Top 10 Best Movies of 2012

The year is round and the time is right to make Top 10 lists. After finishing my, more unconvential list of the Top 10 Best Movie Trailers , here comes the classic list of the Top 10 Best Movies of the year every (wannabe) blogger / (wannabe) movie reviewer has to make, and luckily, I also enyoy doing these.  Of course this list is purely in my opinion and I also haven't seen every movie that came out this year, so don't complain to much. I decided not to watch some, some didn't come to my country, most of them will come in 2013. Most notably between Oscar contenders, I didn't see Lincoln, Zero Dark Thirty, Life Of Pi, Les Miserables and Django Unchained, but I highly doubt they would have influenced the list much. Silver Linings Playbook and Celeste & Jesse Forever seem like having good choices to crack it, but sadly they weren't released in my country and I'll just have to wait to see them sometime in 2013. Also, beware for tons of shameless self-promotion! What can I do, I am happy for anyone who stumbles upon this.

10. Battleship

No, this isn't some weird joke. At first, I hesitated to put this on my list, but when I saw it in the same place on this same kind of list on some serious newspaper, like The Huffington Post or something, I was like "Fuck it! If Huffington Post can do it, so can I!" So yeah, I actually enyoyed Battleship and I was surprised most people didn't. It was more then just a Transformers-type mindless action flick, it knew what kind of a movie it was, it took advantage of that with tons of references and funny dialogues, making fun of itself and other mindless action flicks. Someone during the production of this movie must have said: "People! We're making a movie based on a Hasbro board game! Nobody's gonna take us seriously!" And to that person, I tip my hat off.

9. Looper

In general, I believe this movie is highly overrated. People saying like it was some kind of a new Inception, I tought it would be and it just didn't reach my therefore extremely high expectations. In the end, I still had to admit, that even if Looper isn't the new Inception, it still is an fresh, entertaining and intelligent sci-fi film, with great acting and some killer make-up (check out my full, spoiler-free review of the movie here).

8. 21 Jump Street 

The self-aware, sort-of remake of the 80's TV series (more of a parody, actually) about two idiotic cops who go undercover in high school featured fresh humour and two bright comedic performances by Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. I had a really hard time picking out the funniest movie of the year and taking up this spot on the list between this and Ted. I definitely laughed more with Ted, but I did see this alone and Ted in theatres, with my slightly immature friends. I finally decided for 21 Jump Street, as Ted will probably crack a lot of other similar lists, and I also felt this had slightly more intelligent humour, better acting and Foster The People on the soundtrack. 

7. Skyfall

This movie was recognized by many as one of the best James Bond films of all time, and it deserves that honor. It succesfully tackled one of the biggest problems of the Bond movies: Some people like the dark, gritty and realistic Bond we have known from the Daniel Craig films, and some people like the campy, cartoony Bond we have known from the Pierce Brosnan films, for example. Skyfall combined the two in a surprisingly crafty way and gave us a perfect mix with a few stunning action sequences and a very memorable villain (check out my spoiler-free review of the movie here and my spoiler-filled discussion here).

6. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Even tough some people critized Peter Jackson's newest trip into Middle Earth for being overlong and full of CGI and whatnot, I simply loved it. With a few great comedic moments, mostly set up by Martin Freeman as Bilbo, a bunch of backstories and subplots to truly showcase everything the expanded story has to offer and some stunning visual scenes, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey might not be exactly like LOTR, but it definitely is a fun and exciting fantasy epic for all ages (check out my full and spoiler-free review of it here).

5. The Hunger Games

Some might not agree on this one with me, but I simply cannot deny of what an effect this movie made on me. A mesmerizing dystopian tale, which critizes capitalism, yet gives young adults enough things to think about was a huge surprise for me and also made me a fan of the books. With a perfectly chosen lead actress, a few incredibly intense and psychologically-realistic scenes and a stylized soundtrack, The Hunger Games just give out a certain vibe and thankfully, take over the world. 

4. The Avengers

A superhero superspectacle uniting several majestic comic book characters into one movie might seem like a big shot, but Marvel pulled it off perfectly. With 4 years of build-up, nerds and geeks have been getting boners since the second Iron Man movie, but The Avengers just kicked it up a notch with amazing action scenes, hilarious dialogues and a great lead performance by Robert Downey Jr. (while also not overshadowing other characters), in order to satisfy geeks, action-movie fans, families and critics (check out my toughts on the clash of the 2012 superhero blockbusters here).

3. Cloud Atlas 

The 3-hour film, directed by 3 directors, starring some actors in up to 7 roles, spanning centuries and telling us six different stories throughout past, present and future was recognized by many as an over-long, over-ambitious mess, but some of us agreed, that it is a crafty-made masterpiece. Unbelieveable make-up, incredible visual effects (this actually is an independent film), a way to make six different stories logically tie into one another in a surprisingly good way, Cloud Atlas is simply a mesmerizing and epic film, worth watching every minute of (check out my full and spoiler-free review of it here).

2. The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

Without doubt the sweetest, cutest and most sentimental movie I've ever seen, The Perks Of Being A Wallflower surprisingly bombed at the box office, but has been rightfully recognized by some critics as »the coming of age film of our generation«. With being a bit geeky and asocial becoming pretty common nowadays, a lot of people could relate to the fresh, funny and deeply affecting story of Charlie, a highly intelligent, yet socially awkward high-schooler, who is taken under the wing of two seniors and welcomed into their little group of outsiders, who listen to mix tapes with old music, perform at the Rocky Horror Picture Show and make artsy magazines (check out my full and spoiler-free review here). 

1. The Dark Knight Rises 

At the beginning of the year, I made a bet with myself, that this would be the movie of 2012. I didn't cheat or anything or put this here just to win the bet, but it's just how it is. Screw haters, I say and rightfully declare this the best film of the year. The grand finale of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy definitely is epic in every way possible. With the best performance by Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne and Batman in the trilogy, a few unbelieveably spectacular scenes in scope and size, thrilling side performances by Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle and Tom Hardy as Bane, an exciting story full of twists, open endings and things to keep our heads scratching about and as always, but this-time especially monumental score by Hans Zimmer, The Dark Knight Rises is the definition of an epic movie at its finest. 

So what are your top 10 best movies of 2012? Do you any good ones I might have missed? Do you think 2012 was a good year for movies? Comment below, let me know! 

Top 10 Best Movie Trailers of 2012

Top 10 lists is an usual thing to do by the end of the year, and I also enyoy doing them, but before I take on the classic list of the top 10 best movies of the year, why not try a more uncovential, but still interesting list, such as a list of the top 10 best, most memorable, interesting and attention-catching trailers of the year. Any trailer, that came out this year is eligible for this list, and to warn ya - it's pretty subjective. I mean, it's my fucking list, I can write anything I want on it, so some of these are here and they're higher on the list, because I liked the movie more and such. I mean, they are cool trailers and all, but I believe some of you might find some other really awesome trailers which I just haven't seen, or didn't like the movie or something like that. Also, there's a lot of shameless self-promotion in here, but what can I do, I'm happy for anyone who stumbles upon this.

10. "Moonrise Kingdom" Official Trailer

This trailer, along with the movie that it's made for, is the definition of quirky. With self-ironic, semi-sarcastic one-liners, unconventially fitting classical music and a presentation of the whole wacky and surreal Moonrise Kingdom has to offer, this trailer wowed pretty much everyone that the movie wowed later, including me (check out my spoiler-free review of the movie here).

9. "Star Trek: Into Darkness" Teaser / Trailer #1

I'm not sure if this is a teaser or a first trailer, as Bad Robot productions (in their style) released another trailer a few weeks earlier, which turned out to be the teaser for this teaser...Whatever, all I know is that this trailer is awesome and as much as the line "You think you are safe? You are not." is very cliched, Benedict Cumberbatch says that line, so it's awesome by default. I also confess that I do not hate the Inception-horn sound and fading to black that much, and they're pretty nicely used in this one ( check out my other toughts on the trailer here).

8. "The Dark Knight Rises" Trailer #3

When you're looking at epic trailers, choosing trailers for movies like TDKR and The Avengers might seem a bit of an easy choice, but you have to admit this trailer is epic with a capital "e". With that peaceful piano piece at the beginning and the rest of Hans Zimmer's always amazing score, this final trailer for the Batman trilogy closer just builds and builds tension onto its finale, showing both the epic and dark side of the Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy that we already used to love, but also referencing the themes of hope, heroism and the rise of a legend that surrounds the film itself (check out my spoiler-filled articles, discussing the film here, here and here).

7. "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" Trailer #1

Even tough later trailers revealed more of the story and more glimpses of this fantasy epic, the first trailer still remains the best for me. The reason is the awesome song that the dwarwes sing, that should definitely get nominated for Best Original Song. The murky, atmospheric vocals just put you into the dark mood of listening to ghost stories by the campfire and when its epic orchestral version kicks in, you're just like "Fuck yeah, we're in Middle Earth again!" The part at the end with Gollum and the little flute melody, that reminds you of LOTR a bit more is also very cool (check out my spoiler-free review of the movie here). 

6. "Skyfall" Teaser Trailer

This is a teaser trailer by all means and it shows you more of the dark, gritty and realistic side of Skyfall instead of the perfect mix of the classic Bond and the new Bond that we've grown to love in the film, it's still pretty awesome. The orchestral build-up rises tension perfectly and even tough the "BANG BANG" and fading to black get annoying soon, that fucking awesome 10-second-Bond-theme-techno-riff-remix part at the end saves the trailer. I really wished there would be an extended version of it on the film's soundtrack, but sadly it isn't (check out my spoiler-free review of the movie here and the spoiler-filled discussion here).

5. "The Great Gatsby" Trailer #2

I have no idea, if I will like this movie or not (I've never read or seen anything Gatsby-related in my life), but this trailer looks just awesome. Just like Romeo + Juliet, also directed by Baz Luhrmann, this trailer seems to breath life into the classic tale, with so oddly fitting music (especially the metal song at the end), that you just can't believe how fresh and modern this film looks with such music. Just exploding into an costumography and set design epic, the trailer for 2013's The Great Gatsby is mesmerizing and unconventionally appealing, even if you have no idea what the book is about.

4. "Man Of Steel" Teaser Trailer 

If you're going to make a teaser trailer that doesn't reveal any of the story at all, at least do it in style. And Lord Of The Rings music, two different trailers with two different voiceovers by each of Superman's dads (done by Kevin Costner and Russel Crowe, respectively) and an epic shot of Superman launching off into the sky and breaking the sound barrier definitely is in style (check out my toughts on the newest trailer here).

3. "The Hunger Games" Trailer #2

Now there is a lot of fanboyism here for picking this trailer, as it from an objective point from view isn't anything special. But to me, as a fan of the books and the movie, is just amazing. The awesome song "Deep Shadows" by Lorenzo Montana and Tying Tyfanny is so fitting to the story and simply epic. The moment, when those bagpipes start playing, I get goosebumps.

2. "The Perks Of Being A Wallflower" Official Trailer

This is also influenced a lot by the fact, that I simply loved the movie. But even before I saw it, when I was just reading the book, I knew that this film will be its rightful adaptation, as the trailer alone made me laugh, smile and feel sentimental. With funny and memorable quotes, but still not revealing too much of them and amazing music that you hope to hear on the radio in the morning to make you feel better, this is the perfect trailer for the perfect movie, based on the perfect book (check out my spoiler-free review of the movie here).

1. "Cloud Atlas" Extended Trailer

Even tough some trailers on this list make me more emotional and sentimental, I still have to admit, that this is the best trailer of the year (in my opinion, the best I've ever seen). A 5-minute trailer is just right for a 3-hour movie and is just undescribable. From the peaceful piano piece at the beginning, to the Two Steps From Hell-like music at the middle and the amazing song "Outro" by m83 at the end, all of the music fits perfectly and really makes you feel like everything is connected and makes you want to see the movie this instance, even if you have no idea what it's about (check out my spoiler-free review of the movie here).

So what did you think of this list? What are your top 10 best, most memorable and intriguing trailers of the year? Do you think 2012 was a good year for trailers (really, I actually wrote that)? Comment below, let me know!

'This is 40' movie review

The last movie I will probably see in theatres this year is the Judd Apatow dramedy This is 40, a spin-off the 2009 hit Knocked Up with its supporting characters Peter and Debbie filling the slot of the main characters. Now I like Judd Apatow movies and I've enyoyed pretty much every movie that has any or more members of the so-called modern frat pack in it (Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, Will Ferell, Zach Galifianakis...), so I was looking forward to this. And was it funny? Yes, yes it was. Was it overlong, poorly paced and unsteadily dramatic? Fuck yeah. But first things first. The acting is solid, Paul Rudd is his usual funny-himself and Leslie Mann, an actress who seems similar, but on a second tought didn't actually play in any other movie I saw before is very likeable and just generally does her job well.

The movie is actually very funny. It has that typical Judd Apatow humor that pretty much everyone, including me loves, but contrary to his previous directed or produced movies, it's overfilled with drama. Sure, none of his movies is a complete comedy (if that is even possible?), but This Is 40 just takes the word "dramedy" to a whole new level. It has these scenes, which are completely comedic, rare ones, that are completely dramatic and a lot of some, which just try to overlap the two and in some cases suceed, and in some cases don't. I'm not a huge fan of family-drama movies or whatever, so I didn't particularly enyoy these dramatic scenes, but they are (as far as I know, I'm 14), a pretty realistic depiction of marriage, having kids and adult life in general, from what I see from my parents and other grown-ups. But the whole movie is fucking 2 hours and 15 minutes long, as it should have been at least half an hour less. It's basically like this collection of hilarious comedic scenes and semi-enyoyable drama scenes weirdly knit together into a movie.

 Like a depiction of the 40's, but not like in Marley & Me, where it takes on at least a whole decade, but instead focuses just on these two weeks or something. It doesn't even actually have a story, just a bunch of subplots, which try to cover up each other, and none of them really shine. You have Pete's financial problems, Debbie's general 40+ woman problems, her lost father, his money-begging father, their rebellious teenage daughter, their typical younger daughter, usual problems and some unusual ones. Instead, they have a fight again, and when you think this is the depressing, downfall part of the film, they fight again and then something happens (nothing much, just avoiding possible spoilers, but it's not really that kind of a movie) and then it just ends. You just feel like that happy, get-along part would go somewhere there. But nothing really like happens. I mean, it does, but...I think ya know what I mean. There is this part, where Pete and Debbie go on a vacation and get all wild and stuff, and you just see, that this part should have gone at the end.  Otherwise, I have made this *creative* graph, depicting pacing and the general "movie rhythm", to rightfully describe the film's general flaw.

Total rating: 6 / 10

So what did you think of This is 40? Did you like it/dislike it, why? What's your favourite Judd Apatow movie? Comment below, let me know! 

'The Perks Of Being A Wallflower' movie review

I don't hate my country. I'm no patriot either, but one time that I really hated my stuck-up, small country is, when I figured out The Perks Of Being A Wallflower won't be coming to theatres in my country. I luckily managed to download and watch it, and it is one of the brightest desicions I've ever made. I won't be describing everything this movie made me feel, think of and be like, because I like to think of my reviews as short and fast to read, but still present just a glimpse of the effect it made on me, and hopefully on as many other similar people. So Perks is a highly-anticipated youth drama, based on a beloved book and starring Emma Watson in her first role since Harry Potter, so there was a lot of surprise when it pretty much failed at the box office. But luckily, the story of the asocial and intelligent Charlie finding himself and experiencing life for the first time made critics happy, and I hope, a lot of its viewers.

To start from the start, the film has great acting. Logan Lerman is a wonderful Charlie, Emma Watson makes you completely forget of Hermione and Ezra Miller is a real breakout in this. But that is just one gem in this captivating coming of age film, describing as if it was directed and written by a teenager, understanding all of it. As a fan of the book, I found it a great and rightful adaptation of it, with some things and quotes left out, but new ones made up for utter enyoynment, therefore it will satisfy both fans and people who haven't read the book (which reading I very warmly reccomend, by the way). It wonderfully gives you all of the ideas, makes you feel all the feelings and situations the characters are in. I must admit, that I like to be sentimental. I like to listen to songs, which make me think of my friends and make me hope being more social and make me kind of happy-sad at the same time. 

And my whole life I've been searching for a movie to make me feel that way. Songs do that a lot easier, but when I was reading the book, I just didn't want to stop. I wanted it to make me feel more and when I saw the trailer for this, I was just hyped as fuck. And I hoped that the movie could and would do that, like the book did. And it did. Funny and actually really sad, witty and charming, beautiful and sweet, fresh and vintag-y, this movie finally made me feel that way. It made me think of my friends, it made me think of my life as a whole and youth coming on and what's passed by, it made me emotional and sentimental, it made me laugh and feel sad for the characters. It really brings into its realistic and believeable world, just like the book did, just here with effective acting, good directing and an awesome soundtrack, that I will surely remember for a long time. With its inspiring reflections and tales of life, love and friendship, The Perks Of Being A Wallflower is the kind of movie I'd want to direct one day, based on the kind of book I'd want to write one day.

Total rating: 9.5 / 10

'Star Trek: Into Darkness' teaser trailer review

J.J. Abrams and his Bad Robot productions really are the master of mysterious marketing and covering up secrets, which I also love about them. And even when you think you've seen it all, Abrams comes into a TV talk show and shows us 3 frames of Star Trek: Into Darkness and a few months after releases a teaser trailer for a teaser trailer. Well, that actual teaser trailer has now hit the web and offers us some more plot elements, some more shots of awesomeness, some more questions and things to scratch our heads about. This one is also begins with a monologue, but not Cumberbatch's, but some old guy's talking about Kirk and how he will once make a mistake that will cause him and his crew to die, and then it of course emotionally shows each part of the crew to remember who could we all lose. Honestly, I only remember Spock and the guy who reminds me of the Asian from Mentalist (or are all Asians just...whoops, sorry, this is a public place).

Star Trek Rises.

We see more shots of Kirk running over that really awesome red lichen planet and then the trailer kicks into epicness. We see Benedict Cumberbatch behind a glass, looking intelectually bad-ass as always and his old monogue from the trailer for the trailer, basically just saying how everyone should be afraid of him. Altough the line "You think you are safe? You are not." seems incredibly cliche, I apologize the trailer since Cumberbatch speaks those lines and  the trailer then just explodes into screams and volcanos and explosions and general greatness. Now the prologue some people saw before IMAX screenings of The Hobbit (I didn't see it, just read about it) kinda already explained the idea of Kirk making lethal mistakes for the crew (watch this to understand), but as explain in the linked video - there are shots of Spock outside the scenes in the prologue, so we know that he isn't going to die. So basically that one lethal Kirk's mistake might just happen some other time.

I don't really know how this will all feed with the plot against the villain, but I do know people are pretty much talking about one thing about this movie. Is Benedict Cumberbatch playing Khan? So far, they revealed his name is John Harrison, but that could be just a "John Blake - Robin" type of thingy. I am not really a fan of Star Trek outside of the new movies, so I don't really care much, if he is Khan or not, cause I know he will kick ass anyway. So Star Trek: Into Darkness is looking pretty fucking awesome so far and I really can't wait to see it. Might have to re-watch the first movie to refresh my enthusiasm, it's been a long time anyways.

So what did you think of the new teaser trailer? Are you looking forward to the movie? Do you think Benedict Cumberbatch is Khan or not? Check it out here, comment below, let me know!

Oscars 2013: Nominee list predictions

The Oscars are kinda like prom: we all pretend like we don't care about it and laugh at the ones who care too much. The obsession some people have with the Oscars in serious newspapers, such as Guardian and Huffington Post are sometimes just hilarious, as how I once read an article of how the race for Best Actor is already won several months ago and blah blah blah, like the actual quality of the movies is at the very bottom of the Oscar's priority. I won't try to philosophise much, because you can bash your head with these things for hours, but simply admit that I am quite interested in this whole Oscar buzz bullshit. And even if I woudn't be interested, it is only my duty as a (wannabe) blogger / (wannabe) movie reviewer, that I give you my predictions for the Oscar nominations. So here they are ladies and gentlemen, and be warned before continuing: this list is exactly what I think will get nominated, quite far from, what I think should be nominated, I will put my personal opinions in, when the official nominee list comes out. Also, these are all just "sort of" predictions, ya know...my way. I won't predict all of the categories, in some cases, not all of the nominees... you get it. And if you don't, you'll see.

Best Original Song

"Skyfall" - Skyfall

"Something Something" - Les Miserables

"Safe & Sound" - The Hunger Games

Just to clarify, Something Something is not a song, it's just saying any of the songs from the film could get nominated, because I don't know them. Skyfall is a James Bond song and a damn good one, Les Miserables is a Best Picture-contending musical and The Hunger Games have an awesome and critically-acclaimed soundtrack full of well-known artists with actually good songs, so there isn't a lot of speculation here. I've heard quite a few months ago, that there might more nominees in this category, so Something I can't remember from Act Of Valor and Something by Bon Jovi could fill up the other slots, as they are already nominated for the Golden Globes.

Best Original Score 

John Williams - Lincoln

Hans Zimmer - The Dark Knight Rises

Tom Tykwer & Johnny Klimek & Reinhold Heil - Cloud Atlas

Alexandre Desplat - Argo

Mychaell Dana - Life Of Pi

I know some of you might not find fair me picking out these after the Golden Globes nominations have been announced, but still, it hasn't influenced my picks that much - the Cloud Atlas score is amazing, so is TDKR's, so I don't have a clue why it didn't get the Golden Globe nod and I don't know the rest, but they are nominated for the Globe and they are for the other Best Picture contenders, so they could complete a possible consolation package for the loser. 

Best Technical Shit

The Avengers

Life Of Pi

The Dark Knight Rises

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Cloud Atlas

By "Best Technical Shit" I mean Visual Effects, Art Direction, Cinematography, Sound Mixing and Sound Editing (sorry, just have to swear a bit, to be cool). There also isn't a lot of speculation here, as these movies simply have the best visuals and audios and technical shit. Les Miserables could also tuck itself in Art Direction and Skyfall in Cinematography. 

Best Make-up

Les Miserables

Holy Motors

Looper

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 

Les Miserables is supposed to be a costume and production design and make-up epic and whatnot, and it could also get this and the Original Song as a possible consolation package if it doesn't win Best Picture. Holy Motors is supposed to be this artsy critic-loved movie full of transformations, so it will definitely be nominated. I was also sure Cloud Atlas that will be nominated, but it's not even in the final round, so fuck the Academy (No seriously, fuck it, cause that movie should win). There's also The Hobbit with its dwarwes and Looper, which actually made it look like somebody kidnapped Bruce Willis and brought him back from the past. 

Best Animated Feature 

Wreck-It Ralph

Paranorman

Frankenweenie

I haven't actually seen any of these movies, but I've heard a lot of good stuff about them. While Frankenweenie is this year's Rango (which won last year, by the way), the other two play on the nostalgic references and can't let the nomination slip. The Golden Globes got 5 nominations, but last year the Oscars got 3 and I think they deserve so many this year as well. 

Best Supporting Actor

Philip Seymour Hoffman - The Master

Tommy Lee Jones - Lincoln

Robert De Niro - Silver Linings Playbook

Bryan Cranston / Alan Arkin - Argo

Leonardo DiCaprio - Django Unchained 

We come into the acting territory, which I admit is not my strongest. It's not that I don't recognize good acting, it's just that I haven't seen any of these Oscar contenders (except Argo), so I just based these on the buzz and the Globes. Hoffman and Jones are guaranteed because of their movies, I think De Niro's and DiCaprio's stylish comeback will be welcome amongst the Academy and then there's Argo - I am  pretty sure Bryan Cranston will get nominated, because he simply is the best in the film, but Alan Arkin did get the Globe nod, so we'll see.

Best Supporting Actress

Sally Field - Lincoln 

Anne Hathaway - Les Miserables

Amy Adams - The Master

To be honest, I don't know what else to write here. Field and Adams are Globe-nominated and parts of Best Picture contenders and the critics seem to jizz when they see Hathaway cry and sing, so there's that.

Best Actor

Daniel Day-Lewis - Lincoln

Bradley Cooper - Silver Linings Playbook

Joaquin Phoenix - The Master

Denzel Washington - Flight

Washington already won an Oscar, but I don't think the Academy gives a shit. The rest is expected, as you can see I've left one slot left, because I simply don't know what to write left and I really hope Bradley Cooper gets nominated, because I simply like the guy. 

Best Actress

Jessica Chastain - Zero Dark Thirty
Jennifer Lawrence - Silver Linings Playbook
Helen Mirren - Hitchcock
Meryl Streep - Hope Springs
Quvenzhané Wallis - Beasts Of The Southern Wild

Chastain, Lawrence and Mirren are 100 %, while I was kinda guessing Meryl Streep, since she gets nominated every time she appears on screen and she was supposed to be amazing in Hope Springs. The one whose name nobody can pronounce is 11 years old in this super-indie movie, so I guess she has a good chance of getting nominated.

Best Screenplay 

Argo

Lincoln

Django Unchained

Moonrise Kingdom

Zero Dark Thirty

I decided to merge Best Original and Best Adapted Screenplay, because a) I don't know that much and b) I don't really know, which are adapted and which not. There isn't a lot of speculation here except for Moonrise Kingdom, which I saw and bet my head on the Oscar nod right afterwards, but it hasn't been nominated for the Globes.

Best Director

Steven Spielberg - Lincoln

Ben Affleck - Argo

Kathryn Bigelow - Zero Dark Thirty

Tom Hooper - Les Miserables

Ang Lee - Life Of Pi

Quentin Tarantino for Django is a possible tuck-in, while otherwise it's pretty much chosen. Lincoln's a biography starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Argo is about Hollywood, Kathryn Bigelow is a revolutionary woman and Life Of Pi is a cheese-fest with a tiger named Mr. Parker, so they have definitive nominations coming up. The one that could get replaced by Tarantino (or perhaps Wes Anderson for Moonrise Kingdom?) is Hooper. Not that the Academy won't be impressed with his directing, but he won like two years ago, so...

Best Picture

Lincoln

The Master

Silver Linings Playbook

Life Of Pi

Zero Dark Thirty

Cloud Atlas

Argo

The Dark Knight Rises

Django Unchained

Les Miserables

This one is of course the trickiest, especially with The Academy making up these new rules, in which they can nominate 5 - 10 films for Best Picture. What I was very shocked at when viewing most of these prediction lists is the lack of TDKR. Okay guys, I know that the Academy hates every movie, that has more then one explosion in it and does not reflect the economic crisis at the same time, but still - one of the main reasons this whole thing with more then 5 nominees was brought on is because a lot of people were pissed when The Dark Knight wasn't nominated in 2008, so it's only fair to give a nod to its sequel, even tough the old farts there probably hated it. The rest is pretty much for sure, I am a bit sceptical about TDKR and Cloud Atlas tough, since they actually have action in them and stuff, but Cloud Atlas is a big step forward in film-making in general, so it should only be fair to be nominated. Beasts of the Southern Wild is a possible tuck-in, but I'm most sure about this setlist.

So what do you think of my predictions for the nominations for the 2013 Oscars? Did I miss anything/anyone out? Do you think this whole Oscar buzz bullshit is too huge? Comment below, let me know!

'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' movie review

One of the most anticipated movies of the year, the first movie of Peter Jackson's continuing adventures in Middle Earth, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which will be followed by The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug in 2013 and The Hobbit: There And Back Again in 2014 has arrived in theatres. The film is based on J.R.R Tolkien's book set before the events of LOTR and is also based on unreleased backstories and additions, written by Tolkien to correctly showcase all the greatness hidden in his work (that is also why the firstly-planned two-part movie was changed into three parts). I really liked the LOTR movies and was looking forward to this very much and this made me want to read the book as well. It really is pretty much a solid return to Middle Earth, maybe a bit more fun and light then LOTR, but just as cool.

Easily described without any spoilers, The Hobbit is simply an epic fantasy film. The visual effects, the production design, the costumes, the music, everything is amazing and just makes this exciting fairytale breathe and live. Martin Freeman is great as Bilbo Baggins, the dwarfs are funny (and in the case of Thorin Oakshield, even bad-ass), Gandalf and the rest of the known characters from LOTR are great to see again and all that is backed up by Peter Jackson's big-time directing and Howard Shore's epic score. I loved the awesome dwarf song from the trailer, it reminded me of the more eerie Hoist The Colours song from Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End, and it's orchestral version is simply the definition of epic movie music. Even tough some people complained that the first part of the film is slow and drawn-out, it went fast as hell for me. I like knowing more about the dwarwes, I liked hearing the backstories and seeing the breath-taking scenery in all its majestic scape. I even liked Radagast The Brown, who was seemingly very annoying to some people. 

At first, I wasn't exactly happy when I heard they were drawing out a 300-page book into three movies, but now I am actually really excited two more batches of such epicness. It just seems much more suitable to showcase everything there is to and not to leave out a few things, that die-hard fans of the book might miss, like they did with LOTR. I am also glad that they don't show Smaug very much, so I just cannot wait to hear Benedict Cumberbatch voice him. I also cannot wait to read the book and experience Middle Earth furthermore. Funny and full for heart at one moment, action-packed and thrilling at another, The Hobbit is a great adventure for the books's fans, for teenagers, for families and for total n00bs (I can't believe I used this word) of the films. Overall, An Unexpected Journey is just what most of us expected: a fun and exciting fantasy epic, leavins us thirsty for more.

Total rating: 9 / 10

So what did you think of The Hobbit? Do you think it does justice to the book? Are you excited for its sequels? Comment below, let me know! 

'Man Of Steel' trailer # 2 review

The new trailer for the summer blockbuster of 2013, the Superman reboot Man Of Steel has just (literally, less then an hour ago, really happy to be one of the first ones to review it) hit the web and I am here to write my toughts and opinions on it. Now as a big fan of Christopher Nolan and his Dark Knight trilogy, I am very excited for this movie, even tough knowing this will not be exactly like Nolan's Batman. The teaser trailer already showed us that, and this magnificent one also showcases it even more, but it does set up a much more serious tone then we are used to in Superman (thank god), which was quite probably inspired by the succes of the more serious and darker version of Batman. Now this trailer is pretty much in the same style as the previous one, with peaceful and then epic Lord Of The Rings (-ish) music, but it thankfully shows us a lot more, as a solid trailer should.

The trailer is showing us more of the story, something to do with Clark Kent saving a school bus or something and possibly (too much) displaying his powers. There we also hear the dialogue that shocked a lot of people, when Clark asks "What was I supposed to do, just let them die?" and Jonathan Kent replying "Maybe." I believe that this is just editing and that Jonathan Kent wasn't really meaning that and that the studios are just messing with fan's heads like they usually do, so no worries. Later on, we see the full scene of Superman from the teaser trailer in his full awesome cape torpeding himself from the ground. As a first glance, Henry Cavill as Superman doesn't look as bad-ass as in the posters, but you can't really judge much from one shot, as you are blown away just the next second when he takes off and breaks the sound barrier. We also get a brief shot of Michael Shannon as General Zod and a bunch of epic action scenes towards the end. It really gives a good impression of a Superman movie, directed by Zack Snyder, especially these shots:

 

It's just completely clear now, that this will be an visually amazing movie, as all Zack Snyder movies are. If you add Nolan's story, The Dark Knight trilogy's co-writer's screenplay, a promising cast and Hans Zimmer scoring it, this really looks like a great film. By The Dark Knight trilogy's co-writer, I mean David S. Goyer, who I simply cannot name otherwise then this to make everyone know him. Calling him the writer of Ghost Rider woudn't be very effective, now would it? So anyways, the trailer looks great, you got great visuals, great music, an interesting story containing General Zod, Clark Kent looking for himself and Superman in handcuffs, but there is one thing that bugs me about it, and it's not really a bug about the trailer, but about the whole movie: Justice League. With the Justice League movie officially coming in 2015, I am genuinely worried this could be a springboard for it. Before any nerds try to bash me, allow me to explain. 

I am a big fan of Nolan's Batman trilogy, as said and am really interested in seeing a darker, more serious reboot of Superman. But I've never actually read any comics, so I'm not really interested in seeing a Justice League movie. I might have been a few years ago, but after seeing the trilogy wrap up, I just want it so much to stay the same and alone. I also want this to be a completely alone franchise, as it would simply ruin the tone and the seriousness of the films. I know a lot of people would want to see Justice League, but honestly - can you imagine dark and serious Justice League movie? No, no you can't, and it tying in with Man Of Steel and maybe even The Dark Knight Rises, just ruins all the realism and movie quality, with DC Comics waiting for a possible JL movie for another couple of years, would prove them very much more mature and true to the nature of cinematography in comparation with Marvel, but now they kinda blew the chance. I am sorry hardcore comic fans, but that is just how I see it. Now without my personal touch, I believe that this will indeed be a springboard for Justice League. As noted, I hope it won't.

 Is it just me or is that The Bat?

So what do you think of the Man Of Steel second trailer? Do you like the tone it's showcasing? What do you think of Henry Cavill as Clark Kent / Superman? Do you think it will lead to Justice League? Check the trailer out here, comment below, let me know!

'Argo' movie review

I saw the long-anticipated third film directed by Ben Affleck and one of the top Best Picture Oscar contenders, Argo. The film is loosed based on a true story of a long-classified CIA mission, set during the Iranian revolution in the early 80's. After an riot on the American Embassy in Iran, six diplomats hide in the Canadian embassador's house. It's up to CIA operative Tony Mendez (Affleck) to get them out, and he comes up with the craziest plan ever, that might just work. Now this film is good, but to be honest - I've expected it to be a lot better. First things first tough - the acting is good, even tough Affleck wears pretty much the same face for the whole movie (but it fits it). The true stars are Bryan Cranston, John Goodman and Alan Arkin, which are these kind of cool supporting characters / funny extended cameos, which provide most of the hilarious quotes from this movie.

The movie is also very well directed, as it gives you a real feeling you are inside the situation the characters are in. It has great make-up and production design, even tough it wasn't filmed in Iran, it looks very realistic and believeable. Argo has a few incredibly intense moments, where you're really biting your nails and hating cinema, because you can't shake your leg in it. I'm also glad it has humor in it, because to be honest - I'd be kinda bored without it. Howewer, otherwise then this - it doesn't have much more. I don't see anything particularly great in it, and I mean really really great, like some critics do. Overall, it's a very intense and entertaining thriller, with quite a few funny moments, but that's pretty much it, I woudn't exactly call it a Best Picture winner. But what the Academy thinks, is beyond mine or anyone else's reason, I think the most of the chances it gets is pretty much because it's a bit about Hollywood.

Total rating: 7 / 10

So what did you think of Argo? Did you like it, dislike it, why? Do you think it will any Oscars? Comment below, let me know!