Keep in mind that I’m the same person that wrote a whole post on “respecting your beer” so this may come off as a tad hypocritical. But it’s my post, so deal.

One of my favorite movies of all time is Hudson Hawk. No, seriously. The 1991 Razzie Worst Film of the Year (Check out more accolades here), I can’t get enough of it. For me, it’s an entertainment treasure trove. I mean, look at these little nuggets of comedy it gives you:

* Bruce Willis and Danny Aiello as cat burglars, that sing!
* CIA Agents with candy bar codenames.
* The truth behind Mona Lisa’s smile.
* This line (and subsequent nonsense [NSFW – language, violence]).
* A surprisingly solid cast: Willis, Aiello, Caruso, McDowell, Coburn. 90s baby!

But apparently it’s a terrible movie. Actually, apparently is incorrect. It’s a terrible movie. But holy hell, do I find it entertaining. Continue reading →

Captain America: The Winter Soldier promotional poster from SDCC 2013.

We can’t stop talking about the new Captain America: The Winter Soldier and we’ve had universal praise for the new movie.

Jun our resident movie expert opens up the discussion giving some very high praise:
Exhilarating. Mature. Morally complex. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is, hands down, the best entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe yet. Combining bone-crunching action with astute (and relevant to boot) political thrill, the film establishes its titular superhero as the most sympathetic character in its universe thus far, while also making its heroes incredibly vulnerable to defeat and failure. It hardly takes a wrong step, too; the humor is spot-on and never excessive, the cast is terrific all around, and the way it builds its world is first-rate. The effects of its story alter the MCU’s very landscape, from the films – past, present, and future – to the ongoing television series, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Did you hear that, DC? That was the sound of Marvel throwing down the gauntlet.
Rating: 4.5/5.0

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(UPDATE 03/03/14, 12:13 a.m.: I correctly guessed 22/24, my best prediction score to date! The only categories I got wrong were Film Editing, which “Gravity” won, and Animated Short Film, which went to “Mr. Hublot.”)

Every year, I think about how funny it is that so many people care about the Academy Awards – or any other awards, for that matter. That’s when I realize the irony of those thoughts: I’ve been following the awards season for the past seven years now, and I care about them as much those very people whom I chuckle about.

For me, when it comes to movies, the only opinion that ultimately matters the most is my own, and that should go for everyone as well. If I like one film and don’t like another, that’s my opinion, and I stand by it. No awards should say otherwise; for example, The Great Gatsby will probably win both of the Oscars it’s nominated for, making it an Academy Award-winning film, yet that won’t change my opinion that I absolutely despised, hated, and loathed it with all my heart (seriously, fuck that movie).

Yet, why do people care about awards, even though their opinions probably won’t change regardless of the outcomes? I think that we want certain movies to be awarded so much that we want our opinions to be validated by a larger body of people. And even then, will it be enough? Will it ever be enough? Add the competitive aspect of awards, and we’ve got drama – which in the end is good only for television ratings. Me, I’ve just learned to roll with it and have fun – heck, my favorite film of 2013 isn’t even nominated for Best Picture. I just hope that tomorrow’s results won’t piss me off.

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Yes, I’m aware that it’s nearly 3 months into 2014, so this list was assembled pretty late. But since the new year, I’ve been watching the a lot of films that I wasn’t able to last year, so better late than never, I say!

To be honest, I haven’t seen every film that came out in 2013. While I’ve watched the majority of “must-see” films in the English language, there are still a number of foreign language, indie, and documentary films I’ve yet to catch.

I also admit that chances are, this probably isn’t my definitive list of top 10 films; it’ll change as time goes by, as I see more fantastic films from 2013 and as I mature as a person, meaning that my mindset and preferences change. Does that undermine this list? Of course not – it’s a testament to just how great of a year 2013 was for cinema (perhaps the best since 2007) and how we ourselves are constantly maturing as people who watch movies, when we notice and appreciate things that never stood out to us before. At this moment in time, these are the films that were skillfully crafted, had a unique voice, and affected me by revealing something special at their very cores.

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