for some of the funnier cameos as well.  Some of which you will recognize and some of which you may miss, but they are hilarious.

I have to stretch pretty far to find anything in this film I didn't like, but if I had to mention something I think the pacing was almost too fast.  This movie was almost frantic, and while it worked and was amazing, I think Lord and Miller could have given us time to just sit back and take in the full greatness of this movie.  That's a weak complaint and I honestly don't care much about it, but it was there as a possible issue for some people.  Overall their direction was amazing.  They created beautiful shots and their attention to detail was superb.  I could not say enough about this film.  They announced that the sequel was green lit within the first day of release so I am eagerly anticipating it.  If you haven't seen this movie, go with your next available moment.  If you have already seen it, go again with your next available moment.  You will not regret it.  I give this movie an A+

Major Academy Awards Nominations Predictions

The nominations for the 86th Annual Academy Awards will be announced on Thursday January 16 at 5:30am PST.  Before that happens, I thought I would give my predictions as to who will get nominated and who will not make the cut for the major awards (Picture, Director, Acting).

Best Picture (Trailers for each included)

This has been a loaded year for film.  The Academy made a choice a few years ago to allow up to 10 films to be nominated in this category (last year there were only 9).  While a good idea, it does create nominations that, while great movies don't deserve to be a Best Picture nominee.  Some standouts in that category that shouldn't have been there recently were Toy Story 3, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Moneyball, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.  While all great films, none would have come within a whiff of a nomination in previous years with only 5 nominees.  That being said, this year, going into December, seemed like a two film race between Gravity and 12 Years a Slave.  It is reminiscent to me of 2010 when it came down to Avatar or The Hurt Locker.  One is a big budget technical masterpiece, and the other a moving historical drama.  I would have said it would have come to those two again, but then along came American Hustle.  Also a historical drama (though classified as a comedy at the Golden Globes), this movie has going for it a much greater broad entertainment value that 12 Years a Slave doesn't have.  So that means we have three locks for Best Picture:

1. Gravity

2. 12 Years a Slave

3. American Hustle

That leaves a slew of movies vying for 7 additional spots.  The fact that this year was so strong means a lot of great movies will be left out here.  Of the rest of the contenders (for nominations - since I believe no other film has a shot at winning), I believe Philomena is probably the one with the most current momentum.  When all is said and done the other films there will be:

4. Philomena

5. Captain Phillips

6. Nebraska

7. Her

8. Dallas Buyers Club

9. Saving Mr. Banks (saved by the ultra conservative older voters)

10. The Wolf of Wall Street

Best Director

This seems like a pretty straightforward list here.  There are three locks and then two long shots who will get nominations and a whole lot of people who will be on the outside looking in there.  Very simply the five who will be nominated here are:

1. Alfono Cuaron (Gravity)
2. Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave)
3. David O. Russell (American Hustle)
4. Spike Jonze (Her)
5. Paul Greengrass (Captain Phillips)

I say that with a lot of confidence, but in reality this category is all over the map most years.  Fortunately Spielberg did nothing this year so I don't have to worry about him being nominated again.  While I feel this should be more straight forward, after Ben Affleck didn't even get a nomination for his amazing directorial work in Argo (last year's Best Picture winner), it is hard to say who will be nominated.

Best Actor

After his win at the Golden Globes, I would say Leonardo DiCaprio is a lock here for a nomination but I was hesitant on whether Wolf of Wall Street would get a Best Picture nomination.  It is so raunchy that it might turn off some of the older voters.  That might also keep DiCaprio from a nomination.  The obvious locks here are Chiwetel Ejiofor and Golden Globe winner Matthew McConaughey.  Past that, I have no idea where to go from there.   I think American Hustle's momentum will carry Christian Bale to a nod, but I don't think he stands a chance at winning.  Here are my predictions:

1. Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave)
2. Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)
3. Bruce Dern (Nebraska)
4. Christian Bale (American Hustle)
5. Robert Redford (All is Lost)

I think Tom Hanks (Saving Mr. Banks and Captain Phillips), Leonardo DiCaprio, Joaquin Phoenix (Her), Hugh Jackman (Prisoners) and Michael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station) along with others would all be locks for nominations in another year, but this category is just way too loaded and all of them will fall just short.

Best Actress

After she beat out favorite Sandra Bullock at the Golden Globes, Cate Blanchett immediately made this a two woman race.  They are locks for nods here and rightfully so.  Judi Dench also seems to be a good choice here.  Unfortunately the Academy frowns on comedies, especially romatic comedies, so Julia Louis-Dreyfuss will miss out on a nomination here.  It should look something like this:

1. Sandra Bullock (Gravity)
2. Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)
3. Amy Adams (American Hustle)
4. Judi Dench (Philomena)
5. Emma Thompson (Saving Mr. Banks)

An interesting thing about this.  Should Amy Adams go on to win this award, it will be the first time a director has directed back to back roles to win the same Oscar after Jennifer Lawrence won this last year.

Best Supporting Actor

As far as I can tell this category has four legitimate entries and one person who will feel lucky to be at the ceremony.  It is the fifth one that seems the hardest to predict.  Jonah Hill did better work in The Wolf of Wall Street than in his Oscar nominated role in Moneyball, but again, that is a very raunchy movie and I believe that will hurt him.  Daniel Bruhl got nominated for his work in Rush and is probably the most deserving of an Oscar nomination.  It is a hard one to judge.  When the nominations come out it will look like this:

1. Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)
2. Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave)
3. Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips)
4. Bradley Cooper (American Hustle)
5. Harrison Ford (42) - a pick brought on by the older crowd wanting to crown a great career

Best Supporting Actress

Jennifer Lawrence won at the Golden Globes and I believe will win again.  I also believe, when all is said and done with her career she will have more Oscar trophies than Meryl Streep.  Lupita Nyong'o is her biggest competition here.  This seems to be a more or less weak category without a lot of great roles here.  It will probably shake out like this:

1. Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle)
2. Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave)
3. June Squibb (Nebraska)
4. Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine)
5. Julia Roberts (August: Osage County)

Golden Globe Predictions - All Categories

Who will win, and who should win.  So here are my predictions for all categories of the Golden Globe Awards which air tonight:

Best Motion Picture - Drama

This is a pretty easy category to pick.  12 Years a Slave has seemed the prohibitive favorite for most major best picture awards for a while.  I feel that Rush has no chance here.  While Captain Phillips, to me, was the better film, I don't believe that it has the momentum needed to pull the upset here, and I think Gravity has lost a lot of the early momentum it had.  Captain Phillips should win, but 12 Years a Slave will win.

Best Motion Picture - Comedy

No questions here whatsoever.  American Hustle was the best film of the year far and away.  It should win and it will win.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama

This is a hugely loaded category.  All 5 of these performances were incredible this year.  Idris Elba, unfortunately is probably the biggest long shot to win here.  He just has no steam and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom seems to have missed out everywhere else.  I think overall this is to me a two man race between Chiwetel Ejiofor for his work in 12 Years a Slave, and Matthew McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club.  I think Robert Redford has a better shot in the Academy Awards than here when the voters tend to not take risks as much.  McConaughey is definitely the edgy pick and gave one of the best performances of the year.  I believe he should win, but I believe Ejiofor will win.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama

Sandra Bullock had this and the Oscar wrapped up from opening night of Gravity.  She gave one of the most transcendent performances of her illustrious career.  She should win and she will win.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy

Normally I would have said that Joaquin Pheonix would have this as a lock for his amazing work in Her.  No man can pull off the emotionally emotionless like he can.  He baffles me every time he does and he is one of the best actors alive.  Unfortunately for him and Bruce Dern, who also gave an amazing performance in Nebraska, American Hustle was classified as a comedy (which I believe was a mis-classification but all is well).  Because of that Christian Bale is far and away the favorite here.  He was amazing in his role as a scum bag, small time, con artist.  He should win and he will win.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy

I loved the movie Enough Said and I was glad to see Julia Louis-Dreyfuss get nominated there.  Unfortunately, romantic comedies don't always play well with awards people, so I believe she doesn't have a huge shot.  It's sad though since I believe she deserves this.  However, again American Hustle has all the momentum in the world and I believe this will be its night.  Julia Louis-Dreyfuss should win, but I believe Amy Adams will win for American Hustle.

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

This is an absolutely loaded category.  Outside of Daniel Bruhl for Rush, I believe there are four men here who could legitimately win this award and I would have no argument with any of them.  Of those four I believe my favorite performance was from Barkhad Abdi for his work as a Somali pirate in Captain Phillips.  However, the best performance by far was from Jared Leto for Dallas Buyers Club and that is what the award is for.  However, the Hollywood Foreign Press has been known to give love to foreign actors more often than, say, the Academy does.  I believe Jared Leto should win this award, but I am going with the long shot Abdi to win it in the upset.

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

Jennifer Lawrence is quickly becoming Hollywood's golden girl.  She is whip smart, funny, and not afraid to speak her mind.  Not to mention her performance in American Hustle may have been better than her Oscar winning work in Silver Linings Playbook.  No one else stands a chance here in my opinion.  Lawrence should win and she will win.

Best Director - Motion Picture

With the exception of the man I believe should have won this award, Spike Jonze for Her, I believe the door is open for Alfonso Cuaron.  More than the Academy, the Hollywood Foreign Press awards innovation and Cuaron has created one of the most visually striking and innovative films in years.  I wouldn't be surprised to see Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave) or David O. Russell (American Hustle) come up and snatch the award but I believe when all is said and done Cuaron should win and he will win.

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture

Every movie in this category has a shot but I think when all is said and done this is a two horse race between 12 Years a Slave and American Hustle.  I think the dark horse though is Her which could pull an upset, but I think that's a slim chance.  After the Oscar win for Django Unchained last year, the door is open for 12 Years a Slave to pull it off.  However I think, again, the momentum for American Hustle is too great here.  On top of that, it is probably the better choice.  I think American Hustle should win, and it will win.

Best Original Score - Motion Picture

Here is where All is Lost will make its mark.  That movie was great for many reasons, but it was driven by its amazing music, as done by Alex Ebert.  If anything will make the upset it will be movie music legend John Williams for his score to The Book Thief.  I don't think it will have enough to pull it off though.  Alex Ebert should win and he will win.

Best Animated Film

No discussion needed here.  Frozen should win and will win.

Best Television Series - Drama

Breaking Bad was the best show on television this past year, and may go down and the best series of all time.  No other show should have a chance of winning here, but the only one that might is Downton Abbey which could get some love for being a foreign product, which always impresses the Hollywood Foreign Press.  I don't think it will gain enough traction to pull it off though.  Breaking Bad should win and it will win.

Best Television Series - Comedy

First year show Brooklyn Nine-Nine is an amazingly funny show.  However it will still fall short to classics Modern Family and The Big Bang Theory.  Girls seems to be another show that gets a lot of traction, but I just do not believe it can compete here.  When all is said and done though I believe The Big Bang Theory should win, but Modern Family will win.

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Everyone here is playing catch up to Behind the Candelabra which seems to be the favorite after sweeping everything at the Emmy's.  I however believe this past season of American Horror Story was better.  American Horror Story should win, but Behind the Candelabra will win.

Best Actor in a Television Series - Drama

Walter White is the most haunting character in television and that has to do entirely with Bryan Cranston.  On top of that, this is a very weak category with the omission of both Jon Hamm (Mad Men) and Timothy Olyphant (Justified).  Cranston should win and he will win.

Best Actress in a Television Series - Drama

This is another fairly weak category since it was a fairly weak year for actresses in television.  The two favorites here, to me, never even appeared on television.  I believe Orange is the New Black and House of Cards were both great and Taylor Schilling and Robin Wright respectively gave amazing performances.  I think this is a two horse race between the two, but when all is said and done Taylor Schilling should win, but Robin Wright will win.

Best Actor in a Television Series - Comedy

It seems rare now a days that network television would have three actors favored over cable, but sitcoms just seem to be better on networks now.  Jim Parsons is definitely my favorite and I have made no bones about the fact that The Big Bang Theory is my favorite comedy on television, and he is a large part of that.  He has won this award once and the equivalent Emmy three times, but don't be surprised to see Michael J. Fox pull this off.  He is gaining a lot of momentum and is the sentimental favorite which can sometimes play a big role.  When the night is over Parsons should win, but Fox will win.

Best Actress in a Television Series - Comedy

This race it seems comes down to Edie Falco and Julia Louis Dreyfuss.  Falco has said herself that she doesn't believe her show (as great as Nurse Jackie is) to be a comedy so I don't know why we're putting her here.  I also don't believe Dreyfuss to be that funny in VEEP.  The funniest, and best, performance in this list comes from Zooey Deschanel for New Girl, but I feel like she is a huge long shot to win this award.  When all is said and done Deschanel should win, but Dreyfuss will win.

Best Actor in a Mini-Series or Made for Television Movie

This will, surprisingly, come down to two actors from the same movie.  Matt Damon and Michael Douglas seem to be in a fight for first for their work as lovers in Behind the Candelabra.  I think Douglas is probably the one who will win when all is said and done, though either would be a solid choice.

Best Actress in a Mini-Series or Made for Television Movie

This is a hard category to predict.  There seems to be no prohibitive favorite here.  I feel like the safe choice for this award would be Helen Mirren who did great work in the HBO film Phil Specor, though the best choice will probably be Jessica Lange for American Horror Story.  I am going to say that Lange should win, but at the end of the night, they will go with the safer choice and Helen Mirren will win.

Best Supporting Actor in Television

I would love to see Aaron Paul get the ultimate love here.  He didn't play as large a part in the last of Breaking Bad but probably did some of his best work in this last season overall.  He was amazing from beginning until his very last scene driving away screaming in exuberance.  Look for the possibility of Rob Lowe to pull the upset here, however I think that is a long shot.  Aaron Paul should win, and if there is justice in the world, he will win.

Best Supporting Actress in Television

In a fairly weak category look for awards favorite Modern Family to pull out another, and rightfully so.  Sophia Vergara is hilarious as the Colombian trophy wife to Ed O'Neill.  She should win, and she will win.

Best Movies of 2013

So I made my last post of my picks for the worst movies of the year a little while ago, but wanted to finish out the year with some strong late season additions before creating my list of the best movies of they year.  This was an incredibly strong year for movies and a few of the movies on my list will have gone mostly overlooked.  If you haven't seen some of these, I recommend them all very highly.  You will see themes of actors showing up in multiple entries here and there is a reason for that.  Many movies are driven by great actors and this year proved to me that people like Bradley Cooper, Christian Bale, Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Lawrence, and others are among the best in the business.  For the year of 2013, I am doing the best 13 films of the year.  And here they are:

13. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

I enjoyed the first Hunger Games movie enough to buy it the first day it was out on DVD.  I am captivated by the intense, although at times, sickening story behind this saga.  In this installment though, we see a much better film, mostly due to two things: a greater budget, and better acting.  The budget for this film was twice the first, and that created a much better visual setup which made it much more enjoyable to watch.  On top of that, we have better acting from Jennifer Lawrence and an amazing supporting role from the great Phillip Seymour Hoffman.  I also loved the roles from Woody Harrelson and Elizabeth Banks again in this.

12. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Not everyone will agree with me on this pick.  I originally didn't know what I thought about this film upon my first viewing but after seeing it a second time, and really digesting it, this was a great film.  Great acting and directing work here from Ben Stiller, and amazing supporting work from Kristen Wiig, and a great cameo from the great Sean Penn.  While I believe Adam Scott was a tad under-utilized in this movie, I still richly enjoyed this beautiful, layered film.

11. Nebraska

Bruce Dern here caps off a 5 decade career with what might be one of his best performances ever.  He is just superb as a borderline alcoholic who believes he's won a sweepstakes prize and goes with his estranged son to Nebraska to claim it.  Along the way we have a tale of reconciliation and family that is still tugging at my heart.  Alexander Payne, the director, made a superb choice of filming this in black and white that made it even more hauntingly beautiful.

10. Mud

This is one of the most overlooked films of the year.  It is also the most universally acclaimed movies of the year with a 98% critic approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Matthew McConaughey gives a moving performance as the title character, a fugitive trying to find his true love.  This movie reminded me why McConaughey became a movie star in the first place.  We also get great supporting work here from Reese Witherspoon, and surprisingly natural work from newcomer Tye Sheridan.

9. Dallas Buyers Club

With performances in movies like Amistad, A Time to Kill, Killer Joe, and The Lincoln Lawyer to his credit, it is surprising that Matthew McConaughey has never received a major awards nomination before this year, but he has already received a Golden Globe nomination for his role in Dallas Buyers Club, and don't be surprised if an Oscar isn't far behind.  His performance as a homophobic man who is diagnosed HIV positive is layered, deep, emotional, and haunting.  It is one of the best performances of the year, and I believe he should be the front runner for both the Golden Globe and Academy Award here.  This is a great film and we get amazing supporting work from Jared Leto, another who should be an awards favorite for this work.

8. The Place Beyond The Pines

This is another movie that was severely overlooked.  It is a three act film in which each act follows a different line but all connects in a way that creates one of the best pieces of story telling I have seen in years.  The first two acts of this film are driven by great performances by Bradley Cooper and Ryan Gosling.  Ryan Gosling owns this movie as a down on his luck stunt driver who takes to severe methods to take care of his family.  Eva Mendes also does fantastic work in this film, and Ray Liotta reminds us why no one else on earth should ever play a dirty cop but him.  It is gritty and hard to watch at times, but it is a beautiful film.

7. All is Lost

Robert Redford only has one acting Oscar nomination to his name (for one of my all time favorite movies, The Sting) but here he gives an amazing performance as a man lost at sea with almost no hope of survival.  This movie has very little dialogue and Robert Redford is the only character, which, like Cast Away, means I was worried about it.  (I was not a huge fan of Cast Away.)  But this movie blew me away.  Robert Redford is nearly a dead lock in my opinion to receive an Oscar nomination for his work here, and it is that performance that drives this film to true greatness.

6. 12 Years A Slave

In my original review for this movie, I said that I was in tears at this movie, and for good reason.  This is a gripping tale of a free man that gets trapped in hell as he is sold into slavery.  Powered by rich performances from great actors like Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender, and unflinching directing from Steve McQueen this movie seems to be the favorite for Best Picture.  I would have no argument with that.  It is a deeply moving, emotionally disturbing film, that still rings with importance in a world full of hate and discrimination.

5. Captain Phillips

Tom Hanks is fantastic in this movie, and he will more than likely get an Oscar nod to go with his Golden Globe nomination for this film, but I am of the opinion that Barkhad Abdi is the driving force of this movie.  This is the true story of an American cargo ship overtaken by Somali pirates.  Abdi gives one of the best supporting performances I have seen in years as the leader of the Somali pirates.  This movie is intense, gripping, and superb from beginning to end.

4. Gravity

This is easily the most visually striking movie of the year.  Alfonso Cuaron creates the most visually advanced movie for its time since probably The Matrix was released nearly 15 years ago.  This movie is also powered by a great performance by Sandra Bullock, who does even better work than she did in her Oscar winning work in The Blind Side a few years ago.  She has seemed a lock to win every major Best Actress award since the movie's release a few months ago, and rightfully so.

3. Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Nelson Mandela is my personal hero, and I have always admired what he has stood for throughout his life.  Here we have a great bio pic starring Idris Elba, in what may be the best role of his career.  He, almost as well as Morgan Freeman did in Invictus, captures the quiet dignity and intensity of one of the world's greatest leaders.  This movie is aptly timed as we lost Mr. Mandela this year as well, covering from his early life all the way to his election as president of South Africa.

2. Out of the Furnace

Christian Bale gives a great performance in this gritty, intense, and sometimes violent movie about family and the need to look out for one another.  This movie achieves true greatness on all levels.  The performances from Bale and Casey Affleck as brothers are captivating and these two have true chemistry.  Woody Harrelson gives his most disturbing and menacing performance since Natural Born Killers, and proves, once again, why he is one of the best character actors alive today.  This is a haunting film that I was digesting days after originally seeing it.

1. American Hustle

When I was making this list, there was no question what my number 1 movie would end up being.  This movie was amazing, and David O Russell has a third masterpiece film in a row after The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook.  Christian Bale cemented his stand as the best actor of his generation (knocking off Leonardo DiCaprio who I used to believe that was and is now number three behind Bale and Bradley Cooper).  I will be fairly shocked if this movie does not garner Oscar nominations in all four acting categories with Bale for Best Actor, Amy Adams for Best Actress, Cooper for Best Supporting Actor, and Jennifer Lawrence as Best Supporting Actress.  I think Bale and Lawrence are the most likely to take home trophies come Golden Globe and Oscar night though.  I cannot say enough about this film.  The performances are captivating, the music is inspired, and the direction and writing is great.  I also did not see the twist at the end of this film coming.  Hands down the best film of the year.

So there is my list.  I know y'all have other ideas of what you think were the best movies.  Let me know what movies should have made my list.  I know this was a strong year for movies which is why things like Fruitvale Station, Inside Llewn Davis, August: Osage County, Saving Mr. Banks, and others couldn't make the list but let me know what you think.

Ten Worst Movies of 2013

Alright friends, this is my favorite year.  This is when I get to go back and review the year of films that was and decide what my ten favorite movies were and the ten worst movies of the year.  This one, the ten worst, I generally love more because I get to re-scream about movies that made me depressed because they were so bad, made me want to vomit from being so disgusting and so forth.  So without any further ado, here is my list of the worst cinematic garbage that was created this year.

10. Man of Steel

I know a TON of people loved this film, and I was not one of them.  I didn't like this film the first time I saw it.  It was depressing and sad and an insult to everything Superman stands for.  The more I think about this film and talk about it with people, the more I absolutely hate this film.  And to think that Warner Bros and Legendary Pictures green lit a sequel that will be Batman vs Superman?  Please.  They cast Ben Affleck as Batman (not the best choice) but won't let him direct, which means the sequel will probably be even worse than this one.

9. A Good Day to Die Hard

I love Die Hard.  I love Die Hard 2.  I love Die Hard: With A Vengeance.  I even enjoy Live Free or Die Hard (mostly because of great comedic work from Justin Long and surprisingly menacing work from Timothy Olyphant) but I had no need for this dopey, horrible fifth sequel to one of the best action franchises in history.  It was tedious, long, boring, generally unfunny when trying to be, and just plain bad.

8. Hangover Part III

Like A Good Day to Die Hard, I love the original movie in this franchise.  The Hangover is one of my all time favorite comedy films, but this movie was just terrible.  It had a few decent laughs, most of which they got into the trailer anyways so I already knew the jokes.  This was over the top disgusting (even for one of these films) and to top it off, this movie has nothing to do with crap hitting the fan because of the guys having a massive hangover.  So what's the point?

7. Getaway

Ethan Hawke had a good year for movies with Before Midnight and The Purge (a surprisingly good film), but this is one I think he wants to forget.  This was the absolute worst reviewed movie of the year with a 2% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and rightfully so.  Ethan Hawke was just phoning in this performance in between jobs he legitimately wanted and to top it off, I was supposed to believe Selena Gomez as a car jacker?  This was just bad film making at its finest.  The intense action, though badly edited, was enough to keep this from being closer to number 1 on this list.

6. Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

This year saw some great teenage books adapted into film.  We had Beautiful Creatures, which surprisingly wasn't too bad, and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire which was a phenomenal film, but this was just bad.  It was dopey acting from actors who honestly aren't very good in Lily Collins and Jamie Campbell Bower, and to top it off the veterans like Jared Harris and Jonathan Rhys Meyers were even terrible as well.  When one of your TV spots is interviewing fans of the book about their excitement to see the movie, rather than clips of the movie, you know your movie is bad.  Good news is though, we won't be getting a sequel anytime soon from how badly this panned at the box office.

5. The Incredible Burt Wonderstone

I'm hoping all of you have forgotten this would-be comedy from earlier this year.  In a year where Now You See Me did really well, this was another magician movie, but this time gone horribly wrong.  Steve Carell was decidedly unfunny in this and Jim Carrey wasn't much better.  This movie had no laughs, and I didn't even smile while watching it.

4. R.I.P.D.

This is another film I wish I could just forget.  I was actually lucky enough to not have to pay anything to see this movie, but I saw it later on after it was released on DVD.  This is a terrible film with horrible performances from great actors.  It hurts to see Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds wasted on such a bad script.  To top it off, they don't even try to make it enjoyable.  It just comes off as plain boring, sloppy garbage.

3. The Host

An adaptation of a Stephanie Meyers novel is the worst words for my ear to ever hear and this was no different.  Another teenage adaptation gone horribly wrong from the author of the Twilight series (I refuse to call it a saga which has a positive connotation).  This is a bad story about aliens taking over human bodies and it just makes for a plain boring movie.  When three of your six "If you like this..." movies on iMDb are two twilight films and a Nicholas Cage movie, your movie probably should have never been made.

2. The Lone Ranger

This is Gore Verbinski and Jerry Bruckheimer's heads getting way too big.  Johnny Depp is the top billed star and he isn't even the title character.  Him and Armie Hammer have no chemistry, and Johnny Depp's performance would kill the career of a lesser actor.  This movie had a two and a half hour run time and the most entertaining part was the previews for other films.  I can't believe that Disney is still letting this team create a fifth Pirates movie after seeing this trash.

1. Grown Ups 2

Here we go, the worst of the worst.  Any year Adam Sandler puts out a film now, every other film is competing for the second worst film of the year.  My hatred for all things Adam Sandler after he came out with the following movies in succession: Grown Ups, Just Go With It, Jack and Jill, That's My Boy, and Grown Ups 2 knows no bounds.  He is unfunny and this movie was disgusting with jokes about urination, defecation and injuries to male genitalia.  The sad part is that Sandler owns his own studio to make his movies, so we are continually subjected to this stuff.  He has another movie slated for release next year and two more filming.  Congratulations America.  This is bed you've made and I have to lie in it.

Well I'm glad reliving that is over.  None of those movies are ones I would ever choose to sit through again.  Let me know if you had a movie that had you rolling and moaning at how bad it was that didn't make my list.  Or maybe you loved one of the movies on this list.  I know many of you loved Man of Steel.  Here's your chance to convince me why.  Leave a comment below.

10 Movies Every Guy Should See

Hey guys (and girls), I decided to do another (sort of) Top 10 movie list since I haven't been to the movies in a while.  Here is my list of 10 movies every guy needs to see, in no particular order.  My Ten have been chosen from the list of the 100 movies on The Art of Manliness blog.  The full list can be found at: www.artofmanliness.com/2009/07/13/100-must-see-movies/ , but here is my Top 10 choices.

1. Gladiator

This Ridley Scott classic (Can a movie be considered a classic only 13 years after its initial release?) is a staple for any man's movie library.  A fantastic film that won Oscars for Best Picture and Best Actor (Russell Crowe), this movie stands out above the crowd for its moving performances and flawless direction.  This was the best career performance of both Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix.

2. Casablanca

This is the quintessential romance movie of all time.  Boasting 4 lines on the AFI's 100 greatest movie lines list, this is a tragic romance movie for the ages.  Humphrey Bogart is magnificent in this film and richly deserved the Oscar nomination he got for it.  This movie, like Gladiator, also won Best Picture.  If you want to learn how to be a real gentleman, watch this film.  It doesn't get any better than toasting the woman you love with the line, "Here's looking at you, kid."

3. Top Gun

Seriously.  I don't think I can say enough about this movie.  This is one of my personal favorites ever since I was a kid.  Every boy and man dreams of being Maverick.  He is just the epitome of man.  And who wouldn't want a best friend like Goose?  This is a great film about friendship and love and overcoming adversity, but if you want to just watch a bunch of stuff blow up, this is great either way.

4. Rocky

This is, in my opinion, the best sports movie of all time, and the most inspirational movie of all time.  Sylvester Stallone is fantastic and was nominated for Oscars for writing and acting in this film, and richly so.  His fight with Apollo Creed is one of the greatest fights in the history of boxing films, and his love with Adrian is one that all men can relate to.

5. The Godfather

"The Godfather is the I Ching.  The Godfather is the sum of all wisdom."  Tom Hanks described the Godfather as such in his film, "You've Got Mail" and he is entirely correct.  The Godfather's show of family first is fantastic for any father to watch.  It is the quintessential gangster film and is one of the all time greats in all of film history.

6. The Great Escape

This true story of a large group of Allied POW's grand escape from a Nazi prison camp is fantastic.  There are great bits of humor and great performances from Steve McQueen, James Coburn, and Charles Bronson.  It is also a very daring movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat, especially from the escape till the end of the film.  And if nothing else, the movie includes one of the greatest motorcycle chases in the history of film.

7. Braveheart

Another great film along the same lines of Gladiator.  Mel Gibson directed and starred in this instant classic about the Scottish rebel William Wallace.  He gives a very moving performance and the entire film makes you feel like you were a part of the rebellion that it shows.  All of us men aspire to be this kind of man, willing to lead and help others be the best they can be.

8. Field of Dreams

This is a fantastic family movie.  There are few greater movie dads than Kevin Costner's Ray Kinsella who risks losing his farm to create a baseball stadium in his corn field.  This is another childhood favorite of mine.  It works as a family drama, at times a comedy, and a sports movie.

9. Star Wars

I don't think this requires much description.  Star Wars, like 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Matrix, reinvented what science fiction could do.  George Lucas' direction creates some visuals that even today are top notch.  Plus, like many of the movies on this list, you get great lessons on family and standing up for right against the powers of evil.

10. The Shawshank Redemption

This is currently the top ranked movie on The Internet Movie Database (or iMDb for short) and rightfully so.  Both Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins are amazing as convicted murderers who are serving together in Shawshank Prison in Maine.  Together, over 20 years or more, they grow into the type of friends all men should aspire to be.  It is a great lesson to us as well that through common decency we can find personal redemption in the darkest of places.

So that was my list of 10.  What of the other 90 do you think might have been better choices, or is there a movie on even the Art of Manliness list of 100 that you think they missed.  Let me know what you think.

Quick Reactions - Golden Globe Nominations

The Golden Globe Nominations were announced about 90 minutes ago and here are some quick reactions.  Before I begin, I do want to mention I much prefer the Golden Globes to the Emmys or Oscars every year since you don't get awards for the technical mumbo jumbo no one really cares about.  That being said, here are my reactions.  Keep in mind, some of these reactions are to movies that have not yet been released or that I have no yet seen, so I am basing my reactions on trailers and reviews of people whom I trust, such as Richard Roeper, who's reviews for these films can be found at www.richardroeper.com

Movies - Drama

So I'll just put these all together based on what fell in the drama category.  My first reaction is pure joy to see Matthew McConaughey get nominated for what may be his best performance ever in Dallas Buyer's Club.  I've heard a lot of buzz that he might be a contender for a best supporting actor award somewhere for Wolf of Wall Street but it seems like without a nomination here, chances are he is a dark horse come Oscar time along with Jonah Hill.  However, with Tom Hanks getting a nod as well for Captain Phillips and Robert Redford getting nominated for All Is Lost, I believe McConaughey is a lock for an Oscar nod come January.  I have no argument with anyone nominated here at all.  I believe come Oscar time, when drama and comedy are combined, we'll see Hanks and Redford probably giving way to Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale for their work in Wolf of Wall Street and American Hustle respectively.

I have no argument for the women nominated in the best actress in a drama category, though I believe everyone there is fighting for second since I believe Sandra Bullock is a lock to win here and the Oscars.  Her only real competitor for an Oscar looks to be Amy Adams who's role in American Hustle is generating a lot of buzz.

I was super excited to see Rush get some love and get a nomination for Best Picture - Drama.  It is a phenomenal film that I thought would get looked over because of how early in the year it came out, but it did get a nomination, as did Daniel Bruhl who did fantastic work in that film as well.  I don't think either has a chance of winning, but to get nominated in a year filled with incredible films, this is a great achievement.  I believe 12 Years A Slave is probably the front runner here, but we'll know more come closer to awards time.

Movies - Comedy

Okay, so let me start by saying, I was not aware that Wolf of Wall Street and American Hustle would qualify as comedies, and I believe that made the drama field a little less crowded.  Those two movies by themselves seem to be the front runners in a pretty week year for comedies.  I think American Hustle sweeps the major categories here with wins for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, as well as taking home Best Supporting Actress.  I would say they take home Best Supporting Actor as well for Bradley Cooper, but the Hollywood Foreign Press is much bolder than the Academy so I believe Barkhad Abdi from Captain Phillips, or even Jared Leto from Dallas Buyers Club have a decent shot at stealing this away.  However, come Oscar time, look for the Academy to give ultra love to another David O. Russell film in American Hustle.  I wouldn't be surprised to see it sweep the acting categories at the Oscars, but probably not here at the Globes.

Television Series - Drama

Again, I think everyone here is playing second to Breaking Bad, with the exception of supporting actor since Aaron Paul didn't do a lot in the second half of season 5.  This show is a near lock to win for Best Series and Best Actor.  In it's final few episodes, Bryan Cranston did some of the best work I have ever seen in television or film.  He was menacing, scary, and I never knew what Walter White would do.  I love that show, but that man haunts my dreams, and I give the credit for that fully to Bryan Cranston, who is one of the greatest actors living today.  With a pretty weak year for television, I am surprised awards favorite Mad Men got no love anywhere.  I think it could have received nominations for Best Series, Best Actor (perennial nominee Jon Hamm), and Best Actress (other perennial nominee Elisabeth Moss).  I think it should have also squeaked out a nominee for Best Supporting Actress for Christina Hendricks who was phenomenal this season.  I also think they missed on not nominating Anna Gunn from Breaking Bad, who after her Emmy win this year, I figured was a lock to win a Golden Globe.  In a nomination category that includes Hayden Pannettiere, Sofia Vergara, and Monica Potter, we couldn't find room for Anna Gunn and Christina Hendricks.  Major snubs there.  My other big snub is perennial snub Timothy Olyphant for his amazing work in FX's Justified.  FX as a network gets little to no love, so we'll see if that ever happens, but I think he deserved a nomination over both Liev Schreiber, and James Spader.  We could have done without those two as fluff nominees and put in Hamm and Olyphant and this immediately becomes a much stronger categories.

Television Series - Comedy

No real surprises here.  I think the early favorite to win Best Show is going to be awards show favorite Girls, an HBO product that I am personally not a big fan of.  I think The Big Bang Theory or Modern Family probably deserve to win, though don't be surprised to see a late push from Brooklyn Nine-Nine which, despite low ratings and not a lot of hype, is one of the better comedy shows I've seen come along in a while.  My votes for the best actor would go to Jim Parsons, who is the funniest actor working in television today.  His role on the Big Bang Theory is amazing and he completely makes that show.  I think the award will probably end up in his hands at the end of the night, but don't be surprised to see Michael J. Fox in his return to television win as well.  He is fantastic in his new show as well.  For Best Actress, I have believed for a while that Zooey Deschanel deserves to win for her amazing work in New Girl, but it looks like it probably won't happen.  Awards shows love Edie Falco for her work in Nurse Jackie, but even Falco has said that isn't a comedy so I don't know why we're still giving her love for it.

So there are my gut reactions with where we are for the nominees across the board.  Let me know what you think.  Leave me a comment with who you think could win, or should win, or even people you think may have been left off.

Ender's Game Review

So, in full disclosure, I have never read the book that this movie is based on.  Many with me in the theater though had read and loved this book as a child.  Those who have read this semi-classic novel by Orson Scott Card may disagree with how I feel concerning this movie, but so be it.

Ender's Game is set in the future, 50 years after an invasion of an alien race known as the Formics.  It is decided that Earth's best hope for survival is genius children because they can comprehend complex situations faster than adults can.  The best and brightest of these is Andrew Ender Wiggins, or Ender.  Ender then goes through training in Battle School and Command School so he can prepare for an all out offensive against the Formic race.  I won't spoil the rest for those of you who haven't read the book, but I did not see the end of this movie coming at all.

Some of the visuals and effects in this movie were just breathtaking.  It was very well done from that perspective and apparently this movie took nearly 3 years post filming to finish.  There are certain scenes, especially in the last major battle simulation where I can really see how that could be.  Some of those visuals are just insane.  However, at the same time, director Gavin Hood creates some parts of this movie that just seem to drag.  While the movie doesn't bore you at all, there are times where you wish it would get to a good part.  Though, in Hood's defense, as he also served as the screenwriter, those are some of the more important plot sequences.

The acting in this movie was decent.  You get an alright performance from Asa Butterfield, who plays Ender.  He is obviously young and newer to acting, and as such, some of his more emotional moments felt forced and I did not feel like it was genuine.  He was at his best though in battles and at the command.  He was sharing the screen with Academy Award Nominees Harrison Ford, Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin, and Viola Davis along with Academy Award Winner Ben Kingsley and held his own for the most part.  The supporting work, especially from adult commanders Ford, Davis and Kingsley was great and I loved the nearly emotionless Ford who pushes Ender to, if not past, his own limits.  As a side note, Harrison Ford has put together a decent year in film between this, 42 and Paranoia.  It's good to see him getting back to form after making some terrible films the last few years like the new Indiana Jones and Cowboys and Aliens.

Overall, this movie is entertaining though it did lack some of the punch I felt it could have had.  The message behind it was one I could get behind, though I think it missed some of its ability to portray it to an extent.  While there were gorgeous visuals, some of the sci-fi action sequences were a tad bit bland, or were over too quickly to keep my interest as it went.  I liked this movie, though I feel it could have been better.  I give it a B.

12 Years A Slave Review

As I begin to write this review, I have to take time to pause and say something about this film, as it is one that should move any viewer to the very soul.  This movie is a real story of a real man named Solomon Northup.  He was a free man, born in the northern states and then later kidnapped and sold into slavery where he remains for 12 years, hence the title.  That being said, this movie does not hold anything back.  You see the realities of life as a slave and they are harsh, brutal, and for many will, and for all should, make you sick to watch.  Never have I felt so moved by a film to want to change and have more compassion for my fellow man since I saw Crash for the first time 6 years ago.  I ask that you see this movie, but do not see it for its value as entertainment because you will be disappointed.  See this movie because it should change who you are, and how you feel about those around you.

As I said, this movie centers on the life of Solomon Northup who was illegally sold into slavery.  There he faces brutality and the horrors of life as a slave.  He has to give up his name, his family, and has to hide the fact that he is an educated man with the ability to read and write.  Three time Golden Globe Nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor gives what may end up being the most moving performance of the year as Northup.  He is one of the most consistent actors working today and gives a career best performance.  His work is transcendent and Oscar level and I believe he has a great chance to become the first African American winner of the Best Actor Academy Award since Jamie Foxx for his role as Ray Charles.

The supporting work in this movie is amazing as well, though many of the characters are people who you will despise through the end of the film.  Paul Giamatti has a short role as a man named Freeman who is one of the most purely evil and despicable characters I have seen in film since Cristoph Waltz's character The Jew Hunter in Inglorious Basterds.  He is amazing and, like many other actors in this, his role is nomination worthy.  I don't believe he will garner any awards momentum though due to his shorter running time in the film.  Michael Fassbender gives what may be the best role of his career as a brutal slave owner named Edwin Epps.  Even as Magneto, I didn't believe him to be this sadistic and hateful, but Michael Fassbender, who I believe to be one of the best younger actors working today (though he is 36) and his performance should garner huge awards consideration.  The other great character worth noting is Ford, a southern gentleman played by the always solid Benedict Cumberbatch (who has had one of the best years in films this year with three great roles in Star Trek: Into Darkness, this, and The Fifth Estate, the latter which may garner him some awards talk).  He has a chance to show compassion on Solomon but passes up the opportunity and Northup's life delves further and further into hell.

The writing in this movie is unflinching.  The directing by Steve McQueen is fantastic.  This movie does not apologize for its subject matter.  It just shows it how it is.  It isn't a fantasy movie like a Gone With The Wind or Django Unchained.  It is a real life story that happened to real life people in America.  The fact that this movie is not apologetic about that I truly appreciated.  It made it that much better.  I loved this film for being everything a film should be.  I hated the emotional tear it left in my soul, but this could be the best movie of the year, and in my opinion, is the first truly important movie of the decade.  I give this movie a resounding A+

Emmy Award Reviews

It's been a long time since I got anything up on here review wise, but the Emmy Awards were last night which gives me a great chance to get something up and start regular reviews again.  So here are my reactions from what I consider the most important categories.

Best Drama Series, Winner: Breaking Bad

Anyone who knows me will know that I have absolutely ZERO problems with this win.  I believe Breaking Bad to be the second best show ever created very closely behind The Wire.  (As a side note, if they have an amazing ending next week, it could jump The Wire for best of all time.)  While the other nominees are great shows, and I recommend all of them, Breaking Bad is leaps and bounds ahead of the others, at least this past year.

Best Actor, Drama Series, Winner: Jeff Daniels from The Newsroom

WHAT?!? That was my reaction immediately upon hearing that win.  I would have sworn Bryan Cranston was in line for his fourth Emmy for his performance as the greatest character ever put on television in Walter White from Breaking Bad.  Though after I thought about it, Jeff Daniels, who is great as a news anchor in HBO's The Newsroom, richly deserved this award.  My hat's off to you sir.

Best Actress, Drama Series, Winner: Claire Danes from Homeland

Awards shows continue to give Homeland more credit than it probably deserves.  While the show is great, and Claire Danes intricate performance as a slightly deranged CIA agent is incredible, Elisabeth Moss from Mad Men was better this year.  She was incredible and I believe should have won this award.  I think Vera Farmiga from Bates Motel and Robin Wright from House of Cards were both more deserving as well.

Best Supporting Actor, Drama Series, Winner: Bobby Cannavale from Boardwalk Empire

This was another surprise win, and another bad choice in my opinion.  If you aren't giving this award to Aaron Paul from Breaking Bad for a third time, then it needed to go to Mandy Patinkin who is the greatest actor working in television today.  His performance from Homeland is intricate, and is acted to perfection by the man who gave us my favorite line in the history of film (Hello. My name is Inigo Montaya.  You killed my father.  Prepare to die.).

Best Supporting Actress, Drama Series, Winner: Anna Gunn from Breaking Bad

While I am very pleased to have a win for Breaking Bad and Anna Gunn is great, I do not believe she was the best in the category.  Her performance in the season this award covers was amazing, but I would have loved to see a win for Christina Hendricks from Mad Men.  She was just breathtaking and not just by being absolutely beautiful in a Marilyn Monroe type style.  Her performance was just incredible this season and has gotten better each and every year Mad Men has been airing.

Best Comedy Series, Winner: Modern Family

I have no problem with this at all, except for one thing: Big Bang Theory was also nominated.  That is the single funniest show on television today and should have won this.  Though because it didn't, Modern Family is the obvious choice in a day and age when the good sitcoms are few and far between.

Best Actor, Comedy Series, Winner: Jim Parsons from The Big Bang Theory

This is positively the perfect choice.  Jim Parsons is a genius of a comedic actor, and Sheldon Cooper is positively the funniest character on television all because of this tremendously talented actor.

Best Actress, Comedy Series: Julia Louis-Dreyfus from VEEP

In my nomination reactions post, I mentioned that I think they butchered this category.  They missed the two best comedic actresses on television today in Zooey Deschanel and Mindy Kaling, both of whom should have been nominated.  Instead we nominated leads from three shows (VEEP, Enlightened, and Nurse Jackie) that aren't even funny which leaves us with a horrible category.  If you were going to pick one of the people here, at least pick the funniest woman alive in Tina Fey.

Best Supporting Actor, Comedy Series, Winner: Tony Hale from VEEP

If you are going to say that Modern Family is the best comedy show on TV, then this award needs to go to one of the three men nominated in this category.  All three richly deserve the award though my vote would go to Ty Burrell, who's character Phil Dunphy is the second best character on comedic television (next to Sheldon Cooper).

Best Supporting Actress, Comedy Series, Winner: Merritt Weaver from Nurse Jackie

Edie Falco, who is a genius actress in her own right, plays the title character in Nurse Jackie and has admitted that this show is not a comedy, so it begs the question, why is someone not in a comedy winning this award?  Mayim Bialik has one of the funniest characters on television today in Amy Farrah Fowler from The Big Bang Theory and she absolutely should have won this award.  If you aren't going to give it to the obvious best choice, then Julie Bowen from Modern Family would have been a great choice as well.

A couple other notes.  I am happy that Bob Newhard, a living legend, won an Emmy for his great performance on just one episode of The Big Bang Theory this past season.  I was also happy to see the wins for The Colbert Report as well, which is one of my favorite shows on TV.  Let me know what you guys think, and if you have any old movies, or movies you know are coming out soon, you would like to see me review, let me know.

Emmy Nomination Reviews

So I know generally I do movie reviews, but for those of you who are TV lovers, here are some quick reactions, snubs, surprises, and so forth from last week's Emmy Award Nominations.  I'll go by the categories that matter in my mind.

Outstanding Drama Series:

I like what they have here, though I don't know how I feel about an online series only (House of Cards) showing up here.  While that is a great show, it seems odd to see it here.  It has a total of 9 nominations on the night.  Two shows I think deserved to be in this list are The Newsroom and The Walking Dead, though I have no offer of what it should be in place of.  I do like that Dexter finally is not on this list as it has gone down hill the last couple years.

Outstanding Lead Actor, Drama:

I love the picks here from top to bottom for the most part even though I am not as high on Damian Lewis from Homeland as awards people are.  I would love to have seen Andrew Lincoln get a nod here for his work on Walking Dead Season 3 which was just tremendous.  I love that Jeff Daniels got a nod for his sensational work on The Newsroom, the best show to premier in 2012, period.  The one major snub here though is Kevin Bacon from The Following, which I believe should qualify for this year based on release date.  He was tremendous, and that show got no love at all.

Outstanding Lead Actress, Drama:

I have no real complaints here.  The obvious snub is former winner Julianna Marguiles for her work in The Good Wife.  I don't know where you lose anyone here though, outside of maybe Connie Britton.  I'm not surprised to see her here though since the Emmy's have loved her ever since Friday Night Lights (one of my picks for the 10 best drama series of all time).  Also, again no love for The Newsroom and it's leading lady Emily Mortimer who was great.

Outstanding Supporting Actor, Drama:

I absolutely love that Aaron Paul, Jonathan Banks and Mandy Patinkin (the greatest actor working in TV today) all got nominations.  Also not shocked to see a repeat nod to Peter Dinklage here.  He is great in Game of Thrones.  Before Dexter ends, I wouldn't mind seeing a little love for James Remar who is great as Harry Morgan.  I also wouldn't be mad with nods to David Zayas or C.S. Lee who provide the comic relief for what is otherwise one of the darkest shows on television.  Now on to my major snub: WHERE THE HECK IS JAMES PUREFOY IN THIS LIST!  Oh my gosh.  He has the best performance as a bad guy on TV this side of Tony Soprano as the leader of a serial killer cult in The Following and you can't give him an Emmy nomination.  What is wrong with the nominating committee.  Plus (SPOILER ALERT!) they kill him at the end of season 1 so his chance of getting nominated is done.

Outstanding Supporting Actress, Drama:

Morena Baccarin is on this list?  Seriously?  How is that possible.  I understand that awards shows are in love with Homeland, and rightfully so.  It is a tremendous show.  But Morena Baccarin is not worthy of a nomination for this show.  I think Alison Pill wouldn't have been a bad choice here for her work in The Newsroom.  She was great.  A nod to Jennifer Carpenter would have been nice for her work in Dexter.  Her character this past season was one of the most complicated on all of television and we can't give her the love she deserves for that?

Outstanding Comedy Series:

Great to see my favorite comedy in The Big Bang Theory is still going strong.  I still can't believe that we are nominating shows that aren't funny in VEEP and 30 Rock for best comedy show though.  I have never been a fan of either of those shows.  Girls is a good show, but I don't know how well it works as a comedy per se.  The big problem here is that there aren't a lot of great comedies left on TV.  The Office in its final season as well as a nod to It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia wouldn't have been bad choices either.

Outstanding Lead Actor, Comedy:

Good to see the funniest man on television, Jim Parsons, still getting nominated for his amazing work as Sheldon Cooper on Big Bang Theory, far and away the funniest show on television.  Should anyone else win this, it is a travesty.  This is a tough one to nominate as well since everyone in Modern Family, the second funniest show on TV, will only make themselves eligible for Supporting nods.  And can we please stop nominating Alec Baldwin for an Emmy for not being funny?  Thank you.  Max Greenfield deserves Baldwin's spot for his work in New Girl for sure.

Oustanding Lead Actress, Comedy:

The fact that Big Bang Theory has no true lead outside Kaley Cuoco who is funny but not nomination worthy means that this list will always include a very sad grouping.  There are two very obvious snubs here: Zooey Deschanel and Mindy Kaling for their work in Fox's sensational comedies New Girl and The Mindy Project.  Such funny shows, but somehow we are giving nominations to Edie Falco for a show she even admits isn't a comedy.

Outstanding Supporting Actor, Comedy:

While it's cool that the Modern Family characters all go for this category it means they are taking up three spots, and one of them is not Eric Stonestreet, the funniest character on the show?  Explain that one to me.  Also, before it ends, Simon Helberg, Johnny Galecki, and/or Kunal Nayyar need nominations for their work as Howard Wolowitz, Leonard Hofstadter, or Rajesh Koothrapali in the Big Bang Theory.  Simon Helberg is probably the most deserving, but any of them would be good choices, especially over a Modern Family character or Tony Hale from VEEP.

Outstanding Supporting Actress, Comedy:

So glad to see Mayim Bialik get nominated here for her work as the female version of Jim Parsons' character on the Big Bang Theory, Amy Farrah Fowler.  I wouldn't mind seeing Melissa Rauch on this list for her work on the Big Bang Theory as well.  Her and Simon Helberg make that show, at least these last few seasons.  I definitely agree with both Julie Bowen and Sophia Vegara as well for their work in Modern Family.

So there that is.  Those are my reactions from the nominations.  Let me know what other thoughts you might have, especially snubs or surprise nominations you can think of that I might have missed.

Red 2 Review

This is a sequel that, going into the summer, I was very excited about.  The first Red was smart, funny, action packed fun that had enough plot to keep me interested.  The sequel however, left a lot to be desired.

In the first film, we have a group of ex-CIA agents, along with one old MI6 agent teamed up to figure out who has put a hit out on them.  They find and break up a conspiracy that goes as high as the Vice President and save the world.  In the second film, the US Government again wants to kill these people because of a past mission that they may or may not have been a part of and they have to save the world.

Bruce Willis does a good job here again as Frank Moses.  He is actually believable as an ex-CIA agent that has been labelled Retired: Extremely Dangerous (RED - hence the name).  It helps that Bruce Willis is John McClane and has saved the world on probably 50 different occasions in films past.  He can still do it as an action star.  Mary-Louise Parker comes back as Sarah, Frank's love interest.  I will be honest.  For the most part I hated her in the first movie, and in this movie I really hate her character.  She is whiny, stupid, poorly written, and acted even worse.  It is sad to see a supremely talented actress like Parker, who gave us one of the three or four best female television characters of all time in Nancy Botwin from Showtime's Weeds, get ruined by such a dopey roll.

The supporting work for the most part isn't great.  The bright spot is John Malkovich who is supremely funny in his returning role of Marvin, another CIA agent who works with Willis' Moses.  Byung-hun Lee is an assassin sent to kill all three of our heroes, and he is bland and flat through this entire film.  Then again Lee isn't much of an actor as much as he is a stunt man they give lines to.  If you don't believe me, watch either of the G.I. Joe films.  I much preferred the role Karl Urban played in the first Red movie, which Lee's role is essentially replacing.  At least that character had some depth and had a good actor behind it as well.  Catherine Zeta-Jones gives a Razzie worthy performance as a Russian spy.  Her character isn't great to start with and Zeta-Jones just ruins it with a lifeless, flat, and altogether terrible performance.

The plot in this film is flat.  There isn't much suspense or intrigue in it as there was in the first movie.  The only real plot twist is one that was basically given away in the preview so the entire movie I was waiting for it to come to fruition.  There are some good action sequences, many of which are over the top, but that is not unlike the first movie.  The entire feel of this movie was just a bit off for me.  There were some great laughs and some fun action sequences, but there were long droughts where I felt like this movie dragged and I kept checking my watch wondering when it was going to be over.  If you didn't see the first Red movie, you might enjoy this, but if you, like me, are a fan of the first, you will more than likely be royally disappointed.  I give this movie a D+.

Man of Steel Review

Alright Superman fans, get ready to yell, scream and criticize me.  Here is my review of Man of Steel.  This is a movie I have been anticipating for a while, but I have to admit, I was seriously underwhelmed.  I am of the opinion that Christopher Nolan is the most ingenious storyteller in Hollywood and Zack Snyder creates some of the best visuals of any director working today..  So when I saw they would be producing and directing this film respectfully, I thought this would be the best superhero film this side of The Dark Knight. However, I was wrong.

This movie had flashes where it was absolutely brilliant, especially in some of the flash backs looking back to Clark's childhood and his interactions with his father, played by Kevin Costner.  However, when it came to the main story it just felt that there was something lacking most of the movie.  The story of this film is that a general banished from Krypton comes to earth seeking Clark because Clark's father gave him the key to rebuilding their race.  The only problem is this general believes that humans need to be destroyed in order to make room for the rebuilding of the Kryptonian race.  Therefore we have Superman needing to save the world from aliens that are trying to destroy earth.  In other words we have The Avengers and Green Lantern made over again, but with a tougher superhero.

Once the fighting begins, it becomes clear that Snyder is more concerned with the visuals and the effects than creating a good fight scene for a movie.  For much of the major climactic fight between Superman and General Zod you can't even see the two as the go flying through buildings.  All you see is explosions and large skyscrapers that are falling over since they went through support beams.  It seems like a bit of a cop out to me.  The effects are top notch, but it isn't enough to save the scenes.

The biggest problem I have with this film was the casting.  There are supporting roles in this film from five different Academy Award Nominees/Winners (Amy Adams, Kevin Costner, Russell Crowe, Lawrence Fishburne, and Diane Lane) but ask Henry Cavill, who's biggest film role was in Immortals to carry the film.  The only problem is he does not have the screen presence to do so.  It would have been okay if others had been given bigger roles to help carry the film, but most of this film requires Henry Cavill to carry a particular scene.  Adams, Lane and Fishburne all give sub par performances by their standards.  Crowe and Costner give great performances as Clark's birth father and adopted father respectively, and their interactions with Clark are some of the more touching scenes of the movie.

Overall I was expecting greatness and came out very seriously underwhelmed.  This is a movie that I think has become a victim of it's serious hype both from media and fans, but true fans of the comics will be disappointed.  If you want mindless action you will like it, but if you, like me, enjoy the intricacies of good film making you will be sorely disappointed.  I give it a C-.

The Newsroom on DVD

I know that I am supposed to be doing movie reviews, but I feel that this is good enough that it deserves a special mention.  This week the first season of HBO's The Newsroom was released on DVD.  While this show does not receive the pomp and circumstance of other past and present HBO staples such as The Wire, The Sopranos and Game of Thrones, this may very well become the best show HBO has.  This show was created by the world's greatest living screenwriter in Aaron Sorkin and he also serves as executive producer.  Every time he has done that on TV he has hit a home run.  He has created The West Wing, one of the ten best drama shows of all time, and two of the most underrated shows of all time in Sports Night and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.

I will admit, when I first saw commercials for the Newsroom, I was convinced I would not enjoy this show largely because I have never been a fan of Jeff Daniels.  He's been in some of my favorite movies like Dumb and Dumber, State of Play, and Traitor but he has always been a supporting guy, never the star.  In this he stars as news anchor Will McAvoy, who early in the first episode is described as the Jay Leno of news anchors in that he is popular for never bothering anyone.  While I may not normally be a fan of Jeff Daniels, he carried this show with a tremendous performance in every episode and he had me hooked from the first scene of the first episode, and this incredible monologue:

This speech on whether or not America is the greatest country in the world is not only provocative, it is legitimately though provoking.  Jeff Daniels in this show is incredible and earned the Golden Globe nomination for this show.  What is a travesty is that his co-star, the always talented Emily Mortimer, did not earn a Golden Globe nomination for her turn as executive producer, and Will's former girlfriend, MacKenzie McHale.  Together they turn their show around and turn it in to a news show that they can be proud of and together tackle many recent real news stories such as the BP oil spill, the killing of Osama bin Laden, and the Tea Party takeover.

What makes me impressed about this show is how great the cast is from top to bottom.  Every member of this cast does a great job no matter how big or small their roles are, and Sorkin does a great job of giving everyone their moment to shine.  Whether it is little known actor Dev Patel, who plays a blogger who wants to become a producer, or Alison Pill who goes from being Will's assistant to a producer or Olivia Munn who plays an economist who works on Will's show, every young and relatively unknown cast member in this show is amazing.  The one that I love the most though is Sam Waterston, the former star of Law and Order, who plays Will's boss.  He does an incredible job and also deserved nominations for his performance in this show.

Unlike other Aaron Sorkin creations like The West Wing and The American President, where he shows his incredible left wing bias, Sorkin does a great job of creating a right wing character he can be unbiased at most all situations.  I love how this show lacks the political skew it could have taken.  It is in my opinion the best show that premiered in the year 2012 and is one of the 5 best shows currently running on television, along with Dexter, Breaking Bad, Mad Men and Game of Thrones (not particularly in that order).  If you missed this show find a way to watch it because you are missing out, and I promise you will not regret it.