THE 86th ACADEMY AWARD WINNERS

THE 86th ACADEMY AWARD WINNERS

BEST PICTURE

12 YEARS A SLAVE

BEST DIRECTOR

Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity

BEST ACTOR

Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club

BEST ACTRESS

Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

The Great Beauty, Italy

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

John Ridley, 12 Years a Slave

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Spike Jonze, Her

BEST ANIMATED FILM

Frozen

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Catherine Martin and Beverly Dunn, The Great Gatsby

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Emmanuel Lubezki, Gravity

BEST SOUND MIXING

Skip Lievsay, Niv Adiri, Christopher Benstead, and Chris Munro, Gravity

BEST SOUND EDITING

Glenn Freemantle, Gravity

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Steven Price, Gravity

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

"Let It Go", Frozen

Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Catherine Martin, The Great Gatsby

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

20 Feet from Stardom

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

The Lady In Number 6: Music Saved My Life

BEST FILM EDITING

Alfonso Cuarón, Mark Sanger, Gravity

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

Adruitha Lee, Robin Mathews, Dallas Buyers Club

BEST ANIMATED SHORT

Mr. Hublot

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT

Helium

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Timothy Webber, Chris Lawrence, David Shirk, and Neil Corbould, Gravity

I don't think there were too many surprises from last night. My final outcome on predictions was 19 out of 24, which wasn't too bad. I should have stuck to my initial guesses on Best Picture and Best Costume Design, but I thought I would throw out some surprises. 20 Feet from Stardom took the award home for Best Documentary when many thought The Act of Killing had it in the bag. Ellen Degeneres completely nailed the opening monologue and brought an informal approach to her hosting duties, often times delivering bits from the audience. The selfie that broke Twitter was a fantastic idea and takes a bit of the stuffiness out of the room. I'm sure there will be some curmudgeons that will balk at her casual ways, but I found it entertaining. I will say that some of the bits took too long. The Oscars are always far longer than they need to be. I read many negative comments regarding some of the performances. I really enjoyed Bette Midler, Pink, and Idina Menzel. My biggest beef of the evening came with one of their presenters. Can I just throw it out there that John Travolta should not present again? Why does he always have to present one of the Best Song nominees? He completely butchered Idina Menzel's name. Don't they have rehearsals and pronunciation cards or something to ensure names are pronounced correctly? Travolta and his hair piece were two of the lowest moments of the evening. Some highlights of the evening include Jared Leto, Lupita Nyong'o and Cate Blachett who had wonderful and inspiring speeches. While Gravity took home the most with seven wins, 12 Years a Slave took home the final award for Best Picture.

DEAR READERS

DEAR READERS,

This weekend brings a few more releases that you may find a bit lackluster. I was not able to attending any screenings of 3 Days to Kill starring Kevin Costner or Pompeii starring "Game of Thrones" hunk Kit Harington, so I cannot report whether they are worth your time, effort, and hard earned money. The Oscars are less than 10 days away, so it is time to get scrambling if you are feeling behind. There are some documentaries and foreign films I still need to check out. Check back for reviews of those to come soon! If you are feeling behind, I would like to recommend the AMC Best Picture Showcase. I am in no way affiliated with AMC, so this is basically free marketing for them. I can only attest for the numerous times I have gone to the all day marathon.

AMC presents all nine best picture nominees shown over two Saturdays or, if you are up for it, a 24 hour marathon blitz. As you may recall from my reviews or my Oscar Watch 2014 page, I have already seen all nine nominees. You may be wondering why I would spend two full Saturdays hunkering into a plush movie theater seat for nine movies I have already seen. It should come as no surprise that I love watching movies over and over again. Truth be told, this will be my third time seeing Nebraska and American Hustle. When films are this good, there is usually something different I take away with each viewing. Maybe I watch a different actor or focus on the script or the cinematography. The idea behind seeing them back to back really let's you put them into perspective. Which film really does stand out as the Best Picture of the Year? If I had seen them before, which holds up on its second viewing? Which gets better with age? I have a feeling I will enjoy The Wolf of Wall Street even more this time around. If you are an AMC Stubs member, you get $5 Stubs bucks per day on your member card to use at the concession stand. Mini breaks are offered in between each movie with trivia and prizes and a longer dinner break occurs later in the day. Plus, you get a nifty collectible lanyard.

Here's the rundown of each day:

Saturday, February 22
Philomena
Dallas Buyers Club
The Wolf of Wall Street
12 Years a Slave

Saturday, March 1
Nebraska
Captain Phillips
Her
American Hustle
Gravity

I am thrilled to have a group of friends join us this year. I plan on live tweeting throughout so check my Twitter page for my random thoughts throughout the marathon. I should preface with the fact that it all depends on if Sprint and my iPhone will cooperate with me at the theater. The last time I was there, I could not get a darn internet connection to save my soul! FIRST WORLD PROBLEM, I KNOW!  Here's to a fun couple of Oscar filled Saturdays coming up!

Thanks for reading,
PAUL

THE ANNUAL BRITISH ACADEMY OF FILM AND TELEVISION ARTS AWARDS WINNERS

THE ANNUAL BRITISH ACADEMY OF FILM AND TELEVISION ARTS AWARDS WINNERS

The countdown to the Oscars continue as the winners of The BAFTAs were announced Sunday night. There were not too many surprises here, but the equal love for 12 Years a Slave and Gravity still makes your Oscar ballot a bit tricky to fill out.  Despite the win for Jennifer Lawrence, I still think Lupita Nyong'o will take home the Oscar.

 Let's take a take at the BAFTA winners...

BEST FILM
12 Years a Slave

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
Gravity

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
Kieran Evans (Director/Writer) Kelly + Victor

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
The Great Beauty

DOCUMENTARY
The Act of Killing

ANIMATED FILM
Frozen

DIRECTOR
Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell, American Hustle

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope, Philomena

LEADING ACTOR
Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave

LEADING ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle

ORIGINAL MUSIC
Steven Price, Gravity

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Emmanuel Lubezki, Gravity

EDITING
Dan Hanley and Mike Hill, Rush

PRODUCTION DESIGN
Catherine Martin and Beverley Dunn, The Great Gatsby

COSTUME DESIGN
Catherine Martin, The Great Gatsby

MAKE UP AND HAIR
Evelyne Noraz and Lori McCoy-Bell, American Hustle

SOUND
Glenn Freemantle, Skip Lievsay, Christopher Benstead, Niv Adiri, and Chris Munro, Gravity

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
Tim Webber, Chris Lawrence, David Shirk, Neil Corbould, and Nikki Penny, Gravity

BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION
Sleeping with the Fishes

BRITISH SHORT FILM
Room 8

THE EE RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)
Will Poulter

PAUL'S YEAR AT THE MOVIES: 2013 EDITION

PAUL'S YEAR AT THE MOVIES: 2013 EDITION

It has come to that time where I look back at my trip to the movies in 2013. Every year, I track all of the movies I saw for the first time. Whether they were the new 2013 releases or older films I was just discovering for the first time, I like to jot them down to see how I fare year to year. Before I go any further, I must give a special acknowledgment to my friend and fellow cinephile Max who I stole this idea from many years ago. I looked back at the 2012 Edition in this series where I noted that I had seen 113 new movies in that year. I am surprised to say that I beat that number with 119 new films under my belt in 2013, 81 of which were 2013 releases. As many of you know I got married in June, so my movie going went on the back burner the first half of the year as wedding planning and counting down to that special day was my priority in the first half of 2013. Each year I try to see more and more films, so I am pleasantly surprised to see I beat last year's numbers despite the slow start. I would love to get to every movie out there, but time and money plays a big factor into it.

As far as the blog is concerned, I created some new content including "The Snapshot Trivia of the Day", the "Halloween" Retrospective, Oscar Watch 2014, The Archives plus the traditional trailers, reviews, rewinds, and other articles. I have some new ideas and exciting things coming in 2014 so keep checking back! It has been an exciting year in the networking front as I got to interact with new readers and followers of the blog. In June, I was honored to become LAMB #1588 when I joined the Large Association of Movie Blogs. 2013 also marked my first trip to the Twin Cities Film Festival where I met some other bloggers and critics in the Minneapolis film scene. I love getting to know new people and discussing the films we either loved or hated.

Here is the list, plus My Top 10 of 2013 and the Worst of 2013, some noteworthy performances, and some other tidbits:

The List

The Sessions
Promised Land
Broken City
Side Effects
Amour
Take This Waltz
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Oz, The Great and Powerful
Side By Side
A Separation
Wreck-It Ralph
Compliance
Admission
The Silence
The Prodigal Son
Evil Dead
Flashdance
Days of Heaven
Jurassic Park 3D
Double Indemnity
Room 237
To the Wonder
The Place Beyond the Pines
ParaNorman
Iron Man 3
The Paperboy
The Great Gatsby
Bernie
Star Trek Into Darkness
Oblivion
Now You Seen Me
All Good Things
End of Watch
Lars and the Real Girl
The Way Way Back
Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil
Behind the Candelabra
Man of Steel
Beautiful Creatures
Stoker
Not Fade Away
Identity Thief
Mama
This is the End
V/H/S
The Heat
White House Down
The Exorcism of Emily Rose
World War Z
The Blue Umbrella
Monsters University
Despicable Me
Modern Times
The Conjuring
Red
Pacific Rim
The Wolverine
We're the Millers
Fruitvale Station
Lee Daniels' The Butler
Seven Psychopaths
Bachelorette
Blue Jasmine
Chronicle
Like Crazy
The Spectacular Now
Austenland
Hot Fuzz
The World's End
Best Worst Movie
The Possession
Isidious: Chapter 2
Prisoners
Anna Karenina
Don Jon
Enough Said
V/H/S/2
The Ward
Gravity
Captain Phillips
Nebraska
Honeymoon Suite
We Are What We Are
Winter in the Blood
Truth or Blood
The Search for Simon
Ghost Light
They Will Outlive Us All
Hot 'n Bothered
Casual Encounters
A Better Life
Mud
12 Years a Slave
Much Ado About Nothing (2013)
About Time
Thor: The Dark World
Only God Forgives
Frances Ha
Salinger
Dallas Buyers Club
JFK
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Frozen
Philomena
Parkland
Delivery Man
Prince Avalanche
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Upstream Color
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa
What Maisie Knew
The Great Beauty (La Grande Bellezza)
Lovelace
Saving Mr. Banks
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
August: Osage County
The Wolf of Wall Street
American Hustle

Paul's Top 10 of 2013

These are the films that had the biggest impact on me. There may be some different choices on here than you may find on other Top 10 lists out there, but that is what makes each film critic a little different. Please note I have not seen Inside Llewyn Davis (seeing it today!), Her , All is Lost, or Labor Day at this time, so those unfortunately will not be found here.

1. The Way Way Back

This indie hit from the summer just hit that part of my inner soul that spoke to so many of the feelings and emotions I went through when I was the age of the main character. Nat Faxon and Jim Rash wrote a hilarious and touching script that garnered fantastic performances from Sam Rockwell, Allison Janney, Steve Carell, and Toni Collette.

2. Gravity

Alfonso Cuarón's epic 3D masterpiece was an intense, breathtaking, and magical ride. It is one of those movies that is the true definition of why people go to the movies. As years and decades pass, I hope it is remembered as one of the genre's great films like 2001: A Space Odyssey.

3. Fruitvale Station

Fruitvale Station did not get the audience response it deserved. It hit theaters, but did not seem to last long which is quite unfortunate as it is one of the most important films audiences should have seen this year. It was an emotional kick to the gut with Michael B. Jordan giving one of my favorite performances of the year.

4. Nebraska

Alexander Payne's latest took me by surprise and is another film that touches numerous parts of the soul. Bruce Dern gives one hell of a performance as an cantankerous old man who is determined that he won a sweepstakes in the mail. The scenes between Dern and June Squibb as his feisty wife are hysterical. Payne perfectly captures that small Midwestern town vibe that is all too familiar.

5. American Hustle

David O. Russell has another hit on his hands with this con story somewhat based on the ABSCAM operation in the 1970s. It should come has no surprise that he as created some over-the-top characters brought to life by frequent collaborations Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, and Bradley Cooper.

6. 12 Years a Slave

Not since Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List has a film so vividly captured a horrifying chapter in history. Steve McQueen’s latest left me quite speechless afterwards as I tried to process everything that was thrown at me. Lupita Nyong’o is a revelation who was vulnerable and heartbreaking in every way. Chiwetel Ejiofor is another standout actor of the year who conveys so much emotion and range without it being a flashy or showy performance.

7. Philomena

Dame Judi Dench gives another stellar performance to add to her long resume. She proves yet again why she is one of the greats. Director Stephen Frears precisely executes this film that is based on a true story with the right tone without ever gearing toward Lifetime Movie of the Week status.

8. The Conjuring

I LOVE horror films, so it was refreshing to see James Wan's latest completely hit it out of the ballpark. It was suspenseful and scary without using copious amounts of gore and body parts. The Conjuring is an homage to the horror films of the 1970s that had the slow burn leading up to an insane edge of your seat finale. I think it is one of the genre's best in years.

9. Prisoners

This twisty ethical child abduction mystery thriller left audiences pretty divided. I can tell you that I was engrossed from the very first frame and did not check the watch in the entire two and a half hour run-time. Hugh Jackman was a bit over lauded for his work in Les Miserables, but I think his best performance comes here as a father who will stop at nothing as he searches for his missing daughter. Another high point is the work of ten time Oscar nominee Roger Deakins for his cinematography . He works his magic by framing so many of the shots into stunning visuals that tell their own stories as well as shape the story we are watching before us.

10. Saving Mr. Banks

Emma Thompson is practically perfect in every way as P.L. Travers who had no interest in bringing her novel "Mary Poppins" to the big screen. The supporting cast, including Jason Schwartzman, Paul Giamatti, and Colin Farrell, should be noted for their work in the story. If you grew up watching Mary Poppins like I did, it will be hard to think back to your childhood and the memories you have of that film. Don't be surprised if you start humming along the songs in your seat.

**HONORABLE MENTIONS: Blue Jasmine, Frances Ha, Much Ado About Nothing, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Place Beyond the Pines

The Worst of 2013

Truth be told, I do not end up seeing a lot of bad movies throughout the year. I do not mean for that to come out snobbish as I really do love a good bad movie that is just dreadful. Frankly, it can be easier to write about those God awful movies over a film that is just middle of the road average. It is just hard for me to justify spending money at the theater and wasting my free time on a movie that I know will be bad. Four of the movies below I did see in theaters and wasted some money on them. I had such hopes to only to be highly disappointed.

1. Truth or Dare
2. Evil Dead
3. Oz, The Great and Powerful
4. Only God Forgives
5. The Wolverine
**honorable mention--Pacific Rim

Noteworthy Performances
Barkhad Abdi- Captain Phillips
Amy Adams- American Hustle
Christian Bale- American Hustle
Cate Blanchett- Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock- Gravity
Bruce Dern- Nebraska
Judi Dench- Philomena
Leonardo DiCaprio- The Wolf of Wall Street
Chiwetel Ejiofor- 12 Years a Slave
Greta Gerwig- Frances Ha
Ryan Gosling- The Place Beyond the Pines
Jake Gyllenhaal- Prisoners
Tom Hanks- Captain Phillips, Saving Mr. Banks
Sally Hawkins- Blue Jasmine
Hugh Jackman- Prisoners
Michael B. Jordan- Fruitvale Station
Jennifer Lawrence- American Hustle
Lili Taylor- The Conjuring
Jared Leto- Dallas Buyers Club
Matthew McConaughey- Dallas Buyers Club, Mud, The Wolf of Wall Street
Lupita Nyong'o- 12 Years a Slave
Simon Pegg- The World's End
Sam Rockwell- The Way Way Back
June Squibb- Nebraska
Meryl Streep- August: Osage County

2013 has been a terrific year at the movies, and there are still a few high profile films I have not seen yet. I am really looking forward to a big 2014 and I have some exciting things coming for the blog, so stay tuned! As always, thank you so much for reading, commenting, and sharing the movies that you love. A big thank you to all of those following me on Twitter. Feel free to comment below on all of your favorites from 2013. What films touched your inner soul? What films did you want to run away from? Here's to a great 2013!

Movie Review: GRAVITY

GRAVITY
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Starring: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Ed Harris

Be ready to be blown away by one of the best movies you will see all year. Dr. Ryan Stone (Bullock) and experienced astronaut Matt Kowalski (Clooney) are doing their routine checks aboard their space shuttle floating around space like it is no big deal. It's all just part of their job. After seeing Gravity, that is a job I never ever want. I can barely climb up a ladder without my fear of falling kicking in. They receive communication from their command station (Ed Harris!) that a chain reaction of debris is heading their way, and they must abort their mission.

There was no way of preventing it as the debris collides with the shuttle. Communication has been lost, the shuttle has been destroyed, and Dr. Stone and Kowalski are left tethered together floating in the abyss of space. They are the lone survivors of their crew now facing the eternal idea that they may never see home again. Their only hope lies in the International Space Station if they can successfully navigate themselves over to it.

I first became aware of director Alfonso Cuarón over a decade ago. I rented his 2001 hit Y Tu Mamá También and loved it. That was not his first film, but it was the one that got me hooked to him as a filmmaker. He upped the ante with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by proving those films could be more than just fun movies for kids. This is his first film since 2006's Children of Men. I would say that if it takes him this long in between projects, but the end result is Gravity, I respect that time. Not only does he direct the film, but he wrote the intelligent screenplay with his son, Jonas Cuarón. You may be surprised, yet relieved, to hear there is a sense of humor that comes with some of the dialogue. The film is so intense and anxiety ridden that you need those moments of humor to balance that tense state of being. I do not want to give too much away about the characters and their state of mind throughout this, but the script allows them to have the appropriate reactions and emotional sense regarding the situation they are in. Once you see it, you will understand what I am talking about. It does not get bogged down in a “woe is me” type tone.

Throughout the film, I realized how casting these two leads was vital in making this movie work. You need two powerhouse actors, especially the one playing Dr. Stone, that not only can carry a movie but make it stay interesting, edge of your seat, and captivating for ninety minutes. These survival stories can go south quickly if left in the wrong hands. Clooney and Bullock are exactly the kind of actors the film needed to make the tone work. These are two very smart actors that know how to stay in control of every scene and know exactly what is needed to keep the film moving. Bullock is given a small but vital back story, and in turn, delivers a powerful performance that will most likely garner another Best Actress nomination. She brings a maternal warmth and sense of humor that help elevate this story and make it a personal journey instead of just some movie about two astronauts in space.

EVERYTHING about this film is breathtaking and magical. Between the visual effects, cinematography, and sound design, I never once felt like I was watching these two actors act against a green screen. I never worried and wondered about what contraption they were wearing to capture and create the special effects. This is a crowning achievement in film making that captures what going to the movies is all about. Cuarón has given the audience the ability to go outside of themselves to go to a place beyond our everyday life. I am the kind of film buff that loves the special features and behind the scenes documentaries. I want to get in on that process and learn all about what it takes to bring the stories I love to life to the big screen. Gravity is a different story. At this time after my first viewing, I do not want to know. I do not want to lose that magical place I was sent to for ninety minutes. I do not want to know about the technicalities that went in to making this film happen. I do not want to know how they were able to make Clooney and Bullock appear to spend the entire film in zero gravity.

Like 2001: A Space Odyssey some forty-five years ago, Gravity is one of the best achievements in the sci-fi genre. I would hope that it will be remembered as one of the greats. It may inspire young kids who envision themselves to be the next great filmmaker or it may inspire a new love of space and the vast universe we cannot begin to comprehend. It is one of those cinematic adventures that is best left to experience yourself as any review will simply not do it justice. You may be skeptical about 3D (I hear you on that one!), but rest assured here. Films like Gravity are the kind that 3D is meant for over some action flick converted in post-production. It is not some gimmicky ploy to rob the audience of an extra $3. It sucks you into the world and enhances that feeling of getting lost in space. I recommend viewing it on the biggest screen with the best sound system. You might as well fully immerse yourself into it to fully ejoy the experience.

RATING: ***** (5 out of 5 stars)