Best of 2015: Films

Here are my top 10 films of 2015. Dare I say it, it’s been a relatively slow year for film, but we have had some pretty darn good ones.

10. Amy (IMDb)

Amy is an interesting perspective into the life of Amy Winehouse who passed in 2011 as a result of alcohol poisoning. It’s a documentary that simply cannot be missed, it’s heartbreaking and incredibly moving while highlighting the highs and lows of Winehouse’s life (and subsequent death). It’s an honest look into the life of a celebrity and one that cannot be looked over.

9. Jurassic World (IMDb)

The visuals for Jurassic World are a stand-out here, likewise with Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas-Howard’s performances in the movie. The general nostalgia is perhaps lessened which works in it’s favour as it provides a more sophisticated and developed perspective on the ‘Jurassic’ movie series. 

8. Big Hero 6 (IMDb)

Big Hero 6 arrived in the UK quite late, at the very start of 2015, two months after it’s US release. The heavy influence of culture in the film is awe-inspiring, and seeing the relationship between Hiro and Baymax develop was particularly heart-warming also. The action in the film is particularly fun as well, especially with it’s source material being Marvel, the villain is compromising and intriguing, and the main characters are compelling and loving.

7. The Martian (IMDb)

Apart from a STELLAR soundtrack (ABBA, David Bowie, Gloria Gaynor, and Donna Summer), The Martian, starring Matt Damon, Kristen Wiig and Jessica Chastain, is a genuinely entertaining and thrilling movie with grounded emotion that provides a sense of humanity when so often this is lost in a film like this. The visual effects are particularly worthy of praise, also, it’s simply an awe-inspiring movie.

6. Inside Out (IMDb)

This was my most highly anticipated animated movie of 2015, I found the concept of a Pixar/Disney film about what goes on inside the mind fascinating and knew it would be a success (considering Pixar has made films about Cars, robots, and bugs). Being one of the more conceptually ambitious movies in this list, the animation and storyline is likewise ambitious which boosts the quality of the film in a delicate and simply superb manner.

4. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (IMDb)

Having read the book, I was most excited for the film. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is charming and beautifully articulated to feel personal and charming while touching on the heart-wrenching story of cancer without being too focused on the dramatics and solemnity, bringing in some light-heartedness and comedic value. 

5. Ant-Man (IMDb)

While Age of Ultron was fine (and grossed a lot more), Ant-Man was the true MVP for Marvel Movies in 2015. The visual content was superb, and the use of ordinary household objects to emphasise ‘size’ in the film is admirable, perhaps even more so when Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) first puts the costume on and shrinks down in a bathtub. Furthermore, the storyline is entertaining and fitting for a ‘smaller’ Marvel movie, likewise the characters and comedic value of the film boosts it to one of Marvel’s best.

3. Brooklyn (IMDb)

Seeing Felicity Smoak speak in an Irish accent was a bit of a culture shock, however this was rectified by such an amazing film. Saoirse Ronan’s perfomance is simply outstanding in Brooklyn, as is the supporting cast with the likes of Domhnall Gleeson and Julie Walters. The production on Brooklyn is also worth praise, which easily guides the movie and makes it flow effortlessly. 

2. The Theory of Everything (IMDb)

The Theory of Everything was released on the 2nd of January here in the United Kingdom, so it applies to this list, which is fortunate because it is a superb film. Eddie Redmayne is one of my favourite people, and his portrayal as Stephen Hawking was awe-inspiring and moving, as was Felicity Jones as Jane Hawking. The Theory of Everything is carefully articulated and portrays Hawking’s story in such a heart-warming and tender way.

Honourable mentions

Avengers: Age of Ultron, Creed, Mad Max: Fury Road, Carol, Bridge of Spies, Dope.

1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (IMDb)

I saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens on the 21st December with some friends and I fell in love. I smiled throughout the entire movie (apart from a few moments but no spoilers), I thoroughly enjoyed the cinematography and direction J. J. Abrams took with the film, which resonated a lot stylistically with the original Star Wars trilogy. BB-8 lives up to the hype, being the wonderful droid we expected, and more. Unfortunately, I didn’t go into this blind as it had been spoiled for me on Twitter whilst I was reading the replies on a BBC Breaking News tweet (a lack of connection between the two but some people just want to watch the world burn) so I didn’t have the anticipation because I was aware of what would happen. However, even if you’re aware of the story, it’s still a fantastic film and engages you no matter what, with old and new coming together to bring Star Wars back to life. 

RANKING MARVEL PHASE 2

Hello! So, we’ve just concluded the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s second phase with Ant-Man, and we’re set to begin phase three with Captain America: Serpent Society  Civil War, which will end with Inhumans, following the two part Infinity War and solo movies for Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel and Black Panther. I recently posted my MCU phase four predictions, check it out here. We began phase two with the unfortunately popular Iron Man 3, continued with Thor: The Dark World which saw Jane Foster go all magic and cray cray on us, we then got the huge Captain America: The Winter Soldier, only for that to be followed by yet an even bigger Guardians of the Galaxy, we were then introduced to Quicksilver (sob), Scarlet Witch and Vision in Avengers: Age of Ultron, and concluded with Ant-Man and were introduced to Wasp too, but more on that in my next blog post.

6. Iron Man 3

I mean, the best part of the movie wasn’t any of the Tony Stark scenes, it was Pepper Potts going all badass on us. The film essentially screwed up Mandarin, this is one of those films I don’t really talk about, much like Iron Man 2 and The Incredible Hulk. BUT YOU GO PEPPER YOU GO. 

5. Thor: The Dark World

I actually quite liked this movie, I liked what they did with Jane Foster, as well as what they did with Loki towards the end. It just doesn’t really stand out though, not in the grand scheme of things. Phase two had some really brilliant movies, and I guess you can’t expect every movie in the phase to be just as good as each other. 

4. Avengers: Age of Ultron

Now, I was a bit disappointed because both CA:WS and Guardians before AoU were amazingly good, but the film is pretty darn good. Vision and Scarlet Witch have instantly become favourites of mine, We didn’t see much of Thor in the movie, he was busy building up to Ragnarok, which I was actually okay with. The villain was cool, and the focus on Hawkeye and Black Widow was even better, however the backlash against the Black Widow development kind of killed it for me because it was so unnecessary and overwhelming. 😦

3. Ant-Man

Paul Rudd makes a surprisingly awesome superhero, and the supporting cast completely made the film. While the production for this film was troubled and complicated, the end result was comedic, inspiring and actually quite moving (Scott and Cassie). Peggy Carter’s surprise appearance at the beginning was awesome, and a great way to connect the film to the MCU from the off-start, as well as a nod towards a soon-to=be MCU hero that’s a web-swinger or something.

2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

This was a difficult choice, because it deserves the top spot so much. The use of Black Widow was great, Falcon had a great introduction, and Bucky Barnes was a fantastic villain. This film redefined the superhero genre by not being an overt superhero movie, it was so much more than just a Marvel movie with a strong super, it was a thriller, it was a drama, it had the occasional comedy, it was a spy movie, and that’s why it completely deserved the critical acclaim that it received. 

1. Guardians of the Galaxy 

A truly eye-catching, visually stunning, cinematic masterpiece, Guardians of the Galaxy plays on the unexpected hero (as does every other film), but in a conventionally challenging way that blends surprisingly well with the Marvel universe. The villains are just as important, with Karen Gillan having a standout performance as Nebula, much different to her days as Amy Pond in Doctor Who. I teared up watching this film, seriously, because the cinematography inspired me and was simply so beautifully done that it really completes the film. 

That’s all for now, check back on the 10th September for my predictions for the fifth phase of the MCU. 

Byeeeeeeeeeeee

TotallyCulture

MARVEL & DC TEAM-UPS

Hello! Today I’m writing about Marvel and DC, more specifically Marvel and DC characters teaming up together and FIGHTING THE BAD GUYS WOOOAHHH.

 

I previously did a blog post about Marvel VS DC, pitting two characters, one of each, against each other to see who’d win. Check that out here. MARVEL VS DC CROSSOVER

Anyway, let’s get started. (Warning: I really wasn’t that great at coming up with team names)

1. Spider-man, Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Superman and Wolverine as… THE FRONTRUNNERS

Basically, as the appalling team name may suggest… These six heroes are a few of the core heroes of Marvel and DC. Just imagine the hard-core battling done between these guys and perhaps a villain team consisting of Doctor Doom, Dr Octopus, Magneto, Harley Quinn, The Joker and Lex Luthor.

2. Ant Man, The Wasp, Atom and Shrinking Violet as… THE LITTLE ONES (I told you I was bad at thinking of team names)

So little, so tiny, where the heck are they? I kid of course. I’m hilarious I know, please… stop applauding. Imagine a superhero team consisting of, well, four tiny people. It would actually work quite well.

3. Black Panther, Iron Man, Green Arrow and Batman as… THE M TEAM (No seriously stop laughing at these team names)

Imagine all the cool gadgets and super cool technology, just a few rich guys beating up some bad guys. All the equal opportunities. 

4.  Kid Flash, H.E.R.B.I.E, Robin (Carrie Kelley)  and Lockheed as… THE SIDEKICKS (Again, don’t judge)

This is something I’d like to see, the sidekicks come up and be the main heroes (despite the team name, oh my). Carrie Kelley is actually super cool, and with her rumoured appearance in Batman V Superman (although I truly doubt it’s truth), I’d see her as the frontrunner of the team. The others, they’re super awesomely cool as well.

5. Scarlet Witch, Zatanna, Magik and Raven as… THE MAGICEISHAS (I’m rather proud of this team name actually)

This would be one badass all-female magical superhero team, THIS NEEDS TO HAPPEN. NEEDS TO. Scarlet Witch is cray cray as the kids say, Zatanna is equally as cray, Magik is just cool and Raven is epic. ALL DA MAGIC.

6. Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan), Miss America (America Chavez), Supergirl, Wiccan, Miss Martian and Robin (Tim Drake) as… THE YOUTHFUL SIX

I’m a huge fan of America Chavez and Kamala Khan, so I could perhaps see them as the leaders of this group. However, Supergirl and Robin are huge presences in not only the DC universe, but also in the general superhero universe. Ask anybody, and they’ll know who Supergirl and Robin are. So they would perhaps be the frontrunners as well. This team would be fantastic because it’s a bunch of young people proving themselves and truly making a difference and saving the world. Yolo, as the kids say.

 

That’s all for now.

 

See you next time for My July Soundtrack featuring Jack Garrett, Galantis, Sigma and Florence + The Machine.  

 

BYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

 

TotallyCulture

I’M BACK WITH A RANT AND SOME GEEKY GOODNESS

Before I start, here are a few pictures to create some hype.

Hello! Yes, I’m back. Bit of a change around here, Geek Culture and Me is now Totally Geek. I thought I’d change it around and has a hypothetical ‘rebranding’ of the blog. I noticed that I was writing more about things that weren’t essentially ‘geeky’, don’t fret – I’ll still be doing some super crazy posts about all things geeky, like Suicide Squad (HOW COOL DO MARGOT ROBBIE AND JARED LETO LOOK AS HARLEY QUINN AND THE JOKER WOAH) and Doctor Who (MAISIE WILLIAMS IN DOCTOR WHO WHAT WHAT WHAT). Basically, I’ve been away for a few months to focus on my exams, and this morning I finished my last exam Sociology (I had two Sociology exams, and just for reference I also took English Lit and Media). It seems that actually I have missed blogging, just because it’s a place for me to be myself in what seems to be a really idealised, constructed society (lol jk I’m just introverted). My gap year has begun, and with this comes more blog posts, some exciting prospects, and some fun travelling (as well as re-applying to University because I withdrew my application).

DISCLAIMER: FEEL FREE TO SKIP THIS WHOLE MASSIVE PARAGRAPH BECAUSE IT’S SIMPLY ABOUT HOW WE SHOULDN’T BE LABELLED IN SOCIETY AND HOW MUCH I SUPPORT FEMINSIM

Anyway, during the ‘intense’ revision period which mainly consisted of binge-watching TV shows, my bad, I found myself really immersed into music, I found that my guilty pleasures won’t really guilty pleasures, they were perhaps just pleasures. I must admit, and it is sad for me to do so, but I feel that there is a kind of social consensus that a (excuse me for being controversial here) white, straight, 17 year old cannot listen to certaint types of music without being laughed at. I mean, heck, screw that. If I want to listen to Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, or listen to Hillsong and songs from musicals, I’m going to do that because we shouldn’t let ourselves be defined by what seems to be this concept of ‘you’re not a man if you don’t behave like a man’, perhaps relating to Tony Porter’s ‘man box’, in which a man is expected to ‘not cry openly or express emotion – except anger’, ‘not express weakness or fear’, ‘be aggressive’, ‘heterosexual’, ‘views women as property/objects’. I find myself in this position, asking why a straight guy can’t listen to a truly respectable artist like Beyoncé, in the fear of being called ‘gay’, why is there this preconception that a straight guy cannot listen to music? I am comfortable enough in my sexuality to be myself and admit that sometimes, I like to listen to the Les Misérables soundtrack, but also admit that sometimes I like to watch action films and be immersed in the oh so ‘manly’ culture. When/If I marry in the very far future, I truly hope that my wife appreciates a quick dance to Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off like I do, there’s nothing wrong with being yourself and the fact that people’s association with such forms of entertainment being negative saddens me, even when reflecting on personal experience. I’ve noticed that with celebrity males, being straight and listening to Beyoncé etc is perfectly fine, however being an ordinary male, being straight and listening to Beyoncé results in people sniggering at you and thinking ‘is he sure?’. That’s sad, that’s depressing. Our society takes pride in taking interest in other people’s personal lives, and with this new wave of feminism that I totally support, which again is a kind of taboo with straight men (I know of only three other friends of mine who can openly admit they support feminism without the fear of being called ‘gay’), it still seems like there’s a division in gender, and a division in character. I believe in a future where a straight male like myself can listen to certain music without being laughed at because it’s ‘gay’ and ‘feminine’, I believe in a future where a straight woman gets a short haircut without being labelled a ‘lesbian’. I believe in a future where genders are treated equally, and we don’t have to hide behind a false mask in order to avoid being falsely labelled, because there is absolutely nothing wrong with being labelled as ‘gay’, ‘feminine’, ‘lesbian’ or ‘butch’, but it would be just as nice to be labelled as something true, to be labelled as ourselves. Self-identification is the future, not peer-identification. 

Anyway, rant over. I thought I’d continue with some fanboyish moments. 

How great was Avengers: Age of Ultron? I got to see it with a group of good friends for free because one of them worked at the cinema, and I found myself so involved in the film. So good! How great is Elizabeth Olsen as Scarlet Witch? Why did REVLISKCIUQ (SPOILERS read that backwards, unless you want to avoid spoilers) have to die?!?!?!?! The Vision is my new idol. 

Suicide Squad set pictures are fantastic, and the fan-art is just as good. How cool is this fan-art of Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, it’s absolutely poster worthy! Interestingly, no set photos of Cara Dele-whatshername apart from the odd rare (one of her fully covered to avoid costume leak). I’m starting to wonder just what role The Enchantress will play in the DCU film. I think I’m more excited about Suicide Squad than Ant-Man and Batman V Superman, not really too hyped about such films like Gambit though, you get me? 

ANYWAY

In the next few days/weeks, I’ll be back in full force, posting reviews on the new Florence album, doing top 10 lists of live performances and songs from musicals but to name a few. I look forward to start blogging again. It’s fairly exciting! 

Thanks for reading, be sure to check out all my fancy little social media sites. Feel free to subscribe by email to be notified whenever a new blog post comes out! 

1. http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/movies/margot-robbie-transforms-into-harley-quinn-on-suicide-squad-set/story-fnk850z8-1227335016271

2. http://www.zap2it.com/blogs/ant-man_avengers_poster_tv_spot-2015-06

3. http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/doctor-who-spoiler-watch-game-5633767

4. http://www.slashfilm.com/avengers-age-of-ultron-trailer-3/

5. http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/JoshWildingNewsAndReviews/news/?a=120122