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.

Top 12 of 12: Best Of

            Hello everyone in blog land, my name is TheCinemaChick!  I am a lover of all things involving the cinema and a friendly neighborhood stalker (according to Fry).  I’ve given you all my top 12 worst films of the year, so let’s have a more positive note with this one.  I would like to announce that I hit my goal of seeing 50 new releases, having a grand total of 66 films.  If you’re wondering how that works out, keep in mind I went to three marathons, saw “Avengers” eight times and yeah…it adds up.  

            What movies did I absolutely love this year?  Could anything top last year’s top movie?  Honestly…”Drive” is still pretty freaking awesome, but this year had some good contenders.  Let us dive right in and explore my favorite movies of 2012.

            As with my previous list, the first movie listed will be my least favorite.  I liked it, but not enough to buy it or watch it repeatedly.  Therefore the last movie I list will be the one I cannot live without.

            12. The Devil’s Carnival

            Ok, most of you have no clue as to what I’m talking about here.  It’s a film done by Terrance Zdunich and Darren Bousman.  It’s a pseudo sequel to “Repo! The Genetic Opera”.  What I liked about this was the music and the presentation.  The overall film isn’t that impressive and got to be a little irritable at points, but the way Zdunich presented it was awesome.  They did a nationwide tour, stopping in select cities.  The premiere was carnival themed, including side shows before the film.  I got to meet both men and they were very nice.

            I ranked this one low because it was a limited release, so it wasn’t widely available to the masses.  It is out on DVD now, so if you’re interested, check it out.

            11. The Artist.

            I know, this one came out in 2011 and won a lot of Oscars.  This was not available in my area until 2012.  I fell in love with this.  It is an homage to vintage films, showing only black and white and being silent.  It showed how powerful music can be when an actor cannot speak directly to the audience.  Emotions poured off the screen, thanks to the amazing cast and their willingness to overact.  I was the youngest person in the theater that morning, but everyone there agreed, it was one of the best modern films to date.

            10. The Secret World of Arrietty

            Hayao Miyazaki.  That’s all.

            9. John Carter

            Yes, this one was a box office bomb.  Poor Taylor Kitsch did not have a good year.  All his movies failed and he has a bad rap now.  I honestly loved John Carter.  It was new, it was different and wonderfully acted.  The special effects were amazing, the costuming was excellent and the story was gripping.  It was based on a book, which I have been reading and it’s also a very good adaptation.  Despite the harsh criticisms it received, I still loved it.  Just because a big critic hates it, doesn’t mean it’s bad.  This film deserves more recognition that it got.  As for Kitsch’s over film “Battleship”, I don’t know what to say.  I knew that one would be a bomb before it was even released.

            8. The Woman In Black

            This was by no means an amazing movie.  In fact, it’s quite dull.  So why did I enjoy it?  I loved that it did not jump straight into the horror aspect.  It built up the suspense until the end, which was a huge twist for me.  I also liked how they presented the Woman as someone who preyed on children.  I was genuinely unnerved at the end because of how things transpired.  I think its worth another look.  I also like that Daniel Radcliffe is trying to do roles outside of Harry Potter.  While I don’t think he’s succeeded in shedding that persona yet, I think he will have a lot of success in the future.

            7. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

            A lot of people probably skipped this one.  It was genuinely aimed at the older audience, so I ended up going with my parents.  They loved it.  It had a good mix of humor and emotion.  The characters were relatable so there was someone I could connect with.  It was realistic in that they made me think of people I actually knew.  I came to care for these characters, which is hard to do lately.

            Also, due to recent events, I can understand the characters a little more now.  They had experienced deaths of family members and close friends, so I know how it feels..  I would not mind going and spending a few months in India to find peace.

            6. The Hunger Games

            Honestly, I didn’t love it nor did I hate it.  I thought it was one of the most faithful adaptations of a book I’ve ever seen.  That’s it.

            5. Skyfall

            I’m not a James Bond fan.  I never have been, but something about Skyfall intrigued me.  It was a wonderful film, even though I hated that the first act seemed so disconnected from the second half.  The action kept me hooked and let’s be honest.  Javier Bardem is the best thing in this.  He was so brilliant that I fell in love with his flamboyant ways.  I also loved Ben Whishaw as Q.  Judi Dench was awesome, as always, though it is sad to know she is going blind.  I wish her nothing but the best.

            Another reason this film is important to me is that it was the first movie I saw after my mother’s funeral.  Butterfly took me to see it and it helped me be able to move on with my life.  I love my mother, I miss her every day and she wanted me to keep doing what I loved.  Skyfall made me remember why I review films.

            4. The Dark Knight Rises

            I was late joining the Batman crowd.  I’d seen the earlier films but I didn’t really enjoy it until I saw “The Dark Knight”.  Heath Ledger is the reason I loved the Christian Bale films.  I attended a triple feature, leading to a midnight showing.  I really like this film, even though it had a surprising lack of Batman.  Upon reviewing my notes, I realized this wasn’t Batman’s movie.  This was Bane’s show.  Tom Hardy was perfection as the criminal genius.  A lot of the plots twists didn’t add up, the ending was a bit of a cop out and I still don’t like Anne Hathaway.  However, I loved this movie.  It was entertaining and worth the wait.

            We all know what happened this night as well.  I do not wish to mention it out of respect to those affected by it.  It was another senseless act of violence.

            3. The Hobbit

            Yes, brand new to theaters and already on my favorites list. Isn’t that amazing?  I absolutely love Peter Jackson’s interpretation.  It gave more of the story so I had a better sense of what was going on.  We got to hear why Thorin because so sullen.  It started with Ian Holm as Bilbo and seamlessly faded into Martin Freeman as Bilbo.  The battle scenes were flawless and they managed to add a good amount of humor.  I didn’t mind the run time of 3 hours.  To me, it was one of the best films I’ve seen in about 2 years and it deserves recognition.

            However, the higher frame rate wasn’t the best choice and at times, the film did feel a lot slower than it actually was, but I am going to see it again.  I’ve seen the high frame rate in 3D, I’d like to see it in 2D now.

            2. The Avengers

            Surprise!  Most people thought this would be my top film.  I did love this film and I saw it 8 times in the theater and once on DVD.  Joss Whedon did a terrific job with this one and I cannot wait until the sequel comes out.  The acting was superb, the humor was friendly and the plot never dragged.  Not to mention, Tom Hiddleston said one of the dirtiest words known to the English language and almost no one knew what it meant.  I was the only one who gasped aloud in the theater when I heard it.

            This movie launched Loki’s Army, which is basically fangirls who love Loki and only Loki.  While I’m not opposed to this, I like tom Hiddleston as an actor.  Have you seen him in “Midnight in Paris”?  He plays F. Scott Fitzgerald!  It was awesome!

            “The Avengers” also restored my faith in the Marvel franchise.  It had hit a lull since Ghost Rider tanked and The Amazing Spiderman wasn’t exactly amazing.  I’m looking forward to the future sequels, starting with Iron Man 3.

            What was my favorite film this year?  Did it move me?  Was it the most popular movie out there?

            Nope.

            1. The Perks of Being a Wallflower

            Yes.  I absolutely loved this movie.  I went out of my way to see it and paid more money for a ticket than I care to admit.  I had tears streaming down my face when I left. 

            Most people probably did not have the same reaction.  I’m willing to bet a lot of people went just to see Emma Watson in her first non Harry Potter role.  Well…I ‘ll get to my reasons in just a second.

            One thing that I absolutely loved was that Steven Chbosky wrote the book and the screenplay and he was highly involved in the filmmaking process.  The movie was very faithful to the original text, which is a huge bonus.  I loved the music they used because it fit so well.  The acting was perfect, especially Ezra Miller.  That man alone deserves a bunch of awards for his role.  He was Patrick.

            But what got me was Logan Lerman as Charlie.  I can relate to the character of Charlie more than people know.  I’m bipolar so I know what its like to struggle with my identity, to find a place where I belong, the have friends that understand who and what I am.  Plus, being a teenager is hard enough.  Having a mental disorder makes life just a little bit harder.  While I never ended up in a psych ward, I’ve struggled with my bipolar disorder.  It has cost me relationships (like the ones I had with Neon and Terra) and sometimes, it makes just waking up unbearable.

           When I walked out of the movie, I realized, I am Charlie.  I struggle with myself on a daily basis, but I will be all right.

            This has been a very difficult year for me.  I apologize once more for being absent most of the time.  Things were strange and unexpected.  I certainly did not expect my mother’s untimely passing, which just caused a huge creative block.  Things are just…I’m learning to live without her.  There are days I cry and there are days when I can go about as normal.  Thankfully, people like Kit Kat, Fry, Butterfly and Mumford have been around for me.

            I promise to be better in 2013.  I may return to vlogs, but personal insecurities have prevented me from doing so.  We’ll see how things go.

            I would like to dedicate my Top 12 of 12: Best Of list to my mother’s memory.  She encouraged me to do this and she loved hearing me talk about films when her sight was gone.  She was my first fan.

            So, here’s to you, Mom.  Thank you and I miss you so much.

            I’m TheCinemaChick and expect two more reviews from me this year.  Tonight I’m seeing “Red Dawn” and Fry and I will be seeing “Les Miserables” on Christmas day.  We’ve made a tradition of seeing a movie on Christmas.

            Whatever you celebrate, I wish you a happy holiday and a prosperous New Year.