Happy 2015, Oscar Dash 2015

Happy 2015!

Have you made a list of goals or resolutions? What about a movie list? I've made one of those, as I'm sure you imagined. Don't forget that Oscar Dash starts mid-month, just after the nominations are revealed on January 15. Stay tuned for that announcement!

Until then, I thought I'd share three of my movie goals for this year (besides the annual dash):

I want to watch more...
1. Classics. So many fantastic films were made in the 1930s-1950s. I have seen a lot of them but many still to go. Here are a few I plan to watch before summer: 39 Steps, Spellbound, All Quiet on the Western Front, The Man Who Came to Dinner, Gentleman's Agreement, The Conversation, and La Dolce Vita.

2. Epics and 3+ hour long films. It's hard to do this, of course, because there is always so much to do after work and on the weekends. But I feel I need to see award-winning films like The English Patient, Patton, and the entirety of the 1915 classic Birth of a Nation.

3. Documentaries. There was a spurt of great documentaries a few years ago and then I didn't hear about as many. I need to remedy this.

The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies

The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies (Peter Jackson, 2014)

Click here for the basics

Rating: Q=6, P=6 / Average OJ

Scale 1=4, Scale 2=2, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=3

Fantasy, Adventure, Action, Based on Book

The last installment of the Hobbit trilogy was much as I anticipated: full of action, beautiful scenery, a few ridiculous moments, and good for an escape. My least favorite part of the story, this part does NOT stand on its own--narrative/story is very lacking in this part. But that makes sense. If you watch it in 3D with HFR, beware, some of the battle sequences do seem a bit like a video game. Legolas is the most magical... anyway, I'm looking forward to watching the entire Tolkien collection from beginning to end, now. How long would that take, 15+ hours?

--Don't understand the ratings? Click here

Peaky Blinders Seasons 1 & 2

Peaky Blinders Seasons 1 & 2 (Steven Knight, 2013-)

Click here for the basics

Rating: DSQ=12, SP=8 / Decadence

Scale A=4, Scale B=4, Scale C=4, Scale D=4, Scale E=4

Gangster, Power, WWI aftermath, Race, Class, Philosophical, Crime

Was this show made specifically for me? No, seriously, was it? Everything in this show is my favorite:
Gangster? Check.
Misunderstood male character struggling to control his own life? Check.
Masculinity gone wild? Check. (well, I guess this is a given in all gangster narratives.)
Set in the 1920s? Check.
Issues of race and class? Check.
Based on real life? Check.
Amazing soundtrack? Check.
Incredible art direction? Check.
Irish accents? Check.

Both seasons are equally amazing and addictive. If you liked shows like Mad Men and Breaking Bad and you can stomach some very gruesome scenes of fighting and gang violence, you should watch this.

--Don't understand the ratings? Click here

Sita Sings the Blues

Sita Sings the Blues (Nina Paley, 2008)

Click here for the basics

Rating: Q=6, P=5 / Average OJ

Scale 1=4, Scale 2=2, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=2

Animation, Religion, Love, India, Based on Ramayana, 

An interesting retelling of the Ramayana and how it applies to modern life. The animation styles are fun and engaging and the 1920s music by Annette Hanshaw works. I liked that we viewers are left to interpret the meaning and morals of the stories ourselves--everything is discussed from many angles and is left somewhat open-ended.

--Don't understand the ratings? Click here