Top 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2015

Honorable Mentions

Fantastic Four

Mad Max: Fury Road

Tomorrowland

Ted 2

10. Crimson Peak

Starring: Jessica Chastain, Charlie Hunnam, Tom Hiddleston

A Guillermo del Toro horror movie that centers on a haunted house is very intriguing to me. I really enjoy a well done psychological horror film, and del Toro is a director who can accomplish that. With this great cast, I believe this could be one of the best horror movies we have seen in a while.

9. Ant-Man

Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas

As Marvel continues to pump out movies, they continue to reach deeper into their catalogue of super heroes. Ant Man is definitely one of the most obscure heroes to be put on screen, but that didn’t stop “Guardians of the Galaxy” from owning the box office last year. However, “Guardians” was very well executed, and that remains to be seen with Ant Man. Edgar Wright was the original director/writer, but eventually dropped out late after disagreements with Marvel. After re-writes and scrambling to find a new director, they ended up getting Peyton Reed, which worries me. All in all though, it’s hard to not trust Marvel with their track record of good films, especially their last two (“Captain America: The Winter Soldier”, “Guardians of the Galaxy”). I was actually more excited about this movie until I saw the trailer. I was pretty disappointed with the trailer because it seemed like a cookie cutter comic book movie and wasn’t the tone I was expecting. Regardless, I’m excited to see Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas in this world, and see how this story fits into the overall Marvel Cinematic Universe. Also, Marvel does pretty well with placing their movies into sub-genres within the superhero movie category. This movie will have the feeling of a heist movie, and that’s something different and exciting to look forward to.

8. Spectre

Starring: Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz

Daniel Craig and the same director as “Skyfall” will be returning for the 24^th installment in Bond franchise. I thought “Skyfall” was great, and was actually my favorite film of the ‘Daniel Craig Era’. Additionally, the villain in this film will be portrayed by another Academy Award winning actor (Christoph Waltz), so it’s hard not to be excited about this film. I really enjoyed the action and darkness of “Skyfall” and I believe this movie will follow that same path. They will be able to build on what worked for them previously, and hopefully come out with a great film. Not just a great Bond film.

7. The Reverent 

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Will Poulter

From the director of my favorite movie of 2014, ‘Birdman’, this is definitely one movie you should look out for. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy.  It follows a frontiersman (DiCaprio) in the 1820s who was left for dead by his friends after a bear mauling, and is now on a path of vengeance. With a great director and those phenomenal actors, I can’t see this one not turning out well.

6. Jurassic World 

Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard

We’re back at Jurassic Park, and what looks like to be a promising sequel. In this film, the park is open and has been running successfully for a while. I like that the story will start there, and we will be able to see the vision of the first movie come to life. Visually everything looks great in the trailer, and Chris Pratt is riding a motorcycle next to Raptors, pretty hard to beat that. Speaking of Chris Pratt, I’m interested to see him in a leading role that will show off his dramatic chops, instead of just the loveable goofball we all know him for. The plot seems a little predictable, but I’m hoping to be surprised when I see the film.

5. The Hateful Eight 

Starring: Channing Tatum, Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell

Quentin Tarantino is back to direct the eighth film (go figure) of his career. He is not straying too far from his last film “Django Unchained”, because this will be another bloody Western. I really enjoy Tarantino as a director, and think he rarely misses when it comes to making a film. This movie was almost cancelled by Tarantino due to the script being leaked. However, after some re-writes, Tarantino decided to go through with it and I’m glad he did. “Django Unchained” was one of my favorite movies of 2012, so if this lives up or even surpasses that, I will definitely be satisfied.

4. Chappie 

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Sigourney Weaver, Sharlto Copley

If you’ve noticed any common thread here, it’s probably that most of the movies in my top 10 are here because of the directors in charge of them. When you don’t know a lot about a film coming up, it’s nice to able to know that you can trust the talent behind the camera. “Chappie” is no exception. Its director, Neil Blomkamp, directed one of my favorite movies of all time, “District 9”. His most recent film, “Elysium” did not receive much critical acclaim but I still believe he can recreate what he did with “District 9”. That movie was a great Sci-fi film that had a lot of heart and depth. “Chappie” has the potential to be that same kind of movie because all of the elements are there. It deals with a somewhat-distant-future deadly A.I. that starts to learn human emotions and becomes something more than what he was programmed to do. I believe Chappie will be a very sympathetic character that the audience will gravitate towards, and this movie will put a new spin on how we view the world.

3. Inside Out 

Starring: Amy Poehler, Diane Lane, Mindy Kaling

Pixar is back with an original idea that is one of the most creative concepts I’ve heard of. Pixar has been putting out/announcing a lot of sequels lately, so I am glad they coming out with a brand new story. Pixar very rarely makes sub-par movies, and most of the time, they are amazing. [If you do not know, just look up the list of every Pixar movie]. This movie will showcase the different emotions inside people’s heads, and how they react to different situations. We will see the emotions from a kid’s point of view, as well as the parents. Pixar always does a great job of making movies that both adults and kids can thoroughly enjoy. There have been rumors that Pixar believes this will be the funniest movie they have ever come out with. That is not too surprising to hear because of the cast they were able to get for this film. Expect a classic Pixar film that can be enjoyed by anyone.

2. Avengers: Age of Ultron

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth 

Following the critically acclaimed and third highest grossing movie of all time “The Avengers”, “Age of Ultron” looks like the sequel that I had hoped for. I really enjoyed “The Avengers” and seeing all of those characters come together, however, I did feel there were some flaws. As I mentioned before though, Marvel has a great track record and their last two movies have been their best yet. I’m glad they are going with a darker tone in this film, and we get to see the heroes in a more realistic struggling to win. This was definitely shown in the trailer, and I hope it's something that carries throughout the film. (Obviously still having some of the Marvel humor we've come to love). In the broader sense, this movie will drastically change the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which excites me. This looks like a logical next step in the series, and a situation we want to see our heroes in. Hopefully Joss Whedon can improve even more from the first, and amplify what makes this concept so great.

1. Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens

Starring: Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Harrison Ford

Not much I can say here. The trailer looked great, and I feel J.J. Abrams is the perfect person to direct this movie. The cast is full of strong young actors, and they will be able to carry this franchise into a new generation. The original cast will also be returning, so I am interested to see how big their roles will be. The movie will take place 30 years after the original trilogy, so there is a lot that can be explored. Brining “Star Wars” into this era of filmmaking will be amazing, and definitely the best Christmas present I will be receiving this year.

2015 Oscar Nominations Review

Best Picture
“American Sniper”
“Birdman”
“Boyhood”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“The Imitation Game”
“Selma”
“The Theory of Everything”
“Whiplash”

This list looks about right, no real surprises here. "Boyhood" (my #2) is looking like the choice to win, while "Birdman" (my #1) and "Grand Budapest Hotel" have a chance as well. "American Sniper" is a little bit of a surprise to see here, but it seemed to get a lot of love from the Academy. I’m glad to see "Whiplash" made the list. It didn’t get nominated at the Golden Globes, so I’m pleased it made the list because it deserves to. Two notable absences are "Nightcrawler" and "Gone Girl". I thought those two might have had a chance (especially "Nightcrawler"), but I’m not shocked they didn’t make it. 

Actor in a Leading Role
Steve Carrell, “Foxcatcher”
Bradley Cooper, “American Sniper”
Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Imitation Game”
Michael Keaton, “Birdman”
Eddie Redmayne, “The Theory of Everything”

This is definitely going to be the hardest race to predict this year. Michael Keaton and Eddie Redmayne both won at the Golden Globes, and look like to be the favorites. Bradley Cooper and "American Sniper" once again getting a some-what surprising nomination, and this is Bradley Cooper’s third consecutive Oscar nomination (‘Silver Linings Playbook’ and ‘American Hustle’). Steve Carrell, who had a lot of momentum a few months ago, now seems to be dropping in the ranks and Benedict Cumberbatch may also have an outside chance of taking it home. There were two legitimate snubs this year, and one of them was in this category. The fact that Jake Gyllenhaal did not get nominated for ‘Nightcrawler’ is a travesty. His performance was my favorite of the year, and deserved at least a nomination. Also, no nomination for David Oyelowo in ‘Selma’ is a surprise as well. Two deserving actors did not even make the list, that’s how tight this category is.

Actress in a Leading Role
Marion Cotillard, “Two Days, One Night”
Felicity Jones, “The Theory of Everything”
Julianne Moore, “Still Alice”
Rosamund Pike, “Gone Girl”
Reese Witherspoon, “Wild”

This is another solid category with great performances all around. However, Julianne Moore seems to be one step above everyone else and is likely to take home the Oscar. The surprise here is no Jennifer Anniston, for her performance in "Cake". Many people believed she would make the cut, but it seems Marion Cotillard slid in to take the last spot.

Actor in a Supporting Role
Robert Duvall, “The Judge”
Ethan Hawke, “Boyhood”
Edward Norton, “Birdman”
Mark Ruffalo, “Foxcatcher”
J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash”

If I were to bet on any category, it would be this one. This is almost a lock for J.K. Simmons and his phenomenal performance in ‘Whiplash’. He dominated every scene he was in, and deserves to take home the award. Although, I could see Edward Norton taking home the Oscar in an upset.

Actress in a Supporting Role
Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”
Laura Dern, “Wild”
Emma Stone, “Birdman”
Keira Knightley, “The Imitation Game”
Meryl Streep, “Into the Woods”

Patricia Arquette won the Golden Globe, and is looking like she will take home the Academy Award as well. Meryl Streep seems to get a nomination no matter what she does and Laura Dern is a curious pick as well. I thought Jessica Chastain could have slipped into this category for "A Most Violent Year", but the Academy didn’t seem to agree.

Directing
Alejandro González Iñárritu, “Birdman”
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
Bennett Miller, “Foxcatcher”
Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Morten Tyldum, “The Imitation Game”

Two amazing directorial achievements happened this year with "Boyhood" and "Birdman", and I can see either one of those directors taking home the award. I personally would have no problem with either of those two winning, but Wes Anderson is a crowd favorite that could possibly steal it.

Animated Feature Film
“Big Hero 6”
“The Boxtrolls”
“How to Train Your Dragon 2”
“Song of the Sea”
“The Tale of the Princess Kaguya”

You know how I mentioned earlier that there were two legitimate snubs this year? Well, the second one falls into this category.  It boggles my mind that "The Lego Movie" did not get nominated. Many critics (including me) had "The Lego Movie" winning the Oscar this year. I truly believe not only was "The Lego Movie" the best animated movie of the year, but it was one of the best movies of the year period. With that said, "How to Train your Dragon 2” will end up coming away with the award this year, and it is a very good movie in its own right.

Film Editing
Joel Cox and Gary Roach, “American Sniper”
Sandra Adair, “Boyhood”
Barney Pilling, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
William Goldenberg, “The Imitation Game”
Tom Cross, “Whiplash”

I believe "Boyhood" will get the win in this category, simply because of the way it seamlessly flowed from one year to the next. The jumps in time never took me out of the movie, and was very well done. I’m a bit surprised not to see "Birdman" here, because it is amazing how they were able to make the entire movie look like one continuous shot.

Cinematography
Emmanuel Lubezki, “Birdman”
Robert D. Yeoman, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lynzewski, “Ida”
Dick Pope, “Mr. Turner”
Roger Deakins, “Unbroken”

Speaking of "Birdman", this is where I think its innovative style will be rewarded. Cinematography was just as important as the editing, so I think Emmanuel Lubezki will take home the Oscar.

Visual Effects
“Captain America: Winter Soldier,” Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Bryan Grill and Dan Sudick
“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett and Erik Winquist
“Guardians of the Galaxy,” Stephanie Ceretti, Nicolas Aithadi, Jonathan Fawkner and Paul Corbould
“Interstellar,” Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter and Scott Fisher
“X-Men: Days of Future Past,” Richard Stammers, Lou Pecora, Tim Crosbie and Cameron Waldbauer

Now to the section that the big blockbuster movies thrive in. I really enjoyed all of these movies, and their special effects were great. However, I think "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" should and will win this category. The motion capture technology they used looked amazing, and the digital artists made each Ape seem very real. I was able to fully see each Ape’s emotions, and that is a huge testament to the special effects team on this movie. "Interstellar" has an outside chance due to that fact that the best part of that film was the visuals.

Keep a look a out for my full Oscar predictions, coming soon!

Top 10 Movies of 2014

It is a new year, so it’s that time to count down my top 10 movies of 2014. I was fortunate to see a lot of movies that came out this year. Obviously all film is subjective, but if you think I’m right or wrong, let me know! This was a great year in film, so lets celebrate.

Honorable Mentions

Captain America:
The Winter Soldier

Foxcatcher

The Grand Budapest Hotel

22 Jump Street

10. Interstellar

A very ambitious film. This movie tried to fit a lot in and I thought Christopher Nolan did a pretty good job. Now there are definitely some flaws with the plot and pace, but the parts that were done right were spectacular. I believe this film was meant to be seen in the theatre, because I’m not sure you will get the same feelings if you watch it at home. The shots in space were magnificent and I thought Matthew McConaughey gave a great performance. I really empathized with him and believed everything he was going through. This movie definitely takes you on a ride emotionally and visually, which is what you want from a science fiction epic. The chance for this movie to be really great was there though. Since this film tries to grapple such a large concept, if one piece is missing, it doesn’t all connect. I do understand where it was going and after a second viewing, I really enjoyed it. 

9. X-Men: Days of Future Past

Bryan Singer returned to the X-Men franchise in a big way with this film. Stories that involve time travel do not always work out well, but Singer used it as a vehicle to drive the narrative in a fresh new way. The ensemble cast was handled perfectly, and was given the opportunity to show some pretty amazing fighting scenes as a group. This cast was made up of the ‘First Class’ X-Men as well as the original cast, and each character made their time to shine count. Additionally, by only really focusing on a few main characters, the story was able to move along without looking too convoluted. A lot of films can get lost if they to include too many characters or storylines into a movie. I thought there could’ve been a little more action, because when there was, those scenes were great. Especially the scenes that take place in present day China. Also, the kitchen scene with Quicksilver was one of the best scenes of the year. The acting in this movie was pretty phenomenal as well. Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence and James McAvoy really embraced their characters and gave them a lot of depth. The tension can really be felt in this film, and it is one of the most original comic book movies I have seen.

8. Guardians of the Galaxy

This movie bleeds pure entertainment. A lot of people may have been surprised by how fun this movie was, but at the beginning of the year this was my second most anticipated movie of 2014. As soon as I heard about its release, I read into the characters and followed this movie very closely. It makes me very happy to say that this movie definitely lived up to my expectations and that it was one of the highest grossing movies of the year. This movie was a breath of fresh air in this era of superhero movies that seem to come out every other month. Definitely the funniest movie Marvel Studios has put out, and was just enjoyable to watch the entire time. It had good music, good action and some great CGI. Also, it added in a few emotional moments to help ground it in reality. In the end, I fell in love with the characters and seeing them interact with each other. I thought Chris Pratt is fantastic and fit in this movie perfectly. Rocket Raccoon and Groot almost steal the show, and I can’t wait to see them together again in the sequel.

7. The Lego Movie

I don’t think I recommended a film to people this year more than The Lego Movie. Who would’ve thought a movie about Lego bricks could be so awesome? (Pun intended) This movie offers everything you could want in an animated film. It has phenomenal animation, is VERY funny, relays a great message and is fun for both kids and adults. Oh yeah, not to mention the star studded cast is perfect and lead by Chris Pratt (who seems to be taking over the galaxy these days [another pun intended]). I laughed throughout this entire movie, and didn’t see one scene that could’ve been taken out. There’s not much more I can say about this movie, other than you need to see it right now if you haven’t.

6. Nightcrawler

This was one of those movies where I didn’t really know how to feel about it, but I liked it. This film kept growing on me the more I thought about it, and I couldn’t get Jake Gyllenhaal’s character, Louis Bloom, out of my head. Gyllenhaal completely transformed in this film and it is no doubt my favorite performance of the year. This creepy character is so mesmerizing to watch, and you forget that these types of people exist. The shots are really well done as well. You see Los Angeles in such an interesting way and get a glimpse into this business that not many people know about. It is fascinating to follow Louis’ story and try to figure out where it is going.

5. Gone Girl

I’m a sucker for a crime thriller movie, and if you have David Fincher as the director, I’m sold. People may not have liked this movie as much as I did, because they compared it to the book, or it was too mainstream, or what have you. However, what I saw was a very well put together film accompanied by great performances (with a special acknowledgment to Rosamund Pike). Obviously every movie falls short in some aspects, but this movie did a lot of things right. Everything made sense, the story was unfolded beautifully, and the marvelous performance Rosamund Pike gave put it over the top. The over-hyped media frenzy was fun to see portrayed on screen as well. I was happily surprised that this film grabbed my emotions the way it did, and even though I didn’t care for the ending, I still left the theatre very satisfied.

4. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

This movie shows how you can do a prequel and a sequel correctly at the same time. This was marvelous follow up to 2011’s ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’, which is a good movie in its own right. Even without the first movie, this could stand by itself and still provide a powerful experience. It is very hard to create a prequel to an iconic story where everyone knows the final outcome. However, I thought the director, Matt Reeves, did a fabulous job of engrossing us into this part of the timeline and having Caeser the focus of the film. The apes are by far the most intriguing part of this movie. Not to take away from Jason Clarke or Gary Oldman, who are great, but seeing Caesar ten years later as the leader of this evolving species is special. Of course Caesar was brought to life by the brilliant motion-caption artist Any Serkis. The CGI in this film, mixed with Serkis’ performance, makes you really see who Caesar is and you become attached to this character. Even Toby Kebbell’s motion-caption performance as the villain Koba is wonderfully done. Due to those performances, it gave the Apes diversity and depth in which we can relate to. The ideas of trust, segregation and acceptance really come through in this movie as. It is amplified by the interaction between the humans and apes and even each species against their own. This film was executed very well, and was a great next step in the franchise.

3. Whiplash

Intense. Nerve-wracking. Powerful. I know I may sound like the movie poster quote, but it is hard not to describe this film in that way. This movie never stops to a take breathe, and goes to places that you didn’t think it could go. Ironically, one of the movie’s themes is the ability to push yourself farther than you ever thought possible to achieve greatness. Now the way J.K. Simmons’ character goes about pulling that out of his student (Miles Teller) is downright despicable, but you cannot take your eyes off the screen. This movie puts you right in the forefront of this verbal and psychological war between the two, and you feel it as an audience member. However, this would not be believable without the brilliant performance by J.K. Simmons. Miles Teller did a hell of a good job preparing for this movie as well, and he will be an actor to be aware of in the near future. This story immediately grabs you from the beginning and does not let you go until the very end. I kept finding myself wanting to see what happens next, and that is a good feeling to have during a film. As a side note, I had a very personal connection with this movie. I have been a drummer for almost my whole life, so I really enjoyed watching the display of talent and music in this film. Also, I have been in that world of symphonic bands led by a strict band director. Now obviously not to the level that is shown in the film, but I can definitely relate to certain aspects of the movie. Have you ever been called out and embarrassed in front of your peers by a superior? Take that fear, and multiply it by one hundred. That is how far this movie goes.

2. Boyhood

My top two picks have a lot in common with each other, in the sense that they are both extraordinary film achievements that give us a personal in depth look on life. However, it is hard to compare ‘Boyhood’ to another film, because there is just nothing else like it. If you don’t know, this movie was filmed over the course of 12 years. They would film a little bit every summer, so the audience got to see this family, and especially the kids, grow up right on screen. Since this movie kept the same cast throughout the entire filming process, the leaps in time never take you out of the story because it is still the same actors, just older. Over the course of this movie you see this family go through the high moments and (mostly) low moments of life. Granted there isn’t much of a plot to the film, but it doesn’t exactly need one. Moments and events in life tell the story, and that is the beautiful theme of this movie. We  as the audience are so invested into this boy’s life, that we feel his emotions and feel like we’ve known him since he was 6 years old. That is made possible by the directing, editing, and performances in this movie. I especially have a deep connection with this movie because the main character is only four years younger than me. So a lot of the things he was doing growing up, I was doing as well. I knew kids like him, so I could completely relate to this movie. It was fun for me to re-live those points in time. From beginning to end, you become devoted to this movie and this boy’s journey of growing up.

1. Birdman

Once again, this is unlike any movie I have ever seen. The way this film is directed is simply amazing, and the performances are great as well. The entire film looks like one continuous shot, and it never gets boring or takes away from the story. If anything, it adds to the story because it makes it feel personal and puts you right there with the characters. This seems like a role Michael Keaton has been waiting to play for a while, and he is perfect. Also, the supporting cast lifts this movie to a higher level with the wonderful performances by Edward Norton, Zach Galifianakis, and Emma Stone. Their roles give a nice reality to the movie and serve an important purpose. However, I mostly enjoyed the inter-woven themes in this film. A lot of people can come out of this movie finding different meanings, but I believe this movie puts a mirror up to audiences and the film industry today. It touches on the experiences with critics, blockbuster movies, Indies, and taking on a role that’s your passion. It’s very interesting to see these concepts explored and put out in front of you in such an intimate way. It was very enjoyable to watch and discuss way after it was done. That is when you know you have a great film.