So Fetch Friday: Casey Affleck love + TIFF films

Hi guys! Sorry it's been a while since I've done one of these. My last few Fridays have just been kind of busy, But I'm back now! 

I had the ultimately fun privilege of watching 80% of Jupiter Ascending. What a terrible, amazing, awful movie, right? I think I heard someone on Buzzfeed or Tumblr describe it as "the fanfiction/scifi fantasy novel we all wrote when we were 14 come to life". That's pretty much what it is. It reminds me of lame fantasy stuff I would write when I was younger. I mean, so it's kind of awesome in that way, but this movie is just so ridiculous. How do the Wachowski's get money anymore? Basically everything and my thoughts on this movie can be summed by this commentary of it I found on Buzzfeed. 

Also, I watched Ain't Them Bodies Saints a couple weeks ago. How lovely and pretty is that movie? I actually really enjoyed it and thought it was just so lovely and kind of heartbreaking. Why is Casey Affleck not a bigger star? Seriously, I've watched a few of his movies in the past few weeks and I'm just not sure why he's not as big a deal as his brother, Ben. Rooney Mara was also lovely in this movie, and I'm glad she's as respected and getting as great parts as she is. But seriously, Casey Affleck needs more love. 

And speaking of the Affleck's, I also finally got around to finally seeing Good Will Hunting. Baby Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Casey Affleck are just so cute. They all have these Boston accents and run around causing trouble, but this movie is quite sentimental and uplifting without being too heavy-handed. Robin Williams was also in this, and actually won an Oscar for the part of Matt Damon's therapist. I'm not actually sure why he won? I mean, it was a good performance, and the speech he makes on the bench about love was a great clip for Oscar nominations, but I don't really see what the big deal was? Is this an unpopular opinion? I really don't know, but I thought he was good, just not like Oscar-winner worthy. Also, this was one of Matt Damon's best performances that I've seen so I'm glad to see he was nominated. Also, Ben Affleck in sweatsuits with a Boston accent (being all youthful and with that Italian hair or whatever) is much less attractive than he is now. 40's suit Ben really well, I think. Peaking in Gone Girl. 

If you hadn't heard, TIFF movie listings are starting to trickle out! The first round of films have been released, and I'm pretty excited. I live close enough to Toronto to probably catch a movie or two, but not really close enough to buy a package of tickets. (It's a hassle getting into Toronto if you don't actually live in Toronto, FYI). So much looks really good. I was lucky enough to see The Theory Of Everything there last year, so I'm hoping I can snag seeing something equally as exciting. Legend, Black Mass, Spotlight, Brooklyn, Demolition, The Martian, Trumbo, Sicario, Beasts of No Nation, and Colonia all look really great, so hopefully my husband and I can find time/tickets to see one or two of these. We'll see!

Liebster Award

I have been nominated for the Liebster Aware by Kevin over at Speaking Lines in Movies. I just want to thank him for including me as a nominee. He runs a great blog, and I'm excited to have received the nomination! 

So, right now, I'm "uninitiated", so here are the few rules I have to follow per my nomination. 

For the uninitiated, this is an award bestowed upon bloggers by their fellow bloggers. When you are nominated, there are a few simple rules to follow in order to accept your award:

1. Thank the blog who nominated you and link back to them.

2. Nominate up to 11 other bloggers to receive the coveted award.

3. Answer 11 questions from the blogger who nominated you.

4. Tell your readers 11 random facts about yourself.

5. Give the nominees 11 questions to answer on their blog when they post their nomination.

It's a great way to meet new bloggers and expand horizons within the blogosphere. 

Here are my nominees: 
Mettel Ray
Let's Go to the Movies
I Love That Film
Film Guy Reviews

My Questions: 

1. What movie is responsible for making you a film buff?

I always enjoyed movies, but I took a film class in college and the two movies we watched in their entirety were Singin' In The Rain and The Hurt Locker. Both of which I had never seen, and both of which I absolutely loved. But after that, I started to get more into film, because these two movies were just so good. 

2. What's your earliest movie memory?

I remember going to see Tarzan in theatres, when I was 7 years old. 

3. What was your most cherished title you owned on home video as a kid?

I was obsessed with Spy Kids when it came out. 

4. What is your current favorite Blu-ray or DVD that you own?

There are so many, yet I don't feel overly attached any 1 that I own. I own my favourite movies including Moonrise Kingdom, Fantastic Mr Fox, Pride & Prejduice and all the Harry Potter films (most of them the 2 disc versions!)

5. Who is your all-time favorite movie character?

This is so hard! I feel like I'm still pretty new to movies. But the few I have are because I also love the books: Ron Weasley (from Harry Potter) and Elizabeth Bennett (from Pride and Prejudice) are the ones that most quickly come to mind.

6. What is your favorite TV drama?

Definitely Breaking Bad. But I'm also currently loving Mad Men and The Newsroom. 

7. What is your favorite TV comedy? 

The Office (US) and Parks and Recreation

8. What is the last movie you watched? 

The Fighter! (my husband had never seen it, and I was convincing him that Christian Bale is more than just a decent actor. Previous to this, he did not really believe me)

9. Favorite food? 

Donuts are forever my weakness. 

10. Any pets?

No pets!

11. How and why did you become a blogger?  

I became a blogger not long after the film class I took a few years ago in college. Initially my goal was to watch every single Best Picture winner and then blog about each winner, but to also follow each years Oscar race and watch all the current years Best Picture nominees. It took me way too long to actually watch all the Best Picture winners (I finished last summer in 2014, but started the project in November of 2011). Now I follow just follow each years Oscar race, participate in blogathons, and review movies I see.  

11 Random Facts

1. I've been married for just over 2 years but we've been together since I was 13 and he was 14!
2. I work in the office of a trucking company
3. I've been to New York, LA, Florida, Portugal and Ireland. 
4. I have 1 sister and we love to quote the Office to each other
5. My husband is currently attending seminary and plans to be a Youth Pastor
6. I live in a big city just outside Toronto, Ontario (yay Canada!)
7. I love to bake! I generally bake once a week (if not more!)
8. My biggest guilty pleasure movies are the Proposal, the Princess Diaries and The Parent Trap
9. I've read Harry Potter more times than I can remember
10. I hopeless crush on Brad Pitt and Tom Hardy



Here are my questions for my nominees!
1. (I'm also stealing this one) What movie is responsible for making you a film buff?
2. What's your favourite current TV show? 
3. What's your favourite TV show that has ended? 
4. The last (new) good movie you saw? 
5. If you could live in any fictional land/country/universe, where would you pick? 
6. Is there any actor/actress/directors that you'll see their movies, no matter what? 
7. What's your favourite animated film? 
8. Where's your favourite place to watch movies/TV? 
9. What's your favourite thing to snack on during a movie? 
10. How many movies do you own? 
11. (stealing this too!) How and why did you become a blogger?  

So Fetch Friday: Books to Movies + Brooklyn Trailer

Happy Friday everyone! I can't be happier it's Friday. Work has been oddly busy and somewhat stressful the past two weeks. Unusual because I'm generally never really that busy, nor has this job never really made me stressed. Thankfully though, I've had time to wind down by watching movies, and some TV, and even reading a book or two.

I got a chance to rewatch Drive. I haven't seen it since I first watched it. I still feel kind of whatever about the movie. But I totally forgot Bryan Cranston was in it! It was fun seeing him play someone so un-Walter White-ish. Ryan Gosling was good, but I don't think he was as good as I remember. As well, I don't really understand what the fuss was about Albert Brooks. He was good, but the part was so small. Also, I realize he voices Marlin in Finding Nemo so it was humorous to picture Marlin saying all the lines Albert Brooks had. The music for this movie is super awesome though, and I wish Christina Hendricks was able to be in more of the movie. She's just so great.

Speaking of Hendricks, I finished off season 5 of Mad Men. This season had me pretty hooked, especially since I'd accidently came upon a major spoiler for this season (I'm sure you know which big spoiler I'm talking about, if you've seen this season). But still, it was nice to finally get to see a lot more about Joan, and seeing Alexis Bledel and Vincent Kartheiser together was fun (they're married in real life!). I'm looking forward to seeing how all of this ends, now that there's only 2 more season left.

I mentioned I read a few books. Both of which have the film rights picked up, so I'm interested to see if they'll get made anytime soon. The first I finished off was The Girl On The Train. There's been rumors that Emily Blunt may be starring in this one. She's be playing the lead role of Rachel, who's an unemployed alcoholic. Blunt is definitely not who I pictured for this role at all (I pictured someone more like Rosemarie DeWitt, but British) but I'm happy to just see Emily Blunt just get parts in movies because she's really fantastic. I just don't understand though, the obsession with people comparing thriller/mystery/crime books like this with Gone Girl. Is it because it's a crime story that has a woman at the centre? Because the next book I'm going to mention also gets Gone Girl comparisons and I really don't understand because neither of these books are that much like it at all. This book did remind me of When I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson. But look how that movie turned out..

The other book I finished reading is called Luckiest Girl Alive. For whatever reason, this is also getting Gone Girl comparisons (still not sure why). However, like Gone Girl, Reese Witherspoon helped secure the rights to the book to Lionsgate and will serve as a produced. Unlike Gone Girl, I could actually see Reese play the main character, if she wants to. However, no casting news as of yet, so we'll see when/if this gets made. Honestly, I can't really picture it as a movie, but it could be interesting. It was a moderately good book, but it didn't really hold anything to Gillian Flynn.

Did you guys see the trailer for Brooklyn? Personally, I'm quite excited to see this as it got great reviews out of Sundance, and I've been kind of waiting for Saoirse Ronan to get a second Oscar nomination. Also, I just love Domhnall Gleeson, so seeing him in anything is great.

July Blindspot: Raiders of the Lost Ark

Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1981
Directed by Steve Spielberg

I'm not exactly sure how I've gotten this far in life and have never fully seen Raiders of the Lost Ark. But I feel like I've said this about a lot of movies that I should've seen. But Raiders is definitely one that I'm not sure of. It's like hearing someone has never seen Jurassic Park or the original Star Wars. But Raiders is old enough that it wasn't popular anymore when I was a child, and my parents never showed it to me. But anyway, time to finally share how I felt about this classic and popular film!

If you don't know already, Indiana Jones is an archeologist and gets to go on crazy dangerous adventures to retrieve items to be sold to a museum that he works for? Just always donates to? I wasn't exactly sure. But I believe they fund his trips. Anyway, the Nazis are obsessed with recovering ancient artefacts and apparently the latest thing they're after is The Ark of The Covenant, which is what carried around the Ten Commandments in the Bible. So Indy is off to get this before the Nazis can.

I'm not exactly sure how I felt about Raiders of the Lost Ark. Part of me disliked it, but part of me wonders if it just didn't age well. Indiana Jones was very much the cliche of cool, hot explorer guy. And when we first meet Marion (daughter of Abner Ravenwood, a fellow archaeologist), she's drinking poisoned shots with Nepalese men, and being a total boss. She owns the bar they're drinking in, and punches Indy in the face because he broke her heart 10 years ago and now she hates him. This Marion seems to be very different than the Marion we see later, who can't seem to muster up those same punches for guys who are actually attacking her (those she does manage to kill 1 man with a frying pan, though after running away from him), resorts to simply hiding in baskets and then being dressed up in froofy white dresses when she's a hostage (and when she's not). I guess I shouldn't be surprised at this treatment of Marion, but when we first met her, she seemed like a strong, independent woman, but Spielberg later has her shrieking for Indy to save her (even though she proved capable at the opening bar fight in Nepal), and he has her trussed up in fancy dressed for literally no good reason at all. She just turns into a damsel in distress for the rest of the movie. Also, that scene at the beginning where Indy is teaching a college class, which is apparently 99% made up of women, who aren't t here to learn, but to marvel at how hot and sexy Indy is. It seems a ridiculous situation and scene, and I'm not sure what the point was.

Anyway, I'll finish my rant about this movies treatment of the literally only woman in this movie. Raiders of the Lost Ark is an action movie through and through. We get action piece after action piece. Though I wouldn't call this a complaint as all these action scenes were actually quite well done and fun to watch. Other than the sexism (can I blame that on the time this film was made?), this movie was generally well-written, and fun. The movie didn't take itself all too seriously, and was a little more explicit than I was expecting for a PG rated film (those faces melting was gross!).

Honestly, I somewhat understand why this movie was a big deal. It was fun, action-packed, and not unlike the Marvel movies that are getting made today. Indiana Jones is not altogether different from those superheroes we see dominating our screen today. A mix of wit, action, romance, and "saving the day!" is fun. Sure, Harrison Ford is handsome and was on that line of not being too young, but not being too old that he probably he pretty universal appeal with women, and the men knew and loved him as Han Solo in Star Wars. But overall, as fun as the movie was, it's something I probably wouldn't bother to revisit. Fun, but somewhat forgettable.

Inside Out

Inside Out, 2015
Directed by Pete Doctor & Ronnie Del Carmen

Riley is a happy and goofy 11-year old girl. She lives in Minnesota, loves to play hockey, and loves her family and friends. But suddenly Riley's parents move the family to San Francisco. Riley's emotions (Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust and Fear) lead the way for living Riley's life and try to navigate her through this next step. However, Sadness starts to play a larger role in Riley's life, much to the chagrin of Riley's lead emotion, Joy. However, Joy and Sadness find themselves swept into the far reaches of Riley's mind, and must find a way to return back to the forefront, without having Riley lose too many emotions, memories, or feelings.

When I saw the trailers for Inside Out, all I really felt was "meh". I figured it would probably be better than Brave, Pixar's last original film, but figured we were looking at like a 75% on RottenTomatoes. However, when the film released, landed a 98% on RT and made $91 million on opening weekend, I wanted to know what the fuss was about. The trailers still looked kind of whatever, and, I don't know why, but I really dislike the poster for this movie, but I knew I needed to check this movie out.

Inside Out was much better than I expected. I start to get wary of movies like this that everyone tells me is amazing. My gut reaction is to dislike these movies on the spot. However, Inside Out was really quite good. The story was imaginative and creative, all the recesses of Riley's mind was so well thought out and just so creative! Riley's mind is split into sections. The 5 emotions live in the Headquarters, an elevated command centre, looking down on the rest of Riley's mind. Memories that Riley make enter headquarters as little glass spheres and get archived into her memory storehouse, while a small handful of memories become "Core memories", things that make Riley who she is. But once Joy and Sadness find themselves outside of headquarters, and no longer in control of Riley, they walk through various parts of Riley's mind. We got to see the memory "storehouse", where the memories spheres are kept on shelves, and are maintained (or "faded memories" are thrown out) by memory workers. We get to see Riley's "personality islands", which are various parts of Riley's personality. We also walk through Abstract Thought, Imagination Land, and even get to see the Dreams Production studio, where all Riley's dreams are filmed and projected while she sleeps. There's even a literal train of thought that runs, and a menacing dark pit that is the subconscious. Everything is done with such great detail, but never gets too complicated that it goes completely over children's heads. The mind is a complicated place, and could've had much more to it, but there's a great balance here, filling it with not too much, but just enough.

The movie and story itself got a lot more sentimental and sad than I had expected. Inside Out touched on some deeper things and serious thoughts. It went a lot deeper than I expected, and I'm so very glad it did. Usually when films gets sentimental, it comes off cheesy, but with a movie like this, a movie about being 11 years old and growing up, the sentimentality is handled well and never comes off as too much. I know I wasn't the only one who was tearing up in the theatre.

My only complaint about this movie is that it started to drag near the end. Joy and Sadness are trying to get on the "Train of thought" which will take them back to Headquarters. However, it seems they hit just one or two too many obstacles along the way that it started to feel long and a little annoying. However, this is a small complaint as the obstacles still were all quite funny and poignant. One even resulted in a child literally bursting into tears in the theatre I was in.

As well, the main 5 emotions had such a great voice cast. I mean, casting Amy Poehler as Joy? Has there ever been more perfect voice casting? Okay, maybe there has, but I could listen to Amy as Joy forever. Also, Phyllis Smith as Sadness? Actually, just as perfect casting (if not more perfect) than Amy as Joy. Phyllis Smith can have such a depressing voice, and she was pitch perfect voicing Sadness. As well Mindy Kaling as Disgust? And Lewis Black and Bill Hader as Anger and Fear? Everyone here did such perfect voice work.

Inside Out is actually a well-made, well thought out, and emotional movie, perfect for the whole family. It's a movie about family, and growing up, and figuring out who we are, and it's done beautifully. While it may not be my favourite Pixar movie, it'll definitely be high up on the list.

8/10

Happy Canada Day!

It's Canada Day! The day Canada officially became a country back 148 years ago. Canada is such a lovely country, if I do say so myself. While sadly, I have seen extremely little of it, Canada has been the backdrop of millions of movies and have produced many huge stars. While Canada doesn't always get fair recognition (can you name many films that were set in Canada?), we're a country that is well-used in the film industry. So I thought I'd share some of my favourite films that actually are set in Canada, and name a few of my favourite Canadian stars!

Movies Set in Canada

Scott Pilgrim Vs the World
Unashamedly Canadian, and such a fun movie! Scott Pilgrim features so much of Canada (from Second Cup to Pizza Pizza to Casa Loma) it's one of the movies that immediatly comes to mind when I think of movies set in Canada. The city I live in even gets a shoutout! (Though it definitely helps that its the same city that Michael Cera originates from!)

The F Word
Another film featuring Toronto as Toronto, The F Word (or otherwise known to the world as What If) is one of my favourite romantic comedies. It even cracked my top 10 movies of 2014!

X2: X-Men United
X-Men has always had Canadian ties with Wolverine being a Canadian, but the latter half of the film was set in Alberta, bringing us a fantastic final part of the film.

Mommy
Mommy was such an interesting and weird and beautiful experience. Director Xavier Dolan himself also hails from Canada, and the film is set in Quebec. A beautiful and heartbreaking film. Check it out!

The Grand Seduction
Okay, I didn't overly care for this, but it's such a beautiful depiction of the East and Brendan Gleeson is just so much fun.


Favourite Canadian Actors

Ryan Gosling
Born In: London, ON
Notable Films: Lars and the Real Girl, Blue Valentine, The Notebook
This man is way overdue for another Oscar nomination! I'm still unhappy that he was snubbed for both Lars and Blue Valentine

Rachel McAdams
Born In: London, ON
Notable Films: Mean Girls, The Notebook, Midnight In Paris
I love her, even if she really hasn't been given material she deserves. I hope she can one day get her McConaissance.

Jim Carrey
Born In: Newmarket, ON
Notable Films: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Liar Liar, the Truman Show
Jim Carrey is such a guilty pleasure. My family is never endingly quoting Bruce Almighty.

Donald Sutherland
Born In: Saint John, NB
Notable Roles: Ordinary People, MASH, The Hunger Games
I wish I've seen more of his stuff, but he seems like such an amazing guy. Also, how did he get snubbed for Ordinary People?

Christopher Plummer
Born In: Toronto, ON
Notable Roles: the Sound of Music, A Beautiful Mind, Beginners
Again, someone I haven't seen a lot of, but he just seems like the cutest old man!

June 2015 Blindspot: Psycho

Psycho, 1960
Directed By Alfred Hitchcock

Somehow, I've been able to get away with never having seen Psycho until this point! I mean, I saw the shower scene in film class, and I've even watched that movie, Hitchcock, about the making of this movie. But somehow, I hadn't seen this movie yet (to the somewhat shock of my in-laws).

Psycho is pretty much the first movie I knew I had to have on my Blindspot list. I mean, it's Psycho! It's Hitchcock! I need to see much more of his films than I've seen (which, before watching this one, consisted only of seeing Rebecca and Rope). So I'm glad I finally got around to seeing this one.

If you don't know already, Psycho is about a young woman who arrives at the Bates Motel after embezzling money from her employer and going on the run. But something isn't quite right about this Motel. (Obviously, spoilers will be following).

As I understand, Psycho was an extremely controversial film to come out. The Hays Production Code had dissolved not too long ago, and Hitchcock made plenty of controversial content decisions. The film itself opens up to Marion Crane and her lover, sharing a bed, and Marion just in her underwear and bra. We also get hints of nudity in the famous shower scene, and even small things like showing a toilet flushing was considered risque. And while this stuff is hardly considered controversial today, it thankfully never feels like any of it was done just for "shock value". Everything seems natural and central to the story.

Anyway, there's so much to love about Psycho. It's a great slasher film, but it doesn't just get caught up in the blood and horror. Once we hit that incredible shower scene about 30 minutes into the film (killing off our, up until then, main character), we go back and forth between people being murdered, but also Marion's lover and her sister trying to figure out what has happened to her, now that she's been missing for a week. The balance between the two different "sides" of the story is done very well.

As well, Anthony Perkins- what a performance he gave! Norman Bates comes off so naive and sincere in the beginning, but then things start to slowly feel off. He gave such a layered performance that it's too bad there wasn't any recognition he received from it. Janet Leigh, who played Marion, was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars. Fair enough, she was also quite good, but Anthony Perkins really does steal the show. Especially that final scene in which his mind, speaking as his mother, takes over. Thankfully, Alfred Hitchcock himself did get some recognition for this. While it wasn't nominated for Best Picture (probably just a little too divisive at the time?), Hitchcock managed to be nominated for Best Director, which was an incredibly deserved nomination.

Psycho, had it come out today, probably would've been well received, but not received as much acclaim. Pyscho was released with divisive reviews, but it was the most talked about thing of the time. Controversial, scary and somewhat explicit, Hitchcock really had the conversation going, and it really helped in his favour. However, Psycho is fairly, and rightly a classic, and should be on all must-watch lists. Psycho is a perfect thriller and a horror genre film done with class and masterclass. Simple in premise, but done with attention to detail and perfection.

So Fetch Friday: Panic Room

Hey everyone! My week has actually been pretty good. Yesterday, I finally got my full driver's license (because Canada has 3 levels of a driver license... it's stupid). As well, my husband and I are leaving to go camping this afternoon! This is the first time I'll be going camping where it isn't a church thing. It's just me and husband, and I'm looking forward to it!

Yesterday, I continued my endeavor of watching through David Fincher's filmography and watched Panic Room yesterday. I actually did quite like it, though it's almost a little strange to think of as a Fincher film. It just seemed pretty standard and mainstream for Fincher. Especially since this came out after both Fight Club and Seven. It was just pretty straight forward. It still made for a pretty decent film though. As with all of Fincher's films, there are some good performances here. Kristen Stewart was quite good as Jodie Foster's daughter, and Jodie Foster herself was good. She works well with this genre (which is why she must do it so often). Jared Leto was good, as was Forest Whitaker. While the film did do a good job of having smart and strong women (as most Fincher films do), things were still, for the most part, pretty predictable. It was well paced and had some great tense moments, but it's definitely not quite as good as some of his other films.

My husband and I are now on season 5 of Mad Men. It took a while, but I've gotten hooked now. I've been slowly exposed to spoilers, but still looking forward to watching each time we throw an episode on. While I don't really understand why it's as big of a deal as people think it is, it's still an incredibly well done and poignant show.

Also, how cool is it that Canadian Netflix has all four of my top 4 movies of last year? Yes, Canadian Netflix now has Whiplash, Nightcrawler, Gone Girl and the Grand Budapest Hotel. They also have my number 6, Boyhood. Definitely very exciting, especially since these films are just so darn good. Kudos on Canada for acquiring some great films. While I know a lot of people rag on Canada for not having great selection compared to the US, we have been getting some pretty good (and critically acclaimed) recent films, so I really can't complain.

So have you guys heard of the movie Captive starring David Oyelowo and Kate Mara? I only mention this because it's another Christian-themed film to come out this September. While the film looks predictable and kind of cheesy (though it is based on a true story), I'm glad some bigger actors and studios involved. While it probably won't be the best movie ever made, it's definitely a step in the right direction to maybe, finally, seeing some Christian representation in film. Check the trailer out

Most Anticipated Movies for Fall & Winter 2015

So far this year, I haven't actually seen very many good, new movies. I saw Cinderella, which was decent. And I saw Mad Max: Fury Road twice, which was one of the best action movies ever! And as I look over the summer releases to come, none of them look all too interesting. Most of what's coming out the rest of the summer doesn't seem to be like a sure thing (besides Inside Out, which I hear is a Pixas comeback). Ant-Man looks questionable, as does Jurassic World. Fantastic Four is being remade, Terminator gets a "sequel" (or is it a prequel?), as does Mission Impossible and Magic Mike, and we get Jake Gyllenhaal's boxing film (which, according to Harvey Weinstein, will land him an Oscar nod). I just can't really find anything to be that excited about.

So with the slew of new trailers, photos, posters, etc for upcoming films, I thought I would highlight the films I'm looking forward to this Fall/Winter. Fall/Winter seems to be about the best time to get some fantastic movies, and this year definitely looks really exciting (as does every year, around this time). Here is a few films I'm looking forward to.

Triple Nine (September 11)
Why Triple Nine? Mainly the cast. Casey Affleck, Aaron Paul, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kate Winslet, Gal Gadot, Woody Harrelson, and Anthony Mackie. It's also a heist film. Directed by John Hillcoat, who brought us Lawless (a film I really didn't care for). It's mainly the cast that has me excited, but heist films can be right up my alley if they're done well. I'm looking forward to seeing more of Aaron Paul, and I hope he gets a better opportunity to finally display his talent on the big screen.

Black Mass (September 18)
I didn't care too much about this film until I saw the trailer. The trailer got me properly hooked. While I haven't cared for really anything Johnny Depp has done in a long time, this movie looks like it could be the comeback Depp needs. While he still is in costume, and looking unrecognizable, it looks like Depp might actually be given a great opportunity and a great character, with the chance to give some depth. Supporting cast includes Benedict Cumberbatch, Kevin Bacon, Dakota Johnson, Juno Temple, Joel Edgerton and Adam Scott.

Everest (September 18)
I have this weird obsession with Everest. Similar to my obsession with the Titanic, I will read and watch almost anything if it's set in these locations. Everest is based off Jon Krakauer's book Into Thin Air, which was a very interesting read. The visual look amazing, and the cast is star-studded. Maybe it won't be an Oscar contender, but it looks to be a great thriller.

99 Homes (September 25th)
I just really, really, really want to see Andrew Garfield in something that isn't Spider-man. I haven't seen a lot about 99 Homes, but the premise sounds mildly interesting (it's about the US housing-market meltdown). But I'm just really looking forward to seeing Andrew Garfield in something where he can flex his acting muscle.

Pan (October 9th)
Actually, I'm very mixed and skeptical when it comes to Pan. I love Joe Wright's films and I think he might do a fantastic job. I think the whole race thing was blown out of proportion, as it looks like this is not so much a "native tribe" as it is some weird, childish, colourful group. The film could be really good, or could just be a flop. I'm interested to find out which.

Trumbo (November 6th)
Another Breaking Bad alum, Bryan Cranston stars as Dalton Trumbo, a Hollywood screenwriter who is blacklisted for being a Communist. Again, I don't know much about this movie other than that, but I'm excited to see Bryan Cranston finally getting a starring role, and something that could finally, potentially, get him up for a well-deserved Oscar Nod.

Brooklyn (November 6th)
A love story that had gotten strong reviews out of Sundance, it stars Saoirse Ronan and Dohmnall Gleeson. Gleeson I'm particularly excited for as he's an actor I think is quite talented but hasn't really had his big break yet (until Star Wars comes out, that is). But I do enjoy love stories, and both Saoirse Ronan and Dohmnall Gleeson are a good reason to check this out.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 (November 20th)
Part 1 of Mockingjay was slightly disappointing, but, having read the books, I do know there is an action-packed finale to come, and I'm eager to see how it is handled.

The Martian (November 25th)
Trailer released only yesterday, it has definitely peaked my interest. While I'm anticipating this with caution, as Ridley Scott hasn't really made that great of a movie in a while, but the cast is strong, and I've heard very good things about the book. Space and being isolated in space seems to be popular these days, so I'm interested to see how this will compare with Gravity and Interstellar (I enjoyed both)

The Danish Girl (November 27th)
While I am a Christian and don't really support the idea of transgender (that doesn't mean I don't love and care for these people!) I am interested to see how this film is handled. It's being directed by Tom Hooper, who seems to be a pretty tame director. So to take this subject on will be interesting. It also stars Eddie Redmayne, who becomes the first transgendered woman, and Alicia Vikander as her wife.

In The Heart of the Sea (December 11th)
Originally supposed to come out in March, but got moved to December, Ron Howard's next movie looks really great, to me. I like that he's using Chris Hemsworth again, as I thought he was very underrated in Rush (Howard's previous film). It's the true story that inspired Moby Dick, and the visuals and the story look great.

Joy (December 25th)
Joy is about the woman who created Miracle Mop, and is directed by David O Russell, and stars Jennifer Lawrence. While the story itself sounds kind of whatever, I'm curious to see what tone Russell will be going for, and what kind of performance Lawrence will give. It also has Bradley Cooper and Robert DeNiro involved. Hopefully it's better than American Hustle.

The Revenant (December 25th)
Leonardo DiCaprio. Tom Hardy. Alejandro Inarritu. Revenge Western. I've been telling people right now that my early prediction is that DiCaprio will finally win his Oscar with this film. Michael Keaton got darn close last year in Birdman. This film sounds much less baity than a lot of his other recent films, but it still sounds incredibly juicy and meaty. As well, this film better get Tom Hardy up for an Oscar, because, seriously, how does he not have a nomination yet?

Suffragette (TBD)
Finally, finally, finally a film coming out about women trying to get the vote. Early feminist stories like this have basically never been told on film, and this film is particularly exciting. Directed by a woman, written by a woman, and a slew of female stars. Carey Mulligan is an actress I love, so I'm excited to see her in something new, and something that could get her her 2nd Oscar nomination. As well, it's always nice to see Helena Bonham-Carter. Here's hoping this film does it's subject justice.

The Light Between Oceans (TBD)
Again, having read the book, this film could be incredibly baity but also really moving and powerful. Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikaner and Rachel Weisz all have great roles, and I'm excited to see what they do with them. As well, directed by Derek Cianfrance, who did both the heartbreaking Blue Valentine and The Place Beyond the Pines, this story is also heartbreaking.

Silence (TBD)
I'm not exatly sure if this is coming out in 2015, but I have a feeling it might. It'll get a very last minute push at the end of the year and coudl screw up everyone's Oscar predictions, but it's still one I'm looking forward to. It has Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver playing Porteguese priests who go to Japan to locate their mentor, and spread the Good Word of Christianity. It'll be interesting to see how the violence and Christianity is handled, and again, I'm excited for the performances we'll get to see from both Garfield and Driver, but also Liam Neeson.

Honourable Mentions: Carol, Spotlight, Southpaw, Demolition, I Saw the Light, Money Monster


Looking forward to films is just a lot of fun, and I thought I'd list what I'm looking forward to for the rest of the year. What are you guys looking forward to this year?

So Fetch Friday: Still Alice + Trailers

Here I am for another So Fetch Friday! Seems I only really get around to doing these every other week. Honestly, this week was pretty crappy, but I was able to catch up on a few movies, and take some time out for TV (because honestly, what else do I do?)

I finally saw Still Alice last night. I expected it to be a lot more tear-jerker than it was, so I was actually pretty pleased. It was a lot less depressing (though still sad) than I thought it would be. Julianne Moore was quite good. I'm not sure if it's Oscar good, but I haven't really seen much of her other work. I still really wish Rosamund Pike has won for Gone Girl. (I still don't understand how that film got such little love!) Also, Kristen Stewart was actually quite good in this. I mean, not that her role was all that meaty or anything, but she was convincing and wasn't overly wooden or awkward. Her character's relationship with her mother was actually really beautiful. 

I also watched The Last Five Years with Anna Kendrick. Solidly a musical, pretty much through and through. The first song was actually really good, but the rest of the movie just felt sort of blah to me. It's nice seeing Anna Kendrick doing something a bit more meaty and dramatic, but the movie itself was kind of whatever. 

Also, isn't Gilmore Girls just the best? I had no idea I would get this hooked. And it's not like all that much happens, but I just love all the characters and want to know what keeps happening in their everyday lives. Seriously, I just love it. I'm currently in the middle of the 3rd season, and Jess's father just came to town, and Luke found out he isn't graduating, and so he gets kicked out. He leaves without telling Rory. Also, Dean is getting married?? Can I just state that, as of right now, I'm still solidly Team Dean, and I always feel so bad for Rory who threw away her relationship with such a solid guy, to be with such a little, rude, sullen annoyance. Oh well. 

I also saw Mad Max: Fury Road for the second time, because it was a crappy week and this movie is fantastic. Seriously, so good. Everytime someone mentions their going to see the Avengers (or whatever else is playing right now), I always tell them to see Mad Max instead. This movie deserves to make so much money. I'm just loving the critically feedback it's getting, especially from just people on the internet. Can we start a massive Oscar campaign to have this movie nominated in every single technical category? Because it would actually deserve every single one of those nominations. Please?? Also, get Charlize Theron up for Best Actress! 

Anyway, this weekend I may or may not check out Ryan Gosling's Lost River and the horribly reviewed Mortdecai. We'll see what kind of mood I'm in!

There were some pretty sweet trailers released this week, that I'm pumped about. Have you all seen the trailer for Suffragette? I'm excited we're finally getting a film about the early feminist movement. Because why hasn't there been, like, a single history movie about this? Carey Mulligan looks so great in this. Get her up for Best Actress Oscar too? Check it out: 

Also, the trailer for Everest was released. It's based off of Jon Krakauer's book called Into Thin Air. I read it about a year ago, and I'm excited they're making a film based on the events. The cast is jam-packed and the visuals look stunning.