#i was expecting a crime heists movie based on the first 10 minutes but no its just the main female character trying to get with a judge-

[they-thespian666]

I HATE NEEDLESS ROMANTIC DRAMA!!!!!!!!!!!

[almondbiscotti]

Stuff I’ve Watched this CB

Sorry, really got a lot. I’ve ranked them from most recommended to least recommended. And separated movies from series. And have included some shows I’m planning to watch! 

Series

Kim’s Convenience S4 I LOVE APPA. Was a bit appalled I didn’t know S4 was out on Netflix because it’s one of my favourite shows on Netflix. It’s REALLY GOOD. So many laugh out loud moments, the characters are WONDERFULLY fleshed out and the chemistry between the actors is through the roof. Story telling is also amazeballs. 10/10 would recommend.

Dirty Money S1&2  10/10 would recommend! I really liked Dirty Money because I learned so so so so much from the show! I do think the producers had no intention of being unbiased and presenting a neutral stance on the “villains” because I wanted to punch every single “villain” every damn episode. If you’re looking for objectivity and “both sides of the story”, I don’t think this show is for you. But that said, everything presented is factual so I did learn a lot. Supplemented with additional reading post show, I felt like a whole new world was opened to me. :) 

Kingdom S1&2  JUST WATCH THIS. IT’S SO DAMN GOOD. 

Only issue I had was how damn ridiculous it was that whenever a horde of zombies were running towards our protagonists, they’d just stand there and do their typical Korean AISSSSSHEEEEBYEFUCK stance for like a full 17342154 minutes while the music and tension builds and the zombie horde comes closer and closer and closer and THEN they finally decide to run. Eh friend, what siah. Also, I concluded from watching Kingdom that if there ever was a Zombie apocalypse, I’m completely and utterly FUCKED. But I live in ridiculously hot Singapore surrounded by water... so I guess I’ll be alright? 9.5/10 

Derry Girls S1-2 Irish Catholic School Girls, I’M SOLD. I mean, come on. How can I not LOVE this show? It’s HILARIOUS. And having spent 10 years in an all girl catholic school, Derry Girls really really resonated with me. The characters are laugh out loud hilarious, and all really likeable! The only issue I had with it is that the characters don’t really grow very much over the course of 2 seasons. So season 1 first episode vs season 2 final episode, it won’t matter even if you watched it backwards.

Because the seasons are very short, only 6 episodes per season and there are only 2 seasons so far, it doesn’t matter very much. For now. But I reckon if they had like 7 seasons, it’s going to get VERY repetitive. But at the moment, ISSA GREAT! 9/10

Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency S1 8 Episodes of ABSOLUTE CRACK. It’s based off something Douglas Adams wrote so I wouldn’t expect anything less. Acting isn’t great but the storytelling is riveting. If you enjoy Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (the book), it’s very likely you’d enjoy this. It can get quite frustrating sometimes though because it’s so ridiculous so if you’re looking for a detective series based on solid logic, look somewhere else. But if you just want some fun and silliness mixed with some smart, this is wonderful. 8/10 

Never Have I Ever S1 I had a lot of trouble liking the main character but on retrospect, it might be because the character doesn’t even like herself that much to begin with. Had quite a few laugh out loud moments and the Asian family moments were very relatable.  THE MOTHER. THE MOTHER IS EVERYTHING. She’s my favourite, I would watch an entire series with just her. The main problem with Never Have I Ever (in my opinion) is that it tried to do a lot of things to prove the same point. So it does get a bit frustrating after a while. By the 3rd episode, I’m just like GET ON WITH IT I GET IT. I GET THAT FAMILY IS MOST IMPORTANT, I GET THAT SHE’S NOT GRIEVING HER FATHER. So... it can get a little cliche and repetitive. To me la. But still funny, still good. :)  8/10 

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt S1-4 The opening track really really grows on you. UNBREAKABLE! They’re alive, damn it! IT’S A MIRACLE! Created by Tina Fey, this show is silly and full of fun.

I really liked S1-3. It’s a very light-hearted show that makes you feel really good watching it because it’s just so positive and optimistic. S4 got a bit too ridiculous for me and the characters started doing some really weird shit that is a bit too incredulous (it was never a logical show based too much on reality to begin with but S4 was really a bit much). But if you like shows like The Good Place, I reckon you’d like Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. 8/10

The Circle USA Can’t remember why Housemate and I started on this but it was actually not bad! I think it’s because the OG characters were really likeable! JOEY! JOEY IS A PRECIOUS PUPPY THAT NEEDS TO BE PROTECTED AT ALL COSTS. It’s not very intellectual and I was never too invested in any of the characters or relationships. BUT! great if you don’t want to think too much and just watch some mindless TV that isn’t absolute trash. (TOO HOT TO HANDLE I’M LOOKING AT YOU.)  7/10 

Tiger King S1 SIEOW ONE THIS SHOW. It’s an absolute MINDFUCK. I started with many questions, I finished with A BILLION more. I don’t even know how to describe or explain this show. IT’S MADNESS. There are big cats, gay husbands who turn out not to be gay, tiger queen who allegedly killed her husband and fed him to her tigers, crazy dude who tried to pay some other dude 5k (i think? or 3k? seriously it’s crazy) to kill tiger queen, big guns and expired meat and pizzas?!?!! Yah, Mindfuck. CRAZY/10

Cable Girls S1-4  Season 1 and 2 were BEAUTIFUL. The characters have so much depth, the acting is impeccable, the costumes are AMAZING, the cinematography is inspiring, the story telling was riveting. Then season 3 and season 4 happened and... I will pretend the show ended in S2. -_- Character development took a major hit from season 3 onwards. But I would still recommend Cable Girls because the acting, the acting is AMAZING. 10/10 for s1&2. 5/10 for 3&4.

Money Heist S4 Was quite hyped for this and was really quite let down. The beauty of Money Heist has always been structure in chaos, elegance in the mess. S4 was very frustrating because it didn’t have that. I felt like they were trying very hard to make you think the heist team was going to fail and started to fill in weird impossible things to ensure the plot was still able to proceed. Did not enjoy S4 as much as I thought I would. :(  But if you have invested in the previous seasons, you know you’re gonna watch it even if it’s absolute crap anyway. 6/10

The Letter For The King S1 Ep 1&2 Premise was quite interesting, trailer was interesting enough. But DEAR GOD WAS IT SLOW. And also, literally ALL the characters were unlikeable! I don’t understand why anyone would make a show with entirely unlikeable characters. I couldn’t get past the 2nd episode but I went ahead to read a few reviews and recaps. Yeah, was a good idea to stop at episode 2. Would not recommend. 2/10

Movies

Game Night  Rachel McAdams is QUEEN. A really loltastic film. Is a really good post dinner wind down to end the day film. And particularly because I can relate to how competitive our main couple was. :) Some parts don’t add up and there are a few times I think the story becomes a bit too much for itself, trying to layer upon layer of twists, but still a good fun movie! :) 7.5/10 

The Half of It Heartwarming. :) Enjoyed it because i think the main protagonist is very likeable. And she’s so... plain and relatable. I hate to say this though but... I found the whole movie quite forgettable. Like, it didn’t feel very deep to me though it did touch on quite a few intense and deep topics of first love, family, self acceptance etc. But it’s just doesn’t reverberate through every cell of my being. The whole movie is just so gentle and because it is so mild, it becomes forgettable. Acting is good, character development is okay I guess. But generally... just mediocre to me. But not bad. I just wished it wasn’t so... light and airy. I wish it made me cry. 7/10

Cabin in the Woods Housemate wanted to watch it because it’s horror-esque. I was okay with it cos it’s horror comedy. And also Chris Hemsworth. :D Was quite loltastic. Though SPOILER ALERT Chris Hemsworth’s character dies a bit too early for my liking. I really liked the over the top inclusion of various different monsters near the end. Was fun trying to identify them. Fun movie! Not very scary but quite a bit of gore that’s peppered with lots of humour to make it okay. 7/10

Extraction LOTS OF CHRIS HEMSWORTH. But plot wise... hmm... Housemate enjoyed it because he said the fight scenes and the things our extractor does are very real and is what a trained professional would do in the high pressure situations he finds himself in. They probably had a great consultant to keep things realistic.  I didn’t enjoy it as much because I felt that our hero was... too powerful and the bad guy was too bad. Almost caricature-ish. Difficult to have character development like that. But hey, I didn’t watch it for depth, I watched it for Chris Hemsworth’s face so... very much satisfied. :) 7/10 

Other Stuff I’m Planning to Watch 

After Life S2 I liked S1 so... just a continuation I guess. Typical English humour. Also, I watched S1 dealing with a death of a friend so the show does have some sentimental meaning for me.

Hollywood S1 New show seems promising! There are blacks, gays, sex, extortion, glitzy costumes, glamour and really blonde blondes. Also the guy who plays Sheldon Cooper in BBT. High hopes, I have high hopes! 

The Victims’ Game DETECTIVE SHOW SOLVING CRIMES. I’M SOLD. 

Whoa fuck, I really watch a lot of Netflix. 

[thebastardofgloucester]

More Thoughts on Rogue One

So I saw Rogue One again:

I don’t have any real revelations to expound upon - the first half is still a bit messy (though beyond the Krennic scene on Mustafar which we’re rather fond of I’m not really sure you can just cut out some of the planetary back and forth). The second half/last third really pulls the film together in some of the best action sequences I’ve seen in any war movie, Star Wars or no, but it also fails to resolve a lot of character arcs, which is...unsatisfying from a narrative nerd perspective but not really crippling to the film as a whole? In my opinion, anyway. 

- Jyn’s a flat character. I’m not sure if it’s that Felicity Jones is a bad fit for the part - they needed someone who did a lot of non-verbal acting and that ain’t her - but her character is choppily written at best, and wavers back and forth between passive and active in a way that just feels awkward when it abruptly switches. You have a bunch of character-establishing moments - trying to flee her rescuers, saving the little girl in Jedha, beating and gunning down stormtroopers, resenting Saw for abandoning her - and they just don’t fit together. At points, it seems like she’s a deer in the headlights, which makes some sense - she’s not a soldier, she’s not used to battle, to death striking suddenly and brutally - but it again swings back and forth and there’s no key determining factor beyond the immediate needs of the plot. And yet she knows her way around a blaster, she goes after that child (which is just wildly out of place and used as an excuse for Cassian to shoot one of Saw’s men, precipitating the group’s capture), she’s quite brave under fire. She’s established as initially cynical and apathetic about the Rebellion - for understandable reasons, though Cassian also rightly calls her out for wallowing in self-pity, which she clearly takes to heart.

Her transformation from reluctant accomplice to Rebel leader just doesn’t really follow.  A scene where she spoke with, say, Chirrut and Baze (maybe with Bodhi popping in) about their reasons for fighting the Empire, and she explicitly confronted her desperate need to redeem her father’s legacy and exonerate him from horrible crimes would have been a tremendous help, would have given Baze and Chirrut more depth (digging into their past service as guardians, their grief and Baze’s rage at the destruction of their home), and would have given some reason for the ‘little sister’ comment, which just feels so out of place because they don’t have that kind of relationship. I’m probably going to write this scene, honestly. At that point, speaking up about the need to strike Scarif makes more sense. Maybe another actress better conveys Jyn’s desperation and makes her sound less inexplicably confident. She’s not idealistic enough for that, change of heart or not. Fewer motivational speeches from her would have been a good idea. The one in the shuttle is the best fit - it’s full of desperation and anxious resolve. She’s addressing her men, not the leaders of the Rebellion. Basically, somebody else needs to back her case in front of the council. Hell, maybe Chirrut could have backed her up. That would have been another moment to establish their relationship. Jyn’s the primary protagonist, but she’s also not a conventional hero, and the film did not commit to that as it did with, say, Cassian. 

- Honestly, that’s the movie’s biggest flaw. It drags a bit, but I’m not sure what I would really cut. The trading port scene is vital to establish Cassian. The jailbreak was apparently largely a product of the reshoots, and that was absolutely a good call. The Jedha stuff needs to happen to launch the plot. The Eadu stuff needs to happen to raise the stakes, stage the Cassian/Jyn conflict, and kill off Galen. I *guess* the first Yavin 4 scene wasn’t entirely necessary, but it would be hard to do without it, and it does a lot of worldbuilding for the ANH-era Rebellion. 

- The movie isn’t terribly interested in preserving the scale of the GFFA - unless Eadu, Scarif, and Yavin 4 are within the same star cluster or something, the Rebel forces have at most a few hours travel time and that does’t make much sense. It’s not that Star Wars has ever cared about those kinds of logistics (save a few novels), but somehow the planet jumping makes it more obvious.

- The space battle is still astounding, and the Pacific Front-inspired beach scenes aren’t far behind. Just the perfect use of CGI, practical effects, and storytelling to create truly spectacular scenes. Also nice to see Rebel women pilots, though they pretty much all die.

- Bodhi has the most complete and coherent character arc, and given the time constraints, it’s actually a pretty good one. His sacrifice is poignant, even if his death is surprisingly pedestrian (which is by no means a bad thing - it adds a layer of realism to the combat that people just die). K2-SO has something resembling an arc. Cassian is the deepest character, even if a few more exchanges with Jyn or Bodhi or Chirrut could have helped make his inner conflicts more explicit. His relationship with Jyn actually worked better for me the second time around, but it has the overall vibe of ‘almost’ or ‘what if’ as it really should. 

- The movie does a lot of work in terms of world-building, and there’s loads of material for future films or EU media to take advantage of. I’m excited about the new in-between-the-OT Rebellion era. It might be a bit ponderous in the film, but it’s valuable yeoman’s work in the young new canon. 

- Krennic isn’t the most effective antagonist. That’s partially by design - he’s simply outclassed by the likes of Tarkin and Darth Vader. But in a moment where we might be able to explore his complexity with the reveal that his adversary is the daughter of his long-time friend and betrayer Galen he just...doesn’t really react beyond ‘generic Imperial villain’. That was a missed opportunity. More could have been done with him than having Cassian appear and shoot him while Jyn does her deer in the headlights thing again. There’s poetic justice in his being killed by his own life’s work, but it needs to be dwelt upon a bit.  

EDIT: my little brother suggests Jyn pointing out the Death Star rising above the horizon, as Krennic realizes that not only is Tarkin willing to sacrifice the entire base, but that he is expendable. Unlike Jyn, he is not ready for that brutal truth.

- In hindsight, the whole Vader in the corridor thing is a bit less fraught than I thought - the damn data tape is at the partially open exit the whole time, the dude with it just wants to escape. A better scene would be him desperately forcing the door open as his comrades try to slow Vader down, succeeding at the last minute before he’s cut down. All that would have been required is a few shots of the dude trying to force open the door, nothing really complicated. 

- It’s a bit weird that the Tantive IV, with Leia aboard, is waiting for ages inside the disabled Rebel flagship - presumably the data tapes take a while to transfer, but it seems like quite a risk. Plus there’s the ‘transmissions’ line in ANH which is now seemingly in error. Maybe the corvette is waiting on the fringes of the system, giving Leia plausible deniability? But that probably sacrifices the Vader scene, and I’m not sure any of us want that. It’s a hard problem to solve without retconning. 

- The Dr. Evazan/Ponda Baba cameo on Jedha is just not necessary. R2D2 and C3PO are acceptable - they’ve been in every damn movie and they have a reason to be there.  

- It’s a really good heist-cum-war movie, honestly. It’s got weaknesses in terms of characterization, because that’s not Gareth Edward’s real strength. It might not feel like ~Star Wars~ in terms of being magical space opera based on hero’s journey cliches and stronger characterization than plot, and might be missing the ‘magic’ or something, but it’s not supposed to be anything like The Force Awakens. I feel like a lot of the movie’s critics were just expecting ~something else~ and find the genre differences off-putting. I don’t. 

- Saw Gerrera deserved a bit more time - specifically, I think cutting his ‘what will you become’ speech was a mistake, though I’m not sure where it was supposed to fit? He’s a really really great character, honestly, and he’s vital in establishing that the Rebellion is a messy loose coalition of splinter groups who are at this stage very divided in terms of strategy, conviction, and morality. 

- Chirrut is definitely low-level Force sensitive. To an extent, fine, his sharpened sense of hearing explains his physical combat skills. But sensing Jyn’s kyber crystal, reading Bohdi and Jyn, dodging laser blasts, hitting stormtroopers on the beach - he’s not a Jedi, but he doesn’t really have to be. There’s another point of possible connection with Jyn - his faith in the Force would resonate with her memories of her mother. Again, just a handful of lines. Not a huge change. 

- I still think Chirrut and Baze’s relationship is easily interpreted as romantic, whether that was the result of the actors, Edwards, or Kathleen Kennedy, I don’t know. But it’s appreciated and extremely important. 

- Revised rating: 7.5/10. Could have been an 8.5, even a 9 with a more talented character writer and a more compelling primary protagonist. But it’s intensely watchable, really thrilling at points, fits seamlessly into the Star Wars universe, adds emotional impetus to A New Hope and the circuitous journey of the Death Star plans to Yavin 4, and Luke and Han’s subsequent heroism, and has a ton of interesting ideas percolating in the background. 

[cwdcshows]

The Flash - S6 E16 - So Long and Goodnight

So let's see here, I watched the first 5 1/2 season of Buffy, 2 1/2 seasons of Angel, caught up on the most recent season of Lucifer, roughly the first 5 seasons of Community and re-watched all seasons of Charmed; read the last two Harry Potter novels, started reading Oliver Twist, got about 3/4 through the outline for the second draft of a play I've been writing; built a website, started working on another website...and now, here we are...So bored, it's time catch-up on The Flash.... (Sigh)

Little known fact, most hired assassins won't kill someone unless you explicitly tell to; or say, "please." "It's like someone cut the brakes while I was driving..." - no, it was more like someone hacked your car, seeing as how you were accelerating, not just not slowing down. Which is possible, assuming Joe owns a type of car with an automated steering system.  But could he not just put the car in neutral?  I asked that as a legitimate question, because I don't know if self-driving cars work that way, in contrast to other cars.  And of course most people in movies or TV when faced with non working brakes don't bother trying those kinds of measure.  It may not do your car's transmission any favors, but it's arguably better than careening through traffic uncontrollably; and anecdotally better than throwing it into park, if memory serves.  I don't remember where I heard that, but I want to say that could actually be dangerous, even in contrast to cruising along without brakes. Sue getting away from Cisco and Ralph is pretty much all the reasons why people just kind of wander in and out of Star Labs at their leisure. Holly shit, Barry's doing a forensic analysis of a crime?  He should really leave that up to the people who do that sort of thing for a living. What's that?  Really?  Since when?  Arrow season 2?   Huh.... Yeah, an EMP pulse wouldn't instruct Joe's phone to delete the voice recording; if anything it would have shorted out the phone and it would have gone dead completely. And while maybe not a high likelihood, there'd probably be at least a small chance, given that it didn't actually fry the phone, that whatever Joe recorded up to that point would be stored as a temporary file somewhere in the recesses of the device that police techs could potentially retrieve it. Fuck, Joe shouldn't have even dicked around with recording it that way, he could Facebook live'd it or something and had not only the same effect, but the recording wouldn't have been erased. Wait, so the guy flashy-thingies Joe's voice recording of his initial..."confession" slip up, but again, the device is still working; and in fact, the app to record was still up and running - and the guy goes on to say that no matter what Joe thinks he's done, he's actually done far worse??  What idiot destroys evidence of one crime, then confesses to more? This guy would yell at a meter maid not to give him a parking ticket, because it took him longer to bury the hooker he murdered than he thought it would. Well, the Sue story is, not surprisingly, playing out anti-climactically.  What was the point of having Ralph catch-up with her and do the heist hijinx, only to have Sue seemingly betray Ralph; if she was going to turn around 10 minutes into her next episode and have everything settled again with Ralph?  It's a complete waste of time. What's that?  Right, right, that's all the writers know how to do... I'm sorry, but Nash chiming in a pledge to also protect Cecile, in a conversation he wasn't apart of, made me laugh.  He's just casually eaves dropping and decides he's going to help, despite not having any powers or seemingly the 2nd or 3rd least resourceful of all the various Wellses... Maybe it's because I've been watching way more Community than is healthy to watch in short amount of time, but I'm starting to think Wells might be the Dean Pelton of Team Flash.  Every seasons it's a new costume and wacky character, he's often not actually all that helpful in the grand scheme of things; and his dynamic with Barry in season 1 was a lot like the Dean's and Jeffrey Winger.... Okay, Rag Doll is the worst assassin.  Why tell Joe, let alone Cecile about the pressure bomb?  And why bother making it a pressure bomb if you're also putting a timer on it?  Or give them five minutes?  Why not only one minute? What the fuck, Rag Doll used a bomb you can google?  Seriously? (Sigh) Yeah, fine, whatever... Why wouldn't Cecile and Jenna go with Joe into protection?  Do Joe and his loved ones stop being targets just because Joe's not actively around to lead the investigation?   This setup should have been about him going into witness protection under the pretense of him dying.  They could have set it up at the start of the episode attending a funeral, not even showing right away whose.  Pretty much the entire rest of the episode could have played out the same as a flashback or "12 hours earlier" type narrative; and there would have been moments just based on how this episode went where you wonder, maybe Cecile died.  Maybe Nash or Allegra died (less probable).  Then you get to the part of Barry trying to race back to rescue Joe and inter-cut it with scenes from the funeral and it becomes clear that it's Joe's funeral. And then boom, Barry arrives, the chair is empty; and Joe says he's willing to go into protection.  Jump forward to the end of the funeral and the team talks about bringing down blackhole so Joe can come back to them. I'm not the least bit shocked that Singh is playing a double agent or whatever.  I had actually expected to find out he was playing both sides in the previous episode.  There was just something about the way he talked to Joe always seemed like he had an ulterior motive. I assume though, if he's talking to Eva, that this is probably another mirror doppelganger.  Mirrorganger?  Doppelmirror?  Reflecticon? What, has this guy spent the last 6 or 7 years avoiding mirrors? Are hundreds of tiny mirrors better than one large mirror?  Because it really doesn't seem like that would be better when there are now hundreds of crazy ex-wives looking back at you, instead of one....

[bigyack-com]

Quibi Is Coming. Here Are the Famous People Making Shows for It.

Quibi, set to launch on April 6, stands for “quick bites,” which refers to the service’s plan to offer short segments (10 minutes or less) designed for small screens (your phone).But little else about this short-form venture is bite-size. In its first year, the company’s partners (the chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg and the C.E.O. Meg Whitman) are spending more than a billion dollars on content acquisition alone. That’s partly because everyone in Hollywood seems to be doing a Quibi show, including heavy-hitters like Steven Spielberg, Guillermo del Toro, Kevin Hart and Jennifer Lopez.The company has been rolling out promotional announcements and previews all over — including on Twitter, in industry trade publications, at the Sundance Film Festival, and on a screen during a keynote presentation at CES in Las Vegas last month.On Friday, Quibi released its launch lineup, a total of 50 shows that includes Liam Hemsworth’s “Most Dangerous Game,” Queen Latifah’s “When the Streetlights Go On” and Chrissy Teigen’s “Chrissy’s Court.”But this is just a fraction of what Quibi says it will release in its first year. During that time, it plans to put out about 8,500 “quick bites of content” and around 175 new shows — 35 of these shows are “movies in chapters”; 120 are unscripted reality shows or documentaries; and the rest are news and lifestyle pieces, or what they call “daily essentials.”Will all of these shows actually end up happening? Will any of them be any good? Will anyone pony up $4.99 a month (or $7.99 without ads) to watch Quibi?Nobody knows! But at least Quibi has an impressive list of boldface names to tout to investors and potential viewers. Here’s who we know about for now, in alphabetical order. (Others involved in Quibi shows are denoted in bold.)Alexandre Aja: The director is developing a live-action adaptation of the horror manga “Tomie.”Stephen and Robbie Amell: The two actors (and cousins) are doing a spinoff of “Code 8,” their crowdsourced sci-fi thriller about oppressed super-people. The original film’s director, Jeff Chan, will be the showrunner.Eric Andre: He’s expanding his Adult Swim talk show sketch, “Rapper Warrior Ninja,” in which rappers must overcome weird obstacles while freestyling.Will Arnett: Arnett is a Quibi triple-threat. He’s hosting a show called “Memory Hole,” which examines so-called underdiscussed subjects (such as Canada); and he’ll be producing the animated series “Your Daily Horoscope” and a daily late-show recapper, “Late Night This Morning.”Ayo & Teo: The duo behind the viral dance challenge “Rolex” will be hosting “The Sauce,” a cross-country dance-competition series. (Usher is judging and executive producing.)Tyra Banks: She’s starring in and executive producing a docuseries called “Beauty,” which examines standards of beauty around the world and the ways in which they’ve developed.Chancelor “Chance the Rapper” Bennett: He’s taking over Ashton Kutcher’s role in yet another “Punk’d” revival, which will continue to be devoted to pranking unsuspecting celebs.Jason Blum: The Blumhouse impresario executive produced “Wolves and Villagers,” a “Fatal Attraction”-like story starring Naomi Watts.Joel Kim Booster: He’s co-hosting (with Keke Palmer) the rebooted “Singled Out,” which has been redesigned for all genders and sexual orientations across 20 episodes. He’s also writing and co-producing the Fire Island rom-com “Trip.”Guy Branum: The comedian is resurrecting the 2003 rom-com “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.” (He’s presumably not the guy they’ll be losing.)Scooter Braun: The manager of Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande is all over Quibi. He’s producing “&Music,” a music docuseries about behind-the-scenes music people like choreographers, video directors and stage designers. He’s also producing and judging an untitled music competition series, executive producing a celebrity tattoo docuseries and executive producing his client Demi Lovato’s talk show, “Pillow Talk with Demi Lovato.”Titus Burgess: The actor and singer is hosting a deconstructed cooking competition called “Dishmantled,” in which a mystery dish is cannon-blasted into the faces of chefs who must identify and recreate it. (Seriously.) Wolfgang Puck, Jane Krakowski and Rachel Dratch are among the judges for this strange ritual.Bill Burr: The comedian is writing, directing, producing and starring in “Immoral Compass,” a show based on Tyler Falbo’s digital shorts about moral dilemmas.Kay Cannon: The “Pitch Perfect” screenwriter is producing an adaptation of the book “Dead Spots,” which is about a supernatural crime-scene cleaner.Kiari “Offset” Cephus: The Migos member is taking celebrities for a ride with “Skrrt with Offset.” Guests include Cardi B, Dapper Dan, Jay Leno, T-Pain and more.Andy Cohen: After writing the books “The Andy Cohen Diaries” and “Superficial: More Adventures from the Andy Cohen Diaries,” the talk show host is writing and executive producing the six-episode animated series “The Andy Cohen Diaries.”James Corden: His Fulwell 73 company is producing the mind-reading show “Gone Mental with Lior,” featuring the Israeli mentalist Lior Suchard, who regularly stuns on Corden’s late-night show. Unsurprisingly, Corden will also be a guest, as will Ben Stiller, Zooey Deschanel, Kate Hudson and more.Darren Criss: He’s the co-creator, songwriter and star of the 10-episode musical comedy “Royalties.” Amy Heckerling is directing all 10 episodes.Tom Cruise: Quibi is developing a series called “Les Grossman,” about Cruise’s immortal “Tropic Thunder” character. While the service hasn’t confirmed Cruise’s involvement yet, do you think they could do it without him, playaaa? “Thunder” vets Ben Stiller and Justin Theroux were announced to be taking part at CES.Steph Curry: He’s executing producing a docuseries about a basketball team in Newark called “Benedict Men.”Cara Delevingne: The model and actress is hosting and executive producing a practical joke series — working title “Pranks” — in which she’s assisted by a squad of female accomplices.Guillermo del Toro: First Quibi announced that the Oscar-winning director was creating a modern vampire film — working title “Aftermath.” Then Quibi said that it was about zombies. Either way, it’s about the undead, del Toro’s specialty.Laura Dern: She’ll be doing the pouring in Nick Hornby’s bartender series “Just One Drink,” which he’s writing and executive producing. Dern is also executive producing.Adam Devine: This comedian is angling for a Darwin Award with “Bad Ideas with Adam Devine,” an adventure/travel show in which he puts himself and some famous companions in precarious positions (like wearing yummy chum in piranha-infested waters).Zac Efron: He reportedly nearly killed himself making “Killing Zac Efron” — requiring a medevac to a hospital in Australia after living off the grid in Papua New Guinea for this adventure/survival series.Idris Elba: He’s facing off against the rally car driver Ken Block in “Elba vs. Block,” an eight-episode series featuring stunt challenges like the Flaming Obstacle Course and the Wall of Death.Peter and Bobby Farrelly: The sibling directors are helming a suicide comedy called “The Now,” starring Dave Franco, Bill Murray, Daryl Hannah and O’Shea Jackson, Jr.Jon Favreau: His company Golem Creations is executive producing “Micro Mayhem,” a series devoted to stop-motion animated toy car chases, along with Seth Green’s company, Stoopid Buddy Stoodios.Dexter Fletcher: The “Rocketman” director’s involvement with an unspecified film was announced at CES.Will Forte: He’s co-starring with Kaitlin Olson as home renovators who luck into a cartel stash house in “Flipped,” one of the first shows available on launch.Ron Funches: The comedian is hosting a game show called “Nice One!,” in which comedians like Chris Hardwick try to toast, not roast, each other.Evan Funke: The celebrity chef is pursuing his obsession in “Shape of Pasta.” (Take a peek at about 18 minutes into this.)Antoine Fuqua: He’s executive producing the $15 million drama “#Freerayshawn,” starring Stephan James as a framed Iraq vet and Laurence Fishburne as a hostage negotiator.Seth Grahame-Smith: The author of “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” is executive-producing “The Last American Vampire,” focusing on a vamp-F.B.I. team-up.Catherine Hardwicke: She’s directing and executive-producing the 14-episode sci-fi thriller “Don’t Look Deeper,” starring Don Cheadle and Emily Mortimer.Mary Harron: The “American Psycho” director is helming “The Expecting,” a horror film about a disturbing pregnancy starring AnnaSophia Robb.Kevin Hart: He’s producing, writing and starring in “Die Hart,” playing a would-be action hero version of himself who takes classes from John Travolta’s action-school coach. (It’s an expansion of the opening scene of his film “Kevin Hart: What Now?”)Liam Hemsworth: The “Hunger Games” star is the hunted prey “Most Dangerous Game,” a retelling of a classic short story with Christoph Waltz playing the mastermind in one of Quibi’s first shows to launch. May the odds be ever in his favor.Michael Hirst: The “Vikings” creator is developing the historical drama “Charlemagne.”Boyd Holbrook: He’s playing a man wrongfully accused of terrorism (and pursued by a detective, Kiefer Sutherland) in a reboot of “The Fugitive.”Rosie Huntington-Whiteley: The model and actress is hosting and executive producing a show about beauty icons with the working title “The Go See.”Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson: He’s executive producing an animated adaptation of the graphic novel “Trill League,” about a team of black superheroes.O’Shea “Ice Cube” Jackson: His involvement with an untitled heist series was announced at CES.LeBron James: He’s producing a docuseries about his Ohio school called “I Promise.”Kendall and Kris Jenner: The model and her mother, Kris, are executive producing a parody series about the impersonator “Kirby Jenner,” who pretends to be Kendall’s fraternal twin on Instagram. (A Twinstagrammer?) Ryan Seacrest is also executive producing.Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson: He’s executive producing a Hawaii-set comedy called “Last Resort,” along with Paul Feig.Joe Jonas: He’s expanding his Instagram travelogue of the cities explored on tour with “Cup of Joe,” along with guests such as Tina Fey and Jack Black.Rashida Jones: The writer-actress and her writing partner Will McCormack are executive producing a flower design series called “Centerpiece,” in which such guests as Ava DuVernay and Maya Rudolph create floral centerpieces with host Maurice Harris of Bloom & Plume.Anna Kendrick: She’s executive producing and starring in the comedy “Dummy,” playing a woman who becomes buddies with her boyfriend’s sex doll. (Get a glimpse of it here.)Liza Koshy: The “Liza on Demand” star is hosting a moving-floor-based dance competition called “Floored.”Kevin Kwan: The “Crazy Rich Asians” author is examining elite brands’ familial dynasties with “Empires of Luxury.”Queen Latifah: She’s starring as a police detective investigating a double murder in “When the Streetlights Go On,” one of the first shows available at launch. Chosen Jacobs and Mark Duplass co-star.Thomas Lennon: Another Quibi M.V.P., he’s starring in and writing both the “Reno 911!” revival and the Napa Valley comedy “Winos.” Wendi McLendon-Covey is also producing and co-starring in “Reno 911!”Doug Liman: The director-producer is adapting a Steven Gould story for “Crazy Talented,” in which psych ward patients discover their mental issues are actually superpowers. His 30 Ninjas company is also producing “Don’t Look Deeper.”Jennifer Lopez: She’s executive producing and participating in “Thanks a Million,” a pay-it-forward-style show that will feature guests such as Nick Jonas, Yara Shahidi, Gabriel Iglesias, Kristen Bell, Tracy Morgan, Karlie Kloss and Aaron Rodgers, who pay back people who’ve helped them out along the way.Demi Lovato: Her talk show, “Pillow Talk With Demi Lovato,” will explore body positivity, gender identity, social media, activism and more.Miles “Lil Yachty” McCollum: The rapper is starring in “Public Figures,” a comedy inspired by events of his youth.Jed Mercurio: The “Bodyguard” creator is developing a sci-fi thriller, “Transmissions,” about a scientist who’s receiving signals from deep space.Cam Newton: The Carolina Panthers quarterback is executive producing and participating in the sports series “Iron Sharpens Iron,” pairing athletes from completely different sports to train together. (For example, Newton with Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young, U.S. Women’s National Team captain Carli Lloyd with U.F.C. champion Amanda Nunes.)Trevor Noah: The “Daily Show” host is executive producing and starring in a comedic travelogue about his interactions on tour — the working title is “Canceled.”Will Packer: He’s executive producing a Donald Sterling documentary called “Blackballed.”Jim Parsons: He’s executive producing the comedy “The Monarchy Is Going To S***.”Travis Pastrana: The motor sports star is hosting the Nitro Circus stunt show “Life-Size Toys.”James Patterson: The author is an executive producer on the adaptation of his book “Toys.”Paula Pell: She’s the co-creator and star of the comedy “Mapleworth Murders,” about a mystery writer who just so happens to have homicides committed in her vicinity on a disturbingly regular basis. Her “Saturday Night Live” colleagues (such as Fred Armisen, Maya Rudolph, Tim Meadows and Tina Fey) pop by as characters to be accused — or killed. Lorne Michaels and Seth Meyers are executive producing.Sam Raimi: He’s executive producing the horror anthology “50 States of Fright,” exploring folklore and urban legends from around the country, starring Karen Allen, Rachel Brosnahan, Asa Butterfield, Rory Culkin, Taissa Farmiga, Travis Fimmel, Ron Livingston, Elizabeth Reaser, Christina Ricci and Ming-Na Wen.Megan Rapinoe: The soccer star is hosting a docuseries about young athletes called “Prodigy.”Ryan Reynolds: His involvement with an unspecified animation project was announced at CES.Nicole Richie: She’s executive producing and starring in the comedy “Nikki Fre$h” as her rapper alter ego. Her husband Joel Madden’s music company is overseeing the music.Adam Rippon: The Olympic figure skater is hosting “This Day in Useless Celebrity History.”Kathleen Robertson: The actress is writing and executing producing the remake of 1995’s “Swimming with Sharks” starring Kiernan Shipka and Diane Kruger.Michelle Rodriguez: Her involvement with a show called “Ten Ton Chum” was announced at CES.Justin Roiland: The “Rick & Morty” co-creator makes “Gloop World,” a clay animation show where two blobs are roommates, with Seth Green’s Stoopid Buddy Stoodios.Anthony and Joe Russo: Inspired by the Reed Tucker’s book “Slugfest: Inside the Epic, 50-Year Battle Between Marvel and DC,” the “Avengers” directors and brothers are exploring comic book rivalries on “Slugfest.” Pow!Andy Samberg: He’s hosting and executive producing a single-bite cooking competition called “Biggest Little Cook-Off.” (In other words, quick bites. Get it?) He also appears on “Mapleworth Murders.”Ridley Scott: He’s executive producing the gaming thriller/horror “CURS_R,” about a computer survival game that tricks players into playing for their lives.Steven Soderbergh: He’s executive producing the thriller “Wireless,” about a crash survivor (played by Tye Sheridan) trying to communicate on his smartphone. (Get a glimpse at about 27 minutes into this.)Steven Spielberg: He’s creating a horror series — working title “After Dark” — that will unlock on phones only after the sun has set in the viewer’s location.Veena Sud: “The Killing” showrunner is the creator, writer and director of the ride-share thriller “The Stranger,” starring Dane DeHaan as a sociopath terrorizing his driver Maika Monroe.Jimmy Tatro: He’s the co-creator and star of “Junior High,” an expansion of his YouTube series, and a co-star on “The Now.”Chrissy Teigen: She’s the judge presiding over small claims cases in “Chrissy’s Court,” where she rules on real-life cases. Teigen’s mother Vilailuck acts as bailiff in the 10-episode series.Sophie Turner: She’s starring as a suicidal plane crash survivor who has to find a will to live in an adaptation of Alex Morel’s “Survive,” one of the first shows available at launch. Corey Hawkins co-stars.Gabrielle Union: She’s executive producing “Black Coffee,” a comedy about a former basketball star who opens up a coffee shop.James Veitch: The comedian known for his spam email Ted Talks hosts the “Q-Talks” comedy special, co-starring Regina Hall, Lisa Kudrow, Niecy Nash and Kristen Schaal.Sasha Velour: This “RuPaul’s Drag Race” champ is hosting and executive producing an eight-episode drag revue called “NightGowns.”Mark Wahlberg: He’s executive producing “Run This City,” a docuseries about Jasiel Correia II, the former mayor of Fall River, Mass., who during his term was charged with fraud, bribery and extortion.Lena Waithe: She’s exploring sneaker culture in the docuseries “You Ain’t Got These,” with guests Carmelo Anthony, Billie Jean King, Hasan Minhaj, Questlove, Nas, Mike Epps and more.Alexander Wang: The fashion designer sets his talk show, “Potty Talk,” in the bathroom.Allen Strickland Williams: He’s the creator of the comedy “Unmatched,” about people who refuse to settle down.Reese Witherspoon: The actress-producer — who is married to Quibi’s head of content acquisition and talent, Jim Toth — is hosting “Fierce Queens,” a docuseries about female animals who lead their packs or pods (hyenas, humpback whales) as well as the femme fatales who dine on their mates (fireflies). Toth, beware!WWE wrestlers: Wrestlers — Sasha Banks, Brie Bella, Nikki Bella, Alexa Bliss, Sonya Deville, Charlotte Flair, Nia Jax, Becky Lynch and Natalya — team up with young women to help them become stronger in “Fight Like a Girl.” Read the full article

[lindyhunt]

TIFF 2018: We Hand Out the Awards You Won’t See at the Oscars

As always, the selection of films at TIFF runs the gamut—from A-lister-packed films like Widows to low-budget indies like Firecrackers; from quiet, reflective sci-fi films like High Life to soaring romances like A Star is Born. That range is what makes TIFF such an exciting festival for film buffs and critics alike, but this year, there did seem to be a bit of a theme: Pretty Damn Dark. Seriously, it’s been an emotionally draining festival, what with young kids OD-ing, people dying (so much dying), and institutional racism ruining people’s lives. But you know what this also means: Oscar Bait. We’ve already done our round-up of the films getting the most awards buzz, but there’s plenty else we felt deserved, um, a different kind of recognition. Here, our favourite moments from the festival that won’t snag an Oscar but did earn some accolades in our book.

So-Good-You-Wished-It-Was-Real Chemistry

The Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper lovefest is one we hope never ends. And we’re not just talking about those hand-in-hand red carpet photo-ops. (Though we’ll definitely take more of those too.) After receiving her second standing ovation of the night for A Star is Born—in which people were brought to their feet mid Q&A solely in recognition of her incredible acting talent—Gaga was left speechless and moved to tears. And even then, in her moment in the spotlight, she talked about Cooper. “I am spoiled,” she said, “I watched [Cooper] work tirelessly on this film, giving it everything. You never stopped.”

To which Cooper said: “I can’t imagine having the courage to do this without her. I knew she was going to give all of herself to me and become the actress she wanted to be, and I would give all myself to her and be the musician Jackson had to be.” I know, we’re crying too.

Most NSFW Scene of the Festival

Not to give too much away—though there’s no way to verbally paint an accurate picture of this highly visual and confounding scene anyhow—but there’s a bit in Claire Denis’ High Life in which Juliette Binoche enters a ‘Fuck Box’ and well, proceeds to help it live up to its name. There’s waist-length hair flying about, pulleys and ropes, and a silver dildo. Need I say more?

Most Jaw-Dropping Visuals

Nope, I’m not talking about First Man, though the claustrophobic camerawork of the film was exceptional. I’m talking about Free Solo, an awe-inducing documentary about Alex Honnold, the first man to scale the 3000ft El Capitan cliff in Yosemite National Park without any safety equipment. Yep, with just his fingers and toes, and a little sack full of chalk to help with his grip. The film’s team of cinematographers and directors are expert climbers themselves, and the sweeping shots of Yosemite, bird’s-eye view of Honnold’s ascent, and close-ups of his intricate movements (that at any moment could send him plummeting to his death) are truly a sight to behold.

Most Unexpected Celebrity Guest

This one was close. The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau showed up at Patria for the First Man post-premiere party, where he shook hands with fellow Internet boyfriend, Ryan Gosling. Iconic? Yes. Strange? Also yes. But having a government official show up to a TIFF party is not nearly as strange as having Paris Hilton show up to a TIFF party. Hilton, Queen of selfies, hotel chains and the 2000s, arrived at Soho House for The Death and Life of John F. Donovan post-premiere party, a film that her Ken doll-esque fiance, Chris Zylka, makes a brief appearance in.

Most Batshit Wild True Story

There are several moments—in fact the entire film is a series of these moments—where you find yourself thinking: this shit is NUTS. It’s unbelievable. It’s surreal. It’s absurd. And you have to keep reminding yourself that it’s all true. Based on the story of a writer, played by Laura Dern, who writes a best-selling series of novels under a pseudonym and then enlists her boyfriend’s sister, played by Kristen Stewart, to play the role of that fictional writer in real life, it’s a wild ride: there are bad accents, bad wigs and hard-to-believe turns of events. Except, again: it’s ALL TRUE.

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Giving us life on #TIFF18 Day 10/11: Kristen Stewart, dressed in head-to-toe couture, crouching in a garden 🌺, looking like the Avenger we wish we had. . Her film JEREMIAH TERMINATOR LEROY (with your BFF Laura Dern) premieres today and you can still snag 🎟s to this and more at tiff.net/available . . . . . . #kristenstewart #lauradern #jtleroy #jeremiahterminatorleroy #avengers #netflix

A post shared by TIFF (@tiff_net) on Sep 15, 2018 at 6:18am PDT

The Big-Hearted Heartthrob

First off, Timothée Chalamet should take home all heartthrob-related awards, from now until eternity. When the Oscar-nominee stepped onto the red carpet for Beautiful Boy, he spent nearly 30 minutes posing for selfies with screaming fans, and entertaining weird requests like signing a burger and a peach. (The latter, of course, in reference to his infamous Call Me By Your Namescene.) Here’s a guy who doesn’t seem to hate the spotlight, and who graciously shows his Chalamaniacs all the love and attention they so desperately desire.

GIF

Most Badass Female Cast

We are conditioned to expect heist movies—or any gritty crime movies, really—to have men at the centre. Which is why this film, directed by Steve McQueen and co-written by McQueen and one Ms Gillian Flynn, is such a breath of fresh air, despite its dark subject matter. Viola Davis is the fierce commander of this ship, which Elizabeth Debicki and Michelle Rodriguez hesitantly climb aboard. It’s rare enough to see a film in which women commit “bad” acts but rarer still to see one in which the women’s guilt, shame or redeeming qualities aren’t needlessly played up. Only complaint? Carrie Coon is criminally (ha) under-used.

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#Repost @ViolaDavis: It was such an honor to join our Director Steve McQueen and this phenomenal cast at the World Premiere of #WidowsMovie. Thank you for having us, Toronto! #TIFF18

A post shared by Widows (@widowsmovie) on Sep 10, 2018 at 3:32pm PDT

Best On-Screen Lewks

There’s some amazing costume design driving some of this year’s best films: Colette’s Belle Epoque-era Parisian flair—especially powerful because it helps underscore Keira Knightley’s character’s own evolution and self-acceptance; the 1990s grunge of Jonah Hill’s Mid90s; If Beale Street Could Talk’s saturated 1970s outfits; and Natalie Portman’s wild, sequinned get-ups in Vox Lux. But Mahershala Ali steals the damn show. In Green Book, he gives us a masterclass in style: from impeccably fitted tuxedos to casual plaid suits to a dramatic gold-embroidered kaftan draped in gold chains. Like I said, lewks.

Photography via IMDB

Most Huggable Hound

A tie between the miniature goldendoodle Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper bring home in A Star is Born—which I have convinced myself is Cooper’s pet IRL—and Ponce, the scruffy mutt that’s dog-napped from Lucas Hedges and Julia Roberts in Ben is Back.

Makes-You-Wish-it-Was-Still-the-90s Soundtrack

Jonah Hill’s directorial debut, Mid90s, had the best—and most nostalgic—soundtrack of the festival. Sadly, the song list isn’t yet available anywhere on the Internet. But here’s what I can tell you: it features Seal and Morrissey, and was composed by the same duo of dudes behind the music in The Social Network and Gone Girl. One Twitter user went so far as to say that the film “literally might have the single greatest soundtrack of any movie ever.” It’s a bold claim, and I can confirm Mid90s lives up to the hype.

Most Stressful Experience

Hotel Mumbai is 125 minutes long, and those are 125 incredibly stressful minutes. Based on the horrific 2008 terrorist attacks on the city of Mumbai, the film fills viewers with dread right from the opening sequence: when the half-dozen terrorists arrive on the shores of Mumbai and immediately begin setting their plan into motion. For the next two hours, aside from the sounds of gunfire, explosions and screams on screen, the theatre was about as silent as during a screening of A Quiet Place. People were literally sitting on the edge of their seats, hands over mouths, shoulders stiff with tension. In other words: this film does its job of depicting a harrowing, terrifying ordeal exceptionally well.

Photography via IMDB

Most Gender-Balanced TIFF Yet

TIFF’s programming team has long been dedicated to creating a more gender-balanced festival, and this year it hit its highest mark yet, with 36 percent of its 2018 slate of films directed by women. The festival’s artistic director, Cameron Bailey, also signed a gender parity protocol during the Share Her Journey rally on opening weekend. This year’s festival also boasted a huge line-up of films with women at the center: from Nicole Kidman in Destroyer and Melissa McCarthy in Can You Ever Forgive Me? (both films directed by women) to Natalie Portman in Vox Lux and Julianne Moore in Gloria Bell. Canadian films Mouthpiece and Firecrackers also come from all-women teams, with two female protagonists in each, as well as female directors and cinematographers.

[youngerdaniel]

2017: A Year at the Movies

It’s that time again, folks. A year has gone by, and I spent a lot of it on my ass in dark rooms watching moving pictures. But this year is special! For the first time, my annual list of films worth seeing comes with FILM SCHOOL CRED. 

What does that mean? Well, I guess I could delve into a deeper analysis of the chosen flicks... But let’s be real, you’re not here for that. So let’s just give the cred its cred and get into it.

2017: The raging dumpster fire of a year seems to be built on a foundation of terrifying surprise and disappointment. Everybody’s saying it, because it’s very much the truth—the world has gone batshit.

But it’s also been a remarkably good year for movies. When I try to list my absolute favorites, it gets difficult to rank them. Some gems in the indie circuit; some solid blockbuster fare. So rather than rank ‘em, I say fuck the numbers. Here’s what you should watch. Top 10:

Call Me By Your Name

Jesus, Gawd. The last 20 minutes of this movie alone are worth the rest of it. A beautiful tale of friendship, love, identity... and how all of these things can be tremendously confusing. I wasn’t fully hooked until around halfway through, but good leftovers gravy am I glad I stuck it out.

The Big Sick

It warms my heart that this lovely gem of a film is based on a true story. This movie is... Well, it’s fucking great. Amazing comedy, perfectly timed and nuanced drama. For we of the cynical Gen Y/Millennial crowd, this is the rom-com we needed, because grand gestures don’t work, there is no rushing to the airport, and there’s some surprisingly deep work at play when it comes to a timeless conflict in matters of the heart: family values vs who you love. The cast is on fire. The script is gold. If you missed this movie, you’re using your smartphone wrong.

The Bad Batch

If you tell me Ana Lily Amirpour made a film, I already love it. I’d been wooed ever since A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT, and when the grapevine started juicing on Amirpour’s newest joint, a dystopian survival tale, I was sold. When I finally got to sit down and watch it, I was blown away by how much of a visual storyteller Amirpour is. The visual pallette alone is drool-inducing. But the amount of worldbuilding and character development done free of expository bouts of dialogue is just tremendous. Now, that being said, the story involves cannibals, a lot of dismemberment, and perhaps just a bit too much shirtless Jason Momoa... But if that’s your thing, this one’s for you.

Lady Bird

Look, everybody’s already ranted to you about how great this movie is. You should really see it. No? Okay. Fine. It’s a fantastic, fantastic coming of age tale. Herein you’ll find a dysfunctional family, some well-drawn mother-daughter tensions, and a beautiful exploration of the thing that happens to most well-adjusted adults—the moment where you realize you’re grateful to your parents for everything they’ve done, despite the fact you’ve been a shit about it for the past 6-10 years. If that doesn’t strike a chord with you, maybe watch this movie and get a therapist?

Wind River

And speaking of getting a therapist, you might need one after this. Wind River is not by any stretch an easy film to watch (CW: rape scene late in the second act), but it is a gritty mystery that does what any crime story should well: it highlights a particularly ignored dark spot in North American society: the unaccounted-for loss of countless First Nations women on reservations. The politics are tied to the heart of this story, but rarely does it come off as preachy or a gimmick. At its heart, this mystery is a character study. In fact, nearly all of the moments that really sing are the quiet moments between the bigger set pieces. That being said, there’s a standoff sequence that happens late in the movie that is FUCKING INTENSE. You need a strong stomach for this one, but I was really impressed with it; the simplicity and effectiveness of the writing, the stark visuals, the top-notch performances. It’s great.

Logan

Logan made my cry. Actually, I’m pretty sure all of these movies coaxed a tear. But here’s the thing. I don’t actually give a shit about Wolverine. He’s not my favorite X-person. He’s definitely not my favorite anti-hero... But this movie was fucking exceptional. Not only does it take Logan’s character to an honorable and earned conclusion, it shows us that superhero movies don’t have to be for kids; they don’t have to follow the same old formula of “good guys learn something and win”... Of course, conventions are played with in this movie, but almost always to toy with your expectation as a viewer. You never know for certain if Logan’s going to make it out of this one on top... And when it ends, you won’t feel the same “Enh” that usually comes with the credits of a big I.P. movie.

Baby Driver

If you go into Baby Driver planning to take apart the story or to really delve into the character study of a young getaway driver... You’re missing the point of this movie. Instead, go in expecting a musical that happens to revolve around crime, and a young getaway driver’s learning that crime is only fun to a point. It’s a great thematic deconstruction of heist and getaway movies, showing us why we enjoy these things before peeling away the layers of heightened idealism until we just see the truth: crime is where people die and innocence is lost. (CW: Kevin Spacey, one of the newly minted shitstains of Hollywood garbage men... But he’s a nominal force.) It also has a killer soundtrack, some of the best driving sequences to grace the screen for a while, and it’s all tied together with that expertly stylized fantasy vision that belongs to Edgar Wright alone.

Ingrid Goes West

The thing I love most about this fiendishly unrepentant social media satire is that it will legit piss off people who buy into the whole “Insta-lyfe”. It picks apart how easily one can manufacture a personality or brand online that in no way represents who they actually are. It also, with zero subtlety, highlights just how fucking batshit our world can get when we start valuing our online avatars more than the people behind them. Of course, it wouldn’t be a proper satire if the facade didn’t shatter, and where that takes the story of this troubled young woman as she tries to manufacture the life she’s been double-tapping in her feed? Well... I thought it was bloody brilliant.

Band Aid

A small screen gem that totally destroyed me on the first viewing. Strap in with tissues and follow this quirky dramedy which follows a couple reeling from the fallout of a miscarriage. They’re not coping well, and in order to save their marriage, they decide to start turning their fights into songs. Sounds cute, right? But that’s the thing about cute band-aids: they don’t heal the wound on their own. Check this one out for some brilliant and bizarre bits of comedy, some hilarious songs, and some moments that are just heartbreaking. I wanted to give this movie #1 with a bullet, but then again, I’m not ranking this year, and how on earth could I forget...

Get Out

This movie was amazing. I knew it would be from the first time I saw its trailer, but good zombie Jesus on a popsicle stick, did it deliver. Social horror is the best horror, because as weird and horrible as the movie gets, everything that happens in it actually fucking happens every day of the year. No, not not a young person of color getting kidnapped and brainwashed by a bunch of upper-class white people... Jesus, do you actually watch movies literally? Do you not understand allegory? Does the subject of race, and how privileged upper-class assimilation looks through a Twilight Zone lens make you uncomfortable? Then...

You thought I was gonna write “Get out!” didn’t you? Nah. Go watch this movie. If it makes you uncomfortable, good. 

BUT DANIEL, WHAT ABOUT THE LAST JEDI?

I liked it, okay? It wasn’t perfect, and I’m sure I’ll get into that in more depth in a later post (or perhaps even in a podcast... that’s right, I’m working on shit). But all in all, a great entry to the franchise, and the first SW movie for a while to actually have the balls to move the franchise in a new trajectory and build off what the OT started. If you disagree, you can go wank your Return of the Jedi Luke Saber in the corner and cry about the lack of fanservice. Your days are numbered, cannon police.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

IT, GOTG Vol 2, and fuck it, I’m saying it: Dunkirk gave me a massive “meh.”

DID ANYTHING SUCK?

...The Election? Um... yeah, but I’m not going to the trouble of securing pictures for these. A list in short:

- Atomic Blonde

- Logan Lucky

- Kong: Skull Island

- Bright

- Max Landis in general

- Joss Whedon in general

And yeah. That’s a year at the movies. Toodles until 2018.