Movies I am looking forward to in 2014

February 7th: The Monuments Men
February 12th: RoboCop
March 21st:

• Divergent
• Muppets Most Wanted

March 28th: Cesar Chavez
April 18th: Transcendence directed by Wally Pfister
May 9th: Chef directed by Jon Favreau, starring Robert Downey Jr
May 16th: Godzilla directed by Monsters director Gareth Edwards starring Elizabeth Olsen
May 23rd: X-Men: Days of Future Past starring James MacAvoy and Michael Fassbender
May 30th: Maleficient
June 13th: How to Train Your Dragon 2
July 18th: Jupiter Ascending
August 1st: Guardians of the Galaxy
August 22nd: Sin City: A Dame to Kill For directed by Robert Rodriguez and 
October 3rd: Gone Girl directed by David Fincher
November 7th: Interstellar directed by Christopher Nolan
December 12th: Exodus directed by Ridley Scott
December 25th: Unbroken directed by Angelina Jolie, written by the Coen Bros

My memorable Christmas films

1. Eyes Wide Shut
2. A Christmas Carol
3. A Muppet Christmas Carol
4. Santa Claus is Coming To Town
5. A Charlie Brown Christmas
6. Frosty the Snowman
7. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
8. It's Christmas Time, Charlie Brown
9. The Santa Clause 2
10. Die Hard
11. The Magic Paintbrush
12. Home Alone 2: Lost in NY
13. Batman Returns
14. The Santa Clause
15. The Santa Clause 3

The Top 15 Worst Blockbusters of 2013

1. A Madea Christmas
2. Anchorman 2
3. A Good Time to Die Hard
4. Top Gun 3D
5. A Haunted House
6. Star Trek: Into Darkness/
7. The Man of Steel
8. Movie 43
9. Iron Man 3
10. GI Joe: Retaliation
11. Fast & The Furious 6
12. The Hangover Part III
13. RIPD
14. Thor: The Dark World
15. Planes

VGX I/2013 was a con in more than one sense of the word

VGX I/2013 was a lie.

• The Game of the Year was awarded half way in the middle of the show
• Those games and awards were barely talked about.
• They pretended to empathize and portray internet culture while horribly failing and making them look horrible.
• The guests were cheap. The set was cheap. Everything this year was cheap. They did not try. Especially Joel McHale. (I never liked Community anyway.)
• They instead heavily promoted future games

Another form of Con that VGX and the Video Game Awards have been trying to be for a while: a video game convention. They demonstrated future games at something that implied previous games of the year! How backwards (or not) is that?

They can hire booth babes.

They can charge people to go.

They can make some money and have people going.

Why don't they do that?

The 2013 ArthouseConverter Video Game Hall of Fame

1961 SpaceWar!
1972 Pong
1974 Oregon Trail 
1988 Super Mario Bros 3
1990 Mega Man 3
1994

• Final Fantasy VI
• Policenauts

1996 Super Mario 64
1999 Shenmue

2001 

• Deus Ex 
• Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty

2002

• Metroid Prime
• ICO
• Shinobi

 2004 Ninja Gaiden
 2005 Shadow of the Colossus
2010

• Mass Effect 2
• Minecraft

2012 Retrograde
2013 Antichamber

My Predictions: 12 Years a Slave major winner for the 71st/2014 Golden Globe Awards

The Wind Rises was shafted for Best Animated Feature, although it could win for Best Foreign Language Film.
Best Animated Feature:
Does not matter
Best Foreign Language Film:
Blue is the Warmest Color will take that prize.

Best Screenplay:
Spike Jonze, for his infamous in previous films, finally getting awarded for Her.

Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave and Spike Jonze's Her are the top candidates for the Academy Awards, so I choose them as their respective winner for Best Picture category.
Steve McQueen would unanimously get the Best Director nod.
Best Picture-Drama:
12 Years a Slave
Best Picture-Musical or Comedy:
Her
Best Director:
Steve McQueen

Best Actor-Drama/Comedy:
Everyone wins, since they are such good candidates.

Best Actress:
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine

Best Supporting Actor:
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
My personal choice: Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave

Best Supporting Actress:
June Squibb, Nebraska
My personal choice: Lupita Nyong'o: 12 Years a Slave

Academy Award Updates 12/10/2013

Want to know the top leaders in the Oscar race? Check the leaders in bold.

Best Film, Director

1. Her, Spike Jonze, National Board of Review, LAFCS
2. 12 Years A Slave, Steve McQueen NYFCC, BFCS
3. Gravity, Alfonso Cuaron, BFCS, LAFCA
4. Fruitvale Station, Ryan Coogler, Many Breakthrough Director Awards
5. Inside Llewyn Davis, Gotham
6. Nebraska, BFCS
7. Wadjda, BFCS
8. Wolf of Wall Street, BFCS Runner Up
9. The Act of Killing, BFCS Runner Up

Best Animated Film
The Wind Rises, Almost Everything, LAFCA Runner Up
Ernest and Celestine, LAFCA
Frozen, BFCS Runner Up

Best Documentary
Act of Killing, Almost everything, LAFCA Runner Up
Stories We Tell, LAFCA
Black Fish, BFCS Runner Up

Best Foreign Language Film
Blue is the Warmest Color, Almost Everything
The Great Beauty (Italy), LAFCA Runner Up

Lists:
National Board of Review
Top 10 Films (in alphabetical order):

• 12 Years a Slave
• Fruitvale Station
• Gravity
• Inside Llewyn Davis
• Lone Survivor
• Nebraska
• Prisoners
• Saving Mr. Banks
• The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
• The Wolf of Wall Street

Top 5 Foreign Language Films (in alphabetical order):

• Beyond the Hills
• Gloria
• The Grandmaster
• A Hijacking
• The Hunt

Top 10 Independent Films (in alphabetical order):

• Ain’t Them Bodies Saints
• Dallas Buyers Club
• In a World…
• Mother of George
• Much Ado About Nothing
• Mud
• The Place Beyond the Pines
• Short Term 12
• Sightseers
• The Spectacular Now

American Film Institute Top 10

• 12 Years a Slave
• American Hustle
• Captain Phillips
• Fruitvale Station
• Gravity
• Her
• Inside Llewyn Davis
• Nebraska
• Saving Mr. Banks
• The Wolf of Wall Street

Best Screenplay:
Enough Said, BFCS
The Wolf of Wall Street, BFCS Runner Up
Richard Linklater, Before Midnight, LAFCS
Spike Jonze, Her, LAFCA Runner Up

Best Cinematography:
Emmanuel Lubezki – Gravity, BFCS, LAFCA

Phillipe le Sourd, The Grandmaster, BFCS Runner Up

Best Editing:
Rush, BFCS
Thelma Schoonmaker – The Wolf of Wall Street, BFCS Runner-up: 
Alfonso Cuarón and Mark Sanger – Gravity, LAFCA
Shane Carruth and David Lowery – Upstream Color, LAFCA Runner-up

Best Actor

1. Bruce Dern, Nebraska, NBR, LAFCS
2. Michael B. Jordan, Gotham, NBR
3. Robert Redford, All is Lost, NYFC
4. Chiwetel Eijofor, BFCS, LAFCS Runner Up
5. Leonardo DiCaprio, BFCS Runner Up

Best Actress

1. Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine, NYFC, BFCS, LAFCS
2. Adèle Exarchopoulos – Blue Is the Warmest Colour, NBR, LAFCS
3. Emma Thompson, Saving Ms. Banks, NBR
4. Brie Lawson, Short Term 12, Gotham
5. Judi Dench, Philomena, BFCS Runner Up

Best Supporting Actor

1. Jared Leto, NYFC, BFCS Runner Up, LAFCA
2. Will Forte, Nebraska, NBR
3. James Gandolfini, Enough Said, BFCS
4. James Franco, LAFCA
5. Barkhad Abdi – Captain Phillips, BFCS Runner Up

Best Supporting Actress

1. June Squibb, Nebraska, Gotham, BFCS, LAFCA
2. Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave, BFCS Runner Up, LAFCA
3. Jennifer Lawrence, NYFC
4. Octavia Spencer, NBR

The American Film Institute names their top 10 films of the year.

Yuck, Captain Phillips and Saving Mr. Banks.
Yay 12 Years a Slave, Her and Inside Llewyn Davis.
I don't even want to talk about the television segment.

12 Years a Slave
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Fruitvale Station
Gravity
Her
Inside Llewyn Davis
Nebraska
Saving Mr. Banks
The Wolf of Wall Street

Los Angeles Film Critics Association has a lot of ties

Gravity and Her won a ton of awards including tying for Best Picture and placing 1st and 2nd for director. The Wind Rises finally got dethroned from unanimous Best Animated Feature.

Best Picture (tie):
Gravity
Her

Best Director:
Alfonso Cuarón – Gravity
Runner-up: Spike Jonze – Her

Best Actor:
Bruce Dern – Nebraska
Runner-up: Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 Years a Slave

Best Actress (tie):
Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine/Adèle Exarchopoulos – Blue Is the Warmest Colour

Best Supporting Actor (tie):
James Franco – Spring Breakers/Jared Leto – Dallas Buyers Club

Best Supporting Actress:
Lupita Nyong'o – 12 Years a Slave
Runner-up: June Squibb – Nebraska

Best Screenplay:
Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy & Ethan Hawke – Before Midnight
Runner-up: Spike Jonze – Her

Best Cinematography:
Emmanuel Lubezki – Gravity
Runner-up: Bruno Delbonnel – Inside Llewyn Davis

Best Editing:
Alfonso Cuarón and Mark Sanger – Gravity
Runner-up: Shane Carruth and David Lowery – Upstream Color

Best Production Design:
K. K. Barrett – Her
Runner-up: Jess Gonchor – Inside Llewyn Davis

Best Music Score:
T Bone Burnett – Inside Llewyn Davis
Runner-up: Arcade Fire and Owen Pallett – Her

Best Foreign Language Film:
Blue Is the Warmest Colour • France
Runner-up: The Great Beauty • Italy

Best Documentary/Non-Fiction Film:
Stories We Tell
Runner-up: The Act of Killing

Best Animation:
Ernest & Celestine
Runner-up: The Wind Rises

New Generation Award:
Megan Ellison
Career Achievement Award:
The Douglas Edwards Experimental/Independent Film/Video Award:
Charlotte Pryce – Cabinets Of Wonder: Films and a Performance by Charlotte Pryce

12 Years a Slave wins big from the Boston Society of Film Critics

Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave won award for Best Actor, Film and Director from the Boston Society of Film Critics. Lupita Nyong'o had runner up. It was great to see after seeing McQueen's snub for 2011's Shame, which I chose as film of the year. 

Other big wins I saw were for Alexander Payne's Nebraska, winning for Ensemble Cast, and Best Supporting Actress. Other no big deals, but still sortas were The Wind Rises for Animated Film, Ryan Coogler, Fruitvale Station, for Best New Filmmaker, Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine for Best Actress, and Best Documentary (as well as a Best New Filmmaker nom), the Art of Killing. The Wolf of Wall Street also had 4 Runner Ups: Actor, Editing, Screenplay and Director

• Best Film:
• 12 Years a Slave
• Runner-up: The Wolf of Wall Street

• Best Actor:
• Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 Years a Slave
• Runner-up: Leonardo DiCaprio – The Wolf of Wall Street

• Best Actress:
• Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine
• Runner-up: Judi Dench – Philomena

• Best Supporting Actor:
• James Gandolfini – Enough Said
• Runners-up: Barkhad Abdi – Captain Phillips, Jared Leto – Dallas Buyers Club

• Best Supporting Actress:
• June Squibb – Nebraska
• Runner-up: Lupita Nyong'o – 12 Years a Slave

• Best Director:
• Steve McQueen – 12 Years a Slave
• Runner-up: Martin Scorsese – The Wolf of Wall Street

• Best Screenplay:
• Nicole Holofcener – Enough Said
• Runner-up: Terence Winter – The Wolf of Wall Street

• Best Cinematography:
• Emmanuel Lubezki – Gravity
• Runner-up: Phillipe le Sourd – The Grandmaster

• Best Documentary:
• The Act of Killing
• Runner-up: Blackfish

• Best Animated Film:
• The Wind Rises
• Runner-up: Frozen

• Best Editing:
• Daniel P. Hanley and Mike Hill – Rush
• Runner-up: Thelma Schoonmaker – The Wolf of Wall Street

• Best New Filmmaker:
• Ryan Coogler – Fruitvale Station
• Runner-up: Josh Oppenheimer – The Act of Killing
• 
  
• Best Ensemble Cast:
• Nebraska
• 
  
• Best Use of Music in a Film:
• Inside Llewyn Davis
• Runner-up: Nebraska

2013 VGX: South Park Presenter of Game of the Year has game where you throw farts at people

Matt Stone and Trey Parker, creators of that terrible show South Park, have created a video game where you throw farts at people. At least, that was their first impression of their game at the 2013 VGX.

VGX 2013: The preview of Thief was done really professionally

Square-Enix had a very good review with music, etc..
I played the game during New York Comic Con. The stealth and short ranged combat is a lot of fun.
I do not know if it will win any game awards, but should be fun.

VGX 2013: WTF did they do to Gabe Newell?

Smosh, go back to There Will Be Blood parodies. Please.

My nominations for Best Game of 2013

1. Antichamber
2. The Last of Us
3. The Walking Dead: Season Two
4. Deus Ex: Human Revolution: The Director's Cut
5. The Wonderful 101
6. Retro/Grade
7. Mario & Luigi's Dream Team
8. Ni No Kuni
9. Sonic: Lost World
10. Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time
11. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Duel Destinies

Boring review of There Will Be Blood

Daniel Day-Lewis deserves the Academy Award as this is his best work outside of maybe My Left Foot. Paul Dano did not get the Oscar that years as Javier Bardem won for No Country For Old Men, but would have won it on another year.
The two key memed scenes are the church baptism scene aka "I've Abandoned My Child" and the bowling alley scene aka "I drink your milkshake."
Themes of greed and family and American sin. Blah blah blah.

Good job Paul Thomas Anderson good job!
I recommend Darren Foley (foleyd87's) review if you want to get analysis but do not know where to get started in the film and have resorted to having it spelled out to you how to approach the film.

Now enjoy it on Netflix, while Hulu Plus has a two week free subscription! So many choices! A Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Breaking Bad Season 3: Episode 3: IFT Analysis

Great episode: it covers the drug trade in the background, while keeping all the family tension in the front. Walt wants to be back inside the house, Skyler does all she can to prevent him from getting in and we see what happens as a result of the catalyst Walt does by not cooperating with Skyler. He soon may regret what he got back into the house for by the time of the end of the episode.
A lot of people hate Skyler, but let's be honest. Shouldn't a lot of us hate Walt too? Sure, he has cancer, but he also does things without consulting his wife or family that could very well affect their lives as mentioned by Skyler's lawyer this episode.
I really liked how this episode was an episode about the subtle chess Walt and Skyler play with each other to an extreme that leads to the ending of the episode. I thought Skyler and Walt were going to join up as a drug dealing partners or something to help their family in the end.
I was surprised.
Good job, Breaking Bad.

2013 National Board of Review: Her and Nebraska win big

Best Film:
Her
Best Director:
Spike Jonze, Her
Best Directorial Debut:
Ryan Coogler, Fruitvale Station

Best Actor:
Bruce Dern, Nebraska
Best Supporting Actor: Will Forte, Nebraska

Best Actress:
Emma Thompson, Saving Mr. Banks
Best Supporting Actress:
Octavia Spencer, Fruitvale Station
Breakthrough Performance: Michael B. Jordan, Fruitvale Station
Breakthrough Performance: Adele Exarchopoulos, Blue Is The Warmest Color

Best Original Screenplay:
Joel and Ethan Coen, Inside Llewyn Davis, in addition to its Best Film win from the Gotham Awards
Best Adapted Screenplay:
Terence Winter, The Wolf of Wall Street

Best Animated Feature:
The Wind Rises

Best Ensemble:
Prisoners

Spotlight Award:
Career Collaboration of Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio, in addition to their screenplay and Top 10 Films win.

NBR Freedom of Expression Award: Wadjda

Creative Innovation in Filmmaking Award: Gravity

Top 10 Films (in alphabetical order):

• 12 Years a Slave
• Fruitvale Station
• Gravity
• Inside Llewyn Davis
• Lone Survivor
• Nebraska
• Prisoners
• Saving Mr. Banks
• The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
• The Wolf of Wall Street

Top 5 Foreign Language Films (in alphabetical order):

• Beyond the Hills
• Gloria
• The Grandmaster
• A Hijacking
• The Hunt

Top 10 Independent Films (in alphabetical order):

• Ain’t Them Bodies Saints
• Dallas Buyers Club
• In a World…
• Mother of George
• Much Ado About Nothing
• Mud
• The Place Beyond the Pines
• Short Term 12
• Sightseers
• The Spectacular Now

Luigi Dies in Year of Luigi

Actor Danny Wells of the Super Mario Super Show died today at the age of 72.

I have fond memories of him as I swung my arms 5 years ago at the University at Buffalo with my friends. Such 90s cheese. So much for that reunion.

Oh well, hopefully Video Games Awesome will recreate a show in homage to him. Please!

Altogether now! Swing your arms from side to side!
Come on, it's time to do the Luigi now!

Just like that!

American Hustle Wins Key Awards from 2013 NYFCC, Announcing Frontrunners

American Hustle won awards for Best Film, Best Supporting Actress (Jennifer Lawrence) and Best Screenplay. In contrast, Gotham Award winner, Inside Llewyn Davis only for Choreography. I expect both to be nominated and American Hustle to be the current frontrunner for the Oscars, especially with director David O. Russell's, Silver Linings Playbook's snub last year.

Best Director (Oscar Frontunner)
Steve McQueen, Twelve Years a Slave

Best Animated Film: (Oscar Frontrunner)
The Wind Rises

Best Foreign Language Film: (Oscar Frontrunner)
Blue is the Warmest Color

Best First Film:
Ryan Coogler, Fruitvale Station

Best Screenplay: (Oscar Frontrunner)
Eric Singer, American Hustle

Best Actor: (Oscar Frontrunner)
Robert Redford, All is Lost

Best Actress:
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine

Best Supporting Actor: (Oscar Frontrunner)
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

Best Supporting Actress: (Oscar Frontrunner)
Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle

2013 Gotham Awards: Not bad

Best Film
Inside Llewyn Davis

Best Documentary
The Act of Killing

Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director
Ryan Coogler, Fruitvale Station

Breakthrough Actor
Michael B. Jordan, Frutivale Station

Best Actress
Brie Lawson, Short Term 12

Best Actor
Matthew McConnaughey, Dallas Buyers Club

I thought everything was ok. Haven't watched Short Term 12. The Coens worked hard on Llewyn Davis. They deserve the nom again.

My Essential 80's Films

With Hulu Plus's recent free Black Friday two week trial, I decided to make my own Essential 80's list, since Hulu made theirs including:

• Scarface
• The Breakfast Club
• WarGames
• A Fish Called Wanda
• Platoon
• Easy Money
• Girls Just Want to Have Fun
• The Last Metro
• A Room With A View
• All Dogs Want To Go To Heaven
• Highlander
• Evil Dead 2
• Hopscotch
• Midnight Run
• Babette's Feast
• Au Revoir Les Infants
• American Pop
• My Life as a Dog
• Wings of Desire
• The Vanishing

Mine include intelligent pop films, which I will write about in another article called Cormania. These include:

1. Back to the Future
2. The Terminator
3. The Empire Strikes Back
4. Raiders of the Lost Ark
5. Indiana Jones and the Lost Crusade
6. Rocky IV
7. E.T. The Extra Terrestrial
8. RoboCop
9. Scarface
10. Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan
11. Aliens
12. Masters of the Universe
13. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
14. Commando
15. Mad Max 2
16. The Thing
17. Ran
18. Clue
19. As Tears Go By
20. In the Line of Duty Part IV
21. The Decalogue
22. Grave of the Fireflies

Intellectual films that may include Cormania include:

1. The Shining
2. Blade Runner
3. The Life of the Marionettes
4. Heaven's Gate
5. Videodrome
6. RoboCop
7. Full Metal Jacket
8. The Thing
9. The Terminator
10. Ragin Bull
11. E.T. The Extra Terrestrial
12. The Empire Strikes Back
13. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
14. Grave of the Fireflies
15. Betty Blue
16. The Fly
17. Raiders of the Lost Ark
18. Back to the Future
19. Born on the Fourth of July
20. Platoon
21. Scarface
22. The Fox and the Hound
23. Wings of Desire
24. Love Unto Waste
25. Rendez-vous
26. My Life as a Dog
27. Kagemusha
28. Indiana Jones and the Lost Crusade
29. Masters of the Universe
30. The Elephant Man

X Box One will win the Next Gen race.

Forget that the PS4 is cheaper and does everything essentially gamer better than the X Box One.
The games are not out yet.
Dead Rising 3 is coming out and most of the games coming out are for both next gen consoles.
ZOMBIES!
X Box One wins the race.