Soundtrack Giveaway Winner 2011

And the providential winner of this year’s Soundtrack Giveaway is… Faith Blum! Congratulations! I’ll contact you by e-mail and get your prize sent to you as soon as possible!

To everyone else who participated… I really cannot thank you all enough. In last year’s giveaway, a mere 8 people participated. This year, there were 34. And that, my friends, is awesome. God willing, I’ll be hosting this giveaway annually. So if you enjoyed participating this year, be sure to stick around (and spread the word).

2011 Year In Review: Movies

TOP 10 MOVIES SEEN THIS YEAR:

1. District 9 (2009)
“… a combination of potent allegory, ambitious sci-fi action, and emotionally-wrenching drama – and the result is nothing short of breathtaking.” Read full review

2. Cinderella Man (2005)
“… a wholesome, inspiring piece of filmmaking of the type seldom produced by Hollywood these days, and by the time I got to the end credits, I wanted to stand up and cheer.” Read full review

3. 13 Assassins (2010)
“… a phenomenal tale of courage and sacrifice. The story is intelligent, exceptionally well-paced, and executed with a dazzling panache, and the acting is top-notch from the entire cast.” Read full review

4. Collateral (2004)
“Michael Mann’s gritty crime thriller is an excellent film that requires your brain to come along for the ride. And it’s a ride you won’t soon forget.” Read full review

5. Black Hawk Down (2001)
“… triumphs not only as a gripping story of camaraderie and courage, but also as a raw, unflinching depiction of modern warfare.” Read full review

6. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
“A refreshingly unapologetic pro-American thrill ride. You don’t wanna miss this one. It boasts fine acting, superb visual effects, a dash of humor, plenty of imaginative action, and a slick retro vibe with sci-fi gizmos galore.” Read full review

7. Taken (2008)
“… the powerful story of a father who loves his daughter so much he’s willing to fight to protect her life and purity. He doesn’t give up, he doesn’t back down, until she is safely in his arms again. And he doesn’t negotiate with bad guys.” Read full review

8. The Kingdom (2007)
“… an excellent film that takes a serious look at Islamic terrorism. Check this one out – it’s a rough ride, but oh so worth it.” Read full review

9. True Grit (2010)
“Not only does it boast great storytelling, a smart script, and Oscar-worthy performances, it also offers surprisingly thoughtful commentary on the nature and consequences of revenge.” Read full review

10. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)
“… succeeds wildly on its own terms – combining the sleuthing suspense of Arthur Conan Doyle with elements of the Steampunk genre and the inventive, globe-trotting action of Indiana Jones.” Read full review

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

11. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
“… one those rare sequels that surpasses its predecessor in just about every way. The story is richer, the themes are far more complex, the characters are have greater depth, the visual effects are splendid, and the action sequences are downright awesome.” Read full review

12. Gran Torino (2008)
“… a unique and unforgettable experience, tackling the subject of racism while simultaneously exploring themes of redemption, sacrifice, and forgiveness.” Read full review

13. First Blood (1982)
“… a thrilling adventure with a surprising amount of intelligence and emotional heft. Director Kotcheff deftly balances the gunfire, stunt work, and explosions with a wonderfully compelling story.” Read full review

14. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
“… a beautiful story of love, perseverence, and triumph in the face of overwhelming odds. It’s not always easy to watch; but in all the darkness, hope is never far away.” Read full review

15. Equilibrium (2002)
“Both a thought-provoking Orwellian tale and a thrilling action-fest, this is a superb and underrated science fiction film.” Read full review

Captain America: The First Avenger

 A refreshingly unapologetic pro-American thrill ride. Fine acting. A rousing musical score. Superb visual effects. A dash of humor. Plenty of imaginative action. A slick retro vibe with sci-fi gizmos galore. And best of all, a hero who is genuinely heroic through and through. There’s no doubt about it: Captain America is the best superhero movie of 2011. To quote another critic, “Hating on Captain America just isn’t American. Go ahead and move to Canada; I’m sure they have some magical Mountie who’s thwarting evil loggers.”

“I can do this all day…”

(I’ll be posting a more in-depth review of
Captain America: The First Avenger on
my movie blog Reel Quick)

Source Code

Cool idea. Great acting. Crisp directing. Stylish visuals. And an absolutely fantastic musical score. Too bad the film never quite lives up to the ingenuity of its premise. It wants to be a thinking man’s actioner a la Inception. Think about it too hard, though, and it begins to fall apart. The science is vague and muddled. The ethics, even more so. My verdict: it was entertaining while it lasted. But once is enough.

“What would you do if you knew you only had one minute to live?”

(I’ll be posting a more in-depth review
of Source Code on my movie blog Reel Quick)