#alex doesn’t get to experience a full range of emotions in the movie
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deathishauntedbyhumans · 1 year ago
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thinking abt rwrb again. i wish alex had been allowed to be short. and angry.
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starwarsnonsense · 5 years ago
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Best Films of 2019 (So Far)
It’s that time of year again! As most of my followers probably know, I’m an avid cinema-goer beyond Star Wars. I also quite enjoy making lists, so what’s better than a combo of the two? Below, I run down my top 10 films of 2019 so far - please note that this list is based on UK cinema release dates, so some of these films were 2018 releases elsewhere.
What are your favourites so far from this year? Let me know in replies/asks!
Honourable mentions: Toy Story 4, Long Shot, Aladdin, Alita: Battle Angel & The Kid Who Would Be King
1. The Favourite, dir. Yorgos Lanthimos
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This completely wowed me - it features a trio of magnificently compelling female characters (played by Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone) operating at the court of Queen Anne (Colman is Anne, Weisz and Stone are courtiers), and is focused solely on the shifting sands of the power dynamics between them. The script is savage without sacrificing poignancy, witty without ceasing to be genuine. And while I’ve seen some react to this film as a comedy (and it certainly has laughs, most of which are closely tied to shock), for me it was very clearly a drama about the inscrutable and complicated relationships that exist between women. Specifically, it is about how those relationships run the gamut from sincere affinity to ruthless manipulation. This is an amazing movie, and it also has the best use of an Elton John song in 2019 (sorry, Rocketman!).
2. Midsommar, dir. Ari Aster
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I went into this film with reservations, since I wasn’t a huge fan of Hereditary (by the same director), which I found to have extraordinary moments but iffy execution overall. This movie, however, wowed me, and I am still uncertain as to whether this or The Favourite is my top film of 2019 so far (fortunately, this gives me a good excuse to watch Midsommar three or four times in cinemas). While marketed as a freaky cult horror film, the director has described it as a fairy tale, which is the level on which is spoke to me. Midsommar follows Dani (an incredible Florence Pugh), a young woman who has suffered a terrible loss, as she travels with her boyfriend and his friends to a pagan festival in the Swedish countryside. Dani is painfully isolated, and her grief is hers to shoulder alone since her boyfriend is un-receptive and distinctly unprepared to help her. Over the course of the film, destruction and creation are conflated in ways that are frequently beautiful and horrific at the same time - this film spoke to me on a profound level, and the way it ended gave me a sense of incredible catharsis. This won’t be for everyone, for I found it to be a deeply special film and I can’t recommend it enough.
3. One Cut of the Dead, dir.  Shinichirou Ueda
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While I went into The Favourite with high expectations given the talent involved, I went into this with no expectations whatsoever - and what a treat it was! One Cut of the Dead is easily one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in ears, taking what initially seems like a trite concept (a crew is filming a zombie movie at a desolate location ... only to discover that the zombies are real!) and twisting it in a truly ingenious way. The comedy is often of the broad variety, but it is consistently delightful and always manages to avoid becoming crass - the movie even has some really sweet family dynamics at the centre of it, which gives it some real emotional heft. The success of this film is heavily reliant on a major twist that occurs part-way through, so the best advice I can give you is to stay as far away from spoilers for this one as possible - go in blind, and you will be amply rewarded for your faith.
4. The Farewell, dir. Lulu Wang
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I saw this following a wave of festival hype, so while I was excited I was also a bit apprehensive (since I have been burned by the aforementioned festival hype before). Thankfully, my doubts were blown away as this turned out to be just as wonderful as the early reviews had suggested. It’s a personal story about a young Asian-American woman (Awkwafina) struggling to reconcile her heritage with her current situation and values - specifically, she is tested when her grandmother is diagnosed with terminal cancer and the wider family make the decision to hide the truth from her. The Farewell does a fantastic job of generating empathy for all the different perspectives and positions in play, but it’s truly anchored by Awkwafina’s amazingly nuanced and tender performance - basically, anyone who’s ever loved a grandparent should leave this feeling incredibly moved and inspired. The themes of The Farewell are both specific to the Asian-American experience and general to anyone who has struggled with maintaining bonds over a vast distance, whether physical or cultural.           
5. Booksmart, dir. Olivia Wilde
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God, how I wish I’d had this movie as a teenager! While Booksmart has a cliched premise - two high-achieving teens decide to have one wild night before graduation - it tells the story in an incredibly charming and impressively creative way (I won’t spoil it, but let me just say this - that scene with the Barbies!). As someone who was an awkward nerd with no discernible social life in high school (as you Americans call it), I found this portrayal of that peculiar limbo period very sensitive and thoughtful - it doesn’t mock or shame its heroines for being studious, and it allows them to have limits and step back from situations that make them uncomfortable. It also serves as a beautifully honest portrait of a friendship, depicting the qualities that bring people together in friendship together in the first place, as well as the forces that can break people apart. This is a very accomplished debut from Wilde, and it makes me very excited to see where she goes next as a director.
6. A Private War, dir. Matthew Heineman
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This was a very suspenseful and tightly focused film about an extraordinary woman, and the film soars on the strength of Rosamund Pike’s incredible performance as Marie Colvin. She provides piercing insights into the psyche of a person so driven to pursue truth and enact change that she loses all concern for her own wellbeing - it’s simultaneously a portrait of heroism and obsession, and it’s impressive for how it handles the ambiguity inherent in Colvin’s choices. She’s exceptionally brave, but the film is unflinching in depicting the costs of her bravery. It left me feeling inspired to learn more about Colvin’s life and work, and I still need to watch the documentary Under the Wire to get more insight into the real story behind the film.
7. Fighting With My Family, dir. Stephen Merchant
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This is the year of Florence Pugh - she killed it in Midsommar, and she is just as fantastic here. If anything, Fighting With My Family and Midsommar make great complements as they serve as fantastic showcases for Pugh’s range as an actor. While her character in Midsommar is fragile and vulnerable, Fighting With My Family is a platform for her strength and comedic skill. As Paige, Pugh is instantly likable and compelling - I don’t give a damn about any form of wrestling, but this film (and Pugh specifically) did a fantastic job of drawing me in and making me root for Paige’s struggle to prove herself as a legitimate force in wrestling. This is a real underdog story, and Pugh did a wonderful job as the Cinderella of the WWE.
8. Apollo 11, dir. Todd Douglas Miller
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My dad has always been crazy about the space program, but I hadn’t picked up the bug myself. That changed after I watched this extraordinary documentary, which brought the Apollo 11 mission to vivid life. The footage that’s used for this documentary is extraordinarily crisp, and some moments are vividly powerful - the crew getting into their spacesuits, the swirl of fire surrounding the moment of takeoff, and the journey of the spacecraft towards the moon. It left me feeling moved and touched by human potential, especially when you remember that this all happened 50 years ago when the available technologies were so fragile and primitive. I also loved how the footage was allowed to speak for itself, with no voiceover or exposition - it’s a must-see for anyone who’s ever looked up at the stars and wondered about reaching them.
9. High Life, dir. Claire Denis
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This movie is second to only Midsommar in terms of how weird it is. I saw this in a Hungarian cinema while on holiday, which made for a disorientating experience in itself. While the meaning of the film is quite elusive and I’m sure that many people will find viewing it a uniquely frustrating experience, I appreciated how it created a hothouse environment that brought out some of the ugliest aspects of humanity. Robert Pattinson was great as what comes closest to amounting to our protagonist, though he is as inscrutable and inaccessible as the film itself. I can’t quite pin down why I liked this one so much, but I know I did and it made me want to seek out more of Claire Denis’ work. 
10. Free Solo, dir. Jimmy Chin & Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
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It’s tragic that most people will only watch this documentary on a TV screen (or, so much worse, a laptop!). I was fortunate enough to see it in its full IMAX glory, and it’s rare to see any film - let alone a documentary - take such full advantage of the format. The woozy spectacle of this film is the real star, though the subject - mountain climber Alex Honnold - is also fascinating with his unnerving detachment from the magnitude of what he is setting out on. It is clearly a necessary detachment for him to be able to achieve what he achieves, but I appreciated how the filmmakers questioned it and explored its impact on his girlfriend. This is a compelling documentary, and is worth watching even if you’re not usually a fan of the genre.
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letterboxd · 6 years ago
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Spiritual.
“It just goes to show you can give four people similar ingredients and they will absolutely not make the same movie.”
In Max Minghella’s Teen Spirit, aspiring teenage singer Violet (Elle Fanning) pursues her pop dream via a TV reality competition show. The Cinderella plot-line is common enough in underdog stories, but Teen Spirit uses the setup to mount a textured, vibrant, uplifting film enhanced to no end by a clear love for the power of pop music.
A lot of the credit goes to Fanning, who does her own singing. The 21-year-old has enjoyed an auspicious career thus far, but none of her previous roles suggested the power of her performance in Teen Sprit as Violet, a Polish immigrant high schooler living a meager existence with her mother on the Isle of Wight (off the south coast of England).
Violet lies about her age to sing on the weekend in dingy pubs, and sees an opportunity when the titular TV show comes to town for open tryouts. Her mother doesn’t approve, but Violet needs a guardian, so she ropes in a local drunk, Vlad (Croatian actor Zlatko Burić), who happens to be a former opera star. Together, Violet and Vlad will face the stark odds of trying to make it as a modern day pop star.
Teen Spirit is an assured writing and directing debut for Minghella, who is best known as an actor (The Social Network, The Handmaid’s Tale). He’s also the son of Academy Award-winning filmmaker, the late Anthony Minghella, director of The English Patient, The Talented Mr. Ripley and Cold Mountain.
Letterboxd met up with Minghella in Austin recently, following a well received screening of Teen Spirit at SXSW. Minghella developed and produced Teen Spirit with his old friend, actor Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot, King Kong), so when he says “we”, it’s Bell he’s referring to.
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Max Minghella and cinematographer Autumn Durald on set.
How did you know the drama of this film would go beyond the usual drama that feeds the kind of reality shows it takes place around? Max Minghella: You don’t know. You hope. It’s interesting because I don’t know how interested I was really in reality shows. I mean, I love reality shows, but it wasn’t what I was really thinking about making this movie. I was kind of fascinated by the mechanics behind them, what we don’t see, and I’m always interested in back rooms. I’ve always been a very voyeuristic person—that’s quite evident in the film. I love seeing things I’m not supposed to see, and the movie almost takes place exclusively in those sorts of spaces.
There’s a lot going on thematically in the movie between these people. I think the relationship is quite unique and unconventional for a film like this. We’re constantly trying to subvert the poppiness of it. Like the music does in the film, which is very melancholic, [the music is] very kind of candy-colored. There’s two things which should be diametrically opposed, yet they turn into something that’s quite cinematic.
I really wanted this movie to be a big cinematic experience. Movies right now are in a difficult moment, and we really hope that this will be a film that can play as a theatrical experience, and make people wanna go and see it on the big screen. Those are the movies I love. It’s a medium I love so much. That’s my church.
The songs feel very deliberate. How much freedom did you have to choose the ones you wanted? We wrote all the songs that you see in the movie into the original script. And we didn’t think we were gonna get them. To be honest this movie never felt real. That’s the honest truth. I didn’t feel as if this movie could happen at any point, until we were shooting. It felt ridiculous. There’s too much music. It’s got subtitles in it. It’s about an immigrant. There’s a thousand things about it that don’t feel plausible. It’s not a hundred-million-dollar Fox movie, it doesn’t feel as if the house was riding on it, so there was no reason not to be crazy. Because it didn’t feel like it would ever happen.
We were very, very lucky—every movie’s a miracle, our miracle was music. And the fact that [Teen Spirit producer] Fred [Berger] happened to have made La La Land, which he wasn’t even making at the time that we met him. He happened to go and make this film while we were writing Teen Spirit. It happened to work. It happened to involve Interscope Records. The songs that we had in our script happened to be with Interscope Records, 90 percent of them. It wasn’t planned. We don’t know anything about music. We were just going “we like this one, and this one” and it all happened to be the same place, and it happened to be a place that we had to go. So it worked out. If Sony BMG or somebody had released the soundtrack, this movie would be full of completely different songs, and not the ones we wanted.
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Elle Fanning as Violet.
Elle Fanning is so powerful in this, yet so subtle at the same time. It’s a deeply nuanced performance for a film like this, and that’s what’s brave about it. She doesn’t do any of the ostentatious things or the loud things that people react to. People like acting when they see the “acting”. Those tend to be the kind of performances that are rewarded or applauded. It’s quite brave to take a role like this, which can be very showy and takes a lot of emotional range, and then not ever take the obvious hit. Never. She does what I think is always the most human honest choice in those moments.
Does it concern you or did it occur to you that Teen Spirit is coming out amongst a rash of movies about pop stars? Her Smell, Vox Lux, A Star Is Born… It wasn’t like we were aware that everybody was making music movies. We’re friends with Brady Corbet, who made Vox Lux, so I was very aware of Brady’s movie, and he’s somebody I hugely admire and have a constant dialogue with. But I also knew how different it was. So I wasn’t nervous about it. We’re very close to the A Star Is Born people, in fact they made both these movies, Interscope, so they’re actually kind of almost like a part of the same team, so it doesn’t feel competitive with them at all, it’s always felt very supportive. And Alex [Ross Perry], who made Her Smell, is a friend of mine. So none of it feels antagonistic.
What’s so fascinating is they’re so completely different. A lot of them have female protagonists. I don’t think anyone has said “this movie looks like this movie or feels like this movie”. It just goes to show you can give four people similar ingredients and they will absolutely not make the same movie. It’ll just turn into something very different. I feel like now there’s a huge appetite for films like this, an increasing appetite.
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The reality show elements in the film feel highly authentic. I researched the actual truth. Everything that happens with [Teen Spirit judge/producer] Rebecca [Hall]’s character was very grounded in reality, that is sort of what happens on these shows, and I wanted all of it to be: what would happen? And how would these two people react to those things? The thing we studied the most was music tour documentaries, I would say. Like the Madonna movie, and the Katy Perry documentary, those are beautifully made. The behind-the-scenes stuff is so endlessly compelling and cinematic to me.
You’ve said that you wrote Zlatko’s role with him in mind—why did you want him in your movie? I’d just seen him in stuff, and he’s so unique. And if you’re going to do a Cinderella story and have a Fairy Godmother, he seems like a really unique way of doing a Fairy Godmother. I genuinely don’t think anyone else could’ve played the part.
Why did you choose to set it on the Isle of Wight? Well, my dad’s from the Isle of Wight, so that was sort of just a silly narcissistic thing. And then I think it’s a good metaphor. This girl is on an island, away from something, a place she wants to be. Looking at a horizon that she can’t quite reach, it’s another layer of alienation, which makes sense to me.
How do you feel now that Teen Spirit is being shown to audiences? It feels so masturbatory making a film, it really does. And I’m extremely happy with where we’ve gotten to with it. It’s the film I wanted to make. For better or worse. And it’s lovely to share it with people. But at the end it is a slightly selfish exercise I think. I’m at peace with what I’ve made. I feel good. And now I’d like to move on and start thinking about something else. But it feels good to have finished this process—I don't think we squandered it and didn’t waste people’s time. It’s a lot of people’s energy, a lot of people’s hard work and kindness. You make a movie and a hundred people are going too far and doing too much for you and not sleeping enough and you want to be responsible to those people.
‘Teen Spirit’ is in New York and LA cinemas now, and opens US-wide from April 19.
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filmaficionerdo · 6 years ago
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Best Films of 2018
Best Films of 2018
2018 was not the year for prestige pictures by a long shot.  Film this year was at its best when it came to superhero movies, and as much as I prefer those over most any other entertainment, that shouldn’t be the case, and that’s not what got me into film in the first place.  As happy as I am to see my favorite comic book characters come to life, I got into film because of daring, bold, and outspoken artists who didn’t need a franchise to speak their minds.  Too many mid-range films went to Netflix or other streaming services and they’re mostly of poor quality with a few exceptions.  I miss the days when film studios took risks, but now they only look for the largest IP with the largest net-profits.  It’s sad.  I love Marvel movies more than anyone I know but they shouldn’t be the only reason I look forward to going to the theater.  But this year also sparked a personal change for me because I moved away from the movie mecca of Hollywood to mid-Michigan, where there aren’t any arthouse theaters nearby during peak awards season so I missed more films than I would’ve liked (even though it’s been the most emotionally rewarding experience I’ve ever had) so I hope that helps explain why this list is so late.  I’ve been catching up on independent films via online rentals as soon as I can and still have many left unseen.  So maybe I missed something during 2018, but I can’t help but be letdown by the lack of inspiration I look to when I try to experience the medium I’m most passionate about.  With that being said, I was still able to conjure a list of my favorite 25 films of the year.  So, here goes:
25. Halloween
This was way better than I would’ve expected, especially coming from the guys who brought us Your Highness.  Director David Gordon Green and writer Danny (Eastbound & Down) McBride delivered the first worthy Halloween sequel that’s ever existed.  Their updated and timely subversion elevated this homage-y sequel while adding more fun than this franchise has ever seen.  John Carpenter’s contribution and the opening credits sequence hit hard with me.
24. Ready Player One
Haters be damned, I really enjoyed this movie.  Of course, I never read the book so that discredits me somewhat but what I got was a rousing Spielbergian experience that we haven’t witnessed since Minority Report.  If you hate this movie, but you loved Hook, there’s something fundamentally wrong with what you think a Spielberg movie is supposed to be about.  Ready Player One was a toybox of fun ideas and intellectual properties sewn together for a generation hung up on video games and nostalgia.  It’s definitely not his best but I love seeing a veteran director who still has the ability to dust off his old toys and make pretend.  The Shining sequence was an absolute standout of appreciation and love for another director’s craft.  
23. Sorry to Bother You
Boots Riley’s debut was strong and weird as hell.  This felt like Spike Lee meets David Cronenberg.  It’s funny, nuanced, and insightful.  Riley’s new voice was energetic and angry in the best way.  I saw this later in the year than I wanted to, but I have a feeling that repeat viewings will enhance this films relevance and my appreciation.
22. You Were Never Really Here 
Lynne Ramsay is one of the best and most unpredictable working directors today.  I always look forward to her work, but this semi-Taxi Driver remake was remarkably accessible for her and more powerful than it had any right to be.  If you haven’t seen it, seek it out.  It’s a crisp 88 minutes long and it’s riveting as well as heartbreaking.  There was a uniqueness to the short runtime, violence, and poignant urgency that she handled with deftness.  Joauquin Phoenix was remarkable, brute, and subtle all at once.
21. Ant-Man & The Wasp
Go ahead and agree that this wasn’t the strongest Marvel output in a while, but just like the previous Ant-Man, it’s a palette cleanser from a previous Avengers film.  Ant-Man & The Wasp is maybe the most child friendly film they’ve ever released and it was still enjoyable as hell.  It’s not important.  It’s simple fun.  And I love that Marvel still knows how to craft something that doesn’t want or need to reach for the fences.  Sometimes an inside the field hit is just what we need.  Ant-Man & The Wasp is a damn good bunt.
20. The Incredibles 2
Now that I hang out with a toddler on the reg, watching this movie never gets boring.  I’d know, because she’s watched it with me five times.  Incredibles 2 was long overdue and it’s maybe not quite so worthy of such a long wait considering the original was my favorite film of 2004, but its sequel was still full of exceptional animation.  That sequence with Jack Jack and the raccoon still fills me with joy.
19. A Star is Born
Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut was surprisingly strong.  Filming everything in close-ups was an intimate and innovative way to express a rising star’s personal journey to stardom.  Even though we can all agree that the first half of the film is vastly superior to the tear-turkey-jerky second half, it’s still an important film and a worthy update of a timeless classic.  The music, performances, cinematography, and sound are all exceptional.   
18. BlacKkKlansman
Spike Lee felt reborn with BlacKkKlansman.  Do The Right Thing will always be one of the all time greatest films; no question.  BlacKkKlansman might be his best since.  John David Washington just established himself as a commanding lead, and Adam Driver further cemented himself as a phenomenal actor.  The poetic-ness combined with the satirical edginess made this one significantly heartbreaking watch while being entertaining and iconic all at the same time.
17. The Death of Stalin
I saw The Death of Stalin early in 2018 and it never left me.  Writer/Director Armando Iannucci is a certifiable genius and the controversial nature of a film like this was one of the most refreshing voices of the year.  This is one of the darkest political satires I’ve ever seen but it’s so goddamn funny.  Laughing at something so atrocious and maddening is one of the only ways we, as a society, can heal from dark times in history.  I fully believe it takes the power away from the people who committed such heinous crimes.  It takes time and a brilliant voice, but it holds a mirror to the ridiculousness we’re currently subjected to, and hopefully with time, we can make fun of our situation too.
16. Leave No Trace
Debra Granik finally followed up her outstanding Winter’s Bone debut and she did not suffer from the sophomore slump that so many other filmmakers have.  Leave No Trace is the saddest love letter to veterans that I’ve ever seen even though it’s beautiful and full of hope.  Granik definitely should’ve gotten a Best Director nomination this year for her delicate and heartfelt look at a father struggling with PTSD while living with his daughter in the woods, away from society.  Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie are stunning.  This film stayed with me for weeks after I watched it.  It’s a small but hugely important film.
15. Annihilation
Alex Garland previously made his directorial debut with Ex Machina after an incredible script writing filmography.  He’s established himself as one of the smartest and most important voices in science fiction cinema after Annihilation.  This is a heady sci fi film that scared the shit out of me.  I felt uneasy the second the group of women walked into The Shimmer.  Garland adapted the book it’s based on after only reading the book once, but he created something so frighteningly ethereal that it’ll be talked about for years.  The score for this was off the charts good.  Going from an acoustic instrumental to something electronic was what struck me the most as a stroke of genius.
14. Shoplifters
For a film I saw so recently, very few films this year have had such an emotional impact on me.  Shoplifters is a small “family” film from Korean director Hirokazu Kore-eda, but it packs a punch that I wasn’t expecting.  All I knew was that critics loved it and it was up for a Best Foreign Language Oscar.  It’s a powerhouse of social status and what it means to be a family that defies language and cultural relevance.  
13. First Man
First Man hit me hard on a personal level.  I’d sort of written off Damien Chazelle as a director after La La Land underwhelmed me so much, but this film reinvigorated my appreciation in him because the filmmaking here was profoundly beautiful.  The acting is impeccable.  The cinematography was breathtaking.  Seeing this in IMAX (as my last film in LA) was a jaw-dropping cry-fest.  I left the theater shook.  I doubt this film will shake as many as it did me, especially if you missed it in IMAX, but this was the theater experience of the year.  At least recognize that Justin Hurwitz’s musical score was the most overlooked snub at this years Academy Awards.
12. Suspiria
This was another film I’d sorely missed in theaters, but when I finally got a chance to witness it I was blown away.  Luca Guadaninio’s follow-up to my favorite film of last year, Call Me By Your Name, was a worthy successor.  This was less a horror film, and more of an art-house homage to Dario Argento’s original 70s classic.  It’s still a haunting film, but in a beautifully macabre way.  Thom Yorke’s score is absolutely outstanding, as well as the subversively drab look, completely deviating from the originals color saturated visual palette.  It’s a film that has to be watched more than once.  Even though it’s 2.5 hours long, I was completely transfixed the entire time.  It’ll depend on your mood or taste, but if you enjoy artistic, visual, and auditory enhanced horror, Suspiria is among the best. 
11. Mandy
Throw up the horns.  Mandy is here.  Pasmos Cosmatos cerebral horror film is full of the best revenge porn I’ve ever seen.  Nicolas Cage is unhinged (as he should be) in his best performance in ages.  He’s the Cage we’ve been dreaming of since the 90s.  The first half of this film belongs to Andrea Riseborough and underrated character actor Linus Roache, but the second half is all Rage Cage in full gory glory.  Mandy is a film unlike anything you’ve ever seen, but yet somehow it’s still completely accessible.  The title cards for each chapter are something straight out of a Heavy Metal comic book, and the hauntingly beautiful score by the late-genius Jóhann Jóhannsson is simply gorgeous.  Mandy is a film meant to be laughed at and with.  It’s a fever-dream of ideas that work brilliantly as a whole.  It’s a hard one to recommend but if you know, you know.  
10. Eighth Grade
Bo Burnham just burst onto the directorial scene with this film about the awkwardness of being a thirteen year old girl.  Not something you’d expect from a male standup comedian in times like these, especially when it’s handled so delicately and with so much heart, but it feels so important to young kids who’ve been thrown into subjectivity amongst their peers within the digital age.  Eighth Grade can, at times, make you so uncomfortable, and at other times it’ll completely tear your heart out and make you want to hug your dad.  I know, because I saw it in the theater with my dad.  He was like, you’re still the eighth grade girl you’ve always been.  Thanks, dad.  
9. Aquaman
I know there isn’t a ton of hate for this film, but there isn’t a ton of high praise for it either.  Aquaman was exactly the film James Wan set out to make.  It’s one of the most comic book-y films since Age of Ultron except it’s dumb as hell, and for that, I absolutely LOVED it.  This was a throwback comic book film ripped from the pages that was corny as hell and never took itself too seriously.  Aquaman is a damn hard character to adapt so it’s unbelievable that he got this big of a budget that included over-the-top actors like Willem Dafoe and Dolph Lundgren.  Patrick Wilson chews the scenery as Ocean Master and I don’t give a damn what people think of Black Manta; he’s completely awesome.  You could’ve easily cut this film down, but I was happy to live in its oceanic cheesball world for hours.  Aquaman was the comic book movie of the year that was as ridiculous as it was awesome.  I laughed so hard at how stupid it could be, but I couldn’t help but be entertained by how insane it was.
8. Mission: Impossible Fallout
I don’t know how these films keep getting better, but they do.  This was THE action film of 2018.  As much as I love Fast & Furious 5-7, Mission: Impossible 4-6 has been the best run of a long running action franchise ever.  Fallout brought one of the best villains yet in a story that barely makes sense, but I couldn’t care less.  This film was big in that edge-of-your-seat way that rarely comes along.  Thrilling doesn’t begin to describe it.  The IMAX presentation was fantastic.  I live for movies like this.  It harkens back to 80s and 90s action films but presents itself for a whole new era of practical effects extravaganza.  It’s the best action film since Mad Max: Fury Road.
7. Black Panther
There are a lot of people questioning this film’s entry as a Best Picture Nominee, but it absolutely deserves all of the recognition it’s getting.  Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther is both culturally and politically significant as it is cinematically.  This film is a culmination of what Marvel has been growing to.  The Marvel Cinematic Universe isn’t simply about story progression, it’s about cultural progression.  These films represent societal beacons of the times we live in through decades old comic book prisms.  The lore and spirit of the comics are still present, as well as relevant, and the socio-political themes have been injected into them effortlessly.  
A character like Black Panther can be a leader of change within his own cinematic universe.  Marvel’s created something that transcends blockbuster cinema.  Black Panther is now an icon of cultural appreciation that can inspire real change in the real world.  He’s an optimistic embodiment of what we should strive to achieve as a society.  We should share with the world our hope for change.  Comic Book’s have never been so relevant.  Black Panther has never been so important.
6. Roma
Director Alfonso Cuarón’s intimate portrayal of life as a housemaid was one of the most vibrantly affecting films I’ve ever seen.  Every single shot wasn’t just a landscape; it was a mural.  I’ve never seen direction take this angle and provide so much while saying so little.  Some people might’ve felt emotionally disconnected from his style but Cuarón’s masterful direction captivated me like very few films this year had.  There are multiple layers to his visual representation that effect more of what’s seen than what’s said.  It’s not an easy watch and perhaps that’s part of why it was released by Netflix.  Unfortunately, I had to watch this at home instead of in theaters, but I still felt the impact of the themes and presentation.  It’s one of the few Best Picture nominees that truly belong in the category that’ll stand the test of time.  
5. Paddington 2
This was one of the earliest releases of 2018 and it never escaped my mind throughout the year.  Paddington 2 advances upon the original’s tone to encapsulate something that is pure joy.  Paul King directed the bejeezus out of this movie.  I felt like I was watching Wes Anderson meets Harry Potter.  I saw Paddington 2 in theaters with just one mother and daughter couple and it never felt weird.  The only thing that’s weird is that more people haven’t seen this film.  I had a smile from ear to ear the entire time.  This movie is magic.  Like the Harry Potter films, all of the best British actors are present, and Hugh Grand and Brendon Gleeson give their best performances in years, if not ever.  Hugh Grant should’ve been nominated for Best Supporting Actor.  If you haven’t seen this hidden gem yet, do your soul a favor and seek it out immediately.
4. The Favourite
Yorgos Lanthimos is on a roll.  This nutty Greek director began his career with the insane film, Dogtooth, and hasn’t let up since.  But he’s also learned and built from his previous work.  What started as something of a cultish followed career has expanded into prestigious and innovative filmmaking.  I’d nearly missed this film in theaters until I drove across the state to see this with my parents in Ann Arbor, and although it might be one of the worst movies to see with your parental units, we all could agree that this was a uniquely hilarious and thought-provoking experience.  At first, I wasn’t sure what to think because I was too busy trying to avoid talking to my mom and dad about Emma Stone jerking somebody off, but The Favourite stayed with me for weeks and I loved dissecting all of its themes and nuances.  The Favourite is both entertaining and timely.  It’s another one of the films this year that absolutely belong with (and should’ve won) the Best Picture nominations.
3. Widows
Steve McQueen’s Widows was vastly underseen and underrated.  Here’s a director who usually only does vague, cerebral drama, but working with Gillian Flynn as a screenwriter adapting Lynda LaPlante’s 1983 novel about wives finishing the heist their husbands failed to complete before their untimely deaths, is about as pulpy and as timely as you can get.  There are a lot of stories woven into Widows epic crime saga and some critics have faulted the film’s narrative for it, but look at Heat; one of the most prolific crime sagas of all time, which has more subplots than you could imagine, yet it’s still widely regarded as one of the best films ever made.  Widows is the best film of its kind since Heat in 1995.  It still carries the acting heavyweights and still compelled me more than nearly any other film in 2018.
2. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Into the Spider-Verse is one of the few films in 2018 that has the power to influence cinema for the future.  Not only is it extraordinarily entertaining, but it’s also innovative in terms of style and theme.  No other film in 2018 was this inventive and groundbreaking.  I was definitely excited to see this as a lifelong Spider-Man fan, but based on Sony’s mishandling of the character for years, it had me extremely cautious.  Thanks to Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s impeccable screenplay, I got more than the Spider-Man I’ve always wanted to see.  This is a Spider-Man for a new generation.  He’s not my Spider-Man, he never was.  This film is for everyone, and I mean EVERYONE.  The cell-shaded animation and soundtrack elevated this film into bonafide classic territory.  I couldn’t even comprehend it after I first saw it, because I wasn’t ready for something so new.  Months after I watched this film, I could not stop thinking about it.  Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is so nerdy for the fans and so accessible to the newcomers.  It feels like I’m living in an alternate universe where good movies in 2018 DO exist.
1. Avengers: Infinity War
The *Snap* heard ‘round the World...
Marvel has a good history of taking formulas from other genres and using them as a framing device for their superhero films; political thrillers, space operas, video games, heist films are all borrowed ideas that helped them keep the superhero genre from feeling stale. Avengers: Infinity War is Marvel’s fantasy epic. This is the Lord of the Rings of the MCU. The result is legendary. The Russo Bros. looked at their massive roster of heroes, who audiences have come to deeply care for over ten years, and came up with a way to tell one cohesive world-ending story centered around one villain; the mad titan, Thanos. They looked at Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones, and they saw how well those were balanced, and they applied it to a superhero film. It’s unbelievably well executed. The big reason Infinity War works so cosmically well is Josh Brolin’s portrayal of Thanos. We couldn’t get behind another world-ending event in these movies unless we believed and understood the villain that was behind it all.  Brolin gave Thanos both menace and pathos.  From the moment the movie starts, the stakes feel real. None of the characters are safe because we believe Thanos is capable of anything from the very beginning.  There aren’t many epics where we spend this much time with the villain.  Thankfully, Marvel knows we already care about the heroes, so after building up a ten year rapport between audiences and protagonists it was finally time to focus on the Big Cheese who’s behind all the conflict. This movie is so comic book/fantasy it’s ridiculous.  I loved every second of it and could not wipe the smile off my face nor the tears from my eyes.  I felt like my ten year old self, alone and engrossed in the most epic comic book I’ve ever read.  I was shaken when I left the theater. I turned around and watched it again just 30 minutes after my first viewing, and I couldn’t believe how captivated I was the second time, third time, forth viewing, fifth, sixth, and so on...  Nothing could’ve prepared me for this film and I’m so thankful it exists.
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katieskarlette · 6 years ago
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Voices of War panel
I’ll be editing this post as I watch the livestream.
The panel includes:
Josh Keaton (Anduin)
Patty Mattson (Sylvanas)
Laura Bailey (Jaina)
Indira Varma (Katherine Proudmoore)
Susan Wokoma (Talanji)
Abubakar Salim (Rokhan)
Alex Desert (Bwonsamdi)
Maryann Strossner (Scrollsage Nola)  (They announced ”A Maryann has made it to Blizzcon!” - LOL)
Josh Keaton has played since vanilla, started as a night elf hunter, then switched to Horde to play tauren druid.  He has since switched to a worgen druid (as our king should, after all!)  :P  lol 
Josh re: getting cast to play Anduin in Cataclysm:  “It was hilarious because I remember when I had my first Horde character I’d always try to attack Anduin in the castle ... and then I would die, and it was fun.”
Re: growing into ”manduin”:  “His trinkets have dropped.”  LMAO
Josh’s father is alive and he hasn’t experience that serious kind of loss IRL, so he doesn’t have that to draw from when acting, but it helps to be so deeply familiar with the characters and the lore.
Anduin and Sylvanas’ voice actors sitting next to each other...watch out!
“I’m so glad our Little Lion decided to play Horde,” Patty purred, putting a hand on Josh’s back.  He replied that he “saw the error of his ways.”
They did improv in the studio to get into the right headspace for the Sylvanas Warbringer cinematic, and Patty says she got carried away.  She ended up throwing Delaryn’s VA’s soda across the studio.  (SOMEONE DRAW THAT WITH THEIR CHARACTERS!!)
Senior Narrative Designer Steve Danuser said they better not have a bow and arrow in the studio for that reason!  LOL
Patty says she survived domestic abuse in her childhood, and that rage can be channeled into kickboxing (which she also does) or voicing a character like Sylvanas.
Laura says her body posture in the studio is a big part of how she gets Jaina’s voice.  She laughed about how long she’s been with this character, how Jaina started as a “bright-eyed” young girl “in a crop top.”
She was in tears by the end of the recording sessions for “Daughter of the Sea.”  And not just because she’s terrified of singing in front of people.  She says that actually helped her channel the vulnerability Jaina felt upon realizing what the people of her homeland thought of her. 
(It’s weird to see Indira in civilian garb when I’m so used to seeing her in her Dornish finery from Game of Thrones.)
She nailed the audition.  As soon as they heard her, they knew she was Katherine Proudmoore.  She says she’s not a gamer, but she immediately felt at home among the folks at Blizzcon.  All her lines were recorded in London. 
Indira loves the contradictions within Katherine, how much loss she’s suffered, how much pride she has, but how she has to get past that and welcome her daughter back.  She says she’s a mother, herself, so that helped her get into that mindset.
Indira loves doing voice work because it’s not about your looks, ethnicity, weight, or anything but your voice.  It’s a pure kind of acting that she enjoys.
Once they knew Kul Tiras was the setting of the next expansion, the reunion of Jaina and her family (especially her mother) was the first thing they seized on as the heart of the story.  Katherine is the face of the nation, not just as its political leader, but as the embodiment of their feelings of betrayal and eventual forgiveness toward Jaina.
Susan is demonstrating what it’s like when Talanji gets loopy on too much caffeine.  ;)  (Jet lag from London isn’t fun, I’m sure.)  She’s done a Netflix show with Tracer’s VA, so she had a peek at the Blizzard magic before and wanted to be part of it when the role came around.
She’s adorably freaking out over a Talanji cosplayer.  Pure joy on both sides.  They even hugged!  OMG!  Love it!
She says having massive story arcs is difficult on TV, especially for a woman of color who doesn’t have a model’s figure (as she put it, although she’s gorgeous if you ask me).  Her characters tend to get killed off early on, so having Talanji be around for the long haul is a treat.  She loved how Talanji has a full background, is part of an established world, and feels fully fleshed out.
She says they recorded in London in the evening, when it was early morning in California, which actually worked well for her, because “stuff has happened” by that time of the day, so she had a fuller range of emotions to draw from, instead of starting fresh in the morning.
On to Rokhan’s VA, Abubakar Salim, who says he’s overwhelmed by the love and support he’s felt from the Blizzcon crowd.  He does play WoW himself, starting as a human paladin (boos from the crowd) but now with the Horde (cheers).
Steve said he also plays Horde, and Laura protested (tongue in cheek) that the panel is biased.
Abu enjoys playing Rokhan because even though the Darkspear have suffered so, so much, he’s still undaunted, still working so hard to bring the trolls together.  He’s a practical and “earthy” character.  They joked about Rokhan writing haiku in his spare time.  But the word “badass” still is the best way to describe him.
Alex is up next, starting off with an eerie Bwonsamdi laugh.  “The Harder They Come” is an old Jamaican movie, and one of the characters in there was the inspiration for Bwonsamdi’s voice, although he got funnier and more mischievous as the character developed.  Alex joked that purple reading glasses help him get in character.  He says Bwonsamdi “wants love.”
Alex’s parents are from Haiti, so the lore of that place informed his performance, too.
And last but not least, Scrollsage Nola!  She thanked everyone for all the love the player base has given her.  She says she “loves helping people...turtles...  I’m in for it.”
The actors then went through and read some of their dialog.  Josh and Patty doing Anduin and Sylvanas’ dialog from the throne room in the Battle for Lordaeron was hilarious, the looks they gave each other.
Laura and Indira did a bit of Jaina and Katherine’s reunion.
Susan got a big cheer for shouting “Zandalar forever!”
The crowd also loved Abu screaming “Nothing gonna stop de Horde!”
Plenty of creepiness from Alex.
And the grand finale:  “A TURTLE MADE IT TO THE WATER!”  Everyone was holding their breath when it came time, and then the cheers erupted.  Heehee...
That’s the end of the main panel.  It was so cool to put (real) faces to the voices.  I’m always fascinated by the voice actors who bring the game to life.
AND LAURA BAILEY IS SINGING “DAUGHTER OF THE SEA”!  LIVE!  EEEEE!!!! 
A well-deserved standing ovation after that!
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bishreview · 6 years ago
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Lots of Quickies
Hi, I’ve been real busy lately and have started a heap of reviews that I’ve been unable to finish because of time restraints and stress. University can get on my back quickly but I’m finished now so I’m going to finish the ones I started before getting into a top 10 for films, albums and singles for the mid year (probably released before the end of June). 
Avengers: Infinity War
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The biggest crossover movie event ever pitted together the 20+ heroes against the big bad villain of the Marvel universe, Thanos. With a giant cast full of big names, a range of genres and a massive story to deal with, there were a lot of risks that the Russo brothers faced to make this movie. Despite it feeling supersaturated with characters and having some pacing issues, they were successful in creating a massive, climatic film, and Infinity War is close to the MCU’s best.
Avengers: Infinity War gets an A-
Breath
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Simon Baker’s adaptation of the highly acclaimed Tim Winton novel of the same name had a surprising amount of hype for an Australian film. Although there is some gorgeous cinematography, especially with some of the surfing shots, the movie is bogged down by stale acting, shocking character development, inconsistent pacing, and a directionless plot. With the movie just coming under the 2hr mark, it feels overly long and bland, lacking originality in both the surfing genre and the coming-of-age genre.
Breath gets a D
Deadpool 2
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Deadpool was an unbelievable success in 2016, shattering records and expectations as it became one of the most successful R-rated films ever. With the sequel they have expanded the universe, introducing ‘the X Force’ for the future of the franchise. This introduces many new strong characters, including Domino (Zazie Beetz) who steals every scene she’s in, and Firefist/Rusty Collins (Julian Dennison) who is works well with the titular character (Ryan Reynolds). Thankfully they haven’t sacrificed the quality of the film in order to universe build, with the sequel being almost as hilarious as the first, whilst digging into deeper themes of mortality and family.
Deadpool 2 gets an A
Hereditary
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I generally split horror films into three categories; the aim to scare, the aim to gross out, and the aim to unsettle. Hereditary falls into the last category. It’s been a long time since a film has me shook by the end of it. This isn’t an enjoyable film at all, instead being a tiresome experience of slowly increasing tension and uncomfortableness. This makes it one of the best horror films I’ve ever seen. Toni Collette and Alex Wolff are both incredible and the cinematography and score are perfect, complimenting the story and giving the tension exactly what it needs to flourish. The use of shadows and wide shots create an atmosphere which is unlike any horror movie I’ve ever seen, giving you enough to be scared but not enough to know why. Hereditary isn’t for anyone, it is slow and there are no payoffs for the tension (like jumpscares), but its a testament to how one can build tension on film and up there with the greats of the genre.
Hereditary gets an A+
Solo: A Star Wars Story
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Solo isn’t a complex movie. It doesn’t try to be a massive connection story like Rogue One, nor an epic adventure like The Force Awakens or The Last Jedi. Instead it plays to its strength, a low stakes origin story which gives a few characters some extra screen time. And it works to that extent, Han, Lando and Chewie being introduced well and having a fun adventure. It does have issues with pacing and the overcooked “shock betrayals” towards the climax starts getting cringy more than surprising but the journey is enjoyable fun, becoming a simple popcorn flick with a lot of replay value.
Solo: A Star Wars Story gets a B-
13 Reasons Why
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13 Reasons Why has quickly become on the most decisive and controversial TV shows in recent memory. Season One had its issues but still held itself up due to its characters and story development. To put it simple, Season Two didn’t need to be made and it’s very clear that it was forced out. Only three of the characters remain interesting with their story arcs, the script is derivative and banal, and events happen only for the purpose of the plot. This all leads up to terribly cringey moments and a predictable ending (which follows one of the most disturbing and unneeded scenes in TV). I will give the show props though for attempting a realistic court hearing and a beautiful moment in which the main cast come together in memory of their deceased friend, a moment which really should’ve ended the series.
13 Reasons Why gets a D-
Atlanta: Robbin’ Season
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Donald Glover’s Atlanta is something else. The debut season explored the African American life, relationships, the Hip Hop scene, poverty and young parenthood in such a unique and fresh way. With Robbin’ Season Glover gets deeper into his characters, exploring their flaws with a realistic lens. It works as well, with each episode making a range of statements, varying from depression and grief, to dating and ‘investments’. By the end of the season the main ensemble has changed so much that season three is a complete unknown. What the show doesn’t pretend to do though is become cliched, with success still an unobtainable goal and their desire to reach it getting more desperate. To summarise, this is honestly one of the best seasons of television ever produced. Also, bonus points for Teddy Perkins being the scariest character ever conceived in a hip hop story.
Atlanta: Robbin’ Season gets an A+
Arctic Monkeys - Tranquillity Base Hotel & Casino
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With album number six, Arctic Monkeys attempted to completely re-image themselves. Diverting from their previous, guitar driven, indie rock, TBH&C delves into a smoother, 70s psychedelic inspired direction, with most songs utilising a keyboard to accompany Alex Turner’s almost mindless ramblings (at times successful, other times forced)). Although the band have changed the direction, it seems they’ve changed it to a familiar territory, with a lot of the songs sounds like Alex Turner’s recent The Last Shadow Puppets materiel (and some seeming like the B-sides of them). Although there are stronger moments, there’s a lot of filler and some of the weakest material of the band’s quite consistent career.
Favourite song: ‘The Ultracheese’
Tranquillity Base Hotel & Casino gets a C
 A$AP Rocky - Testing
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The A$AP mob’s most successful mainstream member, Rocky, has been moving at a rapid rate. His popularity and critical acclaim has been moving up with every release. Testing is both a step in the right direction and the wrong direction. Although it’s is most ambitious record to date, influenced by psychedelic, electronica and ambient music, it’s quite messy and inconsistent. Songs start well to just fall away in their second half and there’s simply too many tracks to keep interest high. A$AP Rocky is doing very different things in hip hop and Testing will hopefully continue to lead him on his path, it’s just disappointing the album couldn’t be stronger.
Favourite track: ‘Purity (feat. Frank Ocean)’
Testing gets a C+
Courtney Barnett - Tell Me How You Really Feel
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I’m one of those people that didn’t rate Courtney Barnett’s breakout debut. I found it redundant and pretentious. With her sophomore though she takes a lot of what was strong from her debut and worked with it. Although there’s a clunky and repetitive middle section, the first third of the album is very good music. Barnett has a wonderful way with melodies when she tries to write melodic music and her voice, although not the strongest, can be really emotive. There’s still some rambling tracks but her development is quite noticeable and from someone who couldn’t get through multiple listens of her debut, this was an enjoyable album.
Favourite track: ‘Hopefulessness’
Tell Me How You Really Feel gets a C+
DMAs - For Now
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DMAs’ debut was something special in 2016. A 90s Brit-Pop revival album which was better than most 90s Brit-Pop. For Now continues their journey through British music, sharing similarities with bands like The Cure, The Smiths, Boomtown Rats and The Stone Roses. It’s very successful, with a wide range of influences and styles being incorporated in their sound. The album is much more consistent their debut, with each track being different yet based around the general ‘feel’ of the album. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have that big moment that their debut had, with no tracks really standing out as something incredible. That doesn’t weaken the album too much though, being one of the strongest releases of the year.
Favourite track: ‘Tape Deck Sick’ 
For Now gets an A-
Kanye West - Ye
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I love this album cover. It’s very simple but very effective, representing both the minimalist, emotional, and cold album that is to come. Ye isn’t the first Kanye album to be lowkey, or sad, or left of field. It isn’t something special in his career though, an album where it really seems he condenses his talent into a short time (it is only seven songs) and really lets the production of the tracks take over, with some of the best moments being when he’s not on the mic (’Ghost Town’ has an outro which is just brilliant thanks to 070 Shake). That’s not to say Kanye’s voice doesn’t shine, ‘Wouldn’t Leave’ is a testament to his lyrical and rapping strengths, but his production is his best in nearly a decade. Although there are some weaker tracks and some cheesy lyrical moments, Ye reminds us why we continue to love Kanye, because he continues to release some of the best hip hop available.
Favourite track: ‘Ghost Town’
Ye gets a B+
Kids See Ghosts - Kids See Ghosts
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If someone gave me a list of all the albums released this year before the year started, a collaboration between Kanye and Kid Cudi would definitely be my most anticipated. An album combining two of the most important voices in hip hop during the late 00s, both of them being instrumental in bringing topics of mental illness into mainstream hip hop. Where I expected Kids See Ghosts to be a darker album though, the album is almost a celebration of overcoming their demons. There are still some darker tracks, like the album closer ‘Cudi Montage’, there’s a lot of fiery tracks (like the conveniently titled ‘Fire’) and uplifting tracks (the album standout ‘Reborn’). There are some brilliant moments on this album, whether it comes from the strangely funny yet creepy sample of Louis Prima’s ‘What Will Santa Claus Say’ in ‘4th Dimension’, the ballsy attempt at scat rap in ‘Feel the Love’, or the gorgeous chorus in ‘Cudi Montage’ which features the beloved noise of Cudi humming (God bless Cudi and his biblical humming). Although the track listing works in its disadvantage some tracks do have some strange choices in direction (the end of ‘Fire’ sounds great but doesn’t fit with the song, nor the album), Kids See Ghosts is a contender for album of the year.
Favourite track: ‘Reborn’
Kids See Ghosts gets an A
Lily Allen - No Shame
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Lily Allen will always be one of the most lovable cynics in music. Her career has been largely satirical takes of political and societal issues through upbeat, pop songs. With No Shame she seems to direct her satire on to herself, literally roasting herself, focusing on her recent divorce, motherhood, drug addiction, and balancing her fame and career with family life. This makes for a very deep, and at times dark, listen. Somehow though, through all this, Lily Allen has made her best album, and maybe the best album this year. Lead single ‘Trigger Bang’ is a brilliant pop song, reminding us of her humble beginnings whilst delving into criticisms of the industry and her place in it. Tracks like ‘Lost My Mind’ and ‘Everything to Feel Something’ are some of her saddest, roughly criticising her lifestyle with some beautiful production and instrumentation. And the gorgeous piano-ballad, ‘Three’, is as beautiful as it is rough, the lyrics being from her daughter’s perspective of Allen not being around for her kids. The album does allow a lighter ending, the final few tracks feeling upbeat and optimistic, something rare from albums which explore such dark themes. Although there are a couple of tracks where the dancehall vibe feels slightly too strong considering the lyrical content, No Shame is something special, and a sign of unbelievable growth for an artist over a decade old. 
Favourite track: ‘Everything to Feel Something’
No Shame gets an A
Middle Kids - Lost Friends
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Middle Kids are slowly becoming the most underappreciated act in Australia. Their critical acclaim and industry cred are both high but their commercial success hasn’t blossomed in Australia. Their debut album looks to be their big push (it reached #10 on the ARIA album charts), and for good reason. It’s a really consistent album, with each song being a good alternative rock song. There are some lyrical moments which are average and some songs go for a little too long but each track fits well on the album and are enjoyable. For a debut, it’s a good one and really builds up anticipation to hear more from the band and see where they go. 
Favourite track: ‘Edge of Town’
Lost Friends get a B
Nas - Nasir
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Nasir is another good release from the recent G.O.O.D Music output with Kanye West, although it’s probably the weakest so far. The production on it is really good, with the beats driving most of the songs, but Nas seems misguided and confused on a lot of the tracks. He has good messages behind the songs, referencing themes from police brutality to finances, but he doesn’t seem to really push his ideas, mostly feeling like there is a lack of passion or interest. It’s still an enjoyable album but the feeling of going through the motions is littered throughout and thus is quite disappointing.
Favourite track: ‘Everything’
Nasir gets a C+
Parkway Drive - Reverence
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Australia’s premier Metalcore band, Parkway Drive, have has a mixed career for me. Their previous album, Ire, was one of their best, with the songs being meatier and relentless, not holding back at all whilst bringing new influences in. With album number six I’m not sure whether they’ve gone backwards or forwards. It’s different from their previous releases, leaning on cleaner singing much more often, and the influences are clearly from the heavy metal genre of the late 70′s to the early 90′s, but it doesn’t have a strong identity. At times it seems like a tribute album and really doesn’t standout or have its own image and sound. There are still some strong songs but a lot of the album feels like filler and for a band which has been leading the way in the genre in Australia for so long, it seems like they are now falling behind. 
Favourite track: ‘The Void’
Reverence gets a C-
Post Malone - Beerbongs and Bentley’s
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Every now and then Post Malone nails it and he’s definitely ridden off the success of these moments (think the songs ‘Congratulations’ and ‘I Fall Apart’). There is a hidden talent there which is covered up by the cheesy songwriting and cliched style that he presents. On Beerbongs and Bentley’s he hides this talent better than ever. This is a very mediocre album, which is made even worse since it has 18 songs and drags for over an hour. He seems to run out of things to say very quickly and there’s few moments that really standout as interesting or fresh. It’s definitely a step backwards after the far more interesting Stoney. 
Favourite track: ‘Stay’
Beerbongs and Bentley’s gets a D-
The Presets - Hi Viz
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One of my first introductions to music was Apocalypso, The Presets breakout sophomore album which blew away the Australian dance scene. It’s been about 10 years since that release and other than the left-of-field Pacifica, The Presets have been relatively quiet besides festival appearances. Hi Viz is the album they needed though. There are so many certified bangers on this album, from the lead single ‘Do What You Want’ to the giant album closer ‘Until the Dark’. They also bring in some really strong features, with both Alison Wonderland and DMAs shining on both their feature tracks. Although there are some filler in the album, and it does get repetitive towards the middle, it’s an excellent return to form from the band and establish them back at the top of the Australian dance scene.
Favourite track: ‘Feel Alone’
Hi Viz gets a B+
Pusha T - Daytona
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Daytona was the first album from the G.O.O.D Music trail of releases of the past month and it really kicked off the project well. The production is really strong, the instrumentals on each track are solid, Pusha T’s lyrics are great (like usual) and the features fit nicely. I think the major weakness is that at times Pusha T’s voice doesn’t fit nicely with the music, especially with the mixing of his vocals at times. It seems to sit too high in the mix and seems out of place. Other than that though it’s a really solid album and an enjoyable listen. 
Favourite track: ‘If You Know You Know
Daytona gets a B
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