Trailer: Woman in Gold

While this looks like a good story, the part I'm excited for is Tatiana Maslany. I haven't finished watching Orphan Black, but I like her from the episodes I've seen. She also had a two-episode arc in Parks and Recreation and she was adorable with Aziz Ansari. I hope she will be great here as well. Ryan Reynolds has been releasing some duds lately, but maybe he's getting tips from actors who are currently reinventing themselves so hopefully this wouldn't be one of those duds. 

Thursday Movie Picks: All in the Family Edition - Married Couple Movies

This is the first of All in the Family Edition of Thursday Movie picks hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves. This week's theme is about married couple movies. Here are my picks this week:

Top 15 Films of 2014

I got to see 66 releases of 2014 (not counting those who only hit wide release this year, such as Begin Again). It’s a small pool compared to others, but I’d like to think I had a good cinematic year. I had my share of fantastic films, some mediocre ones and those horrible ones that I wouldn’t give a second glance into. I initially wanted to do a top 10 post instead, but I really like the ranking of my top 15, so here are my top 15 movies of the year: Current ranking may not be reflective of the initial score I gave in the review.

Favorite Movies Watched for the First Time in 2014

Prior to releasing my top movies of 2014, I'd like to share some other favorite movies I've seen this year. At this point it's more of acknowledging releases I've missed in 2013, mostly because they came out here the following year. There are releases from various year that make the list for different reasons. The release year I follow when I make these lists are from Letterboxd, so a movie like Begin Again (widely released in 2014, but lists 2013 as the official release year) would make this list instead.

Thursday Movie Picks: Movies with Colour in the Title

Maybe it's just me but January seems crazy fast! Today graces the blog with the presence of the Thursday Movie Picks meme hosted by the lovely Wandering Through the Shelves! The meme has been a bit of a staple around here, but if you’re a newcomer (never too late to join!), the rules are simple! Pick three movies (either you love, dislike with passion or hidden jems) based on the week’s theme, write a few words about your choice, and you’re all set! This week’s theme is movies with colours in the title. This is a vast theme because there are a ton of movies with colors on them! Here are my picks this week:

Favorite Performances of 2014

This year movies had some brilliant performances done by very talented actors. There are even some actors who are beginning a resurgence in their career, or are finally starting to get noticed for their work, or further proves their abilities as actors. This list is not comprehensive, as I have yet to see a lot more movies released nor there are specific rankings, but here are my favorite performances from the pool of movies I've seen for 2014.

Blind Spot: Boogie Nights

Boogie Nights marks off two things on my list. Besides being my first blind spot movie of the year, it is also my first venture to the filmography of Paul Thomas Anderson, something that I will try to remedy throughout the year. His sophomore effort divulges into the rise and fall of Dirk Diggler during the (what I suppose was) golden age of the pornography industry.

Thoughts on: Oscars 2015 Nomination

I usually don't post anything related to awards stuff (and would happily link you to those who can talk about it much better than I can), but there's a first time for everything. After reading the nominations, all I can say is...what happened? While I am thrilled for some of the nominations, there were some categories that left me surprised with the line-up. Like most of my thoughts, they're better off in a categorized form as well. 

Thursday Movie Picks: Musicals

It’s a new year for Wandering Through the Shelves’s Thursday Movie Picks Meme! I’ve missed a few of them, but I will try to catch up! This week’s theme is musicals. I have a love-hate relationship with musicals. When there’s too much singing and dancing involved, I tune it out or skip the movie completely, hence it led me to skip some of the finest musical-related movies. Due to my limited knowledge on the genre, my picks would be common, but here are my favorite musicals:

Favorite Books Read in 2014

I wanted to do a sort of top 10 books I've read this year, but it's difficult because I am not hard to please when it comes to books. A bad book for me is the kind of book that you would immediately toss out of the window after reading, or give up reading it altogether. Thankfully I did not feel that surge of emotions from my choices this year, but there were some clear standouts from the roster. This would probably the closest thing I would do for a book review, so it's a bit lengthy. In no particular order, here are my favorite books of the year:

Laggies

I've always liked Keira Knightley outside her period pieces; she is one of those actresses whose movies I'd watch even if they don't always turn out to be good. Laggies is one of those movies. I was initially anticipating this, but the movie never goes beyond skimming its surface. Despite putting it in a pretty setting, there were elements missing that makes it fail to resonate beyond what is presented onscreen.

Double Feature: The Raid / The Raid 2

If you're an avid fan of the Star Wars franchise or track movie-related websites, chances are you've encountered the news that the stars of The Raid movies are making an appearance in the new Star Wars movie. I'm stoked that they're going to be on the franchise, primarily because I like The Raid movies, and it's a great opportunity for them to go global. I finally got to catch up with The Raid 2, and though the plot of the movies isn't the reason why people watch the movies, I needed a refresher on what went down with the first movie, hence reviewing them both now.

Death to Smoochy

One of my favorite genres in movies are dark comedies - except that my love of the genre can't translate normally. Which is why I usually watch these kinds of movies alone, because I do find them hilarious, and I feel that the people with me will ultimately think I'm crazy and a loon for laughing or smiling. I have more to discover in terms of the genre, but ultimately, I've been enjoying the ones I've seen. Death to Smoochy has been one of them. After the passing of Robin Williams, I've been reading a few posts about him, and the movies and performances various people liked, and this appeared from one of them. The title in particular caught my eye, and I wasn't disappointed with what I saw.

Pixar Movies: Ranked

Pixar has become a revolutionary force in the world of animated film. While other major movie companies have been producing more work compared to Pixar, I think it's safe to say that Pixar has set the bar when it comes to delivering content. Not only does an animated flick be filled with color, but there has to be more - it's the content that also has it appeal to viewers of all ages. While there are a number of upcoming Pixar movies in production, I'm quite excited for their newest movie, Inside Out. It's looking to be a contender for another Pixar hit. So while waiting for its release, I thought I'd rank the rest of their movies based on my preference.

Trailer: Inside Out

It's kind of hard not to be excited with the concept of emotions sitting in a war-like room planning and plotting the reactions of the person they're controlling. The trailer doesn't reveal much, but this might be the next cuddly phenomenon after Big Hero 6's Baymax - or until The Minions movie comes out. 

Happy 2015!

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you're all having a wonderful time - going to parties, celebrating with family and friends, going on vacations (which I am jealous of if you are on vacation!). Last year has been a blast, blogging community-wise (though real life was an improvement over 2013). I got to meet new people (and read their fantastic work) who are passionate about movies, and have learned a great amount from them. I also got to accomplish some movie-related goals, like the Blind Spot series (my list for 2015 is up!), and participate in different kinds of blogathons that are both fun and challenging at the same time.