My Top 25 Films of 2013

Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome, to my top 25 films of 2013!

Reasons Why You Need To Watch Happy Endings

So, last year, under the influence of narcotic infused cough syrup and antibiotics, I wrote a post trying to convince my best friend and confidant Emerald to start watching Arrow. She freaked, had a boygasm and said she’d watch the show; she never did. I’ve also told her to watch GIRLS (approx. 2 years), The Mindy Project (January of this year), Game of Thrones (think she started it but never got passed S1 E2), Breaking Bad (don’t think I even told her but now I am), Heathers (cause it was Mean Girls before Mean Girls) and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (to which said, gross, no). However, she did watch Midnight In Paris…only after I bought her the DVD and then had to continuously ask her if she saw it yet.

Other people would have given up, other people would not be creating a post like this and other people would not be as obsessive as me but I ain’t no quitter, I’m a swallower. Ooo, I said that wrong.

In addition, to all those shows that I’ve already told her to watch, I’m adding a new one: Happy Endings.

My Top 10 Albums of 2013

I love music too. I love film and TV more, but I love music too. I listened to a ton of albums this year. They ranged from pop to country to hip hop to rock to whatever hell Robin Thicke’s album was. Some were amazing, while some turned out to be a colossal disappointment, here’s looking at you Paramore and Fall Out Boy. Nonetheless, a lot of great albums were released this year, so many that I considered expanding my list but then it became too much work and because of how busy my life is (YES, EXTREMELY BUSY) I had to settle for 10 and a small list of honourable mentions.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Review

When a film like The Hunger Games: Catching Fire comes along, it brings out my inner feminist. Films like this are rare. We are so used to seeing women be the lead in romantic comedies, that when you see one wielding a bow and murdering people for survival, it’s jarring. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire may not be the best film of 2013, it is far from perfect, but it is one of the most important films of 2013.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is the middle child of the trilogy, so you’d expect it to be forgetful, a placeholder for the more explosive conclusion. However, that is not the case. Catching Fire is a darker, deeper and more action-packed than the first film. It builds upon what the first film already created and adds more layers, to its characters, and the world they inhabit.

Carrie Review

The Carrie remake has gotten a bad rep since it came out. With critics and audiences, saying that it was ok or just plain bad. The original is so great and so iconic, that doing a remake seems unnecessary. That would be unfair to director, Kimberly Pierce, who constructs Carrie with universal notes of sympathy, that were missing in the 1976 version.

The World’s End Review

For the most part, movies in the summer are mindless and fun. Never going beyond mindless action and cheap laughs. But here comes The World’s End, during the dog days of summer, to remind you that not all summer movies have to follow that model. The final installment of the, “Cornetto Trilogy,” gives us Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost at their most heartfelt. Giving us a film that is equal parts funny and as it is emotional. It is easily one of the best films of the summer.

Elysium Review

In 2009, Neil Blomkamp caught everyone’s attention with his science fiction masterpiece, District 9. The film earned 4 Oscar nominations including Best Picture. Everyone was eager to see what Blomkamp would do next. Elysium is his highly anticipated film, the one meant to prove that District 9 was not a fluke. Unfortunately, I was slightly disappointed by Elysium.

We’re the Millers Review

I heard about this film but had no real interest in seeing it. Never watched a trailer, just knew that Jennifer Aniston played a stripper and that people wanted to see the film because of it. My friends took me to see but didn’t tell me that we were seeing it because they probably knew I’d protest against it. But I saw, I laughed and I had a good time.

The Wolverine Review

What is this like the fifth superhero movie of the year? Ok, it’s only the third, I think, but they all seem blur together nowadays. Most superhero movies operate on two formulas. One is to introduce a new villain, blow things up, save the female character in distress, and in the third act, CGI and massive destruction rules. The other is to make your hero go through some kind of existential crisis which allows him to find himself and accept what he is (Spider-Man 2, Man of Steel, Batman Begins). I say he because they’ve all been men but that is a discussion that belongs in another article all together. The Wolverine is special, in that it uses both formulas. The result is a good movie that turns sour in the last act, which feels like a completely different film than what it starts out being.

Pacific Rim Review

The last time giant robots were in theaters, we were sitting through the lifeless and hollow project of Michael Bay’s Transformers. But here comes Guillermo del Toro, to show that you can bring life amongst all the metal and CGI. It’s a film that swings big, is larger than life and is more enjoyable if you don’t think too much about it. I’m always cynical about films like this: giants robots fighting giant monsters, which means they destroy things and they explode things and really that is all there is but Pacific Rim is slightly different. There is love and fun that pours out of this film. Like Del Toro inviting us to be children with him this one time.

Man of Steel Review

The long anticipated Superman reboot, Man of Steel, is here and it’s amazing. Directed by Zack Snyder, produced by Christopher Nolan, and scripted by David Goyer, Man of Steel is a brilliant revival of a classic and beloved character. Superman has always been portrayed as a truly good hero almost to the point where directors have ignored his internal struggles. I love the old Donner films but it was time for Superman to lose the red underwear and stop saving cats from trees. Even the recent Brian Singer film, Superman Returns, stayed to close to the older films never bothering to re-imagine Superman for modern audiences, which was one of the main reasons it failed to connect with many people.

The Great Gatsby Review

Hey guys, it’s me Shane, I’m in Italics today. Let me explain. I am a fan of Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel The Great Gatsby but one of my best friends, Emerald, is absolutely obsessed with the book and was beyond excited for this film to be released. Also like most women, she is in love with Leonardo DiCaprio, which I’m sure amplified her need to see this film. She knows the book inside and out and is the only person I could really trust to give the perfect review for The Great Gatsby. Despite being a fan I knew her review would be fair and critical and would highlight the key aspects of the film. She is the reason I read the novel and she is the reason, I had any excitement for the film whatsoever. She knows her stuff guys and hopefully I can convince her to write articles in the future.

Review written by Emerald.

My Most Anticipated Movies of 2013

Man of Steel

Directed by: Zack Snyder | Release Date: 14 June, 2013
As a DC fanboy, I am beyond excited for this movie. Ever since Green Lantern I get scared for movies based on DC comics. Marvel is finally hitting a stride with their movies and I want to see DC also succeed. Man of Steel brings together Zack Snyder, Christopher Nolan, and David Goyer. Snyder is a master of filming action, Goyer is a superb writer and Nolan is the master storyteller. On paper this seems like the perfect team. Also what a perfect cast right? Especially after seeing the 3rd trailer, it blew my mind. Seeing those visuals, hearing the score and watching Superman finally punch the shit out of people; Man is Steel looks to be a super hero blockbuster with heart.