I wanted to recognize everything that made this year such a great one for me at the movies; every moment, quote, character, character death, villain, fight, the best performances I saw last year, and 8 more random categories just to make sure I didn't miss anything. In all, there are 34 movies that are mentioned at least once in these 8 Top 8 Lists. Of course, you can get an idea of which of those movies are actually in my year-end Top 10 by the number of times they appear here. But let's leave that for next week, shall we? For now, here are my 8 Top 8 Lists for 2014. Enjoy!
*WARNING: SPOILERS*
I Best Moments of the Year:
If you want to see every human emotion expressed on someone's face in 30 seconds, watch this scene.
7) "Trapped by This Thing Called Love" - Only Lovers Left Alive
The most romantic scene of the year featuring the most romantic couple of the year, Adam & Eve(more on that later).
6) "Martin Luther King Jr's night time car ride with John Lewis" - Selma
A tender moment in this powerful film where John Lewis recounts to Dr. King the reasons why he has decided to follow in his footsteps.
5) "Step You Can't Take Back" - Begin Again
The "Magic of the Movies" moment of the year. It can't get much more magical than Keira Knightley accompanied by an imaginary band.
4) "Riggan's Final Performance" - Birdman or(The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
I was on the edge of my seat for this entire sequence from the moment we see that Riggan has a real gun to the standing ovation he receives after firing it onstage. Reminded me of Aronofsky's ending to Black Swan.
3) "Ebba's avalanche story, parts 1 & 2" - Force Majeure
So this is what a crumbling marriage looks like. Lisa Loven Kongsli's acting in these 2 scenes(one in English and one in Swedish) as the heartbroken Ebba is Oscar worthy(more on that later).
2) "Baby on the Beach" - Under the Skin
This is the moment when we learn exactly how "alien" Scarlett Johansson's character really is. No human beings, aside from the irresponsible family in the movie, would ever leave a crying baby alone on a beach.
1) "The real world reveal, featuring Will Ferrell as "The Man Upstairs" - The LEGO Movie
Almost a year to the date of when I first saw this movie in theaters, the meta-genius of this scene still fascinates me every time I watch it. The whole movie you're thinking this is something that could've only come from the mind of a 10 year old, and then that's exactly what you get.
II Best Quotes of the Year
8) This exchange between "Gamora"(Zoe Saldaña) and "Peter Quill"(Chris Pratt) in Guardians of the Galaxy
Gamora: "I'm a warrior, an assassin. I do not dance."
Peter Quill: "Really? Well, on my planet, we have a legend about people like you. It's called Footloose. And in it, a great hero, named Kevin Bacon, teaches an entire city full of people with sticks up their butts that, dancing, well, is the greatest thing there is."
Gamora: "... Who put the sticks up their butts?"
7) "Terrence Fletcher's"(J.K. Simmons) teaching philosophy in Whiplash
Fletcher: "There are no two words in the English language more harmful than good job."
6) This exchange between "Father James"(Brendan Gleeson) and his daughter "Fiona" in Calvary
Father James: "I think there's too much talk about sins and not enough about virtues."
Fiona: "You may be right. What would be your number one?"
Father James: "I think forgiveness has been highly underrated."
5) "Jenko's"(Channing Tatum) confusion about Cate Blanchett in 22 Jump Street
Captain Dickson: "We got a bigger problem. No more money in the budget."
Jenko: "What? I thought we had Cate Blanchett?"
Captain Dickson: "Cate Blanchett?"
Jenko: "Yeah. I thought we had Cate Blanchett with the budget."
Schmidt: "You mean Carte Blanche."
Jenko: "That one."
4) Minister Mason's Speech in Snowpiercer
Mason: "Order is the barrier that holds back the flood of death. We must all of us on this train of life remain in our allotted station. We must each of us occupy our preordained particular position. Would you wear a shoe on your head? Of course you wouldn't wear a shoe on your head. A shoe doesn't belong on your head. A shoe belongs on your foot. A hat belongs on your head. I am a hat. You are a shoe. I belong on the head. You belong on the foot. Yes? So it is. In the beginning, order was proscribed by your ticket: First Class, Economy, and freeloaders like you. Eternal order is prescribed by the sacred engine: all things flow from the sacred engine, all things in their place, all passengers in their section, all water flowing. all heat rising, pays homage to the sacred engine, in its own particular preordained position. So it is. Now, as in the beginning, I belong to the front. You belong to the tail. When the foot seeks the place of the head, the sacred line is crossed. Know your place. Keep your place. Be a shoe."
3) "Caesar's"(Andy Serkis) sad realization in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Caesar: "I choose to trust Koba because ape. I always think ape better than human. I see now how much like them we are."
2) Another classic Linklater closing line in Boyhood
Nicole: "You know how everyone's always saying 'seize the moment'? I don't know, I'm kinda thinking it's the other way around, you know, like the moment seizes us."
Mason: "Yeah. Yeah, I know. It's constant, the moment. It's like it's always right now, you know?"
Nicole: "Yeah"
1) "Monsieur Gustave"(Ralph Fiennes) sums up my feelings on humanity perfectly in The Grand Budapest Hotel
Gustave H: "You see, there are still faint glimmers of civilization left in this barbaric slaughterhouse that was once known as humanity. Indeed that's what we provide in our own modest, humble, insignificant ... oh, fuck it."
III Best Performances of the Year
8) Patricia Arquette as "Olivia" in Boyhood
Many people have said this and I completely agree: the movie could've been called "Motherhood" and it would've worked just as well or even better. Arquette completely carries this movie with her beautiful performance.
7) Andy Serkis as "Caesar" in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
With his extremely impressive motion capture performances Serkis has turned Caesar into one of the most fascinating characters in any movie franchise today. His job is so important in this film because the viewer needs to feel Caesar's connection with the humans at all times and in between those opening and closing shots of his eyes Serkis makes sure we never forget he's there underneath Caesar all along.
6) Lisa Loven Kongsli as "Ebba" in Force Majeure
The avalanche that sets the movie's chain of events in motion can't compare to the powerful force of Loven Kongsli as "Ebba". It's in her quietest scenes where she has the most impact, starting with her reaction to her husband's denial of what really happened during the avalanche, continuing with her body language when she has to share the bathroom mirror with him, and finally having to deal with his emotional breakdown in front of their kids.
5) David Oyelowo as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma
This was the best physical transformation I saw this year. Oyelowo truly made me believe he was Dr. King for every second of this movie, especially during the emotional speeches/sermons, but also in some tender moments like the hospital scene where he consoles Jimmy Lee Jackson's grandfather after his grandson is murdered. There are no words indeed.
4) Essie Davis as "Amelia" in The Babadook
That's two straight years where my favorite female lead performance wasn't nominated by the Academy(Brie Larson last year). Anyone who said that this category was weak this year definitely didn't see this movie. This performance is the closest I've seen to Jack Nicholson's performance in The Shining. Essie Davis does everything in this movie, including scaring the hell out of me.
3) Michael Keaton as "Riggan Thomson" in Birdman or(The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
The Keatonassaince is upon us! Sure, it doesn't have such a nice ring to it as last year's McConnaissance, but after 30+ years of excellent work Keaton is finally being recognized for the role of a lifetime. This role was practically made for Keaton and he doesn't disappoint, giving us that manic brilliance we've come to expect from him but also a more sensitive side that gives "Riggan Thomson" incredible depth.
2) J.K. Simmons as "Terrence Fletcher" in Whiplash
Speaking of actors who haven't been properly recognized for their great careers ... Last year I included Simmons on my list of the Top 25 That Guys(and girls), but after his unforgettable performance as instant-classic movie villain "Terrence Fletcher", from now on this guy will easily be recognized as Academy Award Winner J.K. Simmons.
1) Brendan Gleeson as "Father James" in Calvary
I admit, I hadn't been paying attention to Gleeson's 2-time Golden Globe Nominated work with the McDonagh brothers in The Guard & In Bruges. Silly me! If I had seen these movies before Calvary I would've known what this team was capable of. But I didn't, I saw them afterwards, and because of that this performance was a total revelation for me. Like J.K. Simmons, Gleeson has had a great career as a character actor in films like last year's Edge of Tomorrow, the Harry Potter series, Troy, Cold Mountain, Gangs of New York, Braveheart, and many others. Unlike Simmons, the Academy has yet to take notice of his tremendous work. For my part at least, I say NO MORE. I'll be paying attention from now on to everything Mr. Gleeson does after he gave what I consider to be the Best Performance of 2014.
1) Brendan Gleeson as "Father James" in Calvary
I admit, I hadn't been paying attention to Gleeson's 2-time Golden Globe Nominated work with the McDonagh brothers in The Guard & In Bruges. Silly me! If I had seen these movies before Calvary I would've known what this team was capable of. But I didn't, I saw them afterwards, and because of that this performance was a total revelation for me. Like J.K. Simmons, Gleeson has had a great career as a character actor in films like last year's Edge of Tomorrow, the Harry Potter series, Troy, Cold Mountain, Gangs of New York, Braveheart, and many others. Unlike Simmons, the Academy has yet to take notice of his tremendous work. For my part at least, I say NO MORE. I'll be paying attention from now on to everything Mr. Gleeson does after he gave what I consider to be the Best Performance of 2014.
IV Characters I Loved
8) "Lego Batman", voiced by Will Arnett in The LEGO Movie
The funniest character of the year for me. I wrote about him in my Best of the Year(so far) rankings in July and after 6 months he stays on the list. I wasn't the only person who loved this character either. He's getting his own spinoff, The LEGO Batman Movie, set to be released in 2017.
7) "Donna Stern", played by Jenny Slate in Obvious Child
Donna is a stand-up comedian who uses her own life as material for her routines. From her opening monologue about intimate female hygiene we learn that nothing is off-limits for Donna. After that, she gets dumped in a bathroom, loses her job, has a drunken one night stand, finds out she's pregnant in the funniest pregnancy test reveal scene I've ever seen, and then decides to get an abortion. How she handles all these situations is what makes "Donna" so lovable. The night before her abortion will take place(scheduled for Valentine's Day, no less) she decides to use it as material for her routine. When best friend Nellie offers her support by saying: "You're gonna kill it out there.", Donna's response is perfect: "Actually, I have an appointment to do that tomorrow." You gotta love her(even if you don't necessarily agree with her decision).
6) "Baymax", voiced by Scott Adsit in Big Hero 6
The extremely huggable inflatable health care robot that becomes Hiro Hamada's sidekick in the fight against crime. I loved his fist bump explosion sound: "Bah la la la la", and his "Are you satisfied with your care?" catchphrase, especially when he uses it as he's sacrificing himself to save Hiro and the professor's daughter.
5) "Adam" & "Eve", played by Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton in Only Lovers Left Alive
Adam & Eve were easily the most romantic couple of the year for me. It's easy to see why their love has endured through a couple of centuries. They share a passion for classic literature, but they also enjoy the little things, like dancing and blood-flavored popsicles. As with every couple, family dynamics come into play. When Eve's flighty sister "Ava"(Mia Wasikowska) shows up at their place Adam is quick to dismiss her: "Well she can't stay here.", to which Eve replies: "Oh Adam, it's been 87 years." Vampire humor, gotta love it. When their clean blood supply dries up, Adam & Eve have to decide if they want to keep on living. When they spot a cute young couple in Tangiers they are reminded of how special the love they share truly is. The movie ends with Adam & Eve about to suck the blood of that young couple, ready to start a few more centuries of great love. Very romantic indeed.
4) "Emmett Brickowski", voiced by Chris Pratt in The LEGO Movie
The oblivious construction worker from Bricksburg who ends up saving the entire LEGO realm from being Kragle-ized by "Lord Business". Emmett discovers that in order to be special you just have to believe in yourself. Thanks to Chris Pratt's perfect voice work, we get to laugh through every step of Emmett's journey, starting with his morning walk-through of the LEGO instruction manual, followed by a trip inside his prodigiously empty mind, where we first get a glimpse of his greatest creation, the Double-Decker Couch, continued by what is probably the worst inspirational speech ever given, only to then realize his destiny as "the special" when he inspires everyone to dare to be truly unique.
3) "Gustave H", played by Ralph Fiennes in The Grand Budapest Hotel
The very civilized, but eccentric concierge at The Grand Budapest Hotel who becomes a mentor to new lobby boy "Zero Moustafa"(Tony Revolori). Monsieur Gustave particularly enjoys his cologne, his pastries, and his older women. When one of those women, "Madame D"(Tilda Swinton) is found dead in her house, M. Gustave is suspected of her murder, and wackiness ensues. Gustave is put in prison, but thanks to his hospitality and professionalism he makes friends with his fellow prisoners and they help him escape. He receives additional help from Zero, his friend / love interest "Agatha"(Saoirse Ronan), and a group of fellow concierges from The Society of the Crossed Keys. Because of Gustave's generosity towards his friends(heartbreakingly demonstrated in his final moments on screen) he is rewarded with their loyalty and is finally vindicated from the murder of Madame D when her second will is discovered, also revealing that she has passed ownership of The Grand Budapest Hotel to him.
2) "Father James", played by Brendan Gleeson in Calvary
A catholic priest in a small Irish town where every citizen is in need of spiritual guidance. Father James's week starts off in the worst way imaginable, being threatened to death in a confession booth by a former victim of child abuse of the catholic church who is seeking revenge. We quickly learn that Father James knows the identity of the person who made the threat, but he never mentions who it is. Father James is given one week to get his things in order, and in that week we get to see every aspect of this man's life as he performs his duties by visiting each and every one of the members of his parish. We learn that he became a priest late in life when his troubled daughter "Fiona"(Kelly Reilly) comes by for a visit. As the end of the week approaches, Father James's resolve is about to crack after a number of emotionally distressing incidents, but after a heartfelt conversation with his daughter where he speaks about the underrated virtue of forgiveness, Father James comes to terms with what he must do, and the results are very powerful.
1) "Riggan Thomson", played by Michael Keaton in Birdman or(The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
The former star of the hit superhero franchise "Birdman"(sound familiar?), Riggan Thomson is now writing, producing, directing, and starring in a Broadway play in an attempt to resurrect his career. If that weren't enough, Riggan also has to deal with a spotlight-hogging supporting actor, his recently rehabilitated daughter who makes him feel irrelevant, and his own personal Birdman ghost who torments him constantly. All of this can drive anyone over the edge, so we can cut Riggan some slack for running through Times Square in his underwear and imagining(or is he?) that he can fly.
7) "Donna Stern", played by Jenny Slate in Obvious Child
Donna is a stand-up comedian who uses her own life as material for her routines. From her opening monologue about intimate female hygiene we learn that nothing is off-limits for Donna. After that, she gets dumped in a bathroom, loses her job, has a drunken one night stand, finds out she's pregnant in the funniest pregnancy test reveal scene I've ever seen, and then decides to get an abortion. How she handles all these situations is what makes "Donna" so lovable. The night before her abortion will take place(scheduled for Valentine's Day, no less) she decides to use it as material for her routine. When best friend Nellie offers her support by saying: "You're gonna kill it out there.", Donna's response is perfect: "Actually, I have an appointment to do that tomorrow." You gotta love her(even if you don't necessarily agree with her decision).
6) "Baymax", voiced by Scott Adsit in Big Hero 6
The extremely huggable inflatable health care robot that becomes Hiro Hamada's sidekick in the fight against crime. I loved his fist bump explosion sound: "Bah la la la la", and his "Are you satisfied with your care?" catchphrase, especially when he uses it as he's sacrificing himself to save Hiro and the professor's daughter.
5) "Adam" & "Eve", played by Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton in Only Lovers Left Alive
Adam & Eve were easily the most romantic couple of the year for me. It's easy to see why their love has endured through a couple of centuries. They share a passion for classic literature, but they also enjoy the little things, like dancing and blood-flavored popsicles. As with every couple, family dynamics come into play. When Eve's flighty sister "Ava"(Mia Wasikowska) shows up at their place Adam is quick to dismiss her: "Well she can't stay here.", to which Eve replies: "Oh Adam, it's been 87 years." Vampire humor, gotta love it. When their clean blood supply dries up, Adam & Eve have to decide if they want to keep on living. When they spot a cute young couple in Tangiers they are reminded of how special the love they share truly is. The movie ends with Adam & Eve about to suck the blood of that young couple, ready to start a few more centuries of great love. Very romantic indeed.
4) "Emmett Brickowski", voiced by Chris Pratt in The LEGO Movie
The oblivious construction worker from Bricksburg who ends up saving the entire LEGO realm from being Kragle-ized by "Lord Business". Emmett discovers that in order to be special you just have to believe in yourself. Thanks to Chris Pratt's perfect voice work, we get to laugh through every step of Emmett's journey, starting with his morning walk-through of the LEGO instruction manual, followed by a trip inside his prodigiously empty mind, where we first get a glimpse of his greatest creation, the Double-Decker Couch, continued by what is probably the worst inspirational speech ever given, only to then realize his destiny as "the special" when he inspires everyone to dare to be truly unique.
3) "Gustave H", played by Ralph Fiennes in The Grand Budapest Hotel
The very civilized, but eccentric concierge at The Grand Budapest Hotel who becomes a mentor to new lobby boy "Zero Moustafa"(Tony Revolori). Monsieur Gustave particularly enjoys his cologne, his pastries, and his older women. When one of those women, "Madame D"(Tilda Swinton) is found dead in her house, M. Gustave is suspected of her murder, and wackiness ensues. Gustave is put in prison, but thanks to his hospitality and professionalism he makes friends with his fellow prisoners and they help him escape. He receives additional help from Zero, his friend / love interest "Agatha"(Saoirse Ronan), and a group of fellow concierges from The Society of the Crossed Keys. Because of Gustave's generosity towards his friends(heartbreakingly demonstrated in his final moments on screen) he is rewarded with their loyalty and is finally vindicated from the murder of Madame D when her second will is discovered, also revealing that she has passed ownership of The Grand Budapest Hotel to him.
2) "Father James", played by Brendan Gleeson in Calvary
A catholic priest in a small Irish town where every citizen is in need of spiritual guidance. Father James's week starts off in the worst way imaginable, being threatened to death in a confession booth by a former victim of child abuse of the catholic church who is seeking revenge. We quickly learn that Father James knows the identity of the person who made the threat, but he never mentions who it is. Father James is given one week to get his things in order, and in that week we get to see every aspect of this man's life as he performs his duties by visiting each and every one of the members of his parish. We learn that he became a priest late in life when his troubled daughter "Fiona"(Kelly Reilly) comes by for a visit. As the end of the week approaches, Father James's resolve is about to crack after a number of emotionally distressing incidents, but after a heartfelt conversation with his daughter where he speaks about the underrated virtue of forgiveness, Father James comes to terms with what he must do, and the results are very powerful.
1) "Riggan Thomson", played by Michael Keaton in Birdman or(The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
The former star of the hit superhero franchise "Birdman"(sound familiar?), Riggan Thomson is now writing, producing, directing, and starring in a Broadway play in an attempt to resurrect his career. If that weren't enough, Riggan also has to deal with a spotlight-hogging supporting actor, his recently rehabilitated daughter who makes him feel irrelevant, and his own personal Birdman ghost who torments him constantly. All of this can drive anyone over the edge, so we can cut Riggan some slack for running through Times Square in his underwear and imagining(or is he?) that he can fly.
V Characters I Loved to Hate(Best Villains)
8) "Hydra" in Captain America: The Winter Soldier
You can't get much more villainous than being responsible for every devastating event of the past 70 years, as Arnim Zola's supercomputer claims in one of the best cameos of the year. I'll settle for infiltrating S.H.I.E.L.D. and turning every single person there into a bad guy.
You can't get much more villainous than being responsible for every devastating event of the past 70 years, as Arnim Zola's supercomputer claims in one of the best cameos of the year. I'll settle for infiltrating S.H.I.E.L.D. and turning every single person there into a bad guy.
7) "Minister Mason", played by Tilda Swinton in Snowpiercer
The right-hand woman to the Snowpiercer's creator, Wilford. She's on this list because Tilda Swinton is the man! I mean, she took a role that was written as a man and turned it into something you couldn't imagine any other way.
The right-hand woman to the Snowpiercer's creator, Wilford. She's on this list because Tilda Swinton is the man! I mean, she took a role that was written as a man and turned it into something you couldn't imagine any other way.
6) "Lou Bloom", played by Jake Gyllenhall in Nightcrawler
The ambitious(to a fault) night time news gatherer who will stop at nothing to get his way. He uses motivational business jargon to take advantage of his assistant Rick, he manipulates news producer Nina into sleeping with him, he almost gets his closest competitor killed, and then he actually gets innocent people killed when he tries to create the news himself(more on that later). Gyllenhall got snubbed by the Academy in my opinion for his complete transformation in this role.
The ambitious(to a fault) night time news gatherer who will stop at nothing to get his way. He uses motivational business jargon to take advantage of his assistant Rick, he manipulates news producer Nina into sleeping with him, he almost gets his closest competitor killed, and then he actually gets innocent people killed when he tries to create the news himself(more on that later). Gyllenhall got snubbed by the Academy in my opinion for his complete transformation in this role.
5) "Amy Dunne", played by Rosamund Pike in Gone Girl
Unlike Gyllenhall, Rosamund Pike received an Academy Award Nomination for her excellent portrayal of Amy Dunne, the biggest psycho of the year. There were many movie psychos this year, so that's saying something. Amy blames her husband Nick's(Ben Affleck) infidelities for her actions, but I blame her parents for raising a psycho thanks to those "Amazing Amy" books.
Unlike Gyllenhall, Rosamund Pike received an Academy Award Nomination for her excellent portrayal of Amy Dunne, the biggest psycho of the year. There were many movie psychos this year, so that's saying something. Amy blames her husband Nick's(Ben Affleck) infidelities for her actions, but I blame her parents for raising a psycho thanks to those "Amazing Amy" books.
4) "Lord Business", voiced by Will Ferrell in The LEGO Movie
2 things make him the best villain of the year. The first is Will Ferrell's voice, adding one more classic character to his fabulous resume. He delivers some great lines like: "Could you cancel my 2 o'clock, this next meeting could run a little bit DEADLY!" and, channeling Michael Corleone, "It's not personal, it's just business ... Lord Business." The second is the use of the most powerful weapon in all the land: The KRAzyGLuE, I mean, the KRAGLE!!!
2 things make him the best villain of the year. The first is Will Ferrell's voice, adding one more classic character to his fabulous resume. He delivers some great lines like: "Could you cancel my 2 o'clock, this next meeting could run a little bit DEADLY!" and, channeling Michael Corleone, "It's not personal, it's just business ... Lord Business." The second is the use of the most powerful weapon in all the land: The KRAzyGLuE, I mean, the KRAGLE!!!
3) "The Babadook" in The Babadook
Scariest children's book ever! Even scarier is the fact that after everything they go through, Amelia(Essie Davis) and Samuel(Noah Wiseman) decide to feed the monster, basically resigning themselves to living with their personal demon forever. So "The Babadook" wins basically.
Scariest children's book ever! Even scarier is the fact that after everything they go through, Amelia(Essie Davis) and Samuel(Noah Wiseman) decide to feed the monster, basically resigning themselves to living with their personal demon forever. So "The Babadook" wins basically.
2) "Koba", played by Toby Kebbell in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Anytime you're single-handedly responsible for starting a war that will wipe out the majority of the human race you're gonna be high on the villains list. At the beginning of the film Koba is Caesar's right-hand ape, but by the end it's the total opposite. After an encounter with a group of humans, Koba's hatred of them resurfaces, leading him to betray Caesar and declare all out war against the humans. Koba basically turns into a tyrannical dictator who breaks the cardinal ape rule of "Ape not kill Ape"(more on that later) to be able to rule trough fear. Pretty intense stuff.
Anytime you're single-handedly responsible for starting a war that will wipe out the majority of the human race you're gonna be high on the villains list. At the beginning of the film Koba is Caesar's right-hand ape, but by the end it's the total opposite. After an encounter with a group of humans, Koba's hatred of them resurfaces, leading him to betray Caesar and declare all out war against the humans. Koba basically turns into a tyrannical dictator who breaks the cardinal ape rule of "Ape not kill Ape"(more on that later) to be able to rule trough fear. Pretty intense stuff.
1) "Terrence Fletcher", played by J.K. Simmons in Whiplash
Scarier than The Babadook! Whenever Fletcher utters the words: "Not quite my tempo", you know there's some physical and emotional pain on the way. You also better make sure you know when you're rushing or dragging in front of him. And just when you think that Fletcher has a heart, like when he tells an emotional story about a former student who recently died, you realize that everything this guy does serves only one purpose: to create the world's next great musician by any means necessary.
Scarier than The Babadook! Whenever Fletcher utters the words: "Not quite my tempo", you know there's some physical and emotional pain on the way. You also better make sure you know when you're rushing or dragging in front of him. And just when you think that Fletcher has a heart, like when he tells an emotional story about a former student who recently died, you realize that everything this guy does serves only one purpose: to create the world's next great musician by any means necessary.
VI Best Fight Scenes of the Year
8) "Dildo Fight" between Mac(Seth Rogen) and Teddy(Zac Efron) in Neighbors
7) "Highway Fight" between Captain America(Chris Evans) and The Winter Soldier(Sebastian Stan) in Captain America: The Winter Soldier
6) "Boy vs Girl Fight" between Schmidt(Jonah Hill) and Mercedes(Jillian Bell) in 22 Jump Street
5) "El Mas Fuerte" segment in Wild Tales (Relatos Salvajes)
4) "Tanning Fight" between Riggan Thomson(Michael Keaton) and Mike Shiner(Edward Norton) in Birdman or(The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
3) "New Year's Fight" in Snowpiercer
2) "Skyscraper Fight" between Caesar(Andy Serkis) and Koba(Toby Kebbell) in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
1) "Elevator Fight" between Captain America and STRIKE in Captain America: The Winter Soldier
6) "Boy vs Girl Fight" between Schmidt(Jonah Hill) and Mercedes(Jillian Bell) in 22 Jump Street
5) "El Mas Fuerte" segment in Wild Tales (Relatos Salvajes)
4) "Tanning Fight" between Riggan Thomson(Michael Keaton) and Mike Shiner(Edward Norton) in Birdman or(The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
3) "New Year's Fight" in Snowpiercer
2) "Skyscraper Fight" between Caesar(Andy Serkis) and Koba(Toby Kebbell) in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
1) "Elevator Fight" between Captain America and STRIKE in Captain America: The Winter Soldier
VII Best Death Scenes of the Year
8) "Dr. Mann opens the hatch" - Interstellar
I'm still regaining hearing in my left ear after experiencing this moment in an IMAX theater. What an explosion!
7) "Toothless kills Stoick" - How to Train Your Dragon 2
Pretty bold move for a children's franchise.
6) "The Alien is burned alive" - Under the Skin
Another example of the prevailing movie theme of 2014: Human Beings Suck.
5) "Airplane crash" from "Pasternak" segment - Wild Tales (Relatos Salvajes)
Perfectly sets the tone for the craziness to come in the next 5 tales.
4) "The chase", ending with Rick's death - Nightcrawler
Poor Rick. This was the only possible outcome from working for the world's craziest boss.
3) "Murder of Jimmie Lee Jackson" - Selma
The event that ratcheted the tension even more in Selma leading to the march to Montgomery.
2) "Koba throws Ash over a balcony" - Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
That Koba is one bad-ass ape!
1) "Amy Kills Desi" - Gone Girl
This is Norman Bates-level Psycho stuff, with great editing to boot. If only they had sex in the shower instead.
VIII Random Awards
1) Best *Brother "pick-me-up" Moment*
Tie between Milo(Bill Hader) getting Maggie(Kristen Wigg) to lip sync to "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" in The Skeleton Twins
and
Dave Schultz(Mark Ruffalo) helping his brother Mark(Channing Tatum) lose 12 pounds in 90 minutes after an epic hotel room meltdown in order to qualify for his next match in Foxcatcher
2) Best Performance as a British Genius Having to Face Difficult Personal Circumstances
Tie between Benedict Cumberbatch as Enigma Code-Breaking Alan Turing in The Imitation Game
and
Eddie Redmayne as Theory of Relativity-Explaining Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything
3) Best Character Intro
Tie between Terrence Fletcher interrupting Andrew's(Miles Teller) practice in the opening scene of Whiplash
and
Mike Shiner(Edward Norton) standing on stage with the ghostlamp waiting for Riggan Thomson in Birdman or(The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
4) Best Slow-Motion Moment
Quicksilver Helps the Mutants Escape in X-Men: Days of Future Past
5) Best Solo Performance
Tom Hardy in Locke. This movie is 85 minutes of Tom Hardy driving a car, reacting only to a steering wheel and a cell phone, and he's awesome!
6) Most Heartbreaking Moment Involving a Pet
Tie between Father James(Brendan Gleeson) breaking down when he sees that his dog has been killed in Calvary
and
Cheryl(Reese Witherspoon) having to shoot her mother's horse because it was too sick in Wild
7) Craziest Wedding
"Hasta Que La Muerte Nos Separe" segment in Wild Tales (Relatos Salvajes)
8) Best Father & Son Conversation
3-Way Tie between Mason(Ellar Coltrane) and Mason Sr's(Ethan Hawke) bar breakup talk in Boyhood
and
Chef Casper's(Jon Favreau) "Should we have served that sandwich?" speech where he explains how passionate he is about cooking to his son in Chef
and
The exchange between Finn and his dad, "The Man Upstairs"(Will Ferrell), about the appropriate age to play with Legos in The LEGO Movie. This was my Favorite Movie Moment of 2014, so it makes a fitting ending to these rankings:
The Man Upstairs: "You know the rules. This isn't a toy."
Finn: "Um ... it kind of is."
The Man Upstairs: "No, actually it's a highly sophisticated inter-locking brick system."
Finn: "But we bought it at the toy store."
The Man Upstairs: "We did, but the way I'm using it makes it an adult thing."
Finn: "The box for this one said "Ages 8 to 14"!
The Man Upstairs: "That's a suggestion. They have to put that on there."
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