Reflection On “The Big Picture” 2013 Movie Draft

For the “The Big Picture” 2013 Movie Draft, I have 118 movies that were released that year that I have seen. This a small increase from 2010, 2011 and 2012. In each of those three years, I have seen 99 of the movies released during that calendar period. How much of a coincidence is that? Three straight years. I need to see one from the turn of the 2010s to get over 100 for all those three years.

This was my junior year of college, and I know I did a lot of movie watching then. I was living my college buddies and made some of the best friends of my life. I spent a time of time in the dorm with a movie on my laptop.

We are heading into my 12th reflection on a The Big Picture’s draft. Thus far I have Chris Ryan in the lead with five wins, followed by Sean Fennessey with three. Amanda Dobbins earned the win last time out in my reflection and now has two wins. Guest Joanna Robinson picked up the win in her celebratory appearance.

Now let’s head into the 2013 movie draft. Going into this blind, so let’s see who it transpires.

Drama

First think I will type will be a terrible omission that I have not seen Her. It has been in my queue for a while. But just haven’t got to it. So Amanda Dobbins, I am sorry, you will not be getting the first vote.
Inside Llewyn Davis is a wonderfully depressing movie and I enjoy how well it is made. Also was the introduction to Oscar Issacs for me. Thank you Coen Brothers. With that being said, I have to go with Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity. This movie blew me away in theaters when I saw it for the first time. That opening tracking shot is just unreal. I can say this with full confidence; never has space been more beautiful and more terrifying than in Gravity. The movie won seven Oscars and it cleaned up well at the domestic box office garnering over 250 million dollars.
Sean Fennessey gets the first point of this recap.

Comedy/Horror

I have only seen one of these movies, and it is the most obvious one. The Conjuring was (and still is) a really good horror movie that started an entire fucking universe around it. I remember when this trailer came out, non-horror fans were pissed that it was airing on TV and before YouTube videos because it was freaking them out.
You’re Next I have heard of, and looking at the premise I have added it to my watchlist. I have never heard of Frances Ha, but it directed by Noah Baumbach so it shall be thrown on the watch list. Also has Greta Gerwig, so double win.
Sean Fennessey takes a 2-0 lead in this recap competition.

Blockbuster

I am sorry Amanda Dobbins. I have not seen Captain Phillips. This is just bad luck.
The Wolf On Wall Street is an acting virtuoso performance for Leonardo DiCaprio. But This is the End was an absolutely outrageous theater going experience that had my friends and I in stitches when we saw it.
I am going to have to go with The Wolf On Wall Street for its longevity. The movie is a GIF machine, and also a reaction video machine. How many times we have we seen the “I’M NOT LEAVING” video on the Internet? Countless times.
Sean Fennessey has a commanding 3-0 lead on Chris Ryan and Amanda Dobbins. Best they can hope for is now a tie now.

Animated/Foreign Language

I started Blue Is The Warmest Color, but I have not seen it in full. Nor have i seen Drug War. Therefore, the default winner is Frozen. I am not necessarily the happiest about this, but I can admit that I enjoyed this movie quite a bit when it came out. Also it was a cultural phenomena.
Amanda Dobbins gets her first point. She is trailing Sean Fennessey 3-1. Chris Ryan is still at zero.

Wildcard

Chris Ryan is on the board! By default, but still with a great movie. Prisoners is crazy movie that is very hard to watch more than once. Is Prisoners the most unlikeable that Hugh Jackman has been into a movie? Also the ending is chilling. This Denis Villeneuve flexing some muscles on some creative flexibility. He put this out as the same year as Enemy, which I have not seen. Shame on me.
Sean Fennessey leads the charge, and he has already won this reflection. He has 3 points, while Chris and Amanda each have one point.

sequel

I really need to send Amanda Dobbins some flowers. I have not seen The Best Man Holiday. I have never even heard of it.
What shook up this draft when it first aired (it was the fourth draft?), was Chris Ryan selecting Iron Man 3 in sequel. Just a ballsy choice. Very, very ballsy. He took a swing, but he end up screwing himself into the ground. No chance.
So here is a crazy thing I did by accident. I have seen Before Midnight…and I have not seen Before Sunrise or Before Sunset. I know it is a massive faux pas. But with that being said. Before Midnight is so fucking good. This is some of the most real dialogue you can possibly right. I think it shares the same family ties as Marriage Story. Just a ton of really personal conversations that make you question everything you thought love and trust was.
Sean Fennessey completes his victory with four points. Both Amanda and Chris each have one point.

So the host of the show Sean Fennessey wins his fourth reflection in my books. This one was not much of a debate, due in some part to my lack of viewings of the movies selected. Chris Ryan still leads the race in my book with five draft victories. Sean is heating up in second place with four wins.

*Sean absolutely ran away with this one. Not even close with the twitter poll. This was at the start of the series where Sean had the upper hand.*

	STANKO PICKS (All Movies Eligible)	STANKO PICKS (No TBP Movies)
Drama	Prisoners	Rush
Comedy/Horror	The Conjuring	Warm Bodies
Blockbuster	Gravity	Man Of Steel
Animated/Foreign Language	Batman: The Dark Knight Returns: Part 2	Monsters University
Wild Card	The Wolf On Wall Street	Begin Again
Sequel	Before Midnight	Star Trek Into Darkness

HONORABLE MENTIONS: 12 Years A Slave, Blue Jasmine, Dallas Buyers Club, Don Jon, Drinking Buddies, Inside Llewyn Davis, Lovelace, Mud, The Iceman, World War Z

Drama

Rewatch Prisoners if you want to be mentally scarred. I honestly don’t know if a movie like Prisoners would be as tolerated today. The movie made over 61 millions dollars domestically, which is shocking in all reality. It made more than Pain & Gain, which is a Michael Bay, Dwayne Johnson and Mark Whalberg supposed juggernaut.
Rush is criminally underrated as a sports movie. People say that Warrior is underrated, but I think that Warrior is properly rated and Rush delivers the good. Also, what a massive save for Chris Hemsworth with this movie. Thor: Dark World came out in 2013, and safe it say that was the first crack Marvel had in their then undamaged armor. Rush is the story of James Hunt and Niki Lauda’s racing rivalry, and I think there are going to be more movies like this in the future with F1 growing in popularity once again.

Comedy/Horror

I watched The Conjuring alone in the basement of my parents house with all the lights off. It was not the best move I have made, but it also wasn’t the worst. My heart was pounding. I was pacing across the living room wood floor. It was a crazy fun watching experience and I was both happy and relieved when it was over. The one thing I can say about The Conjuring is that I did not love the final sequence in the basement. It was not the scariest part of the movie, and perhaps that is bad on me for awaiting a big bad finale.
I have a story with Warm Bodies. It came out near Valentine’s Day. I was dating someone at the time, and I asked if she wanted to go see this movie. She said she did not. We had plans later in the day, so I went to go see Warm Bodies in the middle of the day. I get a phone call asking where I am from said girlfriend right as I go into the theater. She is upset I am not around for Valentine’s Day stuff. I said we had plans later so I went to movies now that she did not want to see. She didn’t like that. With that being said, I still loved the Warm Bodies viewing experience. Don’t care if I was the only solo dude in the theater. The movie had some some heart and I still remember it to this day.

Blockbuster

What a fucking movie theater experience. Gravity threw me for an absolute loop when I first saw it. Holy film-making Batman, this is some amazing shit. Proof that George Clooney can command the screen for however long he is on it. Props to Sandra Bullock for taking on this project knowing she was have the screen alone for a large portion. Just great stuff.
Another story alert. I do not think that Man Of Steel is a good movie. However, it was a very impactful one in my life. This was another story involving the girlfriend. I went to go see this opening night at midnight and I really did not have a good time. I get back I am asked by my girlfriend again where I was and I say I saw the movie. Turns out she wanted to see Man Of Steel too? This means that I went again late on a Friday night. So I saw this movie twice. This led to me being able to dissect it more and look for different things when rewatching it. I did not like Man Of Steel, but I became more educated about it.

Animated/Foreign Language

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns: Part 2 is not the better half of the Barman: The Dark Knight saga, but it is still immensely enjoyable. It is super duper gritty, and it has arguably the best Batman vs. Superman fight put to screen. I am happy to be shown I am wrong!
Monsters University is funny! It is good! Don’t let it be forgotten! Now, did Monster’s University need to be made? Absolutely not. But that is perfectly fine. In terms of sequels in 2013, Monsters University is one of the few that I would be happy to rewatch.

Wild Card

I forgot to mention in the upper The Wolf On Wall Street summary the most used and quotable part of the movie. How much of Matthew McConaughey’s legend is from his pre-acting ritual? The bumping of the chest. The chanting of the sounds. Everyone knows it. It is used as a rallying cry. it is used in comedic and uplifting ways, and it always gets a smile. The Wolf On Wall Street is the gift that keeps on giving in terms of Internet entertainment.
Begin Again is cute as fuck. I am a sucker for romance movies surrounding art (I guess), and Begin Again delivers on the goods. A man down on his luck finds hope in more than one ways. This is a great date movie. It is a good romance and New York movie. There are people that you will know and recognize throughout. Begin Again was nominated for one Oscar, and it needs to be given new life.

sequel

Before Midnight will bring you to tears. It nearly did me when I watched it. I also saw this movie when I was not dating my eventual wife. I think if I rewatch this movie I will have a whole new appreciation for it. A totally different perspective. Maybe it will be a little scary to watch it again, but I should.
I don’t care if it was a botched marketing campaign and a weird secret kept hidden that didn’t need to be. Star Trek: Into Darkness was a ton of fun, and I thought that Benedict Cumberbatch was a ton of fun as Khan. They put some twists on Star Wars: The Wrath Of Khan and managed to blend the new with the old in an entertaining way. This was the start of me saying that Chris Pine is the most underrated of the Chris’. He is never given proper acclaim.

Chris Ryan – 5 Wins
Sean Fennessey – 4 Wins
Amanda Dobbins – 2 Win
Joanna Robinson – 1 Win

Drafts Left To Recap

1975
1984
1987
1994
1995
1998
2004
2007
Holiday Movies

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Posted on July 30, 2022 3 By jstanko99 Apple TV+ Posted in Apple TV+, Disney+, General Topics, HBO Max, Hulu, Movies, Netflix, Paramount+, Peacock, Prime Video Tagged #Batman, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Before Midnight, Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Begin Again, Blue Is The Warmest Color, Captain Phillips, Chris Ryan, Denis, Drug War, Enough Said, Frances Ha, Frozen, Gravity, Her, Inside Llewyn Davis, Iron Man 3, Joanna RObinson, Man Of Steel, Marvel, Monsters University, Movies, Pain & Gain, Prisoners, Sean Fennessey, Star Trek, Star Trek: Into Darkness, The Best Man Holiday, The Big Picture, The Conjuring, The Conuring, The Counselor, The Ringer, The Wolf On Wall Street, This Is The End, Thor: The Dark World, Warm Bodies, You're Next

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