Top 10 of 2014

[Boner M]

Midway into the year and no thread? Hmm. Anyway, by the ol' US dates:

1. Stray Dogs
2. Under the Skin
3. Boyhood
4. Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter
5. Ida
6. Manakamana
7. Soft in the Head
8. Norte, the End of History
9. Only Lovers Left Alive
10. Closed Curtain

RU: We Are the Best!, The Missing Picture, Stranger by the Lake

[Stay Puft]

Hmmm.

1. We are the Best!
2. Only Lovers Left Alive
3. X-Men: Days of Future Past
4. Stranger by the Lake
5. The Raid 2
6. The Grand Budapest Hotel
7. The Immigrant
8. The Unknown Known
9. Ida
10. Jodorowsky's Dune

I guess.

[baby doll]

Masterpieces
Boyhood (Richard Linklater)
Force Majeure (Ruben Östlund)
The Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson)

Must Sees
Adieu au langage (Jean-Luc Godard)
The Boxtrolls (Graham Annable / Anthony Stacchi)
Gone Girl (David Fincher)
Ida (Pawel Pawlikowski)
Locke (Steven Knight)
Night Moves (Kelly Reichardt)
Only Lovers Left Alive (Jim Jarmusch)
Under the Skin (Jonathan Glazer)
Zero Motivation (Talya Lavie)

Worth Seeing
Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa (Declan Lowney)
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (Alejandro G. Iñárritu)
Fading Gigolo (John Turturro)
Gloria (Sebastián Lelio)
Heli (Amat Escalante)
The Homesman (Tommy Lee Jones)
L'Image maquante (Rithy Pahn)
The Immigrant (James Gray)
L'Inconnu du lac (Alain Guiraudie)
The Lego Movie (Phil Lord / Chris Miller)
A Letter to Momo (Hiroyuki Okiura)
The Lunchbox (Ritesh Batra)
Magic in the Moonlight (Woody Allen)
Snowpiercer (Bong Joon-ho)
Winter Sleep (Nuri Bilge Ceylan)

Has Redeeming Facet
Begin Again (John Carney)
Calvary (John Michael McDonagh)
Child's Pose (Calin Peter Netzer)
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (Matt Reeves)
Dormant Beauty (Marco Bellocchio)
Enemy (Denis Villeneuve)
Gebo et l'ombre (Manoel de Oliveira)
Guity of Romance (Sion Sono)
Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons (Stephen Chow / Derek Kwok)
Me and You (Bernardo Bertolucci)
Moebius (Kim Ki-duk)
Still Alice (Richard Glatzer / Wash Westmoreland)
Transcendence (Wally Pfister)
The Way He Looks (Daniel Ribeiro)

Worthless
The Golden Age (Ann Hui)

[ledfloyd]

1. Under the Skin
2. The Immigrant
3. The Grand Budapest Hotel
4. Only Lovers Left Alive
5. The Unknown Known
6. Mistaken for Strangers
7. The Wind Rises
8. The Lego Movie
9. Snowpiercer
10. Joe

There is a gap between Snowpiercer and Joe, quality-wise. Still a bunch of stuff I didn't get to see. Manakamana, Palo Alto, Night Moves, We Are the Best!, etc.

[Izzy Black]

General release premiere (non-festival dates).

1. Under the Skin (Jonathan Glazer)
2. Ida (Pawel Pawlikowski)
3. Belle (Amma Asante)
4. Nymphomaniac Vol. 1 (Lars von Trier)
5. The Invisible Woman (Ralph Fiennes)

[Ivan Drago]

1. Under The Skin
2. The Immigrant
3. Nymphomaniac
4. The LEGO Movie
5. Jodorowsky's Dune
6. Cheap Thrills
7. A Field In England
8. The Dance of Reality
9. X-Men: Days of Future Past
10. Godzilla

[Melville]

Including self-contained tv stories, because why not

1. Nymphomaniac: Vol. I
2. Nymphomaniac: Vol II
3. True Detective
4. The Grand Budapest Hotel
5. X-Men: Days of Future Past
6. Fargo

Only number 1 is likely to still be on the list a year from now.

[Pop Trash]

1. The Immigrant
2. Under the Skin
3. The Grand Budapest Hotel
4. We Are the Best!
5. Only Lovers Left Alive
6. Boyhood
7. Life Itself
8. Jodorowsky's Dune
9. The LEGO Movie
10. Godzilla

[Boner M]

10. Palo Alto (maybe? this needs a rewatch)

Ditto; was caught off guard by how weird it was.

[Rowland]

7. The Wind Rises

Oh wow, I didn't realize this was considered a 2014 US release.

1. The Grand Budapest Hotel
2. The Wind Rises
3. The Immigrant
4. The Raid 2
5. Under the Skin
6. Edge of Tomorrow
7. Enemy
8. Snowpiercer
9. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
10. Noah

I'd nominate Robocop for most underrated release, and the Lord/Miller joints for most overrated. The best match cut belongs to Grand Piano.

[Stay Puft]

Oh wow, I didn't realize this was considered a 2014 US release.

I didn't think it was, either. Pretty sure it was given qualifying runs last year.

[Rowland]

I didn't think it was, either. Pretty sure it was given qualifying runs last year.

Yeah, even though he's technically right about the 2014 release date, the critical community seems to have largely deemed it a 2013 release. If I took it off the list (which I'll probably do with later list updates), the #10 spot could be Cheap Thrills, X-Men: Days of Future Past, or Blue Ruin.

[Raiders]

1. Under the Skin
2. A Field in England
3. The Immigrant
4. The Grand Budapest Hotel
5. Godzilla
6. Snowpiercer
7. The Lego Movie
8. X-Men: Days of Future Past
9. Enemy
10. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
--------------
11. Noah
12. Labor Day
13. Transcendence (worst movie ever?)

Did not finish: Nymphomaniac

Been a very up-and-down year.

[ledfloyd]

The Wind Rises apparently was released in NY and LA in November. The US dub was released this February, which I thought was its initial release.

[ContinentalOp]

1. True Detective
2. Only Lovers Left Alive
3. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
4. The Grand Budapest Hotel
5. Life Itself
6. X-Men: Days of Future Past
7. Cold in July
8. The Raid 2
9. Guardians of the Galaxy
10. Joe

[Stay Puft]

The Wind Rises apparently was released in NY and LA in November. The US dub was released this February, which I thought was its initial release.

Well, I'd be all for including it this year on a technicality. The dub is legit. And hardly anybody saw it last year before the Matchies, including me - and I totally would have nominated it for everything if I had.

[Sxottlan]

At the half way point:

1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier: ****
2. The Grand Budapest Hotel: ***1/2
3. The LEGO Movie: ***1/2
4. Edge of Tomorrow: ***1/2
5. Godzilla (2014): ***1/2
6. Under the Skin: ***
7. Only Lovers Left Alive: ***
8. Noah: ***
9. X-Men: Days of Future Past: ***
10. Pompeii: ***

[Sycophant]

1. The Grand Budapest Hotel
2. Ida
3. They Came Together
4. The German Doctor
5. Obvious Child
6. We Are the Best
7. Like Father, Like Son
8. Cold in July
9. The Lego Movie
10. Locke

I feel like I'm missing something, but what the hell. Also have not verified these are all 2014 US releases and shit.

[Pop Trash]

Ditto; was caught off guard by how weird it was.

I was caught off guard by Frances Ford Fucking Coppola sitting two rows behind me and then Emma Roberts sitting right next to me half way through the movie. Fun times at film festivals. I also missed the train so missed the first ten minutes or so of the film. I sorta liked what I saw even if it seemed practically ghost directed by Gia Coppola's aunt Sofia (and a smattering of Gus Van Sant).

[Boner M]

Been a very up-and-down year.

I think you'd really like Ida.

[eternity]

1. They Came Together (David Wain) *****
2. The Guest (Adam Wingard) **** 1/2
3. Boyhood (Richard Linklater) **** 1/2
4. Only Lovers Left Alive (Jim Jarmusch) ****
5. Palo Alto (Gia Coppola) ****
6. White Bird in a Blizzard (Gregg Araki) ****
7. The Lego Movie (Phil Lord, Chris Miller) ****
8. Bad Words (Jason Bateman) *** 1/2
9. The Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson) *** 1/2
10. Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa (Declan Lowney) *** 1/2

[

Show Spoiler

11. Veronica Mars (Rob Thomas) *** 1/2
12. Cheap Thrills (E.L. Katz) *** 1/2
13. Maleficent (Robert Stromberg) *** 1/2
14. Tusk (Kevin Smith) *** 1/2
15. About Last Night (Steve Pink) *** 1/2
16. The Congress (Ari Folman) ***
17. G.B.F. (Darren Stein) ***
18. Guardians of the Galaxy (James Gunn) ***
19. The Skeleton Twins (Craig Johnson) ***
20. Blue Ruin (Jeremy Saulnier) ***
21. The Wind Rises (Hayao Miyazaki) ***
22. Obvious Child (Gillian Robespierre) ***
23. Nurse 3D (Douglas Aarniokoski) ***
24. Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me (Chiemi Karasawa) ***
25. Life After Beth (Jeff Baena) ***
26. Snowpiercer (Bong Joon-ho) ***
27. All Cheerleaders Die (Lucky McKee, Chris Siverston) ** 1/2
28. Walk of Shame (Steven Brill) ** 1/2
29. 22 Jump Street (Phil Lord, Chris Miller) ** 1/2
30. Draft Day (Ivan Reitman) ** 1/2
31. The Immigrant (James Gray) ** 1/2
32. Noah (Darren Aronofsky) ** 1/2
33. Under the Skin (Jonathan Glazer) **
34. Muppets Most Wanted (James Bobin) **
35. Let's Be Cops (Luke Greenfield) **
36. The Monuments Men (George Clooney) **
37. Mitt (Greg Whiteley) **
38. The Giver (Philip Noyce) * 1/2
39. How to Train Your Dragon 2 (Dean DeBlois) * 1/2
40. Godzilla (Gareth Edwards) * 1/2
41. A Million Ways to Die in the West (Seth MacFarlane) * 1/2
42. Neighbors (Nicholas Stoller) * 1/2
43. Winter's Tale (Akiva Goldsman) *
44. Non-Stop (Jaume Collet-Serra) *
45. That Awkward Moment (Tom Gormican) *
46. Labor Day (Jason Reitman) *
47. Vampire Academy (Mark Waters) 1/2 *

]

[Dukefrukem]

1 Captain America: The Winter Soldier
2 Nymphomaniac: Vol. I
3 The Amazing Spider-Man 2
4 A Million Ways to Die in the West
5 Non-Stop
6 Snowpiercer
7 The Grand Budapest Hotel
8 Godzilla
9 RoboCop
10 The Monuments Men

[

Show Spoiler

11 I, Frankenstien
12 Pompeii
13 3 Days to Kill
14 300: Rise of an Empire

]

[TGM]

1. Guardians of the Galaxy
2. Edge of Tomorrow
3. The Raid 2
4. Only Lovers Left Alive
5. Godzilla
6. X-Men: Days of Future Past
7. Need For Speed
8. If I Stay
9. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
10. Snowpiercer

[

Show Spoiler

11. Jodorowsky's Dune
12. Jersey Boys
13. Boyhood
14. A Most Wanted Man
15. 22 Jump Street
16. Hercules
17. As Above, So Below
18. Neighbors
19. I Origins
20. Transformers: Age of Extinction

21. Noah
22. How to Train Your Dragon 2
23. Transcendence
24. Bad Words
25. A Million Ways to Die in the West
26. The Rover
27. Enemy
28. Locke
29. What If
30. The Amazing Spider-Man 2

31. The Grand Budapest Hotel
32. Dom Hemingway
33. Maleficent
34. Joe
35. Non-Stop
36. Pompeii
37. Devil's Due
38. The Lego Movie
39. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
40. Calvary

41. Let's Be Cops
42. Lucy
43. Third Person
44. Winter's Tale
45. Sabotage
46. RoboCop
47. Magic in the Moonlight
48. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
49. The Fault in Our Stars
50. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

51. I, Frankenstein
52. Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones
53. 300: Rise of an Empire
54. The Expendables 3
55. Video Games: The Movie
56. The Purge: Anarchy
57. Under the Skin
58. The Double
59. The Monuments Men
60. Divergent

61. Brick Mansions

]

[Peng]

1. Only Lovers Left Alive
2. Under the Skin
3. Snowpiercer
4. The Grand Budapest Hotel
5. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
6. The Wind Rises
7. X-Men: Days of Future Past
8. The Lego Movie
9. Moebius
10. Life Itself

[

Show Spoiler

11. Like Father, Like Son
12. Godzilla
13. We Are the Best!
14. The Raid 2
15. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
16. Proxy
17. Le Week-End
18. The Fault in Our Stars
19. Joe
20. Begin Again

21. Neighbors
22. Gloria
23. Noah
24. Enemy
25. Grand Piano
26. Veronica Mars
27. RoboCop
28. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
29. Non-Stop
30. 300: Rise of an Empire

31. Justice League: War
32. A Million Ways to Die in the West
33. That Awkward Moment

]

[Dukefrukem]

1 Captain America: The Winter Soldier
2 Nymphomaniac: Vol. I
3 The Amazing Spider-Man 2
4 A Million Ways to Die in the West
5 Non-Stop
6 Snowpiercer
7 The Grand Budapest Hotel
8 Godzilla
9 RoboCop
10 The Monuments Men

[

Show Spoiler

11 I, Frankenstien
12 Pompeii
13 3 Days to Kill
14 300: Rise of an Empire

]

Bold is new

1 Captain America: The Winter Soldier
2 Nymphomaniac: Vol. I
3 Need for Speed
4 The Amazing Spider-Man 2
5 A Million Ways to Die in the West
6 Non-Stop
7 Noah
8 Snowpiercer
9 The Grand Budapest Hotel
10 Godzilla
[

Show Spoiler

11 RoboCop
12 Transcendence
13 The Monuments Men
14 Sabotage
15 I, Frankenstien
16 Pompeii
17 3 Days to Kill
18 300: Rise of an Empire

]