OK, our (i.e. our magazine's) lists are finally out, so I can re-post here.
Please, if you hate every movie that comes out these days, don't go the movies or generally come here to spout negativity and sweeping generalizations, I'd rather you didn't. Unless it's a discussion of the particular movies being mentioned.
My Top 20 movies of last year can now be viewed here:
Get Out Paddington 2 Columbus Brigsby Bear Baby Driver The Killing of a Sacred Deer Logan Lucky Thelma The Shape of Water Lady Bird The Big Sick Three Billboards Phantom Thread Call Me By Your Name The Sinner Alias Grace M.F.A.
For guilty pleasures I really enjoyed xXx.
Worst of the year include F8 of the Furious, Beauty and the Beast, Flatliners.
A number of your picks I don't think I considered 2017 films.
Get Out Paddington 2 Columbus Brigsby Bear Baby Driver The Killing of a Sacred Deer Logan Lucky Thelma The Shape of Water Lady Bird The Big Sick Three Billboards Phantom Thread Call Me By Your Name The Sinner Alias Grace M.F.A.
For guilty pleasures I really enjoyed xXx.
Worst of the year include F8 of the Furious, Beauty and the Beast, Flatliners.
A number of your picks I don't think I considered 2017 films.
Pretty good list, I would share a lot of those. You get a gold star for not having Last Jedi listed.
I struggled with Phantom Thread, it is pretty good, but it fails to connect in some ways, a bit hollow and some bad camera work. I still give it a place in the top list for the effort that is in it.
I must add Wind River. It was the best film I saw last year; right behind it is Three Billboards.
Ditto to your above statement, mgh. Wind River was my favorite followed by Three Billboards. I don't know that I could name 20 films. I will think about it.
I've only seen 15 movies from 2017, and they're MOSTLY blockbuster kind of stuff (I save the quieter stuff for small screen/home video). Anyway, my top 15 (and subsequently also my bottom 15) 2017 movies.
1. The Last Jedi 2. Get Out 3. Twin Peaks: The Return 4. The Big Sick 5. Wonder Woman 6. War for the Planet of the Apes 7. Thor: Ragnarok 8. It 9. Happy Death Day 10. Logan 11. Guardians of the Galaxy 2 12. Ingrid Goes West 13. Spider-man Homecoming 14. It Comes at Night 15. Flatliners
1. Your Name. 2. Coco 3. Guardians of the Galaxy - Vol. 2 4. War for the Planet of the Apes 5. The LEGO Batman Movie 6. Logan 7. It 8. The Disaster Artist 9. Murder on the Orient Express 10. The Shape of Water 11. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri 12. Colossal 13. Thor: Ragnarok 14. Get Out 15. Wonder Woman 16. I, Tonya 17. Baby Driver 18. Spider-Man: Homecoming 19. Molly's Game 20. Kedi
For guilty pleasures I really enjoyed xXx.
Very much in that category for me, as well. Likewise, The Hitman's Bodyguard.
Get Out Paddington 2 Columbus Brigsby Bear Baby Driver The Killing of a Sacred Deer Logan Lucky Thelma The Shape of Water Lady Bird The Big Sick Three Billboards Phantom Thread Call Me By Your Name The Sinner Alias Grace M.F.A.
Some good films on your list, and I'm happy to see not ONLY big blockbusters and Hollywood fare. I'm delighted to see THELMA there (the second best Norwegian film last year, after VALLEY OF SHADOWS). I thought GET OUT, SACRED DEER, BABY DRIVER were OK.
CALL ME BY YOUR NAME is a fine movie, but it's a 2018 film here, and will feature on the next list.
So is THE SHAPE OF WATER; which I will be seeing in a couple of weeks.
Looking forward to PHANTOM THREAD and THREE BILLBOARDS as well.
The others, I haven't seen. Isn't ALIAS GRACE a TV series?
I must add Wind River. It was the best film I saw last year; right behind it is Three Billboards.
Ditto to your above statement, mgh. Wind River was my favorite followed by Three Billboards. I don't know that I could name 20 films. I will think about it.
I have simply seen too few films in 2017 in order to compile a Top 20 list this year.
Years ago, I went to the movies two or three times a week, saw all kinds of releases, good and bad... these days, I watch far fewer movies (those I do see tend to be good, as I have to be picky).
I have simply seen too few films in 2017 in order to compile a Top 20 list this year.
Years ago, I went to the movies two or three times a week, saw all kinds of releases, good and bad... these days, I watch far fewer movies (those I do see tend to be good, as I have to be picky).
Ditto. Here in the UK on the South coast we have terrible cinemas - rundown, poor sound etc etc.
We have to drive for at least an hour to get to a good screen. Having said that, the most impressive film for me was Blade Runner 2049. Of all time, mine would have to be 2001: A Space Odyssey. 1st saw it in NZ when it 1st came out and then in Oz when I was living there. Seen it on the big 70mm type screen 24 times. That was in Sydney.
1.) The Shape Of Water: A 2.) War For The Planet Of The Apes: A 3.) Baby Driver: A 4.) Your Name: A 5.) The Big Sick: A 6.) The Disaster Artist: A 7.) Coco: A- 8.) John Wick Chapter 2: A- 9.) Star Wars: The Last Jedi: A- 10.) Lady Bird: A-
...ten more really good ones...
11.) Detroit: A- 12.) Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri: A- 13.) The LEGO Batman Movie: A- 14.) Gerald's Game: A- 15.) Logan: A- 16.) 1922: A- 17.) In This Corner Of The World: A- 18.) Colossal: A- 19.) Hostiles: B+ 20.) Guardians Of The Galaxy, Volume 2: B+
...and the dregs.
117.) Snatched: D+ 118.) Rings: D+ 119.) Rough Night: D 120.) The Bye-Bye Man: D 121.) Transformers: The Last Knight: D 122.) The Blackcoat's Daughter: D 123.) The Void: D 124.) The Dark Tower: D 125.) Fist Fight: D- 126.) CHIPS: F
1 - See You Up There (Albert Dupontel) 2 - A Monster calls (Juan Antonio Bayona) 3 - After the Storm (Hirokazu Koreeda) 4 - Miss Sloane (John Madden) 5 - Detroit (Kathryn Bigelow) 6 - The Wall (Doug Liman) 7 - Spiderman homecoming (Jon Watts) 8 - The Nile Hilton Incident (Tarik Saleh) 9 - HHhH The Man with the Iron Heart (Cédric Jimenez) 10 - Loving Vincent (Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman)
All in all, not such a strong year. Among the movies in Thor's list, "Manchester at the sea" was in my top 5 last year. Stuff like " The lost city of Z ", "Get Out" would be in a top 15 or 20. And among the 2017 Oscar friendly movies that are 2018 movies for me, "I, Tonya", "Three Billboards" , and possibly "Call Me by Your Name" or "LadyBird" could be on next year's list.
(1. Twin Peaks [The Return])* 1. Phantom Thread 2. The Square 3. Song to Song 4. Dunkirk 5. Blade Runner 2049 6. Baby Driver 7. Last Flag Flying
*The Twin Peaks TV miniseries is a rare instance of a television work besting theatrical features on my lists. The only other time is 1986's The Singing Detective.
I still need to see and have good hopes for Lady Bird and Wonderstruck.
No doubt I'll discover a few other good 2017 films over time.