The Best of 2014

I’m a nerd who loves lists. As usual, here are my top ten films, television shows and songs of the year. The films have links to my previous posts to avoid repetitiveness. Enjoy.

TOP TEN FILMS OF 2014

1. THE LEGO MOVIE

I would have to say this film is like Toy Story on Red Bull. Great nostalgia and clever jokes mixed with crazy fast action and meta-humour. Brilliant.

LINK: http://popculturepusher.blogspot.ca/2014/02/film-lego-movie.html

2. BIRDMAN

One of the coolest things about this film (among many other cool things) is that it seems like the entire movie was done in one shot.
LINK: http://popculturepusher.blogspot.ca/2014/11/film-birdman.html

3. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
Talk about fun. This film was mighty entertaining. Chris Pratt is perfectly cast as the sarcastic Han Solo-esque Peter Quill.

LINK: http://popculturepusher.blogspot.ca/2014/08/film-guardians-of-galaxy.html

4. THE IMITATION GAME

What a fascinating story! I was engrossed the entire time. I didn’t know about this part of history; it was eye-opening.

LINK: http://popculturepusher.blogspot.ca/2014/12/film-imitation-game.html

5. THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

This film has all the same bells and whistles of a Wes Anderson flick but it is the most action packed of all his filmography. Very fun stuff.

LINK: http://popculturepusher.blogspot.ca/2014/03/film-grand-budapest-hotel.html

6. BOYHOOD

The idea of shooting this film over 12 years is brilliant. There’s a naturalness that can only be captured by watching the characters mature slowly.

LINK: http://popculturepusher.blogspot.ca/2014/08/film-boyhood.html

7. GONE GIRL

I was riveted the entire time. Fincher is meticulous in his direction and it shows. This is a perfectly crafted film.

LINK: http://popculturepusher.blogspot.ca/2014/10/film-gone-girl.html

8. CAPTAIN AMERICA: WINTER SOLDIER

A great action movie. Of the post-Avenger films, I found this one to be the best sequel. Great hand-to-hand combat and nice car chase sequences.

LINK: http://popculturepusher.blogspot.ca/2014/04/film-captain-america-winter-soldier.html

9. INTERSTELLAR

This movie seems like an amalgamation of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Gravity and Sunshine. Some pretty good company to be in.

LINK: http://popculturepusher.blogspot.ca/2014/11/film-interstellar.html

10. HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY, PART I

I appreciated the set design, especially District 13. It looked a lot cooler than I pictured in my head while reading it.

LINK: http://popculturepusher.blogspot.ca/2014/11/film-mockingjay-part-1.html

TOP TEN TELEVISION SHOWS OF 2014

1. GAME OF THRONES (HBO)

Why: Season 4 was full of great moments of justice and injustice.

Favourite Character: Tyrion (Peter Dinklage)

Best Episode of 2014: The Lion and the Rose (S04E02)

There were lots of episodes to choose from including Tyrion’s wonderful courtroom speech, but the ending of this ghastly wedding was truly magnificent. I smiled really big at the end of it.

2. MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC)

Why: It is now becoming everything I wanted it to be. God bless the Whedons.

Favourite Character: Coulson (Clark Gregg)

Best Episode of 2014: Turn, Turn, Turn (S01E17)

This is the episode when the momentum shifted. Connecting to Captain America: Winter Soldier, it is now a whole new ballgame as the crew tries to stay alive while there is a traitor within their ranks.

3. BROOKLYN NINE-NINE (FOX)

Why: It’s all about Holt and Jake and their awesome interactions

Favourite Character: Captain Holt (Andre Braugher)

Best Episode of 2014: The Party (S01E16)

The gang makes a terrible first impression on Holt’s husband. It is always fun seeing Holt out of the office and living his ‘normal’ life.

4. HOMELAND (SHOWTIME)

Why: Talk about a comeback. The last half of the season was riveting

Favourite Character: Quinn (Rupert Friend)

Best Episode of 2014: There’s Something Else Going On (S04E09)

A very tense hostage exchange is the centerpiece of this ramped up episode. The episodes just before and the ones after are all fantastically action-packed and full of brilliant moments.

5. FARGO (FX)

Why: Same tone and dark humour as the movie, but longer story

Favourite Character: Malvo (Billy Bob Thorton)

Best Episode of 2014: A Fox, a Rabbit and a Cabbage (S01E09)

Just when it looks like Martin Freeman’s character has things looking up for him, he does something stupid like interfere with Malvo’s business.

6. THE NEWSROOM (HBO)

Why: I will miss this series and its idealistic rants about media

Favourite Character: Will McAvoy (Jeff Daniels)

Best Episode of 2014: What Kind of Day Has It Been (S03E06)

As the series concludes with a funeral, we are treated with all the machinations that went into turning their news program around in the first place. I love origin stories.

7. PARENTHOOD (NBC)

Why: No other series makes me root for both sides of family issues

Favourite Character: Max (Max Burkholder)

Best Episode of 2014: Aaron Brownstein Must Be Stopped (S06E08)

A truly heartbreaking episode where Max sees his crush kissing another guy and doesn’t know how to deal with it. and his Asbergers isn’t helping.

8. THE AFFAIR (SHOWTIME)

Why: Very interesting he said/she said storyline keeps you guessing

Favourite Character: Noah (Dominic West)

Best Episode of 2014: 9 (S01E09)

The affair continues which leads to eventual confrontation and closure in relationships. There is also a pregnancy test that affects both parties

9. SILICON VALLEY (HBO)

Why: It’s fun watching nerds navigate the real world

Favourite Character: Dinesh (Kumail Nanjiani)

Best Episode of 2014: Optimal Tip-to-Tip Efficiency (S01E08)

Who would have thought a rude dick joke theory would end up saving these programmers and their company at a big convention.

10. THE WALKING DEAD (AMC)

Why: It’s heart stopping watching these character fight for their life

Favourite Character: Daryl (Norman Reedus)

Best Episode of 2014: No Sanctuary (S05E01)

Forget the walkers that are all around, how about the scary group of human cannibals who have Rick and his crew captured. Talk about an intense hour of television.

If this was a Top 20 List:

11.Sherlock   12.About a Boy   13.House of Cards   14.The Big Bang Theory   15.New Girl   16.True Detective   17.The Knick   18.The Mindy Project   19.Parks & Recreation   20.Orphan Black

TOP FIVE REALITY/LIVE SHOWS OF 2014

1. THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRRING JIMMY FALLON (NBC)

Why: While Jimmy might gush over guests, the games are always a treat

2. LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER (HBO)

Why: It’s like Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert with less commitment

3. MASTERCHEF JUNIOR (FOX)

Why: Very fun, even though these kids shame me with their culinary skills

4. NATHAN FOR YOU (COMEDY NETWORK)

Why: The deapan delivery and out-of-the-box marketing is genius.

5. COMEDIANS IN CARS GETTING COFFEE (WEB)

Why: I love hearing what makes comedians tick.

TOP TEN SONGS OF 2014

1. KONGOS – COME WITH ME NOW

Why: Nothing like some rockin’ accordion and a driving beat

Album: Lunatic

2. BLEACHERS – I WANNA GET BETTER  

Why: Great message, great group sing-a-long

Album: Strange Desire

3. TAYLOR SWIFT – SHAKE IT OFF

Why: Darn this infectious song. The rap portion is awful though.

Album: 1989

4. AMERICAN AUTHORS – BEST DAY OF MY LIFE

Why: Such a fun, lift me up kind of song.

Album: Oh What a Life

5. SWITCHFOOT – LET IT OUT

Why: I like it when Switchfoot yells it out a little more

Album: Fading West

6. U.S.S. – YIN YANG

Why: The background vocals are weird but the song has a fun beat

Album: Advanced Basics

7. FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS – THE WALKER

Why: Love the whistling and carefree sound.

Album: More Than Just a Dream

8. ED SHEERAN - SING

Why: Love the different singing tempos, though a little Hammertime-ish

Album: X

9. THE PRETTY RECKLESS -  HEAVEN KNOWS

Why: Not too many call-response songs out there; fun to sing with

Album: Going to Hell

10. ARIANA GRANDE - PROBLEM

Why: Ariana and Iggy double-shot, just a great catchy tune

Album: My Everything

So those are my lists. What were your favourite things in 2014?

Film: Into the Woods

GENRE: Musical

RATING: PG for thematic materials
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 5 minutes

STARRING: Meryl Streep (August: Osage County; The Giver, Doubt)

Emily Blunt (Devil Wears Prada), Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect)

DIRECTOR: Rob Marshall (Chicago; Nine; Memoirs of a Geisha)

WRITER: James Lapine (Into the Woods: The Musical)

PLOT: A bunch of fairy tales are mashed together as a baker and his wife try to reverse a curse put on them by a witch

FIVE OBSERVATIONS:

1 The first half of the film was really well done. Unfortunately, the second half was abysmal. Such an unnecessary storyline. If I was watching this as a play, I would leave at intermission knowing I already saw the best part.

2 Who would have thought that Chris Pine (Star Trek) would be the musical all-star with his role as Cinderella’s sleazy prince. His song “Agony” was definitely the highlight of the film.

3 It’s weird knowing that James Corden (History Boys) who is great as the baker is taking over for Craig Ferguson as the host of the Late, Late Show.

4 There are a bunch of unresolved storylines that happen in this film. Kind of disappointing. What happened to some of these people?

5 Those step-sisters sure get what’s coming to them, and then some. For some reason, the wicked stepmom escaped unscathed. Odd.

RECOMMENDATION: Just wait to rent it
UPCOMING REVIEWS: Best of 2014; 2015 Previews

Film: The Imitation Game

GENRE: Drama

RATING: PG-13 for thematic materials
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 54 minutes

STARRING: Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, The Fifth Estate)

Keira Knightley (Pirates of the Caribbean), Matthew Goode (Watchmen)

DIRECTOR: Morten Tyldum (newcomer to America)

WRITER: Graham Moore (newcomer)

PLOT: Brilliant mathematician, Alan Turing, helps crack the Nazi’s Enigma code during WWII.

FIVE OBSERVATIONS:

1 What a fascinating story! I was engrossed the entire time. I didn’t know about this part of history, it was eye-opening.

2 Cumberbatch will most likely get the Oscar for his portrayal of Alan Turing. It’s a little Sherlock-y but goes much further beyond with his internal struggles. He was a treat to watch.

3 It’s great seeing Game of Throne’s Tywin Lannister and Downton Abbey’s Tom Branson in different roles. Fun stuff.

4 There was plenty of light comedy sprinkled throughout the drama. I laughed out loud a few times and had a big smile of my face.

5 A revelation about Chris does not seem earned as it is not really hinted at.

RECOMMENDATION: Big screen to see Oscar hopefuls
UPCOMING REVIEWS: Into the Woods

Film: The Hobbit - The Battle of the Five Armies

GENRE: Adventure/Fantasy

RATING: PG-13 for extended action violence
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 24 minutes

STARRING: Martin Freeman (Sherlock, BBC’s The Office, Fargo: TV series)

Richard Armitage (Captain America), Luke Evans (Dracula Untold)

DIRECTOR: Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings)

WRITERS: Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens (Lord of the Rings)

Guillermo del Toro (Pacific Rim, Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth)

PLOT: The Lonely Mountain is up for grabs so a large battle ensues.

FIVE OBSERVATIONS:

1 Wow, that was a lot of fighting. It’s pretty non-stop. Except, of course, the times when characters can slow down and look meaningfully at each other while the battles rage on. Some really cool formations and attack strategies this time around; different from the Battle of Helm’s Deep in LOTR.

2 I appreciated the big stupid creatures that were used as battering rams. Very funny stuff.

3 Lots of stabbing, no blood. I guess that’s why its PG-13 and not R rated.

4 Ryan Gage’s portrayal as Alfrid is pretty entertaining. Love watching a coward trying everything in his power to save his life.   

5 While the transition from The Hobbit to LOTR worked, I would have liked to have a seen a bit more of the in-between chapter (and a little less battle).

RECOMMENDATION: Epic battles deserve the big screen

UPCOMING REVIEWS: The Imitation Game

Film: Foxcatcher

GENRE: Drama

RATING: R for some drug use and some violence
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 14 minutes

STARRING: Steve Carell (Crazy Stupid Love, The Way Way Back)

Channing Tatum (22 Jump Street), Mark Ruffalo (The Normal Heart)

DIRECTOR: Bennett Miller (Moneyball, Capote)

WRITERS: E. Max Frye (Where the Money Is) & Dan Futterman (Capote)

PLOT: A true story about a multimillionaire who ‘trains’ a pair of Olympic wrestling brother team. Things get a creepy from there.

FIVE OBSERVATIONS:

1 I’m not really a wrestling fan but I found the subject matter of this film somewhat interesting. But while it might have been interesting, I did not find the film all that entertaining. Moneyball kept me engaged, this one did not.

2 Carrell is fantastic in an Oscar-worthy performance as the disturbing John E. du Pont. And it’s not just the prosthetic nose. His whole demeanor is a treat to watch.

3 There were a lot of moments of silence. This definitely did not help its entertainment value.

4 To be fair, there were some very great scenes throughout. I really enjoyed Mark Ruffalo’s manipulated interview. And Tatum did some fine work.   

5 I don’t know why, but Ruffalo’s facial hair bothered me.

RECOMMENDATION: Maybe catch it on Netflix
UPCOMING REVIEWS: Hobbit 3; Imitation Game

Film: Exodus - Gods and Kings

GENRE: Action/Drama

RATING: PG-13 for violence
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 30 minutes

STARRING: Christian Bale (Batman Begins, American Hustle)

Joel Edgerton (Great Gatsby), Ben Mendelsohn (Dark Knight Rises)

DIRECTOR: Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Alien, Black Hawk Down)

WRITERS: Adam Cooper & Bill Collage (Tower Heist, Accepted)

Jeffrey Caine (Goldeneye) & Steven Zaillian (Moneyball, Schindler’s List)

PLOT: An epic re-telling of Exodus. Need more? Read the Bible.

FIVE OBSERVATIONS:

1 Biblically, this movie is not too bad. I know many were disappointed with the creative differences with Noah, but this one bothered me less. I do recall reading that Moses was not the great orator he is in this film, that’s why he needed Aaron.

2 Scott is amazing at making an epic accessible. There is plenty of character development mixed with awesome shots of Egypt and crowds of thousands.

3 Scott does a great job of showing the plagues and the parting of the Red Sea. I like how Scott mixes science with divine intervention when it comes to these supernatural events.

4 I was not a fan of God being represented as a bratty child.    

5 3D is not needed for this film. In fact, the opening looked a little weird. I'm so tired of 3D now.  

RECOMMENDATION: Big screen worthy
UPCOMING REVIEWS: Foxcatcher; Hobbit 3; Imitation Game

Film: Horrible Bosses 2

GENRE: Comedy

RATING: R for strong crude sexual content & language
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 48 minutes

STARRING: Jason Bateman (Arrested Development, Identity Theft)

Jason Sudeikis  (We’re the Millers), Charlie Day (The Lego Movie)

DIRECTOR: Sean Anders (That’s My Boy)

WRITERS: Anders & John Morris (Dumb & Dumber To)

PLOT: The guys start their own business but are screwed over so they resort to kidnapping to get their money back

FIVE OBSERVATIONS:

1 While not as funny as the first film, the chemistry between the three leads sure add a lot of laughs to this sequel. They play off each other so well. I’ve heard that it’s pretty much all scripted but it sure seems ad-libbed to me, especially when they are all speaking at the same time. Funny stuff.

2 Chris Pine (Star Trek) tries his hand at comedy and fails miserably. While he is great in action roles, he is boring here. He does not have what it takes to keep up with the three stars. What a shame,

3 Unfortunately, the sexual content involving Jennifer Aniston (Friends) is so over the top, it makes the entire film impossible to recommend. I get the humour of Aniston playing against type, but enough already.

4 While there are plenty of awesome bits throughout the film, the middle portion involving Pine and the new kidnapping plot seemed to drag.   

5 The silent red licorice scene is hysterical.   

RECOMMENDATION: Just as funny at home
UPCOMING REVIEWS: Foxcatcher; Hobbit 3; Imitation Game

Film: Mockingjay - Part 1

GENRE: Adventure

RATING: PG-13 for violence and thematic material
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 3 minutes

STARRING: Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle, Silver Linings Playbook)

Liam Hemsworth (Expendables 2), Julianne Moore (Children of Men)

DIRECTOR: Francis Lawrence (There’s Something About Mary)

WRITERS: Peter Craig (The Town) & Danny Strong (The Butler, Recount)

PLOT: Katniss is underground as she helps prepare propaganda films to unite the districts against the Capitol.

FIVE OBSERVATIONS:

1 I’m pleased to say that the film is better than the book. I was surprised that they were able to fill two hours with the first half of the final novel. It did allow for a lot more dramatic acting on Jennifer Lawrence’s part. She was awesome again.

2 I appreciated the set design, especially District 13. It looked a lot cooler than I pictured in my head while reading it.

3 They chose a free Effie instead of tortured stylists to help Katniss. A smart choice. The comic relief of Elizabeth Banks and Woody Harrelson’s Haymitch are wonderfully inserted into this intense film.

4 I miss Philip Seymour Hoffman. He was wonderful.

5 They ended on a great looking scene. It sucks that I have to wait another year for part two, but oh well.  

RECOMMENDATION: See it in the theatres
UPCOMING REVIEWS: Horrible Bosses 2; Foxcatcher

Film: Dumb and Dumber To

GENRE: Comedy

RATING: PG-13 for crude & sexual humour
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 50 minutes

STARRING: Jim Carrey (Ace Ventura; Liar, Liar, Yes Man)

Jeff Daniels (Newsroom, Speed), Rob Riggle (21 Jump Street)

DIRECTOR: Bobby & Peter Farrelly (There’s Something About Mary)

WRITERS: Sean Anders & John Morris (We’re the Millers)

Mike Cerrone (Me, Myself & Irene), Farrellys (Shallow Hal)

Bennett Yellin (Dumb & Dumber)

PLOT: Lloyd and Harry go on a road trip to find Harry’s daughter that was given up for adoption.

FIVE OBSERVATIONS:

1 While there are some definite laugh-out-loud moments throughout, this film is not as funny as the original. But it gets kind of close at time.

2 Speaking of the original, there are plenty of callbacks with lines, actions and characters. Petey is all grown up and even SeaBass makes an appearance after the credits. Even the basic storyline is pretty similar. But all are welcome.

3 I found it interesting that one of the villains, Adele, is played by Laurie Holden (The Walking Dead) who also played Jim Carrey’s love interest in a sweet film called The Majestic, and was also names Adele.

4 I liked the soundtrack. A few tracks from the first film and great use of Franz Ferdinand’s “Right Action”. 

5 What’s up with the Canadian stereotypes?  

RECOMMENDATION: Wait for DVD
UPCOMING REVIEWS: Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part I