My Top Ten Favorite Movies of 2013 ( I know it is late)

I know that this might be late to released my top ten favorite movie of 2013. I wanted to make sure I seen most of the movies i really wanted to see. There has been so many good movies that came out this year. It was hard to come up with a list of ten. I know it has been pretty much a bad year for big blockbuster movies. They mostly have been crap. Here goes with my list: 1. 12 Years a Slave- I really loved this movie. I feel like this was the most powerful film all year. I don't know if I will say that this was my favorite per say, but it was the movie that affected me the most emotionally. 2. Her/Before Midnight (tie) - I know that this is a cheat, but whatever. I feel like these movies complimented each other. They are about relationships. One is showing a day in a life of commited relationship. The other movie is great movie about connecting with people and love in the 21st century. They were amazing films that not enough people seen. 3.Upstream Color - Another movie about connection with people and how we touch each other.I know that a lot of people probably haven't even heard of this movie. I had to watch multiple times to truly appriciate the movie. People do really need to see this movie whenever you can. I would recommend to watch it when you are not tired. 4.Short Term 12 - This was another movie was heartwrenching and heartwarming all at the same. It is about this young woman who works at a foster-care facility for at risk teenager.The young woman also have some tough issues to deal with on top of the problems at the facility. She is played by young actress by the name of Brie Larsen. She was just amazing in the film. Her range of emotions that she portrayed throughout the movie just amaze me coming from her. I don't think it got enough reconigtion from the award season because it came out to soon and too limited. 5. Mud - Another good movie that didn't get much recognition on anybody top ten list or award season. The movie was the victim of coming out too early in the year. People tends to forget about movies that comes in the beginning of the year. Not only that it has a great performance from Matthew McConaughey, it also has them coming fromthe two child actors. It was a great coming of age film from Jeff Nichols about expectations. 6.The Wolf of Wall Street- This was a polarizing film about what was the movie actually saying to it viewer. I feel like the movie was trying to join in the conversation on the American Dream and the evils of capitalism. Is showing too much excess for three hours. I personally was disgusted that all of that was going on.i think that was the point. it isn't a perfect movie, but it was necessary to show all of it. The fact that all you get is a slap on the wrist and so little jail time for it sickens me. I don't think a perfectly sane person can walk out of this movie thinking that is exactly what they want to do with their life. I read that you didn't get to see the victims in this movie. So what? The movie is based on a memoir of Jordan Belfort who didn't write about the victims in his book either. I feel bad for the victims that they got con out of their money. I know that this timeline was set in the 90's, but the sad thing is that thias is still happening on Wall Street today.Leo Dicaprio Gave probably one of his best performance in a long time. 7. Gravity - It was a amazing movie for it technical acheivement and a directing acheivement. It had some script issues, but it was a visual feast. I haven't had much enjoyment out of a film in awhile. 8.Fruitvale Station - It was a emotional and powerful film that I loved. I turned on the waterworks in this film with a powerhouse performance from Michael B. Jordan. 9. Side Effects - The movie was good. It wasn't the movie I was expecting to see. I thought it was just going to be a movie about the wrongs of pharmaceutical companies. Boy, was I wrong. It is another good movie with a good performance from Rooney Mara. 10. Springbreakers - I can't even believe that this movie made it to my top ten list. It was a really fun movie that I keep thinking about and not what you guys are thinking (pervs). It was a movie about the illusion of the American Dream. James Franco was great and hilarious as the characters of Alien. Honorable mentions: Drinking Buddies, Ain't Them Bodie Saints, All is Lost, Blue Jasmine, Don Jon, The Kings of Summer,Stoker, and The World's End.

Cinema is Art ( Despite what Others Might Say)

      People tends to forget that cinema is an art form. There was something that James Cameron say about smaller movies that rub me the wrong way. What he say was smaller movies get forgotten and the movies he makes are for audience and for entertainment and will basically be remembered. Smaller movies do sometimes get forgotten but if the movie is great it is not forgotten. Avatar is suppose to be the future of cinema on how movies are made. Before Avatar was made and at least in the past 35+ years ago cinema still was an art. Those movies made money then Spielberg and Lucas decides to make these popcorn films which don't get me wrong are good movies. It is just that every big blockbuster take something from those movies and copy them. It is hard for an original movie to get made because they don't rip off Star Wars and any Spielberg movie. If it don't have those elements in those movies it don't get made. All I want is originality. The smaller movie tends to be original to say the least or told a different way.

         I don't want people to think I hate mainstream movies or special effects ladden films. I love them. It is just that there is more to film than just that. People forget that film need story and complex characters. A lot of movies these days don't have story or characters that you don't care about. like horror movies for example, there is your five basic charcters, the slut, the nerd, the jerk, the virgin girl, and the one guy who is believes to know what they are talking about. They are mostly one dimesional characters. The characters in horror movies should be more complex and the there should be more character development before they are killed off. Why do the killer have to be one dimensional? Why do they just have be drones without a solid purpose? Jason is what a retarded kid who drown? Freddy is a pedopilewho get killed by angry parents? Didn't he derserve that? That was just justice coming from the parents instead of the justice system that fail from time to time. I would probably do the same if I had a kid. I take that back I don't have to have a kid to kill a child killer. Anybody that kill a child is a piece of shit that don"t derserve to be walking on this planet. I know i got a little sidetracked there. Micheal Myers is just a psycho. Chucky is just a joke to me. I like those movies, but they have many flaws. I love the kills in those movies,but I tend to have an issue with the story.
      I think that all movie with special effects of mainstream movies should have story and character development in it. That would make a great film. Maybe the Academy would nominate more movie beside dramas if there was movie with story and complex characters. It is not like the Academy matters anyway since the nexWhat made Lord of the Rings work was character development and patience. Most of the main characters had a backstory or at least you had a sense of there is more to the characters what is on the surface. I like the slow moving horror movies that the first 45 minutes there is no kills or scares just yet. They sort of just happen to comes to a place or someone that just happens to be extraordinary than they are expected to come across. The characters would just have to deal with the situation. From Dusk til Dawn did this and it was good even if it did just turn into tits and guns fest fest. It added depth to the characters. That is all I am trying to trying to say. Cinema is going to continue to died if we do nothing about it.
       
  I know my taste in film might be different then most people. I am into more into foreign films than almost any other genre. I love drama. I love art house films. Federico Fellini is like one of my favorite director. My favorite directors are: Martin Scorsese, Christopther Nolan, Steven Soderbergh, Stanley Kubrick, Akira Kurosawa, Ingmar Bergman, and Federico Fellini. That list is in no particular order.  I love Zhang Yimou's movies they are so touching and moving unlike any movie that is made in America. America tend to have short attention spans so it wouldn't appeal to most movie goers. Americans tends to go for guns, nudity, explosions and no story like Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. I know I have mention that I hate Avatar. iI would I don't hate it, but it is not a great movie like people like to give credit to. The main reason is because it is a story that been told hundreds of times. It just happen to be in space. Avatar is the combination of Dances with Wolves and Ferngully. I don't mind movies that take ideas from other movie,but don't make it out to an original idea. Its not. People are saying that it is original must never seen those movies I have mention before. Cinema is art that people tend to not appreciate. I hope nobody take this wrong way by reading  this blog and think I am bashing mainstream Hollywood movies. I love most of them except remakes and Michael Bay movies.

Terrell's Favorite Movies of All Time.

Here is a list of movies that are favorite movies of all time. If you were wondering what type of movies Terrell like. I love quite a few different movies. Here is the list:

1. Ace in the Hole ( Billy Wilder)
2. Treasure of the Sierra Madre ( John Huston )
3. Citizen Kane (  Orson Welles )
4. Raging Bull ( Martin Scorsese )
5. Lord of the Rings Trilogy ( Peter Jackson )
6. 8 1/2 ( Fernando Fellini )
7. The Godfather Part II ( Francis Ford Coppola )
8. Taxi Driver ( Martin Scorsese ) 
9. Casablanca ( Michael Curtiz )
10. Before Sunrise/Before Sunset (tie) (Richard Linklater )

Your Favorite Movie Suck ( But it doesn't Matters)

This has been a long time since I wrote a blog. Everytime I say I will try to keep it more updated. I would guess maybe I don"t have nothing to say. Maybe if I got pay writing I would make sure I will keep updated. I have seen a lot of movies since the last time I wrote in this blog. I think I have a new favorite movie of all time. I will get back to that in a second.

       

          When someone normally asks me what is my favorite movie of all time. iI normally give out a stock answer depending who. If an average  movie watcher asks me, I would say "Lord of the Rings trilogy". Why do you ask? Mostly because it is an easy answer and those people know what it is and is fine when. When a cinepile ask me what is my favorite movie of all time, I would say "Citizen Kane". I know it is so cliche'. I have always thought it was a movie tht every person should see. It shows an American with a lot of ambition and how they change as they get more successful. Now I am going between two movies that is fighting for the top spot: John Huston's "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" and Billy Wilder's "Ace in the Hole". These movies show what men are willing to do to get or keep what they want. "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" is about three men mining for gold and someone get greedy. The usual plot points that you see in these type of movie. This movie is the best that deal with all of those plot points"Ace in the Hole" was not well received when it was first released critically or commercially. Maybe it hit too close to home for a lot of people. The original title was "The Big Carnival".  It is about a cynical, disgraced reporter who stops at nothing to try to regain a job on a major newspaper. It is a biting examination of the seedy relationship between the press, the news it reports and the manner in which it is reported. It is still relevent in today society.

        When i say it was "Citizen Kane" as my favorite movie of all time, people would argued against my choice. Why get in an arguement about it? What is that going to solve? I will tell you what it will solve. Nothing. Movies speaks to the individual differently than the next person. If somebody sy their favorite movie is "Donnie Darko" for example, it didn't speak to me on any level. I think it is a terrible movie with some moments of good. It was just not the movie for me. It seems like there are people who want to be the one who is right. they normally think that everybody else is wrong with their choices. They are the same ones who hate things that everybody else loves. They think that they would be like everybody else if they like the same things. The truth is that you can like those same things for different reasons. Those people just want to feel superior. It is ridiculous if you asks me. When people are praising the movie, they just bash the movie. The reasoning on why the movie didn't work for them doesn't even make sense. I know this just turned into a rant. Sorry. Forgive me please.

The movie that you normally sticks with you are the ones that is important to you. My point is that no matter what your favorite movies are, it really just matters to yourself. Can we just let that person like that particular film. I don't see why we need to persuade that person to have a different opinion about that movie. We can have different opinions in this world. I know I love movies that a lot of people doesn't like. Maybe we should just keep it to ourselves for now on. Why do cinepiles make list for everything anyway? Maybe it is just to show people a list of things that we like.

Good Movies are Still being Made.

      



           I haven't written a blog on here for like a couple of years. I don't know why I still have this blog. I wuld have to guess that whenever I feel like writing anything about movies I can write and show to people that probably not going to read this anyway. Maybe there hasn't been any good movies to write about. Maybe I'm just too lazy. I know I have seen some good movies since I last wrote on here. What have I seen........? Let me think about that.

      From two years ago, I have seen "The Dark Knight Rises", which was not the masterpiece that everybody was hoping it would. It was a great ending for the whole Nolan's Batman trilogy, but it was a movie with so many plothole thatyou can drive through it. I can get into it, but I am not a film critic. If I know you, I have already talk about it with my friends. I know people that think it is the greatest movie of all time. Its whatever. Everybody have different opinion, but anybody think that Michael Bay"s "Transformers" movie is great filmmaking have some serious issues.

     "Beast of the Southern Wild" is one of those movies that surprises you. It was a small movie that nobody haven't seen because there wasn't any explosions or gunfights in it. It was just great drama in a form of a fable. I happy to see that there are movies still being made that is what make me know that film is an art and not just a product like most movies nowadays. I don't mind watching mindless action film every once in a while, but I love my substance in my films. I would watch a Bergman's film before a watch a mindless action film.

  I want everybody to go check out "Beast of the Southern Wild" whenever it comes out on Dvd or BluRay. It is one of the those film that would make you fall in love with film if before you one of those people who says that there are no good movies being made. If you look for movies besides the mainstream movies you will find them. So what I am saying is that you need to look harder for look movies.

My Top Ten Movies of 2010

Sorry i know it has been a long time since I last posted a blog. I have been dealing with computer issues. Still is by the way. I am here today to post my top ten movies list. They are in order of my favorites. Post your comments below if you have a favorite.

1. Black Swan - This movie is beyond words to describe the acheivement Darren Aronofsky's film. He did the impossible: making me actual enjoy ballet. Natalie Portman gave an incredible performance in this psychological thriller. If Natalie Portman don't get an Oscar for this film, it will be the biggest mistake the Academy will make. The movie is about this ballet dancer who is trying to be perfect and dealing with a lot of pressure from the ballet director, a new ballet dancer, and her mother. It is Darren Aronofsky's masterpiece.

2. Inception - This movie would have been number one but i seen Black Swan. It would have stay but that would mean a tie. Inception and Black Swan are amazing movies but everything about Black Swan was great. Let be honest with ourselves, "Inception" were more of a showcase for Christopher Nolan. The movie was great visually and story, but the acting wasn't the best. It was good but not the best I seen the actors. Inception is a movie of ideas and dreams.  It was Christopher Nolan's masterpiece. It was the best film of the summer. There is no more I can say that hasn't been say already.

3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt. 1 - this was a movie event of  the year. I have been waiting for the end for a decade. the main characters were great. It was epic and emotional. You felt the journey Harry is going. It was the best Harry Potter movie so far. Can't wait for the part two.
4. Kick Ass - It is just a kick ass movie. it was funny, action pack and just a fun movie.

5. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - This was a great movie that been getting a lot of praise for the lead actress performance which was great. The movie itself was great. The pacing was great. Everthing about the movie was just amazing. It sucks that it is getting remade already.

6. The Kids Are All Right - This was a good movie. The screenplay was great and Annette Bening's performance was great. I thought that she played her character realistically. I thought overall the movie was realistic toward gay couples. it wasn't over the top like most movies that show a gay marriage. Gays are normal people. They should be portray that way.

7. Shutter Island - i wish this movie was more higher up on my list but it really wasn't that great. It looks great  and the performances was great. The fact remains is that the story wasn't that great. Martin Scorsese I feel did the best he can with the story. I have personally knew the ending midway through the movie and the book.

8.Scott Pilgrim vs. The World - It is one of those movies that you either loved or hated. I loved it. i thought it was musical with battles instead of songs. It was amazing. It was a story about love and becoming a better person. That is what i took from the movie.


 9. Winter's Bone - Another good movie but it didn't quite had me. Like Shutter Island, everything was great except the story. it had too many plot holes. It was a new take on the film noir genre set in a rural cummunity. The performance was great and the direction was good but story was just average.

10.  Predators- it was a fun movie. It didn't have a concrete plot but it was fun. It is the closest sequel that came close to the feeling the original. Hopefully the next round is fully realized.

There goes my list. Hate it or love. It is my opinion. I am guessing you are wondering why "Toy Story 3" is not on here. It wasn't as good as i hope for or at least not as hype up as  it was. I thought the ending was good but you knew it was coming a long time ago. I was disappointed with the movie. this overall year was disppointing to me. i am hoping for better movies in 2011.

Pros and Cons of Robert Rodriguez

This is the pros and cons of Robert Rodriguez as a film maker. He is one of the film directors I respect. I might not loved every film he does, but i do appreciates what tries to do. It's the behind the scenes information that love about him. He sets up shop in Austin,TX and have a studio in his backyard. He is living the dreams like very few filmmakers actually do: making movies without Hollywood studios involvement. He has a lot of things that love what he doing. There is just this little thing that I really hate what he doing.



Pros:

   Robert Rodriguez is unappreciated for what he does for film making. He is most aspiring filmmaker hero. He been in that position since he released "El Mariachi". That movie was made for $7,000 if nobody didn't know that little fact. I feel if you don't love his movies but you have to admired ambition of his movies. Rodriguez have proven from time after time that he can make an entertaining movie with half the budget of most filmmakers.

   He does cuts out a lot of potential position in his film crew by doing it himself. He did "Desperado" for seven million. That is peanuts for an action movie. He tries to use new technology to his advantage. He does his effects cheap and does it without looking fake unlike some movies that have bigger budgets . i think everybody should really watch his movies and sees that they really are better than most popcorn action movies you see today.

    I am not saying that he is the best filmmaker that does it, but he is definitely the least laziest one in the bunch. He is able to shoot movies really fast and please everybody on set. I don't think none of the cast he normally use complains about how he works. Selma Hayek comes back to him from time after time. You would think she would be too good to make movies with after she does some more dramas and serious stuff. It obviously says that she enjoys her time working with him.

If none of that impressed you, he directed "Sin City". Enough said. If there was no "Sin City", there wouldn't have been "300", or at least it wouldn't have been as good.

Cons:
I do think that Robert Rodriguez is the most annoying filmmakers in the world. I am getting tired of all these projects he says he want to do. Just do them already then. He has like ten projects that he always want to do. He says he want to do another "Sin City" movies. He talks about his ideas for them, but it never comes to fruition. He gives us teases like a hot girl who flirts with you, but leave it at that. What ever happen to the remake of "Barbarella". i been waiting for that for who knows how long. How about the live action remake of "Fire and Ice"? Where are those movies? Instead of making those movies you make "Shorts". Really? What's the deal? Don't announce to the whole world that you are making this movie or that movie, but don't make them. Quentin Tarantino does the same thing, but at least he just take a long time actually getting them done. When you do decide to direct a movie that you don't say you are making please do not release a crappy movie like "Shorts". Don't do any more kids movies. It is not your strong suit. Until you start to make movies that actually entertains, then I am refusing to watch any of your movies.



P.S I heard "Predators" was really good. It sad that it is just a movie that He produced, but not written or directed by Robert Rodriguez. I hope he can get off his ass and direct a movie.