Jason's Top 10 Movies of 2015

A few days late, but here it is...

10. Going Clear-My favorite documentary of the year explores a topic I’ve been bizarrely fascinated with for some time; Scientology.  The stories surrounding the cult-like mega organization are often stranger than fiction, and this documentary gives an intriguing, first-hand account of it all that left me thinking about it all for days after…. and not thinking, like “Those cats had some solid ideas, sign me up”, more like “that’s some f’ed up shit”.

9. Creep-The polar opposite of a big summer blockbuster, Creep seems like it only cost $100, but utilized its resources in a way that made it more unsettling than any big-budget horror movie I saw this year. The writer/director of the film, Patrick Brice, plays a cameraman hired to come to a mysterious cabin to film a quirky guy for a weekend that unfolds a very, well… creepy way. The Duplas brothers have figured out the alchemy to create engaging films on small budgets and Creep is a perfect example. Creep left me feeling uneasy even days after watching it.

8. Hateful Eight-Some classic Tarantino here; humor, crackling dialogue, cartoonish violence, and Sam Jackson pointing a gun at camera and giving a bad-ass monologue. Really more of a play that takes place it one room, Tarantino ratchets up the tension with each minute that goes by, as a group of murderers, bounty hunters and liars spend a blizzard trapped in a pioneer outpost. The 3 hour run time moves at a good pace, and the panoramic vistas look great in widescreen. If nothing else, stay for the speech Samuel L Jackson about his “giant dingus”.

7. Mad Max-Less a movie, and more of a thrill ride, 70 year old George Miller, starts going 100 mph from scene one and doesn’t stop until the credits.  Though it is light on plot and characters, the practical stunts and action set pieces were made to be viewed on a big screen, and made it a true movie-going experience.

6. Straight Outta Compton-When a music bio-pic is done right, it can be amazing, and Straight Outta Compton was done right. Funny, poignant, heart-breaking and thrilling, SOC was a rollercoaster ride through the music and music industry of our youth. The young cast was pretty great and Ice Cube’s son, O’Shea Jackson Jr, playing his own father, was uncanny at times in how much he looked and sounded like his dad. Racism, police brutality, rap music and AIDS, SOC was a movie that almost needed to be a mini series to contain all the drama and ended in a spot that left to wanted to know the next chapter in the saga.

5. Kingsman-Let’s gather up every cool, older British actor, and have them kick a ton of ass. Kingsman is simultaneously a throwback to the class of vintage spy movies with the injection of modern action and over-the-top violence. Funny, thrillingand heartfelt at times, Kingman is another example of why Matthew Vaughn is one of my favorite directors working today.

4. Ex Machina- Two men. A robot. An isolated home in the mountains. Ex Machina, the story of a man hired by the eccentric creator of a true artificial intelligence, to come and test the robot’s believably as indistinguishable from a human, is a supremely intelligence exploration of near-future sci-fi.  Smart, beautifully shot and well paced, the movie ratchets up the uneasiness with each passing scene. All 3 actors give superb performances that build up the tension until the film reaches it’s inevitable, yet shocking, conclusion.

4. Creed-Sports movies can often be clichéd; underdog fights harder than everyone else, wins in the end because he/she/the team has more heart. But when a sports movie is done right, you kind of don’t care because sports movies can also be amazing. They represent something uniquely American, and really embody the drive and potential we all hope is within us. “Creed”, a spin-off from a movie franchise that should have died a long time ago, like a sport’s character of it’s own, surprises the critics and defies the odds to become something great. Michael B Jordan is terrific as the young boxer with a ton of heart and a huge chip on his shoulder, and Stallone gives what may be the best performance of his career. Yes, Sylvester Stallone may bring you to tears. With beautiful, one-take, tracking shots in the ring, and amazing performances from the cast, “Creed” is the sports movie at its best.

3. Paddington- What?! Paddington?! Correct, Paddington is amazing.  Paddington is every classic children’s movie we remember from our youth . No CGI animals farting or doing a choreographed dance numbers to a Pitbull song, just a ridiculously charming movie full of heart and humor, perfect for people of all ages.  I defy you to not fall in love with that adorable bear, I wish more kid’s movies were like Paddington.

2. Jurassic World- Most children of the early 90’s remember the spectacle and awe of Jurassic Park, a movie that to this day is still one of my all time favorites. So, considering the lackluster sequels, how does one bring back that sense of wonder again? You do the thing that the first movie promised us and open the park. Honestly, I would have enjoyed just a 2 hour tour of the working park, as great detail was paid to how an actual dinosaur theme park could run. But as the shit hits the fan, as it inevitably will, we are treated to a thrilling adventure that is everything a summer movie should be: fun characters, moments of humor and tension, and spectacular actions scenes that culminate in a climax that literarily had the theater I was in cheering. Jurassic World is the epitome of a “fun movie”, and would have taken the #1 spot, except for…

1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens-Dear JJ Abrams, thank you. Thank you for bringing the feel, the characters, the practical effects, the drama and humor and the childlike amazement that we all felt as children back to the franchise. Not much can be said about The Force Awakens that hasn’t already been said. I could talk about the amazing new cast, Daisy Ridely’s kick-ass Rey, Jon Boyega’s conflicted and enthusiastic Finn, and Oscar Isaac’s Poe, who’s character is as excited to be in the Star Wars universe as we would be. I could talk about the perfect and impactful reintroduction of the original cast. I could talk about Adam Driver’s conflicted and complex villain, Kylo Ren, the frightening First Order and looming threat of Snoke. I could talk about the amazing locales, thrilling action sequences and heartbreaking elements. But I think one of the most amazing things JJ did was the unique opportunity he seized to seamlessly and confidently insert a more diverse cast into the lead roles in a franchise that is truly an American institution. Everyone should be able to see themselves in their movie heroes, and he gave children of both genders and ethnicities heroes to look up to and claim as their own. It is a Star Wars movie for the 21st century, the Star Wars movie we’ve all been waning, and everything that has been said about it, well, “It’s true. All of it.”.

Jason's Favorite Movies of 2013

Well, it's a few days late, but so many great movies came out on Christmas that it was a race to see them all.

This year was a surprising list. I didn't know my favorites until I sat down to type this, and it was still hard even then. As always, I can't say these were the best movies of the year, simply because I haven't seen everything, but they were my favorites of what I did see.

  10. This Is the End - Like a super-dirty Ghostbusters, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s This Is The End was a great supernatural comedy, which managed to merge solid laughs without sacrificing the original sci-fi concept. Playing themselves and mocking their public images was a great idea, and the movie made me laugh all the way to its final dance scene in Heaven.

9. American Hustle-David O. Russel is such a solid filmmaker, with his last 2 movies garnering Oscar nominations, and Oscar awards for their lead actors (Jennifer Lawrence and Christian Bale). Here, the principle actors of both films come together for a classicheist movie. Everyone gives a stellar performance, particularly Christian Bale and his unbelievable weight gain, and Amy Adams and her cleavage in their 1970’s glory. Add in terrific costume design and a couple of great cameos, and “American Hustle” is a smart, fun movie.

8. Pain and Gain- “Pain and Gain” was truly the most surprising movie I saw this year. Michael Bay channeled his best imitation of the Coen brothers and put together a truly fascinating crime story that was so unbelievable, the movie itself had to remind you at one point that yes, this is still a true story. And The Rock, well The Rock makes everything better. I’d like to campaign to have him play a dwarf in the final Hobbit movie and hopefully save that mess.

7. Iron man 3- Iron Man 3 was not at all what I expected and I loved it for it. After the massive spectacle of The Avengers, writer/ director Shane Black instead went small, telling the very personal story of Tony Stark losing it all, and rebuilding from scratch. Guy Pierce and Ben Kingsley made for great villains, and both Rhodey and Pepper got their moments to shine. I particularly enjoyed Pepper saving the day at the end. It served as a nice bookend to the Iron Man trilogy and a nice place to leave the character for his inevitable return in the next Avengers film.

6. Saving Mr Banks- One of things I enjoyed about “Saving Mr. Banks” was the realistic, Un-Disney-ish portrayal of true life events, even when they were at their most heartbreaking and tragic. Emma Thompson was fantastic playing P.L. Travers, a woman who you should greatly dislike, but instead have great sympathy for as you slowly learn her story. Tom Hanks, America’s favorite actor, is of course wonderful as America’s favorite storyteller, Walt Disney. In fact, the entire cast is fairly amazing, from Paul Giamatti’s humble limo driver, to BJ Noval and Jason Schwartzman as the Sherman Brothers. I’ve actually never seen Mary Poppins, but when you witness the creation of the icon music and imagery, you can’t help but get swept up in it, singing along and shedding a tear. Its simply the story of a movie being made, but you can't help but feel the gravity of the culminations of events that brought them all there, and the triumph of success. And any movie that features a trip to 1960’s Disneyland is OK in my book.

5. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire-The Hunger Game movies (and books) are smart, fast-paced and intense. The entire world they set up is incredibly original and makes you want to know of its implied history. Jennifer Lawrence is incredibly engaging as Katniss and a great role models for young girls. You can’t help but put yourself in her shoes, contemplating your next move, knuckles clenched tight the entire time. "How am I going to light this fire AND carry Peeta? How am I going to kill these trained assassins AND carry Peeta?" Catching Fire, while a return to the games of the first film and the middle chapter of the entire saga, still feels original and complete, and I can’t wait to see how it ends.

4. Frozen-Frozen was the type of movie I had longed for Disney animation to make again. It brought me back to the pre-Pixar days, when Disney animation was king, with movies like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King. It had great characters, an interesting and twisty plot and dazzlingly visuals that were of the caliber of the world’s most famous animation studio. It brought me back to the animated movies of my youth and reminded me why I enjoyed them so much in the first place.

3. About Time-I enjoyed “Love Actually”, and expected another charming movie from Richard Curtis about a guy and girl falling in love, but this time with the added element of time travel. And that was there on the surface, but at its heart About Time is really the story of a father and his son, and holy crap, it killed me. If you are a son who loves his Dad, I defy you not to break down a little on more than one instance. I'm not sure everyone will have the reaction I did, but the story Curtis was telling connected with me in a big way.  Near the film's end, Bill Nighy makes a request of his son that just tore me up and left me thinking about the beautiful relationship they shared for days after seeing it.

2. Gravity- Gravity isn’t so much a movie as it was a thrill ride, like a theme park attraction on screen. The plot is fairly simplistic; a tale of survival following a tragic accident in space, but it was truly one of the most intense movies I’ve ever seen. I found myself yelling “Grab it. GRAB IT! GRAB IT!!!” for 90 minutes straight as Sandra Bullock struggled to live. The sweeping, continuous opening shot that weaved through the space station was remarkable, and after I left the theater I had felt like I had lived through an experience, rather than had just simply saw a movie. Its one of very few movies that I can say was made to be seen in 3D, and the experience blew me away.

1. The Wolf of Wall Street- I love that not only is Martin Scorsese still at the top of his game and as relevant a director as he ever has been, but is continually changing things up. His last major film was essentially a (well done) children’s film, while The Wolf of Wall Street is basically a very black comedy. In fact, it may have been the funniest movie of the year. DiCaprio is great as always, being equal parts charming and equal parts one of the worst human beings you’ve ever seen.  But Jonah Hill may be the best part about the film. I have no doubt he will win an Oscar some day. The film is about horrible people doing horrible things, with little to no redemption at its core. So the overall message may be questionable, but the unbelievable, yet true story is so fun to watch on its toboggan ride straight to Hell, I love every minute of all 3 hours of it.