Category Archives: Animation

My Favorite Terry Gilliam Films

19 Thursday Apr 2018

Posted by in 1970's Cinema, 1980's Cinema, 1990's Cinema, 2000's Cinema, 2010-Present Cinema, Adventure, American Cinema, American Filmmakers, Animation, British Cinema, British Filmmakers, Canadian Cinema, Cinema, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Film Directors, French Cinema, German Cinema, Greatest, Lists, Mystery, Romanian Cinema, Science Fiction, Short Cinema, Terry Gilliam, Thriller, Top 313

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* * * * (Out of * * * *)

1.   Brazil (1985) 

2.   Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

3.   Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
(co-directed with Terry Jones)

4.   12 Monkeys (1995)

5.   Time Bandits (1981)

6.   The Fisher King (1991)

7.   The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988)

* * * * (Out of * * * *) (Short Cinema)

1.   Miracle of Flight (1974)
(Animation)
(I watched it on youtube)

2.   The Crimson Permanent Assurance (1983)
(Played before Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life)

3.   Story Time (1979)
(Animation)

4.   The Wholly Family (2011)
(I watched it on youtube)

5.   The Legend of Hallowdega (2010)
(I watched it on youtube)  

* * * 1/2 (Out of * * * *)

1.   Tideland (2005)

2.   Jabberwocky (1977)

3.   The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)

4.   The Zero Theorem (2013)

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My Favorite Joe Dante Films

02 Monday Apr 2018

Posted by in 1970's Cinema, 1980's Cinema, 1990's Cinema, 2000's Cinema, 2010-Present Cinema, Action, American Cinema, American Filmmakers, Animation, Anthology Films, Cable/Television, Cinema, Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Film Directors, Greatest, Horror, Joe Dante, Lists, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller, Top 314

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* * * * (Out of * * * *)

1.   Small Soldiers (1998)

2.   The Second Civil War (1997)
(Cable Film)

3.   Matinee (1993)

4.   The Hole (2009)

5.   The Howling (1981)

* * * * (Out of * * * *) (Cable/Television)

1.   Homecoming (2005)
(Masters of Horror episode)

2.   The Screwfly Solution (2006)
(Masters of Horror episode)

3.   Eerie, Indiana (1991-1992)
(Episodes from 1991: “Forever Ware”, “The Retainer”, “The Losers” and “Heart on a Chain”)
(Episodes from 1992: “The Hole in the Head Gang”)

4.   Police Squad! (1982)
(Episodes: “Ring of Fear (A Dangerous Assignment)”
and
“Testimony of Evil (Dead Men Don’t Laugh)”)

* * * 1/2 (Out of * * * *)

1.   Gremlins (1984)

2.   The ‘Burbs (1989)

3.   Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)

4.   Burying the Ex (2014)

5.   Explorers (1985)

6.   Innerspace (1987)

7.   Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003)
(Live-Action/Animation)

8.   Piranha (1978)

9.   Hollywood Boulevard (1976)
(co-directed with Allan Arkush)

* * * 1/2 (Out of * * * *) (Short Cinema)

1.   Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
(Segment: “It’s a Good Life”)

* * * 1/2 (Out of * * * *) (Television)

1.   Amazing Stories (1985-1987)
(Episodes from 1986: “Boo!” (Animation) and “The Greibble”)

My Favorite Tim Burton Films

11 Sunday Mar 2018

Posted by in 1980's Cinema, 1990's Cinema, 2000's Cinema, Action, American Cinema, American Filmmakers, Animation, British Cinema, Cinema, Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Film Directors, Greatest, Horror, Lists, Musical, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Cinema, Tim Burton, Top 308

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* * * * (Out of * * * *)

1.   Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)

2.   Batman Returns (1992)

3.   Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

4.   Beetlejuice (1988)

5.   Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985)

* * * * (Out of * * * *) (Short Cinema)

1.   Vincent (1982)
(Animated Short)

* * * 1/2 (Out of * * * *)

1.   Edward Scissorhands (1990)

2.   Big Fish (2003)

3.   Mars Attacks! (1996)

* * * 1/2 (Out of * * * *) (Short Cinema)

1.   Frankenweenie (1984)
(Live-Action version)

My Favorite Brad Bird Films

05 Monday Mar 2018

Posted by in 1980's Cinema, 1990's Cinema, 2000's Cinema, 2010-Present Cinema, Action, Adventure, American Cinema, American Filmmakers, Animation, Brad Bird, Cinema, Comedy, Drama, Family, Film Directors, Greatest, Lists, Science Fiction, Television, Thriller, Top 309

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* * * * (Out of * * * *)

1.   The Iron Giant (1999)
(Animated Film)

2.   The Incredibles (2004)
(Animated Film)

3.   Ratatouille (2007)
(Animated Film)

* * * * (Out of * * * *) (Television)

1.   Amazing Stories (1985-1987)
Episode: Family Dog (1987)
(Animated Segment)

2.   The Simpsons (1989-Present)
(Animation)
Episode: Like Father, Like Clown (1991)
Episode: Krusty Gets Busted (1990)

* * * 1/2 (Out of * * * *)

1.   Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)

My Favorite Ralph Bakshi Films

27 Tuesday Feb 2018

Posted by in 1970's Cinema, 1980's Cinema, American Cinema, American Filmmakers, Animation, Cinema, Film Directors, Greatest, Lists, Music, Ralph Bakshi, Top 309

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* * * * (Out of * * * *)

1.   Coonskin (1975)
(Yes that is the actual title)
(Part Live-Action/Animation)

2.   Heavy Traffic (1973)
(Part Live-Action/Animation)

3.   American Pop (1981)
(Part Live-Action/Animation)

* * * 1/2 (Out of * * * *)

1.   Fritz the Cat (1972)
(Animation)

My Favorite Wes Anderson Films

21 Wednesday Feb 2018

Posted by in 1990's Cinema, 2000's Cinema, 2010-Present Cinema, Adventure, American Cinema, American Filmmakers, Animation, British Cinema, Cinema, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Family, Film Directors, French Cinema, German Cinema, Greatest, Lists, Romance, Short Cinema, Top 309, Wes Anderson

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* * * * (Out of * * * *)

1.   The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

2.   Rushmore (1998)

3.   Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

4.   Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
(Animated Film)

5.   The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

6.   The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

7.   The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)

8.   Bottle Rocket (1996)

* * * * (Out of * * * *) (Short Cinema)

1.   Hotel Chevalier (2007)

The 2017 Academy Award Nominees Vs. My Nominees

22 Wednesday Feb 2017

Posted by in 2010-Present Cinema, Academy Awards (Oscars), Agyness Deyn, American Cinema, Amy Jump, Animation, Ben Wheatley, Clint Mansell, Documentary, Documentary Shorts, Don Cheadle, Foreign Cinema, Jeff Bridges, John Gilbert, Lily Gladstone, Michael McDonough, Short Cinema, Todd Solondz

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-Introduction-

I will not lie, I have not seen a lot of the choices for this year’s Oscar show and I do not plan on watching it because it is really little more than a popularity contest. Nevertheless, I did see plenty films of last year that I did love and therefore, I plan on giving a list of my alternative picks for the Oscars vs. what was chosen. Nevertheless, I did see some of the nominees as the reader can gather from some of the choices under the “My Personal Choice” category. My alternate list of nominees is below each “My Personal Choice” section, so one will know what were the Oscar picks (2017 Academy Awards) vs. My Nominees. Under all of the “My Nominees” categories, you will see that I have chosen my pick already (i.e. The Winner). If some of my alternate choices sound radical then I advise the reader to first read my blog entry regarding my top 10 films of 2016 right here. Anyway, I hope you enjoy my blog entry regarding The 2017 Academy Award Nominees Vs. My Nominees. Without further ado, here they are below:

-Nominees for Best Picture (2017 Academy Awards)-
Arrival
Fences
Hacksaw Ridge
Hell or High Water
Hidden Figures
La La Land
Lion
Manchester by the Sea
Moonlight

My Prediction: La La Land, Manchester by the Sea or Moonlight
My Personal Choice: Hacksaw Ridge
The Winner: Moonlight

-My Nominees for Best Picture-
 Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
Hacksaw Ridge
High-Rise
Love & Friendship
Miles Ahead
The President
Suicide Squad
Sully
Sunset Song
Wiener-Dog

The Winner: High-Rise

-Nominees for Best Actor (2017 Academy Awards)-
Manchester by the Sea: Casey Affleck
Hacksaw Ridge: Andrew Garfield
La La Land: Ryan Gosling
Captain Fantastic: Viggo Mortensen
Fences: Denzel Washington

My Prediction: Manchester by the Sea: Casey Affleck or La La Land: Ryan Gosling
My Personal Choice: Hacksaw Ridge: Andrew Garfield
The Winner: Manchester by the Sea: Casey Affleck

-My Nominees for Best Actor-
 Miles Ahead: Don Cheadle
Valley of Love: Gerard Depardieu
Hacksaw Ridge: Andrew Garfield
Blood Father: Mel Gibson
The President: Misha Gomiashvilli
A Hologram for the King and Sully: Tom Hanks
High-Rise: Tom Hiddleston
The Measure of a Man: Vincent Lindon
Standing Tall: Rod Paradot
Deadpool: Ryan Reynolds
Spa Night: Joe Seo

The Winner: Miles Ahead: Don Cheadle

-Nominees for Best Actress (2017 Academy Awards)-
 Elle: Isabelle Huppert
Loving: Ruth Negga
Jackie: Natalie Portman
La La Land: Emma Stone
Florence Foster Jenkins: Meryl Streep

My Prediction: Jackie: Natalie Portman, La La Land: Emma Stone or Florence Foster Jenkins: Meryl Streep
My Personal Choice: N/A
The Winner: La La Land: Emma Stone

-My Nominees for Best Actress-
 Arrival: Amy Adams
Love & Friendship: Kate Beckinsale
Standing Tall: Catherine Deneuve
Sunset Song: Agyness Deyn
Things to Come and Valley of Love: Isabelle Huppert
Suicide Squad: Margot Robbie
The Dressmaker: Kate Winslet

The Winner: Sunset Song: Agyness Deyn

-Nominees for Best Supporting Actor (2017 Academy Awards)-
 Moonlight: Mahershala Ali
Hell or High Water: Jeff Bridges
Manchester by the Sea: Lucas Hedges
Lion: Dev Patel
Nocturnal Animals: Michael Shannon

My Prediction: Any of the five nominees
My Personal Choice: Hell or High Water: Jeff Bridges
The Winner: Moonlight: Mahershala Ali

-My Nominees for Best Supporting Actor-
 Love & Friendship: Tom Bennett
Hell or High Water: Jeff Bridges
Wiener-Dog: Danny DeVito
High-Rise: Luke Evans
Hell or High Water: Ben Foster
Sunset Song: Kevin Guthrie
High-Rise: Jeremy Irons
Standing Tall: Benoit Magimel
Sunset Song: Peter Mullan
The Dressmaker: Hugo Weaving

The Winner: Hell or High Water: Jeff Bridges

-Nominees for Best Supporting Actress (2017 Academy Awards)-
 Fences: Viola Davis
Moonlight: Naomie Harris
Lion: Nicole Kidman
Hidden Figures: Octavia Spencer
Manchester by the Sea: Michelle Williams

My Prediction: Any of the five nominees
My Personal Choice: Hidden Figures: Octavia Spencer
The Winner: Fences: Viola Davis

-My Nominees for Best Supporting Actress-
 Wiener-Dog: Ellen Burstyn
The Dressmaker: Judy Davis
Certain Women: Lily Gladstone
High-Rise: Sienna Miller
High-Rise: Elizabeth Moss
Hidden Figures: Octavia Spencer

The Winner: Certain Women: Lily Gladstone

-Nominees for Best Director (2017 Academy Awards)-
 Arrival: Denis Villeneuve
Hacksaw Ridge: Mel Gibson
La La Land: Damien Chazelle
Manchester by the Sea: Kenneth Lonergan
Moonlight: Barry Jenkins

My Prediction: La La Land: Damien Chazelle, Manchester by the Sea: Kenneth Lonergan or Moonlight: Barry Jenkins
My Personal Choice: Hacksaw Ridge: Mel Gibson
The Winner: La La Land: Damien Chazelle

-My Nominees for Best Director-
 Suicide Squad: David Ayer
Miles Ahead: Don Cheadle
The Mermaid: Stephen Chow
Sunset Song: Terence Davies
Sully: Clint Eastwood
Hacksaw Ridge: Mel Gibson
Eisenstein in Guanajuato: Peter Greenaway
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk: Ang Lee
The President: Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice: Zack Snyder
Wiener-Dog: Todd Solondz
High-Rise: Ben Wheatley

The Winner: High-Rise: Ben Wheatley

-Nominees for Best Original Screenplay (2017 Academy Awards)-
 Hell or High Water: Taylor Sheridan
La La Land: Damien Chazelle
The Lobster: Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthymis Fillippou
Manchester by the Sea: Kenneth Lonergan
20th Century Women: Mike Mills

My Prediction: Hell or High Water: Taylor Sheridan, La La Land: Damien Chazelle or Manchester by the Sea: Kenneth Lonergan
My Personal Choice: Hell or High Water: Taylor Sheridan
The Winner: Manchester by the Sea: Kenneth Lonergan

-My Nominees for Best Original Screenplay-
 Beautiful Something: Joseph Graham
Certain Women: Kelly Reichardt
Hacksaw Ridge: Andrew Knight and Robert Schenkkan
Hell or High Water: Taylor Sheridan
Miles Ahead: Steven Baigelman, Don Cheadle, Stephen J. Rivele and Christopher Wilkinson
The President: Mohsen Makhmalbaf and Marziyeh Meshkiny
Spa Night: Andrew Ahn
Standing Tall: Emmanuelle Bercot and Marcia Romano
Wiener-Dog: Todd Solondz

The Winner: Wiener-Dog: Todd Solondz

-Nominees for Best Adapted Screenplay (2017 Academy Awards)-
 Arrival: Eric Heisserer
Fences: August Wilson
Hidden Figures: Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi
Lion: Luke Davies
Moonlight: Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney

My Prediction: Hidden Figures: Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi or Moonlight: Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney
My Personal Choice: Hidden Figures: Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi
The Winner: Moonlight: Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney

-My Nominees for Best Adapted Screenplay-
 Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice: Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk: Jean-Christophe Castelli
Blood Father: Peter Craig and Andrea Berloff
The Dressmaker: Jocelyn Moorhouse and P.J. Hogan
High-Rise: Amy Jump
A Hologram for the King: Tom Tykwer
Love & Friendship: Whit Stillman
Suicide Squad: David Ayer
Sully: Todd Komarnicki
Sunset Song: Terence Davies

The Winner: High-Rise: Amy Jump

-Nominees for Best Cinematography (2017 Academy Awards)-
 Arrival: Bradford Young
La La Land: Linus Sandgren
Lion: Grieg Fraser
Moonlight: James Laxton
Silence: Rodrigo Prieto

My Prediction: Any of the five nominees
My Personal Choice: Arrival: Bradford Young
The Winner: La La Land: Linus Sandgren

-My Nominees for Best Cinematography-
 Arrival: Bradford Young
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk: John Toll
The Dressmaker: Donald McAlpine
The Finest Hours: Javier Aguirresarobe
Hacksaw Ridge: Simon Duggan
Hell or High Water: Giles Nuttgens
High-Rise: Laurie Rose
Knight of Cups: Emmanuel Lubezki
Sunset Song: Michael McDonough

The Winner: Sunset Song: Michael McDonough

-Nominees for Best Costume Design (2017 Academy Awards)-
 Allied
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Florence Foster Jenkins
Jackie
La La Land

My Prediction: Any of the five nominees
My Personal Choice: N/A
The Winner: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

-My Nominees for Best Costume Design-
 Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
The Dressmaker
High-Rise
Love & Friendship
Suicide Squad

The Winner: The Dressmaker

-Nominees for Best Sound Mixing (2017 Academy Awards)-
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
La La Land
Rogue One
13 Hours (Nomination revoked)

My Prediction: Any of the five nominees
My Personal Choice: Hacksaw Ridge
The Winner: Hacksaw Ridge

-My Nominees for Best Sound Mixing-
Arrival
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
The Finest Hours
Hacksaw Ridge
High-Rise
Suicide Squad

The Winner: Hacksaw Ridge

-Nominees for Best Film Editing (2017 Academy Awards)-
Arrival: Joe Walker
Hacksaw Ridge: John Gilbert
Hell or High Water: Jake Roberts
La La Land: Tom Cross
Moonlight: Joe McMillon and Nat Sanders

My Prediction: Any of the five nominees
My Personal Choice: Hacksaw Ridge: John Gilbert
The Winner: Hacksaw Ridge: John Gilbert

-My Nominees for Best Film Editing-
Arrival: Joe Walker
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice: David Brenner
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk: Tim Squyres
Eisenstein in Guanajuato: Elmer Leupen
The Finest Hours: Tatiana S. Riegel
Hacksaw Ridge: John Gilbert
Hell or High Water: Jake Roberts
High-Rise: Amy Jump and Ben Wheatley
Suicide Squad: John Gilroy
Sully: Blu Murray

The Winner: Hacksaw Ridge: John Gilbert

-Nominees for Best Sound Editing (2017 Academy Awards)-
Arrival
Deepwater Horizon
Hacksaw Ridge
La La Land
Sully

My Prediction: Any of the five nominees
My Personal Choice: Hacksaw Ridge
The Winner: Arrival

-My Nominees for Best Sound Editing-
Arrival
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
The Finest Hours
Hacksaw Ridge
High-Rise
Suicide Squad
Sully

The Winner: Hacksaw Ridge

-Nominees for Best Visual Effects (2017 Academy Awards)-
Deepwater Horizon
Doctor Strange
The Jungle Book
Kubo and the Two Strings
Rogue One

My Prediction: Any of the five nominees
My Personal Choice: Kubo and the Two Strings
The Winner: The Jungle Book

-My Nominees for Best Visual Effects-
Arrival
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
The Finest Hours
Kubo and the Two Strings
Suicide Squad
Sully

The Winner: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

-Nominees for Best Makeup (2017 Academy Awards)-
A Man Called Ove
Star Trek Beyond
Suicide Squad

My Prediction: Any of the three nominees
My Personal Choice: Suicide Squad
The Winner: Suicide Squad

-My Nominees for Best Makeup-
Deadpool
Suicide Squad

The Winner: Suicide Squad

-Nominees for Best Original Song (2017 Academy Awards)-
Jim: The James Foley Story: Song: The Empty Chair
La La Land: Songs: Audition (The Fools Who Dream) and City of Stars
Moana: Song: How Far I’ll Go
Trolls: Song: Can’t Stop the Feeling

My Prediction: La La Land: Either of the two songs
My Personal Choice: N/A
The Winner: La La Land: Song: City of Stars

-My Nominees for Best Original Song-
Suicide Squad: Songs: Heathens and Sucker for Pain
Wiener-Dog: Song: The Ballad of Wiener-Dog

The Winner: Wiener-Dog: Song: The Ballad of Wiener-Dog

-Nominees for Best Original Score (2017 Academy Awards)-
 Jackie: Mica Levi
La La Land: Justin Hurwitz
Lion: Dustin O’Halloran and Volker Bertelmann
Moonlight: Nicholas Britell
Passengers: Thomas Newman

My Prediction: La La Land: Justin Hurwitz or Moonlight: Nicholas Britell
My Personal Choice: N/A
The Winner: La La Land: Justin Hurwitz

-My Nominees for Best Original Score-
Arrival: Johann Johannsson and Max Richter
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice: Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL
The Dressmaker: David Hirschfelder
The Finest Hours: Carter Burwell
Hacksaw Ridge: Rupert Gregson-Williams
Hell or High Water: Nick Cave and Warren Ellis
High-Rise: Clint Mansell

The Winner: High-Rise: Clint Mansell

-Nominees for Best Animated Short (2017 Academy Awards)-
Blind Vaysha
Borrowed Time
Pear Cidar and Cigarettes
Pearl
Piper

My Prediction: Any of the five nominees
My Personal Choice: N/A
The Winner: Piper

My Nominees for Best Animated Short: N/A

-Nominees for Best Live Action Short (2017 Academy Awards)-
Ennemis within
The Railroad Lady
Silent Nights
Sing
Timecode

My Prediction: Any of the five nominees
My Personal Choice: N/A
The Winner: Sing

My Nominees for Best Live Action Short: N/A

-Nominees for Best Documentary Short (2017 Academy Awards)-
Extremis
4.1 Miles
Joe’s Violin
Watani: My Homeland
The White Helmets

My Prediction: Any of the five nominees
My Personal Choice: N/A
The Winner: The White Helmets

My Nominees for Best Documentary Short: N/A

-Nominees for Best Documentary (2017 Academy Awards)-
Fire at Sea
I Am Not Your Negro
Life, Animated
O.J.: Made in America
13th

My Prediction: Any of the five nominees
My Personal Choice: N/A
The Winner: O.J.: Made in America

-My Nominees for Best Documentary-
Lo and Behold

The Winner: Lo and Behold

-Nominees for Best Foreign Language Film (2017 Academy Awards)-
Land of Mine (Denmark)
A Man Called Ove (Sweden)
The Salesman (Iran)
Tanna (Australia)
Toni Erdmann (Germany)

My Prediction: Any of the five nominees
My Personal Choice: N/A
The Winner: The Salesman (Iran)

-My Nominees for Best Foreign Language Film-
Aferim! (Romania)
The Measure of a Man (France)
The Mermaid (China/Hong Kong)
The President (Georgia/France/UK/Germany)
Standing Tall (France)
Valley of Love (France)

The Winner: The President (Georgia/France/UK/Germany)

-Nominees for Best Animated Film (2017 Academy Awards)-
Kubo and the Two Strings
Moana
My Life as a Zucchini
The Red Turtle
Zootopia

My Prediction: Kubo and the Two Strings, Moana or Zootopia
My Personal Choice: Kubo and the Two Strings
The Winner: Zootopia

-My Nominees for Best Animated Film-
Kubo and the Two Strings
The Little Prince

The Winner: Kubo and the Two Strings

-Nominees for Best Production Design (2017 Academy Awards)-
Arrival
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Hail, Caesar!
La La Land
Passengers

My Prediction: La La Land
My Personal Choice: Arrival
The Winner: La La Land

-My Nominees for Best Production Design-
Arrival
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
The Dressmaker
The Finest Hours
Hacksaw Ridge
High-Rise
Love & Friendship

The Winner: High-Rise

My Favorite Bobby and Peter Farrelly Films (New)

01 Saturday Oct 2016

Posted by in 1990's Cinema, 2000's Cinema, American Cinema, American Filmmakers, Animation, Bobby and Peter Farrelly, Cinema, Comedy, Family, Film Directors, Greatest, Lists, Romance, Sport, Top 100

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* * * * (Out of * * * *)

1.   Fever Pitch (2005)

2.   Stuck on You (2003)

3.   Kingpin (1996)

* * * 1/2 (Out of * * * *)

1.   Me, Myself & Irene (2000)

2.   Dumb & Dumber (1994)

3.   Osmosis Jones (2001) (Live-Action/Animation)
(Live-Action scenes were directed by Bobby and Peter Farrelly)
(Animated scenes were directed by Tom Sito and Piet Kroon)

Kubo and the Two Strings: A Review by Guest Reviewer Yaseen Fawzi

19 Monday Sep 2016

Posted by in 2010-Present Cinema, American Cinema, Animation, Cinema, Family, Guest Entries

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This review was not written by me, it was written by my good friend Yaseen Fawzi. I wanted to share some of his reviews by posting them on my website. All credit goes to him, not me. He writes a lot of great reviews and this is yet another one 🙂 I am aware that Kubo came out in August (this is now September), but this is a great review. Here is Yaseen’s review of Kubo and the Two Strings below:

Kubo and the Two Strings
A Review
by
Guest
Reviewer
Yaseen Fawzi
August 20, 2016

Kubo and the Two Strings is the new animated film from the acclaimed stop-motion house LAIKA. In ancient Japan, young Kubo, whose late father was a master samurai, lives with his mother and tells stories to the civilians of his town by the seashore by summoning to life origami figures, wielding a magical three-stringed instrument called a shamisen. However, he inadvertently summons his grandfather, the vengeful Moon King, who snatched Kubo’s left eye and calls upon the equally sinister twin Sisters to steal the other one. Aided by Beetle, an insect-samurai hybrid, and the wise Monkey, Kubo goes on a journey to retrieve his late father’s three pieces of armor that will prove impenetrable against the Moon King.

Directed by LAIKA CEO/animator Travis Knight, the film features a small but exemplary voice cast, which despite coming across as being mostly Western in an Asian setting, elevates the material. Matthew McConaughey provides a light touch of humor as Beetle, while Charlize Theron conveys subtlety and nuance as Monkey. Behind the Noh masks they wear, the twin Sisters hide a hypnotic and threatening presence, and equally as haunting is the sultry voice of Rooney Mara. Art Parkinson captures that delicate balance between innocence and bravery as Kubo, and Ralph Fiennes savors every single moment in his vocal portrayal of Raiden the Moon King. The cast is rounded out by supporting players George Takei, Cary Hiroyuki-Tarawa, and Brenda Vaccaro.

The storytelling methods prevalent in Kubo are structured as a loving tribute to the stories of ancient Japanese culture, along with greater influence from anime and the films of Akira Kurosawa. Kubo faces great dangers during his quest than he has ever known, causing him to show greater responsibility as he discovers who he really is. This Japanese influence is also most evident in the photography by Frank Passingham, which very much resembles the establishing shots and overall mise-en-scene of Kurosawa. Every single detail in the set pieces, from the exteriors of the dojos, lush oceans, and sweeping mountains to the tiniest rocks and foliage, makes them the equivalent of Impressionist and Japanese paintings combined.

With every new film LAIKA makes, the stop-motion models become much more diverse, as Kubo, Beetle, and the village civilians are designed with Japanese facial aesthetics in mind. The animation itself, including the magical origami and a large skeleton obstacle with swords on its head, is so lifelike that it is comparable to the works of George Pal and Ray Harryhausen, except on a much larger scale. There are certain moments when you forget you are watching stop-motion figures, especially in the quieter scenes of interaction between Kubo, Beetle, and Monkey. Although the fight sequences are admirably choreographed and well-animated, they are much too short to inspire anything of greater substance. The soundtrack by Dario Marianelli is filled to the brim with East Asian woodwinds and shamisen, adding to the thematic prowess of Kubo’s journey.

With its respectable cultural awareness and ode to ancient Japan, Kubo and the Two Strings represents another milestone in LAIKA’s small but acclaimed output.

* * * 1/2 (Out of * * * *) “Ya-stars”

Finding Dory Review By Guest Reviewer Yaseen Fawzi

19 Monday Sep 2016

Posted by in 2010-Present Cinema, American Cinema, Animation, Cinema, Family, Guest Entries

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This review was not written by me, it was written by my good friend Yaseen Fawzi. I know this film first came out back in June (it is now September), but I felt like sharing this review by displaying it on my blog because Yaseen is a great reviewer in my opinion 🙂 What was written below does not express my views on the film, but Yaseen’s and I felt like posting what he wrote. Here is his Finding Dory review below:

Finding Dory 
A Review
Written by
Guest Reviewer
Yaseen Fawzi
June 18, 2016

Finding Dory is the sequel to the highly acclaimed Pixar undersea film Finding Nemo. One year after the events of the previous film, Dory, who is prone to short-term memory loss, suddenly remembers the family she thought she had lost during a field trip with Mr. Ray’s class. With the help of her friends Marlin and his recently-found son Nemo, Dory goes on an adventure to find her parents, Jenny and Charlie. She winds up at the Marine Life Institute in California, where she meets a cynical “septopus” named Hank, Bailey the beluga whale with the ability of echolocation, and a near-sighted whale shark named Destiny, who turns out to be an old childhood friend of Dory’s. Along the way, Marlin and Nemo bump into the lumbering sea lions Fluke and Rudder, as well as a loon named Becky who guides them on their own quest finding Dory.

The original leads from Finding Nemo return, and that includes Ellen DeGeneres as the forgetful but lovable Dory. Albert Brooks plays more of a supporting role as Marlin this time around, while Alexander Gould has been replaced as Nemo by newcomer Hayden Rolence. New additions to the cast include Kaitlin Olson as Destiny, Ty Burrell as Bailey, and Ed O’Neill as Hank. Diane Keaton and Eugene Levy are spot-on casting as Jenny and Charlie, along with a special vocal appearance by Sigourney Weaver herself as the Marine Life announcer. Probably the most unique casting is Idris Elba and Dominic West playing Fluke and Rudder, as these two acclaimed British actors portray large characters (in stature and personality) lazing around in the sun.

The film’s themes of family and memory are firmly evident as Dory goes on her quest to search for her parents and gradually remembers more about them. The story itself is full of different twists and turns within the Marine Life institute as Dory goes between remembering and forgetting. The character development is neatly structured, with Dory becoming more and more confident as she starts to remember more about herself. Hank also gradually turns into a more believable character as he goes from being curmudgeonly to dependable. Besides the storytelling aspects, what has also improved greatly since the original film’s release is the advances in technology that make greater additions to the ocean environment while also maintaining the look and feel of the original characters, especially such subtle details as the multiple species of sea creatures or the rays of light reflecting in the ocean. Unique character traits that show off this technology include Hank’s ability to camouflage onto various objects or when Bailey’s hearing is visually depicted via radar detection. Another great display of character animation is how Hank is able to emote with his eyes and speak dialogue, even though his mouth isn’t centered. Once again, Thomas Newman’s music also adds to the very ethereal and atmospheric feel of the oceanic environment.

Just when it seemed like Pixar was going downhill, Finding Dory qualifies as both an exemplary sequel and another surefire winner in the Pixar canon.

* * * * (Out of * * * *) “Ya-stars”