Netflix Instant TV and Movie Picks

It's about to get crazy around here starting next week. The Dallas International Film Festival will be starting up, and then the elusive summer season of movies will begin. If you are lucky enough to be enjoying a three day weekend, here are some films to keep you company on your day off. If you are working today, then, here's some titles to look forward to once you're off work!

HOLY MOTORS

This film needs another chance. I watched it in the middle of Fantastic Fest when the lack of sleep and copious amounts of beer was beginning to set in. I didn't understand all the praise. Not that it's a bad film, but I wasn't sure why it made tons of "Best of" lists. I realize now that I need to give this film another chance when there's ample time to focus on it. 

COSMOPOLIS

I had no interest in seeing this film until my cohort wrote about it for his top ten films of the year, and it spiked my interest. Even though I'm still weary of watching a film with Robert Pattinson, I can always use a good film that comments on the state of modern culture. 

30 FOR 30: PONY EXCESS

This was my first taste of the ESPN series, 30 for 30. It's a fantastic look at the year the SMU football team got the "death penalty" from the NCAA for serious rules violations. It's heartbreaking to see this team go from one of the top football teams to absolute bottom. 

Javi will be back next week with some awesome themed column!

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Top Ten Movies of 2012: Javi Edition

So this year was exceptionally fruitful when it came to movies. I have to admit, I haven't had such a hard time picking my top ten movies of the year since we started this blog. It's strange to think that while this year felt like it had a lot of let downs and just downright mediocre movies, there were gems that were sprinkled throughout the year. This year I had more movies on my list that actually didn't end up being as critically acclaimed as they should be either but were just better made.

As per is customary, I wanted to explain how I pick my movies. They have to have had a theatrical release during the current year, and there's no point, in my opinion, in highlight movies I've seen at a festival that other people can't see for another year or so. In addition, there's a huge and glaring omission from my list: DJANGO UNCHAINED. The reason for this being is that while I did see most of the movie, I was not able to see all of it due to the screening being shut down after some assholes got in a fight in our theater and someone pulled out a gun and the cops were called in. Anyway, Jonesy and I turned out to be OK. But that's why I didn't have the movie even in my honorable mentions, it didn't feel right not seeing a movie all the way through and considering it for my top ten.

But check out my top ten below in no particular order with my favorite movie at the end. 

The HOLY MOTORS trailer strangely sums up the movie well

HOLY MOTORS is one of those strange movies where the hype is well deserved. This movie premiered back in March at the Cannes festival, and I was lucky enough to see it during Fantastic Fest. While I haven't written a review for it, I will admit that this is becoming my favorite theatrically released movie of the year. It's beautiful and baffling all at the same time. It's a movie where you know the director knew exactly how to enact his vision on screen. In the trailers for movies that are as ambitious as this, the marketing is usually very misleading, but in this instance I'm surprised how good of a job it does at hinting at the larger themes of the movie while trying to be accessible. Check out the trailer below.