10 Must See Films From 2013

I'm only one person, so I obviously haven't seen absolutely every film from 2013, but these are my favorites of the year. I think most of these are relatively well-known films, and for good reason.

Frances Ha

Frances Ha is a slice of life about a couple of twenty somethings navigating through being poor and living on their own in NYC. On paper the story seems overly basic and perhaps boring, but Frances Ha is a breath of fresh air. The characters are very diverse and always funny, and the film is simply a joy to watch. 

Dallas Buyers Club

The oscars won by Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto are so incredibly well deserved. If anything, that's why you need to see Dallas Buyers Club. But it's also a great story about how powerful and potent human spirit can be.

Her

Her is, at times, incredibly strange, but I bet it's offering up an incredibly prophetic vision. Once machine AI becomes intelligent enough to have a personality of its own, the story in Her is bound to happen.

Stoker

Stoker may not be the most original tale, but this movie is visually gorgeous and incredibly demented. In terms of the way the film is presented, Stoker may be a masterpiece, even if the story is something that has been done before.

Europa Report

I know that Europa Report will not be for everyone. Most of the movie takes place inside a spaceship, so the scenery isn't varied. But above all, Europa Report is a very smart sci-fi film. And also, for a very low budget flick, towards the end it has very rewarding moments of beauty and brilliance.

Under the Skin

Under the Skin is absolutely, 110% the most interesting movie on this list. This movie is art. And it quite possibly has my favorite few minutes of film from all of 2013. 

Nebraska

The second all black and white film on this list (Frances Ha is also black and white), Nebraska is a modest, very real-life story about family. Simply put, Nebraska has the most heart and soul of any other film on this list. 

The Wolf of Wall Street

A head first dive into ludicrous, luxurious lifestyles, filled with conniving money thirsty stockbrokers. The fastest three hour movie in the history of cinema, The Wolf of Wall Street is yet another Scorsese masterpiece. 

You're Next

Actually made back in 2011 but not fully released to theaters until 2013, You're Next is a darkly comical, excessively bloody home invasion movie, and it's shitloads of fun to watch. 

Gravity

So maybe some of the physics aren't quite realistic and some of the dialogue is a bit absurd, but technically Gravity is a masterpiece of epic proportions. Gravity was the only film I saw in IMAX in 2013 because they cost so much, but it was worth every penny. It's truly a glorious spectacle. 

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Director: Garth Jennings
Starring: Sam Rockwell, Zooey Deschanel, Martin Freeman, Mos Def
My Rating: Didn't like it

I've never read the books, so I can't make any comparisons, but this seems like a story that would be hard to adapt into a film. Sometimes a story is better left to people's imaginations, rather than putting definitive images to it on a screen, and I think The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is one of those novels.

The film boils down to a relatively pointless and silly sci-fi adventure more suited for fifteen year olds than adults. And that's fine if that's the demographic, but I didn't care for it that much. Also, I'm not saying I'm above the material, just that I wasn't all that interested in it. I especially liked the depressed robot: he definitely provided the most laughs out of the whole film. I just don't think the film offered up enough for me to ever want to watch it again. I was interested in the beginning, then it gets really boring for about an hour, and then it gets slightly interesting again towards the end. If you like goofy sci-fi, you may love it, but this film is nothing to rave about.

Deliverance (1972)

Deliverance
Director: John Boorman
Starring: Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds
My Rating: Liked It

Deliverance, if you don't already know, is about a group of city slickers, so to speak, who go to canoe on a river because the whole area is about to be washed out. The group ends up encountering some locals who don't take kindly to their presence.

In the most basic sense, this movie works. It's an adventure film, through and through. I've heard a bunch of people claim that Deliverance is a classic, and honestly I don't think it deserves that status. The acting is grade A and the tension is palpable, but I got the sense that the movie was trying to have some grand meaning about the nature of man. If it did, I didn't get it. It's a simple movie about some guys who go on a trip and have really bad luck along the way.

And don't get me started on Voight's character being able to climb the side of that rocky mountain. I was laughing at how ridiculous that was. In that instant the movie turned from quasi-realistic to absolute fantasy. Deliverance certainly isn't a bad film, but I don't think it has aged very well.

Funny Games (2007)

Funny Games
Director: Michael Haneke
Starring: Naomi Watts, Tim Roth, Michael Pitt
My Rating: Liked It

Funny Games is about a couple of seemingly upper class young adults who go from house to house essentially torturing families, hence "funny games." But I think the point is that the movie is playing funny games on the viewer.  At times it's a frustrating watch, and it's supposed to be.

I see it as a statement that most horror movies are utter works of fiction, and people would react entirely different in real life. And in most horror movies it comes to a good resolution that leaves the audience feeling like good overcame evil. Funny Games makes it a huge point to be the antithesis of all these films. I think the scene that best represents this movie is when Watts' and Roth's son is shot and killed. This is the first important and devastating moment in the film to the characters, and the camera is on one of the killers in the kitchen making a sandwich while you hear the gunshot from the other room.

I can see how some people may not like it. After all, there is a very long silent sequence in which we watch Naomi Watts struggle to stand up because her hands and feet are tied together. This isn't exactly thrilling. Whether you like it or not, it's a very well made and incredibly well acted film.

At a few points in the movie the "villains" break the fourth wall, e.i. winking or talking straight at the camera to the audience. This is the movie saying, you paid to see some fucked up shit, so here you go.

House of Good and Evil (2013)

House of Good and Evil
Director: David Mun
Starring: Rachel Marie Lewis, Christian Oliver, Marietta Marich
My Rating: Didn't like it

Unfortunately, I actually paid to see this movie. I love horror movies, and House of Good and Evil was the only horror film at the Virginia Film Festival this past year, so I checked it out. I don't want to be too cruel because I know the people who made it tried their hardest on a very small budget. And I know that if I ever make movies, they would inevitably be a low budget productions, and I wouldn't want people shitting on it, but I didn't like any bit of this movie.

It has a cliched plot with a cliched twist ending that we've all seen a million times before. The acting is dreadful. The sound mixing and editing were wonky, probably due to the low budget, but still pretty bad. And it's just really boring. Don't see it. That's all that needs to be said.

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

The Wolf of Wall Street
Director: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie
My Rating: Loved It!


Whether you enjoy the depravity of The Wolf of Wall Street or not, it's incredibly hard to deny that it's a modern masterpiece from the one and only Martin Scorsese. Honestly, for a three hour movie, it's not about much. I feel like it doesn't go that deep into the story, but it still works only focusing on the money and drugs. And also for such a long movie, the whole thing is like an adrenaline shot, there's never a dull moment, which is obviously fitting for a drug induced film. I like many of Scorsese's films more than The Wolf of Wall Street, but this is Leonardo Dicaprio's magnum opus. He is phenomenal as Jordan Belfort.

Martin Scorsese, as everyone knows, is one of the finest masters of the craft, and The Wolf of Wall Street is gushing brilliance out of every frame. It's easy to tell that the film is meticulously put together. The craziest thing about the film is that it's a true story, which is absolutely absurd to think that there are people in the world that live like that. I saw the movie on opening weekend and I'd say there were probably about 15-20 people who got up and left the movie, which is the most I've ever seen leave a film in my experience. The Wolf of Wall Street is a superbly crafted delve into upper class depravity.

Blue Ruin (2013)

Blue Ruin
Director: Jeremy Saulnier
Starring: Macon Blair, Devin Ratray, Amy Hargreaves
My Rating: Loved It!

I'm so happy I was able to catch Blue Ruin at the Virginia Film Festival last year. I didn't know much about it other than that it was locally made in Virginia and that it was the VFF's finale, so to speak. And what a grand finale it was!

Blue Ruin is a simple revenge story. But even through it's simplicity, it defies many revenge story tropes. The main character, Dwight, is an all out wreck at the beginning of the movie. He lives in his car, and is assumedly jobless. His life is in complete and utter shambles. Turns out some years ago (I don't remember how many, maybe ten years ago) his parents were brutally murdered. He figures out that his parents murderer has now been released from prison, and he seeks out vengeance. Sounds like a normal revenge movie right? Wrong.

There's one huge thing that I think defies most revenge movies, but it's pretty important to the movie and I don't want to ruin it in this for anyone. Another obvious detail that sets this apart is that Dwight is a normal person just like you or me, who has no idea how to go about any of this. And that's refreshing to me. Usually in revenge movies, the main character turns out to be this huge badass. Well, Dwight is anything but that.

Blue Ruin is very bloody, very well made (especially for its small budget), often darkly comical, and is a very good film.

22 Jump Street (2014)

22 Jump Street
Directors: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
Starring: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube
My Rating: Liked It

22 Jump Street knows it's ridiculous, and knows it's a sequel with a bigger budget, and knows that it's the same exact story as 21 Jump Street; and all of this works to its benefit. And of course the only reason this works so well is because they're silly comedies. I will admit that a few of the self-referential, or meta, jokes were a little corny, but many more landed than missed to me.

The Jump Street movies, while nowhere near comedy masterpieces, really have what few other movies have these days: these flicks are really fun. Yeah, I really like intense oscar winning dramas, but sometimes I feel drained after them. But after 22 Jump Street, I felt like I had a really great time for a few hours. In essence, isn't that why we all go to the movies? If that fun element wasn't so palpable, I bet that all the meta jokes would fall flat on the floor.

Oh man, Ice Cube plays more into this story in a very hysterical way, and it was absolutely my favorite part of the movie. If you liked the first one, I can guarantee that you will like this one too.

Excision (2012)

Excision
Director: Richard Bates Jr.
Starring: AnnaLynne McCord, Roger Bart, Ariel Winter
My Rating: Didn't like it

Man, this is one fucked up movie. Excision is about a very troubled high school senior, Pauline, who dreams about a future as a surgeon. Her preoccupations with being a surgeon seem to stem from an obsession with blood. Basically, Excision reminds me of Donnie Darko in form, except not nearly as good and way more messed up.

Excision has very stylized dream-like scenes that depict some of the thoughts of this crazy young girl. I adore horror movies but a few of these scenes were simply distasteful. I could've done without them. In fact, I think the movie would've benefited if it took out these scenes altogether and simply had more story, because for the most part I enjoyed the story. I get that these scenes are supposed to hammer home how messed up Pauline is, but I think it could've been done just as well another way.

If you like horror movies and don't mind incredibly messed up, bloody images, then I would say check out Excision. I enjoyed the story and how it led up to climax/ending of the movie. And I feel like it's a competently put together film, but if you don't like horror or blood, stay away from this one.

Fire in the Sky (1993)

Fire in the Sky
Director: Robert Lieberman
Starring: D.B. Sweeney, Robert Patrick, Craig Sheffer
My Rating: Didn't like it

Fire in the Sky is simply about an alien abduction. A bunch of guys coming home from work late one night see a red light taking over the sky. They come upon a spaceship and one of the guys stupidly gets out of the truck to investigate, leading to his abduction.

The vast majority of the film is about how the town doesn't believe what the boys say happened and then accusing them of murdering their missing friend and co-worker. This takes up a lot of the story and is pretty boring honestly. It's about an hour long argument amongst many people that can be summarized as, "You did it!" "No! We didn't!" And some of it seems like a melodramatic lifetime movie that's being overacted to the extreme.

And that's really a shame because there is a terrifying five-minute sequence towards the end that is quite great. If you have any interest in seeing this scene, here it is. There is no real point to watching the movie, because that is the only exciting or slightly interesting scene. And you don't need any more context than what I've given you, so if you watch that clip, you've basically seen this movie. It's hard for me to recommend a movie when it's 5 minutes of great and 90 some minutes of boring. But definitely watch that scene!

Neighbors (2014)

Neighbors
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Starring: Seth Rogen, Zac Efron, Rose Byrne
My Rating: Didn't like it

Basically, if you have ever liked any of Rogen's prior movies (Superbad, Knocked Up, Pineapple Express), you will definitely get some laughs out of Neighbors. At times it's definitely on the verge of crossing the line into pure vulgarity for no reason at all, so I can definitely see some people hating it. But then again, the movie is about a frat house, and vulgarity might as well be synonymous with fraternity life. Ultimately, it doesn't rise up to the ranks of Rogen's best. It was a fun ride and sometimes funny while it lasted, but I won't be rushing (unintended frat pun) to see this movie again.

Under the Skin (2013)

Under the Skin
Director: Jonathan Glazer
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy McWilliams, Lynsey Taylor Mackay
My Rating: Loved It!!

Easily one of the better films I've seen in the past year or so.

This one is definitely not for the casual movie goer. For instance, if a fan of Scarlett Johansson happens to come across this movie and watches it because she's in it, they most likely won't have any clue what in the fuck is going on. Under the Skin requires the viewer to fill in gaps with their mind, which is my favorite quality of the movie. It really makes the viewer think. I saw it months ago and I still find myself pondering it sometimes. Seriously, I can't wait to see it again.

Under the Skin is about an alien coming down to earth for unknown reasons, but it can be implied that it needs the skin of humans for some reason. These scenes in which the alien gets the people's skins are wonderful, because they're presented as very minimalistic visual metaphors (I guess is a good way of putting it). Through the alien (Johansson) we get to see our world through the lens of someone not accustomed to it at all, which is super interesting. It gets down to how completely strange and unusual this thing that we call life as humans really is.

The last few moments of this movie are so great. I can't praise it enough. I won't give it away, but it's awesome. If you like movies that don't spell out every little thing to the viewer, then Under the Skin really is the movie for you. In all seriousness, I bet if some people didn't go into the film knowing it was about an alien, they wouldn't even figure that out. Yeah, it's that cryptic, but that's also the reason why I think it's brilliant. It leaves a lasting impression like how most of Stanley Kubrick's films do. High praise, indeed.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 - Freddy's Revenge (1985)

A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 - Freddy's Revenge
Director: Jack Sholder
Starring: Robert Englund, Robert Patton, Kim Myers
My Rating: Didn't like it

The plot of Freddy's Revenge is: Freddy haunts Jesse, a new member of Elm Street, and gets into his mind so Jesse will kill for him. And the one thing that really aggravates me is the movie didn't explain why Freddy was doing this. Why did he get Jesse to do this? Can't he do it himself? Plus, Freddy hardly haunts any dreams in this movie. It's all him taking over this kid, whether Jesse's asleep or not. So, I feel it deviates from the formula in a bad way.

On top of everything though, the acting is absolutely atrocious. And that opening bus sequence and night club gym teacher scene were so ridiculously corny. This Elm Street simply doesn't even fit in with the others. Freddy kills people in their dreams. He doesn't do that any in this movie. It also muddles the outcome of the first movie, offering some contradictory information from what was shown in the original. If there's one movie from the series to skip, it's Freddy's Revenge.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Director: Ben Stiller
Starring: Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Jon Daly
My Score: Didn't like it

I definitely enjoy the overall theme of the film: get out there and do things, as opposed to daydreaming about them until it's too late to experience amazing things. But even though I was entertained by Walter Mitty, I found the story pretty frustrating as well. As soon as Walter got the package with the wallet and the missing negative, I instantly knew the negative was in that wallet. And I'm sure everyone else figured that too. So, first of all, the whole movie could've been avoided if the photographer, Sean O'connell, would've just left the negative sheet intact. Or, the whole movie could've been avoided if Walter would've just checked that wallet (a.k.a. the only other god damn thing in the package) for the negative. Later in the movie before Walter throws the wallet away, it even shows that Walter had cards and things in that wallet. How he never saw that negative, I don't know. Or how about when Sean visits Walter's mother to ask her about Walter. Why didn't he just visit Walter? It's these type of things that frustrate me.

The dialogue is fairly average with only a couple of laughs throughout, but the adventure aspect was fun to watch. The middle chunk of the movie, when he leaves for Greenland up until he leaves for the Himalayas, was undoubtedly the most entertaining part of the movie. In this chunk, Walter has his transition from daydreaming absurd things to actually experiencing crazy realities. This is the best part of the movie for me, simply because he was in interesting locales with some pretty cinematography. Like my rating suggests, I didn't mind watching it at all, but its overall silly story weighed it down for me.

Il Futuro (2013)

Il Futuro
Director: Alicia Scherson
Starring: Luigi Ciardo, Manuela Martelli, Rutger Hauer
My Rating: Liked It

This past November at the Virginia Film Festival, I only had enough time to catch five films over the four day period. I enjoy foreign films every once in a while, so I gave Il Futuro a shot. I went into it completely blind, which I wish I could do more these days; but with the internet it's hard not to know a lot about films before their release. I'm absolutely glad I chose to see it.

Thomas and Bianca, both teenagers in high school, lose their parents at the beginning of the movie to a fatal car accident. The story follows the two of them making their way through life with only each other. Bianca eventually comes upon an odd opportunity to make money. This leads to an unusual relationship between a young woman and an old, rich movie star. The story is about damaged souls. It's about facing the world when you've been dealt a shitty hand. The film has soul and style, and is quite evocative.

I felt like the ending was underwhelming, though. Nevertheless, the contrasting nature of the young girl looking into the future to get away from her dark present and the old man grasping at the past to get away from his lonely present is quite intriguing. I suppose for damaged souls the future is all they have.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

A Nightmare on Elm Street
Director: Wes Craven
Starring: Heather Langenkamp, Johnny Depp, Robert Englund
My Rating: Loved It!!

1, 2, Freddy's comin' for you!

A Nightmare on Elm Street is a bonafide classic. Wes Craven created a story that has no bounds, and quite frankly I'm surprised there hasn't been more Elm Street movies. I've seen them all, and there is definitely untapped potential; after all, Freddy can do absolutely anything he wants to in their dreams. I'm positive in my lifetime some brave soul will make another great Freddy film. I can feel it!

3, 4, Better lock your door!

Other than the unlimited bounds Craven has created for the universe, he has also provided us with my absolute favorite villain: Freddy Krueger. Not to hate on the other horror genre greats, but Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees never even say a word. Maybe for some people that is more chilling, but not for me. Freddy has a snide sense of humor, which makes him way more appealing to me. His sense of humor shines later in the series, but you still get a bit of silly Krueger in Craven's original.

5, 6, Grab your crucifix!

This month, June 2014, marks the 30th anniversary of Nightmare on Elm Street's theatrical release. This film holds up incredibly well and is leaps and bounds scarier than most modern horror films. Contrast to the majority of "slasher" films, Craven doesn't insult the audience's intelligence. I adore the horror genre - I even like a lot of really bad horror films almost as much as classic ones, because most of them are a blast to watch - but man is it refreshing for characters to have logical thoughts and actions. It's quite rare in the genre.

7, 8, Ganna stay up late!

Elm Street is abound with classic horrific moments: Johnny Depp getting sucked into his bed and blood pouring out of it, Freddy cutting off his own fingers, Freddy's hand popping out of the water in the bathtub, Tina struggling for her life while levitating on the ceiling, etc. These are such chilling moments that only seem to grow more potent with each viewing!

9, 10, Never sleep again!

Whitewash (2013)

Whitewash
Director: Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais
Starring: Thomas Haden Church, Marc Labreche
My Rating: Liked It

I was able to catch this little independent flick at the Virginia Film Festival last November. Whitewash is about a snowplow operator (Church) who drunkenly kills a man on a snowy night. He proceeds to bring the body deep into the wilderness in order to buy him some time, sober up, and figure out what to do next.

Whitewash is one of the many movies in which the ride is more interesting than the outcome of the story. It turns out that the man Church killed had a prior relationship with him. As Church is buying his time and trying to scrounge up necessities in order to survive in the snowy forest, the movie flashes back every now and then to the relationship that was formed between these two men. It unfolds nicely and reveals an interesting story.

This film is very much a character study and it ultimately succeeds not only because of the strong script, but because Thomas Haden Church carries the film on his broad shoulders. I don't want to give away anything, but it gets more interesting than what I've said about the plot. And it puts Church's character in an interesting existential crisis as he tries to come to terms with what has happened.

Charlie Countryman (2013)

Charlie Countryman
Director: Matt Drake
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Evan Rachel Wood, Mads Mikkelsen
My Rating: Didn't like it

Shia LaBeouf plays Charlie Countryman, a young adult who, taking a cue from his dead mother, leaves America to really live it up and go on an adventure. And it virtually doesn't take any time at all for him to find the love of his life and put his life in danger.

Charlie Countryman is entertaining, but it tries to be a bunch of different things and there's no real point to it. I feel that the whole thing was tonally inconsistent. The film never really shows its true identity. Sometimes the surrealist nature of the filming is attractive, but there's little to be liked beneath the visuals. One moment it's trying to be a comedy, the next a gangster film, the next a film noir, the next a love story. It's strange because if it were all these things at once it could've worked, but instead it sort of transitions from one genre to the next. Charlie Countryman certainly goes on an adventure, but a pretty shallow one. There's not much to take away from the film.

Mulholland Drive (2001)

Mulholland Drive
Director: David Lynch
Starring: Naomi Watts, Laura Herring, Justin Theroux
My Rating: Loved It!

Usually when I watch things that elude me I lose interest quickly, but things made by David Lynch are a big exception. Mulholland Dr. is very intriguing, but so very confusing at the same time. And towards the end just when I thought I probably had it figured out, something else is thrown in that confused me. And honestly, that's exactly why this is such a great movie. It creates discussions and allows for possible multiple interpretations, thus it has some serious staying power.

Here's how I interpret it (and this could be absolutely wrong): The first two hours are all Naomi's character's dream, and then the rest is reality but I think she's mentally unstable so she's a little loopy. This makes a lot of sense to me but I'm sure there are plenty of other interpretations that make a lot of sense too. Maybe it has a grand meaning or maybe it all means nothing, either way it's a fantastic movie.

We're the Millers (2013)

We're the Millers
Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Starring: Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Emma Roberts
My Rating: Liked It

I think We're the Millers is a solid comedy/adventure movie about four very different people coming together and becoming friends. Even though parts of the story are pretty thinly pieced together and some absurd things happen to keep the story moving, the movie makes up for it with some big laughs. "Black Cock Down," as stupid as it may be, had my theater erupting with laughter, myself included. If you like goofy comedies, I'd give it a watch. Plus, Nick Offerman is in it. Need I say more?

The Purge (2013)

The Purge
Director: James Demonaco
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Max Burkholder
My Rating: Didn't like it

In 2022, America is flourishing because of a twelve-hour time period named The Purge. Anything goes in this time period, even murder. The Purge has saved America; Unemployment is less than 1% and the crime rate has dropped tremendously. It has made home security systems the business to be in and Ethan Hawkes’ character, James Sandin, is one of the top security system salesmen in the area. In fact, their whole ritzy-ditzy neighborhood has purchased a system from him.

The Purge starts at 7 p.m. and lasts until 7 a.m. During this time period, there will be no medical or emergency services to come to the rescue. Closing in on 7 o’clock that night, the Sandin family activates their security system and settles in to their mansion. The son, Charlie, being the young, empathetic teenager he is, sees a man that needs help outside and disarms the house to save the man’s life. Charlie, Charlie, Charlie – what a mistake that was. A group of masked Purgers show up at their house looking for this man, and they will stop at nothing to get in and kill him. And as you can imagine, this is when all hell breaks lose.

In my eyes, The Purge is one of the better movie ideas to come around in quite some time. It’s ridiculous, and obviously would never happen in real life, but that’s why we have movies and novels - to explore ideas like this one. James DeMonaco, the writer and director, could’ve explored about a million different situations, and it really blows my mind he went the direction he did with it. I don’t want any of you to get me wrong, I was incredibly entertained for the duration, but there were so many problems with the script. And I’m not talking about complicated problems dealing with The Purge or the implications of it on America; I’m talking about very simple problems with logic.

The second half the movie, the home invasion portion, is entertaining and has a few well-made “jump worthy” moments. The violence is bloody and satisfying – feeding our need for a release just as The Purge is giving future Americans a release. I also enjoyed quite a few of the camera shots, specifically the Purger wielding the machete skipping down the hall. But there were so many motives, actions, and moments that had me scratching my head.

Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)

Oz the Great and Powerful
Director: Sam Raimi
Starring: James Franco, Mila Kunis, Zach Braff, Rachel Weisz
My Rating: Loved It!

With the recent string of mediocre fantasy rehashes (i.e. Snow White and the Huntsman, Alice in Wonderland), I didn’t expect much from Oz the Great and Powerful. Maybe it was my lowered expectations, or maybe it was my bias towards Sam Raimi’s directing, but either way, I LOVED this movie.

The story starts off in Kansas at a traveling circus while Oz (James Franco) is gearing up for his magic show. Shortly thereafter Oz is whisked away in a hot air balloon that transports him to the wonderful Land of Oz. He lands in this colorful and brilliant place to be greeted by Theodora (Mila Kunis), who explains that he must be the wizard the prophecies speak of. Hilarious talking monkeys, conniving witches, and miniature china people are only a few of the wonders Oz will experience on his journey to become the Wizard of Oz.

There are two things that make this movie work: the cgi and the cast. I was dazzled time and time again at how beautiful this movie is, it’s truly candy for the eyes. All of the colors are so bright and vivid; I could probably hit mute and still be thoroughly entertained just by the images. Out of the star-studded cast the two performances I like the most were from Zach Braff and Mila Kunis. Braff voices the flying monkey who assists Oz on his travels. It’s not that Braff has a brilliant performance or anything; it’s just that his voice is so goofy and childish that he is perfect for it. And the irony of Kunis being the Wicked Witch of the West makes the role great, and she handles it quite well too.

I seriously don't understand why this movie has been so divisive. It's bright and beautiful and wondrous, and I truly believe Sam Raimi did the source material justice.

The Quiet Ones (2014)

The Quiet Ones
Director: John Pogue
Starring: Jared Harris, Sam Claflin, Olivia Cooke
My Rating: Didn't Like It

Don't get me wrong, I think The Quiet Ones is a well made movie, but it offers nothing new that audiences haven't seen before. Maybe if it didn't have about twenty unnecessary ear piercing "jump scares" it would've gotten a higher rating from me. There are way too many of them. I'd rather be scared by something that is happening on screen, not by an extremely loud noise accompanied by something as stupid as a friend of the main character banging on a window. Those are simply cop out scares. It gets people's hearts racing, but for the wrong reasons.

I don't think the story/script is that bad, it's just not fleshed out enough. I thought the first half dragged a bit, but once the real motives are revealed the first half becomes a bit better in retrospect. The shining light of the movie is the "possessed" character, Jane Harper, played by Olivia Cooke of Bate's Motel. She's definitely one of my favorite young actresses.

Things pick up in pace towards the end, but ultimately I think The Quiet Ones is, although well made, kind of boring. There is nothing new or very interesting enough for me to recommend it.

Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988)

Killer Klowns From Outer Space
Director: Stephen Chiodo
Starring: Grant Cramer, Suzanne Snyder, John Allen Nelson
My Rating: Liked It

When The Amityville Horror remake came out on DVD in 2005, my mom bought me it for christmas. She bought it from Sam's club and it came with a free movie. For some odd reason that movie was Killer Klowns From Outer Space. I was naive back then. I laughed at the ridiculous title and premise of the free movie I had received and put it on my movie shelf to collect dust for many years. Throughout the following years I began to realize during my constant perusing of the internet that Killer Klowns was actually a pretty well respected cult classic. After viewing, I completely understand why.

On paper this movie should be absolutely terrible, but it really is B-movie gold. First of all, the costume designer deserves high praise because the "Klown" suits, especially the faces, are pretty brilliantly realized. And this movie is chalk full of zany and goofy moments: the killer shadow puppet, the human puppet, the mini-klowns, etc, etc. It's one of the many reasons why the 80's will always be my favorite time in movies. Campy special effects from 80's horror movies are so pleasing to me, because creativity really shines in these moments. If horror is your bag and you like not-so-serious movies, I'd definitely give Killer Klowns From Outer Space a shot. The free movie I put off for so long happened to be much, much better than the main attraction it came with!

You're Next (2011)

You're Next
Director: Adam Wingard
Starring: Sharni Vinson, Joe Swanberg, AJ Bowen
My Rating: Loved It!

You're Next already holds a special place in my heart. It's fun, upbeat, bloody, and hilarious. I love movies that put characters into dire situations yet are still capable of being funny. I especially appreciate the film because the budget was only $1 Million. One million seems like a lot of dough, but in movies that's practically chump change. With such a small budget, it's easy to tell that this movie was made with passion by everyone involved. Oh yeah, and the flick earned $25 million at the box office. More movies should be made like this. It's a quality looking movie, much more so than bigger budget flicks. Hollywood spending tens of millions on a movie is absurd to me, but I digress.

I find You're Next elegant in its simplicity. I'll take this simple plot over some convoluted twist ending any day. And this may just be me, but I think You're Next is one of the best horror movie titles ever. Once again, elegant in its simplicity. The thought of being next to die in such a situation is chilling, so I think it's a perfect title. Everything about the movie is well done, but it's the small, possibly over-looked, touches that make the movie great to me. For instance, the title written in blood on the window in the opening scene is a great title screen, plus at the very end when the title "splashes" on screen is another really cool touch. My favorite small touch is the CD in the neighbors house that happens to be on repeat when they get killed. I can't exactly explain why I like this so much, but I love it. It's also very refreshing to have a true "survivor girl," in every sense of the term. Erin (Vinson) is so badass and has to be up there as one of the top "survivor girl's" of all time. And the blender, ohhh the blender! Such a great horror movie moment! You're Next is everything I wanted and more.

Godzilla (2014)

Godzilla
Director: Gareth Edwards
Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Bryan Cranston
My Rating: Liked It

First of all, throughout the whole movie the main character, Ford Brody (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), looked so familiar to me, but I could not for the life of me put my finger on it. I instantly looked it up after the movie. He's the goofy looking lead in Kick-Ass (2010)! He got so ripped for this role, it's crazy. 

I just had to get that out of the way. So, I've never seen any of the older Godzilla's, not even the oft criticized Matthew Broderick one, therefore I can't do any comparisons. I thought that the acting wasn't anything special and the script had a few cringeworthy, awkward moments. Basically the script is really shallow because it's simply a vehicle to get to the monsters. Which is a shame, because there is some real talent in the cast. But let's be real, no one saw this movie to see good dialogue, people want to see Godzilla! 

The movie definitely flourishes when the monsters are on screen, but there wasn't nearly enough screen time for the green beast. If anything I'd recommend the movie just to see the big payoff at the end, because it's pretty awesome. Ultimately I didn't give one lick about any of the characters, there was some seriously cheesy acting, and the monsters don't get enough screen time; but when they do, man it's good!

Warm Bodies (2013)

Warm Bodies
Director: Jonathan Levine
Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, John Malkovich
My Rating: Liked It

(I wrote this a while ago, not when I published this)

The trailers for Warm Bodies didn’t interest me at all - I wrote it off, and quite frankly, I forgot about it. It came out on DVD recently and my boredom drove me to redbox, and I figured, “What the hell? Why not?” I’m very glad I was bored that night.

The world is comprised of mostly zombies, aimlessly walking around in search of fresh, living flesh to tear into. The main character, R, is an interesting exception to all of the zombies; He can easily formulate thoughts and he’s even an avid collector. Not only is he a bright zombie, but he can also spit out a word or two, here and there, to get his point across to whomever. R and a posse of zombies literally stumble across a group of survivors. R, being the smart and horny undead he is, eyes a living blonde goddess and saves her from the other zombies. The movie follows their relationship, which ultimately changes the whole world for the better.

There are some brilliant ideas put forth in Warm Bodies. For instance, if a zombie eats a living person’s brains, then he/she can see their memories. It’s kind of like their way of dreaming or using drugs; it’s really their only entertainment seeing as how they can’t ever fall asleep. I should add that the casting is perfect; everyone suits his or her part. Rob Corddry (Hot Tub Time Machine, Cedar Rapids) adds some absolutely hysterical comic relief that had me literally laughing out loud.

I don’t want to ruin the movie, but the message is strong and simple: when we are in love, we feel alive, more alive than we did before; and the way it presents that is very creative to me. I recommend this to everyone. Warm Bodies is the best take on zombies I’ve seen in a while. It may not be as fun or funny as Zombieland, but it’s got the brain and heart to match it.

About Last Night (2014)

About Last Night
Director: Steve Pink
Starring: Kevin Hart, Regina Hall, Michael Ealy, Joy Bryant
My Rating: Didn't like it

Story: Two guys go through the turbulence of relationships at the same time. 

My thoughts: There isn't a ton to say about this movie. It's a very typical rom-com fare about the ups and downs of being in a relationship. The one redeeming factor is Kevin Hart. He was the only character that made me laugh out loud during the movie. Plus, Regina Hall and Kevin Hart's chemistry is great as the zany couple. Ultimately, if your girlfriend ropes you into watching a rom-com, I bet you'll get a couple of laughs out of it. 

Evil Dead (2013)

Evil Dead
Director: Fede Alverez
Starring: Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Jessica Lucas
My Rating: Liked It

(I wrote this review back when the film came out)

The plot is simple – a group of friends relocate to a remote cabin in the woods to help their friend kick her drug habit. The rest of the key plot points play out similar to Sam Raimi’s original: the group discovers the book of the dead, one member of the group reads something from it they shouldn’t have, consequently conjuring evil into existence, then trees get a bit too handsy, and the only exit out becomes obstructed. Now, let the madness begin! Quick side note: there is one major addition to the story that ultimately leads to the best part of the movie, but I won’t mention it for fear of ruining it for anyone.

From a visual and technical standpoint, Evil Dead is gorgeous and impeccably shot. Props to Fede Alvarez and Aaron Morton, director and cinematographer, respectively, for the gentle care they took with the film. Colors really pop onscreen, making images like blood and the eyes of the possessed even more effective. Another huge positive: no cgi! To me it’s very refreshing to know that every single thing I witnessed was a product of clever illusions or tricks, rather than a computer.

The largest pitfall in Evil Dead is definitely the weak dialogue it contains. Half of the interactions between characters are weird and awkward, sometimes even laughably so. Quite a few times the crowd was laughing at the absolutely brainless comments said by the characters. I can’t even say that I enjoyed the lines blurted out by the possessed either, which I was rather looking forward to. I also found myself questioning a few of the decisions made by the characters, but these things are neither here nor there. No one sees a horror movie for gripping dialogue, and stupid decisions are made in practically every horror movie that has ever graced the silver screen.

Rivers of blood are used in the movie as a result of the unrelenting brutality throughout, brought upon via nailgun, shotgun, machete, glass, razor blades, and, it wouldn’t be an Evil Dead flick without one, a chainsaw. Alvarez knew he had to up the ante if he wanted to get the attention from the diehard fans of Raimi’s trilogy, and in my opinion, he nailed it. The casual moviegoers in the crowd were oohing and ahhing, and voicing their disgust very often; while the diehard fans like me were simply smiling, taking it all in one dismembered limb at a time. Alvarez struck a fantastic balance between nods to Raimi’s original and making the film all his own.

There comes a point nearing the conclusion when things start slowing down and it seems like the movie could possibly end. Up to that point I was satisfied with the feel of the movie, and satisfied with a few of the more creative blood-spilling endeavors, but I really wasn’t completely sold on the movie; I hadn’t been wowed yet. Things were winding down, and I figured there had to be a little more movie left, but I remember thinking if this ends now, it’s a completely average movie. But that wasn’t the end; it continued into my favorite horror movie climax I’ve seen in a very long time. It’s perfect. It’s visually arresting, intense, and incredibly brutal, creating the ultimate pay-off for a movie like Evil Dead. Alvarez clearly knew his audience because this climax is one of the few things that isn’t borrowed from Raimi’s original, and it’s f$@king awesome.

I’m a huge fan of the 1981 original, and I caught myself trying to compare the two films. That’s the natural thing to do to a remake that bears the same name and follows the original story closely, but don’t do it. Comparing the two is like the plague to the new one, it’ll always come up short. The question that needs to be asked: How does Evil Dead stack up against modern horror? It’s easily, and I mean by a mile, the best time you’ll have at a horror film so far in 2013. I’ve liked quite a few independent horror movies over the past five years, but mainstream American horror is in a huge slump. Since the beginning of 2009 all the way to 2013, the only mainstream American horror movies that I think are above average are: Sinister, Insidious, Piranha 3-D, The Crazies, The Last House on the Left, and Drag Me to Hell. I know this is my opinion, and you may gravely disagree, but that’s only six horror films out of a large number that hit all of America’s theaters that I would consider a great watch; and that’s a problem. With that said, here’s a bold claim for you: Evil Dead is one of the top mainstream horror films to hit American theaters in years because, even through the clunky dialogue, it still manages to be an incredibly fun and rewarding experience – something that even the brightest of horror movies have no idea how to do.

If the dialogue were more intelligent, Evil Dead would probably already be dimed a classic horror. Luckily, the majority of fans in the genre are willing to forgive shortcomings if they walk out of that theater satisfied. If you don’t like horror do us all a favor and don’t see it, it wasn’t made for you. 

The Sacrament (2014)

The Sacrament
Director: Ti West
Starring: Amy Seimetz, Joe Swanberg, AJ Brown
My Rating: Liked It

The Story: A couple of "vice" journalists venture to Eden Parrish, a small self-sustained utopian community, to document their friend's journey to find his sister. At the center of this community is a man only referred to as "Father." Quickly the guests realize that things aren't at all what they seem.

My thoughts: If you know anything about recent horror, you know that Ti West is very much at the center of the up and comers in the genre. With such titles as The House of the Devil, The Innkeepers, and a segment in the first V/H/S, Mr. West is already a very well respected director. While The Sacrament isn't my favorite of these aforementioned flicks, it is still a showcase for the skills of this talented young movie maker.

The one main thing that holds the movie back is that everyone and their brother knows what is going to happen at the end, after all it is based off of a true story. And if you know about utopian society cults such as this one, you will have a pretty solid idea of where it's going. The movie builds quite nicely, but since I knew what was about to happen, I felt the climax, while still very tense and insane, was a little flat. It's simply more exciting if you get hit with something you don't expect. I have a few gripes with parts of the story, but I don't want to give every single thing away in this, so I'll keep it to myself.

Ti West, once again, shows his masterful ability to build slow, sustained tension. I'm not a huge fan of the found footage genre, but it definitely works in West's favor. It made the movie that much more absorbing. I was yelling at my TV during certain moments, which is very out of the ordinary for me. The shining star of this movie is Gene Jones, who plays Father. The first scene in which Father makes an appearance is the highlight of the movie for me. One of the journalists, AJ Bowen's character, has a chance to interview Father, and it's done in front of the whole community. This is a very long and effective scene, showing the viewer the dominance this man has over these people.

Overall, The Sacrament is a very different kind of horror film by an impressive young writer/director.


           

Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

Edge of Tomorrow
Director: Doug Liman
Starring: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton
My Rating: Loved It!

The story: Earth has been hit with an alien infested asteroid, and the far superior aliens are taking over Europe at a staggering pace. Major William Cage (Cruise) is sent against his will to join the front lines in an upcoming storming of the coast of France. Cage, not trained in combat what-so-ever, doesn't stand a chance, but right before he dies on the beach he happens to kill a special type of alien that gives him the opportunity to control time, in a sense. Every time Cage "dies" on the beach, he is reset to the same time 24 hours before the storming of the coast. Cage teams up with Rita Vrataski (Blunt) to harness his newfound "power" and take down the aliens.

My thoughts: It's clear to me that this movie could have been a complete and utter disaster in different hands. There are many touches that make the movie great, rather than average. Such as, the makers could have shown each and every day that Cage (Cruise) experiences, which could've made for a boring and lackluster viewing experience. Instead, as the movie progresses, in several different moments, Cage (Cruise) reveals to the audience that he's been through this particular moment many times before. This makes for a very swiftly paced, and often times funny, viewing experience.

If there was one thing negative I had to say about Edge of Tomorrow, it's that it could've been about ten minutes shorter. There were a few scenes, that I won't talk about in this, that I simply thought didn't belong in the movie. One scene in particular was absurdly irrelevant and it completely interrupted the fast paced flow of the movie. I also wasn't a huge fan of the last few minutes. I understand why they did what they did, but I felt it was unnecessary. These are minor grievances, though. It's fast and fun, and everything a big hollywood blockbuster should be.