“They just hibernated and watched you take out all their enemies.”
Part II of Marvel’s Daredevil Season 2 trailer is here and it’s as full of action as the first. We see that The Punisher is far from Matt Murdock and Co.’s only problem. We get to know Elektra (Elodie Yung) a little better and why the assassin is in Hell’s Kitchen. Obviously some of the old sparks are there between her and Daredevil.
Stick (Scott Glenn) also reemerges from the shadows to clarify that The Hand either have something to do with the Yakuza presence, or they’re an even bigger threat. The Hand are a supervillain organization of evil mystical ninjas with powerful occult magic that can bring their villains back from the dead and join them.
Two things to keep an eye out for with The Hand at play, according to the comics:
A primordial demon called “The Beast” could be the end game for The Hand to bring back. Hence the supernatural presence in Season 1.
Stick could be leading them at some point…or has been the entire time.
So there’s a lot to look forward to when Season 2 hits Netflix on March 18th.
Say what you will about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the talent in their films is second to none. You have The Avengers, as well as Oscar winners Gwyneth Paltrow, Natalie Portman, Jeff Bridges, Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Tommy Lee Jones, and eventually Cate Blanchett in Thor: Ragnorak. Then there’s the award winning Sherlock tandem of Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman.
We knew already that Cumberbatch will be starring as Doctor Strange in his upcoming standalone film, November 4th, 2016, but now we have actual clarity on Freeman’s role.
Empire Magazine has confirmed that Freeman will play Everett Ross, the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre official that will help introduce Black Panther (played by Chadwick Boseman) to the MCU. With SHIELD in recovery mode after the HYDRA breach, the JCTC is filling in as the new government entity/liaison to superheroes, like Captain America and Iron Man. Ross’s relationship with Black Panther may be why we see the “Prince of Wakanda” aligned with Tony Stark in Civil War trailers.
Also making Civil War news today is Frank Grillo (The Purge 2, Warrior) and his first look for the film. Remember how Grillo’s Brock Brumblow turned on Captain America and SHIELD as a Hydra sleeper-cell? Well he survived a massive Helicarrier crashing down on him in Winter Soldier, assumed the identity as “Crossbones”, and is ready to exact his revenge on Steve Rogers and company.
Underneath the mask and armor, Brumlow should be ugly as hell with all his scars and burns. So far, Crossbones is the only actual villain we know about in the film, despite all the epic heroes turning on each other. He’ll have HYDRA backing him up for sure, but we’ll see who else might be working with Crossbones before Civil War’s release May 6th, 2016.
Deadpool is a force right now at the box office. Two weeks in a row, the “Merc with a Mouth” has dominated any and all competition. Deadpool currently ranks 6th all-time in earnings for a Rated-R movie with $235.4 million in the U.S., #1 is The Passion of the Christ with $370.8 million.
Contributing to Deadpool’s box office success, Captain America himself went to see the film and apparently loved it.
As we know, Captain America is recruiting heroes to side in his Civil Warbattle with Iron Man. As a sign of appreciation, Ryan Reynolds gave Evans a hashtag endorsement.
Unfortunately, we won’t see Deadpool teaming up and/or facing off with the Avengers anytime soon. Like The X-Men, Deadpool is a Twentieth Century Fox property while The Avengers are under Disney’s control. There’s no way Disney would allow its stars to drop the kind of “language” that theater goers loved from Deadpool.
A Deadpool sequel is already in the works though (why not) and Cable is set to be involved too. Captain America: Civil Warhits theaters May 6th, 2016.
One of the big mysteries from Marvel’s 2014 breakout hit, Guardians of the Galaxy, was the question of who Peter Quill’s father is.
Wednesday morning, director James Gunn took to Facebook to announce the addition of one of his favorite actors, Kurt Russell, to the cast of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
Gunn also addressed rumors that Russell would play Quill aka Star-Lord’s father in the film on Twitter.
There is no J’Son in the MCU (unless, in the future, that’s the name Moon Kinght’s stoner neighbor gives himself) https://t.co/8hGdNP1NlS
However, Variety reported that Gunn and Marvel studios have confirmed Russell will indeed play the father of the Star-Lord.
If you go back to the Variety article, the “UPDATE” has been edited to say Russell has only joined the cast but the headline is still the same.
Also joining the cast are Pom Klementieff (Oldboy), Elizabeth Debicki (The Great Gatsby, Everest) and Chris Sullivan (The Knick, The Drop). Gunn has confirmed via Twitter that Klementieff will play Mantis is the film.
In the comics, Mantis has been a member of The Avengers. Her background is half-Vietnamese, half-German, and apparently Kree as well. She also seems to come with some conflict, so that’s fun.
All returning for Guardians Vol. 2 are Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord; Zoe Saldana as Gamora; Dave Bautista as Drax; Vin Diesel as the voice of Groot; Bradley Cooper as the voice of Rocket; Michael Rooker as Yondu; Karen Gillan as Nebula; and Sean Gunn as Kraglin.
Guardians Vol. 2 is set hit theaters May 5th, 2017. Coming sooner will be Captain America: Civil War on May 6th, 2016, Doctor Strange on November 4th, 2016. Guardians will then lead into Spider-Man on July 7th, 2017 and Thor: Ragnorak on November 3rd, 2017.
For months, Netflix has teased what’s to come for Matt Murdock and Hell’s Kitchen. Following the first seasons of Marvel’s Daredevil and Jessica Jones, a new face isn’t just knocking on the door…
He’s blowing up your whole damn block.
Enter Frank Castle aka “The Punisher”, portrayed by The Walking Dead’s Jon Bernthal. Castle is a vigilante, like Murdock, but fueled by revenge over the death of his family and has no problem dishing it back to anyone in his way. Bernthal has a knack for characters of serious conflict, and that appears to be a central theme as Daredevil and Punisher clash over how to deal with the scum of Hell’s Kitchen
The storyline comes at an interesting time as the landscape of two highly anticipated superhero films are centered around similar rivalries, i.e. Batman v. Superman and Captain America: Civil War. The Punisher can be considered more as an anti-hero, almost in a Dexter Morgan light, but he’s a character from the comics that fans obviously sympathize with. Comparing how Punisher and Daredevil deal with baddies will be interesting, as will the perception of Castle’s actions by both characters in the show and the audience. If Foggy hated Matt’s version of justice, he’s going to LOVE Castle.
If you’ve followed the Netflix “Hell’s Kitchen” series over the past year, the success of Deadpool as a hard Rated-R Marvel film shouldn’t shock you. Daredevil and Jessica Jones proved to be very excellent television for Netflix, thanks in part to not holding back in violence and adult themes. While both shows make multiple nods to characters and events from Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, there’s no way Disney will allow Hulk to decapitate someone with a car door…like Wilson Fisk did. Fans can also recall The Punisher with Thomas Jane in 2004 being an R-Rated Marvel film, 4 years before The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man kicked off the MCU series.
Also introduced in the trailer is Elektra (Elodie Yung), an assassin and love interest from “Matthew’s” past. One could assume we will get more of her story in the next trailer that is set to be released February 25th, but she can also be a big part of the battle between Daredevil and Punisher.
We’ll be keeping an eye on more developments before the Daredevil S2 Netflix release on March 18th. Check for updates on Facebook or Twitter.
If you are a big Broncos fan or really love defensive play, then you probably enjoyed the game. If not, well…at least we had the commercials.
I’m not sure there was one ad during last night’s Super Bowl broadcast on CBS that will go down as an all-time favorite, but there were some very good ones – Puppies, a meaningful PSA, Superheroes, two well placed songs, and a casting that probably was cooler to some than others.
At times, you wondered “They really paid $5 million for that?” Like that detergent that nobody’s heard of…or the F’ing PuppyMonkeyBaby. I’m good not spending my money on Mountain Dew for a long time. Was there really a Scientology ad too? Glad I didn’t notice that one.
When you’re forced to sit down and remember what stuck out to you the day after, these are the commercials that worked.
“Commander” Audi
For those of us who are still looking up at the stars to see if Bowie is winking back down at us, this ad was cool. Audi also chose to use my favorite song choice from Oscar-nominated “The Martian”, which I’ve listened to at least 3 times a week since seeing it in theaters.
“Ultrasound” Doritos
This may not have been as funny to expecting mothers as it was to me, but come on…Doritos picked a solid one from their annual Super Bowl ad contest. Considering I was a baby shower the day before, it tickled me a little more.
“Hulk vs. Ant-Man” Coca-Cola
It felt strange not seeing any polar bears from Coca-Cola this year, but like Bud Light pointed out early on…”everybody loves Paul Rudd.” Believe it or not, I thought this pop commercial was better than any of the Batman v. Superman trailers and teasers we’ve gotten so far.
“Wiener Stampede” Heinz
You can’t go wrong with puppies, and Heinz nailed it. If I had a Top 3, this is certainly in there.
“Give A Damn” Budweiser
Budweiser didn’t give their Clydesdales much air time in their previous ad (which was really dumb in its own right. Why waste money ripping craft beer when your company acquires those same brewers right and left?) However, Helen Mirren made up for all of that and then some giving a very necessary message with the right platform. Don’t drink and drive, dumbasses.
“Getaway Car” Toyota Prius
Two things make this commercial awesome, to me at least. 1. The Sobotka family from season 2 of The Wire (Chris Bauer, James Ransone and Pablo Schreiber) 2. in a Chicago “Blues Brothers”-like chase scene. They almost made driving a Prius look cool.
“Someone To Love” Honda
Queen in any ad works. Sheep singing one of their better ensemble songs and a “voice over” works even better. Also in my Top 3.
“The Walken Closet’ Kia
How could you not love Christopher Walken…”Punch it, Richard!” killed me in my recliner.
“Cranky Marilyn” Snickers
I hope Snickers never runs out of ideas on this campaign. Betty White playing football and Abe Vigoda (*skypoint*) getting decked a few years ago, Danny Trejo as Marsha Brady…Willem Dafoe isn’t quite on Christopher Walken’s, but he’s one of the best angry actors to ever put a dress on. I’ll stand by that hyperbole.
What were your favorite commercials from Super Bowl 50? Let me know on Facebook or Twitter!
Some of you probably have Valentine’s Day weekend plans. Dinner reservations, something cute and romantic, a cab sav picked out for the occasion (I would)…Then there’s the rest of us who are severely single and looking for ways to avoid our Facebook and Instagram feeds for an extended period of time. Maybe a pint of Ben & Jerry’s too.
Thanks to some insanely good marketing, Deadpool has my attention for that weekend. Ever since the early August release of the Red Band trailer, Ryan Reynolds and the movie’s promotional team have hit fans of the “Merc with a Mouth” in all the right places. Even on Australia Day, he got some necessary shots in on Wolverine.
Today, the softer side to Wade Wilson emerged along with some super cute chemistry with Morena Baccarin. The clip is pretty adorable and relatively NSFW (so be sorta discreet at the office, jerks).
Go ahead and put me down for 1 ticket to a February 12th screening. If I need to get 2, let me know on Facebook or Twitter.
The 2016 SAG Award nominations were announced Wednesday morning, and two things struck me:
The Screen Actors Guild LOVED Trumbo, maybe a bit more than me.
I don’t think they’ve seen Fargo yet on FX. Seriously…
This is just one of several award shows (which airs Jan. 30th on TNT and TBS), but it’s one of the few that gauges my interest more than others because it acknowledges both the film and TV world. Here are the nominees and some quick thoughts on each category.
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Bryan Cranston – Trumbo
Johnny Depp – Black Mass
Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant
Michael Fassbender – Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne – The Danish Girl
I really have no problem with this category. I have yet to see Revenant or The Danish Girl, but I don’t doubt the performances of DiCaprio or Redmayne carry their films like the other nominees. If there was someone that I would like to see get more credit, it’s Jason Segel as David Foster Wallace in End of the Tour. It didn’t take much transforming, aside from the obvious hair and glasses, but Segel’s performance is as engaging and natural as any from the summer…especially in his interactions with Jesse Eisenberg.
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Cate Blanchett – Carol
Brie Larson – Room
Helen Mirren – Woman In Gold
Saoirse Ronan – Brooklyn
Sarah Silverman – I Smile Back
I can’t get upset about this category because I think it’s Brie Larson’s award to lose, and hers alone. However, I’m surprised Jennifer Lawrence was left out after another highly anticipated David O’Russell role. Of course the film hasn’t hit theaters yet, so I can’t really talk..Alicia Vikander deserves more love for Ex Machina because she still haunts my dreams for her performance.
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale – The Big Short
Idris Elba – Beasts of No Nation
Mark Rylance – Bridge of Spies
Michael Shannon – 99 Homes
Jacob Tremblay – Room
This category is HEAVY. Even without Mark Ruffalo (Spotlight), Sylvester Stallone (Creed) or Paul Dano (Love & Mercy), it looks stacked…but I’d like to see them all in it.
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Rooney Mara – Carol
Rachel McAdams – Spotlight
Helen Mirren – Trumbo
Alicia Vikander – The Danish Girl
Kate Winslet – Steve Jobs
Helen Mirren has 3 nominations here and I’m not sure she’s winning any of them. It will be fun to see what her batting average is though by the night’s end. I would be interested to see what kind of buzz Jennifer Jason Leigh gets after Hateful Eight is released.
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Beasts of No Nation
The Big Short
Spotlight
Straight Outta Compton
Trumbo
Spotlight is my favorite film from this year and it deserves all the good things that come its way. I am surprised both The Martian or Steve Jobs were left out of this category, considering how star studded their casts were. Their performances didn’t disappoint either.
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Idris Elba – Luther
Ben Kingsley – Tut
Ray Liotta – Texas Rising
Bill Murray – A Very Murray Christmas
Mark Rylance – Wolf Hall
I don’t have many thoughts on this other than (1) Luther rules, (2) I turned off A Very Murray Christmas after 10 minutes and (3) Where is Oscar Isaac for Show Me A Hero.
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Nicole Kidman – Grace of Monaco
Queen Latifah – Bessie
Christina Ricci – The Lizzie Borden Chronicles
Susan Sarandon – The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe
Kristen Wiig – The Spoils Before Dying
I literally have zero thoughts about this one, because I haven’t seen any of the nominated performances yet.
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Peter Dinklage – Game of Thrones
Jon Hamm – Mad Men
Rami Malek – Mr. Robot
Bob Odenkirk – Better Call Saul
Kevin Spacey – House of Cards
I’m happy to see Rami Malek get props for playing the best introvert on TV, but this is Don Draper’s victory lap and I don’t see anyone getting in his way. I’m also always shocked to not see Mads Mikkelsen ever nominated for Hannibal. I guess that’s for fringe loving types like me.
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Claire Danes – Homeland
Viola Davis – How To Get Away With Murder
Julianna Margulies – The Good Wife
Maggie Smith – Downton Abbey
Robin Wright –House of Cards
Viola Davis has the momentum from the Emmys but I will always maintain that the past two seasons of House of Cards have been great nearly because of Robin Wright as much as Spacey.
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Ty Burrell – Modern Family
Louis C.K. – Louie
William H. Macy – Shameless
Jim Parsons – The Big Bang Theory
Jeffrey Tambor – Transparent
Modern Family to me is “What Will Phil Dunphy Do Next?” because that’s all I watch for now, but Jeffrey Tambor holding a torch for the transgender community has become way more important.
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Uzo Aduba – Orange is the New Black
Edie Falco – Nurse Jackie
Ellie Kemper – Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Julia Louis-Dreyfus – Veep
Amy Poehler – Parks and Recreation
That is all.
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Downton Abbey
Game of Thrones
Homeland
House of Cards
Mad Men
If you’ve been watching the second season of Fargo, you’re probably wondering if perhaps the actors didn’t know how to spell it filling out their nominations, considering every Monday night feels like the show’s best episode…If you’ve been watching Homeland this season, you might be wondering why it’s on here. The season finale is in a week and I still have no idea if it was good or not this year.
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
The Big Bang Theory
Key & Peele
Modern Family
Orange is the New Black
Transparent
Veep
I would love to see Key & Peele ride off into the sunset with some hardware.
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
Everest
Furious 7
Jurassic World
Mad Max: Fury Road
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
Fury Road is one of the best films of this year and a modern classic. Pick against it and you lose.
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series
The Blacklist
Game of Thrones
Homeland
Marvel’s Daredevil
The Walking Dead
I just watched end Episode 2 of the first season again. This is why I love Daredevil.
How are you pulling for this Awards season? Let me know on Facebook or Twitter.
One of the biggest cliches regarding Hollywood and film is that “original material is dead”. To the people who feel that way, I would recommend going to their nearest theater and checking out Room and Bridge of Spies. We do seem to receive news on a daily basis of an upcoming reboot or sequel to a classic that’s either been long overdue or way too late.
Some of these projects are exciting and give us something to look forward to. Others just make you shake your head and ask…”Why?”
A remake to a film or franchise can be refreshing. Most of us are Shawshanked (naturally forced to sit and watch the rest of the way through, no matter the time) whenever Ocean’s Eleven comes on TV, the George Clooney version and not the 1960 Frank Sinatra one. Did you see the Footloose remake though? Neither did I.
There are a number of reboots and sequels coming to theaters in the next year or so. Many of the original titles are decades old. I’ll here to separate what’s worth the hype and what’s not.
Yes!
(Movies To Look Forward To)
Zoolander 2 (2016)
Although the original was released 15 years before this sequel hits theaters, it still works because the two stars NEVER AGE. Seriously, whatever moisturizer these guys are using makes 15 years look like 5.
…and they’re killing off Bieber, so at least the movie has that going for it. Just avoid anything the Anchorman did. Seriously.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
Aside from jerks who lack imagination, everyone is looking forward to this film and rightfully so. The build up and marketing for Episode VII has been remarkably. While it’s been over 30 years since Han Solo was unfrozen from carbonite on the screen, chills ran down my spine hearing him say “…we’re home”, alongside a Chewbacca roar.
Returning to a set that isn’t so dependent on CGI and green screen like Episodes I-III has audiences excited. It’s also fun for both new and old generations of fans to see new characters on new adventures with old ones.
Spider-Man (2017)
I, like many, was left with a really bad taste in my mouth after Spider-Man 3. It bothered me so much that I didn’t even see the Andrew Garfield version until I happened upon it on FX like a month ago…and I still didn’t feel like I missed out.
Now that Spider-Man is home in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, my spidey senses are tingling again (yeah, I said it). We’ll get our first look at the reboot edition in the highly anticipated Captain America: Civil Waras he chooses a side between Steve Rogers and Tony Stark. This means we won’t have to go through ANOTHER origin radioactive spider bite story when Peter Parker gets his solo film in 2017. We also know he’ll be in high school played by an actor who is actually in the appropriate age-range, Tom Holland. Tobey Maguire and Garfield were both in their very late twenties when they played high school Peter Parker.
It will be fun to see how the new Spider-Man fits into the Marvel/Avengers story going forward and who he will face off with. Hopefully NOT the Green Goblin for a 3rd time.
Ghostbusters (2016)
I really don’t get why the idea of this film is so controversial. It’s an expansion of the Ghostbusters universe and features a female dominant cast with Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy and current SNL cast members Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones. Bridesmaids director/Freaks and Geeks writer Paul Feig is teaming up with Parks and Recreation for what’s meant to be a series of new Ghostbusters films that Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson have not only signed off on, but plan to appear in as well.
Also, Chris Hemsworth is their receptionist, so…there’s that.
NOPE!
(Movies Nobody Asked For)
Momento
AMBI Pictures, run by Andrea Iervolino and Monika Bacardi, announced this week that they will be financing a remake of Christopher Nolan’s breakout film, Momento. In the statement breaking the news, Bacardi said:
“Memento is a masterpiece that leaves audiences guessing not just throughout the film, but long after as well, which is a testament to its daring approach.”
Then leave the damn thing alone! Better yet, just rerelease it theaters because it only made $25 million initially and was regarded as a modern classic right after. You can’t tell me though that anyone was asking for a new take or reimagining of this story.
Point Break (2015)
I’m convinced there is an evil group of film backers who want to remake Patrick Swayze’s whole filmography and in the worst ways possible. This is Exhibit A.
I understand there are different “extreme sports” being portrayed (snowboarding instead of surfing), but you could simply call the movie something else and change the character names to make it more appealing…Ya know, like The Fast and the Furious or something like that.
Here’s the original 1991 trailer.
“Fear causes hesitation, and hesitation will cause your worst fears to come true…”, like a remake to this movie with worse actors.
Road House
This is Exhibit B in the case for a Swayze movie conspiracy…
All we know about this movie is that Ronda Rousey has been casted to play Swayze’s character. A columnist for GQ, Jack Moore (who LOVES this idea), says this should work because “Ronda Rousey could end up being the new Patrick Swayze!”
…
Okay, I’m back from throwing up.
I’m not an MMA fan so I don’t share the adoration for Rousey as many people do. I also didn’t see The Entourage movie and don’t feel like I’m missing out. I have seen the other films she’s appeared in and don’t really want to again. I know that she’s the one thing that UFC has to promote itself and that she wants to join WWE. And like I said regarding the new Point Break, you can make the “Rousey as a bouncer” movie and not call it ‘Road House’. Rousey herself doesn’t sound all that confident about doing the film after telling reporters, “The worst thing that’s going to happen is, is that I’ll really suck and just disgrace the name of Swayze and ‘Road House,’ and everyone will hate me.”
+1 for self awareness.
Top Gun 2
I need this photo to have Maverick giving a thumbs down.
The original is almost 30 years old. Yeah, Tom Cruise is in fantastic shape and still kicking ass in the Mission Impossible franchise and Jack Reacher, but you’re not going to bring either Goose or Tony Scott back to get me excited for this sequel. There’s also a lot of confusion as to whether Cruise will even accept the offer to play Maverick again…Val Kilmer’s already editing his Facebook statuses about it, so it will probably go straight to DVD or VOD.
Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)
Will Smith isn’t signed up for this film so neither am I. Seriously, you could air it on SyFy after the next Sharknado and it will get as much hype as it would going to theaters.
(Sidenote: Not included is the long rumored Space Jam 2. Personally, I don’t mind if kids today get to see one featuring LeBron James because many of them weren’t even born while Michael Jordan was playing basketball. Just let that sink in…)
Any other reboots and sequels that interest you or make you sick? Let me know on Facebook or Twitter.
It’s hard to put together a “Top 10” when we’re 7 and a half months into the year and Oscars season hasn’t hit. I’m also not the one handing out any Golden Globes or Academy Awards, so that’s why I prefer saying “Favorite” when putting this list together.
Honorable Mentions
Tomorrowland
Tomorrowland was a refreshing original from Disney that we hadn’t seen in a while that doesn’t have “PIXAR” all over it. In a world (voice-over guy voice) when franchises and sequels rule all, director and writer Brad Bird told a story that combined a mixture of our fascination with the future and a deep seeded love many of us may have from our very first visit to Epcot at Disney World. George Clooney and Britt Robertson play characters who shine for their innovative minds, while Hugh Laurie antagonizes with some of the bleakest/best lines of the movie:
“There are simultaneous epidemics of obesity and starving – how is that even possible?!”
I also enjoyed the hat-tip to old animated Disney character names with Keegan-Michael Key as “Hugo” (Hunchback of Notre Dame) and Kathryn Hahn as “Ursula” (The Little Mermaid).
Child 44
Not too many people liked this movie, but I did. Tom Hardy reunites with Gary Oldman for the first time since Dark Knight Rises and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. They are two of the better actors in the business and it shows in this film. The story is incredible. The film opens with a line that is repeated throughout, “The is no murder in paradise.” Russia banned this film because of how it portrayed its citizens who live in fear of their government. I won’t get into real global politics, but imagine a world where a serial killer can roam free because law enforcement isn’t allowed to admit there is a problem. This film frustrates the viewer because of that, but the dodging and weaving Hardy must execute is what makes the movie fascinating to me.
People Places Things
You know how awkward and painful The-Breakup is? People Places Things took the subject of breaking up and made it suck WAY LESS. When Jermaine Clement isn’t voicing over super annoying horses on a beach with Hannah Davis, he’s a terrific indie comedy actor. On top of being “Weekend Fun” Dad of the year, Clement’s character is a graphic novelist whose art serves as interludes for the story. Regina Hall (Scary Movie) and Jessica Williams (The Daily Show) give excellent supporting performances and so do the kids, Aundrea and Gia Gadsby.
The List
10. Avengers: Age of Ultron
Avengers: Age of Ultronwasn’t great and wasn’t even the best Marvel film of this year…but it didn’t have to be. I understand Joss Whedon really beat himself up over the pressures of making a follow up to the first Avengers flick, but his final product was exactly what I wanted. James Spader NAILED IT as Ultron, and it was so creepy how the robot featured his mannerisms. The Marvel Cinematic Universe and its timeline of films are basically a long TV series of epic 2 hour episodes. The ongoing story evolved well in Age of Ultron, and we got all the action, witty banter, and intros to new characters that we needed…before things get really hairy in Captain America: Civil War.
9. Ant-Man
I had some personal investment in Ant-Man, because I wanted it to surprise people for how good it could be. After opening weekend, there was much chest-pounding and “Told ya!” from me and I am totally shameless about it. The Ant-Man story in the MCU has been rearranged, as Hank Pym was the one who originally assembled The Avengers in the comics and also created Ultron. The film was also more of a “changing of the guard” than an origin story, as Hank (Michael Douglas) was passing the suit on to Scott Lang (Paul Rudd).
Rather than be an action film with some comedy, Ant-Man was a comedy with plenty of action. I LOVED that about the film. I died laughing every time Michael Pena was on screen and I appreciated the fact Paul Rudd didn’t have to try being someone else (like Chris Pratt had to for Jurassic World ). It was a fun one-off movie that still moved the Marvel story along and concluded with an awesome scene after the credits.
8. Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
The latest in the Ethan Hunt/IMF saga did not disappoint. Rogue Nation continued the fun-spy-stunt vibe that many of us loved in Ghost Protocol, but established itself as its own film more than a sequel. Tom Cruise may be a crazy person in real life, but on the screen he is good an action star as any. This installment didn’t really force a love story on you either but more of a mutual respect between Hunt and MI6 agent Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), that may or may not have led to some natural attraction. Faust was a badass character in this film too.
07. Straight Outta Compton
I walked out of the theater with one thought: “Helluva story.” The NWA biopic directed by Friday director F. Gary Gray grabs a hold of the viewer, gets the head bobbing/toe tapping, and reminds many of us (who grew up or lived in the era that revolutionized hip-hop) of what was going on in the streets. It’s a long film, but it’s almost like 3 different stories mashed into one following Eric “Eazy-E” Wright, Dr. Dre, and Ice Cube. I do feel that the stories regarding Ice Cube and Dr. Dre were cleaned up a little because they were producers on the film, but that was expected.
Oshea Jackson Jr. playing his father felt perfect and both Corey Hawkins (Dr. Dre) and Jason Mitchell (Eazy-E) gave excellent performances. You really do get chills when both Snoop Dogg and Tupac are introduced. And of course Paul Giamatti settles in fine as his now typical a-hole manager role.
6. Love & Mercy
Speaking of Giamatti a-hole manager roles…Love & Mercy edges out Straight Outta Compton for me because Paul Dano gives one of the definite Oscar-worthy performances from this summer as a young Brian Wilson. I do recommend listening to Pet Sounds before watching the movie, and then become amazed at how wrong Wilson’s father and Mike Love were about the album when the Beach Boys originally recorded it. The process Wilson goes through composing his music makes you say “Wow” out loud.
My one fear going into the theater was John Cusack mailing in another gig where he seems like “John Cusack as John Cusack…as (insert historical figure)”. Nope. I actually forgot at times that it was Cusack as the older version of Wilson. I also have to say that Elizabeth Banks pulls off one of the more powerful scenes as someone standing up to a threatening jackass bully like Giamatti’s character. I may have slow clapped as it happened.
5. Ex Machina
Ex Machina is one of the great surprises of 2015. Throughout the entire film, you are so unsure as to when something is going to go wrong and who is really in control. The robot, Ava (played by Alicia Vikander), has you on a string and you can’t do anything about it. Oscar Isaac’s performance adds to the suspense like a time bomb waiting to explode. Then, when the credits roll at the end, you have no idea if you should be afraid of the technology you rely so much on (i.e. cell phones, Google, EVERYTHING). A movie that makes you question such things, because they are sort of plausible, is undeniable as a great thriller.
4. Inside Out
Dammit, Pixar…You made us feel feelings again, which I guess is expected in a film LITERALLY about feelings. Inside Out really is the emotional roller coaster that it’s advertised as. It is casted masterfully for each of the different character “feelings” in young Riley’s (Kaitlyn Dias) head. The two characters that felt dead on to their real-life counterparts were Sadness (Phyllis Smith) and of course Anger (Lewis Black). What made the film this good though, was how it reminded the viewer how important and natural each of your feelings can be, no matter your age. High five for deep overall messages, Pixar.
3. The End of the Tour
The film is based on a 5-day interview between Rolling Stone writer David Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg) and author David Foster Wallace (Jason Segel) following the release of ‘Infinite Jest’ in 1996. The reason I hold this film in such high regard is because it felt like the most honest interaction between two people given their statuses and positions. Their humor, insecurities, competitiveness, and self awareness hit home with me, and Segel captured that the best as Wallace. It’s also funny now that movies taking place in the 90’s can now be considered period pieces and I giggled every time Segel asked for a Diet-Rite.
2. Mad Max: Fury Road
Mad Max: Fury Roadis the fastest 2 hours you’ll ever experience in a movie theater. Once the vehicles, spawned from the sick and beautiful mind of George Miller, hit the desert road, your breath is held for the remainder of the ride. Visually, it was like nothing I had seen before. It was pure action, adventure, and horror. You also didn’t have to see any of the other films to pick up on Fury Road. Charlize Theron kicked everybody’s ass as Furiosa. And who doesn’t love an army of hell-bred maniacs being led by a Heavy Metal guitarist whose axe shoots real flames out of it?
1. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Naming something #1 says a lot about whatever it is you are actually ranking. When you you make the proclamation though, you stand by it (like when you rank 40 different pizza places and everybody loses their minds in the comments section).
As of August 15th at 5:34 PM CDT, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is my favorite movie of 2015. I laughed, I connected, I cried, I laughed again, and repeat. I wanted Earl (RJ Cyler) to be my “coworker”. I wanted to hangout with Rachel (Olivia Cooke) and talk about how awesome Hugh Jackman ALWAYS is as Wolverine. I was Greg (Thomas Mann) in high school, to an extent, and I wanted to tell him things don’t turn out so bad. The supporting cast is incredible in this film as well with Nick Offerman, Connie Britton, Jon Bernthal, Molly Shannon, and the dude who plays Earl’s brother (Bobb’e J. Thompson).
It’s also a film about kids who love movies. I love movies. Weird how someone would relate with something like that, right?
Have a favorite film that didn’t make the list? What does your “Favorite 10” look like? Let me know on Facebook or Twitter.
michaelpiff 