Where The Incredible Hulk has a tendency to be forgotten in the Marvel Cinematic Universe—or, at least, where it has the tendency to seem out-of-place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe—last year’s blockbuster smash Guardians of the Galaxy seems equally out-of-place. And, just as is the case with The Incredible Hulk, I couldn’t support that out-of-place-ness enough.
This may just be the most controversial decision that I’ve made on this list. But, I stand by it. 100%. I think that most people put this one pretty low on the list, because they’ve forgotten it. It was overshadowed by Iron Man, which came out a few months before. It actually seems a little out-of-place, too. It was the only one released by Universal Studios. It had the only major character to be recast in the whole MCU. Continue reading
The first time I saw Thor: The Dark World, I thought that I might have seen the worst superhero movie ever made. Then, I remembered Batman and Robin and Catwoman. And then, I remembered those last couple Christopher Reeves Superman movies. Then, there was Ghost Rider, its sequel, and that new Green Lantern movie. Then, I remembered Daredevil and Elektra. Then, I realized, Thor: The Dark World wasn’t even close to the worst superhero movie ever made. It only felt that way because the only superhero movies I care about anymore, since The Dark Knight Rises decided to thoroughly disappoint me, are ones in the MCU. Continue reading
I have only ever dedicated reviews to movies that I love so far in this blog. To do a review, however short, on a movie that I don’t like is unprecedented. But, that’s the sacrifice one must make if one is to rank the MCU from bottom to top. But, the point of this countdown is to get people to read my blog, not just know that it exists. So, I’ll try to keep it short and to the point.
Remember that quote from Brian Winderbaum, which I used in my review of “The Consultant”? He said that the goal of the Marvel One-Shots were to create “a fun way to experiment with new characters and ideas, but more importantly it’s a way for us to expand the Marvel Cinematic Universe and tell stories that live outside the plot of our features.” That the One-Shots are about characters is the probably the most important thing to take from this. And one of the most beloved characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is, undeniably, Agent Phil Coulson.
I plan on writing four different reviews on famous chanbara (or “samurai”) films. Initially, I wanted to save the best for last, but, after writing my review on Hiroshi Inagaki’s The Samurai Trilogy, I learned that I just couldn’t wait anymore. Were I to keep waiting, I would have to keep mentioning Seven Samurai every other line in the other reviews, and you would not have the foundational benefit of having read a review on Seven Samurai. So, I’m going to go ahead and save the best for second. Continue reading
In an unprecedented move, I am going to review three films at once. So, while I will technically only write four reviews on samurai film to accompany my recent essay on that genre, I will actually be reviewing six movies. The three movies that I will be reviewing today make up the masterful trilogy from director Hiroshi Inagaki and actor Toshiro Mifune called, simply, The Samurai Trilogy. This trilogy is made up of three films, Musashi Miyamoto (1954), The Duel at Ichijoji Temple (1955), and The Duel at Ganryu Island (1956). The release of these films marks an important moment in the development of the samurai film and its role as not only the predominant genre of Japan, but as Japan’s most exported film-type in world cinema. Continue reading
It’s that time of year again….awards season. Like last year, I will take you on an adventure through 2014’s best films as I make my selections for each Academy Award. I will first list the movies that were nominated by the Academy, and then mark the ones that I feel didn’t deserve nomination as well as the ones that got snubbed. I will then select the film that I feel should win the given award. I reiterate a point that I made last year: these are not predictions! They are selections. You may even find that some of the movies that I select weren’t even nominated by the Academy for a given category. If that is the case, I will let you know.
Just like last year, I will list the Academy’s nominees, then I will put an asterisk by the names that I don’t feel deserved a given nomination. In a subcategory labeled “Snubbed”, I will put the film or individual who should have been nominated, in my opinion. I will put my pick for the winner in the given category in boldface. This year, I will add a little bonus detail: I will also select a runner-up for each category, which will also be in boldface.
My general observations for this year’s crop: the movies this year weren’t as good as they were last year. But that’s okay, there will still some certifiable masterpieces in my opinion. Among them stands one supreme: Richard Linklater’s Boyhood. Don’t be surprised to see it mentioned a lot in the coming lines.
Anyway, enjoy! Continue reading
The holiday season doesn’t stop at Christmas. It continues on through New Year’s Day…at least in our neck of the woods. And, when it comes to New Year’s movies, there is none better than the great Frank Capra’s masterpiece, It’s a Wonderful Life. Continue reading
One of my family’s most treasured Christmas traditions is to watch Ronald Neame’s unique musical interpretation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, named after the story’s main character, Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge is, without question in my mind, the finest adaptation of this famous story ever committed to film. Some of the more faithful adaptations (like the one starring Patrick Stewart in 1999) reek of Hallmark made-for-TV movies. Others sacrifice the important emotion for the sake of Christmas commercialism, in what may be the most hypocritical move in the history of the industry. But Scrooge…Scrooge is the perfect adaptation, integrating enough of its own originality into the purity of Dicken’s novella. Continue reading
A Slice of Cake 