Ripping Good Yarns: My Year In 2014 Movies

I would love for this to be about any movie I saw during 2014, regardless of what year it was released, but I failed to note most of those, and instead am relying on a list of movies that came out in 2014, and am selecting my favorites from among those.  This year, 2015, I am going to try to keep a full log of those movies I see, both in the theaters and at home, so I can do a more complete selection.

Some 2014 movies are not in my favorites, possibly because I haven't see them yet.  I have high hopes for such 2014 movies as Birdman and Selma, but they haven't come to an area near me.  Alison and I saw The Theory of Everything last week, and it would definitely be on this list had I seen it in 2014.

Here are my  top seven 2014 movies seen in 2014:

7)  X-Men: Days of Future Past

Wow!  This movie had a lot of characters in it!  It had Alison's favorite (Wolverine), and my favorite (Kitty Pryde, Shadowcat).  The plot was exciting and fast, and covered several time periods/

6)  Gone Girl

Very well done thriller, with some fascinating twists and turns.  Alison and I saw it in St. Simons as an anniversary movie, and had a delicious meal at an Italian place just across from the movie theatre.

5) The Grand Budapest Hotel

I don't always like Wes Anderson directed films as much as some others do, but this one was first rate.  Got to see this movie at my son Greg's place in Pasadena.  He was able to stream it to his television, and I watched with Alison and all three Strait boys, and Greg's dog, Indiana.  Great movie, great company!

4) Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

I have rarely seen as finely tuned of a science fiction movie as this one, hitting all the right notes, and effecting you on a both an intellectual and emotional level.

3)  The Lego Movie

Everything was awesome!  Best Benjamin/Daddy movie of the year!  It was a real treat to take him to see this.  A high energy, fun movie, with much to appeal to both kids and adults.

2) Captain America: The Winter Soldier

I loved this movie.  As much like a good comic book as anything I've seen.  The spy/secret agent feel was amazing, the supporting cast awesome, the special effects breathtaking, and the 1940s greatest generation spirit of Captain America makes my liberal/progressive heart soar!

1) Guardians of the Galaxy

Nothing was better in 2014.  Nothing.  Quirky characters in the best space adventure since Star Wars.

If this list seems top heavy with blockbusters, part of that is because that's what I normally get out to see in the theater in the year the movies come out.  The movie prices are such that you want to see those that the theater experience makes more special.

Oh, crap!  I have to get to work, but I forgot the latest Hobbit movie.  It was very good, and would rank in the top 5 had I remembered it in time.  That's The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies.


Sigh.  If I thought more, I'm sure there's more I could come up with.  Oh, well.

See you at the movies!