The best and worst movies of 2014–from Whiplash and Birdman to Boyhood and Interstellar are discussed with film critic Peter Rainer. We look at Matthew McConaughey’s unlikely career, Richard Linklater’s highs and lows, and the cheesy brilliance of Al Pacino, along with the Weinstein Company’s selective push for Oscars. Wes Anderson, Reese Witherspoon, and the most interesting films of the Oscar season are all discussed in this Media Mayhem interview, hosted by Allison Hope Weiner.

GUEST BIO:
Peter Rainer is chairman of the National Society of Film Critics and the editor of the anthology Love and Hisses (Mercury House). He was a finalist for the 1998 Pulitzer Prize in Criticism. He wrote and co-produced the A&E Biographies of Sidney Poitier and The Hustons.
His newest book is the collection, “Rainer on Film: Thirty Years of Film Writing in a Turbulent and Transformative Era.”

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EPISODE BREAKDOWN:
00:01 Welcome to Media Mayhem.
00:05 Introducing Peter Rainer, author, film critic.
01:25 Rainer’s take on The Theory of Everything.
03:30 The only small gripe of The Grand Budapest Hotel.
06:40 The lack of promotion of The Immigrant by the Weinstein Company.
12:20 The performances in Boyhood and Richard Linklater.
16:10 Is real drama missing from Interstellar?
21:05 Peter Rainer’s book, Rainer on Film, and some recommended movies.
27:15 Reese Witherspoon in Wild and the common problem of making a film from a book.
29:55 Birdman misses the mark.
32:15 Whiplash, or “Full Metal Juilliard.”
34:20 Rainer’s current top three.
37:00 Rainer’s most disliked recent releases.
38:50 Thank you and goodbye.