1999: My Ballot

This year was so hard, and I still have many more films to see from it. I could pick 10 strong nominees in almost all of these categories, but some people had to be left off, unfortunately. Some films I still need to see include The Wind Will Carry Us, Audition, Dogma, The End of the Affair, Angela's Ashes, The Hurricane, Tumbleweeds, Snow Falling on Cedars, Flawless, Happy, Texas, and eXistenZ.

Double Feature: Battleground (1949) and The Diary of Anne Frank (1959)

Battleground (1949) - ***1/2

This World War II film, like many others, is loosely based on a true story. Trapped in the snow and surrounded by German troops, a squad from the 101st Airborne Division fought to hold their position until reinforcements arrived. The small unit dwindled, but the outfit had several strong characters, such as Holley (Johnson) and Kinnie (Whitmore), to get them through the rough spots. They refused to surrender to the Germans, and were bombarded for several days. A forgotten little war film, this features recognizable characters, yet the interesting story and a few of the performances make it a rousing piece of cinema from the 1940s. Technically speaking, the film also looks and sounds great, with snow-covered landscapes and battle noises being a major part of it. Is it a must-see? Probably not, but it's an enjoyable film nonetheless. It's easy to see why it was honored at the Academy Awards.

10 Travers-esque Quotes from My Reviews

Peter Travers, or the critic you often see quoted in advertisements or on DVD cases. Sometimes a quote of my own pops out at me, but I try to avoid writing that way. Some of these quotes are more akin to Travers than others, but I thought this would be a fun post.

Ranking the Sherlock Episodes

Cumberbatch and Freeman as Holmes and Watson.

In honor of Star Trek Into Darkness' release in a few days, here's a post related to Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays the villain in J.J Abrams' new film. Though this is a TV series, each episode is really a 90-minute film for television, so I don't mind bending the rules.

Review: The Great Gatsby (2013)

Luhrmann takes on Fitzgerald in the fifth film version.

Directed by Baz Luhrmann
Produced by Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Douglas Wick, Lucy Fisher, and Catherine Knapman
Written by Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce (script); F. Scott Fitzgerald (novel)
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Isla Fisher, and Jason Clarke

1989: My Ballot

Winners indicated (*). I still need to see films like Roger & Me, Vampire's Kiss, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Steel Magnolias, In Country, Valmont, and Kiki's Delivery Service. Note: I count The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover as a 1990 release.

Top 10 Leonardo DiCaprio Performances

With The Great Gatsby out tomorrow and The Wolf of Wall Street just months away, I decided to take a crack at this list. Note: I haven't seen all of his work from the 1990s yet.