TRAVIS BYRAM'S MOVIE REVIEWS

I'm happy to report 2013 was another fantastic year for cinema, making the top five list and the honorable mentions a difficult but wonderful chore to select from. For me, it was not a strong year for superhero movies, (except "Man of Steel," which was underrated in my opinion) though with the likes of "The Dark Knight Rises" and "The Avengers" last year, it is pretty hard to follow up.  On this list you'll find superheroes of a different sort, men and women undergoing hardships, tight situations and impossible circumstances, some rising, some falling. It was a great year for movies with characters against unthinkable adversity. Keep in mind I'm not a professional critic, and only count movies I've seen from 1/1/13-12/31/13. I'm still heavily anticipating seeing critical favorites like "Her," "August: Osage County," "Dallas Buyers Club," "Nebraska" and "Inside Llewyn Davis." Now tha...

School is rearing its head again, but I don't mind because that means it's time for ridiculously early Best Picture predictions, in which, on September 1, I take a slightly more educated stab in the dark then my previous attempt on April 25. Despite not knowing if the number will be from five to ten, I always plan for the most and guess ten. THE RETURNING NOMINEES: Fruitvale Station (after seeing this movie and being floored by it a nomination is certain) The Wolf of Wall Street (now that the trailer's been released it seems like an even safer bet) The Monuments Men Inside Llewyn Davis Captain Phillips August: Osage County Right now, "Fruitvale" and "August" seem the only for-sure films to earn a slot, with "Fruitvale's" timely themes and "August's" powerhouse female performances. But these next four movies have nearly the same buzz, three of which I can confirm I've seen, and all of them I wouldn't min...

After enduring the tragedy that was "Iron Man 3", I felt disappointed in summer blockbusters.  That was, until I saw "The Great Gatsby," which featured stunning style and gorgeous cinematography.  But my expectations were turned for the better when I saw something that was, decidedly the anti-"Gatsby," an independent film with rave reviews, a guitar-based soundtrack and a leathery Matthew McConaughey.  That film is one of the year's best (already, I know) and that film is "Mud." "Mud," like its title, begins deceptively simple with two young country boys going out on their cheap motorboat exploring.  Right away the movie flashes similarities to one of my favorite 80's films "Stand by Me," and that's a direction you can never go wrong in.  I'm a sucker for films with kids who try to act grown up, it makes their coming-of-age story that more interesting. The kids in question are Ellis and Neckbone (they never d...