2013 Films and Me

This may not look like anything that has to do with the films that were released in 2013 - but its a tiny bottle of olive oil and vinegar that came with my meal on a plane where I watched "Monsters University" - a 2013 film, but not one I saw in the theater. Below is a list of the ones I saw in the cinema:

"Oz, the Great and Powerful"
"The Incredible Burt Wonderstone"
"Jurassic Park 3D"
"42"
"Thor: The Dark World"
"Nebraska"
"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"
"August: Osage County"

Eight films, which is actually about my average. I'm surprised I saw that many, what with planning a wedding, but the last four were seen after our honeymoon anyway. My favorite film this year? Besides the easy answer of "Jurassic Park", which really counts more as my favorite film of 1993? Probably "Nebraska".

"Oz" was just ... okay. It was mostly predictable, often times confusing, other times just boring. How often do we have to remind Hollywood that just because they can make things with fancy effects, it doesn't take the place of the story? Also, I really don't like Rachel Weisz, because of "The Shape of Things."

"The Incredible Burt Wonderstone" was one we'd been meaning to see in the regular theater, because my husband likes Jim Carrey, but it just never happened, so we saw it in the second-run theater not far from our house. I don't really see why it bombed, I found it rather enjoyable.

The 3D that "Jurassic Park" displayed this go 'round wasn't actually spectacular at all - but it was great to see it on the big screen again, and I found that the movie really holds up after all this time. You can't say that about most twenty year-old films.

"42" was another one that we'd meant to see before it hit the second-run theater, but that's where we saw it. For me, it was about Harrison Ford with this film, although I am interested in both history and baseball. I enjoyed it for sure.

"Thor: The Dark World" was the first movie that I saw at iPic, a fancy movie theater in Pasadena with recliners for seats. We went for my husbands birthday, and it was the only film currently playing that he, me, his sister and her fiance were interested in seeing. I didn't see the first one, but I did see "The Avengers." It was pretty funny.

"Nebraska" - I had no idea what this film was about, just that Will Forte was in it not being a comedian. I was pleasantly surprised. I like "Sideways," another of Alexander Payne's films, but I hadn't seen any of his other work. What made this my favorite film of the year? Its subtly. Its humor. Its not being afraid to go for the cheese sometimes.

"The Hobbit" 2, as it were, was again viewed at the iPic. This viewing was quite different from when I saw the first of the trilogy last year, in my husband's small hometown on a screen not much larger than what most people in LA have at home. This time, though, I was much closer to the action, as we were in the front row (which isn't so bad in this fancy movie theater). Man, this film was crazy long, though. Fun and full of action, but super-duper long.

"August: Osage County" - I had no idea it was a play, I'd never heard of it. I knew vaguely who was in it, but I didn't know what it was about. As it turned out, it was my least liked movie of the year. Everyone overacts. The drama is over the top. I spent a lot of time rolling my eyes at this film.

Anywho, overall, a good year. It'd be nice to get to more this year, but we'll just have to wait and see. I'm definitely watching a lot of films at home this year. So far we've watched "Super Troopers" (been sitting on the DVR since 2012), "American Hustle" (screener) and "Swing Time" (part of my effort with friends to watch all the AFI list movies).