2014 Photos That I Have Taken

Since we are past the half way point on the year, I wanted to post some photos that I have taken so far this year. I'll make sure and put more on here at the end of the year. Enjoy!

Michael Bay: An Appreciation

I enjoy the films of Michael Bay.


This is a controversial statement I am sure. Most people are either in three camps: A) Those who hate Michael Bay films. B) Those who hate Michael Bay himself, or C) Those who are in both camps A and B.

Michael Bay is controversial no doubt about it. But, let's consider something for a moment. Transformers: Age of Extinction opens in theaters this weekend. The film is estimated to make a huge amount of money at the box office. It begs the question, if critics and a majority of people hate Michael Bay, why do his movies keep making huge sums of money? Are the critics wrong and out of touch with audiences?

One thing that is undeniable: Bay has a visual flair to his style of filmmaking. With his first few films, he brought such a style to his films that many film directors have gravitated towards that style. Look at Zack Snyder for example.

Snyder has brought a brand of frenetic filmmaking to cinema that I think is somewhat a direct result of Michael Bay. Think about his last film, the Superman epic Man of Steel. The whole last third of that film was pretty much one giant action set piece that was unrelenting. It felt like a Michael Bay film without Michael Bay actually directing it. Starting with Bad Boys II, most of Bay's film's has ended with third acts that have been pretty much all action and little character development. Since this style has made Bay millions at the box office, many directors obviously have gone to this style. Snyder is just one of many it seems.

If Bay has a great visual flair that is unique among his contemporaries, his lack of storytelling ability makes him stand out just as much as any other filmmaker. In fact, I am even of the opinion that the reason Bay doesn't get any of the respect that other action directors like James Cameron and Ridley Scott get is because he just doesn't care about character and plot. He just cares more about action and movement.

Ridley Scott for instance had a lot of the same criticism early in his career. That he was more interested in mood and visuals than he was in actually three dimensional characters. At the time of the film's release, Roger Ebert was quoted in his review of Scott's 1985 fantasy film Legend as saying that "Performances tend to get lost in productions like this. I particularly noticed how easily (Tom) Cruise got buried in the role of Jack. Here is the talented young actor from "Risky Business," where he came across as a genuine individual, and this time he's so overwhelmed by sets and special effects that his character could be played by anybody."

But Scott has improved as a filmmaker as the years have gone on. Look at Thelma & Louise, G.I. Jane, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, Matchstick Men, and American Gangster. Scott's signature visuals are still there, but he has gained a better sense of story and character. He has shown growth as a filmmaker.

This is something that Bay, according to his critics, has not shown. Box office-wise he has grown. As of this writing, Michael Bay films have grossed an estimated $1.8 Billion Dollars at the box office. He is in the top five all time highest grossing filmmakers, bested only by Steven Spielberg, Robert Zemeckis, and James Cameron. So Bay is obviously doing something right.

But is Bay's inability to grow as a filmmaker a part of the Hollywood environment as much as anything else. Look around the film industry today. Many of the top filmmakers in the industry are stuck in what many people call "franchise mode." Instead of doing original films that they could put their own personal stamp on, many directors are having to direct big budget films in order to just get the chance to direct a personal project that they like. Look at Marc Webb for instance. His first film was the very well received romantic comedy/drama 500 Days of Summer. The film felt much much the stamp of a new filmmaker on the rise. What has Webb done since then? Two Spider-Man films. Both of which were reboots which frankly no one really was asking for. And while The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider Man 2 both had some great genuine character moments that Webb had brought to 500 Days of Summer, both of those films felt impersonal. Any director really could have stepped in a directed them.

And it is not just Webb. Bay is busy with the Transformers films. Justin Win just finished up a stint directing four Fast & Furious films and is busy prepping the next Jason Bourne film. Peter Jackson is just about finished up directing the new Hobbit Trilogy and has expressed interest in directing another Tintin film. Ridley Scott is rumored to be setting sequels to both Prometheus and Blade Runner. Today it is just hard for a director to do anything that else. Bay is often criticized for this but is it really fair to blame him all for this.

Bay after all seems to enjoy making big budget films. He has been famously quoted as saying "I make films for teenage boys. Oh dear, what a crime!" Maybe big budget films is what Bay is meant to do. It is easy to mock Bay for this. But he does have talent. Look at the "Got Milk?" ad that won him much acclaim.

That is a great commercial. A sign of someone who knows how to tell a story visually and in a great way.

Granted Bay can come off as snide in interviews and his storytelling can leave something to be desired. But Bay seems to know what audiences want. I respect his style. While far from my favorite director, I like Michael Bay. He is able to create great action scenes. The Humvee chase in The Rock. The asteroid attack scene at the beginning of Armageddon. The yellow Hummer wiping out the Cuban village in Bad Boys II and so on.

Bay's style is something I think Hollywood was going towards anyways. Bay just happened to be the guy to usher that style in. It is easy to hate Michael Bay. I am one of the few that likes his style. I just don't think critics will ever give him decent notices and frankly Bay doesn't seem to care. He gets to direct big budget films that make huge sums of money and he gets to direct commercials with Victoria Secret models. Hate the man all you want. He is probably going to laugh all the way to the bank anyways. 

Kenny Loggins: Soundtrack God

Ladies and Gentlemen, Kenny Loggins is Soundtrack God.

No doubt about it. It's not even close. Throughout the 80's and the mid 90's, Loggins produced hit singles for a vast number films that earned him the nickname "King of the Movie Soundtracks." Most of these songs were memorable for their catchy hooks and the great instrumentals. More importantly, these songs worked for the movies they were in because Loggins always made sure that the song fit into whatever the story was. "Highway to the Danger Zone" fits with Top Gun. "For the First Time" works with One Fine Day, etc.

Let's look at some great examples of some of Kenny Loggins best songs and what makes these songs tick. Besides the usual reasons of being just bad ass songs to begin with....

1) 

I'm Alright from Caddyshack

The first huge soundtrack single from Loggins came from this classic comedy from 1980. It is actually somewhat fitting that this song was a breakout hit for Loggins. Caddyshack was such a breakout for many of the people in the film. People like Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield. A movie like this was just the perfect start for Loggins reign as soundtrack king. "I'm Alright" also fit into the attitude of the film. The story is basically the "snobs" vs. the "slobs." The "slobs" were always so relaxed and cool in the film. It really fits into the one lyric in the song, "Why you got to give me a fight/ Can't you just let me be?" Plus the guitars in this song just rock. 

2) 

Footloose from Footloose

 

This song was big for the film but it was even bigger for Loggins. The song spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard charts and it won Loggins a Grammy for Song of the Year. This also fits into the movie so well because, like the film, the song is about making everyone dance. The story is about a teen who moves to a small town where dancing and rock 'n roll are banned. He wants to dance, most of the teens in the movie want to dance. Heck by the end of the film, the audience probably wanted to dance. Kenny Loggins gave them that song. The way Loggins keeps on repeating the lyrics Everybody cut/ Everybody cut Footloose couldn't have been more perfect. The characters wanted to have freedom to dance and with this song, they did.

3) 

Danger Zone from Top Gun

For most people, if Loggins is known for one song, it is this one. Everything about this is so cheesy but it is so awesome to listen to with friends or if you are watching Top Gun. The lyrics about being on the edge fits Tom Cruise's character perfectly. All throughout the film, his character is always taking dangerous risks. Whether it be flying below the hard deck trying to take out a fellow pilot during a simulation or sleeping with a flight instructor that is probably breaking Lord knows how many rules, Maverick is a character always going to the edge and back. The song to this day continues to be memorable. Last year, the television show Archer even parodied it in a very funny promo. This song help make Top Gun a huge success and it also continue Loggins's reign of soundtrack supremacy. 

4)

Meet Me Half Way from Over The Top

This is where we all need to be impressed with Kenny Loggins as a Soundtrack God. It is quite easy to make a hit song off a film that is quite good. Kenny has proven that already. But what about making a great song off of a terrible film? In the late 80's, it's almost like Loggins wanted to make it a challenge. Take an awful film and some how come up with a song that is actually better than the film itself. Loggins started this trend with "Meet Me Half Way." It is a great emotional song. A power ballad. Pure 80's goodness. The song was for the Sylvester Stallone film Over The Top. A drama about arm wrestling. That is right, ARM WRESTLING!!! The plot is dumb, Stallone looks bored, and the kid who plays Stallone's son gives one of the worst performances ever put to film. In fact, this film doesn't even deserve this song. It is a great song about reconnecting with someone you love. With the video above, they almost sell you on the fact that the film is actually good. My advice, watch the music video and avoid the movie at all costs. Speaking of awful films....

5) 

Nobody's Fool from Caddyshack II

I hate Caddyshack II. Hate it. Hate it with the passion of a thousand suns. There is nothing about this movie that works in any way. When the gopher is the funniest thing about this film, you know you are screwed. Yet Kenny Loggins somehow came up with a great song for this film. In all honesty, it is actually a personal favorite of mine. It has great instrumentals and it is such a fun song to listen to. Even Loggins went on record about how he thought that it would be hard to "capture lighting in a bottle again" trying to make a hit single with this film. Loggins was close though. The song hit #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. The song is a great anthem if nothing else. You just wish the writers of the film would have had just as much fun and passion as Loggins did performing this awesome song.   

 

Loggins would have one more hit song from a movie, ("For the First Time" a sweet, romantic song from One Fine Day), before he would take it easy from music. He has not really added any other song to another film since then. The impact Loggins had on the soundtrack was huge. Loggins helped prove that the right song teamed up with the right film could help promote that film just as well as any trailer could. It also helps that Loggins is actually a pretty good singer/songwriter. All these songs I mentioned above work on their own away from the movies they come from. They will continue to have an impact on us all for years to come. 

If nothing else, he at least taught us that every once in awhile, it never hurts to just once in awhile to cut loose! 

- Hash

Songs from Soundtracks That Don't Suck: #3 Glory of Love by Peter Cetera from the motion picture The Karate Kid Part II

Today's song comes from the one and only Kristen Pflum, Reporter and Anchor for the 4PM news at LEX 18.

I have worked with Kristen at the station for a number of years and if there is one thing that you should know about Kristen it is this: She is obsessed with "Glory of Love." I mean she knows every word of this by heart. If you were to ask her what her favorite song is, before you finish the question she will say "Glory of Love." 

I give her credit, it is a good song. Much like the movie it comes from, The Karate Kid Part II, it toes the line between being really good and being really cheesy at the same time. 

The first Karate Kid is just an awesome film. It is just one of those all around movies that anyone can watch and enjoy. Pat Morita's role as Mr. Miyagi was a career defining performance and Ralph Macchio was very believable and likable as Miyago's student Daniel LaRusso.

Part II has a great idea in taking both of these characters to Miyagi's homeland of Japan. The setting gives the film a different air to it. Although it does heavily barrow some plot elements straight from the first film (having the movie end with Daniel having to fight someone is one example) Part II is still a very fun film.

"Glory of Love" really works well for the movie here because a major storyline in the film involving Mr. Miyagi and a woman he left behind in Japan when he came to America. One lyric in the song I think really gets into the essence of the movie is the final one: We did it all for love. It is revealed that the woman Miyagi had fallen for years ago was set to be married to Miyagi's best friend, Sato. Sato was jealous and wanted to fight Miyagi to the death. Miyagi then left his village soon after, not wanting to fight his best friend. Miyagi is always an interesting character because we always see him try to find a way not to fight. He is always trying to find the peaceful way even if that peaceful way means leaving the woman he loves.

The song is sung by Peter Cetera who is someone I consider to be very cheesy. But here, he is just perfect for the song mostly because he hits the high notes so well and he has an air of confidence in his voice that reassures the woman he is singing to that everything is going to be okay. He will fight for her honor and be the hero she is looking for as he says in the song. The video is also awesome in a great 80's sorta way. I love how all the doors open to reveal different scenes in the movie.

"Glory of Love" is an insanely cheesy song but it has stood the test of time. It was a huge hit at the time and it continues to be a popular throwback tune for people today. It was even nominated for Best Song at the Academy Awards that year where it rightly lost to "Take My Breath Away" from Top Gun. (Sorry Kristen, Top Gun is always the better film!) It helps to that it really fits into the theme of The Karate Kid Part II. Mr. Miyagi and Daniel both have to defend the honor of the women they have fallen for. And they both do it for love.

A Quick Note on Making Comments For the Blog

Hey guys, just a real quick update. A few of you have sent me questions on how you can make a comment on the blog here. A few of you have mentioned that you have tried to post a comment and that you didn't know how to do it. Well I looked into and you can do it.

First off, you click on the article you are going to read. Then go to the bottom of the page and type in what you are wanting to say. After that, you go to where it says "Comment as." If you click on the drop down menu and don't see that you are attached to any of the social networks that are listed there on the page, then just click on "Anonymous." This will allow you to post without having to be connected to any one social network site.

I highly encourage that you guys leave comments on the postings I put on here. I love hearing feedback from you all.

Until next time,

Hash

Appreciating the Ninth Doctor

So here I am at 31 years of age and I finally experienced the appeal of a comic convention. I get it. I don't know why I never went to more of them. I decided that if I was going to do it, I was going to dive head on into it and dress up as someone. But who was I going to do a cosplay of? I knew I wasn't going to spend too much money. I needed something cheap but something that was cool and something that people recognized. What I needed was a Doctor!

 

I decided to go to Lexington Comic and Toy Con as the Ninth Doctor from Doctor Who. I had the leather jacket. All I needed was the black paints, a deep colored v-neck t-shirt, and a Sonic Screwdriver and I was set. All of this was found pretty quickly. 

As I set about to do this, I watched a couple of the episodes from the ninth doctor's era. Watching them, I realized what it was about this era that got me into the show. My friend Natasha had told me before I watched the show that the first Doctor that I watched was always going to be my favorite. She was right. Christopher Eccleston is my favorite doctor. 

Everybody loves David Tennant or Matt Smith and both of those guys are very good in their portrayals of the Doctor. But Eccleston for me set the tone for those guys. His portrayal of the doctor was not the overly jovial one that we are use to, but one of a man who just got out of a war and lost too many of his friends. We see it in his eyes, in his attitude and even in his clothes. He is in a dark place at this period of his life. The Doctor has just lost his home planet of Gallifrey and all the people from it. He is the last of his kind and it has hit him hard. 

Throughout the series, we see him start to come alive again thanks to the help of Rose Tyler, the companion he picks up in the first episode. The attitude is still there but it is more in a defensive mode now. He gets mad at Rose for screwing up but we also see him have compassion with her. We see this in my favorite episode from the series, Father's Day. In the episode, we see the Doctor take Rose back in time to the moment her father died in the street after being struck by a car. Rose was only suppose to watch the accident happen and comfort her father as he died. But Rose can't help herself and ends up saving her father causing a time paradox. The Doctor is angry throughout the whole episode. But in the end, when Rose's father sacrifices his life in order to restore the timeline, we see the Doctor be comfort Rose as she finally gets the chance to say goodbye to her father. It is a very beautiful moment in a great episode.

Like all the doctor's before him though, the doctor was doomed to die at some point. The ninth doctor would be no different. In The Parting of the Ways, we see him die in order to save the life of Rose. The last moments of the ninth doctor are really touching. Eccleston is very smart and doesn't over play the moment at all. We see the sadness in his eyes as he realizes this is end. He plays it like a man who was just starting to enjoy his life again and is sad that he is not going to have another day to live it. Quite different from the man who pushed literally pushed Rose away in the first moments they met. 

Tennant and Smith have of course gone on and taken Doctor Who to bigger heights and huge ratings. But I don't think none of that would have been possible without the acting talents of Christopher Eccleston and what he brought to the role of the Doctor. Eccleston set a high bar and brought real weight to the role. It something that I have noticed has been carried on by the other two actors who went on to play the part. Plus Eccleston was cool and he took no prisoners. That is something I found to be very cool. 

So dressing up as the man for a comic convention in a way has made me think of the ninth doctor quite a bit this week. Looking around the convention hall, I saw a ton of people dressed up as Doctor Who. Mostly as of them dressed up as either Tom Baker or David Tennant. I might have been the only person there dressed as Eccleston. I was okay with that. I got quite a few complements from people for dressing up as the Ninth Doctor. The outfit I had was pretty "fantastic" as the ninth doctor would say. I realized that although Eccleston's time on the show was short, the impact he had on it's success was something that should be appreciated for years to come. 

FBON Interview Series: John Vinson, Author of The Nobodies

 

John Vinson: Author of The Nobodies

Since starting this blog, I always kind of hoped that the opportunity would rise that I would get the chance to interview a few folks along the way. People who are pursuing their passion. People who are doing interesting things. People who are doing what they love. Well my first interview guest on my blog here is someone who definitely fits into all three of those categories.

John Vinson is a long time friend of mine. A fellow movie and TV buff like me, he has now gone and done something he has always dreamed about doing: Writing a comic book. He got together some money, found a great artist and created his first comic book series, The Nobodies.

Set in the future, The Nobodies is about a man named Iggy who wakes up in a garage, attached to all sorts of medical equipment. He wanders outside into a different world than he saw last. Lifeless people known as the Nobodies roam the streets. Iggy runs into a group of survivors who explain to him what is going on. What follows is action, mystery, and suspense and some dark humor. The concept sounds familiar, but Vinson and artist Ger Curti put a great amount of detail into the world Iggy now inhabits. Vinson also peppers the comic book with storytelling that will get you talking.

The first thing I had to ask Vinson about was the cover. The one with the giant marijuana leaf on it. It definitely is an eye catcher and is one of the things that makes the comic stand out.

Here is my interview with John Vinson. Enjoy!



Steve Hash: You look at the cover here and right off the bat, amongst the great artwork is a giant marijuana leaf...

John Vinson: (Laughs) Yeah, There it is. It's pretty apparent.

Official cover for The Nobodies

SH: One question that comes to mind is the comic being used in anyway, even in small ways, to comment on politics of marijuana?

JV: Um, not the politics really. It's basically... the marijuana aspect, it's a part of this world now in a different way than we know of. Because in this world, there is no law. There is nothing to say that marijuana is wrong. There is nothing to say that this is wrong or that is wrong. Which, you know, is pretty standard with any post apocalyptic tale. I guess the marijuana for me was the way to say, without the law to say that this is wrong, it could just as easily become a staple of society as it could be seen as detrimental. You know like alcohol!  Alcohol is a part of our society. It's legal. There are bars. There are places you can go to drink this alcohol.

SH: Well even alcohol was illegal at one point....

JV: Even that was illegal! Right? They turned that around... it is so arbitrary in a lot of ways. But in this world, marijuana is actually a currency. I don't really dive into a lot of that in the first issue. I think the only marijuana use in issue one is Tom and Dr. Edeman smoke a joint and pass it back and forth with each other. But you'll see more of it as the book goes on. That is just kinda the details of the world I wanted to establish. Marijuana is very prevalent. Everyone smokes it. Everyone is fine with it. It has become a part of society.

SH: Do politics in general even enter into the the theme of the comic? 

JV: Politics some. It's not the main drive of the book. There are going to be a couple of storylines later on in the book... it is a seven issue miniseries. So I think around issue three or four, there is going to be a little more politics involved. I don't want to dive into that too much, but it does get somewhat involved but nothing heavy handed really.

SH: So how did this idea come to you? Where did the story come from?

JV: Actually, it was started by two things. First would be a book called The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. I highly recommend it. To me it is the greatest piece of fiction ever and there is a chapter in the book where they talk about humanity and the loss of it. One of the chapters in that book is called "The Devil. Ivan's Nightmare.' One of the characters, whose name is Ivan, has a hallucination of Satan. It talks about how Satan uses out aspects of humanity against us. That was kind of what drove me to write this book because the essence is about humanity. What makes us human. What are the negative things that makes us human? What are the positive things? If you take that all away, what are you left with?

SH: That is fascinating. Was this always going to be a comic book? Or did you have something else in mind?

JV: Yeah it was always going to be a comic book. It's funny another inspiration was Led Zeppelin's "Dancing Days." That is where I got the idea that I didn't want to do zombies because to me... I didn't want the threat to be the undead. I didn't want it to be something supernatural.

SH: That actually was going to be a question I had. Where did the idea for the Nobodies themselves come from?

JV: It came from when I was actually listening to "Dancing Days." It's weird, it actually came when I was listening to music. It didn't come to me when I was reading a story, or watching a movie, or watching a television show. It happened while I was listening to this song. It made me think, the Dancing Days: You are having fun and it's free spirited, all these positive emotions. What would happen if all these emotions got taken away? All the emotions gone from a person. Like what if I am sitting across from a person. You know, I am not sad or happy or angry. I am just sitting here. Nothing is looking back at you.

SH: It almost would be traumatizing.

JV: Exactly! It is! Funny you say that because part of that comes into play too about how people react to the Nobodies when the Rapture happens which is the event that they call it in the book.

SH: You said that there are seven issues, are we ever going to see the actual "rapture" happen? It's mentioned obviously.

JV: No. This takes place 20 years after the event.

SH: So might we see flashbacks or anything like that?

JV: There might be flashback maybe. I think most of the flashbacks if they happen are going to be mentioned in the POTUS letter. Whoever has read the comic and seen the POTUS letter at the beginning, he actually is a character in the comic and he will talk about it and flesh out the world a little more. I have a couple of ideas for flashback stories later on. For the most part, I am not going to dive too much into the details. I am going to focus more on the world as it is now.

SH: So you come up with the idea of the comic, how did you go about funding it? Because self starting your own comic book has become a thing here lately. How did the process go?

JV: A lot of savings. A lot of... praying. (Laughs). Let me tell you one thing about comic making is that it is very expensive.

SH: Really? What's the ballpark figure on making one?

JV: Well if you don't do the art yourself, and you find a competent artist and a competent inker. Without coloring, $1,500 to $2,000. And that is if you are doing a single issue, which is usually 20-22 pages. For me it was pencils, inks, and grayscale.

SH: You planned for the no color then?

JV: Yeah. That decision wasn't made from the funding. It was made because I didn't think the story required color. I didn't think color would help it. It is not a very vibrant world. Like when you are reading Superman. You wouldn't want to read a black and white Superman book. To me, a lot of stories don't require color. I did grayscaling because I wanted to give it more depth. I looked at the inks and there just wasn't a depth on the pages. I gave it a little bit of gray scale just to kind of give the world a bit more layer to it.

SH: So who is the artist? How did you hire them?

JV: I put out a advertisement for this website called Digital Webbing (www.digitalwebbing.com). I highly recommend it if you are ever looking for artists. If you ever post there, you'll receive hundreds of postings there and they all want to work for you of course. So I posted it there, and I was going through the submissions and right off the bat you can just see... you know (shakes his head no)... and some people are good but they just don't fit your style. But with Ger (Curti, the artist for the Nobodies), it's funny in that you don't think with an artist that there is going to be so much back and forth, but you really want someone to get the gist of your book. So it was down between him and a couple of other artists and so I talked to each of them and kinda got their take on the book and if they were into it or not. But Ger and I clicked together right off the bat.

SH: Was it his art that just popped right out at you?

JV: Oh yeah! When you send out advertisements for these artists on the website, they'll send you something right back that they have worked on. Most of it is stuff that you know won't work at all but with Ger's stuff, I couldn't get it out of my head. You know, it is like with anything artistic that you like, it clicks. You don't think about it too much. It just works.

SH: So where is the story going to go? Is it going to go worldwide? Because in the first issue here, it pretty much stays in Buffalo, NY for the most part. Do you see it go to somewhere like London? Could we see this from a worldwide perspective?

JV: This actually is a tough question to answer. I can't give specifics because a lot of the places that Iggy and the other characters travel to are actually part of the story. So I don't wanna give away any of the story but I can tell you it definitely expands beyond Buffalo. I can give you a little more insight into the next issue. What's going to happen is that there is going to be a lot of violence in the next issue. A lot of movement in terms of things that are going to happen to the characters. So it is going to be... the second issue is going to be much more action packed. It definitely gets bigger that is for sure.

SH: So what is next? You said that there is seven issues but what is next after you finish this run? You got any other comics planned out ot any other ideas?

JV: I do have a couple of ideas for sure...

SH: What kind of genre you thinking about doing?

JV: Superheroes. I can say that. It's funny though. As hard as it is just to get one issue done, I can't even fathom.... unless this takes off where I can do it full time... fathom what the next series is going to be. But I do have some ideas to keep things going beyond The Nobodies that is for sure.

SH: Cool thanks very much.

JV: Thank you!


A comic book series based off of Russian novels and Led Zeppelin songs? Sounds pretty badass to me! If you want to go buy and read the first issue of The Nobodies, go to http://www.comixology.com/The-Nobodies-1/digital-comic/73859 and you buy the issue there for $1.99. It's getting great reviews already so I recommend you find it and read it soon.

Enjoy and go to the Lexington Comic and Toy Convention if you are anywhere near Lexington, KY this weekend. Sure to be a great time if you go! Till the next time!

- Hash

Hashmoney's Top Ten Films of 2013

2013 was one of the best years in cinema. I truly believe that this last year was just an amazing time for us as an audience. From about the month of September to early January, the films that were hitting theaters were some of the best that came out in the last few years. Heck even during the entire year, you had great films popping up at times.

From the list of films that you see below you, I picked the best films of the year because of one trait that most of them had: A human element. It seemed that amongst all the superhero films and all the loud action films that true storytelling might soon be going by the wayside. But thankfully that didn't happen.

The films on this list show all the elements that make great films. Great filmmaking talent. Superb Storytelling and great acting. Without further ado and with the Academy Awards taking place this Sunday, here are my picks for the top ten films of 2013.

10.

Prisoners was a surprise for me when it was released in late September. I expected an intense film but not one that had this many great characters in it. Every character had a great backstory to them. From Hugh Jackman's career best performance as an angry father whose is desperately trying to find his daughter anyway possible. To Jake Gyllenhall's detective who is assigned to find Jackman's son. To Paul Dano as the mentally challenged young man who is the prime suspect in the case. Everything in this film is set up for maximum impact. Even the controversial ending I loved. I won't spoil but to just say that I can't think of any other way to end it. The character, like many people in this film, was a prisoner of their own making.

9.

 

Paul Greengrass is a great filmmaker. That is no surprise. Captain Phillips was an intense true story about the MV Maersk Alabama being hijacked by Somali pirates in 2009. It is written with great skill by Billy Ray, whose also wrote the under appreciated Shattered Glass and Breach. Again, not a surprise considering what a great writer Ray is. But what gets this film onto the list is Tom Hanks. Hanks has always been a great leading man and a good actor. But not since Cast Away have I seen Hanks give such an emotional performance. What he does here is amazing. Not only guiding audiences through the emotional roller coaster that he goes through as Phillips but also giving a great performance alongside actors who have never acted before. Barkhad Abdi needs to be commended as well for his performance as the lead Somali pirate. He really shows us why his character makes the hard choices he does before he take over the Alabama. Just a great intense film all around.

8.

Stoker is just a damn creepy film. The director of the original Oldboy, Park Chan-wook, just keeps viewers on the edge the whole time. We see that the family in the film is unhinged but Chan-wook does a great job sustaining the tension on how unsettling this family is. You never know what to expect. Mia Wasikowska plays India Stoker, a young girl who on her 18th birthday loses her father in a horrible car accident. At the funeral, Stoker and her unstable mother played by Nicole Kidman, receive a visit from Charlie, the brother of Stoker's father. The fun in this film is watching Stoker and Charlie interact with each other in devious ways. These two people are not normal. You know they are capable of dark, evil things. But yet you can't take your eyes off of them. That is the power Stoker has over you and it is magnificent to watch.

7.

David O. Russell is a filmmaker on a roll. All the more surprising considering that before 2010, he was someone many people left for dead after all the on set horror stories about his behavior. But he cleaned up his act and now has risen to the level we thought he was capable of early on in his career. The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook were both great films. But American Hustle is his best film. Some people have complained that Russell ripped off Martin Scorsese with this film. I don't think that is the case at all. Russell has always loved stories about characters trying to escape their circumstances and Hustle shows that off. Here we get five characters who are trying to do just that.against the backdrop of the ABSCAM operation in the late 70's. There is not a bad performance in this film. Christian Bale and Jennifer Lawrence both give the best performances in the film. It is great to see such life come from such a complicated film and it is even better to see Russell pull it off beautifully.

6.

Matthew McConaughey is getting raves and plenty of awards attention for Dallas Buyers Club and he should. It is a great performance. But the best film that he did this year to me was Mud. It is a simple and small film that is just great southern storytelling. Director Jeff Nichols has mentioned numerous times that the story was influenced by Mark Twain's storytelling and that is clearly evident in the film. While McConaughey gives a great performance, the story is really about the two children, Ellis and Neckbone, who find McConaughey's character hiding out along the banks of the Mississippi River. Tye Sheridian is especially great as Ellis. He has a lot of innocence to him that makes us care about him throughout the film. McConaughey though shows that with this film and with the other great performances he has given lately, that he is ready to leave behind the dumb romantic comedy roles and do films that are up to his potential as a leading man. Mud is one of those films.

5.

 

It's been a great couple of years for teen films. We have had a few great ones come out the last few years after having to suffer through the awful horror of "young adult" films that followed in the wake of Twilight. But starting with The Perks of Being a Wallflower, I think we are starting to see the slow emergence of good truthful teen films come back to us. One of those films is The Spectacular Now. It is a flat out great film. A lot of that has to do with the two lead actors in this film, Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley. The chemistry these two have is amazing and it keeps the film grounded in reality. Through them, we experience what it felt like to be in love for the first time. The stupid decisions we make as teens because we are always told that our high school years are the best times of our lives. Director James Ponsoldt makes sure the film is not rushed. It moves at it's own pace. If for nothing else, the film works because the two lead characters feel like people we grew up with in high school. Find this film and watch it. It's a true buried treasure from the heart.

4. 

Some films you know are going to be brilliant. The second it was announced that director Richard Linklater had shot Before Midnight, I knew it was a film that was not going to disappoint and it didn't. Midnight show Linklater, Ethan Hawke, and Julie Delpy are in complete control of these characters. All three have written a film that is mostly just talk. But the talk is never boring. The dialogue clues us in on what is happening in the lives of Jesse and Celine. It's been nine years since Before Sunset. The two of them have kids now and we can since the relationship is about to hit a major crossroad. When it does, all the feelings the two have felt about each other for the past nine years comes out. To watch Hawke and Delpy play these roles again is something to behold. None of the scenes they have together strike a false note. This maybe the end of the story for these two characters. But it wouldn't surprise me if in another nine years, we get another film about Jesse and Celine as they enter into old age together. We all would welcome it.

3. 

12 Years a Slave is not just a historical film. It is a nightmare. That is the best word to describe it. A nightmare. It was hard enough to be a black man in the 1800's. But director Steve McQueen makes sure we feel the horror of what Solomon Northup went through. It's hard enough for someone to be born into slavery. But to see Solomon, a free black man living up in the north, have his freedom taken away from him is just inhuman. McQueen though makes sure to never let up on the nightmare. He surrounds the story with great characters. Most notably, Edwin Epps, a cruel slave owner played with evil brilliance by Michael Fassbender. To hear Epps quote bible scripture in order to justify slavery is a truly awful thing to hear and see. The film ends on just the right note. Even if all was to go right, McQueen is right in saying that we must never forget what slavery did to this country and what a truly inhuman, evil thing it was. A powerful, well told film.

2.

Rush is a great story about a subject that we thought we were bored enough with: auto racing. But the film, which covers the 1976 Formula One racing season, does something unexpected. It gets inside the heated rivalry between James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl). Formula One is already considered a dangerous sport. Why in the world would these two drivers risk everything they have over something like car racing? That is the question director Ron Howard and writer Peter Morgan ask. At his best Howard is a director that is exceptional at putting you right into the middle of dangerous situations. Think back to the fires in Backdraft or the damaged shuttle going through space in Apollo 13. For Howard, Rush is his best film in a decade. With great cinematography, amazing writing, and great acting by the two lead actors, Rush is an great film to watch. Whether it is following the cars around the track or watching the horror of one of the drivers being burnt alive in 800 degree heat after a crash, Rush is just pure a simple storytelling done to excellent effect. Ron Howard needs to do more films like this. Rush shows what a great director he can be at times.

1.

Watching Gravity for the first time this year, I almost got the sense of what it must of been like to watch 2001: A Space Odyssey back in the day. The sense of wonder and being completely in awe of what was on the screen. This film was an excellent experience. One that not only was completely immersive, but one that pushed the boundaries of film forward. Director Alfonso Curon did things in this movie that were truly impressive. The special effects in this film were amazing but you never felt them take center stage. The story and the acting is what kept our attention. Sandra Bullock was grace under pressure. She plays an astronaunt who is stuck floating in space with George Clooney after space debris has hit destroyed the space shuttle they were attached to. The both of them have to survive the deep cold space as they try to avoid debris and other disasters from happening to them. That is it. The story is simple. Yet from that Curon is able to do amazing things. All the way to the end, Curon is able to leave you breathless. This film is an achievement that Curon and his film crew should be proud of. They made a film that comes once in a lifetime and was undoubtedly the best film of 2013.

Harold Ramis: Remembering the Smart Guy in the Room.

In high school, we all had that one guy in class who knew what the hell was going on. If you were in a hard class like math, you would find this guy at some point in the day and run your math problems by him just to make sure they were correct. You knew that if you didn't have this guy, you would have failed the test easily.

Harold Ramis was that guy in comedy.

Although the people he worked with usually tended to get all the spotlight put on them, he was always usually the guy in the background making sure everything worked right. It was always subtle, but when one realizes the scope of Ramis's work, one sees what an amazing career he had.

The list of films he helped write or direct were endless: Animal House, Meatballs, Caddyshack, Stripes, National Lampoon's Vacation, Ghostbusters, Back to School, Groundhog Day, Multiplicity, Analyze This, The Ice Harvest.

A few common threads emerge when you look at this list of films. For one thing, even though these films were comedies, most of them had a very sound structure and plot. The jokes and the humor were hysterical, but at their best they never overtook the films.

Look at Ghostbusters for instance. One of my all time favorite films. This is a film that has very complicated effects. Most films these days would let the effects do the work for them. Dazzle the audience to make sure they don't notice the lack of humor in the movie. But Ramis and co-writer Dan Aykroyd wrote a script that put character first. You felt the camaraderie that this group of guys had with each other. They had a history together. That probably came from Ramis and Aykroyd's working history with some of the actors in the film. But it worked like a charm and it is still one of the most quoted films ever due to this reason.

Ramis also liked writing about characters who were always up against the establishment, the elite, or anyone who were snobbish and thought they were better than anyone else. Caddyshack was a prime example. The battle between the "slobs" versus the "snobs" was the stuff of comedy legend. Animal House was another prime example, with it's battle of competing fraternities.

But in 1993, Ramis directed and co-wrote what many people (including myself) consider his best film: Groundhog Day. This film works simply because of Ramis and Murray. At this point the two of them had worked together so much, you could almost feel the shorthand between the two of them work itself out into the film. The performance Murray gives is effortless. But for Ramis, the film represented a change. Phil Connors, Murray's character, starts off like one of the typically snobbish characters that Ramis had written about in the past. But as the film progresses and as Phil continues to live Groundhog Day over and over and over again, we see Phil become a better man. He is not as rude to the people around him and he even appreciates life a little more. It was almost as if Ramis learned to let go of the bitterness he had for characters like this. It marked a change for Ramis and it was one that helped got him more respect.

At the time in 1993, Groundhog Day was only a moderate hit. But over the years it has gained a ton of respect and many people now consider it a classic. The same has been said about Caddyshack and even Ghostbusters. Much like the kid we never really thought about helping us with the homework in high school, you never really appreciate someone till they are gone. Harold Ramis was never a big star in life. But seeing the films he helped create, the moments he made memorable, he is a talent that will be missed.

 Tell them about the Twinkie.

Songs from Soundtracks That Don't Suck: #2 Hearts on Fire by John Cafferty from the motion picture "Rocky IV."

All right let's be realistic here. Rocky IV is an insanely cheesy film. Don't get me wrong, I love it. Sylvester Stallone was at his peak stardom at this point in 1987. Rocky IV would prove to be his biggest hit of his entire career. Plus the fight between him and Dolph Lundgren is just insane in every way. Heck, they even had the guts to kill off Apollo Creed!

But this is such an 80's film. Not just in the Cold War metaphors that Stallone puts all over the film but also in the music. The 80's were know for their cheese and John Cafferty's song "Hearts on Fire" might have been the cheesiest song on the soundtrack.

Yet the song works perfectly because of the part where Stallone placed it in the film: The Training Montage.

It is not a Rocky film without a training montage. While "Hearts" is no "Gonna Fly Now," it is able to get the job done. The music swells and swells and we see Rocky Balboa and his Russian opponent Ivan Drago train for their boxing bouts. The song ends on the image of Rocky climbing a mountain. A very kick ass image in every way possible.

"Hearts on Fire" is also such a perfect 80's song because it fit with the fitness craze that hit the 80's hard. Songs like this and Olivia Newton John's "Physical." fit right in with the era.

Plus you can't beat the lyrics: Hearts on fire / strong desire / rages deep within / hearts on fire / fever's rising / high the moment of truth draws near. 

Come on, that is about as close to poetry as it got in the 80's! If those lyrics and the training video above don't inspire you to go kick commie butt, then nothing will!

 Kim Applegate picked this song and she picked it well!



A note on the blog. Last week, we had some issues on the comments section. People tried to post comments but to no avail. That has now been fixed. Please feel free to post comments and suggestions for future songs to be commented here on the blog.

Songs from Soundtracks That Don't Suck: #1 Nightcall by Kavinsky from the motion picture "Drive."

Drive was probably one of the most talked about films of 2011. The stylish noir film was a style of pure badass cinema that had not been seen in quite sometime. It made a star of Ryan Gosling and featured a great performance from Albert Brooks that was snubbed by the Academy that year. And the driving sequences of course were well done.

But one of the other big reasons that Drive worked is the soundtrack. Although the songs in the film were mostly from the new century, they had a feel from the 80's that fit the film like a glove. The best example of this was the song that played in the opening credits, Nightcall by French electronic house artist Kavinsky.

This song is so right for the beginning of the film. As we watch Gosling drive around nighttime Los Angeles in a 1973 Chevy Malibu, Director Nicolas Winding Refn gets the film going on just the right note. It's a dark brooding song that let's us know that this is not a run of the mill car chase film.

This post is going to be the start of something new. I want to look at great songs on the soundtrack of films and see why they work and why they fit so perfect with the films in which they belong. I would love to take suggestions from people. What songs do you love and would like to have featured here on the blog.

Post your comments below. I'll even give you a shout out if I like the song!

A Quick Opinion of the 2014 Oscar Nominations.

2013 was a kick ass year in film. I can't think of a better late end of year run series of films than the ones we just had. It is now that time of year to kick off Oscar season.

The nominations were announced Thursday morning. I want to take a look at some of the big categories and share some quick thoughts on who has the best chance of going home with an Oscar and who got robbed of a nomination.

So let's go ahead and take a look:

BEST PICTURE

AMERICAN HUSTLE 

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS

DALLAS BUYERS CLUB

GRAVITY 

HER

NEBRASKA

PHILOMENA

12 YEARS A SLAVE

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

Captain Phillips sadly lost it's chance of winning when both Tom Hanks and Paul Greengrass did not get nominated in either of their respective categories. Dallas Buyers Club, Nebraska, and Philomena are probably going to get most of it's awards in the acting categories, while Her will have a better chance of getting Best Screenplay.  The Wolf of Wall Street is in the same position Django Unchained was in last year. It is a cool and hip film to nominate for best picture but one that the older members of the branch don't have the stomach to vote for the win. So that leaves American Hustle, Gravity, and American Hustle. Gravity, my personal favorite film of the year, is going to sweep the technical categories. But the lack of a Best Original Screenplay nomination I think is a sign that it won't win here. American Hustle is a fun film. Audiences and critics both love it. If it were any other year, I would pick it to win. But 12 Years a Slave is one of those movies that comes along every once in awhile that is so powerful that I think the members of the academy will probably go ahead and pick it. It doesn't pull any punches and the way Steve McQueen guided the movie is an achievement in of itself. I expect the academy to honor it with it's highest award.

BEST ACTOR

CHRISTIAN BALE - AMERICAN HUSTLE

BRUCE DERN - NEBRASKA

LEONARDO DiCAPRIO  - THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

CHIWETEL EJIOFOR - 12 YEARS A SLAVE

MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY - DALLAS BUYERS CLUB

Tom Hanks not getting nominated here is a stunner. Walking out of Captain Phillips, I thought he was a shoo-in for a acting nod. But DiCaprio and Bale's films became really popular as of late and Hanks had the misfortune of having his movie open all the way back in October. Bruce Dern gives the performance of his career in Nebraska and it is really good to see him nominated here. But I think it is a two man race here between Ejiofor and McConaughey. Ejiofor would win it if I was picking the winner. 12 Years a Slave is very much dependent on us caring for the lead character and Ejiofor more than succeeds in making us see the struggles that his Soloman Northup went through. McConaughey though is having a Tom Hanks-like comeback. To think of where he was a few years ago being stuck in Kate Hudson films to now working on the next Christopher Nolan film is truly remarkable. He too gave one of the best performances of the year. And considering that he lost an insane amount of weight in order to play the part, it pretty much seems to be a given that he will win. Let's just hope he can fit in a Dazed and Confused quote in his acceptance speech somewhere.

BEST ACTRESS

AMY ADAMS - AMERICAN HUSTLE

CATE BLANCHETT - BLUE JASMINE

SANDRA BULLOCK - GRAVITY

JUDI DENCH - PHILOMENA

MERYL STREEP - AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY

I said this to people in August when I saw the film and I am going to say it again: Cate Blanchett is going to win Best Actress. Woody Allen wrote her an excellent character to play in Jeanette "Jasmine" Francis. Blanchett handled the part like a pro and she should be awarded here. Amy Adams could win for American Hustle since she is on the hot streak she continues to be on. Bullock was also good in Gravity but I think the acting branch will probably see that film as more a technical film than an acting one. Judi Dench is well respected but she has not won any awards to suggest a win here. As for Miss Streep, I think she got this nomination by the skin of her teeth. Osage County has not been a hit with critics and reviews from audiences have been mixed. In fact I could have sworn I heard groans in the press room when the academy announced her name. Meryl has three trophies already, time for Cate to get one of her own. 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

BARKHAD ABDI - CAPTAIN PHILLIPS

BRADLEY COOPER - AMERICAN HUSTLE

MICHAEL FASSBENDER - 12 YEARS A SLAVE

JONAH HILL - THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

JARED LETO - DALLAS BUYERS CLUB

It is awesome to see Barkhad Abdi get nominated for Captain Phillips. To go toe to toe with Tom Hanks and look like a seasoned pro is a major accomplishment for the first time actor. But he hasn't won any acting awards yet, so the nomination may end up being his award. Bradley Cooper did well in American Hustle but his hair probably is getting more press than his acting did in the film. Jonah Hill continues to impress as a dramatic actor but I just don't see the academy giving him the trophy. Michael Fassbender continues to be one of the best actors around these days. His character was evil and the interactions he had with Ejiofor were some of the best scenes in 12 Years a Slave. But I think Jared Leto is going home with the award. Leto has over the last decade played mostly psychopaths and characters with a dark side. But he showed a surprising amount of heart in Dallas Buyers Club. Him and McConaughey were great together and Leto's transgender character I thought really gave the film a good dose of humor and heart amongst all the talk of AIDS and medical procedures. If he wins, I expect many a mention of his role on the brilliant TV show My So-Called Life to be mentioned on Twitter.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

SALLY HAWKINS - BLUE JASMINE

JENNIFER LAWRENCE - AMERICAN HUSTLE

LUPITA NYONG'O - 12 YEARS A SLAVE

JULIA ROBERTS - AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY

JUNE SQUIBB - NEBRASKA

Great surprise seeing Sally Hawkins getting a nod for Blue Jasmine. She really provided a great counter point to the madness of Blanchett in the film. But she has not been nominated for anything else so far so I don't think she gets the win here. Unlike Streep, Julia Roberts earned her acting nomination for Osage County. But like Streep, the lack of buzz for the film hurt her chances. June Squibb was a hoot to watch in Nebraska. Voters though I think will probably think of the film more for Bruce Dern's role that for Squibb's. Jennifer Lawrence has kicked ass and taken names in 2013. She won Best Actress for Silver Linings Playbook, had a mega hit with Catching Fire, and continued her great acting work in American Hustle. But to be honest, I don't think her work in Hustle is one of her best. Sure she is great and all and I would not be shocked in the least if she wins again. But Lupita Nyong'o was amazing in 12 Years a Slave. She could have overacted or gone over the top with her role but she didn't. It made her character "Patsey" all the more better for it. The academy, in this case, I think will stray from the popular choice of Lawrence and give it to the right choice, which would be Nyong'o.

BEST DIRECTOR

DAVID O'RUSSELL - AMERICAN HUSTLE

 ALFONSO CURON - GRAVITY

ALEXANDER PAYNE - NEBRASKA

STEVE MCQUEEN - 12 YEARS A SLAVE

MARTIN SCORSESE - THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

This category has become a two man race. Martin Scorsese is a great director and will always be one, but The Wolf of Wall Street has just as many haters as it does admirers, so he will not get the win here.  Alexander Payne continues to make great small dramas. Nebraska is a great film but one that will get more support in the acting category than the directing branch, so no luck for Payne here. This is the third time in a row that David O'Russell has been nominated for best director. Any other year I imagine a groundswell of support for O'Russell getting the directing nod, but for the same reasons that Payne has with Nebraska, I think people are probably going to see Hustle as more an acting achievement than a directing one. So that leaves, Steve McQueen and Alfonso Curon. McQueen winning this would not be a surprise at all. He took a story that he could have dumb down and shied away from the harsher more violent parts of Soloman Northup's story but he didn't. Because of this, he made an amazing film and got great performances out of everyone in the cast. But Alfonso Curon did something even more impressive. In a day and age where CGI and special effects have made movies less personal, Curon made a film that was both a character driven story and a special effects treat. Gravity is a film that did not let the special effects take over the story. You felt like you were in space. You were into Sandra Bullock and George Clooney's struggle in trying to not float away into the dead of space. This is an excellent acheivement over all and while McQueen would not be a bad choice for winner in the category, I expect Curon to win here.

Before I go, I wanna give a quick shout out to a fellow friend and blog writer. If you wanna read another take on the Academy Awards, go to kentuckygeekgirl.com and get your fix there. She is also a great writer and has a cool logo to boot!