MOVIE REVIEW: THE WOLF OF WALL STREET Is A Viciously Honest and Deliciously Comedic Critique of American Business

I had a group of older people leave during my screening of The Wolf of Wall Street. I had kind of counted on this since the film was getting a lot of notoriety for its raucous depictions of unbridled sexual excess and perverse behavior. But, it wasn't one of those scenes they chose to walk out on. It was during a scene where millionaire stockbroker Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) is giving a speech to his workers in which he tells them that the solution to all their lives' problems is getting rich. Now, while I'm sure that wasn't the definitive reason that group of people left, it was a perfect moment to reflect on the criticisms Martin Scorsese is lobbing at both Belfort's ilk and us as a capitalist society. At the end of this film, not only is Belfort accountable for his crimes, but so are we. It's a scathing and unflinching indictment of everything America's financial power system stands for, which is why I understand it upsetting a lot of people who put their faith (and money) in the hands of criminals.

DREW'S TOP 25 FILMS TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN 2014

I'll still be catching up to all the films I missed this year, but there will be just as many (if not more!) coming up in 2014 that I will feel compelled to see. Here's the top 25 that have piqued my interest. I've arranged them by release date, since trying to rank movies that I haven't yet seen feels kind of pointless. Also, I try not to get too hyped up for certain films, since it's very rare that they live up to the film I've imagined in my head (blame Prometheus). These are all films that, according to IMDb, are scheduled for release in 2014. If something pushes them back or they end up just fading into the ether, don't blame me. And if you think I've missed something, please sound off in the comments! I'd love to hear a really strong argument as to why you actually think Transformers 4 or Night at the Museum 3 could end up not being cinematic cancer. ...Okay, I'll stop being mean now.

DREW'S TOP TEN OF 2013

2013 was a great year for film. Unfortunately, I missed out on a whole lot of those films. Between personal and financial issues, I just didn't get out to the theater as much as I would have liked. To be honest, I could easily write a list of the top ten (probably even fifteen) movies I missed out on this year, and there are some big ones that would have probably made this list. Gravity, 12 Years A Slave, Elysium, Upstream Color and a whole bunch of others. And why am I posting this with twenty-one days left in the month? Because I'm probably not going to get a chance to go to the movies again until after the new year. Otherwise, I have a feeling that American Hustle, The Wolf of Wall Street, Out of the Furnace and Anchorman 2 would be vying for spots on this list as well. But, you have to play the cards you've been dealt, so while my top ten list might not be as excitingly diverse as others, it's the best I've got. I'll go ahead and rank them (people like ranked things, I guess) even though it feels pretty arbitrary for most entries. I'd say the top five are the only ones that really have a whole lot of calculated thought behind them. ...That sounds awful. Let's just get started.

Apologies, Promises and Other Stuff That Isn't Fun to Read

Sooooo, I kind of dropped the ball, didn't I?

If there are any regular readers (specifically those who were keeping up with my Halloween recommendations), I owe you an immense apology for bailing on my "31 Days of Drew" series. There's a lot of things I could blame it on (I was the best man in a wedding, I took an out-of-state trip that I didn't plan on, I had a semi-flirtation with sleeping pills etc.), but in the end, it really is my own unpreparedness and lack of follow through that muffed the whole thing up. So, I'm sorry.

There's a lot of personal reasons I haven't written anything, but that's better saved for some other blog. Instead, I want to rededicate myself to some things I've been meaning to get on here. Most importantly, the sequel to my article about sequels, "The Terrible Twos." That's the first and favorite thing I've written for this blog, and I have a whole list of films I want to cover. That's the most important thing for me.

Secondly, I want to branch out beyond film and write about some other forms of entertainment I enjoy, but I don't consider myself quite as well-versed in. These will also include just random opinions about... well, anything really. Life, the universe and everything. I'll be labeling these as "Drew's Views", and once I finish my first playthrough of Grand Theft Auto V, I should have one up.

I can't promise a certain level of consistency when it comes to the frequency of posts, but I do promise to be as prompt as possible (I'm writing this from my full-time job computer, so if things remain slow, yay!) and not to put out an article or series that I don't know if I'll finish, or haven't already written.

Thank you for reading this blog. It seems a small thing, but it means a lot to me.

31 DAYS OF DREW - DAY 27: BEETLEJUICE

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out a personal pick from the genre for every day in October. Some will be obvious and rather unoriginal (sorry that I like movies other people like), while some will be a little more oddball and off-the-wall. Some may even challenge your idea of what constitutes a "horror" movie. Regardless, I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: Beetlejuice (1998)

Before getting swallowed into remakes and pre-packaged properties like Alice in Wonderland, Tim Burton was a very special voice when it came to ghoulish filmmaking. And besides his crowning artistic achievement (that'd be Ed Wood), I don't think there's any argument that Beetlejuice is his best film (Edward Scissorhands takes a very respectable third place). It showcases his signature style while not becoming overpoweringly distracting, and the material seems tailor-made for Burton's childish love of the macabre.

31 DAYS OF DREW - DAY 25: THE ADDAMS FAMILY and ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out a personal pick from the genre for every day in October. Some will be obvious and rather unoriginal (sorry that I like movies other people like), while some will be a little more oddball and off-the-wall. Some may even challenge your idea of what constitutes a "horror" movie. Regardless, I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: The Addams Family (1991) & Addams Family Values (1993)

Because I am incapable of making decisions, I couldn't choose between one of the two original Addams Family films for this spot on the list, so I decided to include them both? Why? Because both of them exhibit a wonderful sense of gallows humor and morbid fun that deserves to be seen. Is one better than the other? Maybe. But, these are still two movies that make for great companion pieces, and should be viewed as such.

31 DAYS OF DREW - DAY 24: INTRUDER

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out a personal pick from the genre for every day in October. Some will be obvious and rather unoriginal (sorry that I like movies other people like), while some will be a little more oddball and off-the-wall. Some may even challenge your idea of what constitutes a "horror" movie. Regardless, I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: Intruder (1989)

So, here's what some might consider the more straightforward version of yesterday's pick. It's a slasher with a small cast of characters, a mysterious villain and some very memorable kills. But, there's a lot that separates Intruder from most of its peers. Not only is it from the same group of artists who brought the world the most ferociously original horror movie of its time, The Evil Dead, but it also features the very first gore effects by the now established masters of the craft, Robert Kurtzman, Greg Nicotero and Howard Berger, better known as K.N.B. EFX.