My Favorite Films of 2013

→ in
Tools    
Page 4 of 6
« First345Last »




lynchian's Avatar
Profile
Posts
Message
Registered User
06-14-14
THE HUNT


'The Hunt' is quite an infuriating film. But also a potent and very tense, look into the depths of human society and behavior. How one lie can completely destroy a man's life, and put an entire town into witch hunters. Grounded by Mads Mikkelson's humanistic portrayal of a man in a living nightmare. He fully deserved his Best Actor Win at Cannes. Again, however, THE HUNT is a hard pill to swallow, and yet entirely compelling, both in it's performances and faultless direction by Thomas Vinterberg (who's dogme film THE CELEBRATION is something of a masterpiece.)
The ending certainly ends on an open note, and yet the symbolism is so true. Good stuff all around, though I don't think I could ever watch it again.
__________________
Recent Viewings (rewatches noted with an *)
Barbarian- (4/5)
Nope- (4.5/5)
Jurassic Park Dominion- 0.5/5
What Josiah Saw- (4.5/5)



lynchian's Avatar
Profile
Posts
Message
Registered User
06-14-14
THE CALL


Brad Anderson is one of the top independent filmmakers, primarily those of the horror genre. Session 9 continues to chill me to bone no matter how much I watch it. His other films, including Transsiberian and The Machinist, were both perfect examples of how to keep the tension rising, The Machinist in particular is downright nightmarish. His latest film, THE CALL, features Halle Berry in one of her top performances, as well as Abigail Breslin, who has been kidnapped and has called 911 from the trunk. It's essentially one extended chase, but soon the suspense rises to the boiling point that you'll find your palms are sweaty. Though the ending is a little week, and this is far from Anderson's best. The Call is still an efficiently made thriller that actually manages to thrill.



lynchian's Avatar
Profile
Posts
Message
Registered User
06-14-14
PRISONERS




Denis Villeneuve has become one of my very favorite directors working today. From Polytechnique to this year's Enemy, he certainly doesn't fall into any category. Save for that they are all categorically great films. I hadn't truly known who he was when Prisoners came out, the trailer didn't quite impress me, but then it earned rave reviews, and just about everyone told me I had to see it. And I'm so glad I did. An expertly crafted thriller, a tale of morality, and how far would a man go to get answers as to the wherabouts of his kidnapped daughter. This is one chilly, thought provoking, and downright creepy at times, mystery. Like a good novel one can not put down. Performances are great all around, but the real standouts are Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Paul Dano, and Melissa Leo. Not to mention Roger Deakins' superb cinematography. A near perfect film, Prisoners was by far one of the strongest sleeper hits of 2013.



endyourif's Avatar
Profile
Posts
Msg
Founder of DejaScene.com
06-14-14
Definitely Gravity was tops for me. Saw it twice in the theater, now that's a first for me.



lynchian's Avatar
Profile
Posts
Message
Registered User
06-14-14
Originally Posted by endyourif
Definitely Gravity was tops for me. Saw it twice in the theater, now that's a first for me.
Twice for me, also. I haven't gone to see a movie repeatedly like I used to. However I saw INCEPTION 8 times. That's my record.



lynchian's Avatar
Profile
Posts
Message
Registered User
06-14-14
THE BANSHEE CHAPTER



Here's a film that really surprised me. Not only is it down right scary at times, extremely suspenseful throughout, and featuring a total mind melter of a narrative. The Banshee Chapter is also a hugely thought provoking film, igniting numerous conversations and debates to take hold. But once it all clicks, the film becomes that much better. Certainly one the best in independent film making of last year. Banshee deserves to be seen, it's just unfortunate that mainstream hollywood holds these films back, It would have left a lot of people scratching their heads, so I guess thats why. Too bad audiences are afraid to go to films that require them to think, NOT US THOUGH!



seanc's Avatar
Profile
Posts
Message
Lone Wolf
06-14-14
I thought The Hunt and Prisoners were both above average movies. I didnt love them like you but certainly enjoyed them.
__________________
Letterboxd



lynchian's Avatar
Profile
Posts
Message
Registered User
06-14-14
Originally Posted by seanc
I thought The Hunt and Prisoners were both above average movies. I didnt love them like you but certainly enjoyed them.
Well, I never flat out said I loved them, but yes they were both strikingly well-made. Neither of them would I watch again though.



seanc's Avatar
Profile
Posts
Message
Lone Wolf
06-14-14
Originally Posted by lynchian
Well, I never flat out said I loved them, but yes they were both strikingly well-made. Neither of them would I watch again though.
My bad. Everyone talks about film different. If I called a film near perfecr it would mean I love it.



lynchian's Avatar
Profile
Posts
Message
Registered User
06-14-14
Originally Posted by seanc
My bad. Everyone talks about film different. If I called a film near perfecr it would mean I love it.
Ah, well you got me there, what I meant to say but didn't clarify is that it's near-perfect in what it sets out to do and especially of that particular genre. And the great performances, amazing cinematography, and pure tension throughout are all tops.

But due some of its subject matter, and the ending, it's not one I'd revisit on my own, like the directors other films. But this was still an expertly crafted mystery/thriller. If only Jake Gyllenhaal wasn't in it. And even Hugh Jackman. But that's just because I'm not a huge fan of either actor.



MovieGal's Avatar
Profile
Posts
Message
希
06-14-14
"Jagten" aka "The Hunt" came out in 2012. It was nominated for the Palme d'Or at Cannes that year.



Captain Spaulding's Avatar
Profile
Posts
Message
Defending Champ
06-14-14
Originally Posted by MovieGal
"Jagten" aka "The Hunt" came out in 2012. It was nominated for the Palme d'Or at Cannes that year.
It wasn't released in the U.S. until 2013 and it was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at this year's Oscars along with all the other 2013 films.
__________________



endyourif's Avatar
Profile
Posts
Msg
Founder of DejaScene.com
06-14-14
Originally Posted by lynchian
Twice for me, also. I haven't gone to see a movie repeatedly like I used to. However I saw INCEPTION 8 times. That's my record.
8 times in theaters? Wow.



Godoggo's Avatar
Profile
Posts
Msg
Chappie doesn't like the real world
06-14-14
I really like The Banshee Chapter. Not what I was expecting in a good way. One of my favorite surprises of 2013.

The Hunt is a movie I've been meaning to get around to every since I found out about it after becoming a Hannibal fan.

I know I'm in the minority because people really seem to like Prisoners, but I just thought it was pretty bad. I recently saw an Israeli movie, Big Bad Wolves and thought it a much better movie. The subject matter is similar, but the execution of the movie is so much better as are the actors.



MovieGal's Avatar
Profile
Posts
Message
希
06-14-14
Originally Posted by Captain Spaulding
It wasn't released in the U.S. until 2013 and it was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at this year's Oscars along with all the other 2013 films.
Still released in many places in 2012.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2106476/...o?mode=desktop


And i owned the dvd months before the oscars.



gbgoodies's Avatar
Profile
Posts
Message
You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
06-14-14
I'm sure that most people won't agree with me, but I thought that 2013 was just a disappointing year for movies. Most of the movies that I was really excited about after either seeing the trailers or reading the reviews, turned out to be either just average, or in some cases, even below average.

Keep in mind that I rarely go to the movie theater anymore. I watch most movies at home either on DVD, On Demand, or through services such as Netflix, Hulu, etc., so that could affect the quality of some movies. (For example, the movie "Gravity" probably would have been much better if I had seen it in an IMAX theater, than it was sitting at home watching it on TV.)


Some of the movies that lived up to my expectations were:

Now You See Me
Star Trek Into Darkness
The Way Way Back
Saving Mr. Banks
Her
Frozen
Despicable Me 2
Monsters University


But some of the movies that I thought would have been better were:

The Wolf of Wall Street
American Hustle
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
R.I.P.D.
Prisoners
The Wolverine
Man of Steel
Iron Man 3
The Great Gatsby
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Trust Me
Captain Phillips
Oz the Great and Powerful
The Lone Ranger


This doesn't mean that they were all bad movies. It just means that I had high expectations for these movies, and IMO, they just weren't as good as the hype that surrounded them.



lynchian's Avatar
Profile
Posts
Message
Registered User
06-14-14
Originally Posted by MovieGal
Still released in many places in 2012.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2106476/...o?mode=desktop


And i owned the dvd months before the oscars.
While it also was released in 50 or more places in 2013. I think that's enough to consider it a 2013 for.



lynchian's Avatar
Profile
Posts
Message
Registered User
06-16-14
Finally, it must happen. I take a risk and post a film I liked, that was trashed by critics, mostly trashed by everyone who saw it, and already had enough controversy around it before it was even filming. So if I lose any of you, I apologize, but you can't fault me for being honest.



MY GUILTY PLEASURE OF 2013
THE CANYONS



Yes, this is the Lindsay Lohan film, and the debut for infamous porn star James Deen. Directed by Paul Schrader, and written by noneother than Bret Easton Ellis, how could one NOT watch this one, if only by the curiousity of how much of a trainwreck the film would turn out to be.
Truth be told, it's not an AWFUL film, it's not a GREAT film. It's actually very well made, great soundtrack, and hollywood glossy visuals. One scene, in particular, a 4 way sex scene, all done while a laser projector covers the whole room, and body's. It's defintely one of the "coolest" sex scenes I've watched. (It's no Don't Look Now, or I Am Love, though.) As for the acting, well, this is is where it gets a bit dicey. James Deen is pretty terrible and should stick to his other job. He's the archetypical sociopathically that shows up in all of Bret Easton Ellis' work. However, as hard as he tries to be menacing, it's more silly than anything. Honestly, if someone was trying to kill me and going off on some tangent in the same pronunciation and broad character choices, I'd probably die first from laughing so hard.
Then we have Lindsay. The train wreck trying to get back in the biz. She's really the main reason to see this. I've always been of a fan of Lilo since I was very young and saw The Parent Trap. I would then watch any and every movie she was in.But I say the following completely unbiased, she proves once again why she became a popular star in the first place. She's great and devours the film and anyone in the scene with her (not my scene chewing, but just for how compelling her performance is.) She also gets quite physical (not with the sex) but there are more than a few fight scenes that turn quite vicious, and at times you can't tell if she's acting, or truly in a state of fear. Either way, her Razzy was unwarranted. She's absolutely stellar that is magnetic to watch.
So you want to watch some silly trashy fun with an electric Lohan performance, then look no further than THE CANYONS. It's great in all the wrong ways.



Derek Vinyard's Avatar
Profile
Posts
Msg
Fly Eagles Fly
06-16-14
Originally Posted by rauldc14
Spring Breakers is a masterpiece?!?!?

exactly my reaction too hahaha
__________________
''Haters are my favourite. I've built an empire with the bricks they've thrown at me... Keep On Hating''
- CM Punk
http://threemanbooth.files.wordpress...unkshrug02.gif



lynchian's Avatar
Profile
Posts
Message
Registered User
06-16-14
SAFE HAVEN (FROM V/HS/2)



The two found footage anthologies titled V/H/S, have been both pretty bad. The first may have had one or two that were solid. But the rest fell flat, or were just flat out unscary. When I sat down to watch the sequel, my hopes were a little higher, as I heard now there would be only four segments this time, which meant more time to direct a solid short. Also, that the original guys from THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, in the same style as there original, were filming one of the segments.

I excitedly put on V/H/S/2 to be let down once again, and felt like a fool. But fool me once, shame on you, shame on me.

The first two segments here are more like dark comedies, or just flat out forgettable. The blair witch brothers directed one of these two segments, and while it's a clever premise, it's devoid of any tension. So that was a bit of a bummer.

Then something happened... the third segment begun.... from the directors who did The Raid: Redemption, and The Raid 2. And I'm not sure why didn't leave as the last one. As everyone leaving the theater would have forgotten all the crap before, and feel shaken and stirred. This is one insane ride, and you don't what is going on. or happening (which here is a good thing.) It bursts with gruesome jaw dropping violence that will make one feel queasy, anxious, and just stunned. All hell breaks loose, and it definitely is hell on earth. The final shot may be a bit silly even if it fits the story, but other than that. This is one short horror film, that sometimes I wish could be expanded, until I realize the time it's been given is just enough, and that I probably couldn't hold it much longer.

Page 4 of 6
« First345Last »