Andrew: Hello readers! All week we've been posting our predictions for who we think will be nominated for this year's 85th Academy Awards, and this morning the awesome duo of Emma Stone and Seth MacFarlane announced those nominees.
So...how did our predictions fare? Listed below are all of the nominees that were announced today - nominees that are in italics are the movies that we got CORRECT. (And a reminder that we did not predict the short film categories, so those will not be posted below.) BEST PICTURE Beasts of the Southern Wild Silver Linings Playbook Zero Dark Thirty Lincoln Les Miserables Life of Pi Amour Django Unchained Argo BEST DIRECTOR David O. Russell Ang Lee Steven Spielberg Michael Haneke Benh Zeitlin
Andrew: Hello readers! First off, Happy New Year!
Secondly, ymight remember that at two separate points last year we posted articles
called Sarah & Andrew’s Top Ten Lists for 2012 So Far. We posted our first
at the start of July and we posted our second at the start of October (so the
halfway point and three-quarters point of the year). Now that 2012 has come and
gone, it’s time to reveal our final lists that includes films that we saw in the
final quarter of 2012! In those last three months we saw 17 new releases in the
theatre, including a bunch of Oscar contenders.
So here’s the deal – just like the last two times, we
have criteria for our lists: the films included have to be films we’ve actually
seen and reviewed, and they had to be films that were released in theatres for
public consumption in the United States during the 2012 calendar year. This
means that a movie like Zero Dark Thirty, which doesn’t get a wide release in
the USA until January 11th, would qualify because it’s been playing in
cities like New York for a couple of weeks. Again, these are from among all the movies we've seen and reviewed this year, so if a movie isn't on this list, it's possible we just didn't get around to seeing it.
And one last thing: because I personally found that each
of our last two Top Ten Lists were a little lengthy, we’re splitting them up
into two different posts. And at the bottom of each post will be the other’s
BOTTOM five of the year (the post headline kinda gave that away though, didn’t
it?). So check out my personal Top Ten List for 2012 and Sarah’s Bottom Five of
2012 after the jump!
Sarah: Hello movie lovers and Happy New Year! We are so looking forward to the new year and all the great new movies that it has to offer! I gotta say, I'm pretty excited that the world didn't end because we would have seriously missed out on some good ones. So in response to the new year, Andrew and I are going to be looking back a little and bring you each of our favorite films from 2012. There will probably be some overlap but I can guarantee that we liked some movies for very different reasons. Like we did with our two Top Ten List of 2012 So Far, we have some criteria for these lists: the films included have to be films we’ve actually seen and reviewed, and they had to be films that were released in theatres for public consumption in the United States during the 2012 calendar year. If you don't see a movie on this list, you can check it against our Reviews page and it's possible we just didn't see it, so it didn't qualify for our list. At the bottom of my list you'll also be able to find Andrew's Bottom Five of 2012. You'll have to check out his Top Ten list to see what my bottom five were. Okay! I'm going to do my list in the countdown method, after the jump. Here we go...
Andrew: Hello readers! So 2012 is juuuuust over three-quarters of the way
over and so Sarah and I thought it would be a perfect time for us to update our
individual Top Ten lists of the year! As you may recall from our Top Ten list
we made at the beginning of July that covered the first half of the year (which
you can find HERE), we had some similarities between our two lists but also
some noticeable differences. Well this time we’ve seen 27 movies since that
first list and so there are some notable names added to our new lists that have
caused others to fall out.
Again, the only criteria for our lists are: they have to be films
we've actually seen and reviewed and they had to be films that were first
released in theatres for public consumption in the United States in the
year 2012. So with that said, check out our respective lists and let us know
what you think!
SARAH'S TOP TEN LIST OF 2012 (SO FAR!)
1.) The Avengers: This is
still (in my opinion) the best movie of the year. It was just so fun and was everything a superhero movie should have been. The
action paired with a phenomenal cast shot this movie to #1 for many weeks in a
row. This was such a fun movie to go to and it fed into the other Marvel movies
so seamlessly. (Read our 5/5 review)
2.)The Dark Knight Rises: The final installment in
Nolan's Batman series was epic and left us wanting more! I loved Bane, even
though I could have stood to have seen a little more of him. This movie makes
me really wish that in two years we would be seeing a fourth Batman movie
starring Bale! Alas, it is not to be… (Read Sarah's 4.5/5 review)
3.) Prometheus: This
just still goes back to my love of the Alien movies and getting a little more
of that back-story was exciting! While it was
not exactly a "prequel" it was still so cool and had a great cast
that really brought the world that Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley would later
inhabit to life. (Read our 4.5/5 review)
Sarah: Hello readers! Last night Andrew and I, along with our friend Doug, made the a trek up to Framingham, Mass to check out The Dark Knight Rises in true IMAX. (You can find out review of it HERE.) We had gone to see Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol at this particular theatre last year just so we could see the prologue for TDKR, and when it rocked our socks off we knew going back for the whole thing was a must! Now you have already seen the two posts we have done reviewing this movie, but we really think that you should really get out and catch this one on the big screen if you haven't yet! And here are 5 reasons why... 1.) Christopher Nolan and his cinematographer of choice, Wally Pfister, filmed over an hour of TDKR was with an IMAX camera. That's unprecedented in feature film history. And they way that the film transitions between widescreen and the IMAX footage was seamless. Almost the entire final act was shot and shown in IMAX which was awesome because... 2.) You get the full impact of the large-scale shots. The plane crash scene, the full city shots, the Bat flying around, the action scenes...it's all pretty awesome. Nolan specifically shot so much of this movie in IMAX to get the grand scope of these shots and to bring us further into the universe he's built in his trilogy. And it's easy to see why he wanted to. (Andrew's note: "I almost never noticed when the film transitioned between IMAX shots and non-IMAX shots, but every single time the entire screen was taken up my jaw dropped. It's a gorgeous looking movie.") 3.) Details become clearer. If you are one of those movie-goers who loves to pick through the details of a film, then IMAX is the only way to see TDKR. For me personally, I loved that this was a better chance to take a look at all the amazing costumes. For instance, did you notice that the Dr. Crane/Scarecrow's costume actually made him look the part even without his mask. The shoulders of his suit ripped up the way they were was fantastic detail. I loved also how we could really get the nuances of Bane's expressions. His eyes are so powerful in this film so it was so cool to get the feeling that Bane was talking to the audience. (Andrew's note: "This was the third time I've seen TDKR but it was the first time I've noticed how torn up and scarred Bane's arms are when he's not wearing his coat. During his first fight with Batman I couldn't help but keep looking at his arms and wonder what happend to his character to cause those. Thanks to IMAX, I could actually make that detail out.") 4.) The sound is impeccable. I'm not entirely sure it every IMAX theatre has as great a sound sytem as the theatre we were in last night, but I want to say they do. Regardless, the speaker system's in IMAX theatres can only help enhance Hans Zimmer's amazing score and amplify the sound effects in the action sequences. When Bane and Batman are hitting each other with all they've got you FEEL the punches land because of the sound waves. It's awesome. Speaking of feeling the action... 5.) The Jordan's Furniture and IMAX we went to in Massachusetts last night has something no other theatre we've ever been to has: butt-kickers. What are butt-kickers, you ask? Well in every single seat in theatre (which were all Tempur-Pedic seats, too) there is a bass speaker built into the seat. So when the action is going on or the music is rocking, your SEAT is rocking too! It seriously felt like we were in the plane with Bane and his henchmen in the opening scene. It just helped enhance the movie-going experience! So, if you live close to a true IMAX theatre we highly suggest you get there to see this summer blockbuster! Even though it was the second time for me and the third time for Andrew, The Dark Knight Rises did not fail to deliver!
Andrew: Hello readers! Sorry we've
been a little quiet since my review of The Dark Knight Rises on Friday, but
it's still crazy busy at the day job and Sarah just got back from her trip late
Monday. But fear not! We hit up the local multiplex last night to get Sarah
caught up on TDKR and we're ready to get down and dirty with discussing some
finer points of the movie and Nolan's whole Dark Knight Trilogy in general! (MAJOR
SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN TDKR YET!!!!)
SERIOUSLY. IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN TDKR,
STOP READING THIS NOW.
Ok Sarah, the first thing I want to
get your take on, because it's probably the most talked about aspect of the
film, is the ending. It looks like Bruce Wayne has sacrificed himself by flying
the nuclear reactor over Gotham Bay in The Bat and is blown to smithereens. His
estate is given to the city to be used as an orphanage, Alfred gets the money
from his belongings after crying his eyes out at Bruce's funeral, and the city
has erected a statue in Batman's honor. But then Lucius Fox discovers that
Bruce fixed the autopilot on The Bat, Commissioner Gordon finds the Bat Signal
replaced with a new one, Alfred - in a call-back to an earlier scene - sees
Bruce alive and well with Selina Kyle at an Italian cafe, and John Blake
follows some coordinates Bruce left him and discovers the Bat Cave, implying
he'll take up the mantle as the new Batman.
What did YOU think of that ending???
Sarah: Let me start off by saying that
this was an amazing movie. But to answer your question the ending was
phenomenal! I thought the way they wrapped it up was a little quick for my liking.
I found myself going, "But wait, I want more of THAT!!" I loved how
this movie felt a little different from the last two but still fit in well in
the trilogy. The introduction of new characters was well done and they were
perfectly cast.
Here's the thing. The Dark Knight Rises ends and lends
itself to be the right set-up for another one! But Nolan has repeatedly said
that he didn't want to do another one. What's up with that?!
Starring: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some sensuality and language
Run Time: 2 hours, 44 minutes
Synopsis: 8 years after the Joker's chaotic attack and Harvey Dent's death, Gotham is in a state of peace and Bruce Wayne (Bale) has retired the Batman. But a fearsome thug named Bane (Hardy) arrives with plans to destroy the city, bringing Wayne out of retirement. At the same time a cat burglar (Hathaway) is catching Wayne's attention, and a young police officer (Gordon-Levitt) tries to help Batman stop Bane's terror attack.
REVIEW
Andrew: Hello readers! It's just me for this rare occassion. Sarah is away visiting family while I had to stay back for work. Naturally this had to happen when one of the most anticipated films of the year is released, so we can't do a regular review. So instead I will be giving a singular review of Christopher Nolan's final entry in his Dark Knight Trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises. I'm going to do my best to not spoil anything. When Sarah returns we'll go more in-depth into discussion points on spoilerish things, but for now I'll give my general thoughts on the movie.
In short, as I tweeted on the Two Tickets For... Twitter account (@twoticketsfor) not too long after getting out of the theatre, "Wow. Just.....wow." Of the many things that made say "wow" is just the sheer scope of it all. Nolan certainly went big here: the settings, the action pieces, the plot-lines, the villain. If someone at Warner Bros. told Nolan to go big or go home, he took the first option and ran with it.
I've read many reviews for The Dark Knight Rises so far and a few of them have pointed out that they felt there was TOO much going on. I don't disagree with that sentiment but I don't fully agree with it either. I can see where some moviegoers might feel like the first hour of the film is heavy on exposition and there's the potential for a lot of information overload. It didn't bother me, but with all the following stuff I can understand if others thought so.
Andrew: Hello readers! So it's been a little bit since we did a
weekly preview, because Sarah and I have been pretty busy with our days jobs,
but we figured we absolutely needed to do one this week for a couple of
reasons.
For one, Sarah's going to be visiting some
family out-of-state this weekend, and she flies out tomorrow, so we couldn't do
it any later than today. And secondly, even though there's only one big release
coming out this week, it's a DOOZY and I think we all know which one we're
talking about.
Of course, we mean the final act in
Christopher Nolan's epic Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight
Rises.
Sarah, we're both obviously looking forward to
this film very much (just like most of the world). But what I want to know
right off the bat is what specifically you're looking forward to about it the most?
Sarah: The thing I am most looking forward to most is getting some
questions answered! Where has Batman been? What has he been doing? Do the
people of Gotham really think he is the bad guy? Who is this new love
interest? Is Catwoman gonna kick some ass? And WHAT does Joseph Gordon-Levitt have to do with the storyline!
So many questions and I still have to wait
three days to see it in Virginia!
A:Those are some damn good questions, and I share a lot
of them with you. Yeah, I want to know what JGL's role is. I know he's a young
police officer under the guidance of Gary Oldman's Commissioner Gordon, but why
is he in this film? A similar question can be asked for Marion Cotillard’s
Miranda Tate. There’s been a lot of rumors that her character is Talia al Ghul,
the daughter of Liam Neeson’s Ra’s al Ghul from Batman Begins.
And I too would like to know how Anna Hathaway does as Selina
Kyle/Catwoman, as well as how Tom Hardy does as Bane. These are two of my
favorite current actors and it looks like they're both perfect casting choices
for the roles. But how will they fit in this universe Nolan has created? And
can they even come close to Heath Ledger's legendary turn as the Joker in The
Dark Knight?
S: So
many questions! Here’s another one: do you think people are putting too much
pressure on this one? Do they have expectations that are too high?
A: I am
100% certain that any and all people who see TDKR and have seen TDK
will have extremely high expectations, and possibly ones that are too high for
Nolan's latest to fill. Is that necessarily a bad thing? Not in my mind,
because TDK is an instant classic (thanks in large part to Ledger), so
it's reasonable to think Nolan can make another one just as good.
I mean, I have Nolan's last two films in my personal top ten
because they deserve to be there. I know I have high expectations for TDKR,
especially since we've seen the prologue when we saw Mission: Impossible - Ghost
Protocol in IMAX, but I also know I'll need to critique TDKR
on its own merits. Honestly it'll be tough to do in practice, but it's what
I'll be trying to do.
S: I
think it is interesting yet touching that Nolan has stated that he won't have
Ledger's Joker mentioned in this movie. It makes sense to me because of the
nature of Ledger's death. So in that instance, I really don't think that he
will have too much of a shadow that will be cast. I really think that Tom
Hardy's Bane will be a fantastic addition to the bad guy club.
A: Good
point on what Nolan’s said about the Joker not being mentioned at all. I think
that’s part of the reason Nolan (who co-wrote the story with his brother
Jonathan) set his last film 8 years after the incidents in TDK. Because it’s so long
after the fact, and because Bruce Wayne has become a Howard Hughes-esque
recluse during that time-frame, there’s no need to mention the Joker. Maybe
that’s just something I’m reading into the situation, but it makes sense to me.
S:
Could be! I can’t wait to find out, as this will be an exciting weekend for the
summer blockbuster season! While Andrew will be seeing this movie opening
night, I will have to wait until Saturday! "But how," you may ask,
"are you going to write a dual review!?" Well, readers, we won’t be
doing one immediately. Andrew will post a solo review first thing Friday, and
when I return we’ll do a joint one in full discussion mode.
A: So
be on the lookout for those this weekend! As always, thanks for reading! If you need a quick refresher or just something to get you pumped for the movie to come out, check out the trailer again below!
Andrew: And here's our second trailer for the day! Arguably the most anticipated movie of the year, Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises has had three trailers already, but here's the fourth and final one.
It includes a lot of footage we've already seen, but it also includes some new footage, including Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman getting a couple lines in. Oh yeah, and lots and lots of explosions. I keep getting stoked for this film and I know Sarah is, too. So check out the. new trailer and remember, The Dark Knight Rises comes out one month from tomorrow!
Andrew: Hello readers! While Sarah and I will be working on our weekly preview to post later today, I figured a nice little way to tide us all over would be to share something cool for The Dark Knight Rises that hit the web today.
Posted below are track samplings from the official soundtrack by Hans Zimmer, and I have to admit, I got chills listening to some of them (particularly the last few) and it's managed to heighten my anticipation for the final film in Christopher Nolan's amazing Batman trilogy that comes out on July 20th.
UPDATE: The video we originally had posted has been taken off the Internet by Warner Bros. We apologize for the inconvenience. If and when it reappears we will make sure to post it again. :(
Andrew: I'm going to keep this short and sweet.
Last night at the MTV Movie Awards, Christopher Nolan and the cast of The Dark Knight Rises walked on stage and introduced a new trailer of sorts for what may be this year's most anticipated film.
It has some new footage including different scenes of Bane looking pretty menacing and new shots of how Selina Kyle (a.k.a. Catwoman) will be coming in to play. Check it out below. It's pretty sweet.
The Dark Knight Rises comes out on July 20th and stars Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Marion Cotillard and Joseph-Gordon Levitt.
Andrew: Hello readers! Yes, two posts in one day! It's likely a new record for us, and it's for good reason!
The official website for Christopher Nolan's final entry into his Batman trilogy launched just the other day, and thankfully it also means they've released a new trailer for The Dark Knight Rises - one that is said to be attached to this weekend's The Avengers (read our reivew of that here).
July 20th needs to get here RIGHT NOW because this trailer just makes me even more excited to see TDKR. Check out the trailer below!
