Top 10 of 2015

Well here it is, my top 10 of 2015 when it comes to movies. It actually wasn't as hard as I thought it would have been, considering it went from 38 to 15 quite easily. The ordering though, especially after five, could honestly change its order but I liked those 5 more than most other films this year.

1. Ex Machina: This movie, I didn't catch it till almost December but it was always one that I wish I had caught in theaters back in March I believe. It was beautifully shot and just as captivating as the story went on, I could say the plot was simple and have been done before, but it still didn't take away from the thrill and the enjoyment I had from my viewings of it.

2. Mad Max Fury Road: This movie is what action movies wish they could be, it was smart, beautiful, and heart pounding all the way till it's last frame. Such a great film and a great continuation of the already amazing Mad Max franchise.

3. The Martian: This movie was the complete package to be honest, it had great comedy, great drama, great science, some could say it science the shit out of itself. It was an enjoyable film that I didn't actually expect to be as great as it was considering Ridley Scott's recent films being okay at best.

4. The Hateful Eight: Quentin Tarantino does it again, His writing and direction have only gotten better over the years and this is one of my favorites from him. Especially when he can make a three hour film with a simple enough plot of people stuck in a shelter during a blizzard just as entertaining as either of the other three films before it on the list.

5. Kingsman: The Secret Service: I sadly didn't catch this in theaters, I ended up seeing Fifty Shades of Grey with some friends that weekend, but when it came out on DVD I got it off redbox and actually ended up watching it three or so times, I enjoyed it that much, and I can't wait to see what the sequel has in store.

6. Krampus: This is of of my all time favorite Christmas movies, probably Die Hard and Nightmare Before Christmas top it, but I had such a blast watching this and enjoying the comedy and the horror mixing together in front of me.

7. Star Wars The Force Awakens: I just can't believe that a movie 32-10 years, depending on your thoughts of the prequels, in the making could live up to the hype the way it did. I thought this was the perfect movie to get you to go out to the theater and see this in the biggest and loudest theater in your area. It also is great that a blockbuster like this didn't force you to turn your brain off to enjoy it.

8. The Big Short: Funny, smart, and enjoyable, can see this getting a lot of award recognition but I don't know if it will pull through with wins, considering the Revenant is getting released next weekend and is looking to be a lot better of a film than this was, still, this movie kept me entertained and especially with something as dry of a subject as wall street and business. This can easily be compared to Wolf of Wall Street, but Wolf did it better I think, but not by much.

9. Inside Out: Disney and Pixar did it again, quite an enjoyable film and smartly handled the subject of depression and growing up in a way that kids can understand, especially as they grow up and watch it repeatedly, as I remember doing with most Disney films growing up.

10. Trainwreck: This honestly was probably my favorite comedy to come out this year. If this doesn't win the best comedy category at the golden globes it better lose to The Martian or The Big Short, which honestly it probably will because they moved those into that category just because they ran out of space in the straight up drama category. But still, this movie made me laugh the hardest and not even in a crude way, for the most part, there's actual feelings and characters in this movie, it wasn't like Ted 2 or Vacation where it was just throwing people into crazy situations for some hit and miss laughs, it does get dark for a bit, and it's believable. That's why it's in my top ten.

The Hateful Eight

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Writer: Quentin Tarantino

Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh

Synopsis:

Eight strangers are stuck together in a shelter while waiting out a blizzard.

Review:

Quentin Tarantino I feel like at this point, can do no wrong. He knows what movies are for, and knows why people want to go see movies, his writing is smart and straight to the point, often witty as well. He gets movies and makes movies that he would like to see himself, he’s done so many genre epics, from westerns to mobster films, he’s made movies in ways that haven’t been done in years, like the way he went and made The Hateful Eight, filming it in the style that hasn’t been done in 40 or so years. I don’t know how he does it, but even when his movies have the simplest of plots, like this and Django Unchained, they’re some of the most enjoyable films I’ve seen in recent years. He strikes gold again with this, and while some people might be turned off with the simple plot and nearly three hour runtime, I know that some people will find this boring, and believe me, if this was in the hands of anyone else, then it might have been, but with Quentin’s writing and direction, it is just simply splendid, and I don’t think there’s much that needed to be changed or tweaked, it’s direct and beautiful to look at, the climax is just as much a bloody good time as any other Quentin Tarantino film. It’s probably the best three hours I’ve spent in a theater all year.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Recommendation:

Any fans of Quentin Tarantino knows what they’re getting into, if you don’t like his films then of course you’re not going to like this one, but if you love him and his films then you know just about what you’re getting into. I’d recommend going to see it in 70 mm if you can, I’ve seen it twice in 35 mm and can only imagine how amazing this would look in that format.