A blog devoted to the discussion of the greatest movies ever made, or The Essential Films. From the beginning of cinema history to present day, these films are crucial to the education of anyone who loves the art of film making.
At long last, your favorite movie podcast, FORCED PERSPECTIVE, has reawakened, and is coming back with a short REACTION EPISODE to Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Join SportsGuy515 and Adolfo, along with their special guest BIG D, as they give their first reactions to the film and speculate on/discuss many plot points.
As a result, this will be a very SPOILER HEAVY discussion. IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO HEAR SPOILERS, GO WATCH THE FILM BEFORE LISTENING TO THIS EPISODE. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!
Look for a FULL REVIEW of Star Wars: The Force Awakens on the next episode of FORCED PERSPECTIVE – with (hopefully) a few surprises thrown in! DOWNLOAD/STREAM NOW!
SportGuy’s Twitter: @SportsGuy515
Adolfo’s Twitter: @Adolfo_Acosta
The Essential Films Twitter: @EssentialFilms
FORCED PERSPECTIVE E-Mail: fpmpodcast@gmail.com
This is the nature of war. By protecting others, you save yourselves.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Seven Samurai is perhaps Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece. This is saying a lot, considering Kurosawa's filmography reads like a list of Japanese film canon: Rashomon, Ikiru, Throne of Blood, Hidden Fortress, Yojimbo, Sanjuro... the list goes on. And those films went on to inspire future great directors like Sergio Leone and even George Lucas. However, Seven Samurai combines such a rich story, wonderful acting, phenomenal action and epic scale to deliver one of the greatest films of all time.
A group of marauding bandits have decided to spare a farming village, a regular punching bag of theirs, until the time of the next harvest. The locals go to the village elder and it is decided that they will hire a group of samurais to defend the village and drive the bandits away forever. Since they have no money, it's decided that they need to find hungry samurai that will accept payment in millet. In a neighboring village, an aging ronin, Kambei (Takashi Shimura), rescues a hostage from a thief, which so impresses the villagers that they immediately seek his guidance in their thief problem. Kambei agrees to defend the village, but reckons he'll need at least seven samurai to be an effective unit. Kambei recruits the remaining six, including young apprentice Katsushirō (Isao Kimura) and samurai wannabe Kikuchiyo (Toshirô Mifune). The seven samurai then train the villagers in preparation for the siege, and the film climaxes in one of the greatest battle sequences on film.
Perhaps the most memorable character in the film is Kikuchiyo, portrayed by Mifune in a star-making performance. According to Mifune, the film was originally written as six samurai, but it was decided that six "serious" heroes was too boring. Mifune, who was originally cast in another role, was recast as the new character Kikuchiyo. Wanting Kikuchiyo to stand out from the pack as a wild card, Kurosawa gave Mifune complete creative license to interpret the character and his actions however he saw fit. At times, Mifune could be accused of hamming it up for the cameras, but the end result is ultimately extremely entertaining.
It's hard to believe that this was Kurosawa's first samurai film, a genre that he would become associated with the rest of his career, and he ended up making perhaps the definitive samurai film for many cinephiles. Especially when Kurosawa innovated, or at least popularized, new storytelling tropes. This was one of the first "getting the band together" films, where the first act of the film is spent gathering the team together for a job. Examples of this can be seen in the Hollywood remake The Magnificent Seven, The Guns of Navarone, Ocean's Eleven, Inception and even The Blues Brothers. It also features the "Establishing Character" trope of introducing the hero in a scene unrelated to the rest of the plot. The example in this film is Kambei, willing to sacrifice his topknot, to disguise himself as a monk to rescue a hostage. This exposes us to Kambei, tells us he is an honorable samurai, willing to do whatever is necessary and, ultimately, a bad ass.
Kurosawa also proved himself as not just a master storyteller, but a phenomenal action director. The Star Wars trilogy? George Lucas lifts them directly from this film (and also steals characters from Hidden Fortress to create R2D2 and C-3PO, but that's another story.)
final battle sequence is absolutely thrilling and Kurosawa broke from tradition to film it. Kurosawa used multiple cameras shooting simultaneously to shoot the epic sequence: a fixed camera in a standard set-up, a camera for quick action shots and what he called a "guerilla" camera to get the hard to capture shots of action. All the action and camera work was meticulously choreographed and the end result is a spectacular action sequence that continues to thrill audiences over 60 years later. On top of this, the film is spectacularly shot and beautifully composed by cinematographer Asakazu Nakai. And all those "wipes" you see in the
In addition to the brilliant action, the film is also expertly written. You would think that in a story with seven main characters, one or two might get lost in the shuffle. Each samurai is fully realized and given plenty of screen time to develop. You have the leader, the wild card, the teacher, the master swordsman... you even have time for the young recruit, Katsuihro, to have a forbidden romance with one of the village girls. Add to this the mix of beleaguered (and sometimes comical) villagers and the film is rich with characters and identity. The only drawback is the villains, the bandits, don't get much face time except at the end of the film when they are the threat to be vanquished. But that's OK, given how beautifully the rest of the characters are developed, it's OK if the bandits are just that... bandits.
The film is a long one, clocking in at over 3 and a half hours (with an intermission), but your patience will be rewarded. All of the character building and plot builds to the explosive final sequence, which by the time the action goes down, is well-earned. In fact, Seven Samurai rewards you for every minute you watch the film. It is endlessly entertaining as well as being Kurosawa's epic masterpiece.
Hello all. Welcome to part 1 in what I hope to be an ongoing series looking at the history of Marvel Comics on the big (and sometimes small) screen. Enough introductions, you’ll get it as we go along.
We’re going to start with the first Marvel Comics property to ever hit celluloid: the iconic Captain America.
CHARACTER HISTORY
Captain America first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 in March of 1941, published by Timely Comics (the predecessor of Marvel Comics). Created by Joe Simon and the legendary Jack Kirby, Captain America was a star-spangled hero conceived in response to the ever increasing threat of Nazi Germany. Long before the United States was officially involved in the war, Kirby and Simon created Captain America as a political statement. The character even appears on the cover of the first issue punching Adolf Hitler in the face.
Captain America started out as Steve Rogers, a skinny 4F weakling who just couldn’t cut it in the military. His heart and patriotism for his country made him the perfect candidate for the Super Soldier experiment and was injected with a serum that made him the peak of human physical fitness. He dons a red, white and blue costume, and, along with his kid sidekick, Bucky, fought enemies foreign and domestic… all in the name of the U.S. of A. In 1944, Republic Pictures licensed the character for a 15-Chapter movie serial to be played at matinees for children, following in the cinematic footsteps of his comic book and pulp counterparts Zorro, Tarzan, Flash Gordon and Dick Tracy.
THE MOVIE VERSION
Republic Pictures made many drastic changes to the character, much to Timely Comics’ ultimate displeasure. Gone was the secret identity of US Army Private Steve Rogers, instead replaced by US District Attorney Grant Gardner. The Super Soldier serum played no part in the character’s origin. He does not carry his famous shield, and instead carries a gun. No Bucky. And despite the fact that Nazis could have provided perfect on-screen villains at a time that America was at war with Germany, they were not featured in any way. In fact the only thing that makes this film “Captain America” is the title and costume. Everything else was completely replaced. Dick Purcell plays our lead, and overall he’s pretty hammy in the role.
THE VILLAIN
No Red Skull folks. No Adolf Hitler. No Nazis. No Japanese villains either. Sorry. Instead the villain was the generically named “Scarab.” The Scarab uses a purple poison gas to hypnotize his enemies and force them to do his bidding.
THE PLOT
This being a movie serial, the plot takes a long time to unfold over the cliffhangers that happen at the end of every chapter for fifteen chapters. Long story short, The Scarab is really Dr. Maldor, a scientist who is getting revenge on members of a Mayan expedition, that somehow gained all of the members fame and fortune. Fame and fortune, that is, for everyone except Dr. Maldor. Dr. Lyman, the last remaining member of the expedition has developed a new mining technology he calls the Dynamic Vibrator (seriously), but The Scarab has now found a new use for: to cause death and destruction by simulating earthquakes. The mayor calls in District Attorney Grant Gardner to investigate, but really it’s Captain America who ultimately saves the day.
OTHER CHARACTERS
The only other notable character would be Gail Richards (Lorna Gray), Grant Gardner’s secretary, who’s only purpose seems to be getting rescued by Captain America.
THE VERDICT
The 1944 Captain America serial isn’t bad for what it’s supposed to be: silly 15 minute chapters to entertain children. It gets points for the very well-staged fight sequences, but ultimately the film bears little to no resemblance to the Captain of the comics, and really any other comic book vigilante could have been slipped in without any noticeable difference.
GRADE: C
WHERE CAN YOU WATCH IT
Believe it or not, you can buy the complete serial on AMAZON.
Enterprising comic geeks have also uploaded the chapters on YouTube:
NEXT TIME: Spidey swings into action in the swingin’ 70s!
Recently I wrote a movie review for our affiliate site, Superfriends Universe, about the recent Fantastic Four reboot. Needless to say, I was not happy. Read the full article HERE
Omar Sharif, who was born as Michel Shaloub in 1932, has passed away today at the age of 83. The Egyptian-born actor had a storied career, starting in Egyptian cinema in the 1950s and continued working until as recently as 2013. Shaloub became a Muslim in the 1950s, changing his name to Omar al-Sharif, and in 1961 landed the role that would change his life. That breakthrough role would be that of Sherif Ali in David Lean's grand epic, Lawrence of Arabia, a role that would earn him an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe win for Best Supporting Actor. Sharif later paired with David Lean again in 1965's Doctor Zhivago, a film of equal spectacle, which would again earn him a Golden Globe for Best Actor. Sharif would go on to play a wide range of roles including Genghis Khan and Che Gueverra as well as starring alongside Barbara Streisand in the mega hit musical Funny Girl. Sharif would work fairly regularly over the years in films like Mackenna's Gold (1969), The Mysterious Island (1973), The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976), Top Secret (1984), The 13th Warrior (1999) and 10000 BC (2008). His last film was Rock the Casbah in 2013. The Essential Films is saddened by this loss, and looks back on three of his most essential roles. RIP.
LAWRENCE OF ARABIA David Lean 1962 • 227 Minutes Cast: Peter O'Toole, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, Jack Hawkins, José Ferrer, Anthony Quayle, Claude Rains, Arthur Kennedy, Omar Sharif Screenplay: Robert Bolt, Michael Wilson Producer: Sam Spiegel Cinematography: F.A. Young
Sharif was initially cast for a smaller role, but when casting delays for the Sherif Ali role became a problem, Sharif was promoted to the larger and more significant role. He earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and won the Golden Globe for his performance in the epic film about the life of TE Lawrence.
DOCTOR ZHIVAGO David Lean 1965 • 200 Minutes Cast: Omar Sharif, Julie Christie, Tom Courtenay, Alec Guinness, Geraldine Chaplin, Rod Steiger Screenplay: Robert Bolt Based on Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak Producer: Carlo Ponti Cinematography: Freddie Young, Nicolas Roeg
Sharif went from supporting actor to leading man for Lean's next major Hollywood epic. Adapting Boris Pasternak's famous novel, Sharif plays the title role of a married Russian physician who falls in love with another woman while during the first World War and the October revolution. Considered one of the greatest cinematic love stories, due in no small part to the handsome Sharif and his beautiful costar Julie Christie.
FUNNY GIRL William Wyler 1968 • 155 Minutes Cast: Barbra Streisand, Omar Sharif, Kay Medford Screenplay: Isobel Lennart Based on Funny Girl 1964 musical by Isobel Lennart, Jule Styne, Bob Merrill Producer: Ray Stark Cinematography: Harry Stradling, Sr.
Sharif played opposite Barbara Streisand in the smash box office hit of the smash Broadway hit in Funny Girl. Sharif was cast shortly before the Six Day War between Egypt and Israel. When Egyptian newspapers printed publicity photos of Sharif and Streisand in romantic scenes from the film, the Egyptian government actually threatened to revoke his citizenship. To quiet down the controversy the studio executives considered recasting the role, but Streisand and director William Wyler threatened to quit if they did. Thankfully cooler heads prevailed.
Other Notable Films:
THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE (1964) THE NIGHT OF THE GENERALS (1967) JUGGERNAUT (1974) FUNNY LADY (1975) TOP SECRET! (1984) THE 13th WARRIOR (1999) THE PAROLE OFFICER (2001) MONSIEUR IBRAHIM (2003) HIDALGO (2004) 10,000 BC (2008)
FORCED PERSPECTIVE, Episode 67 – “The Aliens are Attacking!” Join SportsGuy515 & Adolfo, along with special guest MR. EDDIE, as they record their first NON-CHRISTMAS THEMED commentary track for the 4th of July disaster CLASSIC known simply as Independence Day! Throw in your copy of the film on your Blu-ray/DVD player and follow along with them as they give their wacky insights on what is unfolding on-screen!
*Note: it is NOT REQUIRED for any listener to have to watch Independence Day while listening to this episode – the episode works with or without the film playing in the background. However, in order to get the BEST and INTENDED EXPERIENCE, the Forced Perspective team suggests syncing the episode with the film for yet another all-out WACKY DVD commentary experience!
On an all-new episode of the critically acclaimed FORCED PERSPECTIVE, join SportsGuy515 & Adolfo as they continue their trek through Summer 2015 with reviews of Tomorrowland, San Andreas, Poltergeist, Entourage, Spy, and (the record-breaking smash-hit) Jurassic World! The duo also pay tribute to the legendary SIR CHRISTOPHER LEE! PLUS:
-SportsGuy’s Christmas comes early this year…
-Tom Hanks in Big.
-What’s the point of BLU-RAY SLIPCOVERS?
-The awesomeness of BLU-RAY DIGIBOOKS, and whether or not the guys actually READ THE BOOK…
-Was Halloween III ahead of its time?
-SportsGuy and Adolfo debate the merits of Tomorrowland‘s message
-The silliness and fun of San Andreas
-Would Adolfo rather sit through Poltergeist or Annabelle again?
-What was the point of the Entourage movie?
-The MVP of Paul Feig’s Spy (and the answer is UNSURPRISING…)
-The nostalgic fun present in Jurassic World (+SPOILERS)!
-The guys answer the MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION: IF JURASSIC WORLD WERE REAL, WOULD YOU GO? The answers might surprise you!
On this edition of YOUR favorite movie podcast, join SportsGuy515 and Adolfo as Summer 2015 continues with their latest slate of reviews for Mad Max: Fury Road, Ex Machina, It Follows, and Furious 7. PLUS:
–Mad Max: Fury Road in BLACK & WHITE???
-George Clooney is STILL apologizing for Batman and Robin.
-Michael B. Jordan FIGHTS BACK against racists.
-The REAL reason why were are getting a Fantastic Four movie this year.
-The latest talk on Blade Runner 2 and Independence Day 2.
-CNN’s “The Famous Film I Never Saw” article and the RAGE that Adolfo felt after reading it!
-The practical effects of Furious 7.
-The love letter to horror films that was It Follows
Legendary actor Christopher Lee died of complications of respiratory problems and heart failure on June 7, 2015 at the age of 93. In addition to being a Hammer Horror icon, Lee was a classically trained actor, an author, a World War II veteran, a Nazi hunter and a heavy metal singer. He was Count Dracula and the Frankenstein Monster. He was Sherlock Holmes. He worked with everyone from Billy Wilder to Martin Scorsese to George Lucas to Tim Burton. He had iconic roles in three major franchises: Star Wars, The Lord of The Rings (including The Hobbit) and the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun. Christopher Lee leaves behind an amazing legacy and he will be missed. These are his Essential Films.
THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY and THE HOBBIT TRILOGY
Peter Jackson
2001-2003, 2012-2014
After his career hit a bit of a slump in the 1990s, Christopher Lee returned to mainstream prominence as the traitorous Saruman in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy. The white wizard Saruman was a perfect role for Lee, even though, as a longtime Tolkein fan, he had always envisioned himself as portraying the heroic Gandalf. But his career as playing the villain in fantasy/horror films made this casting a perfect fit. Lee reprised the role for cameos in Jackson's recent The Hobbit trilogy as well. (NOTE: Christopher Lee appears in the theatrical releases of The Fellowship of The Ring and The Two Towers, but only in the extended cut of The Return of the King).
THE WICKER MAN
Robin Hardy
1973
Lee plays the enigmatically charming Lord Summerisle, the leader of a small, secluded island community that bears his name. When Sergeant Howie pays a visit to the island to investigate the disappearance of a young girl, he is shocked and disgusted by the islands pagan customs, which offend his strict Christian beliefs. Howie's investigations lead to a bigger conspiracy that culminates in a terrifying conclusion to this classic 70s horror film.
HUGO
Martin Scorsese
2011
Sir Christopher Lee appears in a small, but memorable role in this film about the adventures of a young clockmaker's apprentice, Hugo Cabaret. In the film, Lee's Monsieur Labisse is one of the few adults in Hugo's world that are kind to him, giving him a book about the adventures of Robin Hood.
HORROR OF DRACULA and DRACULA: PRINCE OF DARKNESS
Terrence Fisher
1958, 1966
DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE
Freddie Francis
1968
Hammer Horror's adaptation of the classic Bram Stoker novel. Perhaps Lee's most iconic role. Many actors have played the role from Bela Lugosi to Gary Oldman, but Lee's was the first to truly capture the gothic romance of the novel. To add to the excellence: Lee plays opposite Peter Cushing as Van Helsing. One of the greatest pairings in horror cinema. In Prince of Darkness, a direct sequel to Horror of Dracula, Christopher Lee returns to the role, this time to torment Father Sandor, a priest who mistakenly believes that vampires had been wiped out. The Count is resurrected and proves him wrong. The last good Dracula/Lee film sees Dracula rise (again) while Monsignor Ernest Muller tries to destroy him and his evil forces in Risen from the Grave.
THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN
Terrence Fisher
1957
Hammer Horror takes a stab at Mary Shelley's classic tale of a driven scientist who builds a creature and intends to bring him to life. Another Cushing/Lee pairing with Cushing playing the determined-at-all-costs Dr. Frankenstein and Christopher Lee putting on the monster make up to play the famous creature.
THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES
Terrence Fisher
1959
Hammer Films takes a break from horror and adapts the classic Victorian super detective Sherlock Holmes' most famous story. Peter Cushing plays the title role opposite Christopher Lee's Sir Henry Baskerville in one of the best screen adaptations of Holmes to date.
THE MUMMY
Terence Fisher
1959
This time Hammer Horror continues its classic monsters trend and adapts The Mummy with Christopher Lee playing Kharis, the re-animated mummified corpse of an ancient high priest. Peter Cushing teams up for another ride with Lee, this time as the archaeologist that must stop the Mummy.
CORPSE BRIDE
Tim Burton
2005
Christopher Lee lent his considerable voice talents to this animated film from the mind of Tim Burton
about a young man that accidentally marries a cursed corpse bride. Christopher Lee plays a bad-tempered priest with a villainous past that may be directly involved with the titular character's demise.
In this installment of the famous 007 franchise, Christopher Lee is Francisco Scaramanga, one of the most memorable Bond villains of all time. Scaramanga, of course, has plans on world domination, but he is also one of the deadliest assassins on the planet, doing his dirty work with the titular Golden Gun.
Other Notable Films:
BITTER VICTORY (1957) TASTE OF FEAR (1961) THE WHIP AND THE BODY (1963) THE DEVIL RIDES OUT (1968)
THE PRIVATE LIFE OF SHERLOCK HOLMES (1970) THE LAST UNICORN (1982) SLEEPY HOLLOW (1999) STAR WARS: EPISODE II - ATTACK OF THE CLONES (2002) STAR WARS: EPISODE III - REVENGE OF THE SITH (2005) ALICE IN WONDERLAND (2010)
On this edition of FORCED PERSPECTIVE, join SportsGuy515 and Adolfo, along with special guest BIG D, as they begin the Summer 2015 movie season with a review of the highly-anticipated Avengers: Age of Ultron!
PLUS:
-Do fans of Avengers: Age of Ultron suffer from “Phantom Menace syndrome”?
-The Ultron character: comics vs. film
-The buildup for Captain America: Civil War, or lack therof…
–Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. talk
-More on the Fantastic Four battle between Marvel and Fox
-The difference between “Actions With Consequences” VS. “Blowing Sh*t Up”
-More on the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe
-…and MORE!
The trio gets NERDY with 2 HOURS OF MARVEL/DC/STAR WARS talk – A MUST-LISTEN!!
On this episode of your favorite movie podcast, join SportsGuy515 & Adolfo, along with returning guest BRANDON DRAVEN, as they conclude their SUMMER 2015 preview by covering the months of July and August, which will see films such as Terminator Genisys, Minions, Ant-Man, Trainwreck, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Fantastic Four, and MORE hit the big screen! The exciting conclusion of the ONLY summer preview show that matters has finally arrived!! DOWNLOAD/STREAM NOW!!!
On this edition of FORCED PERSPECTIVE, join SportsGuy515 and Adolfo, along with guest co-host BRANDON DRAVEN, as they preview the upcoming SUMMER 2015 movie season. In Part 1, the trio discuss such titles as Avengers: Age of Ultron, Hot Pursuit, Mad Max: Fury Road, Tomorrowland, San Andreas, Jurassic World, Ted 2, and MORE! Listen to the ONLY summer preview show that matters! DOWNLOAD/STREAM NOW!!!
The SKYPE ERA officially begins on FORCED PERSPECTIVE!
On this very special episode of YOUR favorite movie podcast, join SportsGuy515 and Adolfo as they reminisce and give their in-depth analyses on a film that many call the “quintessential film of the 1980s” and John Hughes’ greatest achievement – celebrating it’s 30th anniversary this year, it’s none other than The Breakfast Club! PLUS:
-SportsGuy and Adolfo share their own “detention memories”
-Was Judd Nelson almost FIRED from the film?
-The brilliance of the OPENING SCENE!
-The awesomeness of Paul Gleason
-Did Andrew Clarke truly pack a “wrestler’s lunch?” Adolfo explains!
-The origins of the ‘Brat Pack‘ name
–What happens on Monday? Are the five of them still friends? SportsGuy and Adolfo give their thoughts!
–Allison’s transformation: poignant moment or complete sellout/cop out?
-The film’s transgenerational legacy
-…and MORE!
2 HOURS OF IN-DEPTH BREAKFAST CLUB DISCUSSION (INCLUDING SPOILERS)!! DOWNLOAD/STREAM NOW!!!
Your favorite movie podcast returns with a BRAND-NEW episode! On this edition of FORCED PERSPECTIVE, the dynamic duo is BACK! Join SportsGuy515 and Adolfo as they reunite after over a month to (finally) recap the Oscars as well as catch up on the final set of 2014 film reviews – American Sniper, The Imitation Game, and Still Alice, before beginning their 2015 slate of reviews with Hot Tub Time Machine 2 and – that’s right – Fifty Shades of Grey. PLUS:
-SportsGuy talks about his experience at the AMC Best Picture Showcase
-Who DIDN’T cry at the end of Toy Story 3?
-Lady Gaga and The Sound of Music
–Birdman wins Best Picture
-Kirk Cameron sweeps the Razzies
-Hype for It Follows
-Are big budget films and Oscar nominations mutually exclusive?
-Is American Sniper really PROPAGANDA?
-Why the name “Anastasia Steele” is the dumbest f*cking name ever
Principal Cast: Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, Lorelei Linklater
Writer: Richard Linklater
Producers: Richard Linklater, Cathleen Sutherland, Jonathan Sehring, John Sloss
Cinematography: Lee Daniel, Shane Kelly
Best Actor in a Leading Role
BIRDMAN
Michael Keaton
Best Actress in a Leading Role
GONE GIRL
Rosamund Pike
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
WHIPLASH
J.K. Simmons
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
NIGHTCRAWLER
Rene Russo
Best Ensemble Cast
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
Ralph Fiennes, Bill Murray, Saoirse Ronan, Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, F. Murray Abraham, Edward Norton, Jason Schwartzman, Jeff Goldblum, Jude Law, Owen Wilson, Harvey Keitel, Tony Revolori
Best Director
BOYHOOD
Richard Linklater
Best Screenplay - Original Material
NIGHTCRAWLER
Dan Gilroy
Best Screenplay - Adapted or Historical Material
GONE GIRL
Gillian Flynn
based on her novel Gone Girl
Best Film - Animated Feature
THE LEGO MOVIE
Chris Miller, Phil Lord
Best Film - Documentary Feature
LIFE ITSELF
Steve James
Best Film - Foreign Language Feature
IDA
Pawel Pawlikowski
Best Film - Limited Theatrical Release
ENEMY
Denis Villeneuve
Best Cinematography
IDA
Ryszard Lenczewski, Lukasz Zal
Best Film Editing
BOYHOOD
Sandra Adair
Best Visual Design
SNOWPIERCER
Ondrej Nekvasil - Production Design
Stefan Kovacik - Art Direction
Catherine George - Costume Design
Best Visual Effects
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
Stephane Ceretti
Nicolas Aithadi
Jonathan Fawkner
Paul Corbould
Best Stunts and Stunt Choreography
THE RAID 2
Bruce Law - Car Stunts Coordinator
Yee Man Law - Assistant Car Stunt Coordinator
Mike Leeder - Stunts
Yayan Ruhian - Fight Choreographer
Larnell Stovall - Guest Fight Choreographer
Iko Uwais - Fight Choreographer
Best Make-Up Effects
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou
David White
Best Music - Original Score
INTERSTELLAR
Hans Zimmer
Best Music - Original Song
THE LEGO MOVIE
"Everything is Awesome"
Music and Lyric by Shawn Patterson
Best Music - Soundtrack Compilation
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
Awesome Mix Vol. 1
Best Sound Design
WHIPLASH
Craig Mann
Ben Wilkins
Thomas Curley
Best Action/Adventure Film
THE RAID 2
Gareth Evans
Best Comedy Film
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
Wes Anderson
Best Fantasy Film
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2
Dean DeBlois
Best Horror/Thriller Film
THE BABADOOK
Jennifer Kent
Best Science Fiction Film
INTERSTELLAR
Christopher Nolan
Best Animated Short Film
FEAST
Patrick Osborne
Best Live Action Short Film
THE PHONE CALL
Matt Kirkby
Best Voice Acting Performance
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
Bradley Cooper as "Rocket"
The following films did not win any Essential Film Awards but are noteworthy for their cinematic contributions in 2014:
