Top 10 Movies of 2013

It's hard to believe it's been almost a year since I've written anything in this blog. So much has happened over the course of the year it's practically impossible to breakdown and analyze everything. I'd like to start a series of lists containing the best and worst "things" that 2013 gave us, and since I'm studying film, I think it's only right I start with my Top 10 Movies. Now keep in mind, this is pretty much  arbitrary because, honestly, can you really compare the Kings of Summer and Gravity--not really. But, here is anyway, my Top 10 Movies of 2013.

10.) The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Admittedly, I was not interested at all in seeing the first Hunger Games film. I thought the concept was so similar to the Kinji Fukasaku film, Battle Royale (2000), that I didn't want to see it. Well, I eventually got around to seeing it, and while it wasn't perfect, I definitely enjoyed it. After Silver Linings Playbook, Jennifer Lawrence was seemingly everywhere and I couldn't help but get caught up in the excitement for Catching Fire. I wasn't disappointed because Catching Fire delivered; not only as a part of the Hunger Games Saga, but as a great film, with, sometimes beautiful cinematography, great art direction, and honest acting. The series is just starting to show some of it's more mature themes and I'm excited to see what's in store for the rest of the series.  I have nothing but good things to say about this movie.

3.5 / 4 Stars


9.) Prisoners

It wasn't long before Prisoners hit my radar and became one of my most anticipated films of the year. With leads Hugh Jackman and, one of my favourite actors in a supporting role, Jake Gyllenhaal, anything could be possible. Director Denis Villeneuve made a strong impression, chilling audiences with a crime mystery that tells an incredible story you can't help but become immersed in.

3.5 / 4 Stars

8.) Kings of Summer

The Kings of Summer is nostalgic and funny, modern and heartbreaking. It's the perfection of coming-of-age tales and I wouldn't have it any other way. While it came out amidst a chaotic summer backdrop of Iron Man 3, Man of Steel and Elysium,  the Kings of Summer managed to stand it's ground as an indie feature and define itself as a an important addition to the cinematic landscape of 2013. Under the direction of Jordan Vogt-Roberts, and beautifully captured by Ross Riege, Kings of Summer will indefinitely become a classic amongst the company of Stand By Me (1986) and the Breakfast Club (1985).

3.5 / 4 Stars.

7.)  Rush

Director, Ron Howard has been an inspiration to me ever since I saw Apollo 13 (1995) as a child, so naturally,  when I found out he was directing Rush, my interest was peaked. I didn't know much in the months before it's release; in fact, I didn't know who Niki Lauda or James Hunt were before this film. It turned into quite the good fortune though, because Rush took me for a ride on one of the coolest movies of the year. Ron Howard did an incredible job capturing the lives of Hunt and Lauda and telling their story inside and outside of Formula 1. The acting was superb, particularly by German star, Daniel Bruhl, who I hope to see more of in Hollywood after this impressive performance. Whether you are interested in Formula 1 or not, Rush is definitely not to be missed.

4 / 4 Stars

6.) The Wolf of Wall Street

Cast Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill to play two Wall Street fat cats in a film directed by Martin Scorsese; sounds good to me! Since I didn't get to go home for Christmas this year, I took advantage and went to see this film opening day on Christmas, and turned out to be such a treat. At first, it's 180 minute run time might look daunting, but it's paced perfectly. At times, I was practically rolling in the aisle laughing. It might not be one of Scorsese's best, but it's a damn good time, and I enjoyed every second of it!

3.5 / 4 Stars

5.) American Hustle

I knew American Hustle would be good when I saw David O. Russell was working again with Christian Bale and Amy Adams, and Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence from the Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook, respectively, but I don't think anyone but David knew exactly how good it would be. The answer is really good. In fact, it's one of the best movies of the year. American Hustle is crime film set in the 70's, and it's dynamic, funny and leaves you smiling the whole time. The cast, under direction of David O. Russell, are tantalizing and you can't help but get caught up in it. This is one of the reasons we go to the movies.

3.5 / 4 Stars

4.) Gravity

Growing up I was fascinated by space. Apollo 13 (1995) and October Sky (1999) were two of my favourite movies, and so Gravity was really the intense climax for my love of space and space films. Alfonso Cuaron, along with cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki and the entire visual effects team, really out did themselves in creating one of the most visually stunning films ever made. Sandra Bullock and George Clooney are intriguing, personable characters and, as we have come to except, the acting is spot on. Even though it isn't 100% accurate, I don't care, and I couldn't have asked for a better film depicting space. Clocking in at only 91 minutes, Cuaron proves that you don't need to make an epic to tell an incredible and captivating story.

4 / 4 Stars

3.) Inside Llewyn Davis

From the moment I saw the trailer for this film, I was incredibly excited. I like folk music, the Coen brothers, and stylistically it looked great. I downloaded the record and listened to it on repeat for the week leading up to me seeing the film, so by the time I saw it, I couldn't have been more ready. The plot of Inside Llewyn Davis is faint, and as the Coen Brothers even stated, it's about this musician, and you just kind of follow him and see what he does. It's down to earth, funny, heartfelt and, in my opinion, has one of the best casts of any movie released in 2013. Everything just works for Inside Llewyn Davis. You're treated to full uncut songs performed by leading man, Isaac Oscar, who will blow you out of the water with his genuine acting and outstanding voice. Backed up by performances from Carey Mulligan, John Goodman and Justin Timberlake, it's almost guaranteed you can find something you'll like in this movie. Like most Coen Brothers films, it travels into unfamiliar territory for these two, but again, Joel and Ethan capably prove why they're the best film making duo in Hollywood.

4 / 4 Stars

2.) Dallas Buyers Club

If I've ever been blindsided by a movie before, it was when I saw Dallas Buyers Club. It came out in the midst of this fall's many Oscar contenders and, was one of those films that I needed to "get around" to seeing; after seeing it, I was embarrassed it took me so long. From the very beginning, everything about this move will grab you and it won't let go until the bitter end. This is the best performance for both Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto in their careers. Both of them give everything physically and emotionally and seemingly vanish into their roles, leaving you with a rare feeling of camaraderie with the characters as you exit the cinema. This is an incredible piece of film making by Jean-Marc Vallee and an absolute must see.

4/4 Stars

1.) 12 Years a Slave

This is the kind of powerhouse film that will punch you straight in the gut. At times it's difficult to watch, but Steve McQueen's, 12 Years a Slave, tells the true story of Solomon Northrup, and they've created a masterpiece. It was bolstered by performances from Chiwetel Ejiofor (which, for the record, is pronounced, Chew-eh-tell Edge-ee-oh-four), Michael Fassbender and, newcomer, Lupita Nyong'o, among many others. Chiwetel Ejiofor gives a daring performance and bears emotional baggage like I've never seen in a movie before. It's the performance of the year. Cinematographer, Sean Bobbitt does a beautiful job capturing the beauty of the American South, contrasted with the horrors of slavery, and makes a strong case for an Oscar this year. Steve McQueen has always been one of my favourite directors, and this year, he has made the best film of 2013. 

4 / 4 Stars

Honorable Mentions:

Her

Her is the last film of 2013 that I'm really anxious to see, but it hasn't arrived to theaters in Vancouver yet, which is why it is not included in my Top 10 Films of 2013. It's a romance, set not far in the future, where a man falls in love with his sentient computer operating system. It's received critical praise, is directed by Spike Jonze, and stars one of the most talented actors in Hollywood, Joaquin Phoenix. I can't wait for it and anticipate that it will break into my top 5 films this year.

Place Beyond the Pines - Derek Cianfrance - 3.5 / 4 Stars

Mud - Jeff Nichols - 3.5 / 4 Stars

The Way Way Back - Nat Faxon, Jim Rash - 4 / 4 Stars

What are your favourite movies this year? Did you agree or disagree with some of the movies I picked? Let me know in the comments below.

Jumping Sack Animation

Below is a hand drawn animation I did of a Jumping Sack, required for my Classical Animation course. The cross hair and frame is simply for drawing purposes and normally would be toggled off. Also, the darkness in the frame is just an affect of having three layers of animation.

Marvin the Martian in Adobe Flash

It was my first time using Adobe Flash Professional and I  decided to recreate one of my favourite Looney Tunes characters, Marvin the Martian.

Marvin the Martian is property of Warner Bros Entertainment.

No Vacancy

This is a photograph of a small sculpture I made for my art history course in the post modern style. It's made out of clay and was hand painted to represent Mars. It's titled No Vacancy and includes a sign stating just that. I intended it to be a statement about the ecological heath of planet Earth, and the risk our behaviour as humans pose to the biosphere of not only our earth, but that of future planets as well.

 

Jones, Christopher Marius. No Vacancy. 2013

After Effects Kinetic Typography

I'm excited to make my first post with a project I've worked on while at VFS. The following video was made in Adobe After Effects CS5. The monologue is from the 2012 summer blockbuster, The Amazing Spider-Man and is one of my favourite monologues of recent memory. The original scene is of Peter Parker listening to a voicemail left by his recently murdered Uncle, Uncle Ben. I found it really quite powerful wanted to experiment with kinetic typography so I thought this was the perfect opportunity. The voiceover was recorded by my father, Bill Jones and the score is from The Amazing Spider-Man soundtrack, written by James Horner.  This song is property of Sony Music.

A Little Something About My Work

Being in the Foundation Program at VFS, I've been able to take a wide variety of Film, Design and Animation courses. We be come well versed in a plethora of industry software programs like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Premier, InDesign, After Effects and Autodesk Maya. We also take courses like Life Drawing, 2D Design and Perspective, Writing, Classical Animation, Storyboarding and Art History (just to name a few).  As one would expect, I'm completing a lot of projects and I'd love to share some of them. I'll be posting both finished projects as well as works "in progress".  Please feel free to comment and let me know you what you think, I'd love to get feedback.

What Kind of Expert Are You?

I think everyone wants to be an expert in something they do, and often times they want to be an expert in everything they do, but in today's world, is that really possible? I talked to my mom on the phone today and was telling her about how busy I've been lately and that it's been difficult for me to find harmony between my obligations and my desires and interests. Between school, spending time with my brother, my girlfriend and the basic necessities of eating and sleeping, I don't have much free time.

I sometimes find myself getting into hobbies I don't have time for.  I like watching movies (new and old), playing video games, and reading books and comic books, just to name a few.  I would love to be an expert when it comes to all of those hobbies, but it's virtually impossible, even to just gain a "mastery"of one.  I'm trying to see movies almost every weekend to catch up for Oscar season. I'm trying to catch up on games from quarter 4 of last year that I didn't have time to play. I still try to get through two or three books a month as well as comic books like the new Superior Spiderman.  There literally aren't enough hours in the day for me to devote and engross myself completely into any one of those interests.

Two decades ago, before the World Wide Web, information and access to current forms of media was so limited that it was much more feasible to keep up with the consumption of media, but is that possible today? I argue that it's a futile task because of how global and accessible everything is in this day and age. I can go to a website online and have instant access to thousands of movies, go on Xbox Live and have access to hundreds of games, or purchase and download virtually any book or comic book digitally, all with the click of a button.

So here's the question I ask, do I need to specialize more in my expertise, or is trying to be "well rounded" worth it? Should I stop reading comic books, that way I have more time to devote to playing games? As we get into the new year, I can't help but be overwhelmed with excitement for all the new movies, games, and comics. However, with as little free time as ever, I need to be conscious of what I'm choosing to experience and support. Do you have a similar experience this time of year? Is there anything from 2012 you really wanted to see, play, or read that you missed? What do you want to be an expert in? Let me know in the comments below.

Violence in Video Games

In the coming days Vice President Joe Bide, along with Congress have been asked to review violence in the entertainment like TV shows, movies and, probably the most scorned, video games.  This is all in lieu of tragic mass shootings across America, most notably the Sandy Hook shooting where 20 children and 6 adults were killed.  Being that I’m a current student at VFS, a school with a game design program, and a former employee of GameStop, I felt like I had to chime in on this topic.

                First off, it’s important to note that the heat the entertainment industry is getting for violence is not an old argument.  The video game industry in the United States went through the same discussion in 1993 with games like Mortal Kombat.  It was that conversation which birthed the ESRB, the current rating system for video games in the states.  Not only is this not an old argument the video game industry has had to deal with, but it’s one that almost all “new” media face at some point in their growing popularity.  In the 50’s, comic books faced the same fate currently facing the gaming industry, where congress met to discuss the value and “damage” of comic books.  It also happened to jazz music, and rock music, among other things. 

                So if we can all admit that this is a common occurrence for new types media, what’s the problem?  Grand Theft Auto IV has sold over 25 million copies, and the Call of Duty franchise continually breaks records with the amount of users active and copies sold. How can an industry be blamed for the actions of a few individuals, and more importantly, how do you determine the catalyst for these actions?

                The biggest shift that I think needs to happen for video games as a culture is to understand that video games are not just for kids anymore.  Classic games like Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda were definitely intended for children, but I don’t think I need to convince anyone that there a some games being released that are not for everyone, so why isn’t that being reflected by who’s playing it.  In 2012, the Entertainment Software Association reported that the average age of video game players is 30, a statistic much higher than one might expect. M rated games (as rated by the ESRB) are intended for ages 17 and older, yet when I play Call of Duty I regularly play with children who are most of time, still in Junior High.  This is fundamental flaw not in the game industry, but in parenting.  There needs to be accountability of parents when it comes to the media their children are consuming.  I’m a 21 year old adult; I can psychologically handle the mature content of media and I am capable of differentiating between these fictional game environments and reality. That might not be the case for the majority of children whom the ESRB have determined a game is too mature for. In the end, only a parent or guardian can make the final say whether or not their child is mature enough to play a particular game, however parents need to realize the significance of the choices they make.  

As a former employee at GameStop, I was required to ID everyone purchasing an M rated game, as well as inform them why it was given such a rating. Often times the reaction most parents had after informing them of the Mature rating on the game they’re purchasing for their child, they’d say, “well, they’re gonna see it somewhere.”  This is wrong! Trust the ESRB! If they have determined it isn’t appropriate for your children, trust they have made that choice for a reason.  

                Violence in video games and its association with violence in society is fair question to ask, however it’s not fair that they are painted to be a sole catalyst.  In the wake of horrific mass shootings people will look to just about anything to scapegoat and I fear that this entertainment and artistic medium that I love might be changed and damaged because of hastily made decisions in a time of heartbreak.  I don’t want to see the government regulating what can and can’t be done in video games. Of course there is some material that I don't find palatable, however I don't think it's up to a few individuals to make that choice for the entirety of an industry. Countries like Germany and Australia already have government intervention, and it’s not a fate I’d like to see in US.  The issue of violence needs to be addressed and researched by mental health organizations and improvements need to be made in recognizing individuals that need help. Video Game development is an art form and while some games might be shallow and violent, there are numerous other games out there to give individuals a magical, compelling, and beautiful experience.

The above video is owned by Sony Online Entertainment.

Feed the Kitty

This is one of my favourite cartoons of all time; it's called Feed the Kitty, directed by Chuck Jones.  It's about a kitten named Pussyfoot, and a dog named Marc Antony.  This video is property of Warner Bros Entertainment Inc.
Feed the kitty by tetleymoon

http://www.warnerbros.com/
 

Eyjafjallajokull

I originally saw this video shortly after was posted in May, 2010, when Eyjafjallajokull erupted in Iceland. It quickly become one of my favourite videos and really inspired me to get behind the camera more.  This video also features the song, Kolniour by my favourite musical artist, Jonsi.
 
Iceland, Eyjafjallajökull - May 1st and 2nd, 2010 from Sean Stiegemeier on Vimeo.

Our Inaugural Rendezvous

Hello.

My name is Christopher Marius Jones, and this is the beginning of my blog, Intrepid.  Intrepid literally means, resolutely courageous, a term which I'd like to embody via my artistic work.

I'm 21 years old and currently live in Vancouver, Canada while attending the Vancouver Film School.  I was born in Bucharest, Romania and grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  I've always had an eclectic set of interests, and when I left for university I chose to focus on Science.  After three years in university, I decided I really wanted to spend my life making films, which led me to the Vancouver Film School.

In this blog, I intend to post things that inspire and fascinate me.  I'll share ventures and projects I'm currently working on, and even post some movie reviews.  I hope you'll enjoy reading this as much as I'll enjoy writing it.