Movie reviews two years on, a look back

Here we are, two years after starting this blog. A lot has changed, especially if you look at the first several entries where the reviews are pretty short, not very complete, it seemed like I was trying to race to the end. I think the reviews are more insightful (I know, pretty egotistical) and informative, maybe even funny and more coherent. Except of course, when they are not, which is usually because I've just finished a movie marathon or just watched a crappy movie because it was on THE LIST. Yes, the list. The original premise of the blog was to write about all of the Oscar winning movies throughout history, every aware, whether it was for hair and makeup, effects, sound or best movie. This has led me to some great movies, and some movies that I didn't ever really need to see. You take the good with the bad, I guess. I have since added to my list to include the American Film Institute's 100 Best Films and the films on the national film registry, as well as almost any other new films I may see because you never know what might be nominated (Bad Grandpa for example). I have also written about different television series (as I feel like it), books, concerts and I guess whatever seems important to me at the time. I still enjoy writing and I like the challenge of writing when I don't feel like it. It's worth it when someone says they really liked the review or that they want to see the movie or try the music I wrote about. It's quite a heady experience. I've even started posting the reviews on Twitter (@tbacker2013), which can be quite a rush when someone responds or re-tweets the reviews.

One of my 'accomplishments' of 2013/2014 was seeing almost every single nominee for 2013 before the awards. It helped when I was trying to provide commentary to the Oscars. If you haven't seen some of the films, I totally recommend Nebraska (a great cast and a story most of us can relate to), Dallas Buyers Club (strong performances by Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto), any of the documentary shorts if you can find them, especially The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life). I hope I am as fortunate this year to see a lot of the nominees in time for the awards in 2015; time will tell.

I still get asked about my favorite movies, which is so hard to answer. It depends. It depends on the genre, it depends on how I'm feeling. Do I have to have a favorite? I can make all kinds of recommendations to fit your mood, attention span, preferences. Documentaries are still my favorite genre (I have funded several on Kickstarter) as well as foreign films, oh and super hero movies. That's kind of a weird mix, I suppose. I prefer seeing movies alone, but it's not a requirement. Some movies are funnier in a theater with a lot of people and friends. I remember seeing Bridesmaids (which was nominated for two Academy Awards) with two very good friends in a packed theater and laughing with an audience. It was hilarious. I have watched Bridesmaids at home, alone, a couple of times, and it's funny, but not as funny as that first time. I also experienced a micro-cinema, the Trylon theater in Minneapolis.

Before I get back to reviewing movies on the list, here are some movies from 2014 that you should check out: Maleficent, Life Itself, Guardians of the Galaxy and Enough Said (released in 2013, but it's on DVD now and it's very good).

I look forward to another year of movies, music and books.