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Selma [video] POST

Selma [video]

Very few historical films so successfully deconstruct the Great Man view of history while nevertheless offering a credible portrait of a leader who was, in fact, a great man.

Annie [video] POST

Annie [video] (2014)

I want to say I love the idea for Little Orphan Hushpuppy … but I’m not convinced there’s actually an idea here.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies [video] POST

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies [video]

“Will you follow me … one last time?” Well, if you promise it’s the last time.

 Exodus: Gods and Kings [video] POST

Exodus: Gods and Kings [video] (2014)

The director of Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven and Robin Hood takes on the story of Moses.

 Penguins of Madagascar [video] POST

Penguins of Madagascar [video] (2014)

Stick a fork in them, they’re done. Or maybe that’s just me.

 The Theory of Everything [video] POST

The Theory of Everything [video] (2014)

Stephen Hawking and Jane Wilde’s 30-year-marriage gets the Wikipedia treatment, if Wikipedia were prettier, and sanitized.

 Big Hero 6 [video] POST

Big Hero 6 [video] (2014)

It’s a Marvel movie! It’s a Disney cartoon! It’s … a Marney movie! It’s set in San Fransokyo! Wait, what?

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What’s Up, Michael Bay?

What if Pixar’s Up had been directed by Michael Bay instead of Pete Docter? This seems pretty accurate, actually.

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Magic in the Moonlight [video] (2014)

Watching Woody Allen’s latest, starring Colin Firth and Emma Stone, is like watching your uncle doing a card trick you’ve seen him do a hundred times.

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Get On Up [video] (2014)

From the star of 42 and the director of The Help comes a film I enjoyed more than either of those.

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The Hundred-Foot Journey [video] (2014)

While I didn’t care for this movie as much as I hoped I would, I will say I went right from the theater to an Indian restaurant, where I got something I enjoyed more.

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [video] (2014)

Thanks to this film, I’ll be adding “Shrinking World Syndrome” to SDG’s Very, Very Little Movie Glossary.

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The Christ of Muscle Beach!

“Christ in Majesty” is the official name of the striking, somewhat controversial mosaic on the apse wall of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC, but someone Suz and I once knew jokingly nicknamed it “the Christ of Muscle Beach,” in reference to its half-bared chest and arm, muscular build and intimidating gaze.

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Hercules [video] (2014)

A question I couldn’t get to in 60 seconds: What’s the real story with the creepy, green spaced-out tribal warriors? Can anyone explain that?

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Snowpiercer [video] (2014)

This is the summer’s most thought-provoking action movie.

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Planes: Fire & Rescue [video] (2014)

Looking at those Cars eyes is worse than having no remnant of Pixar at all this year.

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Deliver Us From Evil [video] (2014)

Édgar Ramírez might be my favorite horror-movie priest.

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Guardians of the Galaxy [video] (2014)

If you’re not into turtles, and you have half a brain, this may be the movie for you.

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Scott Derrickson: The Epic Video Interview!

Scott Derrickson is such a great interview subject that it was hard for me to cut down our sprawling 45-minute discussion to the 2500-odd words of the text article that ran earlier this week. I’m very pleased, then, to be able to offer the Reel Faith video version of the entire interview.

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Transformers: Age of Extinction [video] (2014)

If Michael Bay can take 165 minutes for his latest Transformers movie, I can take two minutes to review it.