Thursday, June 19, 2014

Most Anticipated Movies Of 2014

So, here goes. I finalized this list at the end of 2013, and haven't changed it since then. If I remember to do so, at the end of the year I will post a list that ranks all these movies. That way I can compare the anticipation to actual enjoyment of the movie.

And if you don't recognize some of these titles, head over to IMDb and read about them or watch a trailer. there's something for everyone among these.

  1. Inherent Vice
  2. Dumb & Dumber To
  3. Rudderless
  4. Fury
  5. The Grand Budapest Hotel
  6. Interstellar
  7. Her
  8. Lone Survivor
  9. Transformers 4
  10. untitled Cameron Crowe film
  11. Foxcatcher
  12. Gone Girl
  13. 22 Jump Street
  14. The Hobbit: There And Back Again
  15. Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes
  16. Godzilla
  17. Horrible Bosses 2
  18. Nightcrawler
  19. Edge Of Tomorrow
  20. The Equalizer
  21. When The Game Stands Tall
  22. A Long Way Down
  23. Non-Stop
  24. The Judge
  25. Unbroken
  26. Imagine
  27. A Walk Among The Tombstones
  28. Jane Got A Gun
  29. Neighbors
  30. The Monuments Men
  31. A Birder's Guide To Everything
  32. Locke
  33. Need For Speed
  34. Bad Words
  35. Blended
  36. Think Like A Man Too
  37. Sex Tape
  38. The Interview
  39. 300: Rise Of An Empire
  40. Hercules
  41. I, Frankenstein
  42. Transcendence
  43. Sin City: A Dame To Kill For
  44. God's Pocket
  45. A Most Wanted Man
  46. Chef
  47. Business Or Pleasure
  48. Hellion
  49. Ride Along
  50. Draft Day
  51. Into the Storm
  52. American Heist
  53. The Art Of The Steal
  54. Ghosts Of The Pacific
  55. The Purge 2
  56. Camp Takota
  57. The Best Of Me
  58. Just Before I Go
  59. Wild
  60. Blackbird
  61. Little Boy
  62. Staten Island Summer
  63. Cold In July
  64. How to Catch A Monster
  65. Paradise Lost
  66. Robocop

So that's the list. I'm working hard to watch them all and I'm also already working on my 2015 list. So far the only thing locked in for that list is Jurassic World at the top. June 12th can't come fast enough!



Saturday, June 14, 2014

Watch List #2

Here's my watch list for May. Pretty much a solid lineup, with 2 semi-duds.

7. The Counselor
05/02/2014

I heard a lot of bad things about this one, but went into it with an open mind. I actually found it to be awesome, and just as gripping and inescapable as a bolito. But I had already been warned that it was very "talky" and didn't have a whole lot of action. In a way, I'd compare it to No Country For Old Men.





8. Frequency
05/03/2014

This is another favorite of ours. The nostalgic feel works well for this type of thriller. And who doesn't love Jim Caviezel and Dennis Quaid? The story gets a little loose with the time travel element, but it's easy enough to overlook. Great movie for father's day.






9. The Cabin In The Woods
05/03/2014

I knew to expect something fresh for the horror genre, but I had no idea what. So I was definitely surprised. I'm not even a big horror fan, but this hit all the right chords for me. Also, the lead actress is totally Erin from the Office's sister. Thought I'd save you some time, so you don't spend hours trying to figure out who she reminds you of.




10. Dan In Real Life
05/03/2014

I hadn't seen this movie in years, so I had forgotten pretty much everything about it. I'm a big Steve Carell fan, and he does a pretty good job in this one. It's funny, but also a little dark. I'd describe it as an adult coming-of-age, if that makes sense.







11. The Monuments Men
05/03/2014

Our first dud of the month. I had pretty high expectations for this one, even though my family said it wasn't that great. I love WWII as a setting, so this had a lot going for it based on that alone. But the story was kinda weak, and it just didn't really flow. It wasn't horrible, but I'm not sure I'd care to see it again.





12. The Terminator
05/03/2014

A classic. And Lindsey's first viewing.















13. Jobs
05/05/2014

I'm not really sure why this wasn't better received. I loved it! But I'm a sucker for a good biopic. I'm not necessarily looking for the 100% true story, so I'm not going to complain when a couple liberties are taken to make the movie better. And I appreciate the filmmakers showing Jobs' darker side.






14. The Firm
05/06/2014

Another Tom Cruise film, but I'd consider this a miss. Our second and last dud of the month. The film took forever to get going, and it only really hit its stride at the very end. Not what I was expecting from a John Grisham "thriller."








A sequel that uses the villain from the first as the hero? This movie has everything working for it, and might be better than the original. Another classic for sure.










16. Neighbors
05/10/2014

Not the funniest movie of the summer, but still a decent one. Zac Efron and Dave Franco flesh out their characters a lot more than is typical for the frat boy role. Props for that. And the Creed joke made the movie for me. So awesome!








17. Inside Llewyn Davis
05/11/2014

Very dark and moody, this gem is definitely worth a watch. The original soundtrack is excellent, especially The Death Of Queen Jane. The scene it's featured in is the best of the movie. And Oscar Isaac's such a great actor. I can't wait to see him in Star Wars: Episode VII. You should also check out 10 Years. He really steals the show in that one.



18. Monsters University
05/15/2014

I'm picky with my Pixar movies. I just haven't cared for their last few efforts, and have read about the turmoil behind the scenes. But this sequel was quite good. Making Mike the lead instead of Sully was a great move.








19. Rock Star
05/17/2014

This is one of those movies that I could watch again and again. It's the little guy rising up, only to fall victim to the seedy nature of the industry. A rock and roll version of Boogie Nights. I love the music setting almost as much as I do WWII and high school, and it's very fleshed out here. After this, watch Almost Famous. Oh, Timothy Olyphant is great as always, and a young Miles Kennedy plays a small role.

"Breakfast, morning, noon, night. Gotta have it, man."


20. Stuck In Love
05/17/2014

I thought this was going to be a poor man's Crazy, Stupid, Love. Boy, was I wrong. Yeah, they have a similar theme, but this might have been better. This is my kind of love story, and I can't say enough good things about it. Greg Kinnear and Logan Lerman are great, but the story is what really brings this thing home. Watch this on your next date night.




Overall this was a good month, even if the movie count was a little low. Next up will probably be my Most Anticipated Movies Of 2014 list.


Watch List #1

Wow! Over a year has gone by since my last post. I'd like to get back at it, so maybe this new idea of mine will work out better. I recently had the idea to keep a running list of movies that I watch, so that I can someday look back on it and realize how much time I've wasted.

I think Hobbes said it best.

Seriously though, this should give me a nice platform to publish the list. I'll also try to make occasional suggestions and notes, but I won't be providing loglines or plot summaries. That's what IMDb is for. But I'll do the hard work for you and provide a link in each movie title.

I started the list on April 22, so these first couple posts will just be used to catch up. Then I'll try to add a post every couple weeks. Here goes...


1. Rushmore
04/22/2014

This is one of my favorite Wes Anderson movies, and is definitely worth your time. This was Lindsey's first viewing, and she was laughing quite a bit. Something tells me it won't be the last.

"I like your nurse's uniform, Guy."

"These are OR scrubs."

"Oh, are they?"


2. That Awkward Moment
04/26/2014

I was looking forward to this one, but didn't expect a whole lot, so I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be good. I'd say give it a shot. And Michael B. Jordan is someone to keep an eye on, especially with the new Fantastic Four coming out soon. He's also great in Chronicle.





3. Thank You For Smoking
04/26/2014

Hilarious! Satire at it's best! Aaron Eckhart has never been better, and William H. Macy is spot on. This is a must watch, and I can't say enough good things about it. It's one of my all-time favorite comedies.

"You never said anything about off the record."

"I presumed anything said while I was inside you was privileged."


4. A Perfect Getaway
04/27/2014

Lindsey & I love this movie. I'm a big Timothy Olyphant fan, and he really shines in this one. It's quite the tropical thriller, and should be watched a few times to take everything in (but that doesn't mean it's confusing). If/when we make it out to Hawaii, we're totally hiking the trail featured in the film.






5. Oblivion
04/27/2014

Another actor I love, Tom Cruise carries a pretty much solo effort in this apocolyptic sci-fi action thriller. Is that a genre? Anyway, this movie was way better than I expected, and that's even including the negative points for featuring Morgan Freeman (I'm apparently the only non-fan of his). Now if only Tom Cruise would make a nice drama again...



6. Robocop
04/30/2014

The original Robocop was quite the movie. It had a perfect balance of satire, gore, and heroic 80s action to elevate it's status to classic. The remake, not so much. Even though it's got some big stars and a big budget, it doesn't feel very polished. Maybe I was expecting too much, but...er, no I wasn't. This was a boring mess. But it still had some fun moments. I'd say skip, sadly.



Keep checking back, because I've got some other great ideas for content. Coming soon will be my Most Anticipated Movies Of 2014 list, as well as May's Watch List.