Everybody’s Chattin’ + This Week’s Questions on Top 3 films of 2015 so far

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EverybodysChattin

Happy Thursday everyone! Crazy how time flies, we’re already smack dab in the middle of Summer. So some of the biggest Summer movies have been released: Age of Ultron, Mad Max: Fury Road, Tomorrowland and Jurassic World this very weekend. July will give us Terminator Genisys, Antman, Minions and Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation. Hmmm, I don’t know about you but it hasn’t been a stellar year for Summer movies eh? Apart from Fury Road, no big tentpole movie has REALLY impressed me yet.

There are perhaps more smaller/indie movies that made an impression, that’s why I’m excited for tonight’s screening of the Sundance hit Me, Earl and the Dying Girl. [For Twin Cities film fans, check out my FB for an advance screening pass offer]

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Ok, now let’s get to those linky dinky…

Nostra gives us another great ‘Many Faces Of’ post, this time on the versatile & handsome thespian Oscar Isaac 

Speaking of Oscar Isaac, check out Cindy‘s commentary on his and Al Pacino‘s career

Mark finally saw Mad Max: Fury Road and gave an appropriately glowing review

Speaking of which, Jordan gave a high praise to The City of the Lost Children (1995) from his fave directors Jean-Pierre Jeunet

On the flip side, Jay warned us not to bother with Unfinished Business

Wendell went down memory lane and posted about the movie he grew up with, The Last Dragon

Steven started his new Auteurs Series, this time shining the spotlight on Alejandro Gonzales Innaritu – check out the full post on Cinema Axis

Last but not least, Irene reviewed the latest Nicole Kidman + Colin Firth’s collaboration Before I Go to Sleep

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Time for question of the week!

Well, as I mentioned above, I haven’t been all that impressed with most big tent-pole movies that’s been released so far. In fact, if the first five months is any indication, it’s a rather lackluster year for blockbuster movies. I can’t even pick my top 5, let alone 10 as of yet, but I think I can pick three. I’m picking those that I know I want to see again, preferably even later this year. So here goes:

Top3Films2015

  • Cinderella
    I don’t know yet if this will end up in my final top 10 but it’s definitely my fave of this year so far. It was delightful and enjoyable, something I don’t mind rewatching over and over. So yeah I can’t wait to get the Bluray!
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  • Ex Machina
    No doubt this one will make my top 10, maybe even top 5! Masterful work by Alex Garland… stylish, provocative and haunting. Plus it’s got Oscar Isaac in one of his most fun roles to date.
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  • Mad Max: Fury Road
    Well, what else is there to say? Fury Road is awesooooome!! A thrilling, fun ride with plenty of heart. As Mark said in his review, see it on the biggest screen possible. I intend to do so and hopefully this time I can find one with Dolby Atmos!

Let’s hope there’s more gems in store for 2015 and that the best is yet to come!

So what would you top 3 favorite movies of the year so far?
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65 thoughts on “Everybody’s Chattin’ + This Week’s Questions on Top 3 films of 2015 so far”

  1. Yeah 2015 so far has been lackluster, it seems other studios are afraid of Age of Ultron and released crap like Tomorrowland and San Andreas in May. The only big movie I’m looking forward to seeing the rest of summer is Mission: Impossible 5. Terminator Whatever looks just awful to me.

    Not sure if they’ll be on my list of BEST this year but Fury Road and Age of Ultron were quite entertaining.

    Reply

    1. I hope MI5 is at least a lot of fun. Yeah they should just call that Terminator movie Terminator Generic, heh. I hope the best is yet to come for 2015!

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  2. My top three of the year are…

    Crap…I only really liked Girlhood.

    I’ve only seen 4 though, 5 if you count Tom at the Farm (which I saw last year but doesn’t get a US release until later this year).

    1) Girlhood (A+)
    2) Tom at the Farm (B+)
    3) The Water Diviner (B+)
    4) Tomorrowland (B-)
    5) Home (D)

    Ew…

    Reply

    1. Hello Drew! Oh I would’ve included GIRLHOOD too but that’s technically a 2014 film so I’m not counting that for this instance. I might include that on my final top 10 however, as I adore that film!!

      Hmmm, looks like you like Tomorrowland a lot more than me 🙂

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      1. I remember reading your review and having the same issues you have, but I just felt like everything up to that point was so fun. The explanation of everything, though, was truly awful.

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    1. Oh I’ve seen the trailers for both and one of my friends have given me a review of Slow West from Sundance. Yeah I’m keen on seeing both of ’em.

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  6. I’m not sure about top three. Ex Machina and Mad Max are my favs so far. I saw and liked Cinderella too – was actually surprised by how much I liked it. I saw Me and Earl last night and quite enjoyed it too. Still processing it a bit because it’s a real loafer of a movie, which isn’t a criticism, it suits the slacker high school vibe I suppose. But I found it very charming and cant’ wait to hear what you have to say. In fact, I can’t wait to hear what I have to say about it!

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    1. Hi Jay! Glad to hear you like Cinderella too. I was surprised how much I enjoyed that too. I’m hoping I’d love Me and Earl. I’m not usually into High School movies, but something about it intrigues me.

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  7. Excellent post! I haven’t caught everything I’ve wanted to this year so far. But as of right now, my Top Three are:

    1. Ex Machina (this seriously might not change)
    2. It Follows
    3. (tie) Tomorrowland and Cinderella

    I can’t wait to see Me & Earl & The Dying Girl. Loved the novel!

    Reply

  8. 2015 has been super dull in the movie department. Add A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night to your list of rewatches. Also, really looking forward to Me and Earl and the Dying Girl…I keep hearing wonderful things about that movie 🙂

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    1. Hi Courtney! Let’s hope better movies are in store for us this year. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is on Netflix I think, I’ll definitely check it out at some point. ‘Me and Earl and the Dying Girl’ is a good one, very emotional at the end too.

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  9. Hi Ruth! I meant to stop by and catch up earlier this week, but my internet has been acting up. Sorry about that.

    My 3 faves so far would be Fury Road, Far from the Madding Crowd, and Maps to the Stars. 🙂

    Reply

    1. Hello Josh! Hey that’s totally ok man, that means more comment *spam* from you, woo hoo! 😀

      I wish I could include Far from the Madding Crowd on my fave list, but that darn miscasting on Sgt Troy nearly ruined it for me.

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  10. Here’s my 2015 list so far which is quite lackluster.

    Thanks for the link-love.

    I knew Unfinished Business was going to be crap. I’m just sick of seeing Vince Vaughn playing the same old shit.

    Reply

    1. I need to see Going Clear, and that Sinatra doc sounds interesting. I’m also curious to see the Listen To Me Marlon doc on Brando, have you seen it?

      Vaughn REALLY needs to take a step back on his career, he’s becoming a comedic punching bag.

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      1. I heard about that Brando doc. It’s coming to Showtime I think this summer. I want to see it.

        My issues w/ Vaughn isn’t how lazy he is but it’s the fact that even when he tries, it feels forced. I still can’t believe that one of the movies he made recently with Ben Stiller was shot near my house and at my high school of all places. I’m disgusted about it.

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  12. Thanks for the shout out Ruth! 🙂

    My top three would be

    It Follows
    Mad Max
    One Eyed Girl

    still gotta see Ex Machina, I must be the only one who hasn’t seen it yet

    Reply

      1. Yup 🙂 It barely screened here, which was odd as it has won a few fest awards and the screening I saw was packed out. I can’t even find a bloody DVD release date! I guess its one of those darker indie movies that gets lost among the bigger movies. Plus Aussie movies always have a hard time penetrating overseas markets unfortunately. Keep an eye out though, its a good one.

        ONE EYED GIRL [2015]

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  13. Wow…you put high regard to Cinderella…you make me want to watch it. I might watch it soon.

    You know, I don’t watch movies by the year of its release…so far my top 3 are Over The L’Arc~en Ciel (the only movie released in 2015), How to Train Your Dragon 2 and As The Gods Will. I am sure you only know one out of 3 😉

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    1. Hi Nov, well I grew up w/ Disney princess movies so that’s one of the appeal. But Kenneth Branagh did a good job adapting Cinderella. Oh yes I LOVE HTTYD 2!

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  14. I don’t think I’ve seen any new movies yet this year. 🙂 We’re on a tight budget, so the idea of seeing a film really has to rock my world to entice me not to wait until it’s streaming on Netflix.

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    1. Hi Irene! I totally get that. I don’t have cable so I save money on that, I only have Netflix streaming too. Thankfully I get to watch some films for free due to my press credentials.

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  16. Jurassic World (although that could be the hype still settling in), Fast and Furious 7 (stupid, but surprisingly pulse-pounding!), but best of all, It Follows. Film-making at its best. Honourable mention to Big Hero 6.

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    1. Hello Luke! Well you might not like my upcoming review of Jurassic World then 😉 I enjoyed Fast & Furious 7 too, that was a blast! Did you see Fury Road yet?

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      1. Yes. Liked it, although everyone else seems to think it is beyond incredible. For me, it was fun, but when it is only available on DVD, the spectacle will be forgotten and it will just enough action. Maybe. Not going to be on my Top Five list at the end of the year regardless. 😛

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  17. With two-plus-weeks yet to go in “The first half of 2015” (which I bring up only because I hope to see some titles that might factor into my answer), I have to go with CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA, GIRLHOOD, and MAD MAX: FURY ROAD.

    Not sure on the order just yet – went alphabetically here – but all three left me very contemplative after, and only grew in impact the more I thought about them. If at least one of them isn’t still in my top five at year’s end, that will be the sign of a *very good* Q3 and Q4 for 2015…which would be a great thing!

    Other contenders; THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY, EX MACHINA, IT FOLLOWS, KUMIKO THE TREASURE HUNTER, A PIGEON SAT ON A BRANCH REFLECTING ON EXISTENCE, WHILE WE’RE YOUNG, WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, Jury Prize for A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT, which I think most consider a 2014 release.

    …cripes, it’s been a good year so far!

    Reply

    1. Hi Ryan! I LOVE when films made you contemplate about it even days after you saw it. Those three films you mention did exactly that to me. I think in my final top 10 I will include films that were made in 2014 but didn’t get released until this year, so ‘Sils Maria’ and ‘Girlhood’ have a very good chance of being on my list!

      Glad you enjoyed Kumiko too. Saw that at TCFF and it was delightfully surreal and bizarre. I LOVE LOVE What We Do in the Shadows, so I suppose if we include some that were 2014 release it certainly seems like it’s been a spectacular year!

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  18. Fury Road is so far and above everything else I’ve seen this year it’s hard to even remember other films but Kingsman would be number 2 and Cinderella number 3 but knowing my love for Melissa comedies once I see Spy tomorrow it may end up in my top 3

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    1. Hi Sati! Fury Road’s been in lots of people’s top list this year and rightly so. I reviewed SPY earlier this week. If you love Melissa’s style (and I know you like Stath), then you will have a blast with SPY.

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  19. I’ve only seen 4 movies from 2015, and I’m confident none of them will end the year in my top 20: Avengers: Age of Ultron, Furious 7, The Wedding Ringer, and Zombeavers. Nope, not a chance. Thanks for the link!

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  20. My top three films of the year so far, hmm.

    If we’re not including the Oscar class (so no Birdman), I’d go Fury Road, Girlhood and probably just Age of Ultron. But I also really enjoyed It Follows, Ex Machina and Jurassic World.

    Adam.

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    1. Hi Adam! I’m thrilled that you included Girlhood! I only go with those released in 2015 here but in my final top 10 I think I will include some 2014 releases that didn’t make it here until this year, so yeah that WILL make my top 10. I’ve got my review of Jurassic World up shortly 🙂

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  21. I am here for Ex Machina and Fury Road (my review is still in my queue – LOL).
    But my #3 is a film I saw at Sundance – Brooklyn with Saoirse Ronan. It is beautiful. I beleive Fox Searchlight has acquired the rights.

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      1. It’s such an original horror. A real breath of fresh air in a genre filled with very poor films. It’s not really for everyone but I thought it was great. 🙂

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        1. I did hear all kinds of good things about It Follows so I might make an exception about my aversion for horror and watch it at some point 😀

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  23. Table Mutant’s top three choices are hard to argue with. Thanks for the mention Ruth; this was actually the second time I saw Mad Max but it just took me ages to get around to do a review 🙂

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  24. Cool post! I’m also looking forward to Me, Earl & The Dying Girl. Might watch Jurassic World later tonight.

    Haven’t been wowed by many 2015 movies either, but my top 3 would be: Spy, Mad Max and Cinderella (though I wasn’t crazy for the last two).

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    1. Hi Fernando! Hope you enjoy Jurassic World, I do think it has some fun moments though not a stellar movie by any means. Glad you like Spy too, it was hilarious!

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  25. Tom

    Hmmm….tough question to answer even if we’re halfway through 2015! Despite some of the bigger titles also disappointing me somewhat, there’s been a lot to like. My top three as of right now are probably:

    1) Ex Machina

    2) Love & Mercy

    3) What We Do in the Shadows

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    1. Hello Tom! I LOVE LOVE What We Do in the Shadows, I definitely will include that in my final top 10, but technically it’s a 2014 release. I still need to see Love & Mercy!

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  26. abbiosbiston

    This is a tough one for me because I’m in the UK and we get loads of releases a year late. I think I would go for Selma, A Most Violent Year and Mad Max: Fury Road.

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  27. Some interesting choices in your post and in the thread. My 3 favorite films of the year so far are:
    1. World of Tomorrow (short by Don Hertzfeldt)
    2. Mad Max: Fury Road
    3. Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief (documentary)

    Ex-Machina is an impressive technical achievement for sure, just the story and characters didn’t wow me. I liked it, didn’t love it.

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