At the motion picture show...
Welcome to the first ever blog post written using my new combination of iPad and Apple Wireless Keyboard. This is quite handy. I can get used to this.
The only issue I'm having right now is that that iPad version of Safari doesn't allow for rich-text formatting with the WYSIWYG editor of my blogware. Oh well, I guess I get to do HTML formatting. That'll be fun. Especially with a post like this.
For my first iPad'd post and my final 2011 post, I present you with Kapgar's Top 10 Movies of 2011.
Huzzah! Huzzah!
So, in ascending order from 10 to 1, here you go...
10. Moneyball
Maybe I'm just the exception in that I have a wife who loves sports... and sports movies. Throw into that the fact that she loves math and you've got a winner in a movie like Moneyball all about how Billy Beane built up the Oakland Athletics from a losing team to one that won with a bunch of no-names based solely on mathematical probability of them working together as a team and getting done what needed to be done. Do check this out. It's actually a lot more exciting than it may sound.
9. The Muppets
Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and all the Muppets characters we grew up loving together on the big screen? EPIC WIN! God I love the Muppets. I need to see this again.
8. My Week With Marilyn
This was one of those movies you hear about and forget about until you happen to see that it's showing at local theaters at a time that works with your schedule. It's the story of Marilyn Monroe and her work on the set of Laurence Olivier's film The Prince and the Showgirl and the relationship she developed with Third Assistant Director Colin Clark. It was simply amazing with an absolutely unforgettable performance from Michelle Williams as Monroe. You completely forget that it's Williams and only see Monroe. There had better be a nomination in her future.
7. Bridesmaids
I don't care what anybody says, this film is easily the best raunch comedy of the year, far better than it's direct competitor, The Hangover 2. Do I really need to explain what it's about? No, I didn't think so. It's just a fun movie with incredibly strong comedic performances that can be watched over and over again without losing any fun factor.
6. Captain America: The First Avenger
I had been looking forward to this film for quite a while. As much as I've loved other superhero/comic book films, this is easily my favorite of the bunch. I love WWII films, even fictional ones (Inglourious Basterds remains a favorite), and I love superheros. Chris Evans owned this film and his performance and I cannot wait to see him in next summer's The Avengers.
5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
Wow! Wow! Wow! The final film in the Harry Potter series was one helluva high note on which to go out. I'm sure it helped that we were able to go to the theater and see both part 1 and 2 back to back. It certainly made the first one that much more enjoyable. Man, what are we going to do without Harry Potter films to look forward to.
4. Cedar Rapids
Okay, I suppose this film qualifies as borderline raunch and, therefore, be a higher-ranked raunch comedy than Bridesmaids, but the level of naive innocence given the film from Ed Helm's character insurance-hawking Tim Lippe makes it a different sort of comedy in my mind. And it's so much fun. Tim Lippe is a small-town bumpkin of an insurance salesman who ventures forth to the big scary city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to the national convention for his company and gets a big education in life. If you haven't seen it, why the hell not??? Holds up well to multiple viewings as well. Always a good sign.
3. The Help
Another story that all of you should already know about considering the release buzz it received along with all the pre-award season talk that it's garnered. It's worth it, too. A fantastic story that is a highly faithful adaptation of its source novel with great performances and strong social appeal. It's on DVD. Please give it a watch.
2. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
A movie such as this, which is a Hollywood retelling of a highly famous Swedish murder mystery novel that was already adapted into a Swedish-language film that has received major kudos the world over is a risky proposition. But Director David Fincher does a damn fine job with this movie about disgraced investigative reporter Mikhael Blomqvist researching a 40-year-old murder of a young girl with the help of troubled investigator Lisbeth Salander. I actually enjoyed this version of the film much more than the Swedish version and that's not some kind of xenophobia talking here. It struck me as more faithful to Stieg Larsson's novel (minus a few ultimately forgivable variances) and the performance by Rooney Mara as Salander puts Noomi Rapace's performance to shame. Maybe I need to give the Swedish version another look-see, but Mara just embodied the character more than Rapace. Sorry if you don't agree.
1. Hugo
I'm not sure I need to say much more than I already have about this film. It's simply incredible and worth the full-ticket theatrical price... if you can still find it in theaters.
Honorable Mentions go to Mission: Impossible 4 – Ghost Protocol and Crazy Stupid Love. Both were great movies and only barely missed the cut.
Some other movies I still want to see that came out this year include Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Colombiana, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Real Steel, Warrior, The Debt, Cowboys & Aliens, and Beginners. I dunno if any of then would've made my list, but you never know until you watch.
What were some of your favorite trips to the big screen this year?
Be sure to check out this http://wingstand.com/
It's two clips made for a apple wireless keyboard that supports an iPad or iPhone. I think you need a flat surface for the iPad (I don't have one, yet) but it supports my iPhone by just putting the keyboard in my lap!
I bought one when it was a Kickstarter project and I love it.
Posted by: Gary LaPointe | Monday, 02 January 2012 at 12:07 AM
That's kinda cool. My wife actually got me the Origami Workstation. The keyboard clips into a portfolio that folds back and creates a display stand for the iPad.
Posted by: kapgar | Monday, 02 January 2012 at 07:31 AM
Other than Hugo and Bridsmaids, I've not seen the othr movies. Oh wait, I did see Harry Potter 7 part 2 and it wasa great end to the series.
Hugo... A wonderful movie that worked so well n many levels.
Bridesmaids... Other than Melssa McCarthy's role, I didn't like it so much. I didn't see Hangover 2, so there's ot much of a comparison there for me. I've promised many people that I would rewatch the movieto see if it took in a repeated viewing.
Blogging from the iPad... I use WordPress for my blogs, and there's an app for that. Not sure if the is a TypePad app. But I know from a reading blog on the iPad experience, Reeder for iPad works well.
Posted by: Marty Mankins | Monday, 02 January 2012 at 10:20 AM
There is a Typepad app for iPhone but I haven't looked into one for iPad yet. And I'll definitely check out Reader, faster if you tell me that it will import my feeds automatically from Google Reader. Please?
Sent from my iPad
Posted by: kapgar | Monday, 02 January 2012 at 11:20 AM
Reeder for iPad is exclusively for Google Reader. The feed sync works great, so that everything you read on it, gets updated to Google. The app is $4.99, but so well worth it. Kevin Spencer got hooked on it as well. And they now have a version for Mac, but I'm comfortable accessing it via a web browser.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/reeder-for-ipad/id375661689?mt=8
Posted by: Marty Mankins | Monday, 02 January 2012 at 11:24 AM
Awesome! And I got several iTunes gift cards over the holidays!
Posted by: kapgar | Monday, 02 January 2012 at 12:00 PM