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Monday, February 24, 2014

Top 10 Films of 1999

1. American Beauty (Sam Mendes)
 American Beauty movie, American Beauty Kevin Spacey, Best movie of 1999

2. Magnolia (Paul Thomas Anderson)
 Paul Thomas Anderson best movies, Magnolia best of 1999

3. Fight Club (David Fincher)
 Brad Pitt Fight Club, David Fincher best movies, Best of 1999

4. The Sixth Sense (M. Night Shyamalan)
 The Sixth Sense movie, Best of the 1990s, Bruce Willis

5. The Insider (Michael Mann)
 Russell Crowe Al Pacino The Insider, The Insider movie

6. Toy Story 2 (John Lasseter)
 Toy Story 2, best movies of 1999, best animated movie, Tom Hanks Toy Story

7. The Green Mile (Frank Darabont)
The Green Mile movie

8. The Matrix (Andy and Lana Wachowski)
 The Matrix trilogy, best movie of the 1999

9. For Love of the Game (Sam Raimi)
 Kevin Costner For Love of the Game, Best Baseball Movies

10. October Sky (Joe Johnston)
 Jake Gyllenhaal October Sky

Monday, February 17, 2014

Top 10 Films of the 2000s

Best of the decade (2000-2009).

 

(updated 2015)


1. No Country for Old Men (Joel and Ethan Coen)
 No Country for Old Men movie, No Country for Old Men best of the decade

2. Zodiac (David Fincher)
 David Fincher Zodiac, Zodiac movie, Zodiac best movies of the decade

3. The Departed (Martin Scorsese)
 The-Departed-leonardo-dicaprio, DiCaprio hot, DiCaprio The Departed, Best Films of The Decade 2000s, Scorsese best films The Departed

4. There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson)
 There Will Be Blood best of the Decade, Daniel Day_Lewis There Will Be Blood, Daniel Day-Lewis Oscar, Paul Thomas Anderson best movies

5. Almost Famous (Cameron Crowe)
 Almost Famous classic scene, Almost Famous Kate Hudson, Almost Famous best movies of the 2000s

6. Children of Men (Alfonso Cuaron)
 Children of Men best movies of the decade, Children of Men Alfonso Cuaron

7. Memento (Christopher Nolan)
 Christopher Nolan best movies, Memento best movies of the decade 2000s
 
8. Brokeback Mountain (Ang Lee)
 Heath Ledger Brokeback Mountain, Brokeback mountain movie, Best movies of the 2000s

9. The Hurt Locker (Katheryn Bigelow)
 The Hurt Locker classic scene, The Hurt Locker best movies of the 2000s, Best movie of 2009, The Hurt Locker movie

10. Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino)
 Quentin Tarantino Inglourious Basterds, Best Quentin Tarantino movies, Brad Pitt hot, Brad Pitt Inglourious Basterds

Monday, February 10, 2014

Her (2013)

In the not so distant future, Her tells the story of a lonely writer and his quest for connection. Theodore (Phoenix) develops an unlikely relationship with his newly purchased operating system that's designed to meet his every need.

 Her movie review, Joaquin Phoenix Her movie, Her Oscars

This system is advertised as the world's first artificially intelligent operating system. It's not just an operating system, it's a consciousness with real thoughts, emotions and feelings. The more they talk, the more Theodore finds himself drawn to Samantha, the voice behind the OS. They seem perfect for each other and quickly start to fall in love.

 photo her-movie-2013-screenshot-catherine-and-theodore_zpsf14a7fde.jpg Her is not your typical love story. Mixed with futuristic science fiction elements, some of it may seem strange and unusual. But the deeper you look at it, the more you see that this future isn't that far off. In fact, it has a lot to say about relationships today.

Today, it often feels like we are having a relationship with technology. We no longer meet in person and have long developed conversations. Internet communication and texting have seemingly taken over our lives to the point where we are quite literally communicating with technology (Siri anyone?). Is this form of communication through technology any less significant than in person communication? Her does an excellent job at exploring these ideas.

 Scarlett Johansson Her movie, Scarlett Johansson hot, Rooney Mara hot Besides the symbolism with technology, there's also many parallels to long distant relationships. Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson do an an excellent job at making this relationship seem believable.


Since Samantha is just a voice, and not an actual person, it could have gone awry. But these characters help highlight all the complexities and nuances of modern relationships.

Relationships are an opportunity to learn about ourselves and grow as people. Love is a universal concept. Even though Theodore and Samantha's relationship is a bit unusual, it still possess the same common traits as regular relationships which makes it even more relatable to the audience.

Funny, awkward, and incredibly sincere, Her is one of the best films of 2013. It's a heartfelt look at the state of relationships today while also looking at the possibilities for relationships in the future.

 Spike Jonze her, Her movie Oscars
(8/10)

Monday, February 3, 2014

Philip Seymour Hoffman (1967-2014)

The recent news of Philip Seymour Hoffman's death has been upsetting. I was always impressed with Hoffman's ability to immerse himself into different characters and completely disappear into his roles. I've actually seen 14 of his films and he appeared to have many more ahead of him.

 Philip Seymour Hoffman dead, Philip Seymour Hoffman death, Philip Seymour Hoffman tribute

At only 46, he was just getting started and had many years of great work ahead of him. It's always sad to see someone's life get cut short, especially when they had so much going for them. 

 Philip Seymour Hoffman The Master, Phillip Seymour hoffman deathAs a great character actor, Hoffman really began to get noticed when he started working with acclaimed director Paul Thomas Anderson. After appearing in Anderson's first film, Hard Eight, a great team was formed. 
Hoffman ended up appearing in 5 of Anderson's films.

Boogie Nights (1997), Magnolia (1999), Punch-Drunk Love (2002), and The Master (2012) all stand out as great films.

 photo hoffman460_zps66db451c.jpgMostly known for his strong supporting roles, Hoffman proved he could carry a film with his tremendous performance as Truman Capote in Capote (2005). The film was nominated for 5 Oscars and provided Hoffman with his first nomination and win.


Since his Oscar win in 2005, he's been on a role with 3 more Oscar nominations cementing his status as one of the best actors working today. Besides his nominated work, he's also great in Moneyball (2011), Mission Impossible 3 (2006), and Almost Famous (2000). Simply, this is an actor who was great in everything he did.

The news of his drug problem has been getting a lot of publicity lately. For those criticizing him for it, they simply don't understand the horrors of addiction. Addiction is a terrible disease that affects far too many today. It's a deep struggle that should be helped, not criticized. If this negative attitude towards addiction persists, these people will find it harder and harder to get the help and support they need to overcome it.

One of the best actors working today, Philip Seymour Hoffman was a great talent and will definitely be missed. He will be remembered through his tremendous work on screen and the impact he had in the film industry.

 A Tribute to Philip Seymour Hoffman, RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Top 10 Films of 2013

Click on the image for a direct link to the review.


1. The Wolf of Wall Street (Martin Scorsese)
 The Wolf of Wall Street best movies of 2013

2. Dallas Buyers Club (Jean-Marc Vallée)
 Ron_Woodroof_McConaughey_Dallas_Buyers_Club, Dallas Buyers Club best movies of 2013

3. Prisoners (Denis Villeneuve)
Prisoners-movie, Prisoners best movies of 2013
 
4. The Place Beyond the Pines (Derek Cianfrance)
 The-place-beyond-the-pines best movies of 2013, Ryan Gosling hot

5. Short Term 12 (Destin Daniel Cretton)
 photo ST12-25_zpsed17c43a.jpg

6. American Hustle (David O. Russell)
 Film-Review-American-Hustle, American Hustle Best movies of 2013, Amy Adams hot  

7. Rush (Ron Howard)
 Rush movie review, Rush best movies of 2013

8. Her (Spike Jonze)
 Her movie, Her Best Picture, best movies of 2013 her

9. Spring Breakers (Harmony Korine)
 Spring-Breakers, Selena Gomez hot, Ashley Benson hot, Vanessa Hudgens hot, James Franco Spring Breakers

10. The Spectacular Now (James Ponsoldt)
 The Spectacular Now Best Movies of 2013, Shailene Woodley The Spectacular Now, Shailene Woodley hot