Cindy Prascik's The Best and Worst and In-Betweens of 2014!

Dearest Blog, here we are at the end of another year. Some folks are saying it was a bad year for cinema, but I sure had a good time with it. Following are my top ten films of the year, along with assorted random thoughts.

Disclaimer: A movie's placement here will not necessarily be commensurate with its original Weasley rating. Some films fared better under repeat scrutiny, some worse, and some have not yet had the opportunity to do either. Kindly bear in mind, too, that I live in a little place that doesn't always get movies all that quickly. The chance to see Pride and Inherent Vice (which almost certainly would have made the list), Whiplash and Foxcatcher (which might have), and Boyhood (which, if we're being honest, never would have) has not yet presented itself.

And here...we...go...

My Best:

10. "You're only a monster if you behave like one."

I, Frankenstein

Shut up, okay? Just shut up. I know you hated it. I know everyone hated it. I had enough also-rans kicking around the final spot on my list that I easily could have saved face and left this one off, but, you know what? I love it. I loved it at the cinema, and I've loved it the 20+ times I've watched it since. I'm not saying it belongs on any awards shortlists, but the effects are solid, the story is different, Aaron Eckhart is great, and it has Bill Nighy...which almost earns it a spot regardless of any other factors. The movie knows what it is, doesn't pretend to be anything else, and lived up to my very high expectations. Someday I, Frankenstein will be a genuine cult classic. Remember I told you so!

9. "You were a movie star, remember?"

Birdman

Unlike number ten, my number nine is on pretty much everyone's best-of lists, and deservedly so. Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, and Emma Stone are extraordinary in a strange, fascinating little story with a frustratingly ambiguous, yet somehow perfectly suitable, ending. This one is sure to share more of its secrets upon repeat viewings...can't wait for the DVD!

8. "I will never ask you to do anything that I wouldn't do myself."

Nightcrawler

Is there anything more fun to watch than when Jake Gyllenhaal does creepy? Nightcrawler has Creepy Jake in spades, headlining the riveting tale of a freelance videographer who crosses the line between covering news and becoming part of it. How far would YOU go to reach your goals? Nightcrawler will leave you wondering.

7. "Tadashi is here."

Big Hero 6

I'm not sure what I can say to adequately express the awesomeness that is Big Hero 6, but I'll start with: it bumped The Lego Movie out of this list. The Lego Movie is definitely the more buzz-worthy of the two and will probably win all the "Best Animated Feature" awards, but, for my money, Big Hero 6 is more fun to watch, better to look at, and more memorable. It also hits a sincere note that The Lego Movie doesn't quite match. If we're being fair, The Lego Movie *was* one of those knocking around my number-ten spot, but it doesn't come close to Big Hero 6 in my heart.

6. "We are Groot."

Guardians of the Galaxy

It was really hard not to make this number-one on my list, harder still to choose just one quote from the year's most quotable movie. Ever since that first trailer blew up the Internet back in the spring, GOTG has been 2014's big news. A relatively unknown property that put its biggest stars in roles where their faces are never seen, the fact that this thing took off and became the year's highest-grossing domestic hit makes someone at Marvel look like a true genius. Toss in a terrific soundtrack filled with hummable 70s nuggets, and you've got one for the ages.

5. "Gotta be who you are in this world, right? No matter what."

The Equalizer

Alright, people, how this not on all the best-of lists?? The Equalizer is a perfect movie...or, at the very least, a perfect movie for me. It's not brain surgery, but it's smart, action packed, engaging from beginning to end, and boasts a fantastic cast featuring Marton Csokas, Chloe Grace Moretz, Bill Pullman, my best gal Melissa Leo, plus another incomparable turn by the world's greatest leading man, Denzel Washington. What's not to like??

4. "Before we get started, does anyone want to get out?"

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Equal parts spy thriller and superhero yarn, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is so much more than it had to be. It's a layered story where almost nothing is quite what it seems, and Steve Rogers' unshakable morality is challenged at every turn. The cast is uniformly phenomenal, and the writing is so smart that even Honest Trailers had a hard time finding things to mock. In a year with no Batman, CATWS did a nice job filling the gap!

3. "The world is gonna hear that voice."

Jersey Boys

The big-screen version of Jersey Boys was met with a resounding ho-hum from critics, yet it was one of only two movies to earn a perfect nine Weasleys from me in 2014. It's got a great cast, a great story, and most importantly, a bunch of truly great songs that have stood the test of time. I saw it twice at the cinema, and both times every single person in a packed house walked out smiling and singing. If that's not the reason you make a movie, then I don't know what is.

2. "Will you follow me...one last time?"

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

I'm honest enough to understand that I see the Hobbit franchise through Rose (Cotton)-colored glasses. The Battle of the Five Armies doesn't match the original LOTR trilogy, but it's a far better film than its predecessor, and I'm pleased to say I was in love with it from my first screening. I look forward to hundreds more. Thanks, Peter Jackson, for the ride of a lifetime.

1. "I think forgiveness has been highly underrated."

Calvary

As it turns out, the year's best movie is one you probably didn't see if you live on my side of the pond. Brendan Gleeson turns in the finest performance of 2014 as a Catholic priest given a week to set his house in order after his life is threatened in the confessional. Calvary is a grim movie with a great heart and a surprising number of truly funny moments. (Graveyard humor, to be sure, but hilarious nonetheless.) The locations are magnificent, the cast is impeccable, and Calvary is untouchable as the best movie of 2014.

My Almosts:

The Lego Movie

A truly fun family movie that provided my only Batman fix of the year!

Expendables 3

Well, of course. It is MY list, isn't it?

The Boxtrolls

Lovely animation with a decidedly dark feel, perfectly spooky entertainment for the whole family.

Edge of Tomorrow

A smart, surprisingly fun sci-fi outing featuring fantastic turns by Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt.

Gone Girl

A twisting, turning, expertly executed yarn that keeps you guessing right to the very end.

My Most Pleasant Surprises:

Robocop

Fans of the original had plenty of complaints about this remake, but I found it extremely entertaining. Bonus points for bringing one-hit wonder Focus' hit Hocus Pocus to a whole new generation...in digital surround-sound! Double-bonus points for being the more watchable of Gary Oldman's two dubious screen outings this year.

Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Both big, dumb fun that I enjoyed immensely. Transformers is way too long, but it's also the worldwide top money-maker of 2014, so take that, critics.

John Wick

Super action from start to finish, gorgeous cinematography, and Keanu Reeves. Win.

The Purge: Anarchy

What an upgrade from the original! Frank Grillo is Hollywood's new number-one badass.

And the number-one "That Wasn't as Bad as I Expected" film of 2014: Divergent
Literally every single review of this movie included some expression of that sentiment. We all might as well have said, "Hey, it's no Hunger Games, but at least it's not Twilight, either!!"

My Biggest Disappointments:

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Andrew Garfield is such a perfect Spidey...won't someone please write him a good movie?

How to Train Your Dragon 2

The first HTTYD is one of my top films of all time. The sequel was rumoured to be even better, but it left me completely flat. I warmed to it a bit on second viewing, but, still, I expected to love this so much more than I do.

The Book of Life

This should have been awesome. All the pieces add up to awesome. It is decidedly not awesome.

My Worst:

Winter's Tale

Does anything scream "great movie" more than Colin Farrell and Russell Crowe in the leads? Well, apparently not always.

Transcendence

It was a very bad year for Johnny Depp.

Noah

It was a very bad year for Russell Crowe.

Exodus

It was a very bad year for the Bible.

Wild

I haven't been this bored since Your Highness.

Random Thoughts:

If you were going to see Unbroken, rent or buy The Railway Man instead.

Six years after The Dark Knight, how is it that two of the year's best-reviewed titles (by critics and fans alike)--Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy--will not be considered in any of the major Best Picture races simply because they are genre films??

Is Bradley Cooper eligible for a Best Supporting Actor nod for Guardians of the Galaxy? His "I didn't ask to be torn apart..." speech is the best acting I saw all year.

Luke Evans and Aidan Turner, you are going to be big, big stars. Please always stay as awesome as you are right now.

So, that's my year-end wrap for 2014. Kindly discuss in the comments if you're so inclined!
2015 is already shaping up to be a great year at the movies, so I'll hope to see everyone at the Highlands Marquee Cinemas!

Until next time....Cindy Prascik

Cindy Prascik's 2013: A Movie Year in Review

Dearest Blog, if my count is correct, in 2013 I saw 74 movies that I hadn't seen before. Following is a list of my favorites on the year, as well as a few moments that stand out for me...for better or for worse!

Two important notes:

A film's placement on this list won't necessarily reflect its original rating, as time and repeat viewings favor some films, while others don't fare as well.

This year in particular, it seems my list is distinguished as much by the films I didn't see as the ones I did. Know that Dallas Buyers' Club, 12 Years a Slave, Inside Llewyen Davis, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, and Kill Your Darlings, to name a few, are not willful omissions, but rather movies that just didn't play anywhere I could get to them.

So...without further ado... *drumroll* ...my top ten!

10. The Croods

This offering from Dreamworks Animation isn't quite How to Train Your Dragon, but it's a heartwarming family tale that is so gorgeous to look at it moved me to tears a couple times when I saw it on the big screen.

9. The Great Gatsby

The most recent film version of this literary classic is driven by yet another extraordinary turn from the always-spectacular Leonardo DiCaprio, who deserves a best actor nod here as much as for The Wolf of Wall Street. It also features some of the most stunning costumes and set pieces to be found at the cinema this year, a true feast for the eyeballs.

8. Pacific Rim

An old school monsters-versus-aliens epic, Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim was a big screen must see, distinguished by fantastic effects and a rousing performance from Idris Elba.

7. Now You See Me

Seemingly summer's only offering that wasn't a prequel, sequel, or reboot, Now You See Me is blessed with a great cast and a fun, original premise. It grabs your attention and never lets go.

6. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Upon first viewing, this was a bit of a disappointment to me, but it's grown on me enough to earn (back) a spot in my yearly best-of list. The addition of a useless female character is offset by my affection for the franchise and, especially, the magnificence of the titular dragon himself. (Disclaimer: The Hobbit has also been aided and abetted by the presence of two of my favorite screen hotties: Aidan Turner and Luke Evans! Shallow much? I know.)

5. Dead Man Down

Terrific performances from Colin Farrell and Noomi Rapace anchor a well-crafted, at times brutal, movie that's smart, deliberate, and tense from beginning to end.

4. American Hustle

The year's strongest cast delivers uniformly excellent performances in an exciting film full of twists and turns, laughs and tears.

3. Star Trek Into Darkness

With 17 big-screen viewings, the most recent installment in the Trek franchise wins 2013's "favorite obsession" award, a sequel I loved even more than its predecessor.

2. Metallica Through the Never

One of just two movies to receive a perfect nine of nine Weasleys in 2013, Through the Never is mostly just a concert film with a little extra mustard on it. What a concert film it is, though, boasting a career-spanning setlist from one of the world's top metal bands that sounds a-maz-ing in digital surround sound. Undoubtedly the most fun I had at the movies this year! *horns up*

1. The World's End

My other perfect score in 2013 went to my most-anticipated film of the year, high expectations not crippling this one as they so often do. I named The World's End my number one the minute I saw it and, frankly, nothing else ever came close to dislodging it from the top spot. I stand by each and every glowing remark in my original review of this final installment in Edgar Wright's Cornetto Trilogy, with one exception: at the time, I gave Nick Frost and Eddie Marsan credit for doing the acting heavy lifting, while Simon Pegg was the funnyman this time around. Having watched the film dozens of times since its July release, I have to amend my assessment of Pegg's work to give credit for one of the best all-around performances I saw this year, as heartbreaking as it is hilarious. It's a shame neither he nor the film is likely to be nominated for any major awards, though they're turning up on plenty of best-of lists by bloggers, magazines, and online movie sites, folks who don't get paid (or paid off) to tell you what's good and what isn't. The World's End masterfully blends comedy, drama, and sci-fi/fantasy, a perfect film that easily tops my list.

And now 2013's tidbits and also rans:

It broke my heart a little to have to cut Elysium from this list. Captain Phillips and Saving Mr. Banks also had a fair shot at making it right up to the last, but in the end I think I liked The Croods better...by a hair.

Weirdest Cinema Experience: Joseph Gordon-Levitt's porno that's not really a porno (Don Jon).

Most Criminal Waste of Fine Actors (tie): Paranoia (Gary Oldman and Harrison Ford)/The Counselor (Michael Fassbender, Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, and Brad Pitt).

Best Movie You Totally Missed: Phantom. (It lasted a whole seven days at my cinema.)

Hottest Cinema Vampire: Gemma Arterton (Byzantium).

Funniest Coincidence: Peter Capaldi credited as "WHO Doctor" (World War Z) just weeks before being named the new Doctor Who.

Best/Worst Gag: Hansel (Jeremy Renner) gets Diabetes from too much candy (Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters).

Best Cameo: Backstreet Boys (This is the End). I may or may not have jumped out of my seat and *squeed* out loud!

Most Horrifying Idea Ever: Running, climbing zombies (World War Z).

Most Curious Choice That Actually Worked (Against All Odds): Gary Oldman as Elvis (Guns, Girls & Gambling).

Worst Film of 2013: Only God Forgives (but I doubt even He can forgive this mess).

So, kids, there you have it, my thoughts on the year that's ending. 2014 promises to be extra-awesome, with no less than three big-screen outings for my favorite, Mr. Leonard Gary Oldman, so I'll see you at the movies!

Until next time...



Let's Boo Boo!