Soo Much

I know it’s late, but still within the first month of the year! Below I have taken the care of letting you in on my favorite movies of 2010. Granted there are some great movies I missed, here is my list of 2010.

10. Iron Man 2

I loved Iron Man and did have pretty high hopes for this. Normally that’s a recipe for disappointment for me, but not at all for this. Great story that fits in perfectly with the previous one, and some of the most memorable comic book character moments I can recall… ever. Visually pleasing if not a little dull in the sound department. All in all though, I’m glad they’re stopping at 2 (please don’t make another X-Men 3).

9. Scott Pilgrim vs The World

This movie had a very uphill battle for me. A comic that I was never into and a lead actor I really don’t care for. Even the awesome trailer and very talented director couldn’t allay all my fears. Long story short, I wasn’t going to be able to skip this one and I’m glad I didn’t. Super funny and incredibly fun to watch, this movie was always going to be in my top 10 as soon as the end credits rolled. If you are even remotely entertained by video game reference (visual and audio) or like tongue in cheek comedy, this movie is good to G. O. for you.

8. The Wolfman

I know I’m gonna get a lot of shit for this one. Oh well. There is no getting around that Joe Johnston makes movies that are fun to watch. And this is one remake they did right. Captures some of the original while being it’s own film. Despite the jarring editing, the music and overall look of the film is amazing. Don’t care what you say, one of the best modern horror films period.

7. Kick-Ass

I really thought this was going to be my movie of the year. Seriously. Almost too much fun to watch. I didn’t care where they deviated from the source material. It was just too damn good, GREAT costume work. AMAZING job by Nic Cage. It will always be one of those no brainers that I can just watch and enjoy the hell out of. Funny, entertaining, courageous, talented film making.

6. Shutter Island

Hard to say that this one wouldn’t be loved. The book is simply an amazing piece of work by Dennis Lehane. Add a great team in Decap and Scorsese and it’s very statistically unlikely to have a bad movie. Dark, dark, dark; one cannot stress enough how bleak a story is being told here. But no doubt the journey the character (and the viewers) take is one that will stick with you. No matter it’s placement on the list, one of the best films of all time.

5. Tron: Legacy

Wow, I mean wow. Going in expecting a good movie and having my eyeballs doused in one of the most amazing experiences ever was not what I was expecting. Many moments where Lucas should take note on how he could have done the prequels better. Amazing sci-fi movie that just looks and sounds so great, you will no doubt want to watch it again as soon as it’s over.

4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

It’s hard to believe that out of all the movie made in this series they keep managing to make good ones. HP7P1 is no slouch, amazing color and editing work, and acting that has grown up in many senses of the word.  One of the best in the serious that in no way, shape, or form feels like half a movie.  The animated sequence ALONE is worth the price of admission. Great set up for the last film on top of being one itself.

3. Inception

It’s hard to include this because it’s fairly certain to be most people’s number one. That’s a good thing, the fact that I didn’t want to include but have to shows how good it is. What a yarn. For as complicated as the story is, it unravels at an even and incredibly understandable rate. Simply amazing acting. It’s hard to think a movie like this will come along again anytime soon. One get’s caught in this movie from beginning to end and much far beyond that.

2. True Grit

Good western, a term that get’s kicked around a lot more than it’s deserved. There are some enjoyable movies that take place in a western setting and then are good westers. Modern films of the genre are hard to come by. This is such a western. A masterwork of the Cohen brothers who show that they continue to have an amazing talent for versatile humorous filmmaking. A Bridges role that should go down as one of his very best in his career. Nor is he alone in this superb cast with untouchable talent in their roles. The original is good, no doubt, but this is the True Grit.

1. Toy Story 3

Movies that strike a strong emotional chord that resonates are the ones that stand the test of time. This movie may not appeal to everyone, but it does have a broad audience. There is absolutely  no movie this year that comes close to the amount of skill and craft shown in this move. This encompasses all the a great movie should be. Not the specifics like imagery or sound. Or the nuances like humor or sound. It’s a movie that makes you believe these characters are real and care very deeply about the journey they are on. It’s hard not to cry in this film, even if you have to choke back tears as Andy says goodbye. A film thats tale will never tire or fail to give inspiration to anyone who’s a child at heart.

So these have been a long time coming. Please forgive how out of date they may be but non the less needed to be committed to digital paper.

The Wolfman is going to be a movie people hate or love, some may not fit in that group but most will. That being said the movie is great; tone, atmosphere, music, and performance are all elements the modern horror film tends to lack and this one had it. The trouble about this genre is that it has gone through so much change and it still is on uneven ground at best. Yes there are classics but to make a successful modern film one has to do just that, make it modern. Not necessarily in setting but at the very least in film making technique. And boy Johnston delivered on that. Wolfman feels part Sleepy Hallow, part Bram Stoker’s Dracula, with some good make up and art design thrown in. Benecio Del Toro gives a quiet but amazing performance and with a masterful vet like Hopkins you get a great base cast.  But lets PLEASE not forget Hugo Weaving who delivers every second he is on screen.  The film has it’s scary parts and the color work definitely fits the film to a tee.

The movie isn’t perfect. It has some poor editing choices that make the movie feel a bit choppy at times.  The story also leaves one with some connect the dotes moments. Neither of these drag the film down much at all and fans of horror film and many other film goers will be pleased by this movie that is hopefully a new direction for films of this genre.

Martin Scorsese and Leo Dicaprio go together like a beautiful/depressing peas and carrots.  And anyone who is a fan of the book will feel this pair hit the mark with Shutter Island. With it’s noir meets the red scare story, absolutely a-fucking-mazing cinematography, and an encompassing and emotionally powerful performance by Leo.  For those who don’t feel the need to incessantly guess the ending this film is a gripping hauntingly gorgeous story you won’t soon forget.

Almost every actor involved embodies a character that is rich and enjoyable to watch unravel as the plot thickens.  Mark Ruffalo has some weak moments but does great over all, it may just be that most actors pale in comparison to Dicaprio. The man has amassed a titanic collection of amazing performances (over used pun intended).  Ben Kingsly and Max Von Sydow give the plot some great texture and there is a great many layers to this story.

The environment gives the movie a great claustrophobic feel and an audience member can have moments. Overall it’s a tale with pain and resonance and one damn good movie.

No doubt most have seen a movie that was like a seed being planted in the brain. At first it was just a nice little unimpressive package but after time becomes a full fledged enjoyable experience. That’s the best metaphor that can be used for Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. At a glance the film might seem unremarkable at first. But after time the work put in to this Chris Columbus gem shines through.  It tells an interesting tale in a unique way and with enough flair and entertainment to make it enjoyable.  There is great design and special effects put in this, it looks really really good.

There are some damn odd and really great casting choices. Most the main choices are great and it can be pretty entertaining to see some of these actors fill these rolls. The great production elements can sometimes be dragged down by some forcibly inserted teeny moments. Leaving one pulled out of an enjoyable experience by some forced dialog or odd character actions. But when all is said and done Percy Jackson stays with you and before you know it, you want to watch it again.

From the moment I realized that I was going to ACTUALLY have a date for Valentines day this year, I started bugging Alex about what it was we were going to do. Being that I haven’t had a Valentine since I was in 8th grade, this was kind of exciting for me. Previous years I’ve stayed home and had Alfred Hitchcock movie marathons, or horror movie marathons.. this year was a bit different.

I had been bugging Alex for weeks about figuring out what we were going to do, and then the weekend before Valentines Day, I stumbled across this:

The Gold Class Cinemas are these super fancy, totally classy movie cinemas, and we’re lucky enough to have one right by us in Pasadena. Being that we both love movies, this was a perfect way to spend Valentines Day. I sent the link to Alex, and he called right away and made reservations for us to see The Wolfman at 10:15. Perfect.

On Saturday night we had Pimms and Lemonade and played Apples to Apples with the roommates. Woke up Sunday morning and amused myself playing with my DS, reading Bruce Campbell’s Autobiography and then when it got to be noon, I turned on Jurassic Park so Alex would wake up (which he did – he heard 10 seconds of the movie and asked “Did you go downstairs and get my copy of Jurassic Park?” – so cute). After getting up and dressed we set off for lunch and to find something to do.

Since we were going to be having a fancy dinner, and we are tight on money, we were okay with being a bit cheep with our lunch. We got drive thru from our favorite fast food joint and drove up the hill to Huntington Library – a beautiful park/art library that is quickly becoming one of our favorite spots. There we grabbed the Pirates of the Caribbean blanket out of my car, 2 books (mine – Soulless by Gail Carriger and Alex – Dean Koontz’s Frankenstein: Prodigal Son) and our lunches and picniced and read until it got dark.

After stopping by my place so I could change and get ready, and stopping by Alex’s place so he could do the same, we took off for Old Town Pasadena for our date.

We got there about an hour early, which left us just enough time to browse the nearest Barnes and Noble (one of our favorite places). At 9:45 we checked in at the cinema where they seated us outside the theater and served us drinks while we waited to enter. The Valentines Day package came with 3 drinks each, so we started off with our first, a Stella, while we waited. At about 10:00 a waitress (in a very tiny dress) came and picked up our drinks and showed us to our seats. The best way to describe the seats in the theater is comparing flying first class to flying coach. If typical theater seating is like coach, Gold Class is like first class.
Basically… describing the seats wont do justice, see for yourself:

Yeah, nice, right? The seats recline so far that you’re almost flat, there’s leg rests, a table between the two seats and a little button on the table for you to call your waiter (should you need a pillow, blanket or refill on your drinks). Because it was Valentines Day there was a rose and a box of chocolates on the table, waiting for me, I felt so special.

After everyone was seated, the trailers started, we got a refill on our drinks and as the opening credits for The Wolfman began, they brought out the first course of our meal. I was a bit afraid that being served food while trying to watch a movie might be a bit distracting, but it wasn’t that way at all. The servers were quiet and did not distract from the experience. A half hour after the first course, we got our main course and then a half hour after that we were served dessert. How was the food? It was fancy. For most people, that’s perfect, but I’m a meat and potatoes kind of girl, I’m the pickiest eater I’ve ever met. So every plate that appeared before us, I’d let Alex take a bite, and then I’d ask him what it was, and he’d tell me if I’d like it or not. I ate about 1/3 of everything we got served.

After a fancy three course meal and three rather large glasses of beer, the end credits for Wolfman we rolling and it was time to leave. The movie was awesome, both Alex and I loved it quite a bit – but I believe Alex is writing a review for it, so I’ll let him tell you more about what we thought.

All in all, it was the perfect Valentines Day.