Pre-Oscars 2015.

The Oscars are coming up - less than a month away!  That means we'll be trying to see as many movies from the list of nominees as possible.  Here is the list we're working with right now...

1. Boyhood  (According to IMDB, it has a 100/100 metascore!)
2. Maleficent -- Really excellent movie and not at all what I expected of the story.  I absolutely understand why this one is up for costume design.
   
3. Guardians of the Galaxy -- Love love LOVED this movie even more than I thought I would. Chris Pratt is fantastic. I can't wait for them to make another one of these!
4. How to Train Your Dragon 2 (And I guess see the first one)
5. Begin Again -- Definitely a lackluster opinion on this one from both of us when it comes to the movie as a whole.  I personally hated the ending!  BUT, I think all of the actors did a fantastic job and it was a pretty cool story. This movie has a song up for an Oscar (Lost Stars) - which is why we watched it - and I do love the song. And I LOVED Adam Levine in it! 
6. Captain America: The Winter Soldier  -- Holy moly. Favorite Marvel movie to date. It reminded me why I liked the Avengers movies so much to begin with - I had kinda forgotten at this point or stop caring. Just... loved.
7. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
8. X-men: Days of Future Past
9. Unbroken  -- Holy shit. This movie was incredible. I cannot wait to read the book. Acting was phhhhheeeenominal. HIGHLY recommend this one. Kinda pissed the metascore is so crappy.
10. American Sniper -- I don't really understand how anyone could say that a sniper is a coward... especially after watching this movie and understanding Chris Kyle's dedication, sacrifice, and bravery. Truly an incredible person, story, and movie. If this can't raise awareness for PTSD and justice for our veterans after they return home, I don't know what will.
11. Wild
12. The Boxtrolls
13. Intersteller
14. Selma
15. Still Alice
16. Foxcatcher
17. Into the Woods
18. The Theory of Everything
19. Birdman
20. The Imitation Game
21. Big Hero 6
22. Nightcrawler
23. The Judge -- I'll be honest: I didn't expect much from this movie. The reason it's on our list is because Robert Duvall was nominated for an Oscar for his performance here. And the nomination is 100% deserved. The movie itself was incredible, too, and I wish Robert Downey Jr. would have gotten a nomination in addition to the movie, itself. The cast was chalk FULL of people I love. Highly recommend giving it a watch.
24. Beyond the Lights
25. Mr. Turner
26. Ida
27. Leviathan
28. Virgunga
29. Finding Vivian Maier -- Nominated in one of the documentary categories and by far one of the best documentaries I've seen in recent times. (Which is slightly easy to do because I don't see many anymore.) This story is incredible - Vivian Maier's and how it intertwines with John Maloof's. It's all so unbelievable except for the physical evidence that it all indeed took place.... all I can say is the product is incredible. All of it. And the "story" isn't over yet. It's still happening and changing and it is one I will continue to follow and hope for the best.
30. The Grand Budapest Hotel -- It's hard to say what has been the BEST movie we've seen from this list so far since they are all very obviously incredible movies in their own right... but this movie was perhaps as close as it comes to having a favorite. So far. We're less than halfway through the list at this point. It's nominated in SO many categories and I hope it walks away a winner. Such a neat movie.
31. Gone Girl (Been wanting to see this one SO BAD!) -- Just as good as the book! Well, okay, obviously the book was better BUT what I mean is that the movie followed very closely to the story AND added so much by the characters they cast. Loved it & so did Tony. His reaction to the ending was just perfect: "Is that really the end?" And casting Tyler Perry? UM, PERF. Can absolutely see why Rosemund Pike is up for an Oscar - very deserved.

There are SO MANY more we want to see before the Oscars, but we have to be realistic.  We won't be able to see any of the movies that aren't available on DVD before the Oscars air.  Who knows if we'll be able to catch all the ones that are already out - but it's fun to see them before the awards show!

Here is the list we made we compiled as a result of watching the Oscars in 2014.  As you can see, we still have PLENTY we need to watch from last year.

But honestly, I'm currently preoccupied with a fun reading challenge (which I will post about later) and it makes me care a little bit less about movies and TV shows.  I've read 4 books since the new year and I'm on my 5th one now!  Having the Kindle App on my phone makes it so much easier, too.  The girls' nap time and bedtime is dedicated to reading for me lately.  I'm still reading the Caster Chronicles and it is fantastic.

I also watched "Beautiful Creatures" (the adaptation from book to movie) a few weeks ago and it was pretty terrible.  I feel like the casting was COMPLETELY wrong for nearly all the characters (especially Link, Lena, Ethan, Macon...) and not to mention the storyline was much too far from the book.  Ugh.  Such a letdown.  I can understand why the film did NOT do well and why there hasn't been an attempt to turn the other books into movies.  It actually makes me pretty upset because these books are right up there with the likes of the Hunger Games and Divergent books if you ask me.  If you haven't read the Beautiful Creatures books and liked the other series I mentioned, I would definitely recommend them to you.

Alright... so, have any of you seen movies from the Oscars list up there?  Which would you recommend the most?  And how about what you've been reading?  Any recommendations there?  Love to keep up with people are into!  Hope everybody is surviving the winter months... hold tight because it is less than TWO MONTHS until the first day of Spring, my people!