Top 5 Films of 2013

Well, the book has closed on yet another Hollywood movie year. I caught 35 films in 2013 and sadly really only enjoyed about a dozen of them. The disappointments arrived early (Gangster Squad, Broken City, A Good Day to Die Hard) and just seemed to get worse as the summer progressed (Star Trek Into Darkness, The Man of Steel and The Lone Ranger).

Thankfully, things started to get substantially better after August, so much so I found myself having trouble keeping up with all the titles I wanted to see.

Yes, 2013 may have started poorly, but fueled by a late-inning bevy of unique films and outstanding performances, it closed as one of the more satisfactory movie years in recent memory. Below are my five favorite releases.

1. 12 Years A Slave: Steve McQueen's fact-based period tale of a free man kidnapped and forced into slavery for a dozen years is a harrowing, unflinching masterwork of human survival and features career-defining performances from Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender and newcomer Lupita Nyong'o. This is the type of film that deserves a timeless place in Oscar's hallowed halls.

2. Dallas Buyers Club: This true account of Texas hustler Ron Woodroof, who when diagnosed with AIDS in 1985 began smuggling and then selling non-approved, life-prolonging drugs to others stricken with the illness, is not just a professional triumph for actors Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto but a glowing testament on how films with socially taboo subject matters can actually entertain audiences just as effectively as they can enlighten them.

3. Nebraska: Alexander Payne's rural family comedy is a hoot from start to finish, an incredibly poignant, wonderfully acted ode to fathers and sons and how that bond, while often muddled and trying at times, still counts for something.

4. Captain Phillips: Paul Greengrass' real-life account of a cargo-ship captain captured by Somali pirates is a taut, exceptionally crafted thriller and reminds us that Tom Hanks can still deliver the kind of powerhouse performance that won him consecutive Oscar trophies nearly twenty years ago.

5. Gravity: Alfonso Cuaron's 2001-esque space drama is an immersive, superbly acted visual triumph, a film that not only proves 3D can be a worthy upgrade but that darkened movie theaters are still capable of delivering magical experiences.


If I Could Choose Five More: 6. The Way Way Back 7. Blue Jasmine 8. Go For Sisters 9. The Wolf of Wall Street 10. Prisoners


Most Overrated Film of 2013: All Is Lost - A lot has been made of Robert Redford's nearly wordless performance of a man lost at sea. However, with virtually no discernible plot or characterization to drive the story, the film is really nothing more than watching a legendary star fumble around a boat for 100 minutes. A good reality-show, maybe. An engaging movie, not so much.

Most Underrated Film of 2013: 42 - Brian Helgeland's look at Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball arrived in April to good reviews and grossed nearly $100 million but seemed unjustly forgotten by year's end. It's actually an extremely moving, well-acted profile of courage and resolve that contains scenes just as brutal and unsettling as any found in 12 Years A Slave.



Happy New Year!

Top 5 Blu-rays of 2013

I'll be blunt: 2013 was a pretty lackluster year for Blu-rays. Where the previous three years we were treated to a pretty steady stream of cult and classic films, so much I had trouble keeping up with all the releases, this year, quite frankly, I barely had five titles to add to this post.

For whatever reason, the major studios just kind of fell asleep at the wheel in regards to upgrading their catalog titles. Kind of puzzling since so many great films have yet to appear in the high-definition format. Granted, shelf space is shrinking at the nation's big-box retailers but that didn't stop the likes of Criterion and Shout Factory! from releasing a monthly stream of top-tier products via Amazon and their own consumer-friendly websites. Let's just hope the lack of product this year is because so many titles are currently being restored or enhanced for future release. We can dream can't we?

That said, the year wasn't a total loss. We got great new transfers of On The Waterfront and Shane, a handful of cult releases like John Carpenter's The Fog and Night of the Comet and even a surprise or two from Warner Archives. Yes, the pickings may have been slim but there were enough, just enough, noteworthy titles to get excited about. Below are my top five:

1. On The Waterfront - Criterion Collection: Elia Kazan's 1954 masterpiece about a morality-stricken ex-prizefighter turned longshoreman who takes on a corrupt union boss received a stunning new 4K restoration, nearly a dozen fresh extras and a long-overdue widescreen transfer that actually allows you to choose between three different aspect ratios. Easily the most engaging and satisfying disc of the year. Keep 'em coming, Criterion.

2. Shane - Paramount Home Video: Arguably the greatest Western ever made, George Stevens' 1953 tale of a transient gunslinger who befriends a family of homesteaders and helps them battle a ruthless cattle baron received its own high-def restoration this year and the result truly breathes fresh life into the 60-year-old classic. And though it would have been nice for Paramount to include its newly struck 1.66:1 widescreen version, along with an anniversary retrospective or two, this new transfer is light years ahead of the old 2003 DVD and is a no-brainer for upgrade.

3. Badlands - Criterion Collection: Terrence Malick's beloved 1973 debut about rural young lovers who cut a swath of murder and mayhem across the American Midwest has influenced many over the years (Tarantino's True Romance and Natural Born Killers are direct homages) and remains one of the definitive films of '70s New Wave cinema. For its 40th anniversary, Criterion struck a beautiful new 4K transfer and added its usual array of impressive extras, the best of which is a 42-minute documentary that features new interviews with stars Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek and art director Jack Fisk.

4. John Carpenter's The Fog - Shout Factory!: The original 1980 tale of vengeful ghosts terrorizing a small seaside town remains one of my favorite Carpenter films and usually gets an annual screening at my house (the wife likes Hal Halbrook and the quaint coastal setting). Shout Factory! released a crisp 1080p transfer and a slew of new extras, my favorite of which is an episode of the Sean Clark-hosted Horror's Hallowed Grounds that pokes around the film's Point Reyes National Seashore shooting locations.

5. Fearless - Warner Archives: Peter Weir's excellent 1993 drama about a plane-crash survivor struggling with his near-death experience features Oscar-worthy performances from Jeff Bridges and Rosie Perez and a crash sequence set to Henryk Gorecki's Symphony No. 3 that's frankly one of the most haunting and emotionally draining ever put on film. The long-awaited widescreen transfer alone gets this title on my list, but alas, no extras are included. Not that you really need them, as the only thing you'll want to do after the credits cease is collapse into a corner.


Merry Christmas!


Dec. 31: Top Five Films of 2013

Top 5 Albums of 2013

Overall, 2013 wasn't a bad little year for music. In addition to long-overdue efforts from Bowie, Buffet and McCartney, we were treated to a wonderful collection of folk tunes from Edie Brickell and a banjo-pickin' Steve Martin, a wildly original toe-thumper from Arcade Fire and a surprisingly effective comeback rocker from a Mike Peters-fronted Big Country.

Yes, sir, just when I think the likes of Kanye, Drake and Miley will render the year meaningless to my ears, a cadre of old friends burst through the door wielding albums that thankfully remind me music is still something worth getting excited about. Below are five of my favorites.

1. Love Has Come For You - Steve Martin and Edie Brickell: I must admit I was never that intrigued by actor/comedian Steve Martin strumming the banjo, but something about adding the melodically soothing vocals of '80s holdover Edie Brickell intrigued me enough to give their 13-track folk collaboration a whirl. The result is nothing short of a gift from the music gods: a beautifully crafted collection of homespun, tale-oriented tunes - some soul-wrenchingly poignant, others playfully humorous - that get your feet a tappin', your hands a clappin' and provide as much nourishment for the heart as they do the mind. Favorite Tracks: When You Get To Ashville, Friend of Mine.

2. Reflektor - Arcade Fire: This follow-up to 2010's Grammy-winning The Suburbs leaves all the reflection and mellowness of its predecessor at the door and cranks up the volume on 13 highly creative, hip-shaking tracks that prove freshness and ingenuity don't have to diminish after an Album of the Year award. Favorite Tracks: Joan of Arc, It's Never Over (Hey Orpheus).

3. NEW - Paul McCartney: The 71-year-old icon's first collection of original music in six years is a tight, melodically fresh 13-track reminder that no matter your age or extensive past musical output, one can still deliver something relevant and quite surprising. Favorite Tracks: Early Days, Everybody Out There

4. Mechanical Bull - Kings of Leon: The reigning monarchs of southern rock ditch all the baggage and drama from the last album tour and deliver a satisfying 11-track collection of soul and verve that makes you wonder why they didn't name the album after one of its actual songs: Comeback Story. Favorite Tracks: Wait For Me, Comeback Story.

5. Songs From St. Somewhere - Jimmy Buffet: Okay, at this point the 66-year-old Mayor of Margaritaville isn't going to win any awards for songwriting or originality, but if you're a fan of laid-back, sun-kissed, smile-inducing tunes that brush away your troubles and go great with a Mai Tai and a plate of fish tacos on a Saturday night, then you can't go wrong with this solid 16-track collection. Favorite Tracks: Somethin' 'Bout A Boat, Oldest Surfer On The Beach.


Dec. 20: Top 5 Blu-rays of 2013