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Best Movies of 2014

Obviously I haven't seen them all (no one has) but this is my short list of the movies I liked best that came out in 2014. The prime examples of things that are going to get omitted because I haven't seen them are Inherent Vice (I don't live in New York or LA so I haven't had a shot) and Boyhood (just missed the boat, it happens). I'm interested in what other people have to say as well, mostly so I can argue with you and tell you that you're wrong. ;)

#1. The One I Love
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Incredibly minimalist with essentially only three actors, a semi-improvised script, and an intriguing premise. The movie is wonderful. There's even a stealth dig on Kobe and Vanessa Bryant if you're looking closely.

#2. The Grand Budapest Hotel
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It's a Wes Anderson movie at his most blissfully, perfectly symmetrical, Wes Andersoniest. Even if you haven't seen it, you probably have an opinion and already know if it's for you.

#3. Snowpiercer
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If you've seen it, you know. If you haven't, it has the most ridiculous premise for an action movie you can imagine with all of humanity confined to a gigantic supertrain. IT's also absurdly awesome. It's on Netflix Streaming and is absurdly highly recommended.

#4. Guardians of the Galaxy
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Lots of movies over the last few years have shown us how comics can be good. And they just roll in dough making what are essentially action films with a different skin. Guardians of the Galaxy showed why comics are actually fun and people trek out to a store imbued with nerd stank every Wednesday to shell out $4 a copy for books they'll read in under 15 minutes. It also may singlehandedy alter how comic movie properties are selected for the benefit of everyone involved. It is boring to pick the biggest blockbuster of the year as one of the best, but I felt that way.

#5. Top Five
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You've probably forgotten how much you like Chris Rock since he doesn't show up in many things. I know I certainly did. This is a very worthy foray into the full writing/directing of fiction chair for him. It has some riotously funny scenes and if you get the opportunity to see it in a majority black neighborhood, do so.

Honorable mention: The Edge of Tomorrow

Worst place: Skeleton Twins.

Second worst place: The Book of Life.

Only one of those I've seen is GBH. I love Wes Anderson. Love him. Not sure what it is other people aren't getting from it or what I am but he gives me exactly what I want. Bottle Rocket was a movie I just ended up watching one time. No advanced warning. My favorite movie of all time, just because I had the best movie watching experience of my life watching that show. Anyway, GBH was fun. It was good Wes Anderson, imho.

But hey, cheap jokes, formulaic plots and special effects are pretty good too.
 
Gone girl was good
 
The best movie that I saw this year was Prisoners....... gyllenhall and jackman killed it. (Don't know what year this movie came out though)
 
People don't like Wes Anderson because he is the White version of Tyler Perry.
That's a pretty good reason.
 
Black Mirror White Christmas was actually the best movie I saw this year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDFcTmdQqIc

If you haven't seen Black Mirror, kill yourself, then rise from the grave and watch it (the first two seasons are on netflix). It's the best TV show in a long time. Only 3 episodes each season so easy to catch up on. It's an anthology series--basically the easiest way to pitch it is Twilight Zone for the tech era.
 
Black Mirror White Christmas was actually the best movie I saw this year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDFcTmdQqIc

If you haven't seen Black Mirror, kill yourself, then rise from the grave and watch it (the first two seasons are on netflix). It's the best TV show in a long time. Only 3 episodes each season so easy to catch up on. It's an anthology series--basically the easiest way to pitch it is Twilight Zone for the tech era.


Thanks for the rec. I'm definitely gonna check this out.
 
Awesome! Make sure to let me know what you think of it. It's probably my favorite show on television. It's like... I just want people to watch it so I can talk about it. I might make a whole thread just trying to get people to watch it.
 
Awesome! Make sure to let me know what you think of it. It's probably my favorite show on television. It's like... I just want people to watch it so I can talk about it. I might make a whole thread just trying to get people to watch it.
This is how I feel about the back to back shows that will be running on comedy central in a couple weeks. (Workaholics and broad city)
 
Black Mirror White Christmas was actually the best movie I saw this year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDFcTmdQqIc

If you haven't seen Black Mirror, kill yourself, then rise from the grave and watch it (the first two seasons are on netflix). It's the best TV show in a long time. Only 3 episodes each season so easy to catch up on. It's an anthology series--basically the easiest way to pitch it is Twilight Zone for the tech era.


Amazing show. My only gripe is its unrealistically cynical view of human nature. The average person on that show acts worse than the worst people I've ever met.
 
Amazing show. My only gripe is its unrealistically cynical view of human nature. The average person on that show acts worse than the worst people I've ever met.

Yeah, definitely. But the show is pretty open about that. Very much like the Twilight Zone in that respect, except even darker and without the spoon-fed moral. Still, I think the show has valuable cultural commentary that is spot on. The Entire History of You is one of the most chilling hours of tv I've ever seen because it feels not only possible but plausible. I don't want to go into detail about any of the eps because it's one of those shows you really don't want to spoil for people. But like, take The Waldo Moment--that's not even an allegory; that's our present reality. If Black Mirror has a thesis statement, it's that technology is making us misanthropic and cynical...and it shows that by being itself misanthropic and cynical.

But I love it. Jon Hamm in the Christmas character plays such a scumbag!
 
Yeah, definitely. But the show is pretty open about that. Very much like the Twilight Zone in that respect, except even darker and without the spoon-fed moral. Still, I think the show has valuable cultural commentary that is spot on. The Entire History of You is one of the most chilling hours of tv I've ever seen because it feels not only possible but plausible. I don't want to go into detail about any of the eps because it's one of those shows you really don't want to spoil for people. But like, take The Waldo Moment--that's not even an allegory; that's our present reality. If Black Mirror has a thesis statement, it's that technology is making us misanthropic and cynical...and it shows that by being itself misanthropic and cynical.

But I love it. Jon Hamm in the Christmas character plays such a scumbag!

That's an interesting take. I am an active member of a science and technology forum, and the most common complaint I hear about Black Mirror is that it is too alarmist about technology. I don't think that's the thesis of the show, and if it is, then I completely disagree with it. The problem with that interpretation is that while SOME episodes deal with the negative effects of tech, others don't. I would say episodes 1.1 and the Christmas episode are the only two that fit your description. 1.3 and 2.1 are more serious in their analysis of the ups and downs of profoundly powerful future tech like A.I. and memory capture. 1.2 and 2.2 are creative fantasies that have little to do with the effects of technology. 2.3 is a positive take on modern tech.
 
Just saw it tonight but I might have missed it, could you please elaborate on this? Is it the cheating thing?


A very good movie BTW, won't win any awards just because it's too simple but held my attention til the end nonetheless.

When they are going through the audio files of previous couples, one of the files is named "Kobe and Vanessa"
 
Boyhood is the best movie I have seen made this year. How to Train Your Dragon 2 probably is top 5.
 
Boyhood is the best movie I have seen made this year. How to Train Your Dragon 2 probably is top 5.

Hey, were you the one who recommended The Returned? I watched that. Good stuff. Thanks for the recommendation.

As for Boyhood, I really liked in intellectually. But I just didn't feel anything for it. The kid has zero personality (unlike his sister), and all the events are mundane and conventional. I appreciated it as an art project, but I can't say I loved it personally.
 
Hey, were you the one who recommended The Returned? I watched that. Good stuff. Thanks for the recommendation.

As for Boyhood, I really liked in intellectually. But I just didn't feel anything for it. The kid has zero personality (unlike his sister), and all the events are mundane and conventional. I appreciated it as an art project, but I can't say I loved it personally.

I wasn't the one.

I liked the kid, watching him grow with all the other characters was really amazing. He certainly didn't have a strong personality, or just wasn't verbal enough that it seemed so but he lived a life I felt was authentic. I also like some of Richard Linklater's works especially The Waking Life so that may be a factor.
 
I watched the sex tape from my honeymoon... 10 years is a long time to gain a lot of weight. I laughed. I cried. I watched it again.

Oscar worthy, tbh.
 
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