Best of 2014...brought to you in 2015

Hello everyone and welcome to the first blog of 2015!  Happy New Year’s Day everyone!  My name is TheCinemaChick but you knew that already.  I’m sorry this was not written and posted earlier but it seems that a severe cold that I had for 2 weeks has come back with a vengeance.  I lost my voice due to a very sore and swollen throat.  However, I will get through this so you can learn what my top 14 of 2014 are.  You've seen the worst, so now it’s time for the best.

Let’s just jump right into it, shall we?

                Before I begin, I’ like to say that I saw a grand total of 45 films this year.  Two of them I will never speak of again because they were quite disgusting.  Overall, I’d call 2014 a good year.  It was great but it wasn't horrible, it was more in between.

                And now, in no particular order:

1.       12 Years a Slave

This one was just rough.  I wasn’t sure if I could even finish it at some points but the story was just amazing.  It deserved all the awards it got and it brought us Lupita Nyong'o.  I’m telling you, she’s going to be huge in the future.  If you can get through the stomach churning scenes of torture and the uneasiness of the blatant racism that took place in that time, I definitely recommend it.  The entire cast puts forth an outstanding performance and this film should be marked as one of the greatest movies in recent history.

2.       Saving Mr. Banks

I honestly didn't expect to like this one.  It’s a nice, light story about the woman who wrote “Mary Poppins” and how that story came into being.  Tom Hanks dazzles as Walt Disney and Emma Thompson really captured P.L. Travers’ personality.  I think this would be a great movie for the whole family.  It’s clean, it’s wholesome, even if there is a few scenes with smoking and a few scenes that some may find disturbing.

3.       Godzilla

I’m not a huge fan of this franchise but I was interested in seeing this reboot.  After seeing the older one with Matthew Broderick, my hopes were not high on this one.  However, the acting was top notch and the music was absolute perfection.  In my original review, I raved about how the score successfully set the tone for the entire film and I stand by that.  It’s definitely worth a watch but I think it needs more Bryan Cranston.

4.       A Million ways to Die in the West

I am so embarrassed to like this one.  It’s rude, it’s crass, it’s disgusting but it’s so funny.  I laughed so hard and I have watched it several times since.  You’ll feel bad for liking it but it is just so funny.  And then there’s Neil Patrick Harris…he’s going to pop up in this list again…I seriously hate myself for living this movie so much.

5.       Begin Again

This movie wasn’t anything spectacular.  It was a love story about a broken hearted girl and her rock star boyfriend.  I wasn’t wowed by it, but I will say this.  I have a new found respect Keira Knightley.  She sings all the songs on the soundtrack and she’s good.  True, she’s not spectacular but I adored her voice.  It’s so soft, so dainty but the lyrics packed a punch.  It was a nice, refreshing movie, a break from the over hyped, big budget stuff that had come out.  I enjoyed it and again, I recommend giving it a look.

6.       Guardians of the Galaxy

Who didn’t love this one?  It’s by far not my favorite Marvel film.  That honor goes to the Thor franchise because I love the visual effects and settings.  Sorry, but Asgard still leaves me in awe when I see it.  But this one seemed like a more down home kind of adventure.  I know, no one’s seeking out a mystical orb with an infinity stone, but the characters were relateable.  Gamora had an overbearing father and wicked sister, Peter Quill was a thief trying to earn a buck and Drax wanted revenge on the man who killed his family.  They were the last people you’d expect to work together and it just came together.  I do look forward to the sequel and hopefully more Rocket.  And remember, I am Groot.

Also, Lee Pace.

7.       In Your Eyes

This one is on Netflix as we speak.  Go watch the most original love story I have ever seen and I loathe and abhor romance movies.  Joss Whedon, you are an amazing man for giving us this beautiful film.

8.       Chef

I loved how fast paced the food scenes were.  Overall, it was just fun to watch and it made me want to learn how to cook the Latin foods I saw.  It was also so cool to see the cross country road trip to learn about the nation’s cuisine.  The father-son relationship felt very natural, which made the film more enjoyable.  Nothing felt forced and it all just flowed organically.  True, I still don’t like Sofia Vergara because I think she is overexposed (in many senses of the word) and she’s too flamboyant.  Having seen her role on television and this one, they seemed identical: a whiny wife.  She’s the only thing that detracted from the movie.

9.       Into The Woods

I won’t go into too much detail since I did post my review a few days ago.  The music, the atmosphere, the casting, all perfection.  It drags at times and the plot gets a little muddled and the entire third act feels tacked on but I still enjoyed.  Meryl Streep, I envy your acting and singing skills now.

10.   Gone Girl

This movie was so creepy.  I’d read the book so I knew what to expect but seeing it on screen was so much more intense.  The amount of time and effort Amy put into faking her own death and vanishing is astounding.  I genuinely hated her at the end.  I felt so sorry for the people’s lives she ruined.  Neil Patrick Harris was great as the oblivious but supportive ex who tries to help Amy out but he has a horrible fate.  Seriously, Neil Patrick Harris can do no wrong.

11.   Frankenstein

Honestly, I wasn't even sure if this one counted since it was a re-broadcast of a live play from Britain.  Then I figured, well, I saw in a movie theater.  Benedict Cumberbatch played The Monster and he nailed it.  That play…I wish it was on DVD because I do want to see this over and over.  I also want to see it again because of the alternate casting.  Cumberbatch, along with Johnny Lee Miller, switched roles so they both played Frankenstein and his Creation.  If you get the chance to see it, jump on it.

12.   Big Hero 6

I loved this movie.  It was a beautiful blending of California and Japanese culture.  The ending caught me by surprise and almost had be in tears.  It was sweet at times and the main characters were awesome.  Believe it or not, this is based on a Marvel comic so there is a Stan Lee cameo.  There is also an end credit scene which was both hilarious and slightly gross.  It’s meant for children but there are some dark moments mixed ink, so it works for everyone.  Use your own discretion on this one.

13.   Penguins of Madagascar

It was really mediocre but there is some awesome wordplay in the film.  The puns are so bad it hurts but I still laughed at them.  Plus, penguins.

14.   The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Let me start by saying, this was my least favorite film of the trio.  It was jumbled, overrun with bad CGI and personally I think it was just bloated.  The battles themselves were exciting but the film focused more on everyone being mad at Thorin, who’s going insane looking for the Arkenstone.  I wasn't satisfied and it left me wanting more.  The Tauriel-Kili love story feels so forced that I wish she have never been brought on.  I can’t hate a Tolkien film.  It could have been trimmed down a bit and been improved.  The death scenes were heartbreaking and when Thranduil fights, it’s quite breathtaking.

Also, Lee Pace.

That’s all for 2014!  There’s a bunch of new films coming out in 2015 that I am dying to see.  You know me, I’d never miss a Marvel movie, so you know I will be one of the first in line to see the new Avengers film.  I’m also super excited to see Pitch Perfect 2, Mad Max, Jupiter Ascending, the live action Cinderella and Pan.  The list could go on and on, trust me.  There is 12 months of movies to see and I’m just one girl who wants to see them all.

I hope you all stick with me in this new year of adventure, action, horror and comedy as I will do my best to bring you all the reviews I can.  We’re in this for the long haul, guys and gals.

I’m TheCinemaChick and I am quite possibly medicated for my horrible cold.

2014: Worst of the Worst

Did you miss me?

Hello everyone, I’m the girl who really shouldn’t be so absent on her own movie blog, TheCinemaChick and I’m finally ready for my annual list of Best and Worst.  Have you been wondering where I’ve been?  I’ve been gone for a while now.

Disappointment.

I have not seen any decent films in so long that I began to think 2014 had nothing left to offer, so I just gave up.  Why write about consistently terrible films that were a waste of time and money?  I hated everything but I didn’t want to just write about how much a movie sucked.  I needed something positive, something refreshing to write about.  Seriously, I did not find something decent until about two weeks ago when I saw “Big Hero 6”.  I have not reviewed that and I do sincerely apologize for that.  For the past two weeks I have been sleeping about 18 hours a day due to a very severe cold that left me feeling really out of it.  I still have a touch of it, but I no longer need so much sleep or medication.

So, in short, hello sweetie.

Now…are you ready for the fourteen worst films of the year (in my opinion)?

And I know what you’re thinking, “Fourteen?  Did she really manage to come up with that many films that she hated?”

Yes.  Believe it or not, there are actually more than that but since its 2014, I decided not to exceed fourteen.  In all fairness, I do have a list of the best of the year coming next week.  Why next week you ask?  Because I’ve added a film the to the “best of” list and I have yet to see it.  Like most nerds out there, I’m am internally fangirling over the upcoming “The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies”.  Since I have enjoyed all of them so far, I already put it on my list.  I do plan to see it as soon as it comes out, so it’ll only be about a week between lists.

Also, speaking of list, I have decided to do a theater review as well.  There are a couple of theaters I tend to lurk in, so I want to do a rating system for them.  While I do seem to haunt only one recently, it’s not my favorite.  I don’t even know if theaters even care about what bloggers like me have to say about them, but I’d like to let them know they are doing a good/bad job.  Trust me, I have been to the absolutely worst.  At one theater, I slipped in butter in front of the snack counter and all I got was a “We’re sorry”.  Don’t say you’re sorry, clean it up and put out a “Wet Floor” sign!

And I’m off track.  You know I tend to do that.  I actually paused for about five minutes because I saw what I thought would be the perfect gift for DigitalDad.  That’s three people taken care of, like ten more to go.

But now, on to the worst movies of the year, in no particular order!

1.       Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones

I honestly don’t know why I keep going to this franchise.  Part of me wants to know how it’s all connected and see how it ends.  I know it’s going to be awful.  This one wasn’t just bad, it was borderline offensive.  There were some Mexican stereotypes mixed in there that just didn’t sit well with me.  The characters were incredibly stupid and Fry and I were yelling at the screen the whole time.  We were also the only ones in the theater, so we could.  I hated it, except for the ending, where it tied everything back to the first film.  Definitely wasn’t the best movie to choose for my birthday.

2.       Pompeii

This one was so awful, I actually had forgotten that I had seen it.  It was forgettable.  The acting was bad, the plot was paper thin and then it just such a weird turn that it didn’t even make sense.  I could not believe the chemistry between the two main characters because it felt so forced.  Then again, she supposedly fell in love with him when he killed a horse out of mercy.  I may be wrong, but I’m pretty sure that’s not how you woo a girl in ancient Greece.  On the bright side, Kit Harington was pretty to look at.

3.       The Muppets Most Wanted

I wanted to like this one, I really did.  I love The Muppets.  They’ve been a part of my life since I was a kid, so when they came back, I was elated.  This film however, it just felt like it was insulting my intelligence.  Everything was so obvious, the comedy wasn’t even that great and the songs disappointed me, except for one.  The cameos weren’t as good in this one either.  I admit, I was really looking forward to seeing Tom Hiddleston in there, but he was on screen for about a minute total.  Josh Groban also had a part in there and to this day, I want to know what made him the most dangerous criminal in that prison.  Why, of all people, was he the one in solitary confinement?  Overall, just meh.

4.       Divergent

First off, this was not marketed to my age group.  This was obviously made for teen girls.  There was a lot of pretty boys to look at and the ever present strong female lead.  I get that we want more positive role models out there for young girls, but I don’t think Tris is the one.  She’s pathetic until the eleventh hour when she has to step up and do something.  The romance between her and Four is over emphasized.  I actually read the book before seeing the movie and the book was decent.  However, when they really poured the relationship aspect on heavily, I couldn’t take it seriously.  Plus, come on…the post-apocalyptic world, corrupt leaders, young people rebelling, strong teen female leader…we get it.  Move on.

The sequel, “Insurgent” comes out in 2015.

5.       Oculus

Someone explain this one to me.  I was so bored then it would be a flashback, then present time, then back in the past.  It never explained what the mirror did or how the mirror was demonic.  Nothing was explained, so I couldn’t follow the story.  Props to Karen Gillan on her first post “Doctor Who” film but it bombed.  Thankfully, this lovely actress will pop up again on my “best of” list.

6.       Transformers: Age of Extinction

Once again, not sure why I thought this would be good.  It dragged on for so long and I wanted those freaking Dinobots to show up and they never did!  They didn’t show up until the last half hour and at that point, I didn’t care anymore.  This was another “Michael Bay presents a Michael Bay film with all the Michael Bay explosions that Michael Bay likes in all his movies because Michael Bay” thing.  Is there an upside?  Uh…well, apparently you can smack around a Dinobot and it’ll obey like a well-trained dog.

7.       Jersey Boys

I didn’t hate this one.  I actually liked it.  However, I can’t get past how much cursing there was in this film.  That’s what got to me.  The music and story were good but geez, do you really need THAT much language?  I could understand it if it were and R rated action flick, but a musical biography?  It was just unnecessary.

8.       The Purge: Anarchy

The first movie was good.  The Polite Leader was super creepy with his smile.  The sequel didn’t go as well.  There were no likeable characters and they tried to do too much in the time they had.  The intertwining stories just didn’t work.  And then it just jerks you into a completely different scenario which made even less sense.  No one had any redeeming qualities.  After the movie, Butterfly and I were talking and we agreed that this would make an awesome MMORPG, an online roleplaying game.  I would play a survival game based on this movie but I would not recommend the movie itself.

9.       Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

I grew up with the live action movies and this one was a disappointment.  It did nothing for me and I didn’t find it fun.  Megan Fox added a very flat performance and the plot didn’t even resolve itself at the end.  Too many threads were left open so it just left me feeling underwhelmed.  Let’s see…a positive…uh…Michael Bay was involved and he didn’t royally screw this one up.

10.   Into The Storm

Oh Richard Armitage…you can do so much better than this.  This was a lackluster, uninspired movie about a mega storm.  I was bored out of my mind for the duration of it and couldn’t have cared less if anyone lived.  It needed sharks with their tornados.

11.   Let’s Be Cops

What movie are you trying to be?  Are you a buddy cop movie?  A stoner flick?  An undercover spy film?  Seriously, what are you?  Pick a genre or two and stick to that because otherwise you get a confused jumble of a movie.  I hated it and wish I’d never seen it.  Skip this one entirely and go rent “Police Academy”.

12.   As Above So Below

Can we just all agree that the found footage movement should just die out?  It’s just another weird paranormal movie taking place in the catacombs of France.  There were elements that I like, showing the tombs below the streets and building the tension.  However, it also opened possible side stories that showed up and almost immediately vanished.  It never really explained why the characters were killed off and I don’t really understand how going that deep into the catacombs led them back to the streets of Paris.  Honestly, I could have been cool with the ending if they had hinted that the survivors had somehow ended up in an alternate universe.  Like, it was Paris, just an evil version or a backwards version.  Instead, they just ended up in the normal world and it ended.  More or less, just disappointing and uninteresting.  It had potential to be better.

13.   Annabelle

And here we have the spinoff from the popular movie “The Conjuring”.  It had moments where the tension almost had me going but it became highly predictable.  Fry and I were literally sitting in our seats saying what would happen next.  We lost interest in it entirely.  I would like to see the cult they mentioned in the beginning and how it led to the one girl wanting the Annabelle doll.  To be honest, haunted or not, that doll is freaky looking.  Fun fact, I got to touch the actual doll when it was at Fan Days this past October.  As far as the movie goes, I want to know why the doll is haunted, what is haunting it, why is chose the doll and what it has to do with the cult.  Beyond that, blah.  Just plain blah.

14.   Ouija

This movie was seriously horror movie cliché central.  It was like a checklist of tropes.  Group of teen friends playing with cursed object with one friend feeling apprehensive, check.  Methodical death by slowly picking off teens one by one, check.  Best friend trying to save everyone, check.  Wise older woman, usually of some kind of ethnic background, check.

I couldn’t stand this one.  It went in one direction then decided “Eh, let’s do something else and see if this makes people jump.”  It didn’t really do anything for me.  Defeating the curse just seemed too easy and the twist was obvious.

Also, why is the wise woman always of some ethnic origin?  In “Annabelle”, the wise older woman was African American.  In “Ouija”, she’s the Mexican grandmother. 

Is it so hard to find a fresh, interesting take on a horror movie?  I would love something that’s not predicable or filled with the same old clichés.  Give me something new and exciting.  Is that so much to ask?

I hope 2015 has something better to offer.  Actually, I know it will.  We’ve got new “Avengers” to look forward to, along with “Pitch Perfect”, “Mad Max” and so much more.  As for 2014, this was a year of mediocrity and failures.  The ones that did succeed were phenomenal but the ones that bombed, well, they bombed hard.

I’m TheCinemaChick and right now, I’m under my invisibility cloak.