Movie #9- Best Film Editing Winner

Time to revisit one of my favorites...

I refuse to call Raging Bull a sports movie... because it really isn't. Sure its a boxing film, but whats 80's movie wasn't. The film features something like 10 minutes of boxing in 2 hours+... and really its about so much more than boxing. I'm saying all this as someone who loves sports films, trust me. 

De Niro's performance is one of the best ever, and I think it is among Scorsese's best work. (I can never pin down a favorite Scorsese).  Raging Bull is one of the best dramatic films I've ever seen and I think its place on AFI's top films list is well deserved.

There is so much that can be said about this film, the wonderful directing, the wonderful acting, the wonderful script.  This film will always be one of my favorite films of all time...

Rating: 9/10

This film for me is always tough to place on a favorites list, it truly is a favorite film of mine, and it is so wonderfully done, but its not one I will give a lot of play time. It's outstanding, but doesn't have the most rewatchability to me... so I always struggle does it trump something that I rewatch multiple times a year even though that rewatched film is far inferior in quality... a tough decision ranking films...

Movie #8- Bio Pic

Another unwatched film off the list...

Finally got around to watching 42, good movie, I wouldn't call it my favorite sports movie, or even my favorite baseball movie of all time. Nothing new or inventive about the movie itself, obviously and important and well told story, but it's been done before so many times. Its a good sports movie, and a great story, but its kind of flat... so much more could have been done with the Jackie Robinson story, its not like there wasn't enough to work with.  

They really cram the film's message down your throat... over and over again... It is obviously the main intent of the film... kind of disappointing. 

Rating: 6/10

Movie #7- Historical Fiction

The alternate account of the creation of the Book of Kells...

I love a film that is visually stunning, at times stunning cinematics and visuals can carry a film for me. The Secret of Kells is a prime example of a film with a pretty good story that gets a lot of help from the film's stunning visuals.  The Secret of Kells is beautifully animated, as it should be, as the film itself is about beautiful illustration. The film doesn't have the most riviting story, but its good enough. Any slack from the story and plot is very quickly picked up by the outstanding animation and charm of the movie.

Don't get me wrong, the story isn't bad, but if story is your primary concern, they are another animated films to turn to. The Secret of Kells had the similar feel of a Studio Ghibli film in my opinion. 

Secret of Kells has a nice fairy tale feel to the film, which I was was flushed out a little bit more.  I definitely think Aisling should've been utilized more as her parts of the movie were really awesome and great to watch, definitely the most captivating parts of the film.

Overall its a pretty good film that is made great by beautiful illustration. 

Rating:6.75/10 

Movie #6- Before They Were Famous (Actor's First Movie-Cloris Leachman)

A classic use of popcorn to disarm a foe in hot pursuit...

Well another film that had just been collecting dust at this point. I'm a sucker for good film noir, so quite some time ago Kiss Me Deadly, was a no-brainer purchase durng a Barnes&Noble 50% off Criterion sales. For purposes of this challenge Im satisfying the actor's first movie category.  Kiss Me Deadly was the movie debut for Cloris Leachman.

Kiss Me Deadly isn't the best film noir I've watched but it is a great one!Entertaining and intriguing... classic 50's film noir, complete with plenty of cheese. I found the story entertaining, one that unfolded nicely, at a nice pace throughout the film.

I think if you are film noir fan you won't go wrong for Kiss Me Deadly, or even if you collect Criterions I think its a nice one to have.  However, if you want to jump into film noir I think you can definitely pick some other film noir staples to start with, at some point you should find your way to Kiss Me Deadly. If you do pickup the Criterion release of Kiss Me Deadly, which in my opinion you should, Alex Cox's video is a must watch supplement to the film.

Perhaps I've sounded more negative than I intend... The film was good, pretty damn good actually. Like I said nice progression, keeps you interested, and has a nice mystery as the story that will keep movie watchers interested. Ralph Meeker is great as the "hero" of the film. Kiss Me Deadly is a film that only keeps getting better as the story progresses.. with one hell of an ending. 

Rating: 7/10

Movie #5- Coming of Age

Another shelf sitter...

The next film I chose was another dust collecting disc. I had purchased it to watch with my fiancee... until I found out she had already seen it... so it just sat there for a long time.  Overall I had heard good things about the movie... but again just something I never got around to. 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Through the entire film I was incredibly anxious and nervous... the film did a wonderful job of making me become emotionally invested in the story.  I constantly had this overwhelming feeling of something awful or awkward was going to happen to Charlie, I definitely cared about his character, and all of the characters in the film.

So many coming of age, awkward high school teen movies, etc, are all so similar.  This one was just so well done.  Honestly I enjoyed it almost as much as The Way Way Back. I'm giving this one a higher rating because I think it was a little bit better done film, although I still rank TWWB a little higher in personal taste. 

Anyhow, both are great films. 

Most times I would feel that these particular type of movies are overly predictable... this one definitely was not, even though I thought I had this figured out... I didn't... Of course that could be because I was so invested in the film...

Just... Woah.  What a great flipping movie. 

Rating: 8/10

Movie #4- World War II

Roger Ebert called it one of the best and most powerful war films...

... Grave of the Fireflies is definitely a great movie.  I just don't know if I can give it the same level of love and praise as some critics, especially Robert Epert. Tragic, yes. Beautiful, yes.  But this film was not as touching or emotional as I thought.  I guess my expectations were too high but it just did not incite any kind of emotional response from me... which was quite the let down. 

 I really wanted to put this film into the best category I could because it really is so many things.  Though I settled and placed the movie in the World War II category, don't just assume that Grave of the Fireflies is one of your typical war movies, not even close. You won't find any battle scenes, and hardly any men in uniform... this is about 2 orphans surviving in Japan during WWII.

One thing that surprises me is GotF was not considered a commercial success by any means in the box office, which is surprising as it comes from Iaso Takahata (half of Studio Ghibili).  

That is beside the point however...  The animation is simply beautiful...and even if you don't like anime, or even if you don't like war films, this should be something you watch at some point. 

Like I said though, I don't know if I would give it as much love as a lot critics do, especially Roger Ebert, but it is something worth the watch just to experience the film.

It may not have been the emotional roller coaster ride I expected it to be, and it was as touching as a movie as I expected, but it was still a great story. 

Rating: 5/10

Movie #3- Modern Black & White

Its Aliveeeeeee....

In 2012 movie fans received 3 animated Halloween films in quick succession. As a movie goer I was most excited for Frankenweenie, had the most hope for Hotel Transylvania, and knew nothing about Paranorman. Two of those films made it into my collection and I have yet to watch Hotel Transylvania.  Frankeenweenie was great and Paranorman blew me away with how fantastic it was. All three films received the exact same score on IMDB, where as Paranorman (72) and Frankenweenie (74) were far more successful on metacritc.

Although someday I plan on watching Hotel Transylvania, Frankenweenie and Paranorman have become animated staples of my collection.  

Rating: 7/10

I knew immediately what my Modern Black & White film would be as soon as I saw the category. Frankenweenie is a charming oddball film... exactly what you would expect from the likes of Tim Burton. As with most Burton films its unique, dark, but still endearing and comedic. Frankenweenie is a remake, as I'm sure all Burton fans and most movie collectors would know, of an earlier short film of Burton's. I particularly love all the homages to all the classic monster films and hidden Burton Easter Eggs throughout the film. 

The film is tragic, darkly comedic, yet so charming and heartwarming all at the same time.  

As a side note for the competition, the time span was a bit longer as I had to pause and run some errands right in the middle of the movie. 

Movie #2- Silent Film

Should've watched this a long time ago...

Second on the list is a film I should have watched a long time ago. It was after all 2011's Best Picture. Unfortunately, The Arist sat on my shelves for well over a year, and it something I should've have popped into the Blu-Ray player a long time ago.  I don't often watch silent or foreign films because I like to multitask when I watch movies, meaning this one never got the play time it deserved. 

Rating: 7.5/10 

The Artist was such a unique and surprising film, nothing like I expected, also much better than I expected.  Sure it was an Oscar Winner for Best Picture, but when Transformers is one of your favorite movies... you don't always tend to agree with the Best Picture Winners (I'm looking at you Shakespear in Love).  

Going into The Artist, I thought it was going to be artsy fartsy and boring.  The film was farm from that, it was entertaining, comical, dramatic, and most of all engaging (Which is saying quite a bit as a silent film). There was not a dull moment to be found, The Artist will keep you entertained with its good story, great acting, and wonderful music. 

There is so much to say about this movie, I really can't believe I waited so long to watch this wonderfully done film. Enjoyed every aspect of the film. 

Movie #1- Sam Rockwell Movie

And so it begins....

My first entry for 2014 is The Way Way Back. From the first time I ever saw the preview I knew that The Way Way Back was going to be a movie I enjoyed... however I never though it would be one of my favorite films of the year... which it became after my first watch.

Received the film as a gift for Christmas so it was a no-brainer to give this another watch to start the challenge. 

RATING: 7.5/10

Its great to see Steve Carell outside of his typical role, hes plays a giant dick in the film and plays it well.  Sam Rockwell is priceless, and Liam James plays the awkward teenage boy perfectly.  My favorite character is Lewis by far (Jim Rash (Dean from Community)), his interaction with Sam Rockwell's character is hilarious.  Nat Faxon, who I thought was great in Ben & Kate, which in my honest opinion should've stayed on the air, is another charm in the movie. Sooooo really.... the whole cast is great. 

TWWB doesn't really do anything ground breaking... doesn't matter though.  The film is extremely entertaining, very well done, and very charming.  This might appear to be just another teenage coming of age movie, but take my word for it, its much more than that

Definitely one of my new all time favorites... not because its a cinematic masterpiece... but because I enjoy the shit out of it. 

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