May 2013
4 posts
6 tags
Upstream Color Review
Shane Carruth returns nine years after his first film Primer, which won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize. For Primer, Carruth had a budget of roughly $7,000 and because of the cost of film he was only able to shoot 80 minutes worth of footage. The final cut of the film was 78 minutes. Although the budget hasn’t been released for Upstream Color, it’s clear that Carruth had more to...
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The Place Beyond the Pines Review
The Place Beyond the Pines is Director Derek Cianfrance’s follow up to 2010’s Blue Valentine, which gained acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival. The Place Beyond the Pines follows the impact of one man’s actions as they influence multiple lives over the course of many years.
The film starts by introducing Luke (Ryan Gosling), a motorcycle stunt driver who, as part of a...
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Iron Man 3 Review
When the news that Jon Favreau wouldn’t be returning to direct Iron Man 3 surfaced, the curiosity of what other directors vision of Iron Man would be was intriguing. Soon enough Marvel announced that Shane Black would take over as director, as well as co-writer. Black had only directed one film previously, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and has been predominantly a writer throughout his career....
April 2013
10 posts
14 tags
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Terrence Malick's To the Wonder
To the Wonder is like watching a series of memories. Specifically, the memories of Writer/Director Terrence Malick, as the story is based on his life. In typical Malick style very little dialog is spoken, but rather the characters thoughts are conveyed via voice-overs. To the Wonder centers around the turbulent relationship between Neil (Ben Affleck) and Marina (Olga Kurylenko). The first...
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“So on this day of reflection I say again, thank you for going on this journey...”
– Roger Ebert passed away today. This is last sentence of his last blog post. (via digg)
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Alec Guinness Roles
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Star Wars
Kind Hearts and Coronets
The Man in the White Suit
The Ladykillers
The Lavender Hill Mob
Oliver Twist
Great Expectations
Lawrence of Arabia
Doctor Zhivago
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March 2013
12 posts
5 tags
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Akira Kurosawa Films
This may be one of the most difficult lists to create because of how great all of his work is.
Seven Samurai
Ikiru
High and Low
Yojimbo
Stray Dog
Sanjuro
Drunken Angel
The Hidden Fortress
Throne of Blood
Rashomon
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Gary Oldman Roles
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
The Fifth Element
Leon: The Professional
Sid and Nancy
True Romance
Dracula
Hannibal
JFK
The Dark Knight Rises
Harry Potter
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Interstellar →
Only 608 more days…
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February 2013
12 posts
5 tags
Years for Movies
After the lackluster year of movies in 2012, I wanted to see what was the best year for film.
1954 Seven Samurai Rear Window On the Waterfront Dial M for Murder Sansho the Bailiff
1931 M Frankenstein Dracula City Lights The Public Enemy
1962 Lawrence of Arabia Sanjuro The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? To Kill a Mockingbird Lolita The Longest Day
2006 The...
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2013 Oscar Predictions Scorecard
Here are my predictions for this years Oscars. Not a good year all around, only 67%. Lifetime: 39/57 (68%).
Best Motion Picture of the Year
Zero Dark Thirty
Les Misérables
Silver Linings Playbook
Django Unchained
Amour
Argo
Lincoln
Life of Pi
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Joaquin Phoenix for The Master
Daniel Day-Lewis for Lincoln
Hugh...
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2013 Oscar Predictions
Here are my predictions for this years Oscars. Nominees listed in order of best to worst, predicted winner in bold. Let’s see if I can get my average for this year above 80% (73% life-time average).
Best Motion Picture of the Year
Zero Dark Thirty
Les Misérables
Silver Linings Playbook
Django Unchained
Amour
Argo
Lincoln
Life of Pi
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Best Performance by...
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Films to Win Best Adapted Screenplay
No Country For Old Men (2007)
The Godfather (1972)
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
The Departed (2006)
The Bridge On the River Kwai (1957)
The Social Network (2010)
Doctor Zhivago (1965)
The Godfather, Part II (1974)
It Happened One Night (1934)
Forrest Gump (1994)
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Films to Win Best Original Screenplay
Citizen Kane (1941)
On the Waterfront (1954)
Fargo (1996)
The Hurt Locker (2009)
Juno (2007)
American Beauty (1999)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
The Usual Suspects (1995)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
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Academy Award Best Picture Nominees
For the third entry in Oscar Week, here are the best films to be nominated, but not win Best Picture:
Star Wars (1977)
The Thin Red Line (1994)
Taxi Driver (1976)
There Will be Blood 2007)
Goodfellas (1990)
Inception (2010)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Tree of Life (2011)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
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Worst Academy Award Best Picture Winners
Day two of Oscar week, here are the least deserving Best Picture Winners:
Tom Jones (1963)
Annie Hall (1977)
Chicago (2002)
Crash (2005)
Around the World in 80 Days (1956)
Unforgiven (1992)
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
A Man for All Seasons (1966)
Cavalcade (1933)
Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
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Academy Award Best Picture Winners
To kick-off Oscar week here are the 10 greatest Best Picture Winners:
The Godfather (1972)
No Country For Old Men (2007)
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
On the Waterfront (1954)
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
The Departed (2006)
Casablanca (1943)
American Beauty (1999)
The Hurt Locker (2009)
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Christopher Nolan’s Top 10 Criterion Films
The Hit - Stephen Frears - 7/10
12 Angry Men - Sidney Lumet - 7/10
The Thing Red Line - Terrence Malick - 10/10
The Testament of Dr. Mabuse - Fritz Lang - 8/10 (I prefer Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler.)
Bad Timing - Nicholas Roeg - 6/10
Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence - Nagisa Oshmia - 7/10
For All Mankind - Al Reinert - 8/10
Koyaanisqatsi - Godfrey Reggio - 5/10
The Complete Mr. Arkadin - Orson...
January 2013
21 posts
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2012: The Top Ten
The Dark Knight Rises (Christopher Nolan) With the release of The Dark Knight Rises, Director Christopher Nolan has cemented himself as the greatest filmmaker of his generation. The film completes the second greatest trilogy (behind only Star Wars) in the history of cinema. An outstanding cast including Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anne Hathaway, Marion...
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Zero Dark Thirty Review
Director Kathryn Bigelow collaborates once again with Writer Mark Boal four years after the release of their highly decorated film The Hurt Locker, which earned 6 Academy Awards including Directing (for Bigelow), Original Screenplay (for Boal) and Best Picture. While dealing some of the same themes such as isolation, dedication, sacrifice, and belonging the focus of Zero Dark Thirty is vastly...
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Django Unchained Review
The scene is overwhelmingly tense as crisp dialog unfolds. The room is on the brink of turning into chaos, Dr. King Schultz turns to Django, “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.” This seemingly simple line of dialog is quintessential of Quentin Tarantino’s direction in his latest film ‘Django Unchained.’ Everything that audiences of Tarantino’s movies have come to...
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Performances of 2012
Top Female Performances
Anne Hathaway - Les Misérables
Jessica Chastain - Zero Dark Thirty
Jennifer Lawrence - Silver Linings Playbook
Anne Hathaway - The Dark Knight Rises
Zoe Kazan - Ruby Sparks
Top Male Performances
Joaquin Phoenix - The Master
Daniel Day-Lewis - Lincoln
Michael Fassbender - Prometheus
Tom Hardy - The Dark Knight Rises
Philip Seymour Hoffman - The Master
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Most Anticipated of 2012 (in Review)
A review of my most anticipated movies of 2012.
The Dark Knight Rises- 10/10
Brave- 6/10
Only God Forgives- Pushed to 2013
The Master- 7/10
To the Wonder- Pushed to 2013
The East- Pushed to 2013
Skyfall- 7/10
The Avengers- 6/10
The Amazing Spider-Man- 5/10
Prometheus- 4/10
3 out of 10 finished in my Top Ten of 2012
Honorable Mentions:
Snow White and the Huntsman- 5/10
Django...
