[YMS] Alright, guys. It's well
past that time of the year again. Sorry it came so late, but here's
my top ten films of 2013. For those of you new
to my channel, here's a quick run-down
of how these things usually go. So far, every year has had more than ten
films that I want to put on my list, so instead of having a redundant
"honorable mentions" category, I just make my list to be longer than ten. If somehow there were only two movies
in the entire year that were worth mentioning, then my list
would be two movies long. Now, even though this video took me
months longer than I thought it would, these lists usually come pretty late
compared to other reviewers. Reason being is: the earlier you make
your list, the more films you're excluding from
being on your list. Sometimes a great movie doesn't even have
a Blu-ray release until fourteen months after the year is over. So it makes sense to wait a bit
if you don't want to exclude films for simply being foreign
or independent. As for me, I watch way
too many movies. The vast majority of them
are complete shit, but if I can introduce you
to at least one movie you love, then it's worth it,
and I've done my job. If you see something that
looks interesting to you, please check it out and let me know
if you liked it in the comments section. Now, before getting
to the actual list, I thought I'd give some quick mentions
to my guilty pleasures of the year. These are films that I enjoyed
very much on a personal level. But at the same time,
I can understand that they're not necessarily
great films. So, in no particular order, let's start off
the guilty pleasures with Grand Piano. The film stars Elijah Wood,
and is written by the writer/director of Whiplash, Damien Chazelle.
This movie is kind of dumb and flawed, but it's a lot of fun,
and I love watching it. Despite its cheese, the camera work was
actually pretty well done at times. As someone that plays piano,
I could tell that Elijah Wood's performance was cheated, but it was
still cheated pretty well. Still, some aspects of the plot
and presentation were a little questionable. It's incredibly cheesy, and just
to move things along, I'll let this clip from the
trailer speak for itself. [Clip] ♪ (orchestra playing) ♪ Get back on stage. ♪ (orchestra playing) ♪ Now you know the meaning
of stage fright. ♪ (orchestra playing) ♪ Call for help, and I will hear it.
Get a guard involved, I will know it. If you do any of these things,
your wife will die. Play a wrong note
and you will die. [YMS] Another guilty pleasure of mine
from 2013 was Escape From Tomorrow, a weird and creepy film noir filmed in
Disneyland without their permission. Apparently Disney is well aware
of the Streisand effect and has decided not to make
a big fuss about it. The movie has kind of a twisted sense of humor
that I found myself enjoying quite a bit. I'm also quite fond of the contrast
in having the color sucked out of the happiest place on earth. Now, this is far from a masterful film,
and parts of it are pretty stupid, but the movie doesn't take itself
too seriously in the first place. I mean, quite honestly, it's more
of a comedy than anything. And I kind of love that it exists.
If, for whatever reason, you're not interesed in
checking out this film, then please do yourself a favor
and, at least, check out the soundtrack, 'cause it is shockingly great,
especially for this kind of film. It's definitely not for everybody,
but if this looks like fun for you, then check it out. [Clip] ♪ (cheerful music) ♪ [maniacal laughter] ♪ (cheerful music) ♪ This is so cute! ♪ (cheerful music) ♪ - Look at flying Pooh!
- Hey baby. ♪ (cheerful music) ♪ - No, honey. What are you doing? No! Honey!
- What? What are you worried about? - The kids! Not now!
- Come on! ♪ (cheerful music) ♪
[quiet arguing, maniacal laughter] - Nobody's around! Come on!
- What are you...? Take your... ♪ (cheerful music) ♪
[quiet arguing] Honey! Not here.
No. Not in front of the kids! No. Stop.
[laughs] [Party horns] Jim! Jim!
[Party horns] ♪ (cheerful music) ♪ [YMS] Another 2013 guilty pleasure
for me is Spring Breakers. Now, this movie is pretty
fucking polarizing. Many people walked into this movie
thinking it was the very dumb garbage that it was actually satirizing. Others that knew more about
the director of this film wound up praising it
as a genius piece of art. As for me, I'm somewhere
down the middle. I can see everything that it was going for,
but I still don't think it was exactly genius. Still, I'm recommending it because, to me,
this is a very fun movie to watch while you're drunk. James Franco is not only great
at playing his character, but he is hilariously entertaining. And hearing him whisper the words
"spring break" over top of the film as it goes on is one of
the funniest things to me. I watch this movie as a comedy, and I
think it's a pretty funny one at that. So if you think you can handle it,
then check it out. [Clip] You girls are different
from the rest. I knew y'all was special
from the moment I saw you. It's in your eyes.
It's written on your faces. I wanna make you happy.
I want us all to fall in love. Let's cause some trouble now.
Live life to the fullest. Spring break...
Spring break for ever. [laughs] [YMS] Another guilty pleasure
from 2013 is The Dirties. It's my understanding that some of you
will probably think that this belongs on my actual list, and not
my guilty pleasures list, but because of the budget, this movie
does have some presentation issues. There were a few moments in the
film where all I could think was, "Oh, this is because of the
ridiculously small budget." Still, with a budget of just
thirty-thousand dollars, this film is kind of a fucking
miracle in that sense. This film serves as not only a great comedy,
but also a love letter to cinema, with the entire thing being absolutely
filled with references to classic movies. And if you're a film-lover like me,
that brings an extra level of enjoyment. Their DVD/Blu-ray covers are also
parodies of popular film covers. If you're a collector like me, I would
get one of these as soon as possible, because they are selling out. I would've loved to have had the
Memento cover, but alas, I was too late. Still, these ones are pretty fucking cool.
If this looks like your cup of tea, then check it out. [Clip] I started thinking about
writing songs, even any little- Owen, what about this? For the shooting? [laughs] [Mimics gun shot] I guess it's not safe because this - what?
We're promoting a choking hazard. What did they say as a kid?
"You'll die"? Bags used to say that. "Put this over child's head
and the child will die." - They say it'll suffocate.
- Will suffocate? Well, what the hell is this? I'm fine! What about this shirt?
Is this shirt too much? Is this one perfect? Can you...? Crazy... killers. Always...
obsessed with Catcher in the Rye. I like how you're wearing that
hunting hat. The way you, like... No! Wrong! That's better. - The point is, isn't this wicked?
- Yes. School shooting. This is the Catcher
in the Rye-themed school shooting. It's like we're planning a prom. [YMS] And the last movie on my
list of 2013 guilty pleasures is Everything is Terrible!
Does the Hip-Hop. Everything is Terrible! is a website
that takes old, bad VHS footage and turns it into
consumable entertainment. Many people watch them for their
short videos, but I personally love their movies the most. 2 Everything 2 Terrible Tokyo
Drift is my favorite. Now, with Everything is Terrible!
Does the Hip-Hop, this one's approach is a little different than
the other ones I've seen. Basically, they took a bunch of hip hop
segments and threw them together, but they put in the effort to have it synch up,
so that it plays as one continuous song. And boy, is it ever fun.
Now, for the sake of disclosure, I will mention that I'm Facebook friends
with a few of these guys, and two of them did crash
at my house one time. But also keep in mind that I've
mentioned them on this channel before any of that, so this
recommendation is genuine. It's super fun, it's nostalgic,
and it's great to have fun with a bunch of drunk people,
so go check it out. [Clip, singing] Heads up! Get busy! ♪ (hip-hop music) ♪ [Rapping] Don't play with drugs or alcohol
'Cause if you do, you're sure to fall. Don't make your life a total mess,
Hitch up with us, and be the best. Look out! ♪ (hip-hop music) ♪ What ya'll doing to your bodies?
Popcorn. Potato chips. Candy. Soda pop. This ain't good, you got
to keep your bodies in shape. I'm going to have to get you
in shape my way. Come on, let's go. It don't take a dingus
to be able to see That we have got to push ourselves
and be all we can be. [YMS] Alright, now that that's out of the way,
let's get to my actual list. Try your best to keep in mind
that just because a movie might be listed as 2012 on IMDB,
doesn't necessarily make it a 2012 movie. There's a lot of different variables
that come into play, like film festivals, and different
geographic release dates. So just trust that these are
at least 2013 movies for me, even if you might think that one of
them should be in a different year. Starting off this list at number
nineteen is The Congress. Anyone who was a fan of the film
Waltz with Bashir from my 2008 list might want to check this out,
because it is the same director. Now, I think Waltz
with Bashir is a lot better, and these are very different movies,
but The Congress is great in its own way. The film is set in a not-too-distant dystopian
future, where Robin Wright plays herself. I don't want to give away
too much about the plot, but let's just say it's one of the most
unique and creative films that I've seen in
a very long time. I also quite enjoyed the movie's
commentary on the film industry, with one of the prominent characters
being a studio executive for Miramount, an intentional play on words that mixes
the name Miramax with Paramount. Now, this film does have a few presentation
issues - hence being so low on this list. There were a couple of scenes that were
more difficult to take seriously than others, one person's age-makeup was a little off, and
some it just didn't make all that much sense. But trust me when I say that this
movie more than makes up for it. Love it or hate it, but this film has
'cult classic' written all over it. Now, this is one of those movies where the less
you know about it beforehand, the better, so don't look up trailers, don't look up posters,
don't look up anything; just watch it. [Clip] Robin... Your career's almost over.
You fell of the top a long time ago. In the economy of scanned actors...
you're not worth... two bucks. We're at war, Robin. Any actor who hasn't
signed in the next six months is dead. Gone. Characters erased
from the screen forever. You'll be back, on all fours,
begging me to sample you. And, and... what is it, that I
have to do, to make this happen? Nothing. Just sign.
Half a day of scanning. - That's it?
- That's it. That, and you must agree never
to act again. Anywhere. For all eternity. [YMS] At number eighteen is Blackfish,
a documentary about killer whales and Sea World's unethical
business practices. This is quite the captivating documentary,
and just like The Cove, it functions as a great
documentary on its own without resorting to being one
of those sappy PETA films. Putting all emotion and politics aside,
this is still a very well-made documentary. It's well paced and well edited,
and I was kind of blown away by how much accompanying
footage they had. To have so much footage of these
events as they happen, rather than just people's
eye-witness accounts, not only brings legitimacy to what
they're saying, but also makes the film a lot more disturbing. This film has generated so much
controversy that Sea World's stock has plummeted since its release. Anyway, I thought this documentary was
pretty well made overall, so go check it out. [Clip] Because the whales in their pools die young,
they like to say that all orcas die at 25 or 30 years. - 25 to 35 years.
- 25 to 35 years. They're documented in
the wild living 35 - mid-30s. They tend to live a lot longer in this environment
'cause they have all the veterinary care. And of course that's false. We knew by
1980, after a half a dozen years of the research, that they live equivalent to human life spans.
And every other potentially embarassing fact is twisted and turned and
denied one way or another. - So, in the wild they live...
- Less. Less. And then when... Like, the floppy dorsel fins... 25% of whales have a fin that
turns over like that, as they get older. Dorsal collapse happens in less than 1%
of wild killer whales. We know this. All the captive males... 100%
have collapsed dorsal fins. [YMS] At number seventeen on this list
is a French film called Young & Beautiful. The story's about a seventeen-year-old girl
who decides to start working as a call girl after losing her virginity. Based on that plot, you should expect
that the film is somewhat sexual. And even though this film
is somewhat adult, it never really feels
gratuitous and pornographic. I mean, it's probably not the kind of
movie you're going to want to watch with your parents,
but keep in mind that this movie is much more about
the story and characters than it is about the sex. Not only is it well shot
and very well acted, but the score for the film
is also pretty fucking great. If this seems interesting
to you, then check it out. [YMS] At number sixteen is
Before Midnight by Richard Linklater. Now, this film is actually the third in
a trilogy, the first being Before Sunrise in 1995 and the second being
Before Sunset in 2004. Now, personally, I consider it to be very
important to watch the other films first. You could still watch, enjoy, and
understand this movie on its own, but watching the other films first
adds a lot more to the experience. And it is quite something to see these
characters we love grow over time. It should come as no surprise that
this is the same director as Boyhood. In my opinion, these films
are a lot better than Boyhood. The Before Trilogy is mostly dialogue,
but it never really feels boring or stale, and a lot of that is in part due
to these characters' chemistry. Both the actors and characters are able
to work off of each other very naturally. It's almost hard to believe that
watching two people talk could be so entertaining
until you actually see the movies. Now, they're all great,
but out of all three of them, this is probably the worst. This one in particular starts off
a little slower than the other ones, but it does build up
as it goes along. Like I said, though,
all three of them are great, and I hope we see
another one in 2022. So check out the first movie,
and if you fall in love with these characters, like I did,
then you might even want to watch the director's film called Waking Life,
in between the first and second movie, which includes a four-minute scene
featuring these exact same characters. Waking Life is also a great movie
that I would recommend, but it's not an absolute necessity
when watching this trilogy because, honestly, most of the movie
has nothing to do with them. Anyway, if this looks good
to you, then check it out. [Clip] Last night, I had this dream
where I was reading a book, okay? It was a lost classic.
"The Rovers". - The Rovers?
- Yeah, like roving around. You know, wandering.
It was all these young people. - Okay. Is that a real book?
- No, no, no. But it was really great. It was fresh, funny, experimental,
it had all this energy... I love that you read books
in your dreams. I know, I know!
They're always really good. I have, like, major action hero dreams,
like I'm flying around like a superhero, breaking through walls... And at the end...
I have an orgasm. [laughs] I'm going to try to make
your dreams come true, baby. Eek! ♪ (soft romantic music) ♪ [YMS] At number fifteen
on my list is Frances Ha. I shit you not, the last two people
I mentioned this movie to said, "Is that a movie about
a Chinese guy?" Frances Ha is a film from
acclaimed director Noah Baumbach. He directed The Squid and the Whale,
and he also co-wrote Fantastic Mr Fox with Wes Anderson. Frances Ha makes for a
really entertaining character study, but it's also heartfelt
and it's really funny. Unlike a lot of other films that
have decided to present themselves in black and white,
this film actually feels very retro. Which is saying a lot when
so many other modern black and white films feel way
too modern in their approach. Anyway, don't just just take my word for it:
Quentin Tarantino included this film in his top 10 of 2013 as well.
Just check it out. - You want to move in with me? Yeah?
- Yeah! Yes! I mean, I do have this other thing.
- What other thing? Well, I don't know. I promised Sophie
I'd stay through the lease, and she'll probably want to renew it. Is that bad? I'm sorry, I feel bad. Can't she find someone else? - Yeah, but it's my friend.
- Uh-huh. - I want to move in with you.
- Okay. - I feel bad.
- Don't feel bad, forget it. - No, what?
- Nothing! - You're mad.
- I'm not mad, I'm disappointed. - I feel bad.
- Stop feeling bad. Frances... I asked you to move
in with me, you said no. - But I can't!
- You can, you don't want to. [Phone rings] - Who is it?
- It's okay, I don't have to get it. - Who is it?
- It's Sophie. I'll just call her back later. - Just pick up the phone. Answer it.
- Are you sure? Yo, girl, what's up?
[laughs] [YMS] At number 14 on this list is
Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street. Now, I've come to understand that
some people don't like this movie because it's a little
too similar to Goodfellas. And while they do kind of
hit the same beats, I would say they're pretty
dramatically different in tone, because The Wolf of Wall Street
makes for one hilarious comedy. Leo DiCaprio was great as always.
Jonah Hill was surprisingly great. Everything in this film is just
so fun, fast-paced and action-packed, that you barely even notice
the three-hour runtime. I've also heard some complaints
about the morality of this movie, so keep in mind that the film
does not endorse any of the actions by any of the characters. Whether you walk out of the movie
thinking that the main character was an awesome guy or a piece of shit,
that's completely up for you to interpret. Either way, this movie was
incredibly entertaining for me, so I'd suggest you check it out. [Clip] Get the fuck...
Fucking smoke crack with me, bro. - I'm not fucking doing it.
- C'mon, smoke crack. Smoke some fucking
crack with me, bro. - One hit. One hit. That's it.
- Okay. - Fucking nut job.
- Smoke... smoke some... ♪ (cheerful music) ♪ [moans and sighs] Wow! [laughs] Wow. [laughs] Let's go run, huh? We gotta
get out of here, buddy. We gotta get out of here.
Let's go fucking run! Let's run like we're fucking lions
and tigers and bears! Let's run! Let's fucking run!
Let's fucking run! Go! Go, go, go, go! [YMS] Number thirteen on
this list is Tom at the Farm, from writer-director
Xavier Dolan. So far, his movies have only
gotten better and better, with his newest film Mommy
being my favorite. If there's one word I would use
to describe this movie, it would be "weird". The film is eerie and mysterious,
but also has a good sense of humor. If you're not paying attention the whole
movie, you might get a little confused. It's not as though the story
is all that complicated, but the way that information is revealed
in the movie is done in such a way that it isn't exactly
spoon-fed to you. The film not only tells a unique
story, but its presentation has some cool
choices in it, too. One of them you should notice
by watching this clip. If you like what you see, then
I suggest checking it out. [YMS] At number twelve,
we have No, a movie set in 1988 Chile
focusing on an ad executive responsible for the "No" campaign
against Augusto Pinochet. The entire film was shot on the same
kind of cameras that were commonly used for television in 1980's Chile. And it gives the film a very interesting
and fun to watch style. And, more importantly, you've still got
a great movie, even if you take that out of the equation. Gael García Bernal is fantastic as usual,
and the film makes a lot of great statements on advertising, public perception,
politics, and propaganda. There's a lot of political movies out there,
but this one offers a fresh perspective. So, I'd recommend
checking this one out. [YMS] At number eleven is
The Dance of Reality, by Alejandro Jodorowsky. Now, I love this film, but it is
probably the least accessible out of everything on this list. If you find yourself intimidated by films
that don't stick to a standard narrative, then this might not be
the one to start with. Even regardless, I would actually recommend
watching The Holy Mountain before this one. The Holy Mountain is currently
my favorite movie, and it would be a good place
to start to get used to his style. What I love about Jodorowsky is that everything
about his art seems so open and transparent. His films are very spiritual, and although
I'm not a very spiritual person, it's clear to me that everything he puts into
his art has a personal sense of purpose for him. Now, although his films are far from literal,
it's usually not too difficult to see the ideas he's getting at
in each scene. Keep in mind that, although
it's obviously personal, it's not supposed to be
taken extremely seriously. A lot of what he winds up showing
is intentionally absurdist. And, to me, that adds
to the entertainment. There are only really a couple of issues
that I have with this movie. One of the performances in one of the scenes
wasn't as good as it could've been, and there were a couple of moments
where the point he was trying to make was a little too obvious, but regardless,
I still think this that movie is great. It's definitively no Holy Mountain,
but it is worth checking out. [YMS] At number ten is
The World's End by Edgar Wright. This is technically the
third film in a trilogy, but since each of the films have completely
different stories and characters, they are stand-alone movies. Now, I've seen everything he's made
since his TV series Spaced, and I've got to say everything I've
seen has been absolute gold. If I could make my 2010 list all over
again, Scott Pilgrim would be on it. As I've mentioned on this channel before,
I was pretty disappointed for him not to be directing Ant-Man,
because his skills as a director separate him from nearly everybody else
working in comedy right now. If you still need some convincing,
then I strongly encourage you to watch this video by Tony Zhou
from Every Frame a Painting. If you've not checked out this guy's channel
yet, let me just say thay it's better than mine! Anyway, The World's End is probably
the worst out of the trilogy, but just like Before Midnight,
it is still worthy of this list. I do like how, for this film, they
decided to change up the dynamic between the characters of
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. The humor, both spoken and visual,
is on point, as usual, but I guess my only complaint for this film
when comparing it to the two others in the trilogy is that the main antagonist in this film
didn't feel all that threatening. Every other element from Shaun
of the Dead and Hot Fuzz is still there, but having a threatening antagonist
that makes you feel a sense of urgency and consequence is something that
Shawn of the Dead and Hot Fuzz both did better than this film. Like I said, though, still great,
still entertaining, and still hilarious. [Clip] - So, tell me more.
- About what? Crowning Glory. Is it nutty?
Is it foamy? Is it hoppy? Does it have a surprisingly fruity
note which lingers on the tongue? Hm... It's beer. Hm... We'll have five
of those, please. No. Sorry. Can we have four of
those, and a tap water, please? What?! I don't believe this. A man of your legendary prowess
drinking fucking rain. It's like seeing a... a lion
eating some hummus. - Doesn't make any sense.
- I know it doesn't make any sense. You seriously have a problem with me
not drinking, after what happened? - I don't. But King Arthur does.
- Oh, this'll be good. What's King Arthur
got to do with it? Do you honestly think that King Arthur
came back from the Battle of Hastings, - fucking rocked up at Arthur's Castle...
- Camelot. ...walked up to the bar and went,
"Hello. Could I have a tap water?" No, because they didn't have
running water in Arthurian times. Exactly! He would have had a mead.
The King Arthur of beers. [YMS] At number nine on
this list is Prisoners, by French-Canadian director
Denis Villeneuve. This is the same guy that directed Incendies,
that placed fairly high on my 2010 list, and he's currently in pre-production
to be directing a Blade Runner sequel. Based on films like these ones, I'd say
there's hope that it's in good hands. Prisoners is a gripping thriller
that goes by the books, but better. The vast majority of it is shot so well that
it almost has kind of a David Fincher vibe to it. Now, some people consider this movie
to be on the same level as any other random Hollywood thriller,
which is a little sad, because this film does
so much more than that. The cinematography is
incredibly impressive, the children in this movie
actually act like children, and, to top it off, there's some
fantastic performances in this movie, with Hugh Jackman's acting abilities
being used to their full potential. Now, obviously, the movie isn't perfect.
There is one performance in this movie that wasn't all that great, and it
does feel slightly clichéd at points, but with everything this movie
accomplished successfully, it's hard not to give it
proper credit. If what you're looking for is a well-made
thriller that's accessible to most everyone, then I would recommend
checking this one out. [Clip] Did you give him a lie detector?
You gave us a lie... Did you give him one? Sir, I understand what you're asking me.
Yes, we did. We gave him a lie detector,
and there's no way of... [brief nervous laughter] A lie detector doesn't work
if you don't understand the questions. Well, maybe he wasn't on his own.
How could he drive an RV - if he has an I.Q. of a 10-year-old?
- Hey. We're considering all possibilities. - I don't think you are considering...
- No, I hear what you're saying. Sir... Now, you listen to me.
Shut the fuck up for a fucking second! [sobbing] This is what I'm gonna
need you to do for me. I need you to calm down. I'm sorry. I'm... sorry. Please, listen to me for a second. Mr. Dover, I understand
this is an incredibly hard time, but I have every uniformed police
officer in this state looking for Anna. I don't understand what any
of this means. They said he ran. They said he tried to get away. I don't
understand why he would try to run away. We're considering all
possibilities, Mr. Dover. [YMS] Number eight on this list is
Blue Jasmine from Woody Allen. Cate Blanchett won Best
Female Performance for ths movie and I've got to say
it was well-deserved. If you like dramas/comedies with strong,
interesting and well-performed characters, then this movie is for you. Cate Blanchett plays an affluent woman
who finds herself needing to move back in with her not-so-affluent sister.
Watching both of these actors perform is the highlight of the movie,
because they both do an outstanding job. Seriously, there's so many subtleties
in Cate Blanchett's performance that none of the other nominations
came even close for me. The story is clever and well-written,
appropriately jumping back and forth between past and present,
with each new piece of information bringing more context to the
characters and their struggles. This is a fantastic film and I'd
recommend it to everybody. [Clip] So, what are you gonna
study in college, Jasmine, then? Let me guess. A nurse. Huh? Is that how
I impress you? A nurse? You got something against nurses?
My sister's a nurse. Nurses are very hot to go to bed with. [scoff] Because they have extensive knowledge
of how the human body works. Careful what you accuse my sister of. No, I'm just saying, I know
quite a few good nurses... Chili, why don't
we change the subject? You know, you think you're being
charming, but you're not. You always stare into
space like that? I had a friend who used
to do that, all the time, but there was something
wrong with him. He was epileptic. I'm not epileptic. If you see the waitress, I'd like another
Stoli Martini with a twist of lemon. So, what are you
gonna study, Jasmine? Jesus! Leave her alone!
It's like the third time you asked her. So what? She hasn't
answered me. I don't know, but I'll be sure
to keep you informed. Oh. Okay, sorry. [YMS] At number seven is The Past,
from the director of A Separation. Now, even though I found A Separation
to be a little overrated, I still enjoyed it a lot. But if there's one thing that's
for certain about this director, boy, does he ever know
how to end a movie. This is another movie where I don't
want to reveal too much about the plot, because the way that the plot is revealed
is pretty fucking important to the story. Every single one of the performances
was absolutely fantastic, with Bérénice Bejo from The Artist
taking away Best Female Performance from Cannes Film Festival.
Anyway, grab some tissues and watch this movie for yourself,
because I think it's pretty fantastic. [YMS] At number 6 on my list is
a documentary called The Act of Killing. This is one of the most unique, disturbing
and resonating documentaries ever made. The film follows around gangsters that were
hired by the Indonesian government in the 1960's to kill anyone who
opposed the military dictatorship. Over the course of the film, they proudly
brag about their accomplishments. Suffice it to say, this movie
is kind of fucked-up. This film is like one giant statement
on how human beings can normalize pretty much anything, regardless of how
absolutely atrocious and horrifying it is. Now, one of the ways I try to judge
documentaries as films is to ask myself this: "If this exact same movie were fictional,
would it still be a great movie?" And the answer for this film
is a resounding "yes". A dfferent filmmaker might have
approached this subject by essentially giving us
a factual lecture on the events, but Joshua Oppenheimer's approach managed
to turn this into a powerful piece of art, wherein the subjects of the film
are character studies themselves. The Blu-ray has both a theatrical cut
and the director's cut, theatrical being two hours, and the director's
cut being two hours and forty minutes. After having seeing both of them, I
would recommend the director's cut, because a decent amount of the footage
that was missing from the theatrical release was pretty great. However, if you're more comfortable
with watching a two-hour movie, the theatrical cut is still great. So, decide for yourself, because
the movie isn't ruined either way. Anyway, I can't recommend
this movie enough. I would also highly recommend
checking out The Look of Silence, which might be in theaters
for some of you right now. It's a documentary from the same
director on the same subject, but with a completely
different approach. I've only seen it once, but right now
it's difficult to say which one I like more. But, personally, I found it to be
the best film of 2015 so far. Anyway, check out The Act of Killing
and prepare to be amazed and disturbed at the same time. [YMS] At number 5 on my list
is Simon Killer, the second film from
director Antonio Campos. A while back I watched
his first film, Afterschool, and although I thought
it was alright, the presentation felt
a little too borrowed. At no point did I feel
as though he was untalented, but the whole film just felt
as though he was trying really hard to be Benny's Video. Fast-forward to Simon Killer, and I've
got to say, I'm really fucking impressed. The first time I watched this movie
I thought it was pretty decent. The second time I watched it
I thought that it was pretty great. And, on my third watch,
I absolutely loved it. Now, don't get yourself fooled by the title
into thinking that this is some sort of movie about a serial killer.
Instead, this film functions as a meticulous character study
of a complete sociopath, and Brady Corbet brings
this character to life pretty fucking flawlessly. I've seen him in a lot of
supporting roles over the years, and he's always done a great job,
so it's great to finally see him in a lead role, because
he did a fantastic job. As for the directing, there are still some
Haneke-esque elements there, but this time it's got enough
of Antonio's own voice in there that it doesn't really
feel like a copycat. Just try to imagine that Michael Haneke
and Nicolas Winding Refn had a baby, and this is the second film
they've ever made. This movie might not be a
ten out of ten film for me, but it shows a lot of potential
and a lot of promise for this director. And I can't wait to see what he does
in the future with a higher budget. I should also mention that the song
choices for this film were all fantastic. The film got released on region B Blu-ray
under the Eureka Masters of Cinema series, so, if you live in region B, or have
a region-free Blu-ray player, I'd suggest picking this one up. Region-locking is incredibly stupid,
but at least this company seems to agree. If you put the disc in a region A player
it makes a pretty decent point. Anyway, if you're looking to get into
the mind of a character that will both intrigue and disturb you, then I'd
recommend checking this one out. [Clip] Oh. Okay, I mean,
imagine this. Your phone... I mean...
Your phone... It doesn't have
a camera. But... if it did... you'd take this
and you'd put it... right here. Here. Go sit over there. And whatever happened...
in that room... You would have it. And then what? Er, and then... [woman giggles] And then...? I mean... Instead... of taking...
a little money... from... a lot of men... you could take...
a lot of money... from one. [YMS] Number four on my list is
Upstream Color by Shane Carruth. This is his second film ever,
with his first being Primer back in 2004. Both of these films
are ones that Shane wrote, directed, produced, starred in,
and even composed the music for. Holy shit! And wow, is he ever
able to work within a budget! Primer had a budget
of just $7,000, and even this one was
dirt-cheap at $50,000. Like Primer, Upstream Color doesn't
really hold your hand as you watch it. The first time you watch this movie, you're likely
going to feel a little confused as it goes on. But trust me that this film is not one giant
artistic metaphor, like The Dance of Reality. The film is showing you an actual story,
and everything that's happening is pretty literal. I might make an explanation
video at some point, and that shouldn't be
too difficult to do, but don't hold me to it
because there's a lot of stuff that I'm trying to
catch up on first. With Upstream Color, Shane Carruth
has dramatically improved in terms of cinematography,
with some sequences in the film almost feeling as though they
would belong in The Tree of Life. This film is original, inventive,
and pretty fucking clever, and I can't wait to see
what he comes up with next, even if we have to wait
another nine years. If you want to watch a well-delivered
drama that makes you think, then check this one out. [YMS] At number three is Inside
Llewyn Davis by the Coen brothers. It goes to show that,
at this point in their career, they've got film-making
down to a science. Everything from the time period
to the quirks and mannerisms of the characters
just feels so real. And the folk music that plays a big part
in this movie is done exceptionally well. Now, there's obviously a lot more
to this movie than just the music, but if you really hate folk music,
then I'd suggest not watching it. As a person who listens
to all genres, I'd say that the music
accompanied the film very well. Oscar Isaac did a fantastic job
playing this character, and his struggles become more and more
relatable as the film goes on. This is one of the very best films of
the year, and I'd suggest checking it out. [Clip] It's not a big re-education... for the public. Mel? Mel! How you doing, kid? Mel, there was no advance
on my solo record. There's gotta be
some royalty. Fucking Christ's sake, it's cold out.
I don't even have a winter coat. Jesus Christ.
You're kidding me. - Take this, kid.
- Mel, no. I insist. I insist! I don't want your fucking coat.
What'll you wear? - Kid, I'll get by.
- It won't even fit me. This is... It's bullshit, Mel.
It's just a big fat fucking bluff. Bluff?! Kid, what are you ta...?
Bluff?! I offer you this...? Get the fuck out
of my office! - All right, thanks for the coat.
- What? All right, well, wait.
Aw, shit. Let me give you 40 bucks. [YMS] Number two on my list is
12 Years a Slave by Steve McQueen. Now, it's kind of sad that there's
so many people out there that think that this was only critically acclaimed
because it's supposedly race-baiting. And that's sad to me because
that means either one of two things: either they haven't watched it,
or they have absolutely no grasp at all for what makes
good film-making. You'd have to be absolutely clueless
about performances, cinematography, music and so on, because this film
is absolutely outstanding on all fronts. This is Steve McQueen's
third feature-length film, and, so far, all three of them
have been on my yearly lists. He is, right now, my
second-favorite director, and who knows?
He might even become my first, because he is one of the
absolute most talented people working in the film
industry today. In 12 Years a Slave, he was
able to get the very most out of every single
actor he worked with. There's an incredible amount
of attention to detail, in not only the performances,
but how the characters are written. Characters that had more educated
backgrounds had a different kind of dialect
than those that didn't. Hans Zimmer's score was phenomenal,
as he was able to bring in a modern intensity while sticking
to traditional instruments. Overall, the presentation of this film
was pretty fucking genius, with Steve McQueen having an
expert grasp on how to tell the story. What's shown, what's not shown, and how
things are revealed are all very important, and Steve McQueen understands this
better than most everyone. There are scenes in the film where a shot
will continue to linger on a subject, and as it does that, you're forced to absorb
so much more about the situation, and, suddenly, you're not so much
watching a movie anymore, and you're left to become
but a witness of the gruesome brutality being displayed on the screen. This is one of the most
powerful films I've ever seen, and it's the best story of human
survival I've seen in a very long time. And if you're not going to see this movie
because you think that it's supposed to somehow make you feel guilty for an event
that you weren't even alive to experience, then I hope that someday you
manage to overcome that feeling, because otherwise you'll be missing out
on one of the absolute best films of the year. [Clip, screaming] [screaming] [screaming] [gasping and whimpering] [gasping] [door closes and locks] [groaning] [chains rattling] [gasps of pain] Help. Help me! Help me! Somebody help me! Help! [YMS] And my number one
film of 2013 is... Yeah, you guessed it.
It's Her. Director Spike Jonze has done
some amazing work in the past with other writers
in charge of the story, so with him being the sole
writer and director of this film I was pleasantly surprised
to see something this great. It seems as though all that time
he spent with Charlie Kaufman really rubbed off on him,
because this feels like the Charlie Kaufman movie
that he never wrote. Both the writing and the presentation
flow together so perfectly in this movie that I'm glad he has the directing skills
to be able to bring his vision to life. I love that this movie never tries
to endlessly lecture you on the rules of its universe, and while
that can work for some futuristic movies, this one commits itself to being
more about the characters. The futuristic setting is merely
a vehicle for the character's story. So, having an opening title explaining
what year it is and every detail about the political climate and so on
would just be so unnecessary. However, the most important thing
to consider about the rules of the universe for any movie is that those rules
don't contradict themselves. Without a consistent universe,
it's not a believable universe. Spike Jonze was able to add more legitimacy
to his universe through his presentation. Rather than having characters explain
things like the smog in the atmosphere, the prevalence of technology in their lives,
the current state of video-games, and so on, the movie showed these things
in a way that we were able to pick up on these things by ourselves,
and because of that, it implies to our brains that there is
a universe in the film that's bigger than what we're seeing on-screen.
And thus, it adds to the believability, where something futuristic
and surreal can still feel real. Not only that, but the film
pays close attention to how human beings
operate psychologically. Even today, we see technology
playing more and more of a role in our lives, both
romantically and sexually. In one quick scene near the
beginning of the film we can see exactly how far this has gone,
with our main character effortlessly connecting to a network
of people seeking out fantasy role-play. And, once again, this isn't something
that's explained or lectured to us. It's something that we're able to
observe and figure out for ourselves. Joaquin Phoenix, as usual, does
a phenomenal job playing his character. The soundtrack by Arcade Fire
was perfect, and choosing that kind of tone and style
for this film was incredibly appropriate. Rather than having that cheesy
clichéd electronic music to constantly remind the audience
that they're in the future, Arcade Fire brought more of a
current, but almost retro feel to it, and in doing so, it helps our brains feel
more connected to the events in the film. Mixing the familiar and the unfamiliar
helps bridge the gap. Listening to one of the
piano songs from this film I can tell that they're using a real
piano instead of synthesizing it, and when those faster right-hand
movements come in, it's obvious that they're not
using a metronome. And it's having those little imperfections
that makes it all sound so genuine. To have a sterile and perfect sound
for this film would be out of place, because the film's universe
is neither sterile nor perfect. [Clip] I think there was the idea where
we were trying to make this very... warm, tactile world, with the materials,
and the fabrics, and the woods, and create this... this world that felt like,
this utopic world that everything's nice, everything's comfortable, yet even
in this world we're... you're seemingly getting everything you need,
and having this nice life, there's still loneliness and longing,
and isolation, and disconnection, and... I thought I had to define what it...
I'm picturing it would be utopic, and that sort of... started this...
this train of thought, which was, you know, sort of where we ended up,
making this world that's comfortable, and nice, and convenient, you
know, much like our world, but just a heightened version of our world, where
everything is getting nicer as the years go, and there's more design, and there's more
convenience, and our technology is making things easier, but...
There's still this loneliness, and... - longing.
- change. [YMS] I love absolutely everything
about this movie. Writing, acting, directing,
production, design, everything. And it's got Chris Pratt!
Everybody likes him! If you haven't seen this movie,
then see it as soon as possible, because it is my
favorite film of 2013. [Clip, laughing] - Samantha!
- What? Wouldn't you? Why not? I don't know. I'd have to
see if there was some... I can't believe I'm having this
conversation with my computer. - You're not!
- [laughs] You're having this
conversation with me. - You want me to e-mail her?
- Uh... You've got nothing to lose.
Do it. Do it. Do it. - Yeah.
- Yes! - E-mail her.
- Okay, perfect. Yeah, let's do it. Make... make a
reservation someplace great. - Yeah? Well, I've got just the place.
- Who is that talking? Oh, that's my
friend Samantha. - Is she a girl?
- Yeah. I hate women! All they
do is cry all the time! [laughs] That's not true.
You know, men cry too. I actually like crying sometimes.
It feels good. [snickers] I didn't know
you were a little pussy. - [laughs]
- Is that why you don't have a girlfriend? I'll go on that date, fuck her brains out,
and show you how it's done. - You can watch and cry.
- [laughs] - Okay. This kid has some problems.
- You have some fucking problems, lady! Really? Okay,
I'm gonna go. Um... - Good. Get out of here, fatty!
- [laughs] Oh. Good luck! [beep] Come on!
Follow me, pussy! [laughing and giggling] [YMS] Well, there you have it.
Some 2013 shit. The next one of these you'll see from me will
either be for 2007 or 2014. Don't know yet. Anyway, I hope I've introduced you
to some movies that you'll love. Feel free to report back
in the comments section. Anyway, thanks
for watching. I'm gonna go work on some
other reviews now. Bye! Hey, guys! It's Adam here, coming at you
with my top five reasons why I love abortion. Oh, wait a second. I see some names
coming up from the bottom of the screen. And they're so... they're so dank that it...
just completely derailed my train of thought. Now all I can think of
is how those names got there. They must've gotten there by
going to Patreon.com/YMS, 'cause... they're so dank.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this video, because it took me fucking
forever to make, and now my back is really sore from
sitting in this chair so long... Anyway, I try my best to update
people on when things are coming out... on my Twitter, that's the
best place to go if you... if you are interested in finding out when
things are supposed to be coming out. However, I am really, really,
really, really bad at anticipating when things are gonna come out
if it's far ahead in the future. Like, my last... my last tweet that I made,
I'm pretty sure it's gonna be fairly accurate as to which... which day this will
be published, but, in terms of trying to figure out when things are gonna
come out, like, months in advance, it's really fucking difficult.
Because... every video takes a different amount of time to make, some
things are more time-sensitive than others, if something's still in theaters,
I wanna tackle that first, I have to put something else on hold
while I work on something else... It's... it's a big fucking mess,
and now it's almost the end of the month. I thought that I would get... two
Patreon-supported videos out this month. It might not happen.
It looks like it probably won't happen. Even though I'm like, halfway
through another video... This shit takes time.
And, because of that, I'm now making plans to get
some extra help on this channel. Mark English, who's been editing
videos for my gaming channel for the past, I guess, year now,
he's been doing a great job. If you have not seen one of the
videos from my gaming channel, start with this one right... here!
God-dammit! Start with this one r... Fucking... no, just start with the one
in the... bottom of the... thing. Start... start with that one. Yeah.
That's a... That's a good one to start with. And... if, if you like that, then you'll like
the stuff that he'll be making for this channel. We're in the middle
of making plans for it, I will make another video about that
and some other changes coming up, so stay tuned for a big, big, like, update...
re-evaluation... where the channel is going, et cetera video.
I'm gonna be making one of those in the next couple of weeks.
Anyway, I love you, guys. Thank you very much for your support,
whether it be on Patreon, or... sharing my videos, or commenting,
or liking, or anything, Feedback, et cetera. All of that reddit, Voat, and, like,
everywhere, fucking... Crazy Town... Anyway, now that this video's out
of the way, my next big project is gotta be a YMS review.
There haven't been any for a while, because of the
Synecdoche, New York videos that I've been working on.
They really, really took up a lot of time. I'm gonna have to figure out my schedule
in a way that I can do everything consistently, and make sense.
Again, that will be addressed in the video coming up.
But, anyway, I love you guys. Thank you very much.
Couldn't do this without you. I'm gonna peace off right now and
get ready for my Sunday Twitch stream, 'cause it's Sunday morning right now.
Not while you're watching this, unless that's just a coincidence,
and it's another week that's not today. Peace out! Love you!
[Subtitles by Jokerine]
Wow, I wasn't expecting this so soon. Awesome work Adam!
Edit: 19 movies? Holy shit!
So excited!
Also like the inclusion of the Guilty Pleasures list.
Awwwwwww Yeaaaa! Time to free up my next hour.
Thanks Adam for making these. You introduced me to my all time favorite movie Midnight in Paris.
The number of films Adam recommends to watch while drunk increases every year :P
CGP Grey points out some inconsistencies in the Her universe that have really stuck with me (Hello Internet, #17). Basically that the relationship between JP and the os is treated more and more like a long distance relationship between humans as the movie progresses.
Would love to hear Adam's thoughts on this.
Top 5 reasons why Adam loves abortion video confirmed!
Ugh, I'm in class. Anybody want to post the list?
Edit: it's on his IMDB
Hmm, I've seen four of these. And they're easily the most 4 mainstream films on the list lol. Blackfish, The World's End, 12 Years a Slave and Prisoners.
YYYEE