Cheryl Wurtz Best of the Year List 2014

Cheryl Wurtz Best of the Year List 2014

In no particular order: 1) Grand Budapest. 2) Boyhood. 3) Gone Girl 4) interstellar 5) Wild 6) Birdman 7) Selma 8) Whiplash. 9) Imitation Game 10) Into the Woods.

Reesa's Best of the Year List 2014

Dallas Movie Screenings Best of the Year List for 2014

BEST PICTURE:

1. Birdman
2. Boyhood
3. The Grand Budapest Hotel
4. Snowpiercer
5. The Imitation Game
6. Selma
7. Intersteller
8. Nightcrawler
9. The Theory of Everything
10.Gone Girl
 
DIRECTOR:

1. Alejandro González Iñárritu - Birdman
2. Richard Linkater - Boyhood
3. Wes Anderson – The Grand Budapest Hotel
4. Bong Joon-ho - Snowpiercer
5. Morten Tyldum – The Imitation Game
 
BEST ACTOR:

1 Michael Keaton - Birdman
2 Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
3 David Oyelowo - Selma
4 Eddie Redmayne – Theory of Everything
5 Jake Gyllenhall – Night Crawler
 
BEST ACTRESS:

1. Julianne Moore – Still Alice
2. Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl
3. Felicity Jones – Theory of Everything
4. Amy Adams – Big Eyes
5. Reese Witherspoon - Wild
 
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

1. Edward Norton - Birdman
2. Ethan Hawke - Boyhood
3. J.K. Simmons - Whiplash
4. Tom Wilkinson - Selma
5. Alex Baldwin – Still Alice
 
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

1. Emma Stone - Birdman
2. Jessica Chastain – A Most Violent Year
3. Patricia Arquette - Boyhood
4. Tilda Swinton - Snowpiercer
5. Rene Russo – Night Crawler
 
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY FILM:
 
1. Emmanuel Lubezki - Birdman
2. Hoyte Van Hoytema - Interstellar
3. Roger Deakins - Unbroken

BEST ANIMATED FILM:

1. The LEGO Movie
2. Big Hero 6
3. Book of Life
 
BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM:
 
1. Life Itself
2. Jodorowsky's Dune
3. The Case Against 8

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:
 
1. Haemoo (Sea Fog) – South Korea
2. The Attorney - South Korea

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST:

1. Birdman
2. Boyhood
3. Selma

Wyatt Head's Best of the Year List

DMS Contributing Writer Wyatt Head's Best of the Year List

Best Picture

1. Boyhood
2. The Judge
3. St. Vincent
4. The Hundred Foot Journey
5. At Middleton
6. Jersey Boys
7. The Equalizer
8. Citizen Koch
9. The Lone Survivor
10. Heaven is For Real

Best Actor

1. Matthew McConaughey-Interstellar
2. Mark Whalberg-The Lone Survivor
3. Chadwick Boseman-Get On Up
4. John Lloyd Young- Jersey Boys
5. Robert Downey Jr.-The Judge

Best Animated Film

1. Big Hero 6
2. The Book of Life
3. The Nut Job

Best Cinematography

1. At Middleton
2. Divergent
3. Exodus: Gods and Kings

Chase Lee's Best of the Year List

DMS Contributing Writer Chase Lee's Best of the Year List


Best Picture

1. Whiplash
2. Under the Skin
3. Gone Girl
4. Birdman
5. Boyhood
6. Foxcatcher
7. The Lego Movie
8. Nightcrawler
9. Enemy
10. The Congress

Best Director

1. Damien Chazelle-Whiplash
2. David Fincher-Gone Girl
3. Bennett Miller-Foxcatcher
4. Alexandro Inaurrittu- Birdman
5. Richard Linklater-Boyhood

Best Actor

1. Channing Tatum-Foxcatcher
2. Ellar Coltrane-Boyhood
3. Miles Teller-Whiplash
4. Michael Keaton-Birdman
5. Jake Gyllenhaal-Nightcrawler

Best Supporting Actor

1. J.K. Simmons-Whiplash
2. Ethan Hawke-Boyhood
3. Edward Norton-Birdman
4. Mark Ruffalo-Foxcatcher
5. Steve Carrell-Foxcatcher

Best Animated

1. The Book of life
2. The Lego Movie
3. The Boxtrolls

Best Foreign

1. The Babadook
2. Mommy
3. Two Days, One Night

Reesa's List of Movies Seen in 2014

Here's my annual list of movies viewed in 2014. This list gets progressively smaller as time and distance keeps me from the theaters plus family obligations and other interests limited the time spend watching movies at home and at film festivals. There are 234 titles, not in any particular order.

Lone Survivor
The Legend of Hercules
The Nut Job
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
Frank
The Guest
Hellion
Laggies
Obvious Child
I Origins
Love Is Strange
Wish I Was Here
The Case Against 8
Boyhood
The Raid 2
The Signal
I, Frankenstein
The Monkey King
Non-Stop
That Awkward Moment
RoboCop
The Lego Movie
The Monuments Men
Mr. Peabody & Sherman
About Last Night
3 Days to Kill
Winter's Tale
Endless Love
Pompeii
300: Rise of an Empire
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Chef
Neighbors
Noah
Muppets Most Wanted
Need for Speed
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Better Living Through Chemistry
Veronica Mars
Divergent
Sabotage
Rio 2
Draft Day
The Quiet Ones
Walking with the Enemy
Belle
Transcendence
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Heaven Is for Real
The Other Woman
Bears
Brick Mansions
Million Dollar Arm
Godzilla
Moms' Night Out
X-Men: Days of Future Past
How to Train Your Dragon 2
The Fault in Our Stars
Words and Pictures
The Grand Seduction
The Rover
Blended
Edge of Tomorrow
Maleficent
A Million Ways to Die in the West
22 Jump Street
Jersey Boys
Earth to Echo
Transformers: Age of Extinction
Think Like a Man Too
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Tammy
Planes: Fire & Rescue
Sex Tape
Guardians of the Galaxy
And So It Goes
Hercules
Lucy
Life After Beth
Magic in the Moonlight
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Get On Up
The Expendables 3
The Hundred-Foot Journey
Island of Lemurs: Madagascar
Into the Storm
Step Up: All In
The Giver
Let's Be Cops
Hector and the Search for Happiness
If I Stay
The One I Love
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
When the Game Stands Tall
Birdman
The November Man
The Two Faces of January
The Boxtrolls
Before I Go to Sleep
Nightcrawler
Dolphin Tale 2
The Drop
The Maze Runner
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
This Is Where I Leave You
Tusk
A Walk Among the Tombstones
Pride
Men, Women and Children
The Equalizer
Rosewater
The Good Lie
The Imitation Game
The Theory of Everything
Gone Girl
The Liberator
Left Behind
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Dracula Untold
The Judge
Kill the Messenger
The Best of Me
The Book of Life
Fury
John Wick
St. Vincent
Interstellar
A Most Violent Year
Big Hero 6
American Sniper
Selma
Beyond the Lights
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1
Penguins of Madagascar
Paddington
Wild
Into the Woods
12 Exodus: Gods and Kings
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Annie
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
Big Eyes
The Interview
Unbroken
The Duff
Doomsday Party
Queens and Cowboys: A Straight Year on the Gay Rodeo
The Special Need
Child of God
Dom Hemmingway
The Last Robin Hood
Locke
Young and Beautiful
Anna
R100
My Prairie Home
Road to Austin
We From Dallas
About Mom and Dad
Flutter
Tomato Republic
Produce
Trust Me
The Congress
Firestorm
Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter
Noble
Battleship Yamato
A Touch of Sin
Web Junkie
Heli
No No: A Documentary
Whitey: United States of America V. James. J. Bulger
The Zig Zag Kid
Dakota's Summer
Black Butler
Samurai Hustle
As the Light Goes Out
Killers
The Demon Within
The Satellite Girl and Milk Cow
Patema Inverted
Boomerang Family
Funny Money
Kumu Hina
Television
The Man From Reno
The Attorney
The King's Wrath
Touch of Light
Nymphomaniac Part 1 & 2
Snowpiercer
To Be Takei
Still Alice
Mr. Turner
The Immigrant
Revenge of the Green Dragons
Serena
Babadook
Reach Me
Autómata
Horns
Good People
White Bird in a Blizzard
Rurouni Kenship Kyoto Inferno
Tracks
Jodorowsky's Dune
Cuban Fury
Only Lovers Left Alive
Fading Gigolo
Blue Ruin
The Love Punch
Protector 2
Decoding Annie Parker
Legends of Oz:Dorothy's Return
The Hornet's Nest
Enemy
Under the Skin
La Bare
Begin Again
A Man Most Wanted
What If
Calvary
The Trip to Italy
Dinosaur 13
The Prince
Frontera
The Homeman
The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby
The Skeleton Twins
The Zero Theorem
Space Station 76
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
Life Itself

Movies Scheduled 12/28-1/3

Well it is the end of the year. I hope each and every one of y'all had a great year!! Stay safe in the new year!

Not much in the way of movies this week.

If you have any questions please email me at damitdaina@hotmail.com


Sunday Dec. 28th


Monday Dec. 29th

The Duff 2:00 p.m. Cinemark West Plano


Tuesday Dec, 30th

The Duff 2:00 p.m. Angelika Dallas


Wednesday Dec. 31st


Thursday Jan. 1st.


Friday Jan. 2nd


Saturday Jan 3rd

Into the Woods

Do yourself a favor on Christmas Day (or anytime after) and go see Into the Woods, a Disney film musical adaptation of a Stephen Sondheim musical based on the book by James Lapine.
Thank goodness it was Disney folk that got their hands on it! This film should please everyone, except those who hate musicals, for it tells an interesting, intertwined story about a childless
couple, who run a bakery, seeking the aid of a witch in order to break the curse that is keeping them without children. In order to break the curse they must gather things from several storybook and Brothers Grimm characters. This action filled scavenger hunt occurs in the woods nearby where all of these characters live. The couple encounter Cinderella and her prince to be, Rapunzel and her prince to be,Little Red Riding Hood (with Johnny Depp as the Wolf), and Jack in the Beanstalk. The cast pulled together exhibit strong performances and handle the difficult Sondheim melodies and lyrics quite wonderfully. There are a couple of really great young voices in Lilla Crawford as Red Riding Hood (who played Annie in 2012) and Daniel Huttlestone as Jack in the Beanstalk (who we saw in Les Miserables as Gavroche). Ms. Crawford has quite a set of pipes and really would make Sondheim proud! We are reintroduced to the amazing talents of Tracy Ullman as Jack's mother after what seems too long of a time off the main grid.

What is really worth seeing is the stunning and emotional performance of Meryl Streep as the witch and Chris Pine as Prince Charming. Rumors of
upcoming award nominations for Streep abound and she really does bring the witch to vivid life. Watch her perform "Stay with Me" and "Last Midnight" closely and your will continually be reminded just what a seriously gifted performer she is and always has been. Pine and relative newcomer Billy Magnussen perform a campy duet that is quite
delightful called "Agony". They dance, prance, pose and basically act like peacockian drama queens as they sing of the woes women bring. You can't miss it and it is worth the price of admission. Emily Blunt plays the Baker's wife while Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect) plays Cinderella, with Christine Baranski as her not so nice stepmother. . Both young ladies light up the screen and sing their parts effortlessly as two women who both want that true love and family but end up very differently than we expect as the film progresses. There is some darkness in the story and in the woods itself after all.

Sondheim musicals are musically difficult ro perform and quite wordy. A lot is said in a short period of time and most is within the lyrics of the songs. This film has a great deal going on. This score has lessons within the lyrics so listen for them. There are some scary moments involving a giant and his wife, and there are some unexpected sad and tragic moments that remind us that not every fairy tale has a completely happy ending. Trouble and unwanted things can happen based on what one wishes for and pursues. Decisions have consequences. There is always a legacy that we pass down to our young ones. Responsibility grips us all in one form or less. These are just a few of the lessons brought to light via several delightful numbers. While it seems there are 5 or 6 stories being carried out simultaneously, they interact and play off of each other very much like the characters all do. AFI has named the film one of the top best films of 2014. While it has undergone many casting changes over time, the final cast is a wonderful ensemble.

It was filmed in London and was directed by theater and film director Rob Marshall (Annie, Nine, and Chicago) who also happens to be an award winning choreographer. His eye for movement shows in his direction as his characters come to life on the screen, singing and sometimes dancing through their numbers. But each performer possesses the ability to also capture our attention via their movements and body language, which often times speaks almost as much as the lyrics do. Into the woods is just a fun and entertaining romp that will genuinely add to this holiday season. Enjoy!
(Review by Cheryl Wurtz)

American Sniper

Clint Eastwood's new film honors the members of our country's armed forces showing not only the fierce patriotism, courage and dedication, but also the price they pay in their service. The screenplay by Jason Dean Hall was based on the autobiography of Chris Kyle who served several tours in the Middle East as a sniper charged with protecting the troops on patrol. It's an intense action film which lets the audience experience the often times scary moments while they are doing their job.

Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) was a rodeo rider until 911 happened and he decides to enlist. He trains with the Navy SEALS and has the good old Texas cowboy attitude that helps him endure and thrive in his training. Being raised a hunter by his father who influenced his alpha male mindset, his talent lands him as a sniper. According to his father there are only three kinds of people, predators, victims and protectors. Chris's strong religious faith puts him in the role of protector. It's a simple mindset that he firmly adheres in every step of his life. It's what gets him through the SEALS and helps him pull the trigger no matter what the target.

He falls in love with Taya (Sienna Miller), but since their wedding they haven't spent much time together as he's always over seas. She manages having and raising her children while he's deployed. Each time he comes home, she feels he is not exactly managing the transition. The post traumatic stress is effecting him more than he's willing to admit. Plus he's overly driven to return to his comrades in arms. He had built a reputation in the field as having the most confirmed “kills” giving him the nickname “The Legend”. This causes the insurgents to put a bounty on his head. They also have a sniper called “The Butcher” and Chris has made it his duty to eliminate him. The conflict Chris experiences with what he doing and his faith seems to violate the fundamental tenets of the Bible which he carries with him. It becomes difficult for him to return to society and become a father, husband and friend once more.

Eastwood does a great job honoring the man and Bradley Cooper gives a performance of a lifetime displaying the inner conflict of a returning veteran. Whatever political agenda is displayed in the movie doesn't distract from the whole realism that war is hell and the price that our young men and women pay for serving our country. Chris Kyle passed away in 2013 and the funeral procession made the newspapers lining the highways in Arlington to the memorial at Cowboys stadium. Eastwood honors Kyle, with an absent soundtrack with stills the audience in reverence.
(Review by reesa)

Unbroken

The holiday season is the usual time for uplifting movies to hit the movie screens, but Unbroken seems like a downer of a concept during the hap-happiest time of the year. Director Angelina Jolie has taken on a huge project the chronicles the life of Olympic runner Louis Zamperini. The challenges the young man faced during WWII says a lot about human endurance, faith, and heart under the worst of times. It was adapted from the 2010 book Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand by screenwriters Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, Richard LaGravenese and William Nicholson. It's hard to understand why Jolie has been hit with a backlash of criticism for her work, which a beautifully photographed and brilliantly acted piece that does honor to Mr. Zamperini who passed away right before the movie's release.

Louie Zamperini (Jack O'Connell) was a restless young boy who was bullied for having Italian speaking parents. He was a petty thief, smoke cigarettes and could run quickly when escaping trouble. His brother was on the Torrance track team and encouraged him to run track. The beginning of the flashbacks are filled with quotables that are telegraphed to the audience so you will know that those words will help him later in life. Like “If you can take it, you can make it” and “a moment of pain, means a life time of glory”. Louie has a gift for running, breaking records for high school and qualifying for the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin.

Serving as a bombardier during the war in the Pacific, his plane went down and only 3 of crew survived the crash. They spent 47 days drifting on a raft in the open ocean. They were rescued but it was by a Japanese war ship which sent them off to a prisoner of war camp in Tokyo. The camp was run by Cpl. Mutsuhiro “The Bird” Watanabe who seemed to take a personal dislike to Louie. The constant beating and ill treatment of the camp prisoners does not show the Japanese in a favorable light which is probably why this movie is not being shown in that country. When the war get to close to their camp, the prisoners are sent to an even more horrific barge mining camp where they are covered in coal dust, working in the cold with little to wear or eat. Watanabe shows up again like a bad penny that keeps trying to break Louie.

The movie is mostly about Louie's experience trying to survive, but with also the friendships with his crew member Phil Phillips (Domhnall Gleeson), John Fitzgerald (Garrett Hedlund), Mac Mcnamara (Finn Wittrock) and Cup Cuppernell (Jai Courtney). Yes, it's a tough movie to watch when it comes to picking something out to share with the family, but it's an inspirational film of a remarkable man.
(Review by reesa)

The Imitation Game

Benedict Cumberbatch is probably the biggest thing going in movies at the moment and his newest role as Alan Turing may put him on the Oscar shortlist. Norwegian director Morten Tyldum, with a screenplay by Graham Moore adapted from the biography by Andrew Hodges, Alan Turing: The Enigma, won the People's Choice Award for Best Film at the 39th Toronto International Film Festival. It's a interesting, and engaging piece of little known history that is sometimes formulaic, but still satisfying.

The movie flashes forward and backwards in Turing's life from the investigation of being a homosexual, to his bullied childhood and first crush at boarding school, and mostly involved in cracking the Enigma machine that baffled cryptographers during World War II. Turing was a mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst, practically the inventor of the computer and crossword enthusiast. He was recruited to work at the top secret Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park with other top mathematicians who he immediately alienates with his prickly personality. They dislike him so much they want to kick him off the team, but he takes his ideas directly to Winston Churchill who assigns him as the lead to create the machine that Turning believes will decipher the code that changes everyday at midnight.

Woven into the story is the inclusion of Keira Knightley as Joan Clarke, who fights to work on the top secret team by solving a puzzle created by Turing that was even faster than himself. The prevailing sexism of the time forces her to lie to her parents that she is working as a secretary at a radio factory. She was also the only one who is not annoyed by Turning arrogance.

The pressure is on the team, Matthew Goode as Hugh Alexander, Allen Leech as John Cairncross, and Matthew Beard as Peter Hilton, who work their number magic by hand everyday through 3000 Enigma generated naval codes a day. They are frustrated by Turing who is building the computer which he claims will do the same job. The base commander Cdr. Alastair Denniston (Charles Dance) is ready to shut him down as the machine requires a huge monetary budget that has yet to produce any result. Maj. Gen. Stewart Menzies (Mark Strong) is the secret MI6 agent who supports Turing's work.

It's unfortunate that Turing's contribution was kept secret by the British government for over 50 years. And his postwar life was hounded by the anarchic morality laws that led to him being chemically castrated and committing suicide at the age of 41. Cumberbatch does an amazing job at characterizing Turing's peculiarities of stuttering, alienating his co-workers but still makes him sympathetic and humorous. The movie is worth seeing on the big screen not only for the larger themes that are relevant today, but because it's a remarkable film
(Review by reesa)

Big Eyes

The earliest pulp culture phenomena coming out of the 50's has to be those colorful waif with humongous eyes. They were everywhere like Grumpy Cat is today. It's amazing that this strange story of Margaret and Walter Keane has taken so long to come to the big screen. At one point in 2008, Kate Hudson and Thomas Haden Church were set, then Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Reynolds. Fortunately Tim Burton took over as director and Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz became the inspired cast with a screenplay by Scott Alexander and Larry Karasewski. It's just not a story of art fraud, but of the abuse and liberation of women stuck in those sexist years.

Amy Adams is brilliant in the role of Margaret who begins the movie by running away from her suffocating marriage with her young daughter. They go to San Francisco, which was in the middle of the beat period in North Beach. She displays her art in the park with other painters selling caricatures for a couple of dollars. She meets the charming Walter Keane (Christoph Waltz) who is also displaying his painting of street scenes of Paris and flirting with the ladies. We woos Margaret with his tales of living in Paris studying art. For a sheltered and naive young woman, Margaret falls for his sweet talk despite the warnings from her friend DeeAnn (Krysten Ritter). When Margaret's first husband threatens to take away her daughter, Walther suggests they get married.

Walter is an opportunist and a salesman. He fails to talk Ruben (Jason Schwartzman) into displaying their art in his gallery. He talks the owner of the Hungry I nightclub into letting him display there but is regulated in the hall near the bathrooms. A fight ensues between the owner and Walter which gets splashed on the first page of the newspaper. The coverage goes viral for those times, and everyone wants to come look at the big eyed art that caused the ruckus. Dick Nolan (Danny Huston) a columnist, befriends Walter and feeds him information on celebrities to push the art. Margaret's painting prove to be successful, but she discovers that Walter is passing them off as his work. When a chance comes to own up to her work, her submissive mindset takes over and she finds herself living a lie to her art, to her daughter and to herself.

There is no doubt that Walter is a savvy businessman. He manages to pioneer the mass marketing of big eyed popularity by selling prints in grocery stores to gas stations. They even open an art gallery. But art critic John Canaday (Terence Stamp) abhors the synthetic sentimentality if the kitschy work that Walter passes off as high art. Walter manages to build a whole personality to support “his” work, while Margaret is holed up in her secret locked studio keeping up the charade. It takes years for Margaret to finally run off with her daughter to Hawaii, where she turns to Jehovah Witnesses to finally come clean with her life. She sues Walter in the big climax of the film.

Burton displays the movie in an intense color palette that bathes San Francisco, Hawaii and Margaret's paintings. There are little Burton quirky moments when everyone around Margaret suddenly all have big eyes. Adams is a wonder as the struggling and timid Margaret and one can't feel empowered by her final comeuppance. Waltz as Walter is over the top and wonderfully manic. Tim Burton collected and commissioned work by the real Margaret Keane. This movie is a lovely tribute to an interesting woman.
(Review by reesa)

The Imitation Game

This is a solid film and Benedict Cumberbatch gives the best performance I have seen on film so far. This film tells the story of Alan Turing, who is hired during World War II to try and break the code for Enigma against Germany. This also results in the first machine to break that code, known today as a computer. So not having learned anything about Turing before I saw this, I really wanted to research him as soon as I got out of the film. It was made very well to where it heightened my curiosity on this whole subject and that typically means this is a good biopic. Director Morten Tyldum creates a tense and heartbreaking ride that never lets you go. The story is out of order and shows us a lot of flashbacks and develops Turing’s character, and it added more emotional weight showing out of order. Alan was a very quiet man about his feelings and the flashbacks helped us, as an audience; really understand why he shuts people out emotionally. Alan Turing was gay in real life and this is portrayed making it tense to watch because homosexuality was illegal back in the day, and you didn’t want Alan to get caught as he was trying to break Enigma. Tyldum makes Turing very human and shows us he was more than just a bright individual and more a person who just wants to be loved. With that vulnerability you need a great actor to pull this off, and this is where Benedict comes in. Benedict gives the best performance of his career. He gives Turing a lot of heart and wit and the last scene of this film is heartbreaking to watch. The rest of the supporting cast does very well. Keira Knightley, Mark Strong and Matthew Goode are all intriguing to watch and just elevate the movie on its performances. The cinematography is gorgeous and I have a soft spot for anything shot in the World War II era. The pace of this film is excellent and all the tension from breaking the code and having Alan hide the fact that he is gay, makes you sit at the edge of your seat. I felt like the ending was wrapped up very fast and that’s my only complaint. This is a solid film that is powered by fantastic performances and will possibly make you feel really depressed at the end. I definitely shed a tear. It’s not in my top ten, but this year is already way too competitive. 7.5/10
(Review by Chase Lee)

Annie

It's the holiday season, and nothing says Christmas like a good musical or in this case, two. Into the Woods is also pending for opening the next week. Now the tried and updated version of the favorite orphan is back thinking about tomorrow. Will Gluck (Friends With Benefits) is producer, director and writer Aline Brosh McKenna of this hipper Annie. The original Annie of the comics was about the Depression era curly redheaded young lady and her dog Sandy who befriends rich Daddy Warbucks. This percussive hip hop take on the musical numbers give it a more updated feel and attitude. Some of the period songs from the 30's were removed, and lyrics were changed to today's world. But the main favorite tunes remain, but they sound fresher.

In this Annie, Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild) plays the plucky Annie. She lives in a foster home run by the often drunk Ms. Hannigan (Cameron Diaz) who was once a successful rock singer back in the day, but keeps the four girls in her charge for the money it brings in. Annie goes every Friday to a restaurant where she was abandoned because they had left her a locket and a note saying they would come back for her. One day she is saved from being hit by a car by Will Stacks (Jamie Foxx), a cell phone CEO who is also running for Mayor. His political advisor Guy (Bobby Cannavale) thinks this a good publicity moment that should be milked for all it's worth since he's slipping in the polls. Stacks is a workaholic and not really a people pleaser. He's obsessed with making money, so the idea of becoming a temporary guardian of Annie does not make him happy. Guy turns this all into photo opportunities and Stacks right hand assistant Grace (Rose Byrne) is actually assigned as Annie's main care giver.

The formula story of a little girl who uses her positive personality to break the icy rich guy works with Jamie Foxx's blundering Will Stacks. He's a man who only knows how to work and spend his fortune on luxury items. He's forgotten how to relate to the world and people around him. He's easily manipulated by the ambitious Guy, and relies on Grace to complete his life without really acknowledging her. Miss Hannigan who was the heavy in previous productions actually redeems herself in this movie. Diaz's comic rubber face works overtime too.

Of course it's a musical so everyone breaks out in song and dance at a moment's notice. It's not so bad as the genre goes. It's a movie that fans of the Annie world will enjoy having a young woman of color play the lead instead of the usual ginger haired girl. Maybe in the years to come there will be a Hispanic or Asian Annie, like the politically correct Disney princesses. But we will think about that tomorrow.
(Review by reesa)

The Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tombs

Director Shawn Levy who also did the two previous movies of the trilogy is back with more of the crazy antics of museum displays who come to life after midnight in the Museum of History. If you haven't seen the first one where a museum security guard becomes aware of the magical fun that ensues after midnight, it's probably advised to see them as this is really not a stand alone feature. Written by David Guion, Michael Handelman, Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant, the story assumes you know why minifigured Roman Octavius and cowboy Jebediah are best if friends. The new movie needs the back stories for everything to fit.

Ben Stiller is once again Larry Daley a security guard at the Museum of Natural History in New York City. He organizes a special program where the bones of dinosaurs, the wax Theodore Roosevelt (Robin Williams), Attila the Hun (Patrick Gallagher), and Ahkmenrah (Rami Malek) all come to life to raise money for the museum. Unfortunately things go haywire when The Tablet of Ahkmenrah begins to deteriorate. Suddenly everything goes out of control. Larry's boss Dr. McPhee (Ricky Gervais) loses his job but helps Larry embark on the quest to save the magic tablet that is responsible for bringing history to life.

The movie is filled with silly moments hanging out with the familiar characters that were introduced in the other movies. Larry's relationships, especially with the Dexter the Capuchin Monkey that likes to slap him become bittersweet because if the tablet can't be saved then everyone will go back to being just a display. They are sent to the London Museum of History where they meet security guard Mindy (Rebel Wilson) who is attracted to Laa the Neanderthal who resembles Larry. They are also assisted by Sir Lancelot (Dan Stevens) who wants to take the Tablet to King Arthur in Camelot because he thinks it's the Holy Grail and he can reunite with his love Guinevere. Ahkmenrah is reunited with his parents the Pharaoh Merenkahre (Ben Kingsley) who tells them how to save The Tablet.

There are some fun set pieces in the movie like Octavius (Steve Coogan) and Jedediah (Owen Wilson) are stuck in a miniature Pompeii eruption. Or when Larry is chasing after the tablet through an MC Escher painting. Larry's son Nick (Skyler Gisondo) now older with teen mood swings adds to the father /son bonding moments. Things movie quickly, relying on the audience to know who is who as some of the characters that come along for the ride from the other movies really have nothing else to do but fill the screen. It's a movie if you need something to do after a day of Christmas shopping or Redbox rentals after the holidays.
(Review by reesa)

Movies scheduled 12/21-12/27

I just want to take a minute and say thank you to all of y'all!


From all of us at Dallas Movie Screenings, we would like to wish y'all a very Merry Christmas!! I hope you get to spend the few days with family!


If you have any questions please contact me at damitdaina@hotmail.com


Sunday Dec. 21st

Selma 7:00 p.m. Angelika Dallas


Monday Dec. 22nd


Tuesday Dec. 23rd


Wednesday Dec. 24th


Thursday Dec. 25th


Friday Dec. 26th


Saturday Dec. 27th

Paddington Bear Visits Dallas/Fort Worth: December 19-22

Paddington Bear Visits Dallas/Fort Worth: December 19-22

On behalf of The Weinstein Company’s upcoming film PADDINGTON, based on the beloved children’s book character of the same name, Paddington Bear will be visiting Dallas/Fort Worth this Friday, December 19 – Monday, December 22, 2014. While in town, Paddington has a full schedule of appearances where the public can meet and take pictures with him. Schedule and details included below, with a social media and website-friendly flyer attached. We encourage everyone to share the schedule with their followers so we can show Paddington a great time and friendly welcome during his first trip to Texas! #PaddingtonMovie #PaddingtonInDFW



Friday, December 19:

Paddington Makes a “Christmas Wish” at KTLY-FM’s Charity Live Radio Broadcast

Time: 7:30am-8:30am

Location: Chick-fil-a, 4700 S. Cooper St., Arlington, TX

Note: Everyone that donates to ‘Christmas Wish’ while Paddington is visiting will be entered in a raffle to win themed prizes. For more details on ‘Christmas Wish’ and items to donate, visit: http://www.klty.com/christmaswish.php



Paddington’s Story Time featuring special guest reader Nancy Churnin from The Dallas Morning News

Time: 1:30pm-3:30pm

Location: Barnes & Noble, 616 Preston Royal Shopping Center, Dallas, TX 75230

Note: Join Paddington at Barnes & Noble as Nancy Churnin reads a few of Paddington’s adventures and prizes are given away.



Saturday, December 20:

Paddington Meets ‘Cowboy Santas’

Time: 2:00pm-3:00pm

Location: 541 N. Main St., Ft. Worth, TX 76164

Note: Everyone that donates to ‘Cowboy Santas’ while Paddington is visiting will be entered in a raffle to win themed prizes. For more details on ‘Cowboy Santas’ and items to donate, visit: http://www.cowboysantas.org/donations.html



Paddington’s Book Reading feat. special guest reader Daniel ‘Chorizo’ Franco from La Grande 107.5FM

Time: 4:30pm-5:30pm

Location: Bea’s Kids Learning Center, 1515 Metrocrest Drive, Building 1517 – Unit 127, Carrollton, TX 75006

Note: Daniel ‘Chorizo’ Franco will read Paddington book to children from Bea’s Kids Learning Center and Villas de la Colonia residential complex. There will be plush bears and activity sheets.



Sunday, December 21:

Paddington and the Photo Booth at Grapevine Mills

Time: 12:00pm-6:00pm

Location: Grapevine Mills,3000 Grapevine Mills Parkway, Grapevine, TX 76051

Note: With a special Paddington-branded photo booth, families can take a family photo with Paddington!



Monday, December 22:

Paddington and One Warm Coat at NorthPark Center

Time: 11:30am-1:00pm

Location: NorthPark Center, 8687 N Central Expy., Dallas, TX 75225

Note: In honor of Paddington’s iconic coats, we will be collecting coat donations on behalf of ONE WARM COAT with the help of local Girls Scouts. Everyone that donates a new or used coat will be entered in a raffle to win themed prizes. For more details on One Warm Coat, visit: http://onewarmcoat.org/donate/donate-a-coat/



About PADDINGTON

RELEASE: January 16, 2015

DIRECTOR: Paul King

SCREENPLAY: Paul King, Emma Thompson, Hamish McColl

CAST: Hugh Bonneville, Nicole Kidman, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walter, Peter Capaldi

RATING: PG

SYNOPSIS: From the beloved novels by Michael Bond and producer David Heyman (HARRY POTTER), PADDINGTON tells the story of the comic misadventures of a young Peruvian bear (voiced by Ben Whishaw) who travels to the city in search of a home. Finding himself lost and alone, he begins to realize that city life is not all he had imagined - until he meets the kindly Brown family who read the label around his neck that says “Please look after this bear. Thank you,” and offer him a temporary haven. It looks as though his luck has changed until this rarest of bears catches the eye of a museum taxidermist

TRAILER - http://youtu.be/X-d-V9jXYDE


www.thepaddingtonmovie.com/ www.facebook.com/paddingtonbear @paddingtonmovie #PADDINGTON

The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies

The world of Middle Earth that was created by J.R.R. Tolkien began in 1937 as a fantasy novel called The Hobbit. It's popularity eventually developed into the much larger work in the Lord of the Rings series. It was pretty much a guaranteed that filmmakers would eventually bring the stories of the Shire and the One Ring of Power to the big screen especially utilizing the advances in CGI. Peter Jackson's live action adaptations began with the trilogy in 2001 before the sequel to those stories began in 2012. The small book was stretched out to three films and have pretty much ended our journey with the hobbits, elves, wizards, orcs and men of Tolkien's beloved world. The last of the series was once again directed by Peter Jackson who also wrote the screenplay with Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Guillermo del Toro.

After last year's The Desolation of Smaug, the dragon, Smaug the Magnificent (Benedict Cumberbatch) is now laying waste to the Laketown for associating with the Dwarfs that want Lonely Mountain. Bard the Bowman (Luke Evans) having broke out of prison during the destruction is aided by his son Bain (Ken Stott) in killing the the gold crazed dragon. The townspeople look to Bard as their leader with the encouragement of the former leader's lackey Alfrid (Ryan Gage). They decide to move to Dale near Lonely Mountain to hopefully get the reward promised by the Dwarf King Thorin. But he's also being driven mad from gold fever and blockades the entrance to Erebor.

Meanwhile Galadreil (Cate Blanchett) frees Gandalf (Ian McKellen) from Dol Guldur. Elrond (Hugo Weaving) and Saruman (Christopher Lee) help her battle the Nazgûl. They know they must warn the Free people of the evil Sauron's return. (The events after this is the beginning of the Lord of the Rings series). Gandalf comes to Erebor to warn Thorin that many armies will be headed towards the Lonely Mountain now that the dragon is dead and the mountain cave is filled with gold. The first of them is the Elf troops lead by Thranduil (Lee Pace) who wants the Arkenstone. Bilbo (Martin Freeman) who is concerned by the change in King Thorin and his obsession with the Arkenstone along with the gold, bring the precious stone to Thrandruil and Bard so they may use it to barter with the Dwarf King. Just then Thorin's cousin shows up with Dwarf reinforcements to fight the Elves, but just as suddenly they must unite to fight the Orcs that are bearing down on the town of Dale and the Lonely Mountain.

Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly) are also on hand to help fight Orcs. There is also a tease on a back story for Legolas who doesn't want to return to his father. Maybe they will do some character based stories of the denizens of Middle earth to keep the franchise alive.

Unless you are familiar with the books, or just did a marathon with the other movies, it's hard to tell who is who and why. The Dwarfs with their hairy faces look pretty much alike. Only the romance with Kili (Aidan Turner) and Tauriel the Elf stands out. The rest of the movie is grand battle sequence with the various armies. They eventually lead little moments that foretell omens of what would soon lead to the Fellowship of the Rings. It's not a bad idea to pop those in the DVD player when you get back from the movie. The performances are to be expected, and the music is filled with those Middle Earth refrains. It's nice, somewhat forgettable and a forlorn relief that it's all over.
(Review by reesa)

Movies scheduled 12/14-12/20

It is that time again to help celebrate Big Fan Boy! All he asks is that you bring a toy for the Toys for Tots drive. He will have all kinds of movie swag to hand out and cupcakes while they last. It is at 5 p.m. at the Angelika Dallas. So make sure to head on over there and have a blast!

I know we are all having problems with GOFOBO but I don't work for them so if you have problems contact them.

If you have any questions please email at damitdaina@hotmail.com

Sunday Dec. 14th


Monday Dec. 15th

Into the Woods 7:30 p.m. AMC Northpark


Tuesday Dec. 16th

The Wedding Ringer 7:30 p.m. SMG Northwest Hwy.
American Sniper 7:30 p.m. Angelika Dallas
The Duff 7:30 p.m. Angelika Dallas


Wednesday Dec. 17th

Unbroken 7:30 p.m. AMC Northpark
The Gambler 7:30 p.m. Cinemark 17
Unbroken 7:30 p.m. Cinemark 17


Thursday Dec. 18th

Into the Woods 7:30 p.m. AMC Northpark
The Interview 7:30 p.m. AMC Northpark


Friday Dec. 19th


Saturday Dec. 20th

Exodus: Gods and Kings

The 2014 offering Exodus: Gods and Kings is definitely not your mama's Ten Commandments and Christian Bale pales, next to the heroic, manly portrayal by
Charlton Heston, as this decade's Moses. In RIdley Scott's capable directorial hands, this rendition aspires to be epic in scope and is quite visually stunning in what
feels to be a fairly well done 3-D (enjoyed the effects of the many fires and sunlight), yet we are forced to listen to a rather empty script that is pretty
devoid of emotion, soul, passion for much of anything. Most spoken words are straight on a to the point. The cast should have shone much more for it features Bale,
Joel Edgerton as Egyptian brother, Ramesses, John Turturro as an oddly interesting Seti the First (Ramesses' father), Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) as slave Joshua,
Maria Valverde, an enchanting Zepporah (Moses's wife) and Sigourney Weaver as Queen Tuya. Ben Kinsley portrays Hebrew elder, Nun, with his usual seriousness,
(he has to tell Moses what his real job and heritage is) but he is also the only one who's religious depth of belief was even remotely believable.

Bale, while portrayed as brother, beloved son, husband, father and liberator really lacked depth of character and a real spirited passion. He spent a fair amount
of time listening to a young boy advise him (Issac Andrews as Malak- God in child form) and appeared often to be talking to himself. All in all he just seemed a little
lost most of the time but we are sure it is tough being born to be an instrument of God that 400,000 people are depending on after 400 years.

Remesses, of course, suffers through all those plagues with his wife, even some I don't think a couple were mentioned in The Bible. Still they
the plagues were fairly interesting to watch play out. Most know the story or know where to read it at so no real spoilers here. The most heartless plague is also the most
breathtaking to watch unfold without the creeping fog effects this time. The scope is wide and the scale is large. Filmed in Spain, there are landscapes we haven't really
explored before. Exodus is definitely worth a ticket to see the special effects Scott has put on screen and to take a listen to the appropriately sweeping score.
But be prepared for a bit of a lag in the middle and for most of the awesome visuals to come in the second half.

Christians, Jews and those diversity sensitive may take issue in some areas with representation, and the critics will have issue with the script, length, lack of character
development and some of the acting (and accents), I thought it was a pretty good time taking a peek at the story in just a little but different light. The ending is pretty darn
unfulfilling and leaves those who are not Bible scholars scratching their heads a little. Were is not being marketed to the masses at PG-13, perhaps a few more liberties
might have been taken with the story line. It will surely be a topic of conversation for at least a couple of weeks. Go see it. Have some fun and just don't try to take it too seriously.
(Review by Cheryl Wurtz)

Wild

Reese Witherspoon has a particular charisma that makes her so popular on the big screen. She's got that sweet girl next door look, but with a steely disposition that can take care of business. Even when playing characters that seem like air-heads or woefully falling in and out of love, she manages to make herself connect with the audience. In this new feature directed by Dallas Buyer's Club Jean-Marc Vallée who successfully took one individual's journey in the world of HIV, he takes another real-life story of her experience on a trek of self discovery. It is written by novelist Nick Hornsby who adopted the screenplay from Cheryl Strayed's 2012 best selling novel Wild:From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT).

Cheryl (Witherspoon) begins her long hike at the beginning of the trail near the Mexican border. She stuffs her backpack with all her new equipment until it's so large that she can barely put it on her back. A novice at long term hiking she obviously is carrying more than necessary, and some of the stuff doesn't work forcing her to eat cold oatmeal for the first leg of the walk. The tale flashes back to what brought Cheryl to this point in life. The end of her marriage to Paul (Thomas Sadoski), the death of her beloved hippie mom Bobbi (Laura Dern), and a horrific spell with heroin and wanton sex. She is driven to the point where her life has to be rebooted. When she sees a book on a grocery store shelf about the PCT, she decides the 1,100 mile trail would be the best way to exorcise her personal demons.

Tracks with Mia Wasikowska was a similar story only across the deserts of Australia. A lone woman with camels tests herself against the elements. But it was hard to understand why she had to complete those hard miles with only her camels, aborigines, and a National Geographic photographer to keep her company. Cheryl walks, talks to her self, plays her life in her mind, letting her anger and forgiveness wash away until she can reach the main problem. At each trail log in stops where hikers make notes to each other of their journey, Cheryl writes quotes from her favorite writers which soon makes her almost legendary. Not many women hike the trail alone as she does. Hikers have regular places to refresh, have real food, collect their mail and make phone calls. Who knew that R.E.I. would exchange boots for her via mail to the next station because the ones she had were too small causing her to loose her toenails. There are some days she just wants to give it up. The harsh climates, the heavy load, the weird characters hiking out there threatening sexual harassment. Not mention wild life including a hallucinated fox. She stops and refreshes at small towns for a night in a motel room and a hot shower.

Witherspoon who also produced the film, leaves a good impression for the awards shortlist in this subtle, vulnerable, and intimate character. She brilliantly conveys with little dialogue the real angst and loneliness until she is able to love and forgive herself. It's a story that may not get you to physically walk that trail, but understand the necessity when she reaches the end of the trail at the Bridge of the Gods.
(Review by reesa)

Exodus: Gods and Kings

As the popularity of faith based films become more main stream, it's a short leap before big budget Hollywood extravaganzas will follow suit. Directed by Ridley Scott, known for Alien, Prometheus, and American Gangster tackles a Biblical tale of Moses leading the Hebrews from Egypt. For most people these stories are remembered from the Cecil B. Demille's The Ten Commandments with it's casts of thousands. Ridley's version is like a throw back to those old classics only on steroids. Bigger and badder special effects, same angst filled Moses and his jealous brother Ramesses II. It's an interesting retelling that is entertaining and visually stimulating and fortunately no 2x4 smack across the head with some religious message. Point in fact, there's really no message at all.

In 1300 B.C.E. Moses (Christian Bale), who was adopted by Pharaoh Seti I (John Turturro) after being found in a basket floating on the river was raised as a brother to Prince Ramesses II (Joel Edgerton). He is a respected general getting ready to attack the Hittite army before they attack Memphis. The Oracle (Indira Varma), who also delivers the funniest lines in the movie, tells the Pharaoh of a prophesy of a leader being saved and the savior becoming the leader. Ramsesses already has some issues with his father favoring Moses and ignores Moses suggestions for the battle plan. Which of course results in the prophesy coming to fruition. Seti I gives Ramesses a task to meet with the Viceroy Hegep (played with great swagger by Ben Mendelsohn) who oversees the Hebrew slaves. Moses sees up close the horrible conditions and saves one slave, Joshua (Aaron Paul) from a beating. He meets with the elder Nun (Ben Kingsley) who later tells him that he was really born from a slave.

After Seti I passes his throne to his heir, Hegep who was insulted by Moses' attitude towards him tells the new Pharaoh about Moses. Ramsses is jealous of his brother, he can't hide his fondness for him. So instead of killing him as Queen Tuya (Sigourney Weaver) urges, he exiles Moses from Memphis. Before he leaves he meets his birth mother and sister who tell him his real name is Moishe.

Wandering the desert he comes to Midian where he meets his future wife Zipporah (Maria Valverde) and they have a son Gershom. Ten years later, Moses is knocked unconscious from a rock slide and sees a burning bush and a boy called Malak (Issac Andrews) who tells him it's time to go back and lead his people out of slavery. His brother is happy to see that he has survived, but can't agree to Moses' plan on equal rights and pay for the Hebrews. Moses has little talks with Malak (which one side is overheard by Joshua, who should begin to question Moses' ability to lead) who tells him about the plagues that will affect Egypt and force the Pharaoh to capitulate to the demands. Which of course ends up in the great march out of Memphis with the Pharaoh's army in pursuit when he changes his mind.

There are some great chariot battle scenes, the the plagues are cool, the final chase across the Red Sea with the big wave threatening the final showdown. All edge of your seat stuff. The acting of course is good with the capable cast. This re-imagining is better than Noah and it's Lord of the Rings battling trees. But it still lacks something. At one point Moses, frustrated and losing faith, basically let's Jesus take the wheel and Ridley Scott must have done that too.
(Review by reesa)

Golden Globes Nominations 2015

This year’s Golden Globes Awards, hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, will air on NBC on Jan. 11.


Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Birdman
Into the Woods
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Pride
St. Vincent

Best Motion Picture, Drama
Boyhood
Foxcatcher
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything

Best Director
Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Ava DuVernay, Selma
David Fincher, Gone Girl
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman
Richard Linklater, Boyhood

Best Actor, Drama
Steve Carell, Foxcatcher
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler
David Oyelowo, Selma
Eddie Redmayne, Theory of Everything

Best Actress, Drama
Jennifer Aniston, Cake
Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon, Wild

Best Animated Motion Picture
Big Hero 6
The Book of Life
The Boxtrolls
The Lego Movie
How to Train Your Dragon 2

Best Actor, Musical or Comedy
Ralph Fiennes, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Michael Keaton, Birdman
Bill Murray, St. Vincent
Joaquin Phoenix, Inherent Vice
Christoph Waltz, Big Eyes

Best Actress, Musical or Comedy
Amy Adams, Big Eyes
Emily Blunt, Into the Woods
Helen Mirren, The Hundred-Foot Journey
Julianne Moore, Maps to the Stars
Quvenzhané Wallis, Annie

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Jessica Chastain, A Most Violent Year
Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
Emma Stone, Birdman
Meryl Streep, Into the Woods

Best Supporting Actor
Robert Duvall, The Judge
Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
Edward Norton, Birdman
Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons, Whiplash

Best Foreign Language Film
Force Majeure
Gett
Ida
Leviathan
Tangerines Mandarinid

Best Screenplay
Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Armando Bo, Birdman
Richard Linklater, Boyhood
Graham Moore, The Imitation Game

Best Song
“Big Eyes,” by Lana Del Ray—Big Eyes
“Glory,” by John Legend & Common—Selma
“Mercy Is,” by Patti Smith & Lenny Kaye—Noah
“Opportunity,” by Greg Kurstin, Sia Furler, Will Gluck—Annie
“Yellow Flicker Beat,” by Lorde—Mockingjay

Best Original Score, Motion Picture
Johann Johannsson, The Theory of Everything
Alexandre Desplat, The Imitation Game
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, Gone Girl
Antonio Sanchez, Birdman
Hans Zimmer, Interstellar

Best TV Drama
The Affair
Downton Abbey
Game of Thrones
The Good Wife
House of Cards

Best Actress, TV Drama
Claire Danes, Homeland
Viola Davis, How to Get Away With Murder
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Ruth Wilson, The Affair
Robin Wright, House of Cards

Best Actor, TV Drama
Clive Owen, The Knick
Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards
James Spader, The Blacklist
Dominic West, The Affair

Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Mini-Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television
Matt Bomer, The Normal Heart
Alan Cumming, The Good Wife
Colin Hanks, Fargo
Bill Murray, Olive Kitteridge
Jon Voight, Ray Donovan

Best Actor in a TV Series, Comedy or Musical
Louis C.K., Louie
Don Cheadle, House of Lies
Ricky Gervais, Derek
William H. Macy, Shameless
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent

Best Actress in a TV Series, Comedy or Musical
Lena Dunham, Girls
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Taylor Schilling, Orange is the New Black

Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Mini-Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television
Uzo Aduba, Orange is the New Black
Kathy Bates, American Horror Story: Freak Show
Joanne Froggatt, Downton Abbey
Allison Janney, Mom
Michelle Monaghan, True Detective

Best TV Series, Musical or Comedy
Girls (HBO)
Orange is the New Black (Netflix)
Transparent (Amazon)
Silicon Valley (HBO)
Jane the Virgin (CW)

Best Actress in a TV Movie or Mini-series
Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Honorable Woman
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Freak Show
Frances McDormand, Olive Kitteridge
Frances O’Connor, The Missing
Allison Tolman, Fargo

Best Actor in a TV Movie or Mini-series
Martin Freeman, Fargo
Woody Harrelson, True Detective
Matthew McConaughey, True Detective
Mark Ruffalo, The Normal Heart
Billy Bob Thornton, Fargo

Best TV Movie or Mini-series
The Normal Heart (HBO)
True Detective (HBO)
Olive Kitteridge (HBO)
Fargo (FX)
The Missing (Starz)

Movies Scheduled for the Week of December 7 - December 13

Hope everyone is enjoying the season to be jolly. At least the weather is cooperating. We have a nice schedule for films this week. And if you don't make some of them, you can catch up during the holidays because there doesn't seem to be anything screening at the end of the month.

This is another reminder to only take passes that you can use and give up the ones you are decided against so that others will have a chance to see movies this week. Don't get greedy and redeem passes for yourself, your mother and your 20 cousins when you win a contest. It takes passes away from people who actually entered and couldn't retrieve their passes because someone didn't want to play fair. Remember karma will come back and bite you. So you with families out there who used a million email accounts to get those "one only" passes to the Hobbit, we know what you did and we are watching.

December 7 – December 13

12/7
Sunday

12/8
Monday

12/9
Tuesday

Top Five – 7:00 pm – AMC Northpark
Unbroken – 7:00 pm – AMC Grapevine
Wild – 7:30 pm – Angelika Dallas
Empire – 7:30 pm – Studio Movie Grill Royal

12/10
Wednesday

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – 7:00 pm – AMC Northpark
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – 7:30 pm – AMC Mesquite
Exodus: Gods and Kings – 7:30 pm – Studio Movie Grill Royal
Top Five – 10:00 am – AMC Northpark
Top Five – 7:30 pm – Studio Movie Grill Royal

12/11
Thursday
Imitation Game – 7:00 pm – AMC Northpark
Exodus: Gods and Kings – 7:00 pm – Angelika Dallas
The Hobbit: the Battle of the Five Armies – 7:30 pm – Studio Movie Grill Royal

12/12
Friday

12/13
Saturday

Annie – 10:00 am – AMC Northpark
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tombs – 10:00 am – Angelika Dallas
Inherent Vice – 7:30 pm – Angelika Dallas

Babadook

This film comes from Australia and people claim it as the best horror film of the year. I agree. Its way better than anything we have come out with and it’s a smart horror, psychological thriller. The film is directed and written by Jennifer Kent who has never directed a full length feature; it’s not a perfect film but she did a solid job on her first film. The film sets around a grieving mother, played by Essie Davis, and her son as they cope with the loss of the father. The son starts to see a creature from a storybook in real life named The Babadook and it terrorizes him and the mother. This is all I will say as I want you to be surprised by everything. What Kent does well is create a sense of true terror with The Babadook. She never shows the actual creature in his full form besides shadow heavy shots that will leave you with your heart pounding as you start to imagine what the creature looks like beyond the dark. Mixed in with the fantastic lighting and art direction, this makes a slick horror film. Kent really captures the tone and makes the characters feel emotionally damaged and it starts to affect their head, this is where the psychological aspect comes from. The acting is fine and I found the son a bit annoying (they even mention that he is annoying in the film). The mother is a standout and she was, by far, the best part in the film. The cinematography is beautiful, haunting and downright creepy making you to want to turn the light on while watching it. The lighting, as mentioned, is what stood out because it captured that creepy tone well with harsh shadows that really highlights an outline on scenes and the creature to really scare the crap out of you because you don’t know what you are seeing. The art direction and set design is something to notice as it pops with bright colors making the scenes even eerier. The editing is good and the pace is steady, there is really nothing to complain about. There were some special effects shots that were really cheesy but I will let it slide. It’s a solid horror thriller that will definitely creep you out as Kent gives us a solid film from a solid debut in the director’s chair. 6/10
(Review by Chase Lee)