My Favorite Films Of 2014:
1. "Boyhood"- The best film I've seen this year.
Even beginning with "Slacker", Richard Linklater has always been an innovative filmmaker. This film however is no exception. Linklater spent 12 years off and on making this film. The end result is incredible. Watching a coming of age film with the same actors, the characters are aging along with the characters; that's genius. Kudos to Linklater for thinking outside the box.
Aside from how the movie was made, I thought the movie itself was phenomenal. Being from a divorced setting and growing up with that, to see that played out on screen in such an organic fashion was nice to see for once.
I do have to share a funny story involving seeing this movie. I seen this movie the week "Guardians Of The Galaxy" opened, I also made the mistake of wearing my Star Wars shirt to the theater as well. I walk up to the box office, the guy in the box office just shoots me the "I know what he's here for" look.
"Welcome to the AMC Lennox. Let me guess, 'Guardians' right ?"
"Excuse me ?" I reply back with legit confusion.
"You know, 'Guardians Of The Galaxy' !?! With Groot and that talking weasel/Racoon thing. Judging from the Star Wars shirt, you're here for the 'Galaxy'. Just one ?"
"Oh no, I am here for the 4:30 showing of 'Boyhood'."
After what I told him what movie I really wanted to see, the look of utter disappointment on the box office guy's face was priceless.
2. "Gone Girl"- I'm down, Fincher is god !
This one terrified me on so many levels. This film wasn't too "Hollywood", there's a sense of realism to this adaptation which I enjoyed. I also, without giving too much away, enjoyed how nothing was solved at the end. You got the answers of why but the problem wasn't really taken care of. The ending of this film gave you no closure at all. You went home knowing that and it was kind of nice. Films nowadays give you too much closure and sometimes, that's not always great.
David Fincher has really embraced digital filmmaking. He started out like everyone else in his generation shooting on film, which he was really good at too but he's really grown as a visionary shooting in digital. Case in point, "The Social Network", "The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button", and "Gone Girl" were shot digitally and they look fantastic. I guess they're some directors out there that can use it for good as oppose using it as a time saving measure.
One more thing, Affleck was great in this film. I am a fan of his work. The dude has chops whether it's acting or being behind the camera. I can't wait to see what he does with being Batman.
3. "Interstellar"- Probably the best Science Fiction film I've seen in a long time.
I can't begin to explain this one. There's so much to this film that I can't review it and do it justice. You go in expecting one thing and that one thing becomes several other things. Absolutely mind blowing. I will be watching this on multiple occasion when I buy it, just so I can absorb it all.
I remember hearing and reading that people thought Christopher Nolan couldn't deliver a solid film outside of the "The Dark Knight" franchise. That's absolute bullshit, Nolan is a solid visionary. What he did for the Batman is only the beginning. I can't wait to see what he does next. This guy is a hybrid of the greats such as Stanley Kubrick, Ridley Scott, and I'll even throw pre-CGI latent Steven Spielberg.
I really wished I would've seen this in IMAX.
4. "Tusk"- I never thought someone reinventing themselves could so entertaining to watch.
I've been a fan of Kevin Smith since I was thirteen. With that said, I grew up watching the Jay & Silent Bob saga and you would think I might show some resentment when Kevin started making movies without the lovable stoner duo. Absolutely not ! I didn't watch his movies for those guys, I watched them his movie because I connected with what Kevin was saying. I often consider Kevin Smith "the John Hughes of my generation". He's one of my favorite writers.
I love "Red State". It was different, ambitious, controversial, and well made. Next to "Mallrats", "Red State" became my favorite Kevin Smith movie. I was real interested to see what Kevin was going to do next considering he wasn't going back to the well. The well being Jay & Silent Bob.
At first, "Tusk" freaked me out. It's so strange. It's really strange that it's a Kevin Smith film. Here's a guy who gave me some great insight about relationships in "Chasing Amy" and now he makes a movie about a guy in a fucking walrus suit ? What was the John Hughes of my generation trying to say ?
Then it occurred to me he wasn't trying to say anything, he's made those movies. He might come back to those movie every once in a while but for right now, he just wants to entertain. I am cool with that.
5."Godzilla"- This is how reboots should be done. Way more redeeming than the '98 attempt. We're just going to leave it at that.
Best Documentaries I seen in 2014:
1. "Adjust Your Tracking"- I haven't bought a brand new VHS tape in almost 12 years. I pre-ordered the VHS/DVD big box combo just so I can relieve the glory days of buying a brand new movie on video tape. And that's what this documentary does, it's a very nostalgic look at VHS and VHS collecting (yes, people aside from myself still buy videotapes !). Very informative and entertaining.
2. "Rewind This"- This documentary is essentially a continuation of "Adjust Your Tracking". It's just as awesome as well.
3. "As The Palaces Burn"- I will forever have the up most respect for Randy Blythe. Not very many people in his position would do what he did. Watching this, made me proud to be a fan of Lamb Of God.
4. "Winnebago Man"- Almost 90 minutes of a disgruntled old Winnebago salesman cursing, what more could you ask for ?
5. "Side By Side"- A very informative piece on digital filmmaking. By watching this, I learned that digital filmmaking can be used for good in a visual sense. But at the end of the day, I'd rather they shoot on film.
6. "Milius"- If you are a film geek and don't know who John Milius is, you need your film geek card revoked. This guy is amazing. Wrote some of the most important films in history. This documentary is a great tribute to his legacy and him as a person.
7. "Beware Of Mr. Baker"- Ginger Baker is a fucking lunatic. Great drummer but he's crazy. Made for a good documentary though.
Best Blu-Rays I Purchased In 2014:
1. Phantom Of The Paradise/ The Zombie Horror Picture Show
2. The Complete Halloween Collection
3. The Ailen Anthology
4. The Blood & Ice Cream Trilogy (Shaun Of The Dead, Hot Fuzz, The World's End)
5. Through The Never
6. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
7. Once Upon A Time In America: Extended Director's Cut
8. Mallrats
Most Anticipated Films For 2015:
1. Rob Zombie's "31"
2. Terminator Genesys
3. Mad Max: Fury Road
4. American Sniper
5. Yoga Hosers
Still on the fence about Episode VII......
That concludes my favorite films of 2014, see you in 2015 !
No comments:
Post a Comment