Best of 2015 (So Far)

The countdown is on for the Oscars! We are officially less than six months away from the Academy Awards ceremony, set to air on February 28, 2016. Before we look forward to all the great films set to premiere at the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals in September, let's look back to those movies that have already premiered. Of course, I can only write about the movies I've seen, so apologies to fans of Mr. Holmes, Love & Mercy, Straight Outta Compton, The End of the Tour, Tomorrowland, Irrational Man, Southpaw, Danny Collins, and others. There are some movies I didn't see because of bad reviews, but these 8 mentioned, and a couple of others, I actually plan on seeing but haven't had the chance to, either because they haven't premiered in my hometown or due to lack of time and/or money. I'm surprised I've been able to see as many 2015 films as I have(24 in total, some more than once). I guess I just really love movies!

Same as last year, since we're only (a little more than) halfway through the year, I'm cutting my year-end lists in half. Instead of 8 Top 8 Lists, I've compiled 4 Top 4 Lists, including Best Quotes, Funniest Moments, Best Fights, and Best Characters. Before I get to those, I'll start with my list of the Top 5 Movies of the Year (So Far). So let's get to it, shall we?

Top 5 Movies of the Year (So Far)

5) (Tie) Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation and Mad Max: Fury Road

... Or the movies Furious 7 wishes it were. 

Rogue Nation is an across-the-globe spy thriller full of exciting action set pieces(more on that later), with a strong script that adds just the right amount of humor to the proceedings, and great performances from its four leads: Jeremy Renner, funnyman Simon Pegg, newcomer Rebecca Ferguson, and of course, Tom Cruise(that's him hanging on the plane).

Fury Road is the ultimate chase movie. I think the word "wow" popped out of my mouth at least 20 times while watching it. And folks, that's why we go to the movies, to be "wowed". The cinematography, production design, editing, sound, hair & makeup, and visual effects(most of them non-CGI) are all amazing in this one. And if this film doesn't get any special recognition from the Academy for its stuntpeople, then no film ever will. Stuntpeople, the Designated Hitters of filmmaking.

One more thing: you'll notice I only used the 2nd part of each film's title in the description. That's because you don't need to see any previous Mission Impossible or Mad Max movies to enjoy these installments of their respective franchise. These two films stand very well on their own.

*Mad Max: Fury Road is available on Blu-Ray/DVD tomorrow

4) Welcome to Me

Kristen Wiig's best performance to date. After leaving SNL, I've thought she's been a one note actress, always playing depressed or slightly off kilter women. I didn't enjoy Bridesmaids as much as so many others. But here, that one note works perfectly. Wiig plays Alice Klieg, a woman with borderline personality disorder who wins 86 million dollars in the lottery and decides to produce a daily show focused on her life titled ... "Welcome to Me". The movie becomes a critique of our media-obsessed culture, aside from being a fascinating examination of what mental illness can look like. A strong supporting cast featuring James Marsden, Wes Bentley, Linda Cardelini, Alan Tudyk, Joan Cusack, Tim Robbins, and Jennifer Jason Leigh give this film added weight, but make no mistake, this is Wiig's show(see what I did there?) and she definitely delivers. I'm hopeful to see what she's got coming up next.

One more thing: You can watch Welcome to Me right now on Netflix!

3) Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

A solid entry to the coming-of-age genre. I was scared I might not like this movie because of its quirky title and because it was getting Lebron on ESPN-type hype(SERIOUSLY, BEST CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCE FOR LOSING IN THE FINALS?!?), but once I saw it I fell under its spell just like everyone else. To borrow from one of my All-Time Favorites ... They had me with all the classic movie remakes. But more importantly, I was hooked with the 3 main characters(great performances by all 3 actors). In its quirkyness, this movie reminded me a bit of (500) Days of Summer, and just like that one states from the beginning, this is not a love story. It's a story about friendship, about growing up and discovering who you are, and yes, it is a bit about a girl with cancer. But trust me, that is not what you will end up remembering about this one. It's full of funny moments(more on that later) and some emotional moments that anybody who's gone through adolescence can relate to.

2) Inside Out

Pixar is back! After 2010's Masterpiece, Toy Story 3, the studio had been in a bit of a slump. Inside Out changes all that. Directed by a member of Pixar's original braintrust, Pete Docter(Monster's Inc., Up), Inside Out brings back everything that makes Pixar special: the heart, the humor, the story that works for adults as well as kids, the always excellent computer animation, and a terrific voice cast, led by Amy Poehler and Phyllis Smith as "Joy" and "Sadness" respectively(more on them later). This one is destined to become an Animation/Family classic, and it will also stand the test of time as a tool to understand the psychology of a pre-teen's mind.

1) Ex Machina

I loved this movie! So smart, so chilling, so claustrophobic. This movie is three people ... well ... two people and one A.I. robot, stuck in a remote mountain estate trying to figure out what each one is up to. We have billionaire recluse "Nathan", brilliantly played by up-and-coming star Oscar Isaac, young programmer "Caleb", played by another up-and-comer, Domhnall Gleeson(Isaac vs Gleeson coming soon to a theater near you in Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens), and "Ava", our mysterious A.I. played by 2015's breakout star, Alicia Vikander. I won't go into any more details of the plot, but if you research the origins of the film's title you'll find all the foreshadowing you'll need. This is a modern Sci-Fi classic!

4 Top 4 Lists

I Best Quotes (So Far)

4) "He's not evil, he's just ... young."

    - Josh(Ben Stiller) to his wife Cornelia(Naomi Watts) talking about Adam Driver's character, Jamie, in Noah Baumbach's While We're Young

3) "Did you see the film 'Trading Places'?"

    "No"

    "How about 'Nikita'? ... 'Pretty Woman'? ... Now, my point is that the lack of a silver spoon has set you on a certain path that you needn't stay on. If you're prepared to adapt and learn, you can transform."

    "Yeah, like in 'My Fair Lady'."

    "You're full of surprises."

    - Kingsman agent Harry Hart(Colin Firth) talking to his protegé "Eggsy"(newcomer Taron Egerton) about becoming a spy in Matthew Vaughn's Kingsman: The Secret Service

2) "Are you okay to drive? A minute ago you were dead!"

    - Simon Pegg's Benji, perfectly defining the Mission Impossible franchise when he asks this question to Ethan Hunt(Cruise) in Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

1) "This morning I woke up and there was a pubic hair on my pillow shaped like a question mark. And it really got me thinking of unanswered questions, like all the times in my life when I was supposed to feel something but I felt nothing and all the other times in my life where i wasn't supposed to feel anything but I felt too much and the people around me weren't really ready for all of my feelings."

    - Alice Klieg(Wiig), opening her 1st live show with this stream of consciousness in Welcome to Me

II Funniest Moments (So Far)

4) We Belong Together, featuring Rebel Wilson as "Fat Amy" in Pitch Perfect 2

3) Killer Sneeze, featuring Jude Law and Melissa McCarthy in Spy.

2) Drugs in the Soup, featuring Thomas Mann as "Greg", RJ Cyler as "Earl", and Olivia Cooke as "Rachel" in Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

1) John Cena at the Movies, featuring Cena as "Steven", Amy Schumer as "Amy", and Keith Robinson as "Guy in back of theater" in Trainwreck

III Best Fights (So Far)

4) Ethan Hunt vs Syndicate Bad Guy at the Opera in Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

3) Diesel vs Statham street fight in Furious 7

2) T-Rex vs Indominus Rex in Jurassic World

1) *The Whole Thing* - Mad Max: Fury Road

IV Best Characters (So Far)

4) "Ava", played by Alicia Vikander in Ex Machina

    - You never know what she's up to or what side she's on.

3) "Joy", voiced by Amy Poehler in Inside Out

    - Is forced to change her perspective on "Riley" as new emotions start to take control of her life. That moment when she literally holds on to Riley's fading memories broke me.

2) "Nathan", played by Oscar Isaac in Ex Machina

    - The mysterious, and pretty eccentric, billionaire who recruits a young programmer to test his A.I. robots. One of the few things we do find out about him is that he can dance.

1) "Sadness", voiced by Phyllis Smith in Inside Out

    - Only Pixar could've pulled this off. What a great message to send to kids, to embrace every one of your emotions and learn to express what you're feeling. I also loved how she had to be dragged across the floor because she was too sad to walk. Who hasn't had one of those days?

The Movie Porti Hall of Fame - Class of 2009

Hall of Fame Induction weekend is winding down. The National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY just inducted one of its greatest classes ever, as 3 pitching greats, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, and John Smoltz, all ended their playing careers in 2009 and were eligible for induction for the first time in 2015 after their 5-year waiting period(2010-2014) ended last year. A 4th inductee, Craig Biggio, in his 3rd year of eligibility, also received the necessary 75% of the votes from the Baseball Writers Association of America(BBWAA). I've never actually understood how a player goes from non-Hall of Famer to Hall of Famer without playing a single game. Those type of fringe candidates shouldn't be Hall of Famers in my opinion(apologies to all the Craig Biggio fans out there). They just lower the bar, making it easier for the next fringe candidate to gain induction.

Now that I got that off my chest, five years is usually enough to evaluate a baseball player's career, and five years is also plenty of time to evaluate movies. Last year I wrote about the Class of 2008, and for this induction to the Movie Porti Hall of Fame again I'm only focusing on the movies that are first year eligibles, the Class of 2009.

Recap

My Top 5 Movies of 2009

1. Inglourious Basterds (dir. Quentin Tarantino)

2. I Love You, Man (dir. John Hamburg)

3. Up in the Air (dir. Jason Reitman)

4. Adventureland (dir. Greg Mottola)

5. Star Trek (dir. J.J. Abrams)

My Top 5 Performances of 2009

1. Christoph Waltz as "Col. Hans Landa" in Inglourious Basterds

2. Colin Firth as "George" in A Single Man

3. Mo'Nique as "Mary Jones" in Precious

4. Paul Rudd as "Peter Klaven" in I Love You, Man

5. Matt Damon as "Mark Whitacre" in The Informant!

Best Performance by an Ensemble in 2009

(tie) The cast of Inglourious Basterds and the cast of Star Trek

Acting MVPs of 2009

Male: Matt Damon (The Informant! and Invictus)

Female: (tie) Zoe Saldaña (Avatar and Star Trek) and Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia and It's Complicated)

How the Academy voted / How I would've voted

Best Picture: Academy: The Hurt Locker / MP: Inglourious Basterds

Best Director: Academy: Kathryn Bigelow / MP: Quentin Tarantino

Best Actor: Academy: Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart / MP: Colin Firth

Best Actress: Academy: Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side / Carey Mulligan in An Education

Best Supporting Actor: Academy: Christoph Waltz / MP: same

Best Supporting Actress: Academy: Mo'Nique / MP: same

Best Original Screenplay: Academy: The Hurt Locker / MP: Inglourious Basterds

Best Adapted Screenplay: Academy: Precious / MP: Up in the Air

Best Animated Feature: Academy: Up / MP: same

Best Original Score: Academy: Up / MP: same

A Great Year for 3 Different Genres: Sci-Fi, Comedy, and Kids/Family Movies

The year in Sci-Fi gave us 2 Best Picture nominees, Avatar and District 9, plus Star Trek which received 4 Oscar nomination and 1 win, and the underrated Moon. For Comedy, 2009 was the best year in recent memory, with every subgenre covered. We got I Love You, Man("bro rom-com"), The Hangover(raunchy R-rated comedy), Adventureland(coming-of-age dramedy), Zombieland(zombie apocalypse comedy), The Informant!(real life dark comedy), and In the Loop(smart political satire). Unfortunately, the comedy genre was shut out of the Best Picture field in the first year with up to 10 nominees(shocker!). The Kids/Family genre equaled the Sci-Fi genre with 2 Best Picture nominees, Up(the 2nd animated film, and 1st Pixar film to get a Best Picture nomination), and The Blind Side(more on that later). Other solid entries in the genre included: Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr. Fox, Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are, and 3 other nominees for Best Animated Feature, Coraline, The Secret of Kells, and Disney's The Princess and the Frog

Most Overrated of 2009

1. The Best Picture Debate Between The Hurt Locker and Avatar
Granted, these are not terrible movies. The Hurt Locker is an interesting look at what a bomb squad sergeant goes through with a great Oscar nominated lead performance by Jeremy Renner, and Avatar did wonders with its 3D and motion capture technology and ended up as the Highest Grossing Movie of All-Time at the Box Office. The thing is, neither one of these movies was in my Top 10 for the year, and they weren't even close. The Hurt Locker is a pretty boring film for about half of its run time. Avatar is a heavy-handed environmentalist message movie that totally rips off Fengully: The Last Rainforest. It was fun to see ex-spouses Kathryn Bigelow and James Cameron competing on Oscar night, but these 2 movies should've never been considered for Best Picture.
2. Sandra Bullock
Speaking of movies that should've never been considered for Best Picture ...
With the expansion of the Best Picture field from 5 to 10, The Blind Side somehow managed to get nominated. And worst of all, the Academy decided to give an Oscar to Sandra Bullock for putting on a blonde wig and talking in a bad southern accent. The Blind Side is a simple, by the numbers sports movie and Bullock gives a simple, by the numbers performance. There is nothing special or Oscar worthy about it, and that's putting it nicely. Then there's The Proposal, a bad chick flick with Bullock playing the most unlikeable person in the world that somehow managed to become a hit at the Box Office and also earned Bullock a Golden Globe nomination in the Comedy/Musical category. It really is a testament to Bullock's star power that both these movies turned into huge hits, but let's face it, these are bad movies with bad performances that are nowhere close to being award worthy, and yet, Sandra Bullock was celebrated for having the best year ever. Not. Even. Close.

Movie Porti Hall of Fame Inductee: Inglourious Basterds

This one is classic Tarantino. His re-imagining of WWII is packed with intense and bloody violence, great dialog in 4 different languages, a split narrative in 5 chapters, a cool soundtrack with an international flair, and a terrific ensemble cast. There are so many memorable moments, from the opening scene at the LaPadite farm, to the shootout at the tavern, the Basterds's introduction, the fire at the cinema, "That's a Bingo!", Shosanna and Zoller in the projectionist's room, etc. As Brad Pitt's leader of the Basterds, Lt. Aldo Raine, says in the last line of the film: I think this just might be Tarantino's masterpiece. The movie received 8 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, Cinematography, and Editing, but it only won in the Best Supporting Actor category for Christoph Waltz's iconic portrayal of "Col. Hans Landa". Speaking of which ...

Movie Porti Hall of Fame Inductee: Christoph Waltz as "Col. Hans Landa" in Inglourious Basterds

What a surprise this was! No one had even heard of Christoph Waltz before Inglourious Basterds came out, but right from the opening scene he made sure no one would ever forget him. He completely owns this movie as SS Colonel Hans Landa, aka "The Jew Hunter". But it's the way in which Landa goes about his duty that makes him an iconic movie villain, and Waltz plays him perfectly. He is an eccentric character who speaks French, English, German, and Italian fluently, who goes from charming, to funny, to scary in an instant. This required a multilayered performance from Waltz that not many actors can pull off, and in his first American movie role, no less. What a find by Tarantino!

Movie Porti Hall of Fame Inductee: Michael Giacchino's Original Score in Up

Just magical! Everyone remembers the Married Life scene. Yes, it's a classic, and the main reason why is because director Pete Docter let Giacchino's score do the talking. But please, let's not forget the rest of the movie, where Giacchino's score only gets better. Remember the first Flying House scene? That's a classic "Magic at the Movies" moment that also has no dialogue. And then there's another flying house scene near the end where Carl goes after Russell in which Carl has to get rid of all the belongings he shared with his wife Ellie. That could be the most important scene in the movie, and again Giacchino's score does all the talking. The movie may have its flaws, but Giacchino's score isn't one of them. In fact, I think it's the main reason many people grade the movie slightly better than it actually is.

Top 10 Boxing Movies

It's a good time to be a boxing movie fan. The sport may be losing viewers to UFC and other competitors, but the universal crowd-pleasing appeal of a boxing movie still remains, and Hollywood knows this. This week we get Antoine Fuqua's Southpaw, a fictional story that features Jake Gyllenhaal in a performance that is already generating strong Oscar buzz. For an actor, starring in a boxing movie is one of the surest ways to earn an Oscar nomination. Along with the physical transformation required for the role, the emotional impact of watching a person take a punch but keep moving forward(inside the ring and out) draws a parallel to what many people experience on a day to day basis.

Among the more notable Academy Award nominated performances in boxing movies you'll find Denzel Washington in The Hurricane, Will Smith in Ali, and heck, even Sylvester Stallone was nominated for his performance in Rocky. Among the eventual Oscar winners you'll find Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman(as boxer and gym manager respectively) in Million Dollar Baby, Christian Bale and Melissa Leo(as trainer and manager respectively) in The Fighter, and in what is one of the greatest screen performances I've ever seen, Robert DeNiro in Raging Bull.

The next contenders vying for the title of Academy Award Nominee and/or eventual Winner include Edgar Ramirez and DeNiro in the Roberto Duran biopic Hands of Stone, Miles Teller in the Scorsese-produced Vinny Pazienza biopic Bleed for This, and Michael B. Jordan in the Rocky spinoff Creed. Speaking of Rocky, it is one of two films on the list to earn the Undisputed Heavyweight Championship of Oscars, Best Picture. Yes, somehow Ordinary People still appears as the Best Picture winner of 1980 in the official Oscar records ahead of Scorsese's Masterpiece, Raging Bull. But hey, at least it got nominated for Best Picture, something that 4 films on my list accomplished.

This next wave of boxing movies certainly looks promising, featuring some prominent A-List talent behind the camera, and some of Hollywood's best young actors in front of it. My hope is that in a year that already gave us the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight that didn't quite live up to expectations(thanks Pac-Man), these 4 films will not disappoint and will help to reinvigorate the sport of boxing and its fanbase. Just like in these movies, the sport currently features a lot of exciting young talent, and when two of these world-class athletes square off in the ring you're most certainly going to get more action, drama, and excitement than you'll find in many of the movies that are produced in Hollywood nowadays.

Like I mentioned at the start, the studios in Hollywood know that when they're in a creative rut they can always mine the sport of boxing for compelling stories(real or fictional) that will bring out the best from the filmmakers involved and, more importantly for the studios, will get people to come to the theaters. My list of the Top 10 Boxing Movies perfectly exemplifies this. So let's get on with it shall we? Starting with ...

10) Fat City (1972) (dir. John Huston)

Showcasing the less glamorous side of boxing, this movie stars Stacy Keach(American History X, Prison Break, all those CNBC voiceovers) as a past-his-prime boxer who gets back in the ring after spotting a young kid in the gym with no experience but lots of potential(a young Jeff Bridges). This isn't your typical rags to riches Hollywood story. These guys struggle to get by throughout the movie and end pretty much right where they started, broke and with no place to go.

9) Tyson (2008) (dir. James Toback)

Speaking of being broke at the end of a boxing career ... 

This documentary is a career retrospective, by way of one on one interview, of the youngest Heavyweight Champion ever, "Iron" Mike Tyson. Tyson speaks candidly about his entire life, starting with his rough upbringing in Brooklyn, then meeting Cus D'Amato who would turn him into an unstoppable force in the ring, followed by his downfall after D'Amato's death which lead to serving a prison sentence for a rape charge he denies, continuing with the infamous ear biting incident for which he blames Evander Holyfield's constant headbutts, and ending with his present day family life. It's a very interesting look into the mind of one of the most fascinating fighters/characters in boxing history.

8) Million Dollar Baby (2004) (dir. Clint Eastwood)

The first Oscar winner on the list. This film won 4 Oscars, including the 2nd Best Director Oscar in Clint Eastwood's career, the 2nd Best Actress Oscar for Hilary Swank, a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Morgan Freeman(his first), and the big one, the Oscar for Best Picture. It's the story of 31 year old waitress Maggie Fitzgerald(Swank), who all of a sudden decides she wants to be a boxer. She walks into Frankie Dunn's(Eastwood) gym to learn how to box but he insists he doesn't train girls. With some convincing from his friend and gym partner, former boxer Eddie "Scrap-Iron" Dupris(Freeman), Frankie trains Maggie and is surprised how quickly she learns and how good she becomes. I could've placed this movie higher on the list if it weren't for that twist in the final act which changes the description I just gave of the movie completely.

7) The Set-Up (1949) (dir. Robert Wise)

A short movie that lasts 1 hour and 13 minutes in both movie time and real time. It may be short but it packs a lot of intrigue as an over-the-hill boxer named Bill "Stoker" Thompson is looking to make one final statement in the ring with an upset victory unaware that his trainer has already taken money from a gambler assuring him that his fighter will take a dive in the 2nd round. Aside from the plot, the other thing that makes the movie great is the attention to detail shown with the boxing aspect. From the boxers waiting in the locker room for their fight to come up, then returning to the locker room beaten and bloodied after the fight, to the feel of the crowd before, during, and after the fights, and finally to the realistic action in the ring which Scorsese said was one of the best he saw prepping for Raging Bull, this film gets boxing absolutely right.

6) Cinderella Man (2005) (dir. Ron Howard)

The true life story of James J. Braddock(Russell Crowe), who makes a comeback in the Heavyweight Division after falling on hard times during The Great Depression. He was given the nickname "Cinderella Man" because he was a huge underdog in every one of the fights he won leading to his shot at the Heavyweight Title against Max Baer. The movie tanked at the Box Office, but it wasn't the cast's fault, as Crowe gives one of his best performances and Reneé Zellweger as his wife and Paul Giamatti as his manager/trainer are great as well. Maybe if it was released a couple of years later after the Wall Street crash of 2008 the movie would've resonated better with audiences. Still, it's a must watch for any boxing fan.

5) Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956) (dir. Robert Wise)

Paul Newman plays Rocky Graziano in this biopic of the former Middleweight Champion from Brooklyn NY. Those first two words should be enough for you to want to watch this movie. This was Newman's breakout role, replacing James Dean after his death, and the rest is history. His natural charisma is perfect for this role, as Graziano was a troublemaker who found boxing as a way to hide from the army and the police. It just so happened that Graziano was one of the strongest punchers in boxing history and once he got serious inside the ring he went all the way to the top. The movie won 2 Oscars for its Black & White Cinematography and its Art Direction/Set Decoration.

4) Rocky (1976) (dir. John G. Avildsen)

From one Rocky to another ...

Without a doubt, this is the most famous boxing movie of All-Time, spawning a franchise that is 40 years old now and possibly might never die. But this isn't about the franchise, it's about the original, a story about a small-time boxer from Philadelphia, Rocky Balboa(Sylvester Stallone), who gets a once in a lifetime opportunity to fight Apollo Creed(Carl Weathers) for the Heavyweight Championship of the world on America's bicentennial anniversary. I gotta be honest, I can't stand any of the Rocky sequels. Each one got less believable than the one before and the action in the ring doesn't look anything like boxing. The first one suffers a bit from the same in-ring flaws(causing to not be ranked higher on my list), but overall I give it a pass because it is such a good movie. The 10 Oscar nominations speak for themselves, although it should've never been named Best Picture ahead of Taxi Driver and Network. That being said, the movie is full of memorable moments("Yo, Adrian", "Gonna Fly Now", etc) that have helped it age just as well as those other classics.

3) The Fighter (2010) (dir. David O. Russell)

The true story of "Irish" Micky Ward(Mark Wahlberg) and his dysfunctional family in Lowell, Massachusetts which includes his brother/trainer Dicky Ecklund(Christian Bale) who is struggling with a crack addiction, his mother/manager Alice(Melissa Leo), and his new girlfriend Charlene(Amy Adams). After Dicky ends up in prison, Micky recommits to his career with a new team and slowly starts climbing the ladder on the way to a title shot. After Dicky leaves prison sobered up, he rejoins Micky as head trainer just in time to help him win a title. The main cast is stellar in this one, with Christian Bale stealing the show as Dicky, winning an Oscar in the process. Melissa Leo also won an Oscar for her performance. In fact, the only one to not get nominated for an Oscar out of the 4 leads was the one playing the boxer, Mark Wahlberg. I also love how the fights are presented as if you were watching a live HBO telecast, complete with commentary from Jim Lampley, Roy Jones, and Larry Merchant.

2) When We Were Kings (1996) (dir. Leon Gast)

A documentary of the events leading up to the "Rumble in the Jungle" that was over 20 years in the making. The reason this movie is so high in my rankings is simple: Muhammad Ali. Ali lights up the screen throughout with every interview, or training session, or when he arrives in Zaire, all of it leading up to the moment he shocked the world once again and knocked out George Foreman to regain the Heavyweight Championship. Every eccentric athlete that you see today is just trying to be Ali, but there will never be anybody quite like him. He is truly The Greatest. And seeing as he is The Greatest, of course this film had to win the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.

1) Raging Bull (1980) (dir. Martin Scorsese)

Scorsese's Masterpiece! This was an easy choice. All of the other movies on this list are good, but none of them are in the same weight class as Raging Bull. This is one of the 10 greatest movies I've ever seen. DeNiro's performance as Jake LaMotta is in the discussion for Greatest Performance of All-Time. The supporting performances by Joe Pesci as brother Joey and Cathy Moriarty as wife Vicky are both terrific, and both were also Oscar nominees. The black & white cinematography is perfection, same thing with the editing(the film's only other Oscar win), particularly in the in-ring sequences. I mean, there really is nothing wrong with this film. I just watched it again last night and it got even better. If for some reason you haven't watched it yet, do so immediately. To put it in boxing terms, Raging Bull is the undisputed pound-for-pound king of the boxing movie genre.

2015 Oscars Recap: or(The Unexpected Victory of Iñárritu)

"The only thing predictable about life is its unpredictability."

My main rat "Remy"(voiced by Patton Oswalt) states this line after all the wacky occurrences at the end of one of my favorite movies of All-Time, Ratatouille. If you substitute "life" with "the Oscars" in that quote you can get a pretty good idea as to how my predictions went last night. My official predictions went kaput as soon as The Grand Budapest Hotel won for Best Hair & Makeup, and they only got worse from there. At least I feel good about the fact that I presented the most likely alternative scenarios to my predictions in my viewer's guide, and those were the ones that mostly played out last night.

"... a high chance that Budapest wins for Best Hair & Makeup, but loses Original Screenplay to Birdman ...", I said. Do I get half a point at least for those two mentions? You say no? Ok, how about this one: "... a chance that American Sniper or Whiplash also end up with three wins if they can pull off upsets for Best Editing, Best Adapted Screenplay, or Best Actor." Maybe I can get a third of a point there, seeing as Whiplash wound up with three Oscars after upsetting Boyhood for Best Editing, and also winning for Best Sound Mixing and Best Supporting Actor for J.K. Simmons(Don't worry J.K, I'll make sure to call my parents today).

Still no? How about this one: "There's also a chance that Birdman or Boyhood fever takes over the Academy and one of those movies sweeps the main categories of Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay." At least I know I get one point there for correctly predicting Alejandro G. Iñárritu's win for Best Director, making it two straight years with a Mexican-born filmmaker winning the prize, after Alfonso Cuarón won for directing Gravity in 2013.

Although I could see that one coming, I honestly thought that Birdman would prove to be too divisive among Academy voters to be able to sweep the three main categories. I'm actually glad I got that one wrong, as Birdman was my favorite movie of the year, making two straight years where my favorite movie has won Best Picture(12 Years a Slave last year), and in my list of "Who I Would've Nominated" I had it as my #1 in those categories as well. Iñárritu actually became the first person to sweep those three categories since Joel & Ethan Coen in 2007 for No Country for Old Men(Adapted Screenplay in their case). That's genius territory right there. Speaking of genius, Birdman's fourth Oscar came in one of the easiest categories to predict last night, Best Cinematography for Emanuel "Chivo" Lubezki, who becomes the first repeat winner in the category since 1994-1995.

There was one other prediction for Birdman that I, sadly, got wrong. I thought the Academy would honor Michael Keaton for Best Actor as a career achievement award, but instead they went with Eddie Redmayne for his physical transformation as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything(that film's only win for the night). At least Redmayne's genuinely happy reaction and speech made for a nice moment.

Speaking of great moments from the sole winners of their respective films, Graham Moore's (#stayweird) Best Adapted Screenplay acceptance speech for The Imitation Game, and Common & John Legend's Best Original Song performance and acceptance speech of "Glory" from Selma were my co-favorites for Moment of the Night! That is maybe in part because I correctly predicted those two wins, but it's really because of how emotionally powerful both of those moments were. That visual of the people crossing the bridge even had Captain Kirk crying. Patricia Arquette had another of the most emotional moments of the night(man, everyone had something to get off their chest last night) talking about equal pay for women during her Best Supporting Actress acceptance speech for Boyhood(that film's only win of the night).

Maybe she should've also demanded equal recognition from the Academy for Boyhood's writer/director/producer Richard Linklater, who went 0 for 3 last night and remains unrecognized by the Academy even though he's been one of the greatest American directors of the past 20 years(his Before Trilogy is one of my favorite(s) movies of All-Time). Another of the greatest American directors of the past 20 years, Wes Anderson, also went 0 for 3 due to the Birdman sweep, but his fingerprints were all over each and every one of The Grand Budapest Hotel's four wins, for Best Production Design, Best Costume Design (two I correctly predicted), Best Hair & Makeup, and Best Original Score (two I got wrong as I thought Foxcatcher would get recognized for Hair & Makeup and The Theory of Everything would get recognized for its Score).

Birdman and The Grand Budapest Hotel tied for the most wins of the night with four each, something that was not entirely surprising for me as I had predicted three wins for both, and I also mentioned that if everything broke right for Budapest it could wind up as the movie with the most Oscars at the end of the night. It had to share that honor with another film, but I'm guessing its filmmakers walked away happy at the end of the night. Speaking of which, every film nominated for Best Picture has a reason to be happy today, to varying degrees, as all eight nominees took home at least one Oscar (4 each for Birdman and Budapest, 3 for Whiplash, and 1 each for American Sniper, The Imitation Game, Selma, The Theory of Everything, and Boyhood).

And now, to other winners and moments that made me, the viewer, happy ...

- Julianne Moore, Oscar Winner. Long overdue honor. Great Speech too.

- Walt Disney Animation Studios swept the animation categories with Big Hero 6 (out on Blu-Ray/DVD tomorrow) winning Best Animated Feature, and the short film that preceded it in theaters, Feast, winning Best Animated Short. That's back to back Best Animated Feature wins for Disney(Frozen last year) after not having won in the first 12 years of the category's existence.

- Speaking of animation, The LEGO Movie getting its moment in the Oscars spotlight(after getting snubbed for Best Animated Feature) with the wacky and fun performance of its nominated song, "Everything is Awesome", was one of the highlights of the night for me. The performance included Teagan & Sara, the Lonely Island boys, Questlove, a cameo from Will Arnett as Lego Batman, plus Lego Oscar statuettes for Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, and Oprah. That woman has everything, yet she looked absolutely thrilled to get one of those.

- Citizenfour winning for Best Documentary Feature. In a night full of politics, it had to win.

- I enjoyed the orchestra playing classic movie theme songs in the background, especially some of my favorites from: Back to the Future, Moulin Rouge!, Once, Caddyshack, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and many others.

- Jared Leto introducing the Best Supporting Actress nominees: "They are four women, plus, in accordance with California state law, Meryl Streep." 

- Speaking of The Great One, she did a great job introducing the In Memoriam segment. This woman is perfect in anything. I also enjoyed the animation used to present each of the stars we lost.

- Michael Keaton getting a chance to speak when Birdman won Best Picture, perfectly closing the show with this line: "Look, it's just great to be here. Who am I kidding? It's great fun."

A Best/Worst Moment:

The Sound of Music 50th Anniversary tribute featuring Lady Gaga. Yes, Gaga was awesome, and Julie Andrews coming out to present the Oscar for Best Original Score ties in nicely with The Sound of Music's classic songs, but this moment halts the show for a full 10 minutes, taking away from the time each winner gets to give thanks. More importantly for me, it takes the place of the honorary Oscars awarded yearly to some of the greatest legends in the film industry, which only get a quick one minute mention in the first hour of the show. There's also the fact that choosing one random movie to celebrate each year is totally unfair. 2015 also marks the 75th anniversary of John Ford's The Grapes of Wrath, and the 40th anniversary of Steven Spielberg's Jaws, Sidney Lumet's Dog Day Afternoon, Robert Altman's Nashville, Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lindon, and Milos Forman's Best Picture winner, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest(what a year right?). I hope this tradition isn't continued next year.

And now to some moments that made me, the viewer, unhappy ...

- Sean Penn going "Sean Penn" with his "green card" joke before announcing the Best Picture winner. This guy should be permanently banned from the Oscars stage unless he wins an award. #Penndejo indeed.

- John Travolta, once again, going "John Travolta" ruining his chance at redemption by awkwardly touching Idina Menzel's face. Lucky for us, she handled it like a pro.

- Terrence Howard, what was that?!? He takes home the "John Travolta Award" for most awkward presenter of the night.

- Another year with a song after the In Memoriam segment that misfired. After Bette Midler last year, Jennifer Hudson's performance seemed to have some sound issues for me. And can't we all agree that after the In Memoriam segment the only thing we should see is a fade to black, not some singer hogging the spotlight from the lost stars.

- Linklater being shut out. I was actually hoping Sean Penn would say "Boyhood", even though I liked Birdman more.

- Dawn of the Planet of the Apes losing for Best Visual Effects to Interstellar. Apes was the 5th best movie I saw last year(one spot ahead of Boyhood), and this was its only chance at an Oscar win. The thing is, it absolutely deserved to win this award for its groundbreaking Visual Effects placing motion capture actors in real world settings ahead of Interstellar's outer space effects, which were good, but had just been done in a more impressive fashion by last year's winner in the category, Gravity.

Neil Patrick Harris's Best Moments:

- The opening number paying tribute to "Moving Pictures", with an assist from Anna Kendrick and Jack Black. Once I saw classic silhouettes of Singin' in the Rain and North by Northwest I was hooked, culminating with NPH as an Oscar statue.

- The Birdman bit. It literally took a lot of balls to pull that off.

- Speaking of which, NPH's best joke for me came in reference to the dress worn by Dana Perry, producer of the Best Documentary Short winner Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1, after she had just shared a very tragic personal story with the world. His line was: "I love that dress. It takes a lot of balls to wear that dress." It took a lot of balls to make that joke right there on the spot.

Other funny jokes ...

- "We are here to honor the best and the whitest - I mean brightest."

- "Benedict Cumberbatch. It's not only the most awesome name in show business, it's also the sound you get when you ask John Travolta to pronounce Ben Affleck."

- "Acting is a noble profession" - while he's standing in his underwear on stage

Neil Patrick Harris's Worst Moments:

- The prediction box. Just awful. Who thought this would work? Poor Octavia Spencer.

- Making David Oyelowo read in his British accent. This joke has never been funny.

- "Reese Witherspoon" With - a - spoon, get it? Maybe a 10 year old would laugh at that.

- And one joke that may have crossed the line, right after Citizenfour had won for Best Documentary Feature: "Edward Snowden couldn't be here for some treason."

2015 Oscars: A Viewer's Guide

Welcome to Movie Porti's 2nd annual Oscars Viewer's Guide!

Just like last year, it's coming down to the wire! 

This year there are eight movies fighting it out to be named Best Picture. I would divide those eight movies into four tiers of two. In 8th and 7th place, falling into the "If Grand Hotel won Best Picture, then so can we" category, are Selma and The Theory of Everything. Selma received only one other nomination, for Best Original Song(ironically, it's favored to win there). The last movie to win Best Picture with two or fewer total nominations was Grand Hotel in 1932(it was only nominated for Best Picture). The Theory of Everything received five total nominations, and it's a strong contender for Best Actor and Best Original Score, but it wasn't nominated for Best Director or Best Editing, and the last movie to win Best Picture without a nomination for either of those categories was ... you guessed it! Grand Hotel in 1932.

In 6th and 5th place, in the "Age is only a number" category, we have two movies with strong followings that missed out on a Best Director nomination: Whiplash and American Sniper. Damien Chazelle(Whiplash) and Clint Eastwood(American Sniper) are on opposite ends of the age curve. Chazelle(29 years old when Whiplash premiered) becomes the youngest director to have his film nominated for Best Picture since M. Night Shyamalan, who was also 29 years old in 1999 when The Sixth Sense premiered. On the other hand, Clint Eastwood(84 years old when American Sniper premiered) became the oldest director to have his film nominated for Best Picture since John Huston, who was 79 years old in 1985 when Prizzi's Honor premiered.

Both Whiplash and American Sniper are very strong contenders in three categories where they go head to head: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing, and Best Sound Mixing, but only one is a lock to win an Oscar. That would be Whiplash for J.K. Simmons in the Best Supporting Actor category. In the end, I believe both of these films will end up with at least one Oscar a piece, if not more(Sniper is a favorite in both sound categories). However, in order to win Best Picture they're gonna have to go the Argo route and win without the Best Director nomination, and that's something that I just can't see happening in a year where there are two heavy favorites.

Before we get to those, there are two movies in the "Don't forget about us" category that are looking to pull off the upset, The Imitation Game, in 4th place with eight nominations, and The Grand Budapest Hotel(not to be confused with Grand Hotel of 1932), in 3rd place, but tied for the most nominations with nine. The Grand Budapest Hotel is a lock in one category, Best Production Design, and a co-favorite in four others: Best Original Screenplay, Best Costume Design, Best Hair & Makeup, and Best Original Score, where coincidentally its composer, Alexandre Desplat, is competing against himself for the score of ... The Imitation Game. If things break right for The Grand Budapest Hotel, it could wind up as the movie with the most Oscars at the end of the night.

On the contrary, everything needs to go right for The Imitation Game in order to avoid becoming the American Hustle of this year's Oscars, going home empty handed with a high number of nominations. Out of its eight nominations, The Imitation Game is only a strong contender in two categories: Best Original Score, where I predict that Alexandre Desplat will be doubly disappointed when The Theory of Everything is announced as the winner, and Best Adapted Screenplay, where it has its strongest chance at a win. I predict there won't be a repeat of the American Hustle shutout from last year, as the Academy will recognize The Imitation Game for its screenplay, although there is a very high probability that I could be mistaken due to the strong support for both Whiplash and American Sniper.

And now to the frontrunners ...

Forget about anything you've heard about a possible surprise when the Best Picture winner is announced tonight. This isn't 2013, when Argo won, or 2006, when Crash beat Brokeback Mountain, or 1999, when Shakespeare in Love beat Saving Private Ryan. This year we've had two heavy favorites ever since the race started, and the race started over a year ago when Boyhood premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Boyhood has received universal praise since that time, and it received six Oscar nominations. However, it trails Birdman by three nominations. Ever since it premiered at the Venice Film Festival, Birdman has also been universally praised, and it tied with The Grand Budapest Hotel for the most Oscar nominations with nine.

Now, because the race between them is so close, both Boyhood and Birdman are absolute locks in only one category: Best Supporting Actress for Patricia Arquette in Boyhood, and Best Cinematography for Emanuel "Chivo" Lubezki in Birdman(with that win, Lubezki will become the first person to win in this category in consecutive years since John Toll in 1994 & 1995  for Legends of the Fall and Braveheart). Even though they only have one lock a piece, I am predicting a second Oscar for both in categories where they don't compete against one another, but face tough challenges from other nominees.

I believe the Academy will want to award Michael Keaton in the Best Actor category for his incredible career ahead of newcomer Eddie Redmayne and possible surprise winner Bradley Cooper, who'll both probably get more chances for this award in the future. At 63 years old, Keaton became the oldest first time Best Actor nominee since Frank Langella for Frost/Nixon in 2008(he was 70 years old), and, with a win, Keaton would become the oldest winner in the category since Henry Fonda for On Golden Pond in 1981(he was 76 years old). As for Boyhood, I believe that pulling off its 12 year gimmick will give it the win for Best Editing, holding off strong competition from American Sniper and Whiplash.

*Jane Fonda accepting her father's Oscar at the 1982 Academy Awards

That just leaves the three categories where these movies, and their writer/director/producers, face off head to head: Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Picture. Richard Linklater(Boyhood) and Alejandro G. Iñárritu(Birdman) are also joined by Wes Anderson(The Grand Budapest Hotel) in all three categories. I predict that all three men will walk away happy(to varying degrees) at the end of the night. I believe the Academy will award Budapest's inventive screenplay, Birdman's technical perfection, and Boyhood's overall emotional impact. If this scenario plays out, it would be the third straight year where the Best Picture and Best Director winners don't match. It would also be the second straight year where a Mexican-born filmmaker wins Best Director(Alfonso Cuarón last year), after no hispanic had won in the previous 85 year history of the category. If Boyhood pulls off the win, it would be the first film to win Best Picture without winning any of the top prizes from the major guild awards(actors, writers, directors, and producers) since Braveheart in 1995.

Of course, there is a high probability that things don't turn out as I predict. There is a chance that Boyhood wins Best Picture, but loses every other category besides Best Supporting Actress. If that's the case, those two wins would be the fewest for a Best Picture winner since 1952's The Greatest Show on Earth. That wouldn't be the best comparison for Boyhood as that movie is consistently ranked as one of the worst Best Picture winners ever. If Birdman wins(my preferred choice), it would also be historic as it would become the first film to win Best Picture without a Best Editing nomination since Ordinary People in 1980.

Any way you look at it, the intrigue level is extremely high this year. As I have it, Birdman(Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Actor), Boyhood(Best Picture, Best Editing, and Best Supporting Actress), and The Grand Budapest Hotel(Best Original Screenplay, Best Production Design, and Best Costume Design) will end up tied for the most Oscars won with three a piece, with a high chance that Budapest wins for Best Hair & Makeup, but loses Original Screenplay to Birdman, and a chance that American Sniper or Whiplash also end up with three wins if they can pull off upsets for Best Editing, Best Adapted Screenplay, or Best Actor. There's also a chance that Birdman or Boyhood fever takes over the Academy and one of these movies sweeps the main categories of Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. No movie this year received nominations in all five major categories(Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay) though, so that means that the three member club that has swept those categories is safe(1934's It Happened One Night, 1975's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and 1991's The Silence of the Lambs).

And now, other fun facts ...

*If American Sniper pulls off the shocking upset and wins Best Picture, it would become the highest grossing Best Picture winner since The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King in 2003.

*This is the first time ever that two movies that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival(Boyhood and Whiplash) have been nominated for Best Picture. Speaking of which, Boyhood could become the first Best Picture winner to premiere before Labor Day since 2009's The Hurt Locker

*Not a single winner from last year's Oscars was nominated this year. And speaking of last year's winners, this is the second straight year where Alec Baldwin plays the husband of the Best Actress winner(Cate Blanchett last year, Julianne Moore this year).

*Alexandre Desplat is not the only person competing against himself in the same category. Sound Mixer Jon Taylor is competing against himself for his work in Birdman and Unbroken. And Set Decorator Anna Pinnock is competing against herself for her work in The Grand Budapest Hotel and Into the Woods. I believe that Pinnock will be the only one benefitting from her increased odds.

"Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Bride" Segment

    - Diane Warren received her 7th Best Original Song nomination for her song "Grateful" from Beyond the lights, and for the 7th time she'll probably lose.

    - Roger Deakins received his 12th Best Cinematography nomination for his work in Unbroken, and for the 12th time he'll probably lose

"Bennett Miller Fun Facts" Segment

    - Bennett Miller is the first person since the Best Picture category expanded from five to up to ten nominees to get nominated for Best Director but not have his film nominated for Best Picture.

    - Bennett Miller received his 2nd career Best Director nomination in his 3rd career Feature Film. Not a bad batting average.

    - For an even better batting average, Miller is 3 for 3 in getting an Oscar nomination for his lead actor after Steve Carell received his first career nomination for his role in Foxcatcher. Previous Bennett Miller nominees include Brad Pitt for Moneyball and Philip Seymour Hoffman for Capote.

*Everyone in the Best Actor category is a first time nominee, except 3 time nominee Bradley Cooper. Everyone in the Best Supporting Actor category is a repeat nominee, except likely winner J.K. Simmons. Along that line ...

"Multiple Academy Award Nominated Actors" Segment

    - Keira Knightley receives her 2nd career nomination for her performance in The Imitation Game nine years after being nominated for her performance in Pride & Prejudice.

    - Laura Dern receives her 2nd career nomination for her performance in Wild after having to wait 23 years since her 1st nomination for her performance in Rambling Rose. Last year, her father Bruce Dern also received his 2nd career acting nomination, but he had to wait 35 years between nominations, so at least Laura beat her dad by 12 years.

    - Reese Witherspoon also receives her 2nd career nomination for her performance in Wild, and like Keira Knightley, she also had to wait nine years after winning an Oscar for her performance in Walk the Line. This should actually be Witherspoon's 3rd nomination, but the fact that she wasn't nominated for her performance as "Tracy Flick" in Alexander Payne's Election remains one of the Academy's most egregious snubs of the past 20 years.

    - Marion Cotillard also receives her 2nd career Best Actress nomination for her performance in Two Days, One Night, but she only waited seven years after winning an Oscar for her performance in La Vie en Rose. She becomes only the fifth person ever to receive two or more nominations for foreign-language performances.

    - Mark Ruffalo receives his 2nd career nomination for his performance in Foxcatcher, four years after he was nominated for his performance in The Kids Are All Right.

    - Ethan Hawke receives his 2nd career acting nomination, and 4th overall(nominated for the screenplays to Before Sunset and Before Midnight), for his performance in Boyhood, 13 years after he was nominated for his performance in Training Day.

    - Edward Norton receives his 3rd career nomination for his performance in Birdman. He had to wait 16 years between nominations after getting nominated twice in three years for his roles in Primal Fear and American History X. Norton could be considered the acting MVP of 2014 as he was the only actor to appear in multiple Best Picture nominees(Birdman and The Grand Budapest Hotel).

    - Bradley Cooper receives his 3rd straight nomination for his performance in American Sniper. He was previously nominated in 2012 for his performance in Silver Linings Playbook, and in 2013 for his performance in American Hustle. He is the first actor to accomplish this feat since Renée Zellweger from 2001-2003, and the first male actor to accomplish the feat since Russell Crowe from 1999-2001. In a strange coincidence, neither one of those actors has been nominated since.

    - Julianne Moore, the hands-down favorite to win Best Actress, receives her 5th career nomination for her performance in Still Alice. She had to wait 12 years between nominations, after getting nominated four times in a six year period from 1997 to 2002. A long overdue honor for one of the greatest actresses of her generation.

Speaking of the greats ...

    - Robert DuVall, at age 84, receives his 7th career nomination for his performance in The Judge. He had to wait 16 years between nominations. That ties him for 9th place among male actors with the most nominations, alongside Dustin Hoffman, Richard Burton, and Robert DeNiro. 

    - Meryl Streep is nominated once again for her performance in Into the Woods. That's her 19th career nomination, breaking the record of 18 acting nominations she set last year. She isn't likely to win, as Patricia Arquette is the clear favorite in her category. That just means that we can expect Mrs. Streep to extend her record as she searches for that 4th Oscar that would tie her with Katharine Hepburn for the most wins by an actor ever.

One More Thing ... 

If you have any doubts about Neil Patrick Harris's hosting abilities, watch this video of his opening act as host of the 2013 Tony Awards. As he says in the clip, with NPH as host we are guaranteed a LEGEN ... wait for it ... DARY show!!!!!!!!

And the Oscar Goes To ...