The Imitation Game
Watched At: Downtown Center Cinema, San Luis Obispo, CA
Justin's Rating: 4.5
Rosa's Rating: 5.0
In 2015, the number of movies my wife Rosa, who is also the SoCreate CFO, and I watched was again on the low side. At this point, we had our now one year old keeping us pretty busy. Even with that, we still managed to see 23 movies in 2015. The really inspiring movie “McFarland” was a throwback for us in some ways. It’s about a running team from a small town in the Central Valley of California. Rosa and I both grew up in the Central Valley, and our high school played McFarland in some sports. It was super cool to see a town and school that looked like ours represented in such an inspirational way on the big screen. Please be sure to read my recap below the movie list to see what other movies we connected with.
Now on to the movies of 2015.
Before you jump into the list, please note the following:
We watched these movies in 2015; it does not mean they were released in 2015.
At the end of this list, I will give you my take and my personal favorites.
The movies are listed in order from highest combined rating to lowest and not by date watched or released.
Birdman
At Home - Xbox Video
Justin's Rating: 4.5
Rosa's Rating: 4.5
Straight Outta Compton
Regal Cinema, Arroyo Grande, CA
Justin's Rating: 4.5
Rosa's Rating: 4.5
The Theory of Everything
At Home - Xbox Video
Justin's Rating: 4.0
Rosa's Rating: 4.5
The Hundred-Foot Journey
At Home - Xbox Video
Justin's Rating: 4.0
Rosa's Rating: 4.0
Nightcrawler
At Home - Xbox Video
Justin's Rating: 4.0
Rosa's Rating: 4.0
American Sniper
Downtown Center Cinema, San Luis Obispo, CA
Justin's Rating: 4.0
Rosa's Rating: 4.0
Mad Max: Fury Road
Regal Cinema, Arroyo Grande, CA
Justin's Rating: 4.0
Rosa's Rating: 4.0
McFarland USA
At Home - Xbox Video
Justin's Rating: 4.0
Rosa's Rating: 4.0
The Martian
Regal Cinema, Arroyo Grande, CA
Justin's Rating: 4.0
Rosa's Rating: 4.0
Bridge of Spies
Fair Oaks Theatre, Arroyo Grande, CA
Justin's Rating: 4.0
Rosa's Rating: 4.0
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
At Home - DVD
Justin's Rating: 4.0
Rosa's Rating: 3.5
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
At Home - Xbox Video
Justin's Rating: 3.5
Rosa's Rating: 3.5
Jurassic World
Regal Cinema, Arroyo Grande, CA
Justin's Rating: 3.5
Rosa's Rating: 3.5
The Maze Runner
At Home - Xbox Video
Justin's Rating: 3.5
Rosa's Rating: 3.0
The Road Within
The Fremont Theater, San Luis Obispo, CA
Justin's Rating: 3.5
Rosa's Rating: 3.0
Tomorrowland
Sunset Drive-In, San Luis Obispo, CA
Justin's Rating: 3.0
Rosa's Rating: 3.0
Pitch Perfect 2
At Home - Xbox Video
Justin's Rating: 3.0
Rosa's Rating: 3.0
Trainwreck
Regal Cinema, Arroyo Grande, CA
Justin's Rating: 2.5
Rosa's Rating: 2.5
Whiplash
Newport Beach, CA - Xbox Video
Justin's Rating: 4.5
Rosa's Rating: NA
Steve Jobs - The Man in the Machine
AMC Van Ness 14, San Francisco, CA
Justin's Rating: 3.5
Rosa's Rating: NA
Avengers: Age of Ultron
AMC Metreon 16A, San Francisco, CA
Justin's Rating: 3.5
Rosa's Rating: NA
Terminator Genisys
Island Hotel, Newport Beach, CA
Justin's Rating: 3.0
Rosa's Rating: NA
My Thoughts
There were some pretty great movies in 2015, and it seems like yesterday that we watched them. My favorite of the bunch has to be “Straight Out of Compton.” I loved the behind the scenes story of the rise of the Rap Movement and NWA. I remember listening to those songs on the radio and at nearly every party I went to. They are part of the soundtrack of my youth. A very close second has to be a tie between “The Imitation Game” and “Whiplash.” Those are both excellent movies. “The Imitation Game” gives us a glimpse into the life of Alan Turing, who is one of the founding fathers of computer science, a subject I love. The movie takes place during World War II, when Alan Turing worked as a code breaker while enduring the struggles of being a gay man in that era. “Whiplash” is another excellent movie about a hard-driving music instructor who pushes his students to their limits with the ultimate goal of being the best. It shows how hard work and drive can get you the things you desire, but not without a cost. Lastly, there was “Birdman.” This movie totally caught me by surprise. It was a masterpiece in filmmaking, and I loved so many things about the movie, especially Michael Keaton’s performance. Well, that wraps up our movie watching for 2015. If you haven’t seen any of my top picks, be sure to check them out. You won’t be disappointed.
See you next month,
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