Feb

The 4th Annual MIB (Matt, Ian, and Blake) Awards

Posted By: Blake Ruane Posted In:MIB Awards Tags: Ian Goldsmith, Matt Bauerly, MIB Awards

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We’re back!

Just when you were starting to wonder if maybe we had moved on with our lives, the Matt, Ian, and Blake (or MIB) Awards have returned for our fourth annual attempt at upstaging the Academy Awards, airing on Sunday.

Need a refresher on why this is even a thing? I’ve got boilerplate for you:

The awards never go to the right person. Why? Because there is no right person. This is important to remember as we approach the Academy Awards. There is no mathematical equation to determine the winners. Voters vote based on their own personal opinion. So why bother predicting the winners? You’re just guessing whose opinion is going to win out. Instead, I’ve teamed up with two other close friends and cinephiles — aspiring actor Ian Goldsmith and former Warner Bros. Studio tour guide Matt Bauerly — to name winners of our own.

Jan

Top 15 Movies of 2017

Posted By: Blake Ruane Posted In:Top 10 Movies Tags: Baby Driver, Blade Runner 2049, Gerald's Game, Get Out, I Tonya, Lady Bird, Logan, Logan Lucky, The Big Sick, The Disaster Artist, The Last Jedi, The Post, The Shape of Water, Top 15 Movies of 2017, War for the Planet of the Apes, Wind River

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]By now you’ve no doubt realized this is a Top 15 Movies of 2017 — GASP! — rather than a traditional Top 10. Well, 2017 was not your typical year, for reasons both positive and negative. But in terms of cinema, it proved to be one of the best in recent memory. I’ve never had at least 20 films worthy of inclusion for an end-of-year Top 10 before. I compromised at 15, because 10 is an arbitrary number and this is my blog, after all. I make the rules here. Ultimately, I love talking about the movies I love, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to rescue five more films from being relegated to the obscurity of Honorable Mention.

The usual disclaimer: This is not a definitive list by any means. These may not necessarily be the “best” movies that hit theaters in the last year, but they were certainly the ones that I liked the most.

Without further adieu, here are my Top 15 Movies of 2017.

Feb

The 3rd Annual MIB (Matt, Ian, and Blake) Awards

Posted By: Blake Ruane Posted In:MIB Awards Tags: Ian Goldsmith, Matt Bauerly, MIB Awards

The awards never go to the right person. Why? Because there is no right person. This is important to remember as we approach the 89th Academy Awards, airing tomorrow. There is no mathematical equation to determine the winners. Voters vote based on their own personal opinion. So why bother predicting the winners? You’re just guessing whose opinion is going to win out. Instead, I’ve teamed up with two other close friends and cinephiles — aspiring actor Ian Goldsmith and former Warner Bros. Studio tour guide Matt Bauerly — to name winners of our own.

We’re back!

Welcome to the third annual Matt, Ian, and Blake (or MIB) Awards! Not be confused with the secret organization dedicated to monitoring extraterrestrial activity on Earth.

Jan

Top 10 Movies of 2016

Posted By: Blake Ruane Posted In:Film

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]It’s January. You know what that means: It’s cold out (at least where I live). But January is also the month where I deliver the much anticipated list that a handful of people ask me about each year for lack of a better topic of conversation. Yes, I’m referring to my Top 10 Movies of 2016, which is not telling you anything you don’t already know since you’re reading a post titled “Top 10 Movies of 2016” at this very moment. Before you get started, my usual disclaimer: These may not necessarily be the best movies that hit theaters in the last year, but they were certainly the ones that I liked the most.

So without further adieu, here are my Top 10 Movies of 2016.

Feb

The 2nd Annual MIB (Matt, Ian, and Blake) Awards

Posted By: Blake Ruane Posted In:MIB Awards Tags: Ian Goldsmith, Matt Bauerly, MIB Awards

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The awards never go to the right person. Why? Because there is no right person. This is important to remember as we approach the 87th Academy Awards, airing on Sunday. There is no mathematical equation to determine the winners. Voters vote based on their own personal opinion. So why bother predicting the winners? You’re just guessing whose opinion is going to win out. Instead, I’ve teamed up with two other close friends and cinephiles — aspiring actor Ian Goldsmith and former Warner Bros. Studio tour guide Matt Bauerly — to name winners of our own.

We’re back!

Welcome to the second annual Matt, Ian, and Blake (or MIB) Awards! Not be confused with the secret organization dedicated to monitoring extraterrestrial activity on Earth.

Jan

Top 10 Movies of 2015

Posted By: Blake Ruane Posted In:Film

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]So, I saw a lot of movies last year, as per usual. Some were better than others, as is often the case. As I’ve done the past couple years, I’ve compiled a list here of the ten movies that stood out from the rest. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time or the resources or the inclination to see every single movie that is released in a given year, but I do the best that I can. These may not necessarily be the best movies that hit theaters in the last year, but they were certainly the ones that I liked the most.

So without further adieu, here are my Top 10 Movies of 2015.

Aug

The Crushing Disappointment of “Fantastic Four”

Posted By: Blake Ruane Posted In:Film Tags: Fantastic Four, Jamie Bell, Josh Trank, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan, Miles Teller, Toby Kebbell

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]There are bad films that were a bad idea from the start. Then there are bad films that started out as a good idea before stumbling over their own shoelaces and often falling flat on their faces somewhere on the path to the big screen. These are the kind of creative misfires that break your heart, because the filmmakers were so very close to creating something special.

Fantastic Four is that kind of disappointment.

Jul

A Female Ghostbusters? Bring It On.

Posted By: Blake Ruane Posted In:Film Tags: Ghostbusters, Kate McKinnon, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, Melissa McCarthy, Paul Feig

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I feel shame.

I have not blogged since February 18. It is now July. I’m like one of those people who purchases a gym membership around New Year’s and vows: “This is the year!” Come January, I’m all about the blog, but after a few months, life happens and the blog inevitably drops down the ladder of priorities.

And now here I am, feeling shame.

Feb

And The Oscar (or Blake or Ian or Matt) Goes To…

Posted By: Blake Ruane Posted In:MIB Awards Tags: Ian Goldsmith, Matt Bauerly, MIB Awards

Welcome to the first annual Matt, Ian, and Blake (or MIB) Awards! Not be confused with the secret organization dedicated to monitoring extraterrestrial activity on Earth.

Feb

“Forgetting Sarah Marshall” is Worth Remembering

Posted By: Blake Ruane Posted In:Film Tags: Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Jason Segel, Judd Apatow, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Russell Brand

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Gosh, I love Forgetting Sarah Marshall. It rivals Wedding Crashers as one of the funniest movies that I’ve ever seen. It’s one of those movies that never gets old, no matter how many times I see it. I was watching it the other night with my fiance as the culmination of our early Valentine’s Day extravaganza, and once it was over, she asked with genuine curiousity: “Why do you like it so much?”

So what the heck do I like so much about Forgetting Sarah Marshall? In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, let’s find out. I could go on and on about what I like about it, but I’ve pinpointed a few of the big elements that I consider to be the most important. Read on and check it out!

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