As per usual, I haven't updated this main blog in a long while. I was briefly considering turning it into review page for films I had seen recently....or more. I had long used Flixster for writing my thoughts down on movies, but recently the site was acquired by Fandango and has been turned into utter garbage. I have discovered Letterboxd however, and it seems a better place to catalog my reviews and put down my thoughts of movies. I have removed my link to Flixster on my sidebar and replaced it with Letterboxd, though I have ratings for a lot of movies, I have yet to scratch the surface of moving my film reviews over. And, in general, I may want to end up updating a ton of those reviews, my thoughts may have changed, or, I just want to expand on them. A lot of those reviews were short and only a paragraph. And I may have more to say on some movies, and as such I will write my thoughts out in more detail as time goes on.
I have also, as anyone who visits these sits may have noticed (and thank you one guy maybe!), completely overhauled the look of this and, especially, my review blogs. I did a ton of new graphics and created easier to navigate pages for every season of those series. Makes it easier to find older reviews, and is graphically a far more appealing site in my opinion. I've long wanted it to look more like it does now, but I needed the time, and I finally had it. Hope anyone who visits appreciates how superior the site looks to it's previous version.
As always, here is my Top Ten Films of 2017, a little late this time, but here it finally is:
10. Kong: Skull Island - I had a blast at the theater with this one. I love the original King Kong, and no sequel or remake or reboot has ever lived up to it...but this was a fun monster movie, and even though it was very modern and action-centric, it just seemed to truly get what Kong was all about without just remaking the originals plot. It found a new angle, and I enjoyed it a helluva lot more than I ever enjoyed the 2014 "Godzilla" film.
9. Colossal - Oddly enough, it is another Monster movie, just a good year for them I suppose. This is another unique angle on that however. Anne Hathaway plays a loser who travels back to her home town, reunites with a childhood friend...and then discovers that a giant monster in Korea is being controlled by her movements. It is a wonderful little movie that despite the big monster theme, is actually very character driven and small.
8. Dunkirk - Not Christopher Nolan's finest effort, but a really great war film that has tremendous editing. It's kind of amazing it worked at all when you factor in the different stretches of time that are being intercut together.
7. Okja - This Netflix original from Snowpiercer director Bong Joon-ho is a wonderfully weird sci-fi film that takes on the meat industry. It's got a strong message about the factory of killing that comes with meat. And unfortunately it is a message I am probably going to continue to ignore because I enjoy a good burger every now and then.
6. The Shape of Water - Guillermo Del Toro is a great filmmaker, one of the best visual eyes working today. His films always have a tremendous look, but he is also so very good at giving us that fairy tale feel. It isn't just surface level for him, his visuals complement the story. Whether that is the more fantasy fairy tale stories like this or "Pan's Labyrinth," or if it is a gothic horror such as "Crimson Peak." This tale of an outcast mute woman who falls in love with what is essentially the Creature from the Black Lagoon is lovely, somehow managing to make you just go with that ridiculous plot and buy it.
5. War for the Planet of the Apes - Somehow the "Planet of the Apes" franchise is one of the strongest (at least in terms of quality) currently out there. They manage to best themselves with each picture, I'm not sure if it this is better than "Dawn", but at worst they are equals. Andy Serkis is so great as Caesar and it is so overlooked by so many just how good a performance he gives under that CG facade. If this current run of films ends here, it would be a shame, but it also ends on such a satisfying note that it is hard to be sad about that.
4. Get Out - Jordan Peele went from comedian with a sketch show to respected director in one move...and what a move. "Get Out" is such an original film, with such a deep message that unfortunately resonates all too well in our incredibly flawed society. And he is young and this is only his first effort! What a joy for film fans! He is also now part of the team behind the new revival of the Twilight Zone...and from this film I am fairly pleased with that decision. This film is great, and it sticks with you long after you've watched it.
3. Lucky - I'm surprised this movie seemed so overlooked. I loved it. For a while it was my definite #1. Harry Dean Stanton is one of the greatest character actors we ever had, and his final performance is almost like a thesis statement of his whole life and career. The movie isn't really about anything, but I loved it dearly. Stanton is great and David Lynch also gives a great supporting performance.
2. A Ghost Story - A movie shot in in 4:3 with a guy in a bed sheet for the bulk of the movie sounds like the most incredibly annoying hipster thing possible. Yet...it is a fantastic film that I am still thinking about months after I saw it. It has imagery that just sticks with you. It is a haunting experience, not scary, but more ethereal in it's haunting nature. It is a movie about time and memories and location. Really worth watching in a dark room with no distractions, it is a very quiet film that relies almost entirely on the visuals, and watching it in the dark and alone is a perfect way to view it. There is only one scene that gets too chatty and goes on just a bit too long that sort of hurts the experience, but then the movie kicks back in to doing what it does best.
1. World of Tomorrow 2 - Don Hertzfeldt is one of the greatest and most overlooked filmmakers working today. He is overlooked too often because he is making animated shorts...but they are increasingly the best pieces of film arts currently being produced by anyone working today. This sequel to his first "World of Tomorrow" is as good, if not better, than the original...and his simple character designs, creative backgrounds, and mixture of humor and drama and sci-fi concepts is pitch perfect. It's easily my favorite film of the year.
I have also, as anyone who visits these sits may have noticed (and thank you one guy maybe!), completely overhauled the look of this and, especially, my review blogs. I did a ton of new graphics and created easier to navigate pages for every season of those series. Makes it easier to find older reviews, and is graphically a far more appealing site in my opinion. I've long wanted it to look more like it does now, but I needed the time, and I finally had it. Hope anyone who visits appreciates how superior the site looks to it's previous version.
As always, here is my Top Ten Films of 2017, a little late this time, but here it finally is:
10. Kong: Skull Island - I had a blast at the theater with this one. I love the original King Kong, and no sequel or remake or reboot has ever lived up to it...but this was a fun monster movie, and even though it was very modern and action-centric, it just seemed to truly get what Kong was all about without just remaking the originals plot. It found a new angle, and I enjoyed it a helluva lot more than I ever enjoyed the 2014 "Godzilla" film.
9. Colossal - Oddly enough, it is another Monster movie, just a good year for them I suppose. This is another unique angle on that however. Anne Hathaway plays a loser who travels back to her home town, reunites with a childhood friend...and then discovers that a giant monster in Korea is being controlled by her movements. It is a wonderful little movie that despite the big monster theme, is actually very character driven and small.
8. Dunkirk - Not Christopher Nolan's finest effort, but a really great war film that has tremendous editing. It's kind of amazing it worked at all when you factor in the different stretches of time that are being intercut together.
7. Okja - This Netflix original from Snowpiercer director Bong Joon-ho is a wonderfully weird sci-fi film that takes on the meat industry. It's got a strong message about the factory of killing that comes with meat. And unfortunately it is a message I am probably going to continue to ignore because I enjoy a good burger every now and then.
6. The Shape of Water - Guillermo Del Toro is a great filmmaker, one of the best visual eyes working today. His films always have a tremendous look, but he is also so very good at giving us that fairy tale feel. It isn't just surface level for him, his visuals complement the story. Whether that is the more fantasy fairy tale stories like this or "Pan's Labyrinth," or if it is a gothic horror such as "Crimson Peak." This tale of an outcast mute woman who falls in love with what is essentially the Creature from the Black Lagoon is lovely, somehow managing to make you just go with that ridiculous plot and buy it.
5. War for the Planet of the Apes - Somehow the "Planet of the Apes" franchise is one of the strongest (at least in terms of quality) currently out there. They manage to best themselves with each picture, I'm not sure if it this is better than "Dawn", but at worst they are equals. Andy Serkis is so great as Caesar and it is so overlooked by so many just how good a performance he gives under that CG facade. If this current run of films ends here, it would be a shame, but it also ends on such a satisfying note that it is hard to be sad about that.
4. Get Out - Jordan Peele went from comedian with a sketch show to respected director in one move...and what a move. "Get Out" is such an original film, with such a deep message that unfortunately resonates all too well in our incredibly flawed society. And he is young and this is only his first effort! What a joy for film fans! He is also now part of the team behind the new revival of the Twilight Zone...and from this film I am fairly pleased with that decision. This film is great, and it sticks with you long after you've watched it.
3. Lucky - I'm surprised this movie seemed so overlooked. I loved it. For a while it was my definite #1. Harry Dean Stanton is one of the greatest character actors we ever had, and his final performance is almost like a thesis statement of his whole life and career. The movie isn't really about anything, but I loved it dearly. Stanton is great and David Lynch also gives a great supporting performance.
2. A Ghost Story - A movie shot in in 4:3 with a guy in a bed sheet for the bulk of the movie sounds like the most incredibly annoying hipster thing possible. Yet...it is a fantastic film that I am still thinking about months after I saw it. It has imagery that just sticks with you. It is a haunting experience, not scary, but more ethereal in it's haunting nature. It is a movie about time and memories and location. Really worth watching in a dark room with no distractions, it is a very quiet film that relies almost entirely on the visuals, and watching it in the dark and alone is a perfect way to view it. There is only one scene that gets too chatty and goes on just a bit too long that sort of hurts the experience, but then the movie kicks back in to doing what it does best.
1. World of Tomorrow 2 - Don Hertzfeldt is one of the greatest and most overlooked filmmakers working today. He is overlooked too often because he is making animated shorts...but they are increasingly the best pieces of film arts currently being produced by anyone working today. This sequel to his first "World of Tomorrow" is as good, if not better, than the original...and his simple character designs, creative backgrounds, and mixture of humor and drama and sci-fi concepts is pitch perfect. It's easily my favorite film of the year.
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