The Honorable Mentions of 2017

Alright, with my Worst of 2017 article out of the way it’s time to move onto something refreshing. There are always a ton of good films that seem to get released every year. In my opinion we’re still seeing more good films than bad get made annually. At least for the time being. So what was good, just not quite good enough to make my top ten of 2017? Let’s take a look. Please Note: There is no real ranking to this selection. They’re just good films that I’m glad I got the chance to see.

Atomic Blonde

Action films are starting to make a return to form in the past few years. After dealing with the excessive quick cuts, shaky cam, and CGI enhancements it’s nice to see some filmmakers getting back to the basics. Charlize Theron kicked ass and this was entertaining as hell!

Battle of the Sexes

It’s funny how every few decades we get pulled into this weird time warp where lessons we thought we’d learned a long time ago need to be refreshed. Emma Stone and Steve Carrell do a fantastic job bringing two very opposite people to life in a story that’s almost stranger than fiction.

Beware the Slenderman

What could’ve been an exploitative look at a horrible act of violence is in fact a giant question of what caused this to happen. Looking at the world of creepypasta, the power of belief, mental health, and how all of this can affect the minds of two children.

Brigsby Bear

A film that came out of nowhere and hit me right in the feelings. What could’ve been absurd was turned into brilliant thanks to the perfect blend of humor and heart.

A Cure for Wellness

Oh my, talk about a beautifully misunderstood gem. I know this film was divisive in it’s story, but I bought the ticket and took the ride. I found this film to be a mesmerizing love letter to gothic horror and H.P. Lovecraft. If that sounds like something you’d enjoy watch it!

The Disaster Artist

Who knew the story behind the worst movie of all time would make for such a fantastic film? James Franco puts his all into his performance where he humanizes one of the most larger than life personalities of modern cult cinema. While it’s good I have to recommend reading the book. It’s chocked full of so many more great/bizarre stories behind this production and the life of Greg Sestero.

Free Fire

While we’ve seen so many grand action films recently it was nice to see one confined to a single warehouse. With a fantastic cast inhabiting some larger than life characters this is one of the most criminally overlooked films of the year.

Get Out

Coming so close to making my top ten this film is going to become known as one of the best directorial debuts of recent years. Jordan Peele surprised everyone with a film out of his typical wheelhouse. What kept it from making my top ten was seeing the alternate ending on the blu-ray. It would’ve made the film perfect in my opinion.

Jim and Andy: The Great Beyond

I’ve always been a fan of Jim Carrey. As a kid I laughed at his antics, as a teenager I loved his dramatic roles, and as an adult I’m impressed by who he is as a person. This documentary shows you a piece of his career/life that is unbelievable.

Lady Bird

Another fantastic directorial debut that could be a sign of good things to come. Greta Gerwig has always been an interesting actress even if I’ve felt she’s been pigeonholed. What she crafted here was a great coming of age story that will become a classic in the genre.

The Little Hours

This film feels like William Shakespeare came back from the dead and wrote a one final comedy of errors with a contemporary twist. This is another fantastic overlooked film that will hopefully find it’s audience in the coming years.

Logan

It has been a great year for comic book films. Even though I feel like I say that every year 2017 was a high watermark. Hugh Jackman and James Mangold ended the 17 year era of Wolverine on the big screen with a high note. Any film that can get me misty eyed in the end is an impressive feat. If you’d have told me this film would do that I’d have said you were crazy.

Logan Lucky

Steven Soderbergh has always been an interesting filmmaker. While I can’t say I’ve enjoyed all his films I do think all them have merit. While Logan Lucky may not be revolutionary it is a great story supported by fantastic actors and a competent director with vision. Thank goodness he didn’t stay retired.

Loving Vincent

I know that this film’s narrative isn’t the strongest aspect you can not ignore the beauty and sheer technical achievement this film accomplished. I’ve got my fingers crossed it’ll take home the Academy Award.

mother!

Well, let’s throw a little controversy onto this list. mother! has been a love it or hate it film. Whether you think it’s beautiful or pretentious both sides have valid points. What  I took away from the film is a very sharp and interesting critique on how the positive aspects of religion can be corrupted to push a sinister agenda. It’s a bold film that will be discussed for years to come.

Phantom Thread

Paul Thomas Anderson’s post There Will Be Blood filmography has been interesting. He’s crafted some films that can be praised by many, but also seem to miss the mark with others. Phantom Thread is a story that requires you to invest in the first half for a payoff in the latter half. The cast all give brilliant performances with Daniel Day-Lewis being the tour de force. If this truly is the end to his film career it’s a high note.

Professor Marston and the Wonder Women

We finally got to see DC’s Amazing Amazon make her solo film debut this year with wonderful results, but we also got to see the compelling story about her creation. Professor Marston and the Wonder Women didn’t pull any punches telling the story of the people who created and inspired this iconic character.

T2: Trainspotting

Rarely does a sequel that gets released decades after the original film turn out to be interesting or have much of a story to tell. Trainspotting embraced the elapsed time to give us a rather beautifully sad yet realistic look at where all these characters ended up. Some fans were underwhelmed, but I loved seeing these characters and can only imagine where they’ll be in another 20 years.

Thelma

This Norwegian supernatural thriller was a big surprise for me. I saw it on a whim and was blown away. While the comparisons to Carrie on the surface are fair when you dig deeper it has so much more to offer.

War for the Planet of the Apes

Who would have thought that the reboot of the Planet of the Apes franchise would lead to such a great trilogy? While Rise was a decent film that set up the series it was Dawn and War that truly made these films incredible. Caesar is hands down one of the greatest protagonists of the 2010’s. There has been talk about making a 4th film, but I truly hope the studio leaves well enough alone.

There you have it. A diverse and interesting selection of films that I can not recommend enough. And yet, we still have ten more that somehow surpassed them. Stay tuned for my top ten films of 2017. These are my thoughts, but as usual what are yours? Do you think any of these films deserved to be on my top ten list? Are there any that you didn’t enjoy? If you’re interested links to my previous honorable mention lists can be found below. Remember you can follow me on Twitter and Instagram @sdfilmthoughts. As always, thanks for reading.

https://sdfilmthoughts.wordpress.com/2016/03/31/the-honorable-mentions-of-2015/

https://sdfilmthoughts.wordpress.com/2017/04/10/the-honorable-mentions-of-2016/

My Ten Worst Films of 2017

2017 has come to a close and now is the time to sift through the films left in it’s wake. With the Academy Awards less than a month away the time has come to discuss what films will leave an impression behind and be heralded as classics in the years to come. Unfortunately, now is not the time for that. We’re here to look at the films that will either be (hopefully) forgotten or stay stuck in pop culture as floundering missteps by their respective studios. Yep, today we look back at the ten films that I watched and regret wasting my time on. I’m sure there were worse films made this year, but I tend to ignore films I have no interest in watching. You won’t be seeing Fifty Shades Darker or The Emoji Movie on this list. So, without further ado let’s begin discussing my questionable film choices of the year.

10. Transformers: The Last Knight

Michael Bay’s Transformers series turned 10 years old in 2017. That’s one film every 2 years. In that time span the series has gone from a mildly fun adventure to bloated ‘splosion fests that are in dire need of an editor. At this point we all know what to expect from these films, but I am holding out hope that the Bumblebee spin-off will breathe new life into the series

9. Snatched

I really wanted to enjoy this film. I think given the right material Amy Schumer is a talented and funny comic. Pairing her with Goldie Hawn was a brilliant idea. If only the writer had given two shits about the story. This is as bad and disappointing as Hot Pursuit.

8. Flatliners

What was suppose to be a sequel to the original film got edited down into a bland and by the numbers remake. I can not believe so many talented actors (Ellen Page, Diego Luna Kiersey Clemons) got wasted. Niels Arden Oplev got lucky with The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I’m thinking if I re-watch that film I’ll see the only reason it’s good is because of the story and leading actors. I really have no interest in seeing his career progress.

7. The Dark Tower

I’ve never read any of the Stephen King series this film is based off, so I’m sure I was let down less so than many people. Idris Elba tries to make the best of what he’s given and we’re left with a jumbled film that trips over itself and runs way too short for the story they need to tell in spite of feeling longer than it actually was. Funny, my worst film of 2016 was Cell. It’s almost as though some Stephen King stories are best left on the page.

6. Amityville: The Awakening

It has been an abysmal year for horror franchises. This and the Texas Chainsaw prequel Leatherface were terrible. I’m not going to pretend that the Amityville series is any sort of Holy Grail of cinema, but Blumhouse has had a decent track record in recent years. This felt like a cynical attempt to ‘modernize’ the franchise while retaining the rights to the series. Honestly, I think humanity will survive if this is the last Amityville film. I doubt that will be the case. But I remain optimistic that this year’s new entry in the Halloween series will be good… hopefully.

5. The Bye Bye Man

So what happens when you want to make a Slenderman film, but can’t obtain the rights to the character? You copy and paste some of his attributes onto a generic script and hope releasing the film in January will get you a decent return on investment. There is nothing enjoyable about this film. It doesn’t even work as an unintentional comedy. This ranks beside The Devil Inside as one of the worst January horror films to date.

4. CHiPs

We’re at that point where studios are so desperate for brand recognition we got a film based off CHiPs. A cop show made during the late 70’s and early 80’s that has aged horribly. But hey, if you can’t do a proper adaptation of the material make it a spoof. That worked for Starsky and Hutch, right? I really wish Dax Shepard the best of luck going forward, but this project was a mistake on his part as a director, writer, and actor. At least Michael Pena has some fun moments, so there’s that.

3. The House

I genuinely believe that this film was originally conceived to be a dark comedy. A couple from the suburbs teaming with their degenerate gambling addict of a friend to open a casino and go down a dark path in order make a better life for their daughter. Eh, that doesn’t work for our actors, so let’s re-tool it to suit their comedic sensibilities. What we got was a tonal mess where almost everyone involved appears to be phoning in their performance.

2. American Anarchist

If I wanted to watch an old man be berated for his past mistakes I’d go to a family reunion. All joking aside, Charlie Siskel could’ve made a wonderful documentary about William Powell’s life, but instead went for the low hanging fruit of attacking him for all the evil deeds attributed to The Anarchist Cookbook. I hated this documentary for being manipulative and downright offensive to the interviewee.

1.Resident Evil: The Final Chapter

Paul W.S. Anderson’s reign over the Resident Evil films has come to an end, thank you Lord! This series has been a disappointment from the get go. Sure, the first film is mildly enjoyable as an early 2000’s dumb action romp, but these films are so far divorced from their source material it’s infuriating. Afterlife and Retribution tread water in the plot while Anderson and his wife Milla Jovovich cashed paychecks, but this one tried to tie it all together and provide a satisfactory ending. Yeah, that didn’t happen. Reboot this franchise and stick closer to the video game’s tone and story please.

So there you have, another ten films I’ve watched and am now hoping to scrub from my subconscious. In the coming weeks I will also post my honorable mentions and Ten Best Films of the Year lists, so keep an eye out. I’ve also been asked by a friend and fellow film lover to do a guest spot on his podcast wrapping up 2017. I’ll provide a link in an upcoming article. These are my thoughts, but as usual what are yours? Did you see any of the films I’ve listed? What was the worst film you saw this year? If you’re interested links to my previous worst of the year films lists can be found below. Remember you can follow me on Twitter and Instagram @sdfilmthoughts. As always, thanks for reading.

https://sdfilmthoughts.wordpress.com/2016/03/30/my-ten-least-favorite-films-of-2015/

https://sdfilmthoughts.wordpress.com/2017/04/06/my-ten-worst-films-of-2016/

Looking Back at my #1 Films from the Past Decade

2017 is over and while I still have a lot of work ahead in prepping my 10 best and worst films of the year I had an idea. Over the past ten years I’ve published a top ten list of my favorite films from each year. I decided, why not dig back through my number one films from 2007 to 2016 and take a look at these movies? Do they still hold up? Have any lost their sheen in the years that have past? Without further ado, let’s find out!

2007 – The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

It truly is a shame that Andrew Dominik seems to have been getting brushed over by Hollywood. While I enjoyed Chopper and thought Killing Them Softly was terribly underrated I still hold The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford in high esteem. Of course it’s still considered a good film by many, I’d say it’s one of the best westerns ever made. The sheer beauty of Roger Deakins cinematography is enough to keep you mesmerized, but Brad Pitt’s commanding performance and an ensemble that’d be the envy of others takes the script and turns it into art. It definitely is a film you have to be in the mood to watch. But it was a theatrical experience I will never forget.

2008 – The Wrestler

I’ve been called a Darren Aronofsky apologist by a few friends for my defense of his work ranging from The Fountain (one of my favorite films) to this year’s mother! He’s definitely not everyone’s cup of tea. The Wrestler stands as probably his most accessible film. It’s a straight forward story of a man who’s glory days have faded and how he looks back on the good, the bad, and the weird of a career often mocked. Professional wrestlers aren’t exactly considered thespians (aside from Dwayne Johnson), but they put their bodies through trauma to entertain the masses. Pairing the story with Mickey Rourke, an actor who knows a thing or two about being a forgotten relic of the 80’s made you root for the protagonist in spite of his numerous flaws. This will be the role Rourke will forever be remembered for and with good reason. It’s raw and painfully honest.

2009 – (500) Days of Summer

This film has definitely seen it’s share of backlash in the years after it’s release. Marc Webb’s bright and quirky take on the beginning, middle, end, and aftermath of a relationship has been scrutinized by many online writers. Is this film nothing more than hipster trash showing beautiful people with beautiful people problems? Is Tom a creepy weirdo who should know the world he’s crafted is built on bullshit? Is Summer portrayed too much as a cold hearted bitch to exercise some demons of the writers’ previous relationships? It all seems like over-analysis to me. I still think the film grapples with some strong emotions in a lighthearted fashion. Tom comes into the story naive to true love, but after taking some hits gets back up a little wiser. It’s a shame that Sony didn’t loosen the reins on Webb with The Amazing Spider-Man films. If he’d gotten to throw in more of the flare he exhibited here they might’ve turned out a little better.

2010 – Black Swan/Inception

I copped out this year. I enjoyed both of these films immensely and couldn’t choose between them for the number one slot. Well, it was my list so they got to share it! I’ve written previously about how the films of underrated director Satoshi Kon influenced both Darren Aronofsky and Christopher Nolan. These films are the biggest pieces of evidence to back that up. Black Swan has a story slightly similar to Perfect Blue while the idea of exploring a dream world was the crux of Paprika. Both of these films owe a huge debt to a brilliant (and unfortunately dearly departed) filmmaker. And while I will say that both films have rotated around my favorite list for each respective director I still enjoy them. Both have the typical strengths and weaknesses of Aronofsky and Nolan.

2011 – Drive

Oh Nicolas Winding Refn, one of the most divisive filmmakers of recent years. Some people love him for his stunning visual style and low key storytelling. Others call him a pretentious artist who can’t grasp narrative to save his life. I fall somewhere in the middle. Pusher and Bronson are fantastic. Only God Forgives is a film I keep coming back to and appreciate more with every re-watch. Valhalla Rising has it’s moments, but for the most part left me indifferent. And The Neon Demon is a weird beast that every time I watch my feelings toward it change. Drive definitely stands (beside Bronson) as my favorite of his works. On paper this story could’ve been directed by Olivier Megaton, starred Jason Statham, and been a so so action film. It became a love letter to genre archetypes and beautiful one at that.

2012 – ParaNorman

When I saw the first teaser trailer for ParaNorman I was excited. The visuals looked amazing, the story sounded intriguing, and all around I expected something different from the typical animated fare Disney and Dreamworks had been pumping out. It definitely lived up to my expectations. Laika has continued to deliver fantastic films that keep getting ignored by general audiences. I hope one day this studio will get the Oscar they so deserve.

2013 – Mud

While this film was listed as a 2012 film it got it’s wide release in 2013, so it counts. Jeff Nichols had caught my attention with Take Shelter a few years before and Matthew McConaughey was working his way back to building a respectable career. I love the very Mark Twain vibe of the story with a slightly sinister undertone.

2014 – Wild

I was not familiar with the story of Cheryl Strayed or the PCT when the film came out. I walked into this film based off a trailer and my enjoyment for Jean-Marc Vallee’s previous film Dallas Buyers Club. I walked out feeling emotionally drained. This film surprisingly hit me in the feelings from the gut wrenching opening scene (I have a huge fear of losing toe/fingernails) and didn’t let up. I’ve always been a little indifferent towards Reese Witherspoon’s acting, but this film proved to me she’s got talent that can not be ignored.

2015 – Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter

As someone who grew up in the midwest the story of Fargo has always hung in the local pop culture. To this day I’ve met people who firmly believe that the film is in fact based on real events. I remember hearing about Takako Konishi and found it fascinating how she let the power of belief push her to travel across the world in search of riches. While the film is only very loosely based off actual events it’s still very engaging. The film hung on Rinko Kikuchi’s performance and she nailed it.

2016 – The Nice Guys

I’ve always been a fan of Shane Black. How can you not love Lethal Weapon? While some people have mixed feelings about The Last Boy Scout, The Long Kiss Goodnight, and Last Action Hero I’m a fan of all three. I grew up seeing those VHS boxes on the shelf of my local video rental store and rented them often. Then came his directorial debut Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and I loved it! The Nice Guys is a fantastic spiritual sequel and stands on it’s own two feet based off the acting, look, and script. It’s a shame this film didn’t make more at the box office.

In conclusion I think all these films hold up. To this day I watch them regularly and would recommend them to anyone. These are my thoughts, but as usual what are yours? Are any of the films listed are ones you enjoy? Do you dispute any of these being my top film from that year? Remember you can follow me on Twitter and Instagram @sdfilmthoughts. As always, thanks for reading.