Fav of 2014

1. Guardians of the Galaxy.

 I wasn't the most up on the comic this time around however i have gone back and quite enjoy them. This film is the modern Star Wars, this is a film that has everything i love about film. It is quoteable, it is fun as all hell, the characters are perfect, it moves along at a great pace, plus it is an inspiration for those of us that have submitted work to Tromadance as Troma alumni James Gunn directed this!

2. Grand Budapest Hotel
It is no secret i love Wes Anderson, i think this film is his most unhinged and straight up WESque!

3. Snowpiercer
What a kick ass flick this is, from the Director of the Host, the South Korean kaiju flick not the Stephanie Meyer movie, it feels like a lost John Carpenter film, with fight scenes that rival Oldboy!

4. John Wick:

Now this is a kick ass flick, steal a mans car, fuck you, kill a mans dog, bitch gonna get your ass shot up....for almost 2 hours. This is the funnest action film since Shoot Em Up!

5. The Guest

A week ago i wouldn't have expected this to be on my lop 20, but upon thinking about it for a few days, holy hell what an awesome flick. If the film was a character study it would have worked but take said character and put him in a thriller with John Carpenter esque music, Fucking A. 

6. The Purge Anarchy.

Okay, okay, the first one i didn't care for much, i wanted for of the Purge and not a home invasion flick, this one didn't full on give us the Purge but gave us a Escape From NY/Warriors vibe. Frank Grillo is a star to watch, a veteran in the industry but with this and Cap 2, he kicked our asses

7. Birdman
2014's Guardians is to 2010's Scott Pilgrim as 2014's Birdman is to 2010's Black Swan, this is the best film of the year. This film is the best at everything, Keaton is the best actor, Norton is the best supporting actor, Stone is the best supporting actress, it is the best directed, written, edited, scored, shot, sound mixed film of the year for my money.

8. Chef
Finally a film that is made for foodies that is both a great film & an entertaining film. I really wish Jon Favreau would do more small films like this, but he is doing the Jungle Book so i will not complain.

9. Horns

This is another film i was surprised by, i was expecting much but wound up loving it, it a horror/fairy tale version of Gone Girl.

10. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

I was underwhelmed by the first one upon my initial viewing but it grew on me, the sequel just looked fantastic and that it was. It was by no means the same as the first, hell it bent the genre and was possibly the best crafted Marvel film outside of Guardians and the third Iron Man.

11. Boyhood

A film like no other, 12 plus years in the making, a film like this might never be attempted again. Great acting from Ethan Hawke & Patricia Arquette, plus a breakout for the film's star Ellar Coltrane. The journey of adolescence, maturity & heartbreak for everyone is the driving force!

12. Dead Snow 2

Much like the Purge i was not big on the first one, i thought it underused both the zombies & the nazi angle, this one had better humor than the first and better effects as well. Plus it has Martin Starr, put him in anything and i'll love it....well maybe not but still!

13 22 Jump Street

There is no reason this franchise should be this damn good, this one was even better than the first, so damn meta and it works, it knows what it is, and those end credits, holy hell!

14. Nightcrawler
Jake Gyllenhaal delivers one of the best performances of the year, only behind Keaton is Birdman. This film surprised the fuck out of me, i thought it would be solid but the acting alone makes it that much better, add in the tension the film builds and the overall creepy factor this became a great film.

15, X Men Days of Future Past
I love the X Men films, and up until Guardians i think it would be safe to call this my favorite franchise based upon a Marvel comic. The latest entry is my favorite of the bunch, and contains one of my favorite scenes of the year, Quicksilver/Time in a Bottle. I wish there was more Magneto since i love the character but what we got was a kick ass flick with great bits of humor!

16. They Came Together
I love David Wain, i think this is his funniest film since Wet Hot American Summer, some may disagree but the humor in the film is right up my alley.

17. Edge OF Tomorrow
This is how a blockbuster should be, fun, not too long and kick ass.

18. Neighbors

I was not expecting much from this film but Zac Efron, Dave Franco 7 Christopher Mintz-Plasse are all great as a bunch of douches, Seth Rogen as usual is awesome plus my lovely Rose Byrne carries her role greatly 

19. Tusk

Kevin Smith attempting to do a weird body horror film, pft, i'll see, and saw i did, and it actually was a pretty creepy flick, some images i found gross, and i loved that Smith directed this, i made me re fall in love with his work.

20. The Interview

Yep, a film i thought looked like a mess is on my list, i backed it once controversy began, and i am glad, and i found this film hilarious!

21.  Whiplash

JK Simmons delivers one of the most intense performances i have seen in sometime here, Miles Teller came into his own with this, both are phenomenal in their roles of friends/foes.

22. Inherent Vice
PT Anderson delivered his most mind fuckish film yet, not in a surreal way but in a i have to rewatch this to catch shit i missed sort of way. It is not the Big Lebowski as many claimed but it is a brilliant film!

23. Big Hero 6
Marvel's first non MCU film done by Disney. I am not knowledgeable on this comic but from what i have read it is loosely based, either way i don't care this was one of the most fun flicks of the year..

24. The Rover

Australian apocalyptic road film? That is all that needs to be said, but this film is pretty balls to the wall, and Robert Patinson is pretty awesome in this! 

25. Gone Girl

David Fincher's latest is his best since Zodiac, maybe even Fight CLub, this is a film you can not speak about with out spoilers.