The Five Best Movies of 2015 (so far)

Just for fun on the blog today, I thought I’d post about my five favorite theatrical movies of 2015, and then ask you: what are the best movies you’ve seen this year? What do you agree or disagree with about my list? I’m always up for some friendly pop culture debate :)

NUMBER FIVE: SPY

I went into this movie thinking it would be a silly comedy. And then I snorted and laughed until I couldn’t breathe. I love Melissa McCarthy as a secret agent. It blows away all the stereotypes of what a secret agent should be. And her sidekick? Miranda Hart as Nancy stole the show. It’s just a GREAT comedy, full of fun, and that’s why it’s on my list. We all need a good laugh.

NUMBER FOUR: Ant-Man

I’m going to rate Ant-Man higher than Avengers: Age of Ultron. Why? Because I expected Avengers to be good, and I was sure Ant-Man, just based on that title, would be ridiculous. But actually: it was fun and exciting. The comedy in the Avengers movies feels a little too forced, doesn’t it? I enjoy the blend of action and comedy, and Ant-Man incorporated its humor with thrills in a way that I found to be more natural and more enjoyable.

NUMBER THREE: Furious 7

It wasn’t as good as Furious 6 IMO, and it probably wouldn’t be on my list if not for the Paul Walker tribute at the end. But that ending is so damn beautiful that I just don’t think you’re fully human if you walked out of the theatre with dry eyes.

NUMBER TWO: Inside Out

This movie is perfect. Absolutely perfect. It has plenty of laughs and lots of feels all throughout, but what really makes it exceptional: the little characters inside Riley’s head are the voices we all have in our heads. Along with the humor, it’s a perfect visual representation of the complexity of human emotion, thought, and behavior.

NUMBER ONE: Creed

Did we really need a seventh film in the Rocky franchise? Turns out we did! I can’t love this movie any more than I do. It pays tribute to the original with its own creative adaptations (Creed’s run at the end of the classic training montage, catching the chicken, so much more). It also gives us a character to love/hate, and it breaths fresh life into the franchise for a new generation. Most importantly, this is a character story, as the best Rocky movies are, and the reason it’s number one on my list: it made me FEEL more than any of the other films. I cheered, I yelled, I felt the prick of tears on my eyelids, and I’ll proudly add Creed next to my full collection of all the other Rocky movies. It’s a must see, and not just for fans of the franchise, but for anyone believes in the power of the human spirit to overcome any obstacle.

Did I miss a few? You’re probably thinking: Where’s Mockingjay Part II, Jurassic World, Age of Ultron? I enjoyed all of those films. Quite a lot. The thing is: I’ve seen them all before. I still think Catching Fire is the best in The Hunger Games series. Jurassic World is wonderful, but it doesn’t embrace the magic of surprise like Jurassic Park. As much as I love the Avengers movies, they’re starting to blur together for me at this point.

So what do you think? What are your favorites?

And will Star Wars: The Force Awakens become my new number one in a few weeks. I’d say it’s more than possible. 

Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Twitter and visit my webpage at www.joechianakas.com. 

Also check out my first published novel-- a horror story that, in part, pays tribute to our best (and worst) horror films, Rabbit in Red.

 

Reward yourself

Changing your lifestyle to exercise for the long run or to eat healthier can be very challenging. Even tackling a 60 day or 90 day home fitness program can be very tough. My thought for today is that you need to consistently and routinely reward yourself for your commitment. So how do you reward yourself for exercising and/or eating healthy on a regular basis?

Here are five rewards I often give myself.  I hope you can use some of these ideas to motivate yourself.

#1: Have a dessert day. I try to eat well and exercise all week long. The reward I give myself for completing my workouts during the week and for eating well all week is Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream. I complete my workout Friday, and then I go grocery shopping. I always pick up one small carton of Ben & Jerry’s, and I eat half of it every Friday night. It’s my little reward and guilty pleasure for working hard. One dessert night will net set you back, and in fact you are more likely to continue eating healthy if you let yourself splurge occasionally. 

#2: Buy a new outfit. At the end of every month, if I have completed my fitness goals all month, I buy a new shirt and new pants, shorts, or jeans. The best part of a shopping trip once a month after working out is that you feel great trying on the new clothes. You start to see and feel the results, and a nice new outfit makes for a perfect reward for your effort to get fit.

#3: Plan a vacation. I can’t afford a trip every month, but every few months, I try to plan a weekend getaway or bigger trip. You will find that as you develop a regular fitness routine that you will be excited to go to a pool or lay out on the beach. Reward yourself with at the very least a weekend getaway every 3 months. This is the perfect reward after completing a 90 day home fitness program like P90X. Additionally, planning a vacation can help motivate you to continue to exercise, as I wrote about here.

#4: Buy a new music album. At least once a month, I spice up my iPod with new music to which I exercise. If I’m working out all month long, I enjoy a little reward of new music, and I justify the small purchase by knowing I will use the new music to get energized for my future workouts.

#5: Splurge at the cinema. I love going to see movies, but if I try to watch what I eat of course. At least once a month, I splurge at the cinema with the biggest, most buttery popcorn I can buy. Popcorn has also been a guilty pleasure of mine. It’s not something I recommend doing every week, but splurging once a month is a great reward for your discipline. Better still: mark your calendar with the weekend that month that you get to splurge at the movies. Making it the last weekend of the month will help motivate your stick to your fitness routine all month long.

So how do you reward yourself? Let us know in the comments, and share these suggestions with others. Perhaps we will learn more creative and encouraging ways to stay committed.