Movies
It's safe to say, this was an above average year for movies. I can tell because I had such a tough time narrowing down my list to only 10 picks.
That stiff golden boy they call Oscar had his list, so why can't I? That's right film fans, I'm back for another list to count down my favourite flicks from 2013.
It's been a two picture race since last fall between 12 Years a Slave and Gravity. 12 Years a Slave has always been seen as the front runner, but in recent weeks Gravity's popularity has been increasing. The movie with the most nominations, as Gravity has, wins the majority of the time.
I saw The Wolf of Wall Street in early January, a few weeks after its release in a New Jersey multiplex nestled in a dingy strip mall not unlike the one where Jordan Belfort (the Wolf) founds his corrupt brokerage firm. By this time I had already heard the varied reactions of both critics and friends.
Horror films are a dime a dozen and the good ones are becoming increasingly difficult to find. Well, no need to fret over your pillow case of candy. We've found five great ones.
A little over a week ago the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival ended so what better time to ruminate on the good and the bad. And what better way to do so than create a "best and worst" list? (Sure, lists are reductive to the point of absurdity, they force an arbitrary ranking system, I usually come to regret them at some point, etc., etc.
In all the hubbub of the Toronto International Film Festival, sometimes it's easy to forget where you are. Amidst the wall of people crowding the streets, the buzz of foreign languages, and Hollywood celebrities emerging from black SUV's you might be at any major world film festival.
A teenage boy stares at his reflection in a fogged mirror shrouded in darkness. Moments later the same boy watches a train derail off a bridge. Then he is trapped in one of the train's cars as it fills with water. He impotently slams his hands against the ceiling in an attempt to free himself.
There's a reason "critically acclaimed horror film" sounds like a paradox. The genre suffers from poor production values and inept acting. Clichés cling to them like mange on a stray dog. Their success lies in their ability to capitalize on the most primal human instinct: fear of death.
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