The Major & Minor of the 87th Academy Awards

Welcome to the first edition of the Major & Minor. I'm trying this out as way to provide analysis to the many awards shows that are out there, while hopefully bringing something new to the table. I'll be looking at the highs and lows, best and worst, positives and negatives, or whatever you want to call it, of the 2015 Oscars, which is the biggest of all awards shows and not a bad place to start.




Major: Good Things Happen When Neil Patrick Harris Sings (and Jack Black & Anna Kendrick Cameo)

The opening show number written by Robert and Kristin-Anderson Lopez (Frozen's "Let It Go") provided the kind of pizazz and showbiz acumen most of us had hoped for when it was announced that Harris would be the host. His past stints doing the same duties for the Emmys and Tonys showed how apt he was and for four minutes, he lived up to the hype. Comedic timing and a solid voice should be all you need to do this thing successfully, right?

Major: #Cumberflask

Best "I'm A Big Star, But Don't Take Myself Too Seriously" moment since Meryl Streep stared down Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt.

Major: O to the N to the D to the Pearls Of Love

I'll leave the fashion analysis to the experts, but the eyes don't lie: stunning is stunning. Also, someone please include Lupita Nyong'o's smile in a romantic comedy.





Major/Minor: This Was More Of A Leading Role, But The Right Man Won

I'm a huge fan of  Whiplash and I'm happy to see J.K. Simmons get some recognition, but you can't convince me that he didn't have a leading role. There's no doubt that Miles Teller had the bigger transformational arc. He's the protagonist. I get that, but Simmons' is the force that pushes that movie. I understand studios submit actors and actresses in categories they have the best shot at winning (once upon a time, Harvey Weinsten tried to push off Kate Winslet as a supporting actress in The Reader), but it will always continue to rub me the wrong way. I could always just stop nitpicking and appreciate the fact he won an award for the role of the tyrannical Terence Fletcher, one of the scariest, most well-rounded, brimstone-spewing characters we've seen this decade. I'm not entirely sure that it's a given he would have lost if he had been submitted in Best Actor. Sure, the category was already loaded with major contenders like Keaton, Redmayne and Cumberbatch already, but neither one of them was as showy as Simmons' performance, which the Academy often leans towards. Let's say Best Actor ends up like this:

Best Films Of 2014

These are the movies from 2014 I loved the most. Anything from my top ten stayed with me hours, most cases days after my first viewing and even in the second month of 2015, I can recall them vividly. If you're wondering why this list is so late, I do not have the luxury of attending the festival circuit, nor do I live in New York or Los Angeles, so a lot of late 2014 prestige releases don't make their way to the rest of the country until January. To be able to put movies in the proper context of their respective years, it helps to see the films that have been lauded the most or were highly anticipated, hence the February arrival of this list. In my own world, it's still relevant as long as it's before the Oscars. So here it is.


1. Life Itself

Roger Ebert was a huge influence on me as a cinephile. If I hadn't started reading his reviews as a high school freshman, this very list you're reading may not even exist. I fought hard not to make Life Itself, my #1 movie of 2014 because of how much I adored its subject and for fear that I wasn't being objective, yet in the end, honesty won out. The emphasis on Ebert's love for movies alone would have still made this a memorable film, seeing as how his writing was filled with an observation, wit and insight that made him more accessible than some of his more sophisticated contemporaries at the time. The love he had for cinema was a very genuine and touching one, but in the spirit of objectivity, director Steve James (Hoop Dreams, The Interrupters) delved into the man behind the reviews, warts and all. The documentary follows Ebert through the last months of his life as he battled cancer, an ordeal that is not skimmed over in the least and quite graphic at times, in addition to less flattering biographical nuggets mentioned throughout the film. It's the kind of portrayal Ebert himself likely would have championed.

Best Movies of 2013

As usual, here is my list of the best films of 2013. I try to do this sometime before the Oscars since a lot of limited releases don't make their way to Chicago well after the New Year, so I just that extra time to get caught up so that I can provide as comprehensive a view of a year. Without further ado, here are the movies that stuck with me the most in 2013.

1. 12 Years A Slave

The cultural significance of this movie will probably cement its place in the canon for years to come based on its unflinching portrayal of slavery, which was unmatched in its brutality. Importance and quality do not always go hand in hand, so as much as I would like to state that this is a great film because it gave an unfathomable reality to those only familiar with the relatively sanitized versions of the era delivered by Hollywood, it worked much deeper on an emotional level. There have been few cinematic experiences like 12 Years A Slave, the true story of freeman Solomon Northup who was kidnapped and sold into captivity. The brutality of the film was a necessary truth that could not concern itself with what's palatable for audiences and every heartwrenching moment served as a reminder of America's dark history. Steve McQueen, whose previous films Hunger and Shame also didn't hold anything back, has once again proven adept at being an expert observer of a gritty world that holds little hope. His films resonate with you long after the credits have finished rolling, all without any significant flash and grounded in unforgiving realism. The trio of excellent, anguished performances from Chiwitel Ejiofor, Lupita Nyong'o and Michael Fassbender provided as close to a breathing historical document of the period as we've ever gotten and transcended it into art, conveying the torment and pain of past generations that no viewer will ever forget.

Best Movies of 2012

I tend to do this list just before the Oscars, but I'm a little late, as you can see. There can't be too much harm in doing a best of 2012 list towards the end of February, right? The reason why I wait so long to do this list every year is that a lot of the major prestige releases for awards seasons do not get a widespread release until January, long after everyone else has submitted their lists. Since my access to film festivals and screenings are limited, I have to wait just like everyone else. The extra time does allow me to play catch up, which I think always tends to benefit my lists.

1. Cloud Atlas

Upon the first viewing, Cloud Atlas can be a lot to take in. As if the near three-hour runtime wasn't a clue as to how loaded this movie is, there are six different interlocking stories to follow spanning from 1849 to the 24th century with many of the same motifs and A-list actors. Add to that a philosophical underlining throughout and for some, watching Cloud Atlas may feel like homework trying to keep up with what it all means. Regardless, it was still my favorite film of 2012 and I don't think anyone should be afraid of a little hard work when it comes to watching a movie. I'll be the first to admit that a second viewing might be required to fully grasp Cloud Atlas, which I'm anxiously looking forward to, but there was plenty to enjoy the first time around. With directing duties split between the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer, the movie has more than its fair share of terrifically executed action sequences and visual flair, along with some of the most impressive makeup work I've seen over the past few years. Cloud Atlas is quite unlike many high wire acts ever attempted before in cinema, working constantly to balance a jumble of threads and far-reaching ideas. The level of ambition shown here is admirable and enough to cause some initial intrigue, which makes Cloud Atlas one of those rare big-budget films that you can both marvel at and be enriched by.

Ten Best Music Moments From Spike Lee Movies

As a huge fan of music and film, one of my favorite techniques in cinema is when a song is used to score a scene for enhancement. When done correctly, it elevates both the song and the movie into a heightened connection with the audience. Martin Scorcese, Quentin Tarantino and Wes Anderson are just a few of my favorite filmmakers who have both perfected this and have also created classic moments that are forever linked with a song (think of the Rolling Stones' medley during the "last day as a wiseguy" scene in Goodfellas or "Stuck In The Middle With You" from Reservoir Dogs).

While Spike Lee is among the most visually distinct filmmakers of his generation (hello dolly), I've also been very drawn to his choice of music in film. Just as much as the previously mentioned directors, Lee uses songs that we've long been familiar with and heightens whatever layers we've already associated with them, while also bringing to light some new ones. This year, he's delivered a new film, Red Hook Summer and the upcoming Bad 25 documentary. I figured now was as good a time to look back at the best of those moments. For all of you School Daze and Mo' Better Blues fans, I didn't include anything from them since they were mostly musical numbers and not scenes where the music served as the background. Opening credit sequences don't count either (sorry Rosie Perez and Public Enemy). ***SPOILERS AHEAD***

Disclaimer: I couldn't provide videos for all the scenes I discussed, but I hope you'll enjoy the ones I was able to embed.

10. "Newborn Friend" by Seal, Clockers

The usage of Seal's "Crazy" and KRS-One's "Outta Here" in their respective scenes were much more dynamic and attention-grabbing, but I was really struck by the restrained approach employed here. Detectives Klein and Mazzili (Harvey Keitel and John Turturro) arrest Rodney (Delroy Lindo), a notorious but low key drug dealer in the middle of the day for the entire neighborhood to see. We know that the detectives are doing this to increase tension between Rodney and one of his main workers, who is a person of interest in a murder case. The three veteran actors provide the scene with more than enough weight and the light sound of "Newborn Friend" almost signals a shift in power of the movie. It sticks out from the hip hop heavy soundtrack and its appearance is immediately noticeable.

Best Movies of 2011

Most people tend to do their movies list at the end of the year. I prefer to do them before the Oscars, that way I'm able to catch all the movies that open in limited release during the year, but don't become available nationwide until January. It does come late, but when I look back at my lists from past years, they feel well informed and not rushed. Moving on, 2011 had plenty of delights for cinema lovers, just like every year.

1. Hugo

Granted, I rarely see live-action movies in 3-D, but it's no secret that the general consensus is that a lot of movies that employ this technique are lacking. The extra surcharge that comes with admission has resulted in more revenue for certain movies, which has lead to Hollywood abusing 3-D and using it more as a gimmick instead of a tool. Hugo was the first film since Avatar that felt like it gave a damn about 3-D and used it in smart ways that helped embellish the story. The maximum enjoyment of this film is probably best experienced in that format, but it would have still been my favorite film of 2011 without it. Hugo is about a Parisian boy who lives in a train station during the 1920s and the setting plays a key part in the movie's magic. It's a film heavy on wonder and enchantment with the skill of one our greatest filmmakers in Martin Scorcese. When you go into a theater hoping to be entertained and moved, you want it to do so at the level that Hugo does.

Ten on Tuesdays: Best Musical Numbers by Disney Villains

After watching The Lion King in 3-D this weekend, I was suddenly in a Disney state of mind. For better or worse, the studio has provided family entertainment for several generations and shaped many a childhood. Despite any gripes I might have with some of the racism and sexism they've included in their films over the years, I can't deny that they've always enlisted the best storytellers and songwriters. Traditionally in an animated Disney musical, songs of triumph, joy and love are usually the most beloved, but while watching Scar sing "Be Prepared," I started thinking of all the great songs from Disney that promoted evil and were as equally worthy of admiration as their morally superior counterparts. This edition of Ten On Tuesdays will count down what I feel are the best musical numbers by Disney villains.

Best Movies of 2010

As I always mention whenever I do my best films of the year list, I like to wait till around February or so to allow myself to be able to see some of the movies that don't go nationwide until the new year. I'm on a modest budget and I don't get to go to film festivals, so it's impossible for a Midwesterner such as myself to catch all the prestige films that are rushed to release during the Oscar season that manage to land on a lot of critics' year-end list. I feel that as long as I can do my list before the Academy Awards, it can still remain somewhat relevant and topical. This was also the first year that I got a subscription to Netflix and if you haven't jumped on board by now, I highly recommend it if you're a movie buff such as myself. It allowed me to watch more movies in a year than I have in a very long time and is partly the reason why this list is close to 60 and could have potentially been higher if I had the time to fit in everything I hoped to see.


1. I Am Love

One of the most visually impressive films of the year was not a flashy, big-budget Hollywood effort, but a brooding family drama from Italian director Luca Guadagino. The set design and wardrobes are rich with vivaciousness and detail that pop off the screen in an effective, subtle manner and reflect the tone and personalities of its scenes and characters beautifully. This is a movie that deals with contrast at nearly every corner, since the main character, a Russian woman played Tilda Swinton who married into an affluent Italian family, is an outsider in her own family and that idea is delicately exposed in nearly every frame. Technically, I Am Love is masterfully produced, but when it delves into the intentions and actions of its characters, the effect is poetic as it can be interpreted in many different ways. Even the film's final, grainy shot could have several connotations after repeat viewings (I've seen people refer to it as having the qualities of an ultrasound). I know I've come across a great film when I can't get it out of my head days later and I am constantly thinking it over in my head. As is the case with a lot of revered art, everything may not come to you the first time around, but along the way it forces you to ask yourself questions you never thought of before and enriches you in the process.

What If The Oscars Had Ten Best Picture Nominees In Years Past?

For fun, I decided to take my hand at imagining what the Best Picture race at the Oscars would have looked if there had been ten nominees in years past. Yes, these are the things I think of as "fun" in my head. I decided to do from 1998-2008 since I really didn't follow the Oscar race as intensely in years before, but not to say I don't ever see myself not taking a look at years prior to.

I've listed the five films that were nominated for that year with the five possible nominees following after.

1998

** denotes the winner.

Elizabeth
**Shakespeare in Love**
Life Is Beautiful
Saving Private Ryan
The Thin Red Line

Gods And Monsters
The Truman Show
Out of Sight
Primary Colors
A Simple Plan

The Truman Show was the only one that was seen as a major snub, as Golden Globe winner Jim Carrey also failed to get a acting nomination.

Best Movies of 2009

Living in the Midwest, I usually have to wait longer for a lot of the year-end prestige pictures to open in my area. While critics in Los Angeles and New York have the luxury of being able to catch movies that open in limited release before going nationwide within a calendar year, an average guy such as myself who happens to be a film lover can't fully complete a list of what the best pictures of the year are until much later. Add to that a modest budget and time can pass quickly before I've seen everything on my wish list. Which is why I'm finally doing best films of 2009 list more than two months into 2010. I figure that a list such as this still has relevance as long as it's before this Sunday's Oscars. So here it is. My favorite movies of 2009.

1. Ponyo

This marks the third consecutive year that an animated movie has topped my list. I think it goes to show just how great a period it is right now for animation. All three films were unique in their tone and subject matter and further proves just how diverse the field has become, from the moments of grimness in 2007's Persepolis to 2008's Wall-E with its patient and expressive storytelling style and to my favorite film of 2009, Ponyo, that mixed dazzling visuals with pure emotion in the way that director Hayao Miyazaki has made his career on.

Hectic But Eclectic's Top 70 Films Of The Decade (2000-2009)

Here's another decade list for you. Even moreso than my albums list, I went more with personal connection for ranking. While the quality and achievement of a film plays heavily as well, it's ultimately the impression that the movie left on me that guided this list. Call it a list of passion if you may. As much as I admired and enjoyed Memento, I didn't feel strong enough about to it include it here, even though it's still a good film and I would recommend it to anyone. On the other side, I love to watch Josie & The Pussycats at just about any time, but can acknowledge that it is flawed, thus not giving me the heart to include it here. The reasoning applied for those two films is pretty much why this list is at 70 and not the traditional 100. I couldn't stand to put anything on here that didn't engage me immensely.

Best Movies of 2008

As promised, here is the list for my favorite films of 2008. Why so late, you may ask? Well, as awesome as Chicago is, we still have to wait like the rest of the country for a lot of movies to get wide releases. In order to make the eligibility deadline for the Academy Awards, studios often release films in New York and Los Angeles, where a lot of the voting contingent resides, just so they can qualify. So while a handful of films make critics' year end list all across the board, the rest of the country usually has to wait about a few weeks to a month until they actually see some of those films at a theatre near them. It's an effective strategy for less commercial films that need all the word-of-mouth buzz they can get and to gain that all important momentum during awards season. All this means is that I had to wait a little bit longer to view some of the movies I was looking forward to seeing and why this list comes to you now in early February.

I've been doing year end lists for movies for a few years now, but this is the first time I've done it for my blog. Here are my previous number one movies:

2007: Persepolis
2006: Children Of Men
2005: Good Night, and Good Luck

I can never understand how anyone says that a year is a bad one for movies. Not every year is going to be a canon year like 1999 or 1974 and it's only about once a decade where we get a special year filled with masterpieces and popular works that redefine cinema. The high standards that a lot of us hold for a year in cinema often overshadow the number of terrific films that are released every year. Would I consider 2008 a canon year? Probably not. One thing I will say that might have a lingering effect is the high IQ of some of the year's biggest blockbuster. Wall-E, The Dark Knight and Iron Man proved that you don't have to dumb it down to reach a wide audience. Who knows? Maybe studio execs will take more chances in the future. While I wouldn't consider 2008 a special year, it was still a great one for me at the theatres. Here are the reasons why.


1. Wall-E

No other movie this year amazed me more than Wall-E. The first half of the movie gets most of the attention and deservedly so. It follows a lonely waste management robot in the future longing for company on a deserted Earth, but the way it unfurls is as cinematically beautiful as anything animated or live-action.

Ten Years Gone: The Truman Show

This entry is part of an ongoing series in where I take a look back at landmark films and albums released 10 years ago.


In 1998, the concept of The Truman Show seemed inconceiveable. How could the entired world be caught up in a television show that claimed to be real, but was in fact artificial and manufactured? And how could a program that tracked the life of a man 24/7 even make it onto the air in the first place? Indeed, at the time, it did feel like a fantasy. Flash forward 10 years later and we find ourselves not all that far from a Truman Show-esque world. Two years after The Truman Show, a little show called Survivor captured the attention of a nation. It surprisingly kickstarted a genre and gave birth to a new phrase: reality television.

Why I Can't Wait To See Speed Racer

Surely you all have seen the trailer for the upcoming Speed Racer movie, right? If not, please take a gander.



I'm sold. I have to admit that when it was announced that a Speed Racer movie was going into production, I didn't have high hopes, even with the Wachowski Bros. attached. I was pretty sure there would be some nifty action with them helming it, but the whole idea of a big-screen adaptation made me groan. The show was so goofy and frenetic to begin with and any real life interpretation would likely result in an empty and soulless product.

Ten On Tuesdays: Ten Movie Characters I'd Like To Meet In Real Life

Mary Poppins from Mary Poppins, played by Julie Andrews
Being around someone who's practically perfect in every way could make you feel a bit inferior at times, but her cheery disposition would brighten even the gloomiest day. The woman makes drawings come to life and has an out of this world vocal range. She's automatically on the guest list for any party that I'm throwing.

Amélie Poulain from Amélie, played by Audrey Tautou
Has there ever been a sweeter character in cinema who was also bright and this fully rounded as a protagnoist? Her presence makes me smile all the time because her heart never fails to be in the right place. Ideal for riding bikes together along the lakefront.