Baumer's top 50 films of 2014/Panda's top 20 of 2014 pg 8/Numbers pg 14

[baumer]

16) Purge Anarchy:  This is probably the second or third best film of the summer and if you want to call it a horror film, it is one of the best horror films I've ever seen.  The first was decent, but this was something special.  It was tense, funny at times and it had so much to say about the state of the world we live in.  The casting is superb and I enjoyed all five main characters, especially Grillo, who is slowly becoming a star.  He is intense in both major films he is in this year ( the other has not hit the list yet).  There was a point about 30 minutes in the film where I caught myself grinning and this is when I knew I was watching something special.  There were also 4 or 5 places the film had a chance to take a wrong turn and ruin what was a good film.  Instead, it stayed the course and remained a great film.

 

Trivia:  At a point of the movie is mentioned 2023 as the sixth annual purge in the USA. This establishes 2018 as the first purge.

 

Edited December 29, 2014 by baumer

[baumer]

Baumer, Iam not sure what you meant by completed but Phillip Seymour Hoffman s last films will be Mockingjay Part 1 & 2.

He died before he could complete his last scenes for MJ2.

 

He didn't complete Mockingjay.  

 

From imdb:

 

Philip Seymour Hoffman, who plays Plutarch Heavensbee, tragically died with one week of filming left. Due to the fact that the majority of his scenes for the final two movies were already filmed, the role was not re-cast, but finished with CGI face tracking onto another actor in one scene.

Edited December 28, 2014 by baumer

[baumer]

Top 15 coming up later.

[James]

Our tastes are so similar sometimes  Great list!

[baumer]

Our tastes are so similar sometimes  Great list!

 

Really?  Interesting.  What films are we in agreeance on?

[James]

Really?  Interesting.  What films are we in agreeance on?

Well, just from the last pages: Purge: Anarchy, The Other Woman, Bad Words, Pompeii, Into the Storm, DOFP and I can't wait to see Unbroken.

Edited December 28, 2014 by James

[baumer]

Awesome.  So glad you liked those films as so many like to thumb their noses at them.  They made the top 25 for a reason.  I think Unbroken is hard NOT to like.  I've read a few comments about how it;s slow, I just don't see it.  It has a story to tell and it tells it well.  It's based on a book and a true account of what happened to the man.  I think you will enjoy it.

Edited December 28, 2014 by baumer

[Cmasterclay]

Fingers crossed for Whiplash and Nightcrawler in baumer's top five. Also, Top Five.

[baumer]

15) Draft Day: When Kevin Costner has the right director, he can be outstanding.  This is one of those times.  Ivan Reitman directs with energy and passion and Costner comes off beautifully.  The best thing about this film is that as a member of the audience, you feel the pressure the GM is under.  This is an amalgamation of great acting, tight direction and an astute script that understands the inner workings of the NFL.  If you love the sport the way many of us do, you owe it to yourself to check this one out.

 

Trivia:  The trade Cleveland makes in the movie is similar to the real-life trade made in the 2012 NFL Draft where the Washington Redskins traded their 2012 #6 overall pick, 2012 2nd Round selection, 2013 1st Round selection and 2014 1st Round selection for the 2012 #2 overall pick in order to select Robert Griffin III.

 

[baumer]

Fingers crossed for Whiplash and Nightcrawler in baumer's top five. Also, Top Five.

 

Well, not to be anti-climatic, but that's not going to happen.....top ten...possibly.

[baumer]

14) St. Vincent:  Bill Murray is the main reason to watch St. Vincent. He is Vincent; a hard drinking, compulsive gambling, and cynical, foul mouthed son of bitch as you have ever seen. Along comes a neighbor with a little boy who is struggling as a single mother when their paths cross. Although predictable and overly sentimental, I was still able to get lost in the relationship between Vince and the kid. He takes him to a bar and race track and along the way teaches him to defend himself. Melissa McCarthy is sympathetic as the mom and Naomi Watts provides comic relief in her role as a Russian hooker. The writing is crisp and I love the use of Brooklyn, New York for its gritty backdrop. The final scene where St. Vincent is revealed, left me with a lump in my throat.  

 

Trivia:  Don Cheadle is one of the producers on the film.  Terrance Howard has a small role.  Both played James Rhodes in different Iron Man films.

 

Edited December 29, 2014 by baumer

[4815162342]

Draft Day was definitely better than it seemed to get credit for

[baumer]

13) Chef:  Jon Favreau hits a home-run with this film. It's not just about the main character's passion for cooking. It's also about his relationships - especially with his son. It's about not giving in to what's expected of you, but striving to continually create something new and exciting - whatever your passion. He plays a character named Carl, whose son Percy (rising young star to keep an eye on) helps him get his spark back by creating a Twitter account. Soon Carl starts his own business, with a little help from Percy's mom's ex-spouse (portrayed by the gorgeous Sofia Vergara and RDJ, respectively). A pivotal moment occurs when Percy is allowed into the "kitchen" and helps his father in a hands-on way, strengthening their relationship as father and son. John Leguizamo, Dustin Hoffman, Oliver Platt and Scarlett Johansson are great in supporting roles. And yes, even Favreau knows that the film mirrors his career.  It's not quite subtle enough that no one picked up on it.

 

Trivia:  When Favreau takes his son to the movies in the film you can hear Iron Man's music and soundtrack in the background.

 

[Empire]

St. Vincent was a really good film. Nice to see it in your top 15.

[baumer]

12) Top Five:  Chris Rock wrote, starred in and directed the film that Judd apatow tried to make a few years ago with Funny People.  The main difference is that Top Five is funnier, has more insight into the business and Rock's friend's cameos are better timed and funnier as well.  I won't ruin the funniest cameo, which takes place near the end, but the trailer does feature Seinfeld so I can tell you that his brief scene is one of the better ones.  Chris Rock is one of the better comedians out there and what makes him funny is his astute observation about pretty much everything.  Be brings that same passion and energy to this film.  The cast surrounding him is also terrific, especially Rosario Dawson.  Top Five came so close to making the top 10, but ultimately, I had to keep it out.  But still one of the best films of the year.

 

Trivia:  Rock began writing this while in his

 

trailer between takes on Grown Ups 2.

Edited December 28, 2014 by baumer

[baumer]

11) Heaven is For Real:  Without a doubt the most surprising film of the year for me. Even the film at number one, which I didn't see coming, didn't surprise me as much as this one.  I don't think you have to be religious to appreciate this film.  It's just a great story and it has a lot of allegory in it.  The good thing about religion, is that at it's core, it teaches us to be benevolent, kind and helpful to your fellow man and woman.  Jesus, Buddha, Allah and so on, that's all window dressing imo.  Heaven is For Real teaches us or at least wants us to know that this world would be a better place if we were all a bit nicer to one another.  The story is also incredibly moving and the script as adapted from the novel, really packs an emotional punch.

 

Trivia:  Colton Burpo, the main character in the story, experienced all of this when he was three years old.

 

[baumer]

Top ten will be done later.

[Blankments]

St. Vincent is the most underrated movie of the year. That movie deserves serious awards attention that it's not gonna get

[Kalo]

11) Heaven is For Real:  Without a doubt the most surprising film of the year for me. Even the film at number one, which I didn't see coming, didn't surprise me as much as this one.  I don't think you have to be religious to appreciate this film.  It's just a great story and it has a lot of allegory in it.  The good thing about religion, is that at it's core, it teaches us to be benevolent, kind and helpful to your fellow man and woman.  Jesus, Buddha, Allah and so on, that's all window dressing imo.  Heaven is For Real teaches us or at least wants us to know that this world would be a better place if we were all a bit nicer to one another.  The story is also incredibly moving and the script as adapted from the novel, really packs an emotional punch.

 

Trivia:  Colton Burpo, the main character in the story, experienced all of this when he was three years old.

 

I never did see that movie, I'll have to check it out.

[Ethan Hunt]

Damn it, I predicted you would have Chef in your top ten.