Thursday, August 11, 2016

The 100 Best and 100 Worst Films I Have Ever Seen

This list is organized by the taking the average of Rotten Tomato Critic and Audience scores, as well as my rating. Enjoy! 

The Best
1. The Godfather 
2. Once Upon A Time in the West
3. Taxi Driver 
4. The Good, The Bad and the Ugly 
5. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
6. Citizen Kane
7. Apocalypse Now
8. Annie Hall
9. One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest
10. Raging Bull
11. L.A. Confidential
12. Psycho
13. Mad Max: Fury Road
14. Pulp Fiction
15. Silence of the Lambs
16. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
17. Shawshank Redemption
18. Raiders of the Lost Ark
19. The Princess Bride
20. The Dark Knight
21. Alien
22. The Martian
23. Star Wars: A New Hope
24. The Departed
25. Toy Story 3
26. Before Sunset
27. The Kings Speech
28. Saving Private Ryan
29. 12 Angry Men
30. Rear Window
31. Reservoir Dogs
32. Toy Story
33. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-Part Two
34. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
35. Dr. Strangelove
36. North By Northwest
37. Die Hard
38. Finding Nemo
39. Groundhog Day
40. Schindlers List
41. The Third Man
42. GoodFellas
43. Before Sunrise
44. 2001: A Space Odyssey
45. Whiplash
46. Captain America: Civil War
47. The Shining
48. Chinatown
49. The Lion King
50. The Hurt Locker
51. Before Midnight
52. Patton
53. The Lego Movie
54. Amadeus
55. Inside Out
56. Gravity
57. Creed
58. A Fistful of Dollars
59. How to Train Your Dragon
60. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
61. Toy Story 2
62. Silence of the Lambs
63. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
64. Aliens
65. Monty Python and theHoly Grail
66. For A Few Dollars More
67. Guardians of the Galaxy
68. Barry Lyndon
69. Boyhood
70. T2: JudgementDay
71. City of God
72. The Sting
73. Fight Club
74. Shrek
75. Full Metal Jacket 
76. The African Queen
77. It's a Wonderful Life
78. X-Men: Days Of Future Past 
79. Argo
80. Back to The Future 
81. The Great Escape
82. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
83. Up
84. Zulu
85. Zootopia
86. Inglorious Basterds
87. Misery
88. To Kill a Mocking Bird
89. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
90. Casino Royale (2006)
91. Dazed and Confused
92. Memento
93. Finding Dory
94. Straight Outta Compton
95. Captain America: The Winter Soldier 
96. Jaws
97. The Terminator
98. Airplane
99. Mission: Impossible-Rogue Nation 
100. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

The Worst
100. Predator 2
99. The Raven
98. Home of the Brave
97. Safe Haven
96. Insurgent
95. Godzilla (1998)
94. Yours, Mine, and Ours
93. Ride Along
92. Inspector Gadget
91. Home Alone 3
90. Dreamcatcher
89. 50 Shades of Grey
88. Battle Royale II: Requiem 
87. House of Wax
86. Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins
85. Catch that Kid
84. Dead Silence
83. 12 Rounds
82. Nurse
81. The Day the EarthStood Still(2008)
80. I Spy
79. Casino Royale (1967)
78. Hide and Seek
77. The Beverly Hillbillies
76. Gods and Generals
75. Zoom
74. Underdog
73. Green Lantern
72. Stealth
71. Gamer
70. Atlas Shrugged: Part 2
69. Paranormal Activity 4 
68. Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit
67. What to Expect When You're Expecting
66. 10,000 B.C.
65. Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties
64. The Country Bears
63. Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters
62. Batman & Robin
61. Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth 
60. Rocky V
59. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier 
58. Big Top Pee-Wee
57. Vegas Vacation
56. Ride Along 2
55. The Covenant
54. Bio-Dome
53. A Night at the Roxbury
52. Caligula
51. Free Birds
50. Norbit
49. Priest
48. Eight Crazy Nights
47. The Crow: City of Angels
46. The Woman in Black: Angel of Death 
45. The Haunted Mansion
44. Aftershock
43. The Glass House
42.Hitman
41. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel 
40. Christmas with the Kranks
39. Taken 3
38. Shark boy and Lavagirl
37. The Cat in the Hat
36. 400 Days
35. Beverly Hills Cop 3
34. A Haunted House 2
33. Sabotage
32. Annabelle
31. A Haunted House
30. House at the End of the Street
29. Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked
28. The Art of War
27. Amityville 2: The Possession
26. Meet the Spartans
25. Spy Kids 4-D: All the Time in the World 
24. Deck the Halls
23. Showgirls
22. The Nut Job
21. A Sound of Thunder
20. The Gallows
19. The Master of Disguise
18. XXX: State of the Union
17. Abduction
16. One for the Money
15. Branded
14. Highlander III: The Sorcerer
13. ATM
12. Alien vs. Predator: Requiem
11. Highlander II: The Quickening
10. Best Night Ever
9. Pay The Ghost
8. Fantastic Four (2015) 
7. The Babymakers
6. Movie 43
5. Superman IV: Quest for Peace
4. The Devil Inside
3. Accidental Love
2. Amityville 3-D
1. Gigli

Sunday, January 17, 2016

Best and Worst Movies of 2015

With 2015 over and 2016 already rolling, here are my picks for the best and worst of last year. I didn't get a chance to see everything and these are just my personal choices!

Worst

Honorable Mentions:

Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser
I couldn't count it in my list cause it was a Crackle exclusive, but this might be the worst thing I've ever seen.

The Ridiculous 6
Nice David Spade. Nice. But a funny baseball scene actually is worth watching. 

5. 50 Shades of Grey
Not as bad as I've heard people say it was. The characters, minus Dakota Johnson's Anna, are unlikable, there's not really a plot, and the dialogue is extremely cheesy. I did however not hate the scene where Anna and Christian review the contract. 

4. Taken 3
This is one of the worst action movies I've ever seen. Bryan Mills is far from the cool badass he was in Taken. Hopefully we're done with this franchise. 

3. Pay the Ghost
This was a small Nic Cage flick, which is definitely a movie to watch with friends and make fun of. Cage doesn't even really get a chance to freakout, which is the real disappointment.

2. Accidental Love
A small movie that reminds us that Jake Gyllenhaal is human. This movie is offensively unfunny. Come on now.

1. Fantastic Four
When a comic book movie is compared to Batman & Robin and Superman IV, you know it's terrible. However, I understand what happened here. Director Josh Trank was undercut by the studio, and shades of greatness are visible within this pile of garbage. 


Best

Honorable Mentions:

Inside Out
Pixar is back and dares you not to cry.

The Avengers: Age of Ultron
Not as good as the first but it is entertaining and fun.

The Revenant
Leo is gonna get his Oscar, but the real star is director Alejandro G. Innaritu. 

10. It Follows
Incredibly stylish and cool while also being intense. One of the coolest horror movies to come out in a while.

9. The Good Dinosaur
A lot of people love Inside Out and didn't love this. I thought it was flawless animated and I enjoyed it's lack of dialogue. 

8. Straight Outta Compton
Great for all kinds of reasons. Incredible soundtrack (obviously), acting performances, and camera work combine to make this one of the most fun movies to watch of the year. 

7. Mission: Impossible- Rogue Nation
The best of the M:I series so far. The plane scene, the opera scene, and that motorcycle chase are all incredible. Rebecca Ferguson nearly steals the show from old Tom Cruise. 

6. The Hateful Eight
Tarantino keeps rocking and rolling. This movie has a great score and fantastic performances all around, especially from Samuel L. Jackson and Jennifer Jason Leigh. A great tribute to old school film.

5. Ex Machina
One of the most underrated movies of the year. Star Wars alumnus Oscar Isaac and Domhnall Gleeson star with Alicia Vikander to create of the most interesting movies ever made. A tense and perplexing thriller.

4. Creed
Ryan Coogler creates the best movie in the Rocky franchise. Sly is back and perfect as Rocky and Michael B. Jordan proves he can stand on his own. A perfect mix of old and new.

3. The Martian
Matt Damon and Ridley Scott bring to you an intense and hilarious movie. It's rare a movie can be so bleak but so optimistic. 

2. Mad Max: Fury Road
A 2 hour long car chase that doesn't let up. This is the best action movie of the decade. Hands down.

1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
How did this movie live up to the hype? With great characters, fun action sequences, and some of the funniest dialogue I've ever heard. Also Harrison Ford is great. Can't wait for 2017.

Let me know what you guys think! What were your favorite movies of 2015??


Friday, December 25, 2015

Editing

Editing
Editing is very important to the realism of a film. A lot of editing will make you think about that the many takes the shot needed sometimes. Long shots can make an audience feel as if they're in the universe that the film creates. It all depends on how it's used. Editing can be used to insert a stunt man on for your leading actor or piece together a scene from different takes. It's important that the editing of a film helps to create a sense of continuity. 180 shots help show where characters are positioned. Point-of-view shots show where a character is looking. Flashbacks and flash forwards are visual ways is portraying the literal terms of the name. Films can also be edited to music, with a few scenes in Pulp Fiction starting when a song begins and ending when the song ends. Editing also includes switching scenes. Famous examples include the match cut in Lawrence of Arabia, the bone to 2001: A Space Odyssey, and the wipes used in Star Wars. 

Sunday, May 17, 2015

Views on Film

Film culture is all about what movies inspire in people. Films are important because they instill ideas, values, and expectations in it's viewers and potential viewers. Films often portray criticisms and praises on historical and political issues and events. Studying film can be important in studying history, because it can offer a view from people who were there, designed to be shown to people who were also there.
Films are the birth child of screenwriters, who generate ideas. The idea can either be an original idea, and adaptation of a story, novel, or actual historical event. This idea is then expanded into a script or screenplay. Characters from this screenplay can evolve past the script and screen. They can become cult phenomenons that are praised by viewers and ultimately immortalized by their short time in a film. 
Different types of film appeal to different people. This means some films may be loved by others and hated by some.  They may spark debate and controversy with their content. A film-goer against violence might not want to watch an action movie. A male film-goer will be less likely to view a romantic-comedy. Cultural values and ideas are an important part of film because it alters the  viewers and directors perception of the film. It can also force people to have differing opinions.  
Viewing many films will show aspects of film viewers might not have previously noticed. Diving into the production process, cinematography, editing, sound, genres, and critical perspectives will offer a different view of films. You might find more flaws in film, but you might also find more positive things as well. 



Film Distribution

Distributing movies has always been an interesting subject. Film distribution is becoming even more interesting because of VOD (video on demand). Distributing used to include theatrical releases, selling, renting, or other exhibitions such as festivals. Feature films are usually first released at a premiere, which attracts stars and media coverage. Then films may be released in wide, limited, or exclusive release. Wide release opens in hundreds of theaters simultaneously. This was introduced in 1975 by Steven Spielberg's Jaws. Limited release means a film may only be released in major cities. Exclusive release films premiere in only one or two locations. Some films, such as Jurassic Park and Star Wars, have been released theatrically multiple times. Some recent films have been released straight to DVD or VOD. Films often move their release dates to avoid competition with other films. The Matrix moved it's release date to avoid competition with Star Wars: Episode I, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation moved to July to avoid Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Batman v Superman to avoid Captain America: Civil War. 

The Force is Strong with these Films


In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, the entertainment world was completely enthralled with a trilogy of films. The original Star Wars trilogy was spectacle of modern cinema. The sound and visual effects have been marveled at ever since it’s release. The first two films of the trilogy are generally considered to be the superior films of the entire franchise. Star Wars, later retitled to Star Wars: Episode IV-A New Hope, and The Empire Strikes Back, also known as Star Wars: Episode V-The Empire Strikes Back, are widely considered to not only be two of the greatest science fiction movies of all-time, but two of the greatest films ever made. 
Even though The Empire Strikes Back is a sequel to Star Wars, the film’s tone is vastly different. In the previous film, Luke, Han, and Chewbacca rescue  Princess Leia with the aid of Obi-Wan Kenobi and two droids called R2-D2 and C-3P0, and later destroy the Empire’s greatest weapon, the Death Star. The film is an underdog story with a lighthearted tone. There are a few minor twists, but at the end of the film the good guys win and the Empire and Darth Vader are left broken and humiliated. This carries over to the sequel. Darth Vader is given full control of the Empire’s forces and uses them to hunt down Luke Skywalker and the rebels. Throughout most of the film the protagonists are burdened with struggle, while Darth Vader seems to be getting closer and closer to victory with every scene. Luke trains with the Jedi master Yoda for most of the film and has trouble believing in the Force, flowing energy from the universe and a Jedi’s source of power. Han, Leia and the rest of the gang have been marooned on Han’s broken down starship, the Millennium Falcon, on an asteroid. Vader is having much better luck. After destroying  the rebel base where the protagonists are stationed in the opening scene, he successfully uses bounty hunters to track down Leia and Han. He uses them to lure Luke to their location in an attempt to capture him. However at the end, Han is taken away by the bounty hunter Boba Fett, Luke’s hand is severed, and it is revealed that Darth Vader is Luke’s father. This twist and the sudden cliffhanger ending, are very different from the first film. The rebellion is left broken and Darth Vader has won. 
Darth Vader is much more dangerous in The Empire Strikes Back. He kills his own men throughout as punishment for failing him. In the first film, Grand Moff Tarkin held him back from killing or intimidating his men. In Empire, Vader expects results from his men and uses force to get them. 
Star Wars is filled with mythology and The Empire Strikes Back expands upon it. Luke is taught the ways of the Force by Yoda, after Obi-Wan explained them in the previous film. Darth Vader uses the Force during his climactic duel with Luke as well. 
One of the biggest differences is the climactic duel at the end of both films. In Star Wars, the rebels attack the Death Star and Luke uses the Force to shoot at a small opening and cause the Death Star to explode. Luke is the underdog and wins against Darth Vader, who is chasing him from behind. In The Empire Strikes Back, Luke engages Vader in a lightsaber duel. Darth Vader is a former Jedi, and quite experienced with the Force. Luke is the underdog and it shows. He hardly challenges Vader and when he finally does, Vader slices his hand off. Vader taunts Luke throughout the fight and tries to persuade him to join the Empire. At the end of the duel, Luke is beaten and rescued by Leia.

It is crazy how different these films are, but how beloved they are by audiences around the world. These films stand the test of time and continue to thrill and amaze viewers to this day. One can only imagine, what a modern day Star Wars film could do, and the world will see in less than a year’s time. Whatever the outcome of the film is, it will not try to be as good as the originals, because as Yoda told Luke, “Do or do not, there is no try.”

Saturday, May 2, 2015

Free Comic Book Day 2015

Avengers (All New, All Different)
With Iron Man, the new female Thor, Vision, Falcon as Captain America, Captain Marvel, Spider-Man, and Nova leading this group it looks to be a fun new run and showcases the groups growing teamwork.

Uncanny Inhumans 
I don't know much about the Inhumans but this sells me and I'll be checking out the new series when it comes around. 

Max Ride: First Flight
Only a page of art but it looks great!!

Divergence

Batman: The Rookie
If you like Batman this is a must read, it's a great look into things to come after Batman #40. 

Superman: Exposed
Superman's alter ego is revealed to the world and he is on the run in this preview. It's an interesting look at how people would actually react to this happening. 

Justice League- Darkseid War Prologue Two: The Other Amazon
Very intriguing look into Amazonian lore which will pick up with a huge storyline in the summer. Can't wait!!

Scooby-Doo Team-Up
The crew teams up with the the Super Friends to help them catch ghosts. I loved the episodes where they teamed up in the 70's so obviously I love this too. 

Teen Titans Go!
I love the original Teen Titans show but dislike the new Teen Titans Go! And re same is true for this series. If you like the show, you'll like this comic.

Secret Wars #0
Bringing the Ultimate Universe to fight against The Marvel Universe seems like Convergence but still should be fun!!