Very seldom does one find a film so absolutely obscure and strange that they feel a combination of shock, amazement and sheer damn excitement. Hobo With a Shotgun is just that. A brilliant film that is so shocking and odd, it would be wrong to call it anything other than an experience. First of all,…
An Appreciation of…Bill Murray (1950 – present)
Bill Murray is one of the funniest human beings ever to live, and along with Martin Short and Steve Martin is a part of my Holy Trinity of Comedy. The man owns the internet and every film he is in, and if the stories I read about Bill Murray are true, that means he is…
Out of the Furnace (2013)
Christian Bale may not be my favourite actor, but I do highly respect his work ethic and how he’s balanced blockbusters with more indie fare. Last year, he had two films – the brilliant American Hustle, where he transformed himself and got a well-deserved Best Actor nomination, and the disappointingly bland Out of the Furnace,…
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
When it comes to imagination and brilliant style, Wes Anderson is well-regarded as the best. His films have always been quirky, idiosyncratic and wonderful. He has topped himself this time with the magnificent Grand Budapest Hotel, which is a combination of Anderson’s unique cinematic style, and combined the wonderful European films of the 1930s…
Philomena (2013)
If you are expecting to have your mind-blown by a groundbreaking film, Philomena is not for you. This is a very basic film that it typical British drama. However, it is a great film that has a touching story and wonderful performances by a pair of leads that are absolutely eclectic. True stories or, as…
Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014)
I am often weary of rebooted versions of classic cartoons. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. In the case of Mr. Peabody and Sherman, and it worked quite well. My mind wasn’t blown after seeing this film, but it was solidly entertaining and quite funny. Rob Minkoff, the director, had a lot to prove with…
Dazed and Confused (1993)
Oh boy, this was a fun film. This wasn’t necessarily grand opera, but it was really enjoyable. I think I liked this film a bit more than I should have – a bunch of teenagers smoking and drinking and not much happening? Normally that would fall between “Yeah, so?” and “Not interested” on the scale…
The Lego Movie (2014)
The song that features throughout The Lego Movie is entitled “Everything is Awesome”, and everything about the film is awesome. The Lego Movie is probably the best animated film since Toy Story, and will go down in history as one of the greatest of all time. First of all, this film had razor-sharp writing –…
The Best Films of 2013
I finally think I’ve seen enough 2013 films to compile the list of the best films of the year. Unlike last year, however, I will be listing in preferential order, disregarding the scores I assigned the films. But they should sort-of match up anyway The Ten Best Films of 2013 Before Midnight The Wolf of Wall…
August: Osage County (2013)
In all my years of watching films, I have never quite seen a film like August: Osage County. That isn’t to say it is better or worse than all the other films I’ve watched, just it is incredibly unique and unlike any other family drama, I have seen. This is the type of film you…
The Postmodern Pelican 