Category Archives: Lists

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Top 15 Best Movies of 2016

With 2016 winding down—half of America wanting to forget the entire election cycle, most lamenting the year as the most trying in recent memory, everyone hoping no one influential dies in 2017—it is time to look at some things that were actually good during the last calendar year.

2016 felt like a typical, unsurprising year at the movies. The box office didn’t blow up with mega-hits like last year’s The Force Awakens or Jurassic Park. There were your standard issue blockbusters and flops. Some movies were great. Some movies were God awful. And most of them were woefully in-between in that grotesque nether-region that is mediocrity.

Here, I have outlined my top 15 movies of 2016. Keep in mind that this list does not include some key late-year releases that I have yet to see and review, including but not limited to Fences, Silence, and Jackie. It also does not include documentaries, even though the likes of Weiner, Tickled, O.J.: Made in America, and 13th would all be strong contenders.

If you wish, click on the green titles to read the full review.

 

Honorable Mentions

The Neon Demon

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Nicolas Winding Refn continues his divisive oeuvre with this Summer’s soft release The Neon Demon. While it might not feel it, the film is more Continue reading Top 15 Best Movies of 2016

Top Ten Best Movies of Summer 2016

As Summer 2016 draws to a close, it is time once again to look back at the best the season had to offer at the cinemas. So let us forget about the bad movies of the last few months (*cough* Nine Lives *cough*) and dive into what was worth seeing in the calendar year’s biggest box office period, ordered by release date.

 

Honorable Mentions:

Finding Dory

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Nostalgia value is still alive and well. Thanks again, Pixar. Finding Dory is by no means an animated masterpiece. Thankfully, however, it does not retread over its predecessor. Instead, it expands on characters and gives the character of Dory an effective story. It is not my favorite animated film of the summer, but it is a film that shows that Pixar is continuing with its same pedigree, even when venturing into sequels.

 

Continue reading Top Ten Best Movies of Summer 2016

Best Movies of 2016 (So Far)

We’ve reached the midpoint of the calendar year. A lot of movies have been released. Some surprisingly good. Others leaving a bad taste in everybody’s mouths. Here’s a list of some of the best movies of the year as of June 21, organized by release date.

 

Deadpool

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Deadpool was a film that could have went poorly. Instead, it became one of the bigger surprises at the theater this year. Many were quick to note that Continue reading Best Movies of 2016 (So Far)

5 Things to Know Before Seeing X-Men: Apocalypse

With the upcoming May release of X-Men: Apocalypse, the latest in the long-running superhero franchise of films, you might find yourself asking just what the f**k is going on with this cinematic universe. And you’re not the only one. Here are five things that might help you prepare for the film.

 

1. The X-Men Timeline is Messy, But That Makes Your Life Easier

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The X-Men film franchise is huge at this point: eight films spanning 16 years. One could be forgiven for forgetting what happened way back in that first trilogy of films, and the fact of the matter is Continue reading 5 Things to Know Before Seeing X-Men: Apocalypse

Top Ten Movies of 2015

Lists are always difficult. I find it nearly impossible to whittle down a large body of films into a list of ten. An honorable mention addendum would be longer than the top ten itself.

Additionally, I haven’t seen all the films I want/need to see from 2015. For example, as it stands now, The Revenant is in limited release, and won’t be widely available until after the New Year. It very likely could wind up being one of my top ten favorites of the year, but it can’t show up on this list.

Here are my top ten movies of 2015.

10. Sicario

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The gritty crime drama Sicario was completely Continue reading Top Ten Movies of 2015

Ranking the James Bond Filmography

 

With Spectre just around the corner, it is only appropriate to look back at the good and the bad, the camp and the grit, the martinis and the Aston Martins. Here is a ranking of the entire James Bond franchise, not including the forthcoming 24th installment.

 

Note: click on the titles to read full reviews of the films.

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Best Horror Movies on Netflix Right Now

 

It’s October, which means its time to watch some horror movies. Instead of combing the rather unhelpful Netflix website to find the best selections, head to the search bar and check out these gems.

 

Note: this list is in absolutely no particular order. I just picked and grabbed as I perused the films that are available on Netflix.

 

 

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night

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I’ve talked extensively about this movie in previous posts, so I’ll be brief: this movie is horror art. If you want a scream-filled gore fest, this isn’t the movie for you. But if you want horror as high cinema, A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night is a beauty.

Continue reading Best Horror Movies on Netflix Right Now

Top Ten Horror Movies of the Past Ten Years

 

We’re well into October, the month dedicated to one of my personal favorite genres: Horror. As such, I am in the middle of a series of top ten lists highlighting some of the best horror films out there.

 

For this list I am going back to the year 2005 and recounting the single best horror film from each year of the past decade.

 

 

2005: The Descent

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This movie is terrifying. And, in a strange way, it feels like it would have been equally terrifying without the mutant cave cannibals. When six spelunkers get trapped inside a cave, they have to search for a second way out. Only, you know, there are mutant cave cannibals around. Before these pale monsters show up, though, there is still Continue reading Top Ten Horror Movies of the Past Ten Years

Top 10 Horror Movies You Haven’t Seen

 

October is upon us, and the tidings of the season are centered on one glorious, oh-so-beautiful word: Horror.

 

To pay homage to the genre that dominates the Halloween season, here are 10 horror films that you may have never heard of. In my opinion, these movies are under the radar and deserve a higher viewership.

 

Trick ‘r Treat

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There are plenty of anthology horror films out there, and some are better than others. What hinders most of them is the jerky narrative structure in which the segments do not have a cohesion to a larger arc. Trick ‘r Treat is different. Taking place in a small residential town, each segment of the film involves characters in the town on the night of Halloween. The characters’ stories overlap with each other, and the viewer is able to see Continue reading Top 10 Horror Movies You Haven’t Seen

Top Ten Movies of Summer 2015

 

The Summer movie season is over. As such, the obligatory Summer wrap-up list must come out. A lot of movies graced moviegoers’ popcorn-greased faces this Summer, making it hard to whittle a list down to an even and psychologically-pleasing 10.

 

So, let’s start with some honorable mentions.

 

Continue reading Top Ten Movies of Summer 2015