Top 10 Films of 2014 Review

Hi, this is John Delancey and you are listening

to the Geekcast Radio Network. to speak 2014

films and to look ahead at 2015 we're gonna have

a series of podcasts for you about those types

of things starting with today which we are going

to unveil our top 10 films of 2014. This is the

time of year when everybody's doing that. Have

you noticed that it just keeps creeping earlier

and earlier, Dan, with when people reveal their

list? Yeah, I feel like... End of November people

are like top 10 of 2014 I'm like I haven't seen

like a good like all the big a lot of the big

Oscar contenders and people are already coming

out with them It does it's like Christmas. It's

pretty soon like in August. It's like the best

of the year It's like we still got four months

Like usually the best films come out December

people and they're still even as we're right

doing this Like there's still a good amount of

movies that haven't even released wide yet, right?

So it is it's kind of a conundrum because it's

It's you want to get it out there because after

a while people just kind of get sick of Top ten

is because everyone does them but then it's tough

because a good chunk of the really good movies

aren't really released to wide audiences to like

mid -january It's like there's some time somehow

like a one -upsmanship or a race to be the first

one to put their list out because that's somehow

gonna make your list more credible Yeah, I don't

know what the deal is with that. But yeah, like

like you said, it's so many of them haven't even

been released wide in it It's like we have 12

months to view movies and December becomes like...

The panic month or you're trying to like somehow

find a logistical way to watch like 40 movies

in 30 days It's funny like it is it's tough because

you have to make those decisions It's like, you

know, I need to try to catch this before I make

my list and it yeah I think I watched because

I had a good amount of time off I think I watched

like 30 like almost average out like a movie

a day this this month and I still have a ton

I need to catch up with well, I'm glad we're

bringing this up because it's gonna have a major

reflection on my list due to the fact that although

I've seen a ton of movies for my own standards

this year there's so many films I haven't seen

yet and I have a feeling the majority of them

would be in my top 10 so I'm gonna apologize

for that right up front and I'll get to which

ones those are later on But looking back at the

year 2014, I've heard a bunch of different takes

on the year in movies. I've heard a bunch of

different opinions on if it was a good year,

if it was a bad year. Obviously at the box office

it wasn't necessarily a good year by a lot of

ways to judge it as far as if it's up or down

compared to years in the past and what not. But

overall just looking at the quality of movies

or the trends or the types of Movies or the issues

they tackled. How did you feel 2014 was for movies

in general both? from a maybe from a mainstream

standpoint and from you know more of a Movie

buff standpoint and that was a pretty good year.

I don't think it I think, interestingly, like

last year, I thought it was as a movie buff or

a cinephile standpoint, you had a lot stronger

contenders than maybe your blockbusters. This

year, it kind of flipped a little bit, where

I thought there was a lot of really great genre

films, like tons of stuff from Guardians of the

Galaxy to a lot of good comic book movies to

a lot of good, even unsung other genre movies

that we've mentioned in the past, like Snowpiercer

or Edge of Tomorrow. So there are an abundance

of that. But when it comes to the cinephile or

Academy Ward, films there's a good amount but

i like it's not There's not like a 12 years of

slave or gravity or even like a her this year

like some movie I feel like is Heads and shoulders

above everything else, but I think there's a

lot of good movies There's it like I kind of

equate it to the one year when the Detroit Pistons

won the NBA championship and Like they didn't

have any superstars, you know, there was no Michael

Jordan Shaquille O 'Neal There's a bunch of really

good utility players who are good at their positions

That's what I feel like this year is like there's

a lot of good films that hit one specific note

or like a really Nothing that's gonna kind of

transcend anything, but it's just like an abundance

of really Small, you know pretty good movies

nothing no masterpieces I would say this year

still like I said, there's something I haven't

seen but what are you reading my notes? Literally

that was the one thing I had written down was

that there's no her and there's no 12 years a

slave of this year. Yeah to me. I agree, it's

not like I hated every movie I watched this year.

There's definitely a bunch of good films, like

you said, but to me, I kept waiting for that

one that was just gonna wow me, or that one that

was gonna, I was gonna leave the theater being

like, that possibly could be a number one film

this year. And I never had that feeling. one

time in the theater this year. I never had a

feeling where I walked out and said this is for

sure a top three, this is for sure a number one

contender, and I had that a couple times last

year, and I had that a couple times the year

previous to that, and I never had that experience,

but that's not to say that I hated every movie.

Yeah, I would say there, we'll probably talk

about it later, but I think there's one movie

that is arguably like... I say there's nothing

that's a heads and shoulders above the west but

there I think there's one movie people have been

pointing to as a movie of 2014 but we can talk

about that when I get it to it on my list but

yeah I'm the same way because what ended up being

my number one I even after watching it I I never

I didn't think it would be my number one movie

of the year, but after consideration, it ended

up being so I was the same way. I mean, there

were movies I walked out. I'm like, oh, that

was fantastic. And I know it's a top 10, but

like I didn't have any reaction to something

like last year when you saw her. I'm like, this

is easily my number one movie of the year, which

previously right before that you'd seen 12 years

later, but like this is my number one film of

the year. Exactly. And, you know, like it. Even

like, you know in that with gravity I'm like,

oh that's definitely gonna be my it was it was

really tough like this year was it was more Thinking

back and looking at certain films and I'm like,

oh, okay. Yeah, this this is my top ten I had

to kind of put more thought into it then like

you said your initial reaction Yeah, I absolutely

didn't even know what my number one was gonna

be until I made this list and it was just like

a process of elimination as I was going through

and I'm like Well, I guess that's my number one

The way my list kind of works. It's almost in

like sections. Like I think my One two and three

are very interchangeable same thing with like

my four five and six and then like my last four

two like even Some of my honorable mentions were

kind of could sneak in so I kind of like the

way I look at it They're they're almost in chunks

that way that I made it this year Another thing

that I've noticed and maybe it's just because

I've been listening to more movie podcast and

Trying to be more in touch with other critics

out there that I enjoy listening to or reading

about or whatever but it also seems like that

There was more films in the last couple years

where there was like universal love for the film

or universal praise for the film and I would

point to one film This year that I unfortunately

was not able to see but there has been one film

that I have not really heard hardly anything

bad about But otherwise there has been a lot

of polarizing films. There's been a lot of films

that some people love and some people hate Or

some people like and some people don't like as

much but it seems like a lot of the films Go

one extreme or the other and it's not as many

that have just been like across the board Appreciated

like I've noticed sometimes in the in years past.

I will say there there is a couple this year

There's actually probably two or three and now

that I think about it that that I haven't heard

hardly anybody say anything bad about but otherwise

there's a lot of films that Have varying opinions

and I'm not just talking about that top ten worthy

films. I'm just talking about Films in 2014 in

general um where where I felt like there was

a lot where some people like some people hated

and it seemed more that Prevalent this year than

i've noticed in years past, but maybe that's

just me Yeah, I definitely think so like the

when I the universal appeal I there aren't a

lot and there are a little lot of diverse films

which we might get to later in the list, but

One that I know that you weren't a fan of, and

I liked but didn't make my top 10 or honorable

mentions, was Birdman, for example. And I know

you hated that movie, a lot of people loved it,

and I liked it, but I didn't necessarily, I wasn't

good enough to really make my top 25 or anything

like that. I think that's a good barometer for

it, because I know I saw a lot of critics who

bashed that, like Scott Tobias, who worked for

The Dissolve at a really skating review of that,

but then I see people naming that as the movie

of the year. And I think that's the same for

a lot of movies. Weirdly, I think the movies

that had the most universal... Appeal this year

wore the genre films like Captain America Guardians

of the Galaxy even the Lego movie Really to me

like I those were the films. I felt like had

the broadest appeal compared to you know, anything

else Yeah, cuz I mean when you throw out stuff

like Birdman, you know even under the skin interstellar

gone girl even some of the films that I haven't

seen yet like a nightcrawler or Foxcatcher the

imitation game Theory of everything I've heard

a lot of people like them and a lot of people

don't like them And I found found myself on both

sides of some of those I found some that I've

liked a lot better than the critics have critics

I say in quotes I don't know if there's really

a definition of that And I've found some that

I some that I've liked that they hated some that

I hated that they liked and I've never had that

Feeling I guess overall where I felt like that

repeated itself over and over and over and over

again throughout the year It's interesting because

like you look you'd mentioned movie like the

intimidate intimidation game unbroken and like

they have everything which is what's getting

which are getting I got a lot of like Awards

love for like Golden Globes I'm sure the Oscars

as well when they come out but critics wise I

don't think I don't see any of those Really on

like critic top -ten less so it is there's that

distinct section of like, you know Your general

fans like these movies your award -winning Movies

over here and then your critic awards over here.

So there weren't there were weren't many that

kind of appeared on all three. And I have a feeling

that even though last year we were very much

in sync with our top 10 list, I have a feeling

that we're gonna have some differences in this

year. Yeah, my top 10 list is really odd this

year for a lot of reasons and I'm looking at

my list, I'm thinking there's probably maybe

one movie that'll be a crossover. Nice. Think

I know it's movie you really liked and I really

liked but besides that I'm not sure and I'm hoping

to be enlightened a little by by your list as

well I'm aware of Quite a few films that are

out there that I haven't seen that I need to

see that could possibly land in my top ten once

January is over and I'm able to see some of them

But I'm interested to see some of the ones on

your list to to have other ones that I can possibly

see because that's one of the things I've been

trying to do this last couple months is Is to

seek out films that I'm going to That could possibly

make my top ten. I've been like on this journey

because it was about July or August where I was

like I don't have Top ten like there's just nothing

that's gonna be in there and I was like trying

to like Seek out films and listen to other people

and come up with ideas of other things that I'm

just not Exposed to or I didn't have a chance

to see you can like I need to fill this top ten

with some better films So hopefully you'll give

me a few ideas outside of the ones that I clearly

know that I need to see That I haven't seen and

I guess before we before we unveil our top ten

Well, I'll save it. I'll save it until we do

the honorable mentions when we do the honorable

mentions I'm also gonna mention a few of the

films that I haven't seen people don't think

I'm crazy with my list because it's not Out of

all the years. I've done top ten lists. I'm not

gonna say that I'm overly proud of my list this

year Yeah, I will say this though for my top

ten that like a good chunk of them are available

either on -demand or even on Netflix a good amount

are available on Netflix or even like Amazon

Prime so I have all those things and For a long

time. I'm like, why do I have Netflix like it's

good for TV shows, but they do not put very many

movies on there But maybe it's just I've been

looking for the wrong titles. But yeah, I have

like I've been trying to Probably the majority

of films I've caught that I missed in the theater

or that didn't come to my theater I had to rely

on either on -demand or Redbox those are like

the two major ways because I had not a lot of

luck with Netflix Amazon Prime or those types

of options I will say this for Netflix and Amazon

Prime they like they seem to be lately really

getting like some of the small like Focusing

in a lot of like the small like unsung films

of the year and putting them on okay rather quickly

like lock is now on Amazon Prime and snow piercers

on Netflix Yeah, and we'll get to it and even

like especially I think Netflix is a great place

for like documentaries as well Which I'm not

I I do a separate list for documentaries Which

will be on keycast radio just because I feel

like it's so hard comparing those Documentaries

with regular movies because they're so different

in a lot of ways. So I tend to separate them

All right. Well, let's get to the list then and

I will I'll start here because I'd rather you

go last with your better picks But my number

10 film of the year another one that people some

people liked and some people didn't like I am

in agreement with those that liked this one and

my number 10 is gonna be a lock with Tom Hardy

I I don't think I should have enjoyed that film

maybe as much as I did but something about it

and I've heard a lot of people with various films

say that they were exhilarating or that they

were on the edge of their seat or they couldn't

turn away and I've always been confused as to

the films that they're talking about when they're

when they're making those comments but this is

one that I did feel somewhat like that even though

it's you know all one shot as far as the setting

goes was interested from the beginning to the

end and I was I was anticipating each phone call

and you know trying to see and guess or find

out who's who's gonna be calling this time how's

it gonna progress the plot obviously Tom Hardy

is excellent in this film so I enjoyed it Um

much more than I would have thought if you would

have just given me the like premise or the The

plot summary going into it. Uh, I went in with

an open mind. I really had no expectations of

it And I enjoyed it, uh thoroughly so lock is

my number 10 Yeah, that's a great pick. It's

not it's on my list, but I love the progression

of that story and just how You see him kind of

go through all these different elements just

trying to get everything set it right and just

the difficulty of that and it's kind of interesting

the like the how they filmed it where like they

use like the GPS locator as kind of the Tom Hardy

would buy that on for like scripts and people

would call in and have those conversations on

the phone while he was driving right so It's

it's in it's kind of in the same premise like

you said like it shouldn't work but largely in

part because of Tom Hardy it does and it also

deals with some pretty serious issues and really

is obviously a character piece on him and the

mistakes that he's made in his life and his struggle

to kind of make those right within himself regardless

of kind of how it is going to impact him negatively

or positively but just trying to make the right

decisions after the mistakes and I think it's

a worthy film for that reason too and how it

tackles some important issues that a lot of people

can't do, which is all up to their actions. Definitely,

definitely. So my number 10 is kind of nearly

the exact opposite of that small independent

film. And this is a gigantic over the top blockbuster

in Captain America, The Winter Soldier. You just

ran like 13 miles in 30 minutes. Guess I got

a late start. Really? You should be ashamed of

yourself. You should take another lap. Did you

just take it? I assume you just took it. What

unit you were? 58th Para Rescue. But now I'm

working down at the VA. Sam Wilson. Steve Rogers.

I kind of put that together. Must have freaked

you out coming home after the whole defrosting

thing. It takes some getting used to. It's good

to meet you, Sam. It's your bed, right? What's

that? Your bed. It's too soft. When I was over

there, I'd sleep on the ground, use rock for

pillows like a caveman. Now I'm home, lying in

my bed, and it's like... Lying on a marshmallow.

I feel like I'm gonna sink right to the floor.

How long? Two tours. You must miss the good old

days, huh? Well, things aren't so bad. Food's

a lot better. We used to boil everything. No

polio's good. Internet, so helpful. Been reading

that a lot, trying to catch up. Marvin Gaye,

1972. I thought long and hard, this was kind

of tough, because you had Guardians, you had

X -Men Days of Future Past, but for me, my favorite

comic book slash blockbuster of the year was...

Captain America, The Winter Soldier, you know,

partially because I am a fan of the character

of Captain America and The Winter Soldier storyline

is one of my favorites and I think they really

did it justice. But I think what's really great

about The Winter Soldier is it really understands

the character of Captain America, who is this

amoral hero who can be boring if you don't use

him correctly. And I think what they did was

not change the character, because he's a character

who always wants to do what's right, they just

made what's right really murky, and really hard

to choose because you had, you know, the idea

of what do you do to protect yourself, and I

thought that was an interesting social commentary

for a comic book movie, you know, obviously commenting

on today's world and the world drones and things

like that, but... Besides all that, it was just

a really great, fun action film. I loved the

opening sequence with the boat rescue. I think,

you know, it was one of my favorite action sequences

of the year. Some great fights with Captain America

and Winter Soldier on the street in the finale.

What was a lot of fun too, and I thought, you

know, some new characters with Falcon and a lot

of little twists and turns they did. Rather impressed

with what the Russo brothers did for the first

really huge directorial effort. I know that they'll

be getting the keys to the Avengers franchise,

which actually I'm quite excited about because

I really liked what they did here. And, you know,

I'm really looking forward to it because I know

when they took it over, they're like, we wanted

to do a movie like Three Days of the Condor,

like your old school Cold War thrillers kind

of spy film. And I think they accomplished that

in a lot of ways while still kind of maintaining

that comic book feel. So, yeah, I really enjoyed

it. I think it's to me, one of the better comic

book movies we got in quite a while. I think

I think it was a relatively strong year for comic

book films as far as the main ones outside of

Obviously how much people I hated Amazing Spider

-Man 2 and maybe some of the more I don't know

if you want to call them B level or C level with

like 300 and Sin City But when you look at Captain

America and Guardians of the Galaxy and X -Men

Days of Future Past Those are all three really

solid films You can pick apart little bits and

pieces probably from all of them, but That was

one of the hardest things for me, looking back

at this year, was trying to figure out which

of those I liked the best. And I almost wanted

to just put it as a three -way tie so I could

fit other stuff in my top 10. But I ended up

selecting one specifically, which we'll get to

in a little bit. But I think it's really hard

to kind of decide which of those three is the

best film and to separate it from which one just

deals with the characters that you like the best,

maybe. I think there's certain aspects of that,

but I think from I mean I could like I said I

could be biased because I'm a cap fan of Captain

America, but I'm also a fan of you know X -Men

and Guardians and what I think for me what set

Captain America apart was I've got some issues

with the narrative behind Guardians that was

really fun But didn't really like the villain

all that much and I thought the story was was

had some issues X -Men is the future past Similar

issues like I thought the plot was not nearly

as problematic as guardians, but still really

strong I think maybe just because I don't know

like I I think to me Captain just had everything.

Like it had the action, it had the story, it

had the characters. So that's what set it apart

for me. But like I said, like you mentioned,

it could be just based on personal bias because

I think there's great elements of each one that

you can point to and say, this one makes this

one better. I mean, Guardians, like I said, and

although I had issues with the plot, you know,

artistic design is amazing, its characters are

a lot of fun, and it's definitely a movie that

was not afraid to take chances, so. No, I think

it's a good pick. With my number 9, I guess this

is going to be one of the first examples of my

list showing its holes or showing that I haven't

seen some films because it probably shouldn't

be top 10 -worthy film. But I actually enjoyed

it. And if I left the theater this year and was

thoroughly enjoying the film, it had a good chance

of making my top 10. My number nine is going

to be Saint Vincent. I apologize, Steve, because

I know you did not like this film, but I am a

huge Bill Murray fan. And I thought Melissa McCarthy

was good in this. I actually prefer seeing somebody

change their stripes a little bit and not get

the same character over and over and over again

like she had been in all of her previous films.

I thought the child actor in this, which I...

I'm not going to try to act like I know the name

of that person, but he was good. I thought his

relationship with Bill Murray was excellent.

I thought this was a funny movie, yet also emotional,

almost teared up at one point. But it does have

holes. It does have some plot points and side

stories that almost don't even need to be there.

So it is not necessarily a perfect film in any

way, shape or form. I could easily tear some

holes into it. But if you just kind of accept

those and go along with it, I think it was a

fun and enjoyable experience. So I will go with

St. Vincent at number nine. Yeah, I did like

St. Vincent as well. Like you said, I think there

was differing opinion when it comes to that movie.

But I think the relationship between Bill Murray

and the child actor was good. And like you mentioned.

It was great seeing with McCarthy like play a

human being and so and not someone who's just

some sort of like not like Tammy Which was god

-awful from earlier the right? So yeah, good

quick my number nine, which is one that is currently

available on Netflix and it's one of those movies

that I saw listed as like highly rated and I

checked it out and I ended up really liking it.

It's called like father like son. It's a Japanese

film about a story where you have a family finds

out that their son is not actually theirs. There

was an issue with at the hospital and the their

son was actually switched with another son and

they've been raising a kid who wasn't theirs

for you know four or five years now and now they

have this decision to make to keep the son they've

been raising or do they take the son that's actually

you know It's, you know, we've seen the switch

at birth storylines a lot, but I think what's

interesting about it is how it plays within the

culture of Japan, and especially when it comes

to things like legacy and, you know, what it

means to be a successful parent, because is it,

you know, how much you love your kid, or is it

deciding and creating a world where they're gonna

be financially supported and successful, and

it gets into why these people are the way they

are, and I thought the material was treated with

a... Respect that you don't necessarily see and

it got to just how difficult a choice like that

would be so and I thought the performances overall

were really strong, so I know it's it's I don't

know the overall I haven't really seen this on

a lot of lists, but I to me just it was a Really

impact me in that way and I thought it was a

really pleasant surprise So and like I mentioned

you can catch it now and excellent and that plot

to that switching of children at birth Sounds

infinitely better than any other plot I've ever

heard as far as that story line goes when they

try to make it a stupid Comedy that's been done

like 17 times already It's not it's not like

trading places or something excellent excellent

Yeah, all right might have to check that out

here my number eight I think you'll be in somewhat

of agreement here Maybe I'm putting it higher

than most people would I mentioned it on our

Geekcast radio look back at the year. I was Pleasantly

surprised with this one. I'm also a huge science

fiction fantasy fan. So my number eight is gonna

be snowpiercer I I'm glad that I've heard as

many people say good things about this. I wouldn't

say necessarily this is a universal acclaim or

whatever because a lot of people aren't mentioning

it at all, but I haven't heard too many negative

thoughts about it either. I just thought it was

an entertaining film. Again, this is one that

if you read me the plot or the summary, I also

probably would not think I'm going to like this,

just like what I said with Locke, because it

just seems kind of a bizarre... Out of this world

ridiculous setup, but I also found it very intriguing

very interesting and Obviously very symbolic

There's a lot of symbolism throughout this film

And I just I bought into it I bought into the

world I bought into the characters that were

involved in the actors that were portraying those

characters and it was just another film that

I enjoyed from beginning to end and I thought,

you know, as far as looking at some of the other

stuff that came out this year that it deserved

a spot, so I put it at number eight. Yeah, I

know like I guess we are in more agreement than

I realize because not on my list But I did like

snow piercer's a great deal. I love that director

bond to how he he actually me and my favorite

friend with 2010 which was a movie called mother

and I just loved just the craziness of snow piercer

and no Chris Evans I think has proven to be like

a legit actor and he is a some really great moments

in that especially near the end where You kind

of find out more about his past which is to me

a really really standout moment and I love the

classroom scene where you there's a great deal

a great use of exposition to kind of explain

why they are the way they are and it's just like

a crazy crazy ride and it's like I agree I like

to some of that well first of all Chris Evans

should reconsider whatever and wasn't he rumored

at one point to be like retiring after He said

after Captain America, I think he was gonna move

towards like more behind the camera more of like

a director type of role Yeah, I don't know if

you should do that But uh, I feel like he's probably

just getting burned out with all the Avengers

Yeah, probably I also enjoyed from that film

which I didn't mention but a lot of the shots

of outside of the train I thought those were

well done it and what they revealed and what

they showed really kind of heightened the level

of Feelings that you were having during the film.

So But yeah, I already said my piece, so I should

shut up now and let you go. No problem. One thing

I should mention before I move on, too, is Tilda

Swinton, who I thought was awesome in that, and

actually was one of my favorite female supporting

performances of the year. She's just so crazy

and over the top and a lot of fun. She's like

one of those actresses that can just make any

character, no matter how crazy they are, really

work. Agreed. Very good choice. All right, now

moving on to my number eight. This movie is...

Starr is one of my just favorite actors. He's

one of those guys that if he's in something I'm

gonna go see it. He's not necessarily like a

household name, but Brendan Gleeson who's just

I think does know wrong when it comes to acting

and it's a movie Calvary. I'm sorry. Let's start

again. What do you want to say to me? I'm here

to listen to whatever you have to say. I was

raped by a priest when I was seven years old.

Orally and anally, as they say in the court reports.

This went on for five years. Every other day

for five years. I bled a lot, as you can imagine.

I bled a terrible amount. Have you spoken to

anyone about this? I'm speaking to you now. I

mean, have you sought professional help? Why?

So I could learn how to cope? So I could learn

how to live with it? Maybe I don't want to cope.

Maybe I don't want to learn how to live with

it. Why don't you make a formal complaint? You

can testify. The man's dead. I don't know what

to say to you. I have no answer for you. I'm

sorry. What good would it do anyway if he were

still alive? What'd it be the point in killing

the bastard? That'd be no news. There's no point

in killing a bad priest, but killing a good one.

That'd be a shock now. They wouldn't know what

to make of that. I'm going to kill you, Father.

I'm going to kill you because you've done nothing

wrong. I'm going to kill you because you're innocent.

Not right now though. And I don't know if he

had a chance to see this but basically in the

film he plays a priest who in the opening frames

finds out, here's a convention, a confession

of a man who basically informs him that he is

going to murder him in seven days because of

horrors that happened to him as a kid and since

Brendan Gleeson is playing a priest who is innocent

he feels murdering him will make it mean something.

So it's just kind of a progression of him going

throughout the town, trying to kind of figure

out who the person is and also just set things

right with a lot of different people. And it's

an interesting look at faith and, you know, kind

of the look at the church of today because of

all situations going on, but also inside that

too is a really good father daughter story because

He's a man who was a priest became a priest later

on so he has a daughter who comes and visits

and they also have a relationship and I know

it I think it has my favorite opening scene of

the year and Honestly, it's just really Brendan

Gleeson being Brendan Gleeson and giving a great

performance so he can be kind of funny at when

he needs to be but also just really really a

dramatic and really uh Add a lot of weight to

everything he's in so this is uh, it's probably

one of the Top films of the year that I wanted

to see that I had not got a chance to see yet.

It just came on It was available on demand to

buy for a while I'm like, I don't want to do

that. And it just became available to rent in

at least my area this last week. And I just haven't

logistically had a chance to see it yet. It's

also something that I don't think my significant

other would want to see with me. It's kind of

a downer. But I love Ren and Gleason. I think

it's an intriguing plot. And everything about

this film points to a film that I would enjoy

and that I would like. pretty sure, maybe this

is putting too high of expectations on it, but

I'm pretty sure once I see it, it would be in

my top 10. I just haven't had a chance to see

it yet. Yeah. And I'm sure that we'll get to

more of that at the end when I'm listing all

these movies I haven't seen yet. Yeah. But obviously,

that's another one that I've heard a lot of good

things about. I haven't heard too many people

say any bad things about that film. And so I

think it's good that we mentioned it, and I'm

glad that at least one of us got to see it. Got

to number seven now. Again, some of these films

definitely have their holes, definitely have

issues that I could see making them so they're

not top ten worthy for other people. But, I have

a limited selection here people, so my number

seven is The Judge. Quick. Uh, uh, law. Law.

Law school? Yes. Yes, you're familiar with the

concept, or yes, you attended one. Oh, I can't

practice law without going to law school. Yeah,

Valpo. Ever defended in a jury trial? Yes, I

have. Charge? Assault. Degree? Third. Verdict?

It was a guilty verdict. Coach Blakely broke

a clipboard over his quarterback's head during

halftime at the homecoming game. Now, in his

defense... Now he gets one. John Jr. had his

helmet on. He just keeps selling, doesn't he?

Shit. Down. And I realize, again, that there's

a lot of things wrong with this film. What I

don't feel like is wrong with this film are the

two main actors. Robert Downey Jr. and Robert

Duvall were, in my opinion, pretty darn good.

Were there scenes that were maybe directed in

a way that... Made them not as potent. Yes were

there scenes that weren't needed. Yes Were there

characters that weren't needed probably but the

combination of those two struck a chord with

me So this is kind of more of a personal Emotional

pick for me. I'm ignoring the problems with this

film and and dealing with stuff that I could

connect to in a different way I Obviously Robert

Downey Jr. In this film is dealing with his father

who has a terminal illness and is basically kind

of watching him unravel and die in front of his

eyes, so to speak. And it's a little different

because Robert Downey Jr. is a grown man. He's

a lawyer. He's an adult that has been married,

has kids, etc. But I obviously experienced something

very similar at a younger age because when I

was 9 or 10 years old, I got to see my dad basically

devolve via cancer. and die in front of me. So

I was able to somewhat connect with that on a

certain level. There was one scene in particular

that I almost had to leave or walk out of the

theater because it struck so hard for me. It's

a scene where they're in the bathroom. I'm not

going to try to go into it too much because I'll

get all emotional again, but I basically had

a similar but different experience when I was

dealing with my father because I was in the bathroom

Just as a kid and you know, he had to come in

very quickly because I'm not having full control

of of his body and Was somewhat screaming at

me to get out and that type of thing So so that

seemed really kind of struck a chord with me.

I'm a big Robert Downey jr. Fan, so Even though

the movie has lots of problems for a personal

emotional issue. It's probably one that had more

of an emotional Effect on me than any other film

in the air. So I felt like I should put it somewhere

So I put it at number seven See, that's one actually

I have not seen so You got one up on me on this

end. I've never had sit in theaters and I haven't

had I haven't had the chance to catch up with

it So I don't don't even know if it's out yet

on media or not sure I think it just was released

like digitally so far This week, but I haven't

had I think it's worth seeing I'm not saying

it's gonna be something that you're gonna think

is a great film And like I said, there definitely

are problems in there. There's I think the biggest

problems are more from a directorial standpoint

But I think You know, that's not the fault of

the actors and I think they they give good enough

performance and it's somewhat It's not gonna

be the worst film you saw this year. So yeah,

I can't be worse than the legend of her I Did

see Robert Duvall to get nominated for Golden

Globe for that performance and I think if you

I think even a SAG award, too It does seem like

he is getting at least that for acting that is

getting some some recognition. All right, what's

yours? My number seven, again, I feel like I'm

coming off as a snob with some of these picks,

but it's the way it is. This is another film

also available on Netflix currently, and it's

one I kind of cop by chance. It's probably one

of the better surprises I've seen. I've watched

it quite a long time. I put it in, and I heard

decent things. I haven't heard a lot, but I ended

up really liking this movie. It's a movie called

Horses of God. Sorry, Horses of God. I can't

even get the name right. Horses of God, yes.

and it's a story about it's a fictional account

of the lives of men responsible for suicide bombings

in Casamlinka in 2003 and it kind of covers their

lives of these like it's a brother these two

brothers and the fan and their friends in this

area and it goes for them from childhood to the

moment they kind of decided to go through with

this act and it looks into like what got them

to that point and it was interesting it's not

necessarily what you would assume it would be

it was a combination of different factors and

we're also really loved about the movie was uh

the direction i'm probably going to pronounce

his name incorrectly so i apologize of nabil

ayoke i believe is how you pronounce it or ayush

um what was interesting about what he did he

had a lot of really impressive crane shots a

lot of like crane tracking shots from high above

where you see these characters kind of traversing

this these uh lands where you have this huge

poor population you just realize how endless

these slums are but then what you see off in

the distance is a city of not that far away that's

like, you know, bustling and high end with skyscrapers

and in the distance in its shadows is just endless

slums of people living in poverty and it gets

into kind of Their lives and when it's like it

may be not what we expect, you know You have

these brothers who have a mom who's addicted

to soap operas who? Who always is watching TV?

They have a father with Alzheimer's and a brother

who can't clearly has some mental difficulties

and it goes into like what gets them to that

point the culture that they live in and I think

it asks really hard questions and gives really

difficult answers to like why someone would commit

such a crazy act, and it doesn't necessarily

make it an easy watch at times, but I thought

it was just really poignant and a very important

movie, I would say. And I'd say it's not necessarily

the most, like the acting is not tremendous,

but I think it's good enough for the material,

so. But yeah, it's called Horses of God, and

like I said, very well. That doesn't turn me

off so no big problem for that All right We're

gonna get to my number six and this is definitely

probably gonna be one of the ones where you disagree

with me the most on my countdown And you're not

alone a lot of people pay in this movie, but

there's just something that I find intriguing

interesting about this film it probably was one

of the films that Got me thinking the most As

far as films that I watched in 2014, I'm not

saying again that it doesn't have holes, but

it was a thought -provoking film for me, and

I love science fiction films, and it was not

nearly as good as I thought it was going to be,

but I'm going to put Interstellar at number six.

The first ever to fly faster than the speed of

sound. These moments when we dared to aim higher.

To break barriers. To reach for the stars. To

make the unknown known. We count these moments

as our proudest achievements. Having fired the

imagination of a generation. But we lost all

that. Pulls it to port. For the last time. And

perhaps we've just forgotten. That we are still

pioneers. That we've barely begun. And that our

greatest accomplishments cannot be behind us.

But our destiny. I Know that's not a popular

pick but I Don't know. I just found a lot of

it to be intriguing interesting the whole Logic

behind some of the decisions the whole Time situation.

I know it got convoluted at some points. I know

that it takes a weird left turn towards the end

kind of for that final act, which threw a lot

of people off. Some people liked that turn. A

lot of people didn't like that turn. I don't

know. Matthew McConaughey might just be turning

into one of those guys that I just end up enjoying

no matter what he does. I don't know. Go ahead.

I could definitely he does have a really great

moment when he you see him sit down and kind

of just go through those tapes of his family

and like that, you know, that was definitely

a standout scene mainly because of how we played

it and I somewhat like also at the beginning

I know some people had a major problem with this

and I didn't quite understand it but I actually

enjoyed the scene where he's dealing with the

school and And the whole idea that they had basically

rewritten Textbooks and certain things weren't

weren't allowed to be talked about and just kind

of I thought that did a decent job of painting

the the culture and the setting that we were

in and and bringing us up to speed with the world

that is presented in this film and kind of like

a Common thing that a lot of people fear people

do with history as years pass Almost like that

same type of feel where where you hear about

like people denying that the Holocaust happened

Or saying that, you know, that type of stuff

should not be in the history books or this, that

and the other so that eventually we'll just forget

that it happened. But there was enough for me

from just kind of a general science fiction and

time travel slash, I guess you can call it time

travel fan, that I was intrigued enough to rate

it on my top 10. So it is what it is. I did overall

enjoy Interstellar. I think my issue, I thought

it was very ambitious film and that sometimes

that just that ambition got away a lot of the...

In a way of a lot of the themes he was going

for especially we came to like the relationships

between you know the Matthew McConaughey and

his daughter and in a way I felt like he over

complicated things to start off with and I don't

know if he needed some of the mystery that he

had like with the Ghost per se or I don't know

like or how he had to find NASA the way he did.

I didn't know if that was necessarily needed

to get to where he wanted to go. And I think

if he got rid of some of that, maybe he could

focus more on some of the larger aspects he was

going for. But like I said, we've also gotten

rid of KCF like altogether. Yeah, I get to see

that. And like I said, I thought the emissions

there, the special effects are rather incredible.

I loved it. Like the relativity scene, like I

mentioned in the docking sequences, a lot of

fun, really well directed. I just part of it

too could have been I have only seen once and

maybe go back and maybe pick up things that I

lost or you know it's also a lot of anticipation

because it was like my number two most anticipated

movie of the year so yeah it's kind of it's kind

of difficult to put that type of weight on a

movie but uh so yeah I mean I understand where

you're coming from because I like you mentioned

it is one of those polarizing movies where you

have people who even like you know well respected

directors who are calling it you know this masterpiece

of our time and other ones who like me are in

the middle or those who hated it but I think

you should at least get points for, no one should

at least get points for doing something that

is at least like out there in such large scale

like that for a main audience, which is kind

of impressive. And I think it's too, it's something

that some people might just be able to watch

it and like it for surface value, but I think

it's one of those films that offer up a lot of

different discussion points or a lot of different

things that you can kind of dive into. I agree

that he was over ambitious at some points and

kind of got lost in his own. work there for a

little bit and I think it's sometimes hard for

somebody who sees it all or knows what they're

doing in their head to sometimes it gets lost

when they're trying to translate it into other

people and I think maybe if we knew everything

that he was going for and it was more laid out

it'd be different but I don't know I think there's

still enough there like you said that that can

be enjoyable and like I said that that certain

people can talk about or kind of delve into so

it's it I like it just because it's a little

Like complicated or complex films this one might

be to the extreme But it's better than something

that you watch and you're like Predicting every

moment and come out with no better, you know

thought -provoking issues or ideas or anything

Yeah, I think it's definitely at least a good

a Good use of science fiction like, you know,

I think showing that science fiction today can

be Intelligent it doesn't have to be kind of

just playing to the lowest of nominator, which

is yeah And I like what you know, if you come

I know they're completely different films But

if you combine that with what we got last year

with gravity and some other things like that

I think it's us maybe starting to shift a little

bit of the the general thought process that comes

when you hear science fiction Yeah, I think for

a long time people just thought you know Star

Trek and Star Wars and you know crazy dystopian

type stuff and and it's nice to see some Of the

other side that it's uh, not just science fiction

but something that can be taken serious and it's

not just about you know aliens and And laser

and stuff like that. Definitely. I think you're

getting a lot of more conceptual like something

like her which is you know science fiction, but

not necessarily like you mentioned about alienating

or anything like that, just really about just

the culture we live in and how we would advance.

And I think that's kind of a cool way to cool

thing to see, because I think you can kind of

stale if you just kind of need like Star Wars

and Star Trek all over all over again, though,

you know, we are getting Star Wars again. So

I'm not going to say I'm not excited. I am as

well. I'm not going to I will be there opening

day. Me too. What's your number six? My number

six. This is when I get into, I think. My last

four, not that I, seven through ten, not that

I just obviously really like those movies, but

I think from six down, it separates itself from

everything that came before. I think these are

head and shoulders above everything else. And

there's like a clear, distinct line starting

with my number six, and that is a nightmare.

The name of my company is Video Production News,

a professional news gathering service. That's

how it should be read and that's how it should

be said. I also want to go to the next rung and

meet your team. and the station manager and the

director and the anchors and start developing

my own personal relationships. I'd like to start

meeting them this morning. You'll take me around.

You'll introduce me as the owner and president

of Video Production News and remind them of some

of my many other stories. I'm not done. I also

want to stop our discussion over prices. This

will save time. So when I say that a particular

number is my lowest price, that's my lowest price.

And you can be assured that I arrived at whatever

that number is very carefully. Now, when I say

that I want these things, I mean... that i want

them and i don't want to have to ask again i

just found this movie really fascinating i love

movies that are about the news in general like

network is my all -time favorite movie i love

broadcast news and this touches in on the news

and how that works but i think what's really

great about it is the character of lou bloom

this like really crazy anti -hero and Powered

by a performance of Jake Jennell, which is to

me that my favorite male performance Maybe my

favorite performance of the entire year I think

I've really great gained respect for him as an

actor like I always thought he was a good actor

but With nightcrawler to me. He became a great

actor and he was really even good an enemy that

came out earlier in the year and It's just like

he lost a lot of weight for the role His face

just looks in like in almost like an alien and

he like never blinks. It's really odd He's just

an odd figure. That's really captivating It's

directed really well It's interesting use of

cinematography where during the daytime, it's

film and nighttime, it's digital, giving it a

really cool look. It reminded me kind of of drive

in certain aspects of it too. And it, I don't

know, it's just a fascinating story and also

a kind of a good companion piece with something

like. Wolf of Wall Street because most of them

really get at like American capitalism and the

idea of ambition and how that Ambition can kind

of bring you down in a lot of negative ways and

how it can be dangerous when it's unhinged with

a character like Luke Broome It's like a it's

a it's a lot of people have kind of called it

like today's taxi driver And I see that I can

I get that comparison, but I love Nightcrawler

I think I can't wait to watch it again. So Jake

Gyllenhaal really turned me over towards the

side, I think with the end of watch. Yeah. Back

a little ways. And then obviously I was super

interested to see this movie. I really wanted

to. And I really have no excuses why I didn't,

because it was in theaters near me for a long

time. But it was just one of those situations

where it was it was in the theater for a long

time, but it was in the theater at the wrong

time for me. You know, if it was in the theater

earlier in the year, if it was in the theater

at certain times, but every time that. I had

a chance to go see it. There was also something

else in the theater that I chose to see instead.

And then I just kept missing it over and over

and then there were some logistical issues. But

I definitely had the opportunity to see it and

I did not see it. I want to see it because I

have a feeling it would be in my top 10 as well

based on everything I've heard about it. But

I guess I've disagreed with a lot of people on

other stuff. So maybe I would not like it. Yeah,

I wanted to see it and obviously a good choice

there. I'm glad you mentioned it and hopefully

I'll get to see it here in the next week or two.

Yeah, your story for Whiplash, or for Nightcrawler

is similar to mine for Whiplash where it was

in my area, but it just never worked out. And

then when I finally had the opportunity, it was

no longer playing. Right. So yeah. There's like,

it stinks that there's weeks in the year where

you're like, there's literally nothing to go

see this week because I've seen, you know, I've

already seen this movie or that movie and it's,

you know, slower times in the theater and you're

like, oh, I don't have anything to go see, but

I have a chance to go see something. And there's

other times where there's like five movies out

and you're like... That's funny. All right. Top

five then I guess This is where I was gonna try

to cheat and throw my three -way tie in here

But I'm not gonna do that but I felt like I needed

to mention at least one of the comic book movies

because like we said before Captain America X

-Men and Guardians of the Galaxy and they're

all pretty solid films and I don't disagree with

you with with some of the issues that you bring

up regarding Guardians of the Galaxy which is

my number five. How? I have a plan. You've got

a plan. Yes First of all, you're copying me from

when I said I had a plan. Well, I'm not. People

say that all the time. It's not that unique of

a thing to say. Secondly, I don't even believe

you have a plan. I have part of a plan. What

percentage of a plan do you have? You don't get

to ask questions after the nonsense you pulled

on Nowhere. I just saved Quill. We've already

established that you destroying the ship that

I'm on is not saving me. When did we establish

that? Like three seconds ago! You know, it wasn't

listening. I was thinking of something else.

She's right. You don't get an opinion. What percentage?

I don't know. Twelve percent. Twelve percent?

That's a fake laugh. It's real! Totally fake.

That is the most real, authentic, hysterical

laugh of my entire life because that is not a

plan. It's barely a concept. You're taking their

side? I am Groot. So what? It's better than eleven

percent. What the hell does that have to do with

anything? Thank you, Groot. Thank you. See? Groot's

the only one of you who hasn't... But the reason

I picked that one over the other ones was...

That is the one that shouldn't have worked. That

is the one, I think it's easier to... X -Men

Days of Future Past had the easiest path. You

have all of the X -Men characters from the original

X -Men trilogy that we got. Yes, I said trilogy.

And then you have this new cast with James McAvoy

and... Michael Fassbender. Yes, Michael Fassbender,

etc. And so I think they had the easiest path

because you're dealing with a bunch of characters

and actors that people love. And now you're going

to mix them together and you really had to try

to screw that up. Not saying it wasn't possible,

it's been done before in the X -Men franchise,

but with Guardians of the Galaxy, this is a movie

about a bunch of comic book characters that the

general public has no knowledge of. They don't

know anything about them, so it should have been

harder to kind of hook people on this. It also

is a movie that has Dave Bautista, a voiced raccoon,

a voiced tree. There's so many reasons why this

movie could have failed. And for that, I think

it was the most impressive that it did as well

as it did. Is Captain America Winter Soldier

a better film, start to finish technically? Probably

yes. I will agree with you on that one. But if

I'm just going to go back and say which one did

I have the most fun at or which one was I most

pleasantly surprised about, then I think it's

Guardians of the Galaxy. Maybe it's cheating

because I'm picking the film that made a good

billion dollars. But I don't know. I think it

was more so on the impressive factor because

if there was one that was going to fail or one

that was going to be top at the box office between

these three, I would never have picked Guardians

of the Galaxy. Yeah, I mean it's not not a bad

choice at all and a lot of I mean like I said

I still movie I greatly enjoyed a lot of fun

and you know, it's probably like you said like

It somehow I didn't like Marvel kind of proved

I think what to the world but pretty much anything

like they can do anything So that was part of

that was like Marvel saying guess what guys?

We can do anything we want and you're gonna love

it. It was like when you know DC was having trouble

Making a Wonder Woman movie and I was like, well,

here's a tree and a talking raccoon It works

and you know, I think James Gunn the director

I think his sensibilities are still there in

a lot of ways and a lot of really cool characters

Like I love Yondu like Michael Roker down here

that he's a little right little little touches

of with his arrow There's a lot of fun stuff

there and great soundtrack Yeah, and favorite

soundtrack of the year, some great use of music,

and he made Tom Jones relevant again. I mean,

that's that's impressive. See, it's impressive

on multiple levels. Exactly. Exactly. All right.

Let's get to your top five choice here. Top five.

I think this might be the one movie that we have

some crossover not to kind of ruin your list

or spoil it anyway. But talk about fun. And to

me, this movie is a lot of fun. And that's the

Grand Budapest Hotel. What are you doing? I've

come to pay my respects to a great woman whom

I loved. This man is an intruder in my home.

It's not yours yet, Dimitri, only when probate

is granted and the deed of entitlement is given.

You're not getting boy with apple, you goddamn

little fruit. How's that supposed to make me

feel? Call the police! We're pressing charges.

This criminal has plagued my family for nearly

20 years. He's a ruthless adventurer and a con

artist who preys on mentally feeble, sick old

ladies. And he probably fucks them too. I might

go to bed with all my friends. I know Wes Anderson

kind of strikes people some people the wrong

way they kind of find them a little bit pretentious

or maybe too quirky But I do I do really like

his style. I don't love all his movies. I mean,

I love I mean, I know Darjeeling Unlimited is

not one of my favorites not see was easy was

okay But to me the Grand Budapest Hotel is his

best movie. He's done probably maybe since Fantastic

Fox or even Rushmore Largely in part because

of Ray Fine, so I thought was fantastic It was

interesting about the Grand Budapest Hotel is

just everything that went into it like the from

the miniature sets to like the use of stop -motion

animation It's this crazy like Russian doll storyline.

It's a story within a story within a story It's

kind of complicated, but not all that really.

And a lot of the humor seems highbrow, but really

it's cartoonish and slapstick in a lot of ways,

too. And also a fantastic score. I was actually

watching this last night. I fell asleep to the

score, which almost kept me up because of how

perky and upbeat and cool it is. So yeah, I loved

Grand Prix de Peste Hotel. To me, it is Wes Anderson

at his best. And you also are correct, so I'm

just gonna piggyback off of this since it's my

number four pick So we're actually going right

back to back with this that worked out But yeah,

this is one of the only films I think I saw during

the first half the year where I said this is

probably gonna be in my top ten I said that going

out of the theater. I for a while Myself and

and Matt and Nate on a weekend of the movies

every time we were listening our best film so

far in 2014 We just kept listing Grand Budapest

Hotel For about the first four or five six months

of the year So, I mean, it was one that was with

me immediately. It stuck with me. It wasn't going

to lose its spot. It's unique. It's intelligent.

It's visually entertaining. The acting is superb.

It's funny. It's got a lot of stuff going for

it. I'm a Wes Anderson fan. I loved Moonrise

Kingdom from last year, and I thought this was

right on par with that. If not, I don't know

which one I like better. I'd have to watch them

both probably back -to -back again and really

look at it closely, but I really enjoyed this

film and I don't know I just think there's something

to be said for this unique style and it's not

just about liking the style or liking Wes Anderson.

It still has to be an entertaining movie and

Grand Budapest Hotel was. Yeah, definitely agree.

So I guess it's back to you again. Yeah, interesting.

My number four, you mentioned with The Judge,

do you like it? It's probably gonna be maybe

I enjoy more than I should and I feel that's

maybe the same for my number four. I love the

crime genre, it's one of my favorite. genres

all by far and number four blue ruin is interesting

because it's kind of a deconstruction of that

genre in a lot of ways and the concept of it

is like what if you took this character who was

bent on revenge and he was just inept in nearly

every way and also what happens if he gains revenge

right at the start of the movie when it was kind

of going into like what happens next so I just

love the way he plays on a lot of the classic

tropes you see with crime and Revenge films it

reminds me a great deal of something like a blood

simple, which was the Coen brothers first film

It's also really great performance by Malcolm

Blair, who isn't the main actor, who's just kind

of the slope of a guy. But it's just like you

see this great progression with his character.

And I know, I just really enjoyed it and some

really great standout scenes. One particular

is when you see his character who was shot with

an arrow and he has to go through this process

of trying to remove it and the direction that

goes and how it was. Edited and how it has a

really great like comedic end to it that I really

love so it I could you could probably poke holes

in the pot You could probably say it's probably

not the most Symptomatic complex movie out there,

but I don't know for me. I love just what it

was doing and what it was saying So it's my number

four. I also have no excuse for not seeing this

film Because it was on Netflix for a long long

time and it still is I believe So I really don't

have an excuse. It's been available on Netflix

probably for like six months I don't know why

I haven't seen this film because I've heard great

things about it You know the guys on in session

raved about it I think a couple of people on

film spotting listed in their conversation and

I do agree that it's a very intriguing plot especially

with a revenge plot where the revenge happens,

you know in the opening Act So it's definitely

one that I want to check out. I have seen movies

this year people I promise Just not some of these

great ones. All right, um, but a good pick I'm

glad we mentioned it and I will get to my number

three with my number nine I guess I was trying

to upset Steve by picking st. Vincent with my

number three. I will do my best to upset Mike

And that is because I'm picking the Lego movie

at my number three film. Oh my gosh. I love this

song Always use a turn signal Park between the

lines. Yes! Drop off dry cleaning before noon.

Read the headlines. Don't forget to smile. Always

root for the local sports team. Go sports team!

Always return a compliment. Hey, you look nice.

So do you. Drink overpriced coffee. Here you

go. That's $37. Awesome! And I'm not saying anything

bad about that movie I think both how to train

your dragon films have been really good But I

think it's a no -brainer as far as the best animated

film this year, and I think it's a Lego movie

I think it's as easy as picking frozen last year

I think Lego movies great for Two main reasons

and that's for the level of entertainment that

it gives both children and adults I think there's

a lot in in there for both And I think it has

some impressive topics that it tackles masked

in a kid's movie. And it's a lot of fun. It's

entertaining. It's funny. It's got good performances

as far as the voicing goes. And I just, I don't

know, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I did not think

I would, you know, when they decided that they

were going to do a Lego movie and it first became

rumored and this, that, and the other, I was

thinking too much along the lines of all the

different Lego video games that are out there.

and and some of the other like cartoon type shows

that have had Lego characters in them and I was

thinking I wasn't gonna like it and I was thinking

it was gonna be something silly and then it came

out and it kind of was everything that I didn't

think it would be it was a much more all -encompassing

much more grand film that I don't know there's

so many clever things they do with the Legos

especially in the opening yeah that It's just

impressive. It's fun to watch. Um, and I wanted

to pick an animated movie somewhere on my list

and it's all the way up in number three with

the Lego movie. Yeah, I agree. I mean, I agree

with you. It's to me the best animated movie

of the year. It's great seeing a movie like that

take such a huge chance that it does in its final

act. And the end, like you mentioned, animation

is impressive, especially just like the use of

water with Legos and like how that works out

and just the really fun action sequences to it.

Yeah. I like movie was probably the biggest surprise

and it makes me realize that their directors,

you also did the 22 and 21 Jump Street franchise,

pretty much they're great at taking a project

that shouldn't work and making it really great

enough on the watch. And it's probably, along

with Guardians of the Galaxy, probably the two

biggest surprises as far as box office goes this

year. Oh yeah, I mean that movie just ranked

it in. And I know they're making a Batman Lego

movie sequel, I don't know. I just, one thing

I loved about it too was, which I think is why

TFT won my didn't like it was how it didn't focus

on the obvious characters of Batman or the superheroes

how it like to focus on this Emmet character

and uh this is and Chris Pratt giving it you

know giving a great voice performance it's kind

of the year Chris Pratt with that and the Guardian

so I think it was perfect too to do that to have

just kind of a generic LEGO figure because that's

how that's what I was afraid of the opposite

I was afraid we're gonna get You know like the

batman legos or the star wars legos or like some

of that And I I preferred it with just the generic

lego and it allowed for that opening scene Which

it wouldn't have been able to be done. Otherwise

definitely kind of like you know Toast story,

which you know, there are toys that are kind

of recognizable but not necessarily You know

name brands minus a potato head and same thing

with a lego movie. So yeah good choice My number

three I mentioned when we before we were talking

about you know, the year of 2014, like not having

one movie people have gone to is like the standout,

and I said there might be one film that actually

bucks that trend, and that's my number three

choice. And like I mentioned, my three, two,

and one are very interchangeable. They've kind

of gone back and forth a few times, so this can

easily be number one, but I ended up going with

number three, and that is Richard Linklater's

Boyhood. A lot of people have talked about it

because of just the... Project of making it is

the movie that was made over 12 year period Where

they shot like bit by bit and I know a lot of

people have kind of said all that's you know

We're saying people are praising it Because of

that and it's nothing more than the gimmick and

I I can understand that but for me if you take

away that idea I think it's still a great movie

and when I watched it and when I When I was experiencing

film like that never really came in my mind really

i'm like, oh, yeah, this is Because it's so subtle

the way it shifts from one year to the next it

never really it never really accounts for it

You don't see like year one year two. It just

it it's just more Adjustments in the way people

look, you know things like the you know pop culture

references that you kind of see in the background

But i'm richard linklater fan like I love the

before trilogy and I think similar to the before

trilogy. I think what It does well. It's just

really great conversations that feel real and

original and genuine. It feels like it gets at

how our memory works and it's not focusing on

those huge train marked moments in our lives

like every other film does, more so what happens

in between. And also some really fantastic performances.

I don't think the main kid that we follow, Mason,

I think he grows older. His acting does get a

little bit questionable and I could see that

criticism of it, but I think Patricia Arquette

and especially Ethan Hawke, I think both are

fantastic. And it made me gain new respect for

Patricia Arquette as an actress because I never

really took her all that seriously. But in this,

I think she really shines in one specific moment

near the end where you kind of just, it all kind

of comes crashing down in a lot of ways. And

Ethan Hawke to me is the best character of the

entire film because you see his progression as

a person and where he starts off as this dad

who only shows up. on the weekends and where

he ends up. It's rather interesting and it's

achievement, I mean I think it should be recognized

just for what Linklater did to get it made, but

still, beyond that, it's just a good movie. And

I agree with you, I think that's one that, like

when I was talking about ones that are universally

praised, I think that's one of the main ones

I was thinking of. I haven't heard a single bad

comment about Boyhood. And a lot of people are

putting it on their top ten or in their top five

top three So I think it's a good choice. I think

like you said that that is one that maybe When

all is said and done could be head and shoulders

above the rest. I still need to see it. Yes,

so It did just become available on demand recently.

So you should be able to get easier access to

it shortly Yeah for a while it was available

again just to buy like it was Boyhood Calvary

and like one other one were available to buy

I'm like, can we get to the rent part, please?

That's really stupid. I hate I don't want to

spend $19 to watch this movie once on demand

If I'm gonna do that, I'm gonna buy it when it

comes out on DVD or blu -ray or whatever, but

excellent choice there my number two I guess

one good thing is one of my most anticipated

films of the year did not disappoint me I know

a lot of people would probably say I'm crazy

for putting a film like this this high on the

list but I guess I'm just a fanboy my number

two is Dawn of the Planet of the Apes nice Thoroughly

thoroughly thoroughly enjoyed this film. I thought

it had some excellent scenes the tank Scene or

the kind of pan across was excellent. There's

some some decent action. There's some decent

drama Little comedic bits kind of very sparsely

thrown in but stuff some things that I thought

were somewhat funny but mainly more so for the

dramatic and the action part I think this this

recent reboot with Planet of the Apes is just

fantastic. I was never a Planet of the Apes fan

growing up It's not something that I like love

for my childhood. This is not nostalgia talking

in any way shape or form but with the last one

and with this one they both are just super enjoyable

films and super entertaining and yet they have

moments where they you know they pull back and

they tug at your heartstrings a little bit obviously

the scene where he revisits the house from the

from the first film was something like that where

it's a it's a good progression of the of the

franchise. I'm interested to see where they go

to next with what will appear to be something

like battle an all -out battle But I just and

was anticipating it and it paid off for me. It's

one of the rare films this year They did not

disappoint me in any way Yeah, very strong honorable

mention. It was really hard to leave it off my

list I agree with pretty much everything you

said and I just love how every character in that

movie has Strong motivations for everything they're

doing like they're even like, you know necessarily

Copa, which I thought was the best villain of

the entire year I just I loved his character

and his reasoning like behind what he's doing.

You know it You there's a justification necessarily

almost to the act she's going through and you

can understand it It's I think a lot of people

can actually compared it to like she takes fear

in the way it goes carries out And I think that's

very accurate. I think it and a lot of those

elements. It's not just a bad guy just Because

he's a bad guy. Yeah, and it's it's just seeing

like apes on horseback and it's such an odd thing

to see and it's just I don't know it's so off

putting in the best ways possible and then like

you got to give credit to the special effects

which were were phenomenal and I think really

stepped up the game when it comes to CGI and

motion capture it just the way they portrayed

emotion like and how it's becoming like you just

they're focusing in on faces of these characters

and you feels like you're actually seeing it.

So it's a great film all around. The feat of

what they did with the visual effects on this

film alone make it worthy of making a list. Just

what they were able to do with the motion capture,

what Andy Serkis is able to do, what the team

behind that is able to do with making these so

believable as far as characters go is incredible.

So yeah, that was my number two. How about you?

Well number two, this is where we get definitely

to the probably the most polarized polarizing

choice movie I know you definitely hated every

ounce of this film, which is I Get that I think

after watching I think even my review for it

I mentioned that this is a type of movie that

will infuriate some people But I really loved

it and I still do it was my number one movie

went a half right through the year And it's kind

of stayed up there, but I'm kind of more its

way down to number two and that is under the

skin Jonathan Glazer is kind of creepy science

fiction story about an alien who comes to earth

and basically gains a sense of humanity. But

for me, I think what really why I appreciate

this movie, there's a lot of reasons. One, I

love the visuals, but I think two, just how it's

abstract design really speaks to a lot of different

elements from body image to the way we celebrate

celebrities to gender roles and how you can kind

of. There's a lot of discussion that can be made

based upon what it's doing. I love the score.

I love how it really takes mundane situations

and makes them feel alien in a lot of ways, how

there were, basically they had to create cameras

to make this movie work in order to get a lot

of the unprofessional actors in the cars like

they did and get the shots that they wanted.

They had to create this technology to make it

work, similar to like Gravity last year where

they had to create technology that didn't exist

before. Think that kind of goes those Moments,

I think say a lot like why they use those unprofessional

actors and I just love how blazer his use of

the camera was to me phenomenal one moment that

comes to mind is this beach scene where there

is Someone drowning and how his camera always

is always back. It's kind of kind of seeing it

from afar and how you see these people basically

drown and it's so like mundane in the way they

kind of are just kind of go away it just it's

just it just you see like life just go away with

no reaction whatsoever at the same time you have

this baby crying on on the beach and it's just

he just stays with it for such a long time such

an off -putting Progression as you see this happening

and then what happens after that as we go back

to it And it's still that situation. It's just

I don't know he I think he gets at some of those

Taboo elements and hits them really well so and

I like I mentioned the visuals and and what have

you so Like I said, I can understand if people

walk out of this movie and hate it But I to me

there was a lot going on that I appreciated so

it made my number two and obviously you're not

alone a lot of people praising under the skin

and I'm not making as many Top 10 list as I thought

it would But still making a good number of them

and I don't not appreciate the concepts that

it was going after I just didn't like the execution

but I think it's a obviously a Movie that people

talked about and a worthy selection on your list

regardless of if I disagree or not But obviously

a very talked -about film my number one and again,

I didn't even know this would be my number one

until I get actually sat down to do this and

I will say that it's not like a number one like

a 12 Years a Slave like we mentioned in the opening

it's not a her it's not you know something that

I just was like super sold on as this is the

number one film of the year I didn't even think

this when I walked out of the film but after

breaking it down this is what I am left with

I'm not trying to undersell it too much but my

number one film of the year would be Fury God

didn't call us today. You hear me, boys? What's

he doing up there? Big paradise. Everyone else

came up, snake guys, but us. Lord's protection.

We got it, don't we, boys? Yes, sir. We got it.

Yes, sir. Norm's mowing them down, didn't he,

too? Good job, Norm. Welcome to the Army, Norm.

You did good. Best job I ever had. Best job I

ever had. Best job I ever had. Best job I ever

had. Best job I ever had. Best job I ever had.

And I don't know, something about this film I

thoroughly enjoyed. I think it contained one

of the best scenes of the year at the dinner

table with Brad Pitt and now I'm forgetting the

main kids. Yeah, I thought that was just a if

you want to talk about a riveting scene That

is one where you're on the edge of your seat

because you're not sure what's gonna happen.

You're not sure I mean all these guys are wild

so tight and Are like ticking time bombs that

you're never sure what is gonna quite happen.

Obviously you have this a unexperienced Person

that is being thrust into a situation where he's

admittedly not ready for You know, he says he's

never even been in a tank before and I just think

some of the issues I mean it number one. It's

good because of the story and because of the

characters that you're following and it's entertaining

But then you think about it as the fact that

this is something that almost doesn't even need

to be happening You know, I mean for for all

intended purposes the war is basically over and

Although you know certain things are still necessary

and certain objectives are still you know needing

to be met etc It's it's not like. It's not like

a saving private Ryan where. You know, this is

a crucial moment that has to happen that is pivotal

in the war. What happens to this tank is not

going to change the outcome of this war. And.

That as kind of like a side. effect, at least

from a historical standpoint, intrigues me about

the film in general and kind of just like all

the different parts of war that you don't necessarily

notice or that aren't the major headline type

things. And I thought I thought Brad Pitt was

phenomenal. Even Shia LaBeouf, I guess this was

made in between. bouts of insanity. So he was

enjoyable in this film. Or even during, so I

heard like he like removed his own tooth just

to get in character or something like that. There

we go. But even, you know, every single person

involved played the character that they were

given and they really, you know, sunk into that

and really took a hold of that and delivered

a believable performance. Just from a history

buff and a war standpoint, I thought it was enjoyable

to see kind of something we haven't got to see

a lot with the tank, tank on tank, you know,

strategy of that. You know, we've seen some other

things, but we really haven't got it. We hadn't

really got an all out, you know, tank war type

of film that I can remember. Maybe I'm just missing

some. It's almost like the, you know, getting

a real true dogfight type of war these days.

But I just thought it was a it was a riveting

film. It's one that I Like I said, it was on

my seat, edge of my seat for a lot of it. It

has the action, it has the drama, it has a little

bit of comedy with how the seasoned war guys

are treating Logan Lerman. So I really enjoyed

this film and I couldn't really find too much

negative to say about it. And because I can't

really find too many faults with it, even though

I'm sure other people can, that's why it ends

up at my number one. Yeah, I did, to me, the

first two acts of that movie were really riveting.

Hate the last act of fury. I just thought it

got a little bit maybe too indulgent at times

But I thought what I would like you mentioned

the dinner scene. I thought that scene was really

like you said like the tension and like the seesaw

tension of that moment was interesting because

it kept every time we thought okay things are

good now something else would happen and it would

raise it again and it was just a really uncomfortable

sequence that prolonged maybe longer than it

should but i really i really liked that scene

it was one of my favorite of the year and i feel

like people's feelings towards that scene depicted

like how they felt over the entire movie right

always um but i yeah a lot of great like the

the one tiger the one tank battle with the german

tiger that was really well handled i loved like

that help that was really great and even the

one before that when they're kind of taking the

people with the major guns out and yeah I thought

David Ayers showed a lot with his directorial

style with that. I did enjoy Fury, so I know

I know GD from In Session Films was a huge fan

of that film as well So I don't think you're

alone in putting it in your top ten. I think

I am alone at putting it in number one, but Hopefully

I have a feeling there would be something that

would take the spot, but we'll get to that in

a little bit I am intrigued because both of your

Both films that I thought you might put at number

one you put at number two and number three So

what's left for number one? Well my number one

is It was a hard choice, but it isn't choosing

this film because it had everything I look for

in a movie. It had great performances, it was

well -directed. It had a story that was trying

to say something, and it just, I don't know.

It had some of the most thrilling sequences of

the entire year for me, and it was just people

talking and arguing. You mentioned risk. What

risk? Stop. That is, uh, starred up. Sorry. Governor

wants to see you. If you comply with the regime,

I'm prepared to offer you a place back on the

wing and a special kind of therapy with Mr. Balmer,

with whom you cooperated upstairs. But one more

incident of any kind that comes to my attention,

you'll be straight back down here. Is this one

problem? You're going to tell me what that is?

I'm just saying. Say this therapy goes well and

it changes my life and I rehabilitate. And then

you lay it on for the next keyzone. It works

for him and the next. And everything's sweet,

yeah? Crime rates start to come down. Police

got less people to nick. Court's got less people

to convict. Pretty soon, it is a British film

about a troubled teen who basically gets forced

into a maximum security prison. That teen's actor

is Jack O 'Connell. You know, he gets, it's called

startup where you go from your juvenile detention

center early to a maximum security prison. And

what makes it a little bit more interesting is

the fact that his father played by Ben Mendelson

is also in the same prison. I know some people

couldn't get over that conceit because like,

why would that ever happen? But I think if you

can kind of just allow the premise to exist,

there's a lot to appreciate. Jack O 'Connell

to me, I think I'll get to another movie in my

album mentions. It's having one of the best breakout

years I've seen I have you have not even seen

I'm broken yet, which is a movie and he also

stars in but his he reminds me a lot in this

film of like Tom Hardy and Bronson's just a really

fierce a lot of rage but also he is like a child

like innocence for the to you still a kind of

kid and you see that and like the way he acts

there's a sequence where someone comes into his

cell and his initial action is to fight back

with violence but then when he realizes the situation

there's this like immediate regret and like this

old like oh no what did I do type of thing so

he's not completely broken and some of our favorite

sequences were these class sessions they would

have where you have these prisoners kind of talking

about being in prison and what it means and what

got them there and then there's there's a scene

in which things kind of escalate rather quickly.

And the stakes are really there. If this situation

goes, if these classes don't work out, then it

means a lot of hard and negative things are gonna

happen to these prisoners. So there's a lot of

intensity and a lot on the line. So I don't know.

I kept going back to those moments as some of

my favorite moments of the year. The performances

are fantastic. Ben Mendelson is my number one

supporting performance of the year. He's this

guy who has... He can do anything, like any type

of performance you can give him. He can be like

your schlub, or in this he's like a, you know,

hardcore badass, and just the direction as well.

And I think it also says something about the

way we treat prisoners. It's not necessarily,

you know, these people belong here, but the question

becomes, like, what do you do once they're here?

And I think it's just an interesting story, and

I just, I don't know, to me it had every element

I looked for in a movie, and it did it phenomenally

well, so it ended up being my number one. Another

film that I've only heard good things about,

but I've obviously not had a chance to see, but

a lot of good things from a lot of different

people. I've seen this on a ton of lists, so

very excellent choice. I guess I didn't think

of that one when I was thinking of what you would

put in there. I will say, it also is coming on

Amazon Prime in the next week or two, so if you

haven't checked it out, you'll have the opportunity

to see it for free if you have Prime. Excellent.

Real quick going over some films that I didn't

see so the people don't rake me over the coals

too much Well, or maybe they do because I'm losing

movie credit here But I obviously did not see

that we talked about boyhood and nightcrawler

or Calvary which were all on Dan's list Also,

I've not had a chance to see whiplash or foxcatcher

the imitation game the disappearance of Eleanor

Rigby unbroken Selma inherent vice force majeure

Those are all films that I have not yet had a

chance to see, so I apologize. Maybe they would

make a spot on my list. What are some films that

you were not able to see yet? I also didn't see...

I did see Force Major and Fox Catcher, but I

didn't make my list. I also didn't see American

Sniper, all the ones you mentioned, Selma, Unbroken,

Whiplash, trying to think of anything else. Mostly

a few other films. I can't think of anything

else that I particularly missed. Yeah, I mentioned

it's pretty much It's for what comes off the

top of my head, but okay So yeah, I mean obviously

there's a chance that some of those would impact

our list and our list as always Evolve over the

years as you look back and see more films or

maybe rewatch things So obviously a chance for

those two to change and evolve as time goes on

as for honorable mentions We'll get to a few

that just didn't quite make our list a couple

obviously. I said that I was trying to decide

between Captain America X -Men and Guardians

of the Galaxy, so those would be some honorable

mentions for me with Captain America and X -Men.

Also, I would put Chef down as somewhat of an

honorable mention. The Rover with Guy Pearson,

Robert Pattinson. I thought that was a decent

little hidden gem there. Live, die, repeat, slash

edge of tomorrow, whatever you want to call that

film. Got well again one of the more enjoyable

films and more than one of the more entertaining

just action science fiction films that I saw

this year I thought it was a decent year for

science fiction transcendence notwithstanding

but with edge of tomorrow and snowpiercer and

Even interstellar for those who liked it or didn't

like it. There was a lot of decent science fiction

stuff out there How to change your drink to I

thought that was a pretty good film Didn't like

it as much as some of the other people I've heard

about that film, but it's still a very solid

film a most wanted man with Philip Seymour Hoffman

the box trolls Hercules with the Rock Men women

children and Probably the one that came closest

to make my list that just didn't would be into

the woods I know some people are apparently familiar

with the subject matter for that one or the play

that preceded it So maybe they went into this

one not Realizing what they were getting themselves

into but I found it very enjoyable. I thought

it was a good translation I think it was a little

bit long and there were some pacing issues. That's

why it didn't make my top ten But other than

that, I thought it was a pretty enjoyable film.

What about you some honorable mentions? I didn't

quite make you list I actually didn't see Into

the Woods, so I can't speak onto that. Like you

mentioned, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, very

close to making my top 10. This movie, 71, starring

Jack O 'Connell as a British soldier who's stuck

behind enemy lines in Northern Ireland during

the height of that conflict. It was a nice, really

cold, almost like an old school 1970s thriller.

That was good, but I think just needed a little

bit of something more to make my top 10. another

movie called Night Moves, starring Jesse Eisenberg

and Ellen Fanning. They're these eco -terrorists

who plan to blow up this dam, and kind of what

happened before and the aftermath of that situation.

The Skeleton Twins, which is a nice little dramedy

starring Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig, a film

that focuses on depression, but I think Kristen

Wiig and Bill Hader to me prove that they're

legit actors that I look for. I thought Bill

Hader has always been funny, but he... Actually,

I have Skeleton Twins and Magic and the Moonlight

sitting on the counter over there on Redbox,

so you'll see them real soon. I like the Skeleton

Twins a lot, so I don't know the overall impressions

of that film, but I'm not sure. Lastly, Locke,

like you mentioned, this awesome movie called

Bethlehem, which is also available on Netflix.

It's an Israeli crime film about these roaring

families during the height of the Palestine conflict.

Just I should mention just my favorite documentary

of the year. Like I mentioned, I do a separate

list, but it's it's something called 12 o 'clock

boys, which is available on amazon prime It's

about these kids who are in baltimore who uh

has like dirt bike kind of a gang or group That

you would say that in like kind of the subculture

that is created around them. So All right Well,

that is our list. Agree or disagree? Leave us

comments on the episode post on what you would

pick for your top 10 or where you think we were

most right or most wrong, and we'll reply and

respond to those. We also have some other stuff

coming up. Four Weekend at the Movies. Dan and

I will be doing a couple different fun things.

We'll be looking back at our most anticipated

list of 2014 and giving you our most anticipated

list of 2015. We'll also be looking back at those

box office predictions we made a year ago to

see how those turned out and possibly been doing

some more predictions for 2015. We also have

a couple other fun things planned that I'm not

going to unveil quite yet, but there should be

a good three, four, five different things coming

to you with Weekend in the Movies between Dan

and I, so hopefully you can enjoy those. Dan,

any last thoughts of films of 2014 before we

wrap this up? I know that's pretty much it. Like

I said, it's been a pretty good year and hopefully,

you know Give it a month or two and after I catch

up with a few films I'm sure this will still

be a lot different but exactly mine will be hopefully

vastly different but uh You know, we we didn't

want to sell 2014 short, you know a year ago

when everybody was trying to jump the boat Nobody

was wanting to actually go through 2014 first.

They were all super amped about 2015. Well, that's

here, so now we can finally actually legitimately

talk about everything that people have been excited

for for a year and a half now. All right, so

we look forward to talking to that. In the meantime,

leave your comments about our top 10 films of

2014, and we will see you next time.