The Martian

Witnessing Immortan Joe and his War Boys on the Fury Road

            (Spoiler Warning: I don't usually state this since I try to at least dance around major plot points, but this was a case where that was not possible, my bad. For maximum reading pleasure, go see Mad Max: Fury Road first, let it scorch your mind, and then read this.)

Top Ten of 2015

            A top 10 list of 2015 in April 2016, how relevant! In my defense, I did state in my last Honorable Mentions article that this would be finished before the Oscars in 2017, so this article is technically early.  Anyway, 2015 was a wonderfully weird year for film.  Many of the best films this year ranged from commercial blockbusters that seemed doomed to disappoint to niche art films that were balked by those who glanced at their premises, only for these films to shock the medium in brilliant fashion.

            Before we begin here are quick disclaimers. Among the films I failed to see before the year ended: Creed, Room, Sicario, The Martian, 45 Years, and When Marnie Was There; for all I know, any of these films could have earned a spot on the list, which is why they deserve a mention. I did manage to see: Spotlight, Brooklyn, Anomalisa, The Forbidden Room, The Assassin and Embrace of the Serpent, which are all worth viewing, but if I continue with these damn honorable mentions this article will never be completed.

Now here I present my most eloquent Top 10 list of 2015.

2015 Honorable Mentions

            So as of right now I am working on a rough draft for my top ten of 2015, which will hopefully be published before the Oscar awards in 2017. Orlando is not a very film centric town, which makes it difficult to find many of the prestigious films before awards season. Even then, I am lucky to ever find certain foreign and independent films because distribution the demand for such films here are null. Ultimately in order for me to write a top ten with confidence, I need the time to watch as much as I can.

            Regardless, this has been a robust year for film. In fact were so many distinguished films that to leave one out seemed almost sacrilege.  So at the very the least, it seemed right to honor the best films that will not reach my personal list and hopefully explain why they are not on the shortlist.  It was either that or I lament about the Oscars, which no one wants to here. Now lets talk movies.

Bojack Horseman: A Broad Review of Seasons 1 and 2

The title theme song represented the show better than any poster.

Dope and A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night

            Hello blog, it's been a while. I would say that college kept me distracted but honestly it was because I stretched myself thin. Lately a slew of fantastic and interesting films popped up from everywhere and all I could think was, where do I begin? Dope was great, Inside Out was amazing, Lava was lame, Jurassic World has... issues, and I finally saw Boyhood, which was great but the discussions I had about it were even better. I made the mistake of writing about all of them at once, leaving with me half finished stuff and nothing to post, but now I have something, two things. I figure write about one film in theaters plus one film that is streaming would make a sort balance. It might be unnecessary in the long run but feels right for now. So here are two films that are from totally different genres but they share the distinction of being shot on location in California. It is not much but it is amusing to see two filmmakers find inspiration for two very unique worlds within this state. 

Mad Max: Fury Road