Guy's Top 10 Movies of 2014

Hi All, I know it’s been a while since we have done a post over in our little corner of the internet, but with the end of 2014 and beginning of 2015 Mike, Macca and I thought we would do our top 10 movies list again. Last year it was a well received set of posts and sparked some discussion at work and at play, and we hope we can direct you to a couple of movies you otherwise would have missed.

And so, without further ado, here are my top 10 picks for favourite movies throughout 2014:

10. The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies

If you know me, then you know I am well biased towards this kind of thing. In fact I am sad to think that my Christmas tradition of going to the movies and being transported to Middle Earth has finally, after six years, come to an end. This movie is far from perfect, but as a pure fun piece of entertainment I loved it. Peter Jackson can do battles like no one else, and the huge scale of the fight scenes, whilst completely pointless, were thoroughly entertaining. The final minute of the film brought out goosebumps and an insane desire to start Fellowship of the Ring right away, and maybe keep my own tradition going after all.



9. Under The Skin

When I first saw this movie I did not like it at all. I had heard so many good things about it, but it was just ... weird. But then I read about it, listened to podcasts about it, and to be honest haven't stopped thinking about it. That is the sign of a great movie. I haven't sat down to watch it again yet, but I will. It’s a deep and hard movie to get, but with a little knowledge it becomes something more than just a movie. It’s a commentary on what it’s like to be a woman, in a woman’s body, to be human, to love and so much more.


8. Begin Again

This is a little guilty pleasure of mine. It stars Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo and is set in New York around music. Many of these things are my favourites and so again I may be biased, but this movie is genuinely unique. It’s not quite a love story, not quite a redemption movie, not quite a comedy, not quite a drama, but it is beautiful and happy and fills you with enthusiasm for life. The best feel good movie of the year for me by far, and quirky and different enough to make this list at the same time.


7. LEGO Movie

When I heard that there was going to be a LEGO movie I thought I might have to end it all. The sheer idea of pure marketing/money making/corporatism/consumerism that would drive a company to make a movie about a bunch of plastic blocks made me angry. Deeply angry. Then I saw the movie. Oops, my cynicism and pessimism was far too quick to the mark on this one. The tone of this movie and its subversive story of control underlying such a fun and totally enjoyable ride make this one of the smartest, funnest, kids movies ever.


6. Edge of Tomorrow

Tom cruise in another sci-fi, with robots, saving the world. Meh, right? Wrong! This is the type of smart, fun, hilarious sci-fi that I hope every year I will get to see. Tom Cruise played it down and Emily Blunt went all out to be my favourite bad-ass of the year. The story was told perfectly, the humour was refreshing and the action was really enjoyable. It is such a great movie that Im really saddened they marketed it all around Tom when its so much more than him.


5. Nightcrawler

Jake Gyllenhal will most likely win an Oscar for this performance. The film itself will most likely pickup a couple of others too. But for the story really struck a chord. It's a dark look at the American Dream done with a fresh take on the evilness of the media of today, with a twinge of horror. This movie will shock you, enthral you and make you angry that everyone seems to be waking up to these problems but no one is changing them.


4. Gone Girl

David Fincher is one of my most heralded directors and again he blew me away with this movie. I have not read the book and did not know the plot going in, which added to the thrill of this experience. There is a shift in the middle of this movie equal to A Beautiful Mind that I was not expecting, and did not pick. When it happened my mouth hit the floor and stayed there to the end. Once again he directs a clear message with no side taken, prompting inevitable thinking of issues such as personal image, the media, gender issues all whilst being wrapped up in an energetic and tight thriller. Fincher is the man.


3. Guardians of the Galaxy

The first Marvel movie I have ever truly loved. This is the Star Wars of this generation: a group of misfits get together to save the universe from an evil lord, travel through space, tease each other and a giant mute beast wins over our hearts. It still follows that Marvel formula and no one is every really in danger, but for once I just didn’t care. I was having way too much fun with the Racoon, the Tree, the Starlord and the Green Chick careening through the galaxy quipping at each other, stopping the bad guys and having a great time doing it. Bring on the sequel.


2. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

I went to the movies on a whim, and on my own for this one. Something reached out to me from the trailer so that I had to go and see it in the cinema. For the first time this year I was sitting in a cinema feeling like I was witnessing the next thing. A truly transformative experience was taking place in front of my eyes and I had goosebumps. The next week I was back at the cinema with Mike to watch it again. I've seen it twice on Blu Ray since then too. This movie is sheer perfection of the big blockbuster. It’s ballsy, interesting and different and I have no idea how the team that made it got it approved. The first 15minutes is Apes using sign language ... "I need 100 million dollars to make my next movie please. Oh, and Apes are going to be signing for the first 15minutes before you see a human." Awesome.


1. Boyhood

Feeling smug that I had a clear winner in the previous movie for best movie all year, I heard about Boyhood in Sept/Oct of 2014. Filmed over 12 years (yes, twelve years!) it stars the same cast growing with each other as a family in real time as the movie progresses. What a bat-shit crazy idea, I thought. How did Richard Linklater pull this off? I had to see it. It is as astounding as it sounds. There is nothing else like this movie in the world. It does have pacing problems and some story issues, but it was filmed over twelve frickin years!!!! How can it not? To succeed at doing this, to show a boy growing up before your eyes, to convey the feelings and emotions and change in real time with a single person is breathtaking. It makes you see the turn of time. It makes you wonder about your own childhood. It makes you relive what it was like to go through so much change so quickly. It is quite simply the greatest accomplishment in cinema ever.


Some disclaimers here are that I am yet to see a few possible contenders for this list, namely: Birdman, Whiplash, Tusk, Grand Budapest Hotel and What We Do In The Shadows

 

Favourite Movie Mum's

Mike and I would like to wish a very Happy Mothers Day to our Mum's and thank them for all they have done for us over the years. Thinking about this we thought it would be a great idea to visit some of our favourite movie Mum's that have also helped entertain us over the years, and so please find below our favourite movie Mum's:

1. Mama Fratelli from The Goonies
While Mama Fratelli certainly would't win any Mum of the year competitions, its pretty hard to go past her as one of the best screen Mum's to ever come to life. A perfect balance of cruel, intimidating, clever & funny to be the perfect kids movie villain. Anne Ramsey is a complete knock out in this role and its a real tradgey that only 3 years after filming The Goonies she passed away from throat cancer. Imagine the other roles that could have been brought to life with her talent.

2. Mrs Darko from Donnie Darko
Quite the Mum is Mrs Darko. Talk about a dysfunctional family that she has to help shepherd through a hard time whilst also being the supporter of her son as he disintegrates without alienating her two daughters. It would be a tricky balance for anyone yet Mary McDonnell does a fantastic job acting her part and being the only soul seemingly intact in this movie.

3. Sarah Connor from Terminator 2
Well, so far the movie Mum's have been fairly dark characters so keeping in line with that we move onto the most badass Mum that there has ever been: Sarah Connor from Terminator 2. Chinups in a cell block? Check. Insane knowledge of guns and weapons? Check. Ability to use those guns and weapons? Check. A touch of humanity, love and a solid moral compass? Check. Sarah Connor is really everything you need from a Mum who gives birth to the only human alive who can bring down a fully automated robot army!

4. Mrs Gump from Forrest Gump
The sweetest most loveable Mum you could imagine brought her son up to believe he could do anything and achieve anything. This led to a young man becoming the greatest table tennis player ever, showing Elvis how to dance, tells the president he needs to pee, saves many people's lives in the Vietnam war, the greatest white NFL player to live and fall in love with the polar opposite person to him. Near the end of the movie, Forrest Gump sits under a tree and cries for his Mum and every time this scene comes on it wells me up. Not only because of Tom Hanks's perfect performance but because his Mum truly touches you as a viewer and makes you feel that she is almost as good as your Mum, and Sally Field did a stellar job acting it.

5. Stiflers Mum from American Pie
Because the term MILF was coined for her. Because of Shit Break's obsession over her. Because of how much that pisses off Stifler. Because there had never been a Mum like this on screen before, or since. Because she likes her men like her scotch... aged 18 years.

Nurse 3D

Nurse 3D is one of the few true, straight up, modern exploitation flicks I've seen. I know the remake of I Spit on your Grave and Machete are around but the first of those is a truly unsettling film (more like torture porn) which I couldn't actually see through to the end, and the second felt more like a horror comedy than exploitation to me. Death Proof is probably the only other one that jumps to mind, but again, its too Tarantino-esque to compare to the 60's, 70's and 80's style of these films that were prevalent.

Nurse 3D is a true modern take on the genre. It is there for clear and explicit reasons and is destined to be enjoyed by a very specific target audience, and it does it well enough to recommend to people in that target domain. I guess I'm more the target audience for something like this than most with my enjoyment of horror flicks, but instead of my usual openly biased reviews I thought I would take a step out and try to review it as someone who just watched it for what it is.

Paz De La Heurta is pretty much the perfect leading lady for this type of film. She is buxom, happy to be naked, and convinces as a twisted psychopath. The good news is she has enough charisma that you can buy in to her crazy antics and is able to carry the film from beginning to end, something these films often lack. The movie definitely allows her to be the primarily exploited female character for the male audience, however, because she is also the protagonist (anti-protagonist?) its a bit different from most other exploitation flicks. Instead of having mean, scary men do horrifying things to women it is instead a naked, murdering, crazed sex fiend of a nurse doing horrible things to men.

In addition to doing these horrible things to men, she is also completely in love with and trying to seduce the token blonde hot girl. The lengths to which the main character goes to, to seduce and then destroy token hot girl is as to be expected, and nothing unusual for this type of movie. The gore is unfortunately a bit amateurish looking and over the top, with the scenes composed in odd ways, so they don't hold as much impact as they would if directed by another person.

Overall this is not a good film that just anyone should go out and see, but for what it is, it does it well and has enough of a difference to be worth checking out if you are into the genre. If the idea of a promiscuous, murderous Paz De La Heurta, killing men while wearing a bra but no knickers, seducing a woman and parading around in a nurses outfit appeals to you, then you will enjoy the movie for what it is. If you cant believe a movie like that exists ... don't watch it.

SCORE: 4/10

IMDB Info for Nurse 3D

The Rover (Preview)

Holy shit!  Bout time the Aussies had a crack!

Post auscopalyptic?  :)  Guy Pearce is enough to get me excited to see this one.  Looks like an Aussie - "The Road" -  100% filmed in S.A!!

Or better to watch direct from YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChM2icbWo9w

The Returned

Yes, another zombie film.  But don't sigh just yet as this one is quite refreshingly different.  Firstly don't confuse this movie with the French series of the same translated name (Les Revenants) which is pretty decent in it's own right, but not at all related.

Why is this one different?  It's actually set  in a world AFTER the 'zombie virus' outbreak, where it has been controlled.  If an infected is given an antidote within a certain time frame the effects can be reversed. Provided they take their 'medicine' every day all is well and they can live normal lives.  These people are referred to as 'The Returned'.

The movie portrays a very believable and realistic future where 'The Returned' are not quite accepted by normal society and seen more like ticking time bombs. Things get a lot worse as it is revealed that the antidote is running out and we can watch the thin threads holding the society together start to break away.

As a lover of most things Zombie (even though the genre has been completely thrashed of late) I really enjoyed this new spin.  It was a brilliant script and although obviously low-ish budget, was presented with great cinematography and production.  An indy film maker's wet dream really.  It was directed by Manuel Carballo who I've not come across before but might be one to keep an eye on.

The majority of acting was 'ok' - however a stand out performance by the lead female - Emily Hampshire really helped carry it across the line.

I recommend giving this one a go if you you're keen for an interesting story and a fresh new take - but be warned there isn't the usual violence and mayhem of a zombie horror.

I only have one complaint.  One of the characters drops a case with 60 antidote vials on the ground and every single one of them smashes....... Really?  I get we need to build tension with lack of antidote but shiiiiiitt...  <insert Marlon Wayans 'shiiiit' from Requiem for a Dream>

7/10

IMDB Info

Ping Pong Summer

I just read about this upcoming movie and if it doesn't sum up everything I love in life and movies then I'm not too sure what else could! Quite obviously I cannot wait to see this flick!! Check out the trailer and leave your thoughts in the comments:

 

LEGO Movie

This movie is awesome! It's so good on so many different levels I'm not even sure which one to start with: the 3D, the comedy, the animation, the subversive plot, the characters, the self-awareness?

I would never, ever, have gone to see a movie about LEGO blocks as it screamed out to me of product placement, stupid story line, exaggerated emotions, conceited plot and I thought it would focus on being silly instead of funny. However, so many people have been raving about it and saying it might even end up on their top 10 lists I had to go see what the fuss was about. This LEGO movie still has product placement, a stupid story with a conceited plot but it doesn't rely on being silly instead of funny. It is totally frickin hilarious all on its own with clever writing, clever animation and brilliant voice acting.

Even the 3D is good in this film! I’m not a huge fan of 3D but mainly because it always feels tacked on and useless, but it really suits this film well and the technology has come a long way. It wasn't blurry and didn’t strain my eyes, and due to all the vibrant colours in the movie it works better than in most other films.

But let’s get on to the really good stuff: the cleverness of the whole picture. The plot if you think about it is really quite subversive. It’s all about how the LEGO people follow instructions each day and are told what to think, what to enjoy and how to live their lives. Then one day the 'typical Joe' character stumbles upon "The Resistance Piece" and so begins an adventure with Batman, the hot girl, unicorns and all sorts of weird, wonderful and hilarious things. The way the LEGO blocks are incorporated into the fight scenes, chase scenes and different worlds throughout is both breathtaking and awe inspiring.

It goes on from there to become a much bigger picture than you would first think it to be, and the whole time it is self-aware. It knows it’s a straight forward adventure movie so it plays on all the tropes and clichés to the max but somehow does it without feeling corny. The outcome of this is that young kids will get wrapped up in the adventure but adults can also laugh at everything they have seen before done in a new way.

I highly recommend checking out this movie, it was loads of fun and much better than I was expecting. You will genuinely be laughing out loud and mightily impressed.

SCORE: 9/10

IMDB Info for LEGO Movie

Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Ok, this movie is a lot better than first instalment of the Hunger Games quadrilogy in pretty much every way. The story is much more intricate and has depth, the acting seems to be less cheesy, the direction is much better, the use of visual effects is smarter, the action is much richer and all around more informative, and focus seems to be applied on the bigger themes at play as opposed to focussing the game dynamics and the emotional relationships between the kids. This still doesn't shake my unease for young people being so obsessed with it though. There are some very tough and full on themes running throughout this movie, although, they seem to be swaying much more in favour of something I personally feel, so maybe its for the best.

Let me clarify. The idea of oppression is a big issue and a scary one and one that is nice not to know until you are a bit older, and a bit less innocent. The idea of rebellion is also one better left for a bit older, not only because you need to know the other side to know why you would rebel, but also from the point of view of being a parent: the less kids rebel the better (hehe). However, I feel some parts of the world are in true need of fixing. Celebrity culture, obsessive natures about material things and fashion, talk shows designed to pull every scrap of information out from other peoples lives to a mass audience, magazines full of faked pictures of humans living fake lives with false representations of those lives, the loss of integrity in the world ... I could go on. These are horrible results of the world we live in, and the amazing thing about this movie is it addresses them in a very direct way. It seems conceivable that our world could reach a point like the movie is indicating (almost) and its great to be teaching young people of the consequences of something like that. So, therefore I am in favour of showing those themes and addressing them to young people. For example, the horrible feeling you get when they interview the contestants on that creepy talk show, the ridiculous fashion and how it rules the lives of the elite, the thought of having to drink a potion to cause you to vomit so you can keep eating highlights the excesses that exist in this world, and the themes can be applied to our own. I feel its great to call them out and make you think about them in such a mainstream blockbuster movie.

But, I couldn't help but wonder, how many young people read 1984 when it was released in 1949, or the 50's, or even the 60's? Would any young teens, let alone MOST young teens be reading something like that? If so, then maybe I am over-reacting. But if not, maybe it is concerning. It seems kids aren't given any time to be young and innocent any more and Im not sure what the results of that will be. Angrier and angrier kids who are more connected and more knowledgeable about everything before they can fully comprehend it? That doesn't sound too appealing to me. Even if the odd one or two of them would be as integral, capable and nice as Katniss, most wouldn't be.

And so, I find myself still very confused about this whole thing. If these movies were targeted for adult audiences and explored these themes to an R18+ level then I think I would be gobsmacked by them, but Im still uneasy of the pre-teen appeal of them.

Ultimately I cant fault this movie much, it was a think piece, big action movie and thats typically what I am going for in a blockbuster type film so for that Im thankful. I recommend watching it and enjoying it, but Id be interested if you are left in the conundrum I know find myself in or not. Maybe Im just getting old!

SCORE: 7/10

IMDB Info for Hunger Games: Catching Fire

The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman

"While traveling abroad, a guy falls for a Romanian beauty whose unreachable heart has its origins in her violent, charismatic ex." (IMDB)

Decent summary really and along the journey of this love story you can enjoy a nice mix of comedy, violence and generally entertaining cinema.  Our main guy Charlie played by Shia LaBeouf sets off to Bucharest, Romania for some soul searching after his mums death.  After a very strange welcome into the country he meets this 'Romanian Beauty' (played by Evan Rachel Wood in a very decent performance) and things really start to spiral out of control.

Early on in the piece though Charlie makes his way to the Marco Polo youth hostel where he meets up with a couple of party heads from the UK.  If you're a fan of either Harry Potter or the Inbetweener's you will love this part as much as I did as these guys are played by Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) and James Buckley (Jay).   They down a shitload of LSD and X and some really funny shit ensues captured well with some great filming and "I'm on drugs" effects.  I read that LaBeouf actually took LSD for the scene to make it more authentic, would have been a fun day on set no doubt.   A good quote from Buckley - "If I can't take my tin of drugs around with me then the terrorists have already won".  True that!

But then things get more serious as Charlie starts inadvertently getting involved with some pretty nasty fellas.  The poor bastard cops a lot of beatings but he remains true to the cause.  Reminded me a bit of Brick where J.G.L just kept getting pounded into a bloody mess.   Full credit to the casting of the bad guys too - Mads Mikkelsen (Hannibal) and Til Schweiger (Inglorious Basterds) ... not a pair you would want to cross in a hurry. 

Overall the movie is a bit of muddle but the changing style keeps it quite interesting and the story moves along quick enough.  LaBeouf wears a little bit too much dark eye shadow for my liking, makes him look like Khal Drogo but don't let that put you off.  It's worth watching just to see Ron Weasley pop 5 viagra.

7/10

IMDB Info

Am I Truman Burbank?

So, last week I made up a funny (I thought so anyway) Aprils Fools Day post about The Goonies II being greenlit and coming to a screen near you. Two days ago my wife indicates to me that there is something on her Facebook about The Goonies sequel and I laugh and tell her that was just me being an idiot. Then she says it mentioned Richard Donner and that he had confirmed it to TMZ, and all I could think of was the scene in The Truman Show where he realises that everything seems to play out perfectly for him all the time, that all of his actions are listened to and acted upon. It was the dawn of realisation that everything that is happening in this world must be happening for me (and yes I imagine the whole thing is actually being orchestrated by Ed Harris) and its all to make a movie happen. To make The Goonies II actually happen.

And so, now that I know I have this power, did everyone know that Star Wars VII is greenlit? Oh, wait... Did everyone know that The Hobbit is finally ... oh, wait. Did everyone know that Indiana Jones ... oh wait .. oh, Ive got it! I've got it!

Did everyone know that Monty Python are re-teaming and going to do a sequel to The Holy Grail!?!?!?!?!