Saturday, September 1, 2018

Matt & Jay Pick the Best Episodes of "Doctor Who"

Jay here.



As San Diego Comic-Con has come and gone, it was exciting to get our first look at the new season of Doctor Who, set to premiere on BBC America this October. As many of you know the most exciting thing about this is the fact that new 13th Doctor is, for the first time, a woman. Jodie Whitaker will bring her own spin on the alien time-traveling adventurer and it is safe to say Matt and I are both very excited for the new direction the show will be taking. Add to that, with the departure of Stephen Moffat and the addition of the new showrunner, Chris Chibnall (BBC's Broadchurch) it is time of great change for one of television's longest running and best-loved series.

With that, Matt and I decided to present our picks for the best episodes of the revived show (2005-present). We both picked our personal top 5 favorite episodes for this list.

Jay's Picks


5. Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead 
Season 4 - Episodes 9 & 10

Dr. River Song - "Your eyes. You're younger than I have ever seen you."

This two-part episode saw the 10th Doctor (David Tennant) and his companion, Donna (Catherine Tate) travel to a gigantic library in the 51st century that has been mysteriously abandoned. Here they meet a group of archaeologists led by the enigmatic Dr. River Song (Alex Kingston) who seems to know the Doctor intimately, even though he has no memory of her. Meanwhile, the group has to figure out what connection a young girl, who communicates to them over an intercom, has with the library. The introduction of River Song is handled fantastically, as she will become a central character for several seasons to come. She is one of my favorite characters and I love the idea of a romantic interest for the Doctor who is living her timeline in the opposite direction from him. This is why he does not recognize her and she has a long history with him. I also have to say that Donna is my favorite companion. Her season with David Tennant is still the high mark of consistency for the entire run of the show.


4. The Eleventh Hour
Season 5 - Episode 1

The Doctor - "You know when grown-ups tell you everything's going to be fine, and you think they're probably lying to make you feel better?
Young Amy - "Yes."
The Doctor - "Everything's going to be fine."

Matt Smith had a tough, tough job to take over for fan-favorite, David Tennant as the 11th Doctor. He managed to quickly calm everyone's fears by giving us a quirky and endearing young Doctor that was brilliant in his own way. Smith came out swinging with this, his very first episode as the Time Lord, and for me, it still his best and set the tone quickly for what a be more whimsical Doctor Who under the leadership of new showrunner, Stephen Moffat. This episode also has a unique way of introducing the Doctor's new companion, Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) as well, having him crash the TARDIS in her backyard when she was a child. The Doctor spends time with the his new young friend, inspecting the mysterious crack in her bedroom wall and discovering his newfound love of fish sticks and custard. The plot takes a twist though when he leaves and tells young Amy he will be back in 5 minutes only to return from his TARDIS and find that years have passed and she is now a full grown woman who remembers him as what she thought was an imaginary friend. Eleventh Hour is brilliant paced and fun and represents everything that makes Doctor Who great.


3. Midnight
Season 4 - Episode 11

The Doctor/Sky Sylvestri - "We must not look at goblin men, we must not buy their fruits. Who knows upon what soil they fed, their hungry, thirsty roots?"

Sometimes I feel that Russell T. Davies, the first showrunner of the rebooted Doctor Who series does not get his share of the recognition which he rightly deserves. He presided over, what I feel, is the best 2 seasons of the show (Season 3 & 4) and without his creative leadership the show might not have been as big a hit as it became. The best episode he personally wrote was Midnight. In what feels like more akin to a theatrical stage play since it almost entirely takes place in one location, this cleverly dark and creepy episode has the Doctor taking a well-earned vacation with Donna on the planet Midnight. This plant is very beautiful but so hot, that no living thing can survive outside on it surface. Our hero decides to go on a tourist trip in a space bus across the surface and things go very bad when one of the passengers is seemingly possessed by an unknown entity and begins constantly parroting everything anyone in the bus says. The uses of repetition in the dialogue adds a sense of impending doom and Davies uses this device to ramp up the suspense more and more. It is the scariest episode of Doctor Who for me and one of the best written by far.


2. The Girl in the Fireplace
Season 2 - Episode 5

Reinette - "You and I both know, don't we Rose? The Doctor is worth the monsters … One may tolerate a world of demons for the sake of an angel."

For a long time this has been my favorite and what I feel is the definitive episode of Doctor Who. I didn't think I would ever see a better episode but more on that to come. The 10th Doctor (Tennant) along with his companion, Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) and her boyfriend, Mickey Smith (Noel Clarke) travel to the 51st century where the discover a derelict spaceship that strangely houses an ornate 18th century fireplace that contains a portal that teleports the traveler to the bedroom of Reinette Poisson, the child who will one day be known as Madame de Pompadour. The young girl is being plagued by a series of clockwork men, dressed to impersonate the 18th century men of Versailles. The Doctor moves to save the young girl, but each time he returns the spaceship time speeds and up and the next time he sees her, Reinette (Sophia Myles) has grown into a beautiful woman. This is a plot device Moffat would return to again with the relationship between the 11th Doctor (Matt Smith) and his companion, Amy Pond (Karen Gillan). The connection between the Doctor and Reinette is immediate and strong (at the time Myles and Tenant were a couple) and the Doctor has difficulty reconciling the emotions he has for her and knowing how their story will ultimately end. This episode solidified Steven Moffat as the best writer working on Doctor Who and it left little question to his ability to take over for Russell T. Davies when he would leave the show after Season 4. It is a simple story but the way it s structured and what it teaches us about who the Doctor is and how his emotions work make it tower above all the others.


1. Heaven Sent
Season 9 - Episode 12

The Doctor - "If you think because she is dead, I am weak then you understand very little. If you were any part of killing her, and you're not afraid, then you understand nothing at all. So, for your own sake, understand this, I am the Doctor. I'm coming to find you and I will never, ever stop!"

Another Steven Moffat episode and this would be not only one of his final Doctor Who episodes but it is also his best. When Peter Capaldi took over as the 12th (13th?) Doctor after Matt Smith left the show, I have to admit that I was not happy with the majority of his first season as the Time Lord. I found his grumpy and caustic attitude difficult to connect with and frankly, at first, I found him unlikeable. But, thankfully, Season 9 redeemed him with Capaldi finally coming into his own. This was the "penultimate" episode of the season and boy was it a whopper. After the sudden death of his companion, Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman), the Doctor is transported to a strange castle/tower where a creature slowly stalks him throughout its halls. If the thing catches up to him it will kill him with a touch. As he discovers various rooms and clues throughout the tower the Doctor begins to piece together the mystery behind what this trap is that he was been imprisoned and who was there before him. He also must discover what lies and how to get through a large, diamond-like wall that may hold the key to his escape. Without revealing to much, Heaven Sent is the best example of how a very good writer who understands the themes and concepts behind Doctor Who can exploit them to create an interesting and clever narrative that builds upon the mythos of this character and who and what he is. No other episode does that better or more encapsulates the greatness of this show than this one.

Matt's Picks

Jay picked a lot of great ones -- ones that would definitely be in my top five! But in the tradition of wanting to choose different episodes, here are my picks!


5. The Doctor's Daughter 
Season 4 - Episode 6

The Doctor - "Listen to me. The killing. After awhile it infects you. And once it does, you're never rid of it."

It's no surprise that the 10th Doctor (David Tennant) is my absolute favorite (yes, I'm one of the many)! In the episode, the TARDIS takes the Doctor, and his companions, Martha (Freema Agyeman), and Donna (Catherine Tate) to the planet Messaline, where they are met by soldiers working for General Cobb. The soldiers force the Doctor into a progenation machine, which uses his DNA to generate a soldier who becomes the Doctor's daughter, whom Donna names Jenny (Georgia Moffett). I had always hoped the writers would bring Jenny back but, alas, it wasn't meant to be (at least, not yet)! This episode is a great example of the fun -- and danger -- often present in most Doctor Who episodes. Some may consider this a rather unnoticeable season 4 episode, but it has special meaning for me. Beside the fact that it's a great, fun, rollicking adventure, this is also the first Doctor Who episode my daughters ever watched and enjoyed! It was also the first hint that there could be a female Doctor!


4. A Good Man Goes to War 
Season 6 - Episode 7

River Song - "Demons run when a good man goes to war. Night will fall and drown the sun when a good man goes to war. Friendship dies and true love lies. Night will fall and the dark will rise when a good man goes to war. Demons run but count the cost; the battle's won but the child is lost."

As far as surprise revelations, Doctor Who has many memorable ones! One of my favorites was this revelation of fan-favorite River Song's (Alex Kingston) origin! In this episode, the 11th Doctor (Matt Smith) and Rory (Arthur Darvill) discover Amy (Karen Gillan) has been kidnapped and what is also a surprising discovery is that Amy gave birth to a baby girl, Melody -- conceived by Amy and Rory during mid-flight in the TARDIS! It's soon up to the Doctor, Rory and a mish-mash of their allies to save Amy and Melody from the wicked Madame Kovarian. Through a masterful buildup of storytelling, pacing and acting, a great plot twist ensues, leaving Doctor Who fans to be in continued awe of the series mythology.


3. The Angels Take Manhattan 
Season 7 - Episode 5

The Doctor - "I always rip out the last page of a book. Then it doesn't have to end. I hate endings!"

A lot of Doctor Who episodes have surprised me, but this one was the most surprising! Shocking, even! The episode starts off as a mix of mystery and noir before soon becoming one of the most heartbreaking Doctor Who episodes ever! Involving one of my favorite villains of all time, the Weeping Angels (introduced in another wonderful hallmark episode, season 3's "Blink"), "Manhattan" features the trio of the Doctor, Amy and Rory in New York, and after a few mysterious sequence of events, coming to find an elderly version of Rory in a spooky building called the Winter Quay. The story is eerie, is wonderfully shot with spectacular cinematography, and a testament to not being able to escape one's fate. Written by legendary Doctor Who showrunner, Steven Moffat, this was one of the few episodes of any TV show ever where I was left stunned, consistently asking, "Did that really just happen?"


2. The Zygon Inversion 
Season 9 - Episode 8


Whereas the new 2000s incarnation of Doctor Who had mostly been playful, campy, fun, dashing and a bit looney, it was the introduction of the 12th Doctor (Peter Capaldi) that brought about a more serious, darker Doctor. In this incarnation, viewers got a full run of the Doctor's dark past and deeds. Most of Capaldi's run was darker, more dramatic. One of my favorites was this second part to a two-parter involving the shapeshifting alien race, the Zygons. In this episode, Earth has been infiltrated by the Zygons, with some taking the form of humans. Bonnie, the leader of a small splinter group of shapeshifting Zygons that intend to start a war with the humans they live among, has taken the Doctor's companion Clara's (Jenna Coleman) form. The episode is a metaphoric examination of human nature and war. It is Capaldi's nuanced performance and wonderfully haunted, projective voice that is paramount in this episode. By episode's end, there is a standoff between the Zygon in Clara form, or Earth's emissary and UNIT (United Nations Intelligence Taskforce) Chief Scientific Officer Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) on who "pushes the red button" of destruction. Capaldi delivers one of the best performances and one of the best monologues on war ever written. It's so good, I couldn't quote it; just watch the video above!


1. The End of Time - Parts 1 & 2 
Season 4 - Episodes 17 & 18

The Doctor - "I don't want to go."

Every Doctor has his point of regeneration, and, unfortunately, even a lot of people's favorite, the 10th Doctor (David Tennant), had his moment in this two-part epic send-off. Pretty much every episode of this Doctor's tenure -- seasons 2-4 -- are spectacular! But Tennant's finale is simply the best! Tying up many loose ends, as well as bringing the Doctor's greatest frenemy, the Master (John Simm), into the mix, and preparing for regeneration, the Doctor visits past companions and acquaintances; Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman) and Mickey Smith (Noel Clarke) who have married and are working as freelance alien hunters, Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) and her son Luke Smith (Tommy Knight), and Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman). He also visits Verity Newman (Jessica Hynes), the great-granddaughter of Joan Redfern who the Doctor had previously met in "Human Nature". He then travels forward in time to Donna's wedding where he gives Wilfred (Bernard Cribbins) and Sylvia Noble (Donna's mother) a lottery ticket that he had bought for Donna with money borrowed from her deceased father. Finally, the Doctor visits Rose Tyler (Billie Piper), on New Year's Day 2005, three months before she meets him as the 9th Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) and tells her she will have "a really great year." Every time I watch the ending, it chokes me up. The desperation in Tennant's voice, all the great stories told. It's all too much to miss. But it's still one of the best!


So, that's it! What's your favorite Doctor Who episode? Let us know in the comments! Until Whitaker's debut in a 65-minute premiere, watch this:







Sunday, March 4, 2018

Matt & Jay's Academy Awards Predictions -- 2018 Edition


Matt here.

With the Oscars fast approaching this Sunday, Jay and I decided to revive our Academy Award predictions. Now, again, Jay and I both think the Academy Awards are pretty much a joke. It is rare that the film or person who should get the award actually does. The show really has much more to do with popularity, politics and marketing than actually selecting the best in any given category. That is why they have become so easy to predict. You can easily tell, for the most part, who the winner is going to be if you know how the system works. So, continuing with our tradition set from years back, Jay and I are going to predict who will win out of the nominated persons/films, as well as who should win, followed by how each of us would have it if we ran the Academy. And, because this is OUR site, we may even throw in a pick that wasn't nominated but we feel should've been!

So, here are the nominees for each category, which one we think will win, which one we think should win, and finally if we had our way who would win, even if they aren't nominated . . . .

Best Original Song
"Mystery of Love" from Call Me by Your Name (Sufjan Stevens)
"Remember Me" from Coco (Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez)
"This is Me" from The Greatest Showman (Benj Pasek & Justin Paul)
"Stand Up For Something" from Marshall (Diane Warren & Lonnie R. Lynn/Common)
"Mighty River" from Mudbound (Mary J. Blige, et. al.)
                                                                       
Jay's Picks
Who Will Win: "Remember Me" from Coco
Who Should Win: "Mystery of Love" from Call Me By Your Name                                            

If Jay Ran Things: Sufjan Stevens is the man, but the Academy loves Disney songs.


Matt's Picks
Who Will Win: "Remember Me" from Coco
Who Should Win: "Stand Up For Something" from Marshall

If Matt Ran Things: Just one of the categories which is so sorely lacking of competition this year that a bunch of forgettable songs make the
cut. I'd love to see a song like "Stand Up For Something" win, but, as Jay said, the Academy loves it some Disney songs!                      


Best Adapted Screenplay
Call Me by Your Name
The Disaster Artist
Logan
Molly's Game
Mudbound

Jay's Picks
Logan

Who Will Win: Call Me By Your Name
Who Should Win: Logan

If Jay Ran Things: I'm kidding, I just wanted to piss Matt off by saying Logan, a movie he has often derided. It's enough that it got nominated and I'm sure he's on fire over that one. Call Me By Your Name deserves to really win here.



Stronger
Matt's Picks
Who Will Win: Call Me by Your Name
Who Should Win: Stronger

If Matt Ran Things: Jay is right about Logan. Nominating a movie such as Logan -- a film filled with nothing but lazy writing -- for this category simply proves my point that the Academy is losing its credibility. If they are going to nominate Logan, they should also have listed as the accredited writers A.B. Guthrie Jr., Jack Sher, and novelist Jack Schaefer -- they are the writers of the 1953 film Shane. Since Logan takes its pivotal dialogue from the classic Western, those writers should be nominated as well (just like when a rapper uses a significant piece of music and/or lyrics from another song, those other songwriters whose music is being sampled get a credit in the rap song's writing credits). But I digress. To me, Stronger, based on the book and true story of Jeff Bauman and his survival of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, beats out all of these nominees!

Best Original Screenplay
The Big Sick
Get Out
Lady Bird
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

The Big Sick
Jay's Picks
Who Will Win: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Who Should Win: The Big Sick

If Jay Ran Things: The Big Sick was one of my favorite films of last year. A funny and moving true-life story about how comedian Kamail Nanjiani met his wife, Emily (Zoe Kazan), and stayed by her side while she was in medically induced coma. It won't win, though.

Matt's Picks
Wind River

Who Will Win: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Who Should Win: Wind River

If Matt Ran Things: If a film like Three Billboards gets nominated, then Taylor Sheridan's Wind River definitely should have been nominated ... and should've gotten the win! It's a top crime drama with stellar performances and goes into territory not seen lately in cinema: the lives of Native Americans and the wilds of Wyoming.


Best Animated Feature
Boss Baby
The Breadwinner
Coco
Ferdinand
Loving Vincent

Jay's Picks
Who Will Win: Coco
Who Should Win: The Breadwinner

If Jay Ran Things: From the co-director of the brilliant Secret of the Kells, Nora Twomey's The
The Breadwinner
Breadwinner
is a gorgeous piece of animation that tells the moving story of an Afghani girl who disguises herself as a boy to provide for her family. But, it's Pixar, so Coco will win.

Matt's Picks
Who Will Win: Coco
Who Should Win: The Breadwinner

If Matt Ran Things: Again, like the best song category, not much competition released this past year, so we get Boss Baby as a nominee! I agree with Jay, the Academy loves Pixar, so, most likely, Coco will win. But it would be wonderful if The Breadwinner won. Then again, it wouldn't be a total shock.


Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Mary J. Blige - Mudbound
Allison Janney - I, Tonya
Leslie Manville - Phantom Thread
Laurie Metcalf - Lady Bird
Octavia Spencer - The Shape of Water

Jay's Picks
Who Will Win: Allison Janney - I, Tonya
Who Should Win: Allison Janney - I, Tonya

If Jay Ran Things: Janney is always fantastic in anything she is in, but here she really shines as Tonya Harding's conniving and abusive mother, LaVona.
Allison Janney (left) as LaVona (right)

Matt's Picks
Who Will Win: Allison Janney - I, Tonya
Who Should Win: Allison Janney - I, Tonya

If Matt Ran Things: Janney has long been deserving of an Academy Award and I think this portrayal of real-life dysfunctional, emotionally abusive mother, LaVona, will get her the gold! 




Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Willem Dafoe - The Florida Project
Woody Harrelson -
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Richard Jenkins - The Shape of Water
Christopher Plummer - All the Money in the World
Sam Rockwell - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Jay's Picks                                                 
Sam Rockwell


Who Will Win: Sam Rockwell - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Who Should Win: Sam Rockwell - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
If Jay Ran Things: Sam Rockwell has spent the last couple of decades proving to us that he is one of the best character actors in the biz. Oscar night he will finally get some recognition for his portrayal of a racist cop who butts heads with Frances McDormand's grieving and angry Mildred.

Woody Harrelson
Matt's Picks
Who Will Win: Christopher Plummer - All the Money in the World
Who Should Win: Woody Harrelson - The Glass Castle

If Matt Ran Things: This is an example of a fine actor being nominated for the wrong role. Woody Harrelson is one of the most underrated actors today, but his performance in The Glass Castle, as the main character's alcoholic, eccentric father, adapted from Jeannette Walls' autobiography, is, hands down, one of the best performances of the year!

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Sally Hawkins - The Shape of Water                                          
Frances McDormand - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri                                       
Margot Robbie - I, Tonya
Saoirse Ronan - Lady Bird
Meryl Streep - The Post

Jay's Picks
Frances McDormand

Who Will Win: Frances McDormand - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri    
Who Should Win: Frances McDormand - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri    

If Jay Ran Things: Frances McDormand is a force of nature in Three Billboards .... Her uncompromising portrayal of Mildred, a mother who takes matters into her own hands when the local police fails to find the man who raped and murdered her daughter, is deserving of a second Best Actress Oscar (first was 1996's Fargo).

Brie Larson
Matt's Picks
Who Will Win: Frances McDormand - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Who Should Win: Frances McDormand - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

If Matt Ran Things: I will say McDormand should win, but just barely! A VERY close second is someone who didn't even get nominated! Brie Larson should have at least been nominated for The Glass Castle! In fact, I think that film got completely snubbed! It had some of the best writing and performances this year!


Best Actor in a Leading Role
Timothee Chalamet - Call Me by Your Name                                         
Daniel Day-Lewis - Phantom Thread                                       
Daniel Kaluuya - Get Out
Gary Oldman - Darkest Hour
Denzel Washington - Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Gary Oldman
Jay's Picks
Who Will Win: Gary Oldman - Darkest Hour
Who Should Win: Gary Oldman - Darkest Hour

If Jay Ran Things: I think that the Academy will do the right thing this year and give this Oscar to one of our most talented character actors. Oldman has given us so many unforgettable performances over the decades and this time he will be recognized for his transformation into British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill.

Matt's Picks
Who Will Win: Daniel Day-Lewis - Phantom Thread
Who Should Win: Gary Oldman - Darkest Hour

If Matt Ran Things: I loved Gary Oldman's performance as Prime Minister Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour, but, unfortunately, I think the Academy will go with their darling, Daniel Day-Lewis, who is also supposedly retiring from acting. Put all that together with a period piece, a morose story about "mommy issues," and I think it's cause for Day-Lewis to earn his next (and last!?) Oscar.


Best Directing
Paul Thomas Anderson - Phantom Thread                                        
Guillermo del Toro - The Shape of Water                                      
Greta Gerwig - Lady Bird
Christopher Nolan - Dunkirk
Jordan Peele - Get Out

Guillermo del Toro
Jay's Picks
Who Will Win: Guillermo del Toro - The Shape of Water  
Who Should Win: Guillermo del Toro - The Shape of Water

If Jay Ran Things: Guillermo del Toro certainly is a deserved winner here and I think he will win for his monster love story. If it were me, Denis Villeneuve would be nominated and win here for my favorite film of last year, Blade Runner 2049. Having the balls alone to take on a sequel to a monumental sci-fi movie like Ridley Scott's, Blade Runner is astounding, but to deliver the film he did is a towering achievement. 

Christopher Nolan
Matt's Picks
Who Will Win: Paul Thomas Anderson - Phantom Thread 
Who Should Win: Christopher Nolan - Dunkirk

If Matt Ran Things: I would love to see Christopher Nolan win this because, to me, Dunkirk used techniques with pacing and structure that these other nominees did not. Their films are great but they were also straight-forward. Dunkirk is not just some war film but an artistic piece of story. Its fragmented moments come perfectly together by film's end. Also, the film is visually stunning!

Best Picture
Call Me by Your Name
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
Get Out                                                                                
Lady Bird
Phantom Thread
The Post
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Jay's Picks
The Shape of Water

Who Will Win: The Shape of Water
Who Should Win: The Shape of Water

If Jay Ran Things: The Shape of Water is one of the most unique and beautiful love stories I have seen in years. Everything from the performances, the costumes and effects, to gorgeous production design make it truly a work of art from a man who has always made his kind of movie. Most of the time his films are pure works of art, and this is one of his best. It's just a real shame we never got to see his take on The Hobbit, which was supposed to happen before the writers' strike. I feel it would have been a much better version than the three movies that Peter Jackson delivered, unfortunately.



Matt's Picks
Who Will Win: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Who Should Win: The Post

The Post
If Matt Ran Things: For me, this category is only really between Dunkirk and The Post. And while most may think The Post as a somewhat political choice, I still think it is the better film. It's sometimes important for films to reflect on the current times of which we are going through. And The Post does that by exploring our country's past. It's the ultimate message of "Those who forget their history are doomed to repeat it." While  The Post has no stellar, jaw-dropping acting "Oscar moments," the overall story is essential, well-done, and riveting. Its ending is one of the most sobering and ironic. But, alas, I feel Three Billboards (What is this!? A Bob Dylan Blonde on Blonde song title? j/k) will win; if it doesn't, it will be the slow, as-boring-as-The English Patient Phantom Thread.





What do you think? Were there any movies not on this year's list of nominees that got snubbed? Do you agree or disagree with our picks? Let us know in the comments!

Thursday, January 4, 2018

9 Great Winter Films to Watch on a Cold Day

Matt here!

If you're living/visiting along the northeast coast, you're most likely snowed in! And when there's nowhere to go and you're stuck inside, why not curl up and watch a good film? Here are nine films to watch about the cold while you stay nice and toasty inside!

Wind River
Directed by Taylor Sheridan
Starring Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Graham Greene, Gil Birmingham, Kelsey Asbille, Julia Jones, and Jon Bernthal

One of THE BEST investigation procedural mystery thrillers I've seen in a very long time! The story is reminiscent of a great American novel, but it is all written by filmmaker Taylor Sheridan. The plot involves U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agent Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner), who finds the dead body of a young woman he knows in the frozen wild lands of Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming. The investigation is soon turned over to rookie FBI agent Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen), and the two team up to try and find out what events lead to the woman's death. The story has a wonderful cast of complex characters, with tense, nailbiting moments, as you're left guessing who's the culprit. By the movie's end, there is justice but it doesn't feel like it's enough -- which makes it all extremely realistic. Overall, the story is a captivating thriller with solid performances and I would easily recommend it to anyone searching for a truly good film.


Beautiful Girls
Directed by Ted Demme
Starring Timothy HuttonMatt DillonMichael RapaportUma ThurmanNatalie PortmanNoah EmmerichLauren Holly, Mira Sorvino, Martha Plimpton, and Rosie O'Donnell

One of my favorite comedies from the 1990s is this indie gem which focuses on small-town life, returning home and bittersweet lessons of growing up. Timothy Hutton stars as struggling New York pianist Willie Conway, who returns home to Knights Ridge, Massachusetts, for his high school reunion, and looks for answers on whether to marry his girlfriend as well as whether he should quit being a pianist and get a "safe" job. He reconnects with old buddies who are also going through similar growing pains. A delightful comedy with plenty of great performances.


Alive
Directed by Frank Marshall
Starring Ethan HawkeVincent Spano, Josh HamiltonKevin BreznahanSam BehrensIlleana DouglasJack NoseworthyBruce RamsayDanny Nucci, and Jose Zuniga

Based on the true story of an Uruguayan rugby team who were involved in the crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, which crashed into the Andes mountains on Friday, October 13, 1972. The film follows the group of rugby players who survived and their harrowing ordeal of surviving not only the wild but the freezing temperatures! When they learn the rescue search has been called off, they must struggle to save themselves. 


The Shining
Directed by Stanley Kubrick
Starring Jack NicholsonShelley DuvallDanny Lloyd, and Scatman Crothers

To me, The Shining is one of those rare cases which pretty much never happen with film adaptations of books -- specifically, I equally love the original novel by Stephen King and the Stanley Kubrick film adaptation. Jack Nicholson here is a man possessed. He becomes Jack Torrance. This film was one of the first true mental mindf#*%s of a film in that you don't quite know what's real and what isn't. The isolationist, wintery cold feel of the film and its setting add to the terror of the story, as well as -- near the end -- the cold. But what is most creepy here is the concept of a dear loved one as suddenly becoming a rampaging, murderous maniac. Kubrick's photography -- assisted heavily by cinematographer John Alcott -- help to surround the viewer in Torrance's world as well as his son, Danny's, and his wife, Wendy's (Shelley Duvall). By the end of the film, even though each character's fate is shown quite distinctly, you're still left feeling not quite sure what the hell is going on ... in a good way! This is another notch in Kubrick's successful film career, well worth watching over and over.


The Thing
Directed by John Carpenter
Starring Kurt RussellWilford BrimleyKeith David, and Richard Masur

Based on the 1951 film The Thing From Another World (which was loosely based on the 1938 John W. Campbell Jr. novella Who Goes There?), you won't find a much gorier '80s horror movie than this John Carpenter classic! Halloween may be somewhat iconic, but The Thing is Carpenter's best film! The story works on a person's paranoia of "how much do I really know anybody?", putting the ragtag crew of an American research station in Antarctica against a creature that can assimilate the appearance of any living thing. According to Carpenter, this film is the first in his Apocalypse Trilogy (the other two films being Prince of Darkness and In the Mouth of Madness). The performances are all well and good but it truly is Rick Baker's creature special effects and makeup that makes this film so memorable ... especially in a day and age before CGI. If you're looking for the perfect film to give you the heebie-jeebies, look no further!


Frozen
Directed by Chris Buck & Jennifer Lee
Starring Idina MenzelKristen BellJonathan Groff, Josh Gad, and Santino Fontana

Based on the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale, The Snow Queen, Frozen follows a fearless princess (Kristen Bell) who sets off on a journey alongside a rugged iceman (Jonathan Groff), his loyal reindeer, and a naïve snowman (Josh Gad) to find her estranged sister (Idina Menzel), whose icy powers have inadvertently trapped the kingdom in eternal winter. A perfect musical tale for the kid in all of us!


Mystery, Alaska
Directed by Jay Roach
Starring Russell CroweHank AzariaMary McCormackBurt ReynoldsColm MeaneyLolita DavidovichRon EldardMaury Chaykin, and Scott Grimes

A forgotten film from the 1990s but a good one. The story centers around the fictional town of Mystery, Alaska, where ice hockey is a way of life, and the small, lovable local hockey players rally together to play an exhibition game against the New York Rangers. For many of the men, this is a chance to shine and possibly win a spot with the Rangers. The film is mostly a dramedy than a sports film, but it's sure to please!


Snowpiercer
Directed by Joon-ho Bong
Starring Chris EvansKang-ho SongEd HarrisJohn HurtTilda SwintonJamie BellOctavia SpencerEwen BremnerAh-sung Ko, and Alison Pill

Based on the French graphic novel Le Transperceneige by Jacques Lob, Benjamin Legrand and Jean-Marc Rochette, this story takes place in 2031, aboard the globe-spanning Snowpiercer train which holds the last remnants of humanity after an attempt at climate engineering in order to stop global warming has unintentionally created a new ice age. Chris Evans stars as a lower-class passenger who begins a revolution against the upper-class seated at the front of the train. This is a rollicking action film, full of plenty of drama and just the perfect film to watch when cooped up indoors, especially in tight spaces!


Fargo
Directed by The Coen Brothers
Starring William H. Macy, Frances McDormandSteve BuscemiPeter StormareHarve Presnell, John Carroll Lynch, and Kristin Rudrud

I have to admit I'm not crazy about this film, but I would definitely be remiss if I didn't mention it in this countdown purely on the fact that the film takes place in Minneapolis and North Dakota, two states which have some of THE COLDEST winters in the country! The film takes place in the winter of 1987, and Oldsmobile sales manager Jerry (William H. Macy) cooks up a plan to make money to pay back a lucrative loan by having his wife kidnapped and have his father-in-law pay the ransom, which will help pay off his loan. However, things go sideways and get all messed up in this black comedy crime film from the Coen Brothers.


Are there any movies featuring the cold you can think of that I missed? Any films you enjoy watching on a cold day? Sound off in the comments!