Wednesday, February 04, 2015

Best of 2014: Science-Fiction Movies


The rise of the science-fiction/adventure movie has stepped off the ground a few years ago, with following the success of Avatar and Iron Man, and now it seems to have taken to the skies. Movie theaters were dominated by science-fiction movies this year (mostly sequels) and not only did they shatter box-office records, they surpassed the previous entries' box-office gross. Let's take a look!


FIVE

Title: Guardians of the Galaxy
Director: James Gunn
Starring: Zoe Saldana, Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper
What's it About: A merry band of misfits who cruise the galaxy in order to do what's right, because gosh-darn it, it's the right thing to do! Plus talking animals and poor plot twists.
Buzzworthy: I think i'm pretty much  the only human on earth who found this movie to be quite ordinary. I feel like Zoe Saldana has worn herself thin in the science-fiction department, with breakout roles in Avatar, Star Trek, and it's sequel Star Trek: Into Darkness. That makes THREE science-fiction series under her belt. And to be quite honest, that is the only thing I could think of while watching this movie. It did very well at the box office, and a sequel is already planned but for heaven's sake, someone give Saldana a new genre to work in.



FOUR

Title: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Director: Matt Reeves
Starring: Andy Serkis, Keri Russell, Gary Oldman
What's it About: Years after the tragic events of the first film, Apes and Men must learn to co-exist in a new world order. But human qualities soon causes trouble between the two camps and the Apes, lead by Caesar, begin to take action.
Buzzworthy: Not only did it outgross his predecessor, it is the highest-grossing film in the Planet of the Apes franchise. I credit that to the brilliant use of computer-animated imagery and the acting chops of Andy Serkis who manages to convey so much emotions through the sparkling eyes of Caesar.



THREE


Title: Interstellar
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain
What's it About: Humans have all but destroyed Earth. A crew is sent on a mission to save mankind before it is too late, after receiving a message from a "ghost."
Buzzworthy: This is my kind of science fiction movie. It was a perfect balance between 2001: A Space Odyssey and Lost in Space. You know it's a good science fiction film when it makes you question life AND makes you cry a bit. Just a bit.




TWO:


Title: Edge of Tomorrow
Director: Doug Liman
Starring: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton
What's it About: This is your typical science-fiction fantasy fare: A futuristic soldier has the chance to repeat the day's battle everytime he is killed, giving  him the chance to learn more about the enemy in order to stop the impending invasion. Yes, I just included a Tom Cruise film in my blog.
Buzzworthy: The fact alone that Tom Cruise is still capable of drawing crowds is buzzworthy. Let alone making a box-office dent AND wowing the critics. Who would have thought?!




ONE:

Title: X-Men: Days of Future Past
Director: Bryan Singer
Starring: Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender
What's it About: The X-Men work together with Magneto in order to send Wolverine back in time to stop Mystique from committing a crime that will endanger mutants for generations to come.
Buzzworthy: Jennifer Lawrence should receive the same advice as Zoe Saldana: stop with the science-fiction series already! It can get confusing and hard to believe when you an actress in every single blockbuster of the year. The film has been praised as well for mixing the cast of both trilogies and still manage to keep the plot clean and precise. This is probably what helped make this the most successful film in the X-Men franchise.



It truly was a year for science-fiction and 2015 seems to be gearing up to be even better with the upcoming releases of Jupiter Ascending, The Lazarus Effect, and Mad Max: Fury Road, to name a few. 

Candles are out,
Eleven's Ink



Thursday, January 29, 2015

Best of 2014: Pop Albums


It's that time of year!! Well, actually, no it isn't - i'm kinda late. But I still want to review the best of 2014 so please excuse my tardiness. And enjoy this list of my 5 top pop albums of 2014.


And videos. Enjoy the videos. :)





FIVE

Title: X
Artist: Ed Sheeran
Pop Out: This album stands out because of how unique Ed Sheeran is as an artist. Not only is he lyrically talented, but the guy can switch from crooning talk-rapping to smoothing singing like it's nobody's business. I do have a weakness for British music though, so maybe i'm biased, but this is by far the best export to come out of England since Ellie Goulding. Replay!
Best Songs: "Bloodstream" and "Don't"




FOUR

Title: Ultraviolence
Artist: Lana Del Rey
Pop Out: This album should be number one solely because Lana Del Rey is my musical goddess. I literally pray to her music. But her follow-up album to the amazing Born To Die is just short of being an epic masterpiece. The strings are there, the riffs are there, the nods to different eras are there; but something is missing. And that is Del Rey's witty writing skill. The production is flawless (and borderline alternative) but the writing is below average and repetitive. I expect more from her upcoming fourth album "Honeymoon."
Best Songs: "Black Beauty", "Cruel World", and "Florida Kilos"




THREE

Title: V
Artist: Maroon 5
Pop Out: Most people I know can't stand Maroon 5, but I have always been a fan and am even more after hearing this album for the first time today (in preparation for this list.) It is by far the most pop they've ever been with each song sounding like the previous one. There isn't much flexibility in the arrangements, but then again, isn't that what makes pop music? It's suppose to sound good to the ears and this album (with the help of Darkchild) is like chocolate in your ear drums.
Best Song: "Maps." I put that shit on repeat!





TWO

Title: Shakira
Artist: Shakira
Pop Out: It's no surprise that Shakira's 10th album is a sure-fire hit. The chick has pipes and she laid that shit down like no other singer can. Her vocal abilities sometimes frighten me; here she sounds like an angel, there she sounds like a crooner. She's part singer, part poet. But one thing is for sure, she is 100% in control of her artform. A true pop album for the ages.
Best Songs: "Empire" and "Medicine"






ONE

Title: 1,000 Forms of Fear
Artist: Sia
Pop Out: If you know me, this comes to no surprise. I have been listening to this album on repeat for the past months. I'm a little late on the bandwagon because I don't listen to the radio so I find all my music online or through blogs. The first song I heard from this album was Elastic Heart (from the Hunger Games soundtrack) and in the following hours, I had already downloaded the album and listened to it till my ears bleed. Aaaaand I want them to bleed again.
Best Songs: "Hostage", "Burn the Page", and "Fire Meet Gasoline."





What was your favourite pop album of 2014?

Candles are out,

Eleven's Ink





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