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The Best And Worst Films And TV/Web Shows Of 2014

The Best And Worst Films And TV/Web Shows Of 2014

2014 may have been a rather gloomy year in the world, but from a film and television perspective, there was much to admire.

As most people know, film studios traditionally save their best films for the end of the year, but 2014 was a strangely top heavy year. The box office may have been down in the summer, but most of my personal favorites came from that season (which is a real rarity to say the least). Likewise, a majority of the best new and returning TV series came early in the year with the fall primarily being filled with little more than network tripe.

Anyway, enough of my yammering, on with the list!  

Best Films:

1. Godzilla- As a writer and a lifelong monster movie fan, 2014’s “Godzilla” was the kaiju movie I have been waiting to see my whole life. From the film’s massive scale to the riveting final 20 minutes, “Godzilla” was a cinematic dream come true.
2. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes- Between the meaty script and the next level motion capture work, this Apes sequel/prequel was one of the few films that wowed me this year.
3. Boyhood- Once again, Richard Linklater proves why he is one of the best modern filmmakers.
4. Snowpiercer- The most surprising, refreshing, and original sci-fi film of the year.
5. Birdman- Iñárritu’s latest work is a fresh and thematically rich head trip.
6. Life Itself- A deeply emotional and fitting tribute to film critic Roger Ebert.
7. Only Lovers Left Alive- An existential vampire film directed by indie auteur Jim Jarmusch. What more needs to be said?
8. Guardians of the Galaxy- A Grootastic Marvel movie/space opera that proved comic book movies are more than just superheroes.
9. Whiplash- As absurd as the story may be at times, the intensity of the performances and scenes make this one a winner.
10. The Zero Theorem- A perfect companion piece to Terry Gilliam’s classic “Brazil.”

Notables: “Frank,” “Big Hero 6,” “Still Alice,” “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “The Railway Man,” “Enemy,” “Wrinkles,” “Locke,” “Blue Ruin,” “The Guest,” “St. Vincent,” “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “Big Bad Wolves,” “Love Is Strange,” “Edge of Tomorrow,” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (I grew up on TMNT in the 80’s, so sue me).

Special Mention: “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” teaser trailer.

Worst Films:

1. Leprechaun: Origins- Proof positive that not every reboot needs to be dark and serious. The “Leprechaun” franchise thrived on campy humor and is lifeless without it.
2. Transformers: Age of Extinction- The first 3 “Transformers” films were mindless entertainment, but this fourth installment was an endurance test.
3. Need For Speed- Just when you thought video game movies couldn’t get any worse…
4. Rio 2- An unbearable sequel to an unbearable animated movie.
5. Knights of Badassdom- Claims of massive edits aside, nothing could save this woefully unfunny horror-comedy.
6. V/H/S: Viral- The third time is not the charm for the “V/H/S” franchise.
7. Maleficent- An infuriating Disney film that waters down a classic Disney villain.
8. All Cheerleaders Die- A head scratching flop from the usually inventive Lucky McKee.

Best TV/Web Series:

1. Fargo- Billy Bob Thornton’s performance alone is worthy of a number 1 listing.
2. Sherlock- The rare series which improves with each season.
3. Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 6: The Lost Missions- Even though the series was cancelled far too soon, Lucasfilm was kind enough to finish up 13 episodes that were deep into production. What we got were some of the best episodes of the entire series.
4. Silicon Valley- Mike Judge is back and better than ever with this uproarious HBO series.
5. Orange Is The New Black- The sophomore season was as addicting and rewarding as the debut season.
6. Sonic Highways- An inspiring documentary series about music, cities, culture, and the creative process. Oh, and you also get to hear great Foo Fighters tunes too.
7. Total Riff Off- The only thing as funny as RiffTrax are these Nat Geo specials with the RiffTrax guys.
8. Bates Motel- I can’t get enough of the warped adventures of Norma and Norman Bates thanks to the incredible performances by Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore.
9. Tie- Doctor Who and Game of Thrones- The eighth series of “Doctor Who” was decidedly hit-and-miss, but actor Peter Capaldi went above and beyond expectations as the 12^th Doctor. The fourth season of “Game of Thrones” may not have been on par with the first two seasons, but we finally got to witness many long awaited game changing moments.
10. Inside The Box- There are a lot of entertaining board game shows on the net, but there’s nothing quite like this off the wall ‘Monty Python’ esque review show.

Notables: “Homeland,” “Inside No. 9,” “Check It Out With Dr. Steve Brule,” “In The Flesh,” “The Strain,” “The Legend of Korra,” “Star Wars Rebels,” “Spellslingers,” “Toy Hunter,” “Flash,” “American Ninja Warrior,” “ Too Many Cooks,” “TableTop,” “The Dice Tower With Tom Vasel,” and “Toy Story That Time Forgot.”

Worst TV Series:

1. The Leftovers- More Damon Lindelof nonsense.
2. Girl Meets World- “Boy Meets World” fans deserved better than this cringe worthy and overwritten spin-off.
3. Gotham- A colossally inept and poorly executed series.
4. Salem- Bland and uninspired.
5. Helix- Dear SyFy, please get it together in 2015. Sincerely, all sci-fi fans.

That’s a wrap!

December 31, 2014 - Posted by nicklyons1 | News | All Cheerleaders Die, American Ninja Warrior, Bates Motel, Best Films of 2014, Best TV Shows Of 2014, Best Web Series Of 2014, Big Bad Wolves, Big Hero 6, Billy Bob Thornton, Birdman, Blue Ruin, Boyhood, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Check It Out! With Dr. Steve Brule, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Doctor Who, Edge of Tomorrow, Enemy, Fargo, Flash, Frank, Game Of Thrones, Girl Meets World, Godzilla 2014, Gotham, Groot, Guardians of the Galaxy, Helix, Homeland, In The Flesh, Inside No. 9, Inside The Box, Jim Jarmusch, Knights of Badassdom, Leprechaun: Origins, Life Itself, Locke, Love Is Strange, Maleficent, Michael Fassbender, Need For Speed, Only Lovers Left Alive, Orange Is The New Black, Rifftrax, Rio 2, Roger Ebert, Salem, Sherlock, Silicon Valley, Snowpiercer, Sonic Highways, Spellslingers, St. Vincent, Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars- The Clone Wars, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Still Alice, SyFy, Tabletop, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2014, The Best And Worst Films And TV/Web Shows Of 2014, The Dice Tower With Tom Vasel, The Guest, The Leftovers, The Legend of Korra, The Railway Man, The Strain, The Zero Theorem, Too Many Cooks, Total Riff Off, Toy Hunter, Toy Story That Time Forgot, Transformers: Age of Extinction, V/H/S: Viral, Whiplash, Worst Films of 2014, Wrinkles, X-Men: Days of Future Past