mm has written 205 reviews for films during 2017.
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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 2011
Mason’s 4th Annual Harry Potter-thon: Part 8
Always.
Just like it is with a lot of my favorite movies, I’m finding the words I want to use to describe this movie hard to come by.
The end to this story is simply wonderful, and a reminder that the story of Harry Potter is probably the greatest ever told.
Want proof? Look no further than the penseive scene’s unrelenting emotional gut punches. Or the final shot, which is a sobering reminder…
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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 2009
Mason’s 4th Annual Harry Potter-thon: Part 6
I’m not worried, Harry. I am with you.
David Yates’s dreamlike, visually arresting, devilishly funny and epic Half Blood Prince will always be in the conversation for my favorite movie in this series.
I love it soooo much, guys. This is the most “One Perfect Shot” movie of any blockbuster of its time.
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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 2005
Mason’s 4th Annual Harry Potter-thon: Part 4
Dark and difficult times are ahead. Soon we must make the choice between what is right and what is easy.
I have vivid memories of seeing this in the theater when I was 11 or so years old. Even then I knew that this was a perfect movie and in the conversation for my favorite of the series.
Mike Newell did a hell of a job with the pacing of the movie and…
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And Then There Were None 1945
Pitch: And Then There Were None remake but instead of 10 people it’s me and 9 cats and instead of murder we snuggle in a huge bed and watch movies.
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JFK 1991
Do not forget your dying king.
JFK is my favorite movie of all time. It's not even that close. Ok maybe it is (shout out to The Godfather and The Dark Knight), but I don't think this will ever be topped.
But what makes this favorite movie material? From as far as I can tell, a lot of people's favorite movies are something they have a deep, personal connection to, either through a familial relationship or nostalgia. I suppose I…
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Steve Jobs 2015
The two most significant events of the twentieth century: the Allies win the war, and this.
Steve Jobs is a masterpiece. There's no other way to say it. Immaculate plotting, confident direction, a half a dozen knockout performances and the best screenplay of the 21st century come together in one of my favorite movies ever made.
Sorkin, in addition to being my favorite writer of all time spanning every medium, writes a screenplay so good that it wasn't even nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay. Probably because the Academy voters realized that no award was prestigious enough for this brilliance.
Bring it, Molly's Game!!!!
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The Empire Strikes Back 1980
This movie is so..... small. Really think about it, what plot point does this movie end on? The Millenium Falcon (best name for anything ever btw) finally getting its hyperdrive fixed.
Nothing blew up and there was no enormous, intergalactic conflict. Just a shotty piece of machinery getting fixed. How great is that? Elsewhere you've got Luke being trained to be a Jedi and Vader's relentless pursuit of him, but all of that could just as easily be done in…
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Castle in the Sky 1986
The movie hasn't started yet so I'm just gonna get this rating out of the way.
Best Miyazaki movie! Thanks Regal and fathom events!
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Ocean's Eleven 2001
With Logan Lucky under a week away, I've been thinking a lot about Steven Soderbergh. This dude is a rock star. He should be a Fincher, O'Russell, Villeneuve type figure.
But he isn't that guy, even if his filmography says he should be.
Instead, Soderbergh is a subtle talent who doesn't bring much attention on himself or test his blockbuster limits even though he'd be awesome at it.
Ocean's 11 is simply one of the most rewatchable movies ever. The…
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Inside Out 2015
Haven't seen this since it came out in theaters 2 years ago. Still fucking great.
Pixar continues to raise the bar higher and higher (dinosaurs non-withstanding) and like the greatest artists, businesspeople or athletes, they make it look easy.
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The Dark Knight 2008
Upset the established order, and everything becomes chaos.
9 years later, The Dark Knight doesn't just stand alone as the best of its kind, it's a snapshot of post-9/11 paranoia and a state of fear that has engulfed American society underneath a "dark cloud".
Batman is the greatest superhero because he is the only one who can be the focal point of a movie like this without coming off as preachy or obvious. The diversity and depth of the characters…
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Interstellar 2014
I honestly don't know anyone who thinks this movie is bad. But if I did, his name would be Josh, and he'd be my podcast co-host who I totally beat in an Interstellar vs Inception debate #rekt.
Thankfully, there are more Mason's in the world than Josh's, because Interstellar is a masterpiece in science fiction if there ever was one. The plotting is immaculate, the acting (sans Hathaway) is on point and yet again, Nolan's skill explodes off of the…