Inside Out – We Are Movie Geeks

The Top 21 Movies of the 21st Century……So Far!

It’s one thing to come up with a list of the best movies in any given year, but the best movies of a century that’s just in its 16^th year? We Are Movie Geeks polled a group of 30 carefully-selected (and mostly St. Louis-based) movie critics, movie bloggers, movie academics, movie promoters, and just plain old movie fans and asked for a list, in order of preference, of their Top Ten Favorite Films so far this century. Somewhere among the endless superhero blockbusters, franchise reboots, and sequels, some really great movies have come out in the last 16 years. And some of them were indeed superhero blockbusters, franchise reboots, and sequels! The 21^st century has another 84 years to go, and there’s no doubt that these choices will change as the years go by, but since it’s doubtful any of those polled will be around when the century ends (unless Stephen Tronicek – born in 1999 – makes it to 101), we might as well do this now. To come up with our top 21, a super-scientific algorithm was generated….just kidding! We simply scored each movie based on its rank in any given list. If a movie was #1 on any list, it received 10 points, #2 received 9 points, and so on (a movie ranked #10 received 1 point – get it?). Of course, all of these lists are highly subjective and some favorite titles will be omitted, so prepare to argue with the selections of these 30 film buffs (and yes, we’re naming names!).

HERE ARE THE RESULTS!:

21. GLADIATOR (2000 – Ridley Scott)

20. UP (2009 – Pete Docter)

19. THE LEGO MOVIE (2014 – Phil Lord)

18. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (2007 – The Coen Brothers)

17. 12 YEARS A SLAVE (2013 – Steve McQueen)

16. THE REVENENT (2015 – Alejandro Innaritu)

15. INSIDE OUT (2015 – Pete Docter)

14. ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOLESS MIND (2004 – Michel Gondry)

13. O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU? (2000 – The Coen Brothers)

12. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (2009 – Quentin Tarantino)

11. THE AVIATOR (2004 – Martin Scorsese)

10. SYNECEDOCHE, NEW YORK (2008 – Charlie Kaufmann)

9. MEMENTO (2000 – Christopher Nolan)

8. THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS (2001 – Wes Anderson)

7. BOYHOOD (2014 – Richard Linklater)

6. LORD OF THE RINGS RETURN OF THE KING (2003 – Peter Jackson)

5. THE DEPARTED (2006 – Martin Scorsese)

4. MAD MAX FURY ROAD (2015 – George Miller)

3. PAN’S LABYRINTH (2006 – Guillermo Del Toro)

2. THERE WILL BE BLOOD (2007 – Paul Thomas Anderson)

1. MULHOLLAND DRIVE (2001 – David Lynch)

Directors Martin Scorsese and the Coen Brothers each had two films on this list, as did writer Charlie Kaufman and Pixar director Pete Docter. Nothing from beloved directors Clint Eastwood, Ang Lee, Darren Aronofsky, Woody Allen, Cameron Crowe, Alexander Payne or David Fincher, but the all of them were well-represented on the individual lists, all of which are presented here:

Tom Stockman (We Are Movie Geeks)

10. THE AMERICAN (Anton Corbijn)

9. BLUE JASMINE (Woody Allen)

8. GRAN TORINO (Clint Eastwood)

7. THE DEVIL’S REJECTS (Rob Zombie)

6. CITY OF GOD (Fernando Meirelles)

5. LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA (Clint Eastwood)

4. APOCALYPTO (Mel Gibson)

3. INGLORIOUS BASTERDS (Quentin Tarantino)

2. LIFE OF PI (Ang Lee)

1. MAD MAX FURY ROAD (George Miller)

Andrew Wyatt (St. Louis Magazine, Gateway Cinephile)

10. UNDER THE SKIN (Jonathan Glazer)

9. THE TURIN HORSE (Bela Tarr)

8. OF TIME AND THE CITY (Terence Davies)

7. ZODIAC (David Fincher)

6. CERTIFIED COPY (Abbas Klarostami)

5. THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD (Andrew Dominik)

4. INLAND EMPIRE (David Lynch)

3. THE MASTER (Paul Thomas Anderson)

2. SYNECDOCHE NEW YORK (Charlie Kaufman)

1. CACHE (Michael Hanake)

Stephen Tronicek (FilmAnalyst)

10, ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (Michel Gondry)

9. BIRDMAN (Alejandro Innaritu)

8. CLOUD ATLAS (Tom Twyker, The Wachowski Brothers)

7. UP (Pete Docter)

6. A SERIOUS MAN (the Coen Brothers)

5. INTO THE WILD (Sean Penn)

4. REQUIEM FOR A DREAM (Darren Aronofsky)

3. PANS LABYRINTH (Guillermo Del Toro)

2. ALMOST FAMOUS (Cameron Crowe)

1. BOYHOOD (Richard Linklater)

Dana Jung

10. SIN CITY (Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller)

9. THIS IS THE END (Evan Goldberg)

8. AVATAR (James Cameron)

7. DISTRICT 9 (Neill Blomkamp)

6. APOCALYPTO (Mel Gibson)

5. MULHOLLAND DRIVE (David Lynch)

4. HUGO (Martin Scorsese)

3. INSIDE OUT (Pete Docter)

2. MAD MAX FURY ROAD (George Miler)

1. LORD OF THE RINGS RETURN OF THE KING (Peter Jackson)

Mathew DeKinder (Suburban Journals of St. Louis)

10. THE HURT LOCKER (Kathryn Bigelow)

9. THE TREE OF LIFE (Terence Malick)

8. MAD MAX FURY ROAD ROAD (George Miller)

7. ROAD TO PERDITION (Sam Mendes)

6. THE DARK KNIGHT (Christopher Nolan)

5. INGLORIOUS BASTARDS (Quentin Tarantino)

4. ANCHORMAN (Adam McKay)

3. LORD OF THE RINGS RETURN OF THE KING (Peter Jackson)

2. THERE WILL BE BLOOD (Paul Thomas Anderson)

1. 12 YEARS A SLAVE (Steve McQueen)

Jim Batts (We Are Movie Geeks)

10. KILL BILL (Quentin Tarantino)

9. THE ARTIST (Michel Hazanavicius)

8. THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN (Judd Apatow)

7. CAPTAIN AMERICA THE FIRST AVENGER (Joe Johnston)

6. AMERICAN SPLENDOR (Shari Springer Berman)

5. LORD OF THE RINGS RETURN OF THE KING (Peter Jackson)

4. GHOST WORLD (terry Zwigoff)

3. THE INCREDIBLES (Brad Bird)

2. SPIDERMAN 2 (Sam Raimi)

1. PANS LABYRINTH (Guillermo Del Toro)

Lynn Venhaus ( Belleville News-Democrat, Webster-Kirkwood Times)

10. (500) DAYS OF SUMMER (Marc Webb)

9. NEBRASKA (Alexander Payne)

8. 28 DAYS LATER… (Danny Boyle)

7. INSIDE OUT (Pete Docter)

6. THE DEPARTED (Martin Scorsese)

5. BOYHOOD (Richard Linklater)

4. THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS (Wes Anderson)

3. THE SOCIAL NETWORK (David Fincher)

2. THE DARK KNIGHT (Christopher Nolan)

1. MULHOLLAND DRIVE (David Lynch)

Kent Tentschert (Webster-Kirkwood Times)

10. THE DESCENDANTS (Alexander Payne)

9. THE DARK KNIGHT (Christopher Nolan)

8. BIUTIFUL (Alejandro Innaritu)

7. UP (Pete Docter)

6. THE READER (Stephen Daldry)

5. NIGHTCRAWLER (Dan Gilroy)

4. INCEPTION (Christopher Nolan)

3. THE PRESTIGE (Christopher Nolan)

2. GLADIATOR (Ridley Scott)

1. THE REVENANT (Alejandro Innaritu)

Rob Garica (HEC-TV)

10. THE TREE OF LIFE (Terence Malick)

9. OVERNIGHT (Tony Montana)

8. BAMBOOZLED (Spike Lee)

7. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MAN (The Coen Bothers)

6. THE DEPARTED (Martin Scorsese)

5. CITY OF GOD (Fernanso Meirelles)

4. LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (Tomas Alfredson)

3. TALK TO HER (Pedro Almodovar)

2. PANS LABYRINTH (Guillermo Del Toro)

1. MULHOLLAND DRIVE (David Lynch)

Sam Smucker

10. WINTER SLEEP (Nuri Ceylan)

9. IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (Kar Wai Wong)

8. LORD OF THE RINGS RETURN OF THE KING (Peter Jackson)

7. BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (Benh Zeitlin)

6. BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR (Abdellatif Kechiche)

5. CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON (Ang Lee)

4. THE LOOK OF SILENCE (Joshua Oppenheimer)

3. THE PAST (Asghar Farhadi)

2. SILENT LIGHT (Carlos Reygadas)

1. BOYHOOD (Richard Linklater)

Robert Hunt (The Riverfront Times)

10. AMERICAN SNIPER (Clint Eastwood)

9. PANS LABYRINTH (Guilermo del Toro)

8. THE TRIP (Michael Winterbottom)

7. SITA SINGS THE BLUES (Nina Paley)

6. NOTRE MUSIQUE (Jean-Luc Godard)

5. 2046 (Wong Kar-Wai)

4. WHAT TIME IS IT THERE? (Ming-Liang Tsai)

3. I’M NOT THERE (Todd Haynes)

2. WENDY AND LUCY (Kelly Reichardt)

1. CARLOS (Oliver Assayas)

Sam Moffitt

10. OH BROTHER WHERE ART THOUGH? (The Coen Brothers)

9. WHIP IT! (Drew Barrymore)

8. THE BABADOOK (Jennifer Kent)

7. MEMENTO (Christopher Nolan)

6. SLITHER (James Gunn)

5. THERE WILL BE BLOOD (Paul Thomas Anderson)

4. BLACK SNAKE MOAN (Craig Brewer)

3. MOON (Duncan Jones)

2. DRIVE (Nicolas Winding Refn)

1. SYNECDOCHE NEW YORK (Charlie Kaufman)

Michael Haffner (We Are Movie Geeks)

10. THE TREE OF LIFE (Terence Malick)

9. DRIVE (Nicolas Winding Refn)

8. IN BRUGES (Martin McDonagh)

7. LOST IN TRANSLATION (Sophia Coppola)

6. BOYHOOD (Richard Linklater)

5. ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (Michael Gondry)

4. MAD MAX FURY ROAD (George Miller)

3. THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS (Wes Anderson)

2. MULHOLLAND DRIVE (David Lynch)

1. THERE WILL BE BLOOD (Paul Thomas Anderson)

Renee Hirshfield (Webster University, Southwestern Illinois College)

10. AMERICAN SPLENDOR (Shari Springer Berman)

9. AMELIE (Jean-Pierre Jeunet)

8. TALK TO HER (Pedro Almodovar)

7. HUGO (Martin Scorsese)

6. INSIDE OUT (Pete Docter)

5. EX MACHINA (Alex Garland)

4. CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS (Andrew Jarecki)

3. INTERSTELLAR (Christopher Nolan)

2. THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS (Wes Anderson)

1. THE AVIATOR (Martin Scorsese)

Sarah Hirshfield (Mount Holyoke College)

10. MONEYBALL (Bennett Miller)

9. ELEPHANT (Gus Van Sandt)

8. SNOWPIERCER (Bong Joon Ho)

7. A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT (Ana Lily Amirpour)

6. 4 MONTHS 2 WEEKS AND 3 DAYS (Cristian Mungiu)

5. SUPER 8 (J.J. Abrams)

4. INSIDE OUT (Pete Docter)

3. EX MACHINA (Alex Garland)

2. PANS LABYRINTH (Guillermo Del Toro)

1. THE SOCIAL NETWORK (Davis Fincher)

Kathy Kaiser (Matinee Chat)

10. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (Quentin Tarantino)

9. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL (Gore Verbinski)

8. DJANGO UNCHAINED (Quentin Tarantino)

7. IRON MAN (John Favreau)

6. CAST AWAY (Robert Zemeckis)

5. THE IMITATION GAME (Morten Tyldum)

4. THE REVENANT (Alejandro Innaritu)

3. THE DEPARTED (Martin Scorsese)

2. THE AVIATOR (Martin Scorsese)

1. 12 YEARS A SLAVE (Steve McQueen)

Melissa Thompson (We Are Movie Geeks)

10. BILLY ELLIOT (Stephen Daldry)

9. A MIGHTY WIND (Christopher Guest)

8. FANTASTIC MR. FOX (Wes Anderson)

7. HAIRSPRAY (Adam Shankman)

6. ELF (John Favreau)

5. SPIRITED AWAY (Hayao Miyazaki)

4. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL (Gore Verbinski)

3. MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (Woody Allen)

2. MOULIN ROUGE! (Baz Luhrmann)

1. LADY IN THE WATER (M. Night Shyamalan)

Pete Timmerman (Webster University)

10. THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS (Wes Anderson)

9. ADAPTATION (Spike Jonze)

8. REQUIEM FOR A DREAM (Darren Aronofsky)

7. PUNCH DRUNK LOVE (Paul Thomas Anderson)

6. CHILDREN OF MEN (Alfonso Cuaron)

5. TROPICAL MALADY (Apichatpong Weerasethakul)

4. THE ACT OF KILLING (Joshua Oppenheimer)

3. DOGTOOTH (Yorgos Lanthimos)

2. EVERYTHING WILL BE OK (Don Hertzfeldt)

2. IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (Wong Kar Wai)

Michelle McCue (We Are Movie Geeks)

10. GRAVITY (Alfonso Cuaron)

9. FANTASTIC MR. FOX (Wes Anderson)

8. AN EDUCATION (Lone Scherfig)

7. THE LADY IN THE WATER (M. Night Shyamalan)

6. THE HURT LOCKER (Kathryn Bigelow)

5. ROAD TO PERDITION (Sam Mendes)

4. THE LORD OF THE RINGS FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (Peter Jackson)

3. LOST IN TRANSLATION (Sofia Coppola)

2. MOON (Duncan Jones)

1. GLADIATOR (Ridley Scott)

Tim Venhaus

10. THE MASTER (Paul Thomas Anderson)

9. SUPERBAD (Greg Mottola)

8. KILL BILL (Quentin Tarantino)

7. BOYHOOD (Richard Linklater)

6. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (The Coen Brothers)

5. WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER (David Wain)

4. THE DEPARTED (Martin Scorsese)

3. REQUIEM FOR A DREAM (Darren Aronofsky)

2. THE ROYAL TENENBAUM’S (Wes Anderson)

1. ADAPTATION (Spike Jonze)

Travis Keune (We Are Movie Geeks)

10. THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD (Andrew Dominik)

9. PANS LABYRINTH (Guillermo Del Toror)

8. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (Quentin Tarantino)

7. DRIVE (Nicolas Winding Refn)

6. MAD MAX FURY ROAD (George Miller)

5. THE WRESTLER (Darren Aronofsky)

4. OH BROTHER WHERE ART THOUGH? (The Coen Brothers)

3. MEMENTO (Christopher Nolan)

2. ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (Michel Gondry)

1. THERE WILL BE BLOOD (Paul Thomas Anderson)

Cate Marquis (We Are Movie Geeks, The Jewish Light)

10. 12 YEARS A SLAVE (Steve McQueen)

9. A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT (Jean-Pierre Jeunet)

8. THE DEPARTED (Martin Scorsese)

7. AMELIE (Jean-Pierre Jeunet)

6. THE PIANIST (Roman Polanski)

5. GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (Wes Anderson)

4. PAN’S LABYRINTH (Guillermo Del Toror)

3. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (Quentin Tarantino)

2. OH BROTHER WHERE ART THOUGH? (The Coen Brothers)

1. MEMENTO (Christopher Nolan)

Matt Myers (Allied Advertising)

10. LORD OF THE RINGS THE TWO TOWERS (Peter Jackson)

9. THERE WILL BE BLOOD (Paul Thomas Anderson)

8. FANTASTIC MR. FOX (Wes Anderson)

7. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (The Coen Brothers)

6. ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (Michael Gondry)

5. MAD MAX FURY ROAD (George Miller)

4. MULHOLLAND DRIVE (David Lynch)

3. AMÉLIE (Jean-Pierre Jeunet)

2. KILL BILL (Quentin Tarantino)

1. SYNECDOCHE NEW YORK (Charlie Kaufman)

Max Foizey (ZekeFilm)

10. (500) DAYS OF SUMMER (Marc Webb)

9. OH BROTHER WHERE ART THOU (The Coen Brothers)

8. CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON (Ang Lee)

7. ATONEMENT (Joe Wright)

6. UP (Pete Docter)

5. CLOSER (Mike Nichols)

4. BLACK SWAN (Darren Aronofsky)

3. THERE WILL BE BLOOD (Paul Thomas Anderson)

2. MULHOLLAND DRIVE (David Lynch)

1. THE LEGO MOVIE (Phil Lord)

Sandy Olmsted

10. THE FAIRY ( Dominique Abel)

9. THE ARTIST (Michel Hazanavicius)

8. PARANORMAN (Chris Butler)

7. PAN’S LABYRINTH (Guillermo Del Toror)

6. MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (Woody Allen)

5. LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE ( Jonathan Dayton)

4. HUGO (Martin Scorsese)

3. FRUITVALE STATION (Ryan Coogler)

2. HOCOLAT (Lasse Hallström)

1. BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (Benh Zeitlin)

Carl Middleman (KFTK – 97.1FM)

10. BLACK SWAN (Darren Aronofsky)

9. MULHOLLAND DRIVE (David Lynch)

8. (500) DAYS OF SUMMER (Marc Webb)

7. ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (Michel Gondry)

6. CLOSER (Mike Nichols)

5. UP (Pete Docter)

4. OH BROTHER WHERE ART THOU? (The Coen Brothers)

3. CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON (Ang Lee)

2. MEMENTO (Christopher Nolan)

1. THE LEGO MOVIE (Phil Lord)

Jim Tudor (ZekeFilm, ScreenAnarchy)

10. BUBBA HO-TEP (Don Coscarelli)

9. HOLY MOTORS (Leos Carax)

8. ALMOST FAMOUS (Cameron Crowe)

7. MAD MAX FURY ROAD (George Miller)

6. MULHOLLAND DRIVE (David Lynch)

5. HER (Spike Jonze)

4. THE INCREDIBLES (Brad Bird)

3. STAR WARS EPISODE III REVENGE OF THE SITH (George Lucas)

2. TOY STORY 3 (Lee Unkrich)

1. THE TREE OF LIFE (Terence Malick)

Dane Marti

10. INTERSTELLAR (Christopher Nolan)

9. INLAND EMPIRE (David Lynch)

8. THE HURT LOCKER (Kathryn Bigelow)

7. MINORITY REPORT (Steven Spielberg)

6. THE REVENANT (Alejandro Iñárritu)

5. THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD (Andrew Dominik)

4. LINCOLN (Steven Spielberg)

3. THE AVIATOR (Martin Scorsese)

2. LORD OF THE RINGS RETURN OF THE KING (Peter Jackson)

1. THERE WILL BE BLOOD (Paul Thomas Anderson)

Ian McDonald (Allied Advertising)

10.THE LIFE AQUATIC (Wes Anderson)

9. DJANGO UNCHAINED (Quentin Tarantino)

8. CABIN IN THE WOODS (Drew Goddard)

7. PAN’S LABYRINTH (Guillermo del Toro)

6. LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (Tomas Alfredson)

5. HOT FUZZ (Edgar Wright)

4. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (The Coen Brothers)

3. MAD MAX FURY ROAD (George Miller)

2. SPIDERMAN 2 (Sam Raimi)

1. THE DEPARTED (Martin Scorsese)

Pixar’s INSIDE OUT Wins Best Animated Feature At 43rd Annie Awards

Pixar Animation Studios was the big winner at the 43rd Annual Annie Awards, Saturday evening at UCLA’s Royce Hall. INSIDE OUT won Best Animated Feature along with 11 other categories, including Outstanding Music – Michael Giacchino; Outstanding Editing – Kevin Nolting; Outstanding Production Design – Ralph Eggleston; Outstanding Voice Acting – Phyllis Smith as ‘Sadness’; Outstanding Writing – Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve and Josh Cooley; and Best Directing – Pete Docter.

Watch the 2016 Annie Awards here.

This year was the first for the new category Best Animated Feature, Independent with Filme de Papel’s ‘Boy and the World’ taking this top honor.

The Best Animated Special Production was awarded to ‘He Named Me Malala’ (Parkes-MacDonald/Little Door); Best Animated Short Subject ‘World of Tomorrow’ (Don Hertzfeldt); Best Animated TV/Broadcast Commercial ‘Man and Dog’ (Psyop); Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production for Preschool Children ‘Tumble Leaf’ – Mirror (Amazon Studios and Bix Pix Entertainment); Best Animated TV/Broadcast Production for Children ‘Wander Over Yonder’ – The Breakfast (Disney Television Animation); Best Animated TV/Broadcast Production for a General Audience ‘The Simpsons’ – Halloween of Horror (Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox Television); Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in a Live Action Production: ‘The Revenant’ – The Bear (Regency Enterprises, New Regency Pictures, Anonymous Content, M Productions, Appian Way, RatPac-Dune Entertainment; and Best Student Film ‘ed’ (Sheridan College – Taha Neyestani).

“The Annies are drawing more attention from both our industry and the general motion picture industry,” said ASIFA-Hollywood Executive Director, Frank Gladstone. “We wait all year for this event and it never disappoints! It was a fun evening looking back at our history and celebrating what we have accomplished over this past year.”

Presenting the coveted Annie trophies this year were actor, producer & director Edward James Olmos with actress Rita Moreno; actor & writer Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants) with actress Laraine Newman (Dawn Of The Croods); actors Alexander Garfin and Hadley Belle Miller (“Linus and Lucy” from The Peanuts Movie) & Snoopy via Video; actress Kristen Schaal (Bob’s Burgers), composerChristophe Beck; Phyllis Smith (voice of ‘Sadness’ from Inside Out) with Bing Bong (Richard Kind) via video; Anomalisa co-directors Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson, John Musker and ASIFA-Hollywood President, Jerry Beckand Executive Director, Frank Gladstone.

This year’s Juried Award recipients included Winsor McCay lifetime achievement award – Joe Ranft (posthumously), Phil Romanand Isao Takahata. The Winsor McCay Award is one of the highest honors given to an individual in the animation industry in recognition for career contributions to the art of animation. Don Hahn was this year’s June Foray award recipient which honors an individual who has given significant and benevolent contributions to the art and industry of animation.

The Annie Awards honor overall excellence as well as individual achievement in a total of 36 categories from best feature, best feature – independent, production design, character animation, and effects animation to storyboarding, writing, music, editing and voice acting, and have often been a predictor of the annual Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

Check out the complete list of winners at www.annieawards.org

Benefit for PAWS! – INSIDE OUT at The Hi-Pointe July 2nd Fundraiser

See a great movie and help raise money for a worthy cause!

This Thursday, July 2nd at 7:30, join Tenacious Eats and The St. Louis Balloon Brigade for a special discount showing of INSIDE OUT at The Hi-Pointe Theater (1005 McCausland Ave, St. Louis 63117) to benefit PAWS! (Pets Are Wonderful Support)

PAWS (Pets Are Wonderful Support), a program of EFA, provides resources to people living with HIV/AIDS and also cancer patients so they can keep pet companions as long as possible. PAWS strongly supports the deep bond of family between people and pets. PAWS strives to ensure that clients do not experience the loss of pets due to financial hardship, lack of transportation or hospitalization. Pets are truly a source of unconditional love and support that is irreplaceable to people living with HIV/AIDS and Cancer.

Admission is $7 but the normal movie price is $9 a the Hi Pointe, so that is a $2 discount. Tenacious Eats and The St. Louis Balloon Brigade ask that you consider donating that $2 or more (if you can afford it) to PAWS Thursday night.

There will be a raffle and movie swag giveaways!

The Facebook invite for the event can be found HERE

https://www.facebook.com/events/853135791445585/

For more information about PAWS, the PAWS site can be found HERE

http://www.stlefa.org/PAWS

The Hi-Pointe’s site can be found HERE

http://hi-pointetheatre.com/

The Tenacious Eats site can be found HERE

http://tenaciouseats.com/

INSIDE OUT Posts Biggest Opening Ever At Box Office For Original Film With $90 Million

Disney•Pixar’s INSIDE OUT heads to the top with the biggest opening for an original movie in history, topping the previous No. 1 original movie, AVATAR, by more than $13 million, with $90,440,272 million in domestic box office opening weekend. The film opened Friday, June 19.

Directed by Pete Docter (“Up,” “Monsters, Inc.”), and featuring the voices of Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling and Phyllis Smith, INSIDE OUT took in an estimated $132 million globally, with many significant markets yet to open. The film is the second highest Pixar opening of all time, behind 2010’s TOY STORY 3, and continues to be well received among audiences and critics alike.

“Inside Out” has an “A” Cinemascore.
The movie is at 98 percent on rottentomatoes.com.
“Inside Out” was the highest-grossing Disney•Pixar movie of all time in Russia.
Friday box office for “Inside Out” ($34.2 M) made it the second largest opening day for Pixar, behind “Toy Story 3.”

Read Michael Haffner’s review here.

The film ventures inside 11-year-old Riley’s mind, where five Emotions are hard at work in Headquarters, led by optimist Joy, whose mission is to keep Riley happy. Fear heads up safety, Anger ensures all is fair and Disgust prevents Riley from getting poisoned—physically and socially. Sadness isn’t quite sure what her role is.

When Riley’s family relocates to a big city, the Emotions help guide her through the bumpy transition. Suddenly, Joy and Sadness are swept into the far reaches of Riley’s mind, and Fear, Anger and Disgust are left in charge of Headquarters. Joy and Sadness must venture through unfamiliar places—Long Term Memory, Imagination Land, Dream Productions—to get back to Headquarters, and Riley.

Directed by Academy Award winner Pete Docter (“Monsters, Inc.”, “Up”) and produced by Jonas Rivera, p.g.a. (“Up”), INSIDE OUT features an original score by Michael Giacchino (“The Incredibles,” “Ratatouille,” “Up”).

INSIDE OUT – The Review

Pixar has taken viewers on an array of journeys since 1995. They have introduced us to fantastical worlds where toys can talk, robots fall in love, and a mouse can be the most talented chef in Paris. Their knack for creating heartfelt and creative animated films that appeal to kids and adults alike seems to know no bounds. And yet it quickly becomes apparent in the opening minutes of INSIDE OUT that Pixar has reached new imaginative heights.

Talking animals or fairy tale princesses are constantly shown in animated films. So the idea alone of your internal feelings existing as characters in your head makes INSIDE OUT worth applauding. Add the fact that directors Pete Docter and Ronaldo del Carmen take the idea of these characters and have them explore the depths of a child’s mind setups a film that is filled with an endless array of opportunities. Most importantly, it lets them discuss the ins and outs of what makes our emotions go up and down. If this sounds a little heavy for younger children, I would say you are probably right. INSIDE OUT represents Pixar at its most ambitious – challenging kids to question ideas that are much bigger than they are.

Riley (voiced by Kaitlyn Dias) is dealing with a major problem. Her family is moving from Minneapolis to San Francisco. The adjustment to her new school, new friends, a new house, and a new hockey team isn’t going so well. It’s even harder for her five personified emotions: Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger. During the chaos of settling in to her new home, Joy (voiced by Amy Poehler) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith) accidentally get lost in the deep reaches of Riley’s mind and are stranded far from where they work at headquarters. Riley’s emotional state is soon thrown completely out of whack and it won’t be set right until Joy can stay positive and get the two of them back home.

Joy’s journey is what is at the heart of the film. Occasionally there are cuts to show Riley in the physical world, but the other humans and their interactions aren’t as important to the directing duo. They choose to stay with Riley’s feelings and even avoid showing the internal feelings of other characters, except during a great dinner table scene shown in the previews, and then later on during the closing credits (which had me laughing louder than any other moment in the film). I understand that the main plot has to do with Riley’s internal struggle, but considering how effective these scenes played with the audience I saw it with, I think including more instances of this would have provided some much-needed levity at times.

Slightly older kids might find the film more enlightening than others. This hasn’t been the case as much with Pixar in the past. Sure, they always have adult jokes or themes that fly over the heads of youngsters, but when you structure a large chunk of your film showing a character visiting areas of the brain like forgotten memories, abstract thought, and dream reality, you are heading into territory that is more complex than Dory’s underwater journey to find Nemo.

This journey motif is both a blessing and a curse. I for one appreciated the clever pit stops that Joy and Sadness have to make. However the structure of having to get back home is one that Pixar seems to rely on film after film. Aside from just FINDING NEMO as previously mentioned, you have TOY STORY, where Woody and Buzz lead the motley crew back to Andy’s house; in UP Carl and Russell journey to South America; in CARS you have McQueen trying to make it to California. Having seen this setup so many times from Pixar, there’s a sense of familiarity to the proceedings that holds back the film from really soaring.

What additionally contributes to the predictability of the film are the characters themselves. Given that they are named Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust, you can usually expect how they are each going to react at any given moment. I love having well-rounded characters and getting to know a person based on how they act in certain situations. With INSIDE OUT, the personified emotions go beyond just wearing their heart (or any of their other obvious traits) on their sleeve.

Whether it was intentional or not, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the work of author Philip K. Dick while thinking about the film in the days that followed my screening. His work often touched upon the idea of personal identity and fabricated “reality.” These themes can certainly be applied to the subconscious feeling world in a battle of sorts with the “real” world Riley’s physical state is journeying through. Taking it one step further, an argument could be made that the feelings in headquarters in Riley’s mind stand for the larger authoritarian government that are slowly directing us in ways we may not even know – “the invisible hand” as it is often referred to. These are all ideas Philip K. Dick structured some of his most popular non-fiction around, but given all the talk in our society today of our personal freedoms being attacked and government surveillance in order to maintain our country’s safety, is it really too much of a stretch to say that Pixar carefully imparted these ideas into a brainy animated film?

INSIDE OUT is not the best Pixar film they have ever made but it certainly gets them back on their successful track after the past couple of misses they have fired. It’s a film that many will appreciate, but I doubt many will initially love. The indelible characters and memorable scenes we’ve seen in previous Pixar films are missing and in their place is an attempt at tackling issues of love, fear, and regret. Complex and occasionally challenging, INSIDE OUT may not leave an obvious mark on young viewers, but that’s not to say that years from now they won’t better appreciate the film and look more fondly on the memory of witnessing this cinematic journey.

Overall rating: 3.5 out of 5

INSIDE OUT is now playing in theaters everywhere

‘INSIDE OUT Day’ at The St. Louis Science Center This Friday with Star Phyllis Smith

The place to be in St. Louis this Friday June 19th, is the St. Louis Science Center where they will be honoring hometown native and star of Disney•Pixar’s upcoming feature INSIDE OUT Phyllis Smith! And while you’re there, celebrate learning about the human mind and body. The festivities begin at NOON.

Disney•Pixar’s INSIDE OUT opens in theaters nationwide this Friday, June 19th. The movie is all about what’s going on in the head of an 11-year-old named Riley. Five emotions operate the control center of Riley’s mind, including Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger and Disgust. On the film’s opening day native St. Louisan Phyllis Smith, the voice of Sadness in the movie, will be honored at the Saint Louis Science Center as part of “INSIDE OUT Day” to celebrate the attention the film brings to learning about the human mind & body.

Assistant to Mayor Francis G. Slay, Josh Wiesend Bert Vescolani, Saint Louis Science Center President and CEO, will present Phyllis with a proclamation declaring it “INSIDE OUT Day” in the City of St. Louis. Following the presentation, Phyllis will participate in a brief meet-and-greet with Saint Louis Science Center visitors.

12:05 PM – 1:00 PM

Saint Louis Science Center is located at 5050 Oakland Ave.; St. Louis, MO 63110

Phyllis Smith, a native St. Louisan and longtime ensemble cast member in NBC’s hit series The Office, got her start in the entertainment industry working for casting agencies with clients such as Curb Your Enthusiasm, Arrested Development,Spin City,and NBC’s pilot of The Office. She appeared in “Bad Teacher,” “Butter” and “Alvin and the Chipmunks 3: Chipwrecked.” Additional acting credits include Arrested Development, the box-office hit “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” and the independent film “I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With”. Smith, a former St. Louis Cardinals cheerleader, received full scholarships in dance from Kansas University and Tulsa University, and she holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Missouri, St. Louis. She was also a ballet dancer with the St. Louis Civic Ballet and the St. Louis Dance Theater, as well as a professional jazz dancer under Raoul Appel. Smith attended Cleveland High School.

Do you ever look at someone and wonder what is going on inside their head? Disney•Pixar’s original new film INSIDE OUT ventures inside the mind to find out. Based in Headquarters, the control center inside 11-year-old Riley’s mind, five Emotions are hard at work, led by lighthearted optimist Joy (voice of Amy Poehler), whose mission is to make sure Riley stays happy. Fear (voice of Bill Hader) heads up safety, Anger (voice of Lewis Black) ensures all is fair and Disgust (voice of Mindy Kaling) prevents Riley from getting poisoned—both physically and socially. Sadness (voice of Phyllis Smith) isn’t exactly sure what her role is, and frankly, neither is anyone else. When Riley’s family relocates to a scary new city, the Emotions are on the job, eager to help guide her through the difficult transition. But when Joy and Sadness are inadvertently swept into the far reaches of Riley’s mind—taking some of her core memories with them—Fear, Anger and Disgust are left reluctantly in charge. Joy and Sadness must venture through unfamiliar places—Long Term Memory, Imagination Land, Abstract Thought and Dream Productions—in a desperate effort to get back to Headquarters, and Riley. Directed by Academy Award® winner Pete Docter (“Monsters, Inc.”, “Up”), produced by Jonas Rivera, p.g.a. (“Up”) and featuring an original score by Michael Giacchino (“The Incredibles,” “Ratatouille,” “Up”), Disney•Pixar’s INSIDE OUT opens in theaters on June 19, 2015.

The mission of the Saint Louis Science Center is to ignite and sustain lifelong science and technology learning. It is one of the top 15 science centers worldwide and was named one of the “Top 10 Science Centers for Families” by Parents magazine. The Saint Louis Science Center complex includes a four-story OMNIMAX® Theater, Boeing Hall and the James S. McDonnell Planetarium. For more information about the Saint Louis Science Center, please visit slsc.org.

Check out the trailer for INSIDE OUT:

This Week’s WAMG Podcast – Christopher Lee, Dinosaurs, and INSIDE OUT

This week’s episode of our podcast WE ARE MOVIE GEEKS The Show is up! Hear WAMG’s Michelle McCue, Jim Batts and Tom Stockman review the weekend box office hit JURASSIC WORLD and next weekend’s Pixar release INSIDE OUT. We also discuss at length our favorite dinosaur movies and the amazing life and career of the recently-departed Christopher Lee. WE ARE MOVIE GEEKS The Show is a weekly podcast and we will soon be streaming at ONStl.com Online Radio.

Visit our WE ARE MOVIE GEEKS The Show Facebook page HERE

https://www.facebook.com/pages/WE-ARE-MOVIE-GEEKS-the-SHOW-Podcast/1687717491451801

Here’s this week’s show. Have a listen:

WAMG At The INSIDE OUT Premiere

Disney Pixar’s INSIDE OUT is gearing up to hit theaters, and in celebration, stars Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling, Kyle MacLachlan, and Bobby Moynihan hit the purple carpet for the films premiere. The carpet was also joined by Minnie Driver, David Alan Grier, Tony Hawk and more! Check out my pictures from the red carpet below!

Do you ever look at someone and wonder what is going on inside their head? Disney•Pixar’s original new film “Inside Out” ventures inside the mind to find out.

Based in Headquarters, the control center inside 11-year-old Riley’s mind, five Emotions are hard at work, led by lighthearted optimist Joy (Amy Poehler), whose mission is to make sure Riley stays happy. Fear (voice of Bill Hader) heads up safety, Anger (voice of Lewis Black) ensures all is fair and Disgust (voice of Mindy Kaling) prevents Riley from getting poisoned—both physically and socially. Sadness (voice of Phyllis Smith) isn’t exactly sure what her role is, and frankly, neither is anyone else. When Riley’s family relocates to a scary new city, the Emotions are on the job, eager to help guide her through the difficult transition. But when Joy and Sadness are inadvertently swept into the far reaches of Riley’s mind—taking some of her core memories with them—Fear, Anger and Disgust are left reluctantly in charge. Joy and Sadness must venture through unfamiliar places—Long Term Memory, Imagination Land, Abstract Thought and Dream Productions—in a desperate effort to get back to Headquarters, and Riley.

INSIDE OUT hits theaters June 19th

Michael Giacchino’s INSIDE OUT Soundtrack Available June 16

Disney•Pixar’s INSIDE OUT features an original score that captures the emotional spirit of the story by award-winning composer Michael Giacchino.

The soundtrack will be released by Walt Disney Records on June 16, 2015. Directed by Academy Award winner Pete Docter and produced by Jonas Rivera, Disney•Pixar’s INSIDE OUT opens in U.S. theaters on June 19, 2015.

Giacchino worked with director Pete Docter on UP (garnering an Academy Award® for best original score) and also counts Disney•Pixar’s films “Cars 2,” “Ratatouille” and “The Incredibles” among his credits.

But, says the composer, “Inside Out” was different. “Pete [Docter] wanted the music to feel as if it was coming from the inside—from internal thoughts,” says Giacchino. “We were going for something atmospheric. Something that wasn’t traditional film score.”

According to the composer, the goal of the music mirrored the goal of the film. “It had to feel emotional,” says Giacchino. “I wasn’t sure how I wanted it to sound, but I knew how I wanted it to feel. This film is personal.”

The score was recorded with a 70-piece orchestra with an organ and a rhythm section that consisted of guitars and a drummer.

“I had a lot of fun writing the music,” continues Giacchino. “There’s a 1930s jazzy section we wrote for the Forgetters, and we channel classic horror in the Subconscious. The film really goes all over the map musically, but what I love most about it is that we never forgot that it’s an emotional story that’s being told.”

INSIDE OUT is preceded by the short “LAVA” from Pixar Animation Studios, director James Ford Murphy and producer Andrea Warren. Inspired by the isolated beauty of tropical islands and the explosive allure of ocean volcanoes, “LAVA” is a musical love story that takes place over millions of years. The short features the theme performed by Kuana Torres Kahele (Uku & Narrator) and Napua Greig (Lele). The “Lava” score will be available at digital retail on June 16, 2015.

©2014 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

This summer, in addition to Pete Docter’s INSIDE OUT from Disney•Pixar, Giacchino has two other major films hitting theaters: TOMORROWLAND, directed by Brad Bird and Universal’s JURASSIC WORLD,” directed by Colin Trevorrow.

The INSIDE OUT original motion picture soundtrack will be available wherever music is sold on June 16, 2015. The album is now available for pre-order at iTunes (http://smarturl.it/iosa1) and Amazon.com (http://smarturl.it/iosama1).

For more information on Walt Disney Records’ releases, like on Facebook.com/ disneymusic or follow at Twitter.com/disneymusic. To purchase Disney music, visit the online store at www.disneymusicstore.com.

Do you ever look at someone and wonder what is going on inside their head? Disney•Pixar’s original new film INSIDE OUT ventures inside the mind to find out.

Based in Headquarters, the control center inside 11-year-old Riley’s mind, five Emotions are hard at work, led by lighthearted optimist Joy (voice of Amy Poehler), whose mission is to make sure Riley stays happy. Fear (voice of Bill Hader) heads up safety, Anger (voice of Lewis Black) ensures all is fair and Disgust (voice of Mindy Kaling) prevents Riley from getting poisoned—both physically and socially. Sadness (voice of Phyllis Smith) isn’t exactly sure what her role is, and frankly, neither is anyone else.

When Riley’s family relocates to a scary new city, the Emotions are on the job, eager to help guide her through the difficult transition. But when Joy and Sadness are inadvertently swept into the far reaches of Riley’s mind—taking some of her core memories with them—Fear, Anger and Disgust are left reluctantly in charge. Joy and Sadness must venture through unfamiliar places—Long Term Memory, Imagination Land, Abstract Thought and Dream Productions—in a desperate effort to get back to Headquarters, and Riley.

Pixar’s INSIDE OUT Gets Bitmoji Theme Pack To Celebrate New Emotion-Fueled Film; Watch The New Clip

Bitmoji was inspired by Disney•Pixar’s original new movie INSIDE OUT to create its first movie theme pack.

http://bitmoji.com/inside-out-movie.html

In an exclusive entertainment tie-in, 15 new bitmojis are being released to celebrate the inventive new film, which takes place inside the mind of Riley, an 11-year-old girl guided by five Emotions: Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith).

INSIDE OUT opens nationwide June 19, 2015.

Each bitmoji in the theme pack features your avatar alongside one of the five characters in a simple and shareable sentiment that can be used in everyday text messaging conversations. There are three colorful bitmojis for each character, including Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness. The “Inside Out” theme pack is a groundbreaking fusion of audience and content, letting people inhabit the world of the movie through their avatars, and share the experience with friends and family. It’s an immersive, fun and free way to bring the energy of the movie to the texting fingertips of millions.

“With its theme of bringing human emotions to life, ‘Inside Out’ couldn’t have been a more perfect partner for Bitmoji,” said Ba Blackstock, CEO of Bitstrips, the company behind Bitmoji. “Millions of people around the world use Bitmoji to express themselves, so it is truly a dream come true to bring these soon-to-be classic characters to everyone’s daily communication.”

The free INSIDE OUT bitmojis for Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness are available today through a special theme pack in the Bitmoji app. Bitmoji is available on Android and iOS. To see the theme pack and for more information, please visit: http://bitmoji.com/inside-out-movie.html.

Do you ever look at someone and wonder what is going on inside their head? Disney•Pixar’s original new film INSIDE OUT ventures inside the mind to find out.

Directed by Academy Award winner Pete Docter (“Monsters, Inc.”, “Up”), produced by Jonas Rivera (“Up”) and featuring an original score by Michael Giacchino (“The Incredibles,” “Ratatouille,” “Up”), Disney•Pixar’s INSIDE OUT opens in theaters on June 19, 2015.

http://movies.disney.com/inside-out/

https://www.facebook.com/PixarInsideOut

https://twitter.com/PixarInsideOut

Tom Stockman (We Are Movie Geeks)

Andrew Wyatt (St. Louis Magazine, Gateway Cinephile)

Stephen Tronicek (FilmAnalyst)

Dana Jung

Mathew DeKinder (Suburban Journals of St. Louis)

Jim Batts (We Are Movie Geeks)

Lynn Venhaus ( Belleville News-Democrat, Webster-Kirkwood Times)

Kent Tentschert (Webster-Kirkwood Times)

Rob Garica (HEC-TV)

Sam Smucker

Robert Hunt (The Riverfront Times)

Sam Moffitt

Michael Haffner (We Are Movie Geeks)

Renee Hirshfield (Webster University, Southwestern Illinois College)

Sarah Hirshfield (Mount Holyoke College)

Kathy Kaiser (Matinee Chat)

Melissa Thompson (We Are Movie Geeks)

Pete Timmerman (Webster University)

Michelle McCue (We Are Movie Geeks)

Tim Venhaus

Travis Keune (We Are Movie Geeks)

Cate Marquis (We Are Movie Geeks, The Jewish Light)

Matt Myers (Allied Advertising)

Max Foizey (ZekeFilm)

Sandy Olmsted

Carl Middleman (KFTK – 97.1FM)

Jim Tudor (ZekeFilm, ScreenAnarchy)

Dane Marti

Ian McDonald (Allied Advertising)

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INSIDE OUT hits theaters June 19th

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