2015 Recap - Animation

Even with two releases from Pixar studios, this was not a banner year for animated films as there really just wasn't that much out there. Maybe next year will be better but, in the meantime, here is what I saw and which was my favorite for 2015.

In the Heart of the Sea - Movie Review

In the Heart of the Sea is based off of the true story that inspired Herman Melville to write Moby Dick, one of American literature's greatest achievements. The film was directed by Ron Howard (Rush, Apollo 13) and stars Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson, Tom Holland, Ben Whishaw, and Charlotte Riley.

Legend - Movie Review

Legend, written and directed by Brian Helgeland, is based off of a true story and  is adapted from the book written by author John Pearson. The film features Tom Hardy in a dual role as well as Emily Browning, David Thewlis, Christopher Eccleston, Tara Fitzgerald, Taron Egerton, Adam Fogerty, and Chazz Palminteri.

2015 Hawaii International Film Festival Recap

While I wasn't able to attend the 2015 Hawaii International Film Festival, I was able to check out a few of the films and what I saw was pretty darn good. The festival took place at several venues between November 12th and 22nd and featured a very diverse schedule filled with feature films, short films, and documentaries, all of which were in some way connected to regions around the Pacific Rim.

The Night Before - Movie Review

The Night Before is a very unique take on the holiday comedy genre and was directed by Jonathan Levine who's previous efforts include Warm Bodies and All the Boys Love Mandy Lane. The movie stars Seth Rogan, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anthony Mackie, Jillian Bell, Lizzy Caplan, Michael Shannon, Ilana Glazer, Tracy Morgan, Randall Park, Mindy Kaling, and Lorraine Toussaint.