Author: jesseesmovies

Following is a list of the 25 films that I am most excited to see between the dates of 9/14-12/31 of 2018. This list includes but is not limited to festival darlings, Oscar-hopefuls, animated smash hits, and even comic book film(s).

We all know the final quarter of the year is when most of the award season hopefuls are released, but this year there is a ton of versatility in what to expect in theatres (not to mention we’ve had a handful of Oscar contenders already this year). Here is my 25 most anticipated pictures to be released this year:

A few honorable mentions:
Peppermint- I’m seeing this on Tuesday so I decided to exclude it.

A Simple Favor- I have tickets to this next Thursday (the 13th) also. I’m excited but it wouldn’t have been placed high on my list anyway….nor would Peppermint I guess.

Fahrenheit 11/9- I love Michael Moore but I’m so sick of Trump at this point that I just don’t have it in me to feel much excitement for this project. I’m sure I will love it but I’ll probably wait until after award season to take a crack at it.

Roma- This Cuaron project was on my list but then I realized it was released as a Netflix original last week.

Now the real deal:

25- I think we’re alone now (Sept 14)
Although post-apocalyptic character dramas seem a little past their hay-day, I see a lot of promise from this one. Peter Dinklage is a pro, and I really liked the last few Elle Fanning performances. I don’t see this contending for anything major but it could get a few independent spirits awards.

24- The Favourite (Nov 23)
This period piece is the next Yorgos Lanthimos film and if it had come out right after The Lobster, I have no doubt it would crack my Top 10, maybe 15, but after The Killing of the Sacred Deer (which I did enjoy, just not as much), and a less than exciting trailer, my interest in this drama has dwindled. I have no doubt it will be biting and have some great performances by Olivia Coleman, Emma Stone, and Rachel Weisz, but it’s just not quite on my radar compared to some of these others.

23- Can you ever forgive me? (Oct 19)
Even non-fans can usually admit that Melissa McCarthy has some major presence on screen, and I’m not a non-fan…
I’m intrigued about this departure into a slightly more serious role/narrative about a real-life person. I’m also interested to see if the screenplay manages to blend comedy and drama effectively or if it flops…

22- The Old Man and the Gun (Sept 28)
This trailer looked really heartwarming and this really feels like Robert Redford’s swan song, which equal parts sad and exciting! With supporting roles from Casey Affleck, Sissy Spacek, Danny Glover, and John David Washington, this is bound to be pretty decent. I can see it as a sleeper hit for the award season, but who knows?

21- White Boy Rick (Sept 14)
Matty McConaughey, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Rory Cochran and many more…..
Also, some of the early screenings have yielded really great reviews. Couple that with the pretty decent trailer and it’s safe to say I’m pretty down.

20- Shoplifters (Nov 23)
This Japanese coming-of-age drama looks really heartwarming and I think a major front-runner for Best Foreign Film come March.

19- Holmes and Watson (Nov 9)
This as one of the most dynamic comedic duos of the last decade plus. I’m of the belief that it seems a bit late for a Sherlock inspired parody as far as hitting the cosmos and I am a bit concerned that there hasn’t been a trailer released yet, but I still feel pretty hopeful that we’ll see something pretty funny!

18- The Grinch (Nov 9)
Love The Grinch, love the trailer, love the animation, love Benedict Cumberbatch and this should be a swell time.

17- Smallfoot (Sept 27)
I had no idea about this animated future gem until I saw it before a movie a couple weeks ago and I really fell in love with it. I think it looks really funny and clever and could be this generations ‘Over the Hedge’…. Or it could suck, really bad.
I guess we’ll see, but either way, I’m pumped.

16- The Hate U Give (Oct 19)
I haven’t seen the book but the trailer has a lot of promise. I love that we’re going to see such relevant social commentary seen on such a mainstream level but I do have worries that it can turn out like a lifetime movie or like a PSA and I’m really hoping they capture the depth I’ve heard that the book has.

15- First Man (Oct 12)
if you told me that Ryan Gossling and Claire Foy would be starring opposite each other in the next Damien Chazelle feature without telling me the plot, I would have put it in my top 5 without even questioning it….. After seeing the trailer, I have no doubt that First Man will be great and an Oscar contender, I’m just not personally all that interested in the story of Neil Armstrong or the moon landing… I’m obviously going to see it, but the subject matter doesn’t appeal to me all that much.

14- Beautiful Boy (Oct 12)
Steve Carell and Timothee Chalamet both look phenomenal in the trailer. This seems like a really compelling family drama with some coming-of-age qualities, which are two of my favorite genres. I think it will be really good but I don’t plan to rush out to the theatre to see it (I’ll still be catching up from Sept)

13- Suspiria (Nov 2)
Well, it’s Luca Guadagnino behind the camera, and he floored me with Call me by your Name, and the trailer looked so good that I plan to watch the original Suspiria over the weekend in prep. Lots of acting talent and bound to be one of the top horror joints of the year.

12- Sisters Brothers (Sept 21)
On male acting talent alone, this film has one of teh strongest line-ups of the year. Headed by (what I hear is) a talented French Autuer and blending western-comedy-action, it could be a major miss, but if done right can become a cult sensation and I’m certainly looking forward to seeing what John C Reilly, Joaquin Phoenix, Jake Gyllenhall and Riz Ahmed are going to bring to the table.

11- Overlord (Nov 9)
After seeing this trailer for the first time last month, I was certain it would be in my top 10, but it just couldn’t quite make the cut. I’m still hype for this Speilberg produced, sci-fi war epic and at the very least, should be a FUN time.

10- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Dec 14)
First of all, get a load of this voice cast: Nic Cage, Mahershala Ali, Hailee Steinfeld, Jake Johnson, Leiv Schreiber, Lily Tomlin, Brian Tyree Henry, John Mulaney and Luna Lauren Velez….. I mean c’mon!
Also, the trailer seemed so bad-ass and not too self-serious, with AMAZING animation. I can’t wait.

9- Bad times at the El Royale  (Oct 5)
BTER (for short) bosts a pretty impressive cast and coming from the mind of Drew Goddard (Cabin in the Woods) I have no doubt it will entertaining as hell. I get a bit of a Cohen brothers vibe but I have the same feeling I had when I watched Hotel Artemis (which was lots of bells and whistles, but wasn’t particularly brilliant.
I hope it turns out as trippy as it looks.

8- Fantastic Beasts..ect: The Crimes of Grindelwald (Nov 16)
I actually really enjoyed the first Fantastic Beasts film and I hope this continues to keep me invested in the wizarding world I’ve grown to love since a boy. The trailer seemed promising.

7- Aquaman (Dec 21)
Everyone who knows me knows that I am a DC comic guy and that I really like Jason Mamoa, but even I didn’t think Aquaman would turn up this high on my list, but after some early screenings garnered some pretty strong reviews, my interest skied a bit. Hopefully, DC continues the trend of high (er) quality projects that began with Wonder Woman. Also, besides MI2, I really admire John Woo’s work.

6- Creed 2 (Nov 21)
When Creed came out I refused to see it in theatres and I really wound up regretting it. I ended up LOVING creed and I think Creed 2 will wind up being fairly decent, but I just don’t see it being as good. After that ‘Drago’ reveal at the end of the trailer I would have pegged Creed 2 as a Top 3 pick for me, but after learning that Stalone wrote the screenplay and that Ryan Coogler wasn’t directing, I must admit, my interest waned slightly.
I do think it can still be good, but Coogler is so amazingly talented and I can’t help but think this will likely take a dip in quality, but I’m still pumped, and I will 100% see this in IMAX.

5- Ralph Breaks the Internet (Nov 21)
Guys and Galls, Nov 21 is going to be an amazing day for film……
I have been waiting for the Ralph sequel since the first one came out way back when, and after a truly electrifying trailer, I’m even more convinced that it will deliver hugely.
Major excitement—-also, congrats to John C Reilly for an amazing year in film.
JCR is this year(s) Michael Stuhlbarg.

4- Halloween (Oct 19)
All of my hope for this being good is from the TIFF buzz and that amazing trailer…
This is by far the best year for solid trailers…
Anyway, it’s been a long time since we’ve had a truly entertaining but equally good horror film and what better time to celebrate than Halloween!

3- If Beale Street Could Talk (Nov 30)
Barry Jenkins will truly go down as one of the greatest (certainly of this generation of filmmakers) along with Damien Chazelle…
Moonlight was one of the best films of 2016/17 and Jenkins showed MAJOR Directorial props.
If Beale St also gave us a very ambiguous trailer showing one of the most talented casts I could think of, while also taking special care towards portraying mostly characters of color, which is always refreshing (both, due to the talent out there in the black community, but also because these stories are truly valuable for lots of people to be seeing and exposed to). I’m excited to see what this film is actually about but along with films like Shoplifters, The Hate U Give, Suspiria, Aquaman, Creed, and Crazy Rich Asians, it is clear, Beale Street will be seen by so many more people that would have even a decade ago and truly shows a change in the landscape that I hope continues to prove a more enriching theatre-going experience.

2- Alita: Battle Angel (Dec 21)
This Robert Rodriguez flick just seems so wicked and good.
It can wind up being a mess, but I really think it has potential to be something special. I’m in love with the trailer, but maybe that’s just me?

1- Mid 90’s (Oct 19)
I don’t know what to say really… I mean, I think this trailer screams Oscar-Buzz for Jonah Hill (at least Directing, and maybe Screenwriting) but even if it winds up being not-so-amazing, I think it will crush it on the indie awards circuit.
Hill has proven himself as a serious actor and a creative mind, and I’m really hyped to see this debut from him as a director.
Mid 90’s seems right up my alley and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since the trailer was released!

regardless of where you stand on these 25 films, it’s pretty clear that this will be a special year for film, probably better than last year (which is saying something)….
with the academy changing their mind on best popular film, I go to bed feeling a bit restored in regards to hope on a classy ceremony this year. anyway, let me know what you think about my list in the comments or over social media. night yall.

Kevin Smith is one of the most criminally underrated filmmakers of the 90’s and he gave us some of the most memorable coming-of-age comedies of all time. Smith is a far better writer than he is a Director, but even so, he’s shown major chops with both over his 25 year career.

I do want to warn anyone reading this: if you’re as big of Kevin Smith fan as I am, you will likely get very angry/stressed with my list. You should continue reading anyway, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.

(sidebar: for anyone who actually keeps up, sorry I haven’t written in a couple weeks, I’ve been busy adjusting to my new job. you can expect regular posts again).

Anyway, let’s dive right in:

12- Cop Out (2010)
This 2010 Action-Comedy has the distinction of being the only film on the list not written by Smith, and I think it shows. The characters seem a bit off and forced in a pretty cringe inducing way and on top of that, Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan make a terrible pairing.
It is rumored that Smith and Willis were constantly at adds during filming, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s true. I would be on edge if I was wasting time and money making a steaming shit pile like this movie. I definite smear in the filmography of Willis and Smith respectively, but just about average for Tracy Morgan (considering he’s terrible in almost everything).
SniderScore: 23 (F)

11- Yoga Hosers (2016)
The most recent and one of the most disappointing outings for Smith coming off of the sleeper GEM Tusk. This is a prime example of someone making the wrong choice at almost every opportunity. Smith went a little to off kilter here and that can sometimes work (tusk…), but this time it didn’t. I still have hope for Moose Jaws though!
SniderScore: 45 (F)

10- Red State (2011)
Another of Smiths more recent works, Red State isn’t really bad at all actually, it’s just kind of forgettable in the grand scheme of things. I do admire Smith for taking such a major leap from his usually style of film, but I think he could have committed more towards making memorable film of it.
SniderScore: 61 (D+)

9- Jersey Girl (2004)
This romantic comedy of sorts tends to get buried in his filmography and it makes sense, but equally, it should still be seen. This is Smiths 2nd film be released during the 2000’s, and with a complete shift from it’s predecessor (Jay and Silent Bob Strike back), it contains a stronger sense of maturity in the writing. Not one of his best, but a major step up from a lot of his newer stuff.
SniderScore: 68 (C)

8- Clerks 2 (2006)
When looked at solely as a silly comedy, it fairs much better than when compared to it’s predecessor Clerks. This sequel misses the mark with 1 too many jokes and at around this point you really start to get the sense that Smith might be running out of originality. All in all, it’s pretty memorable though.
SniderScore: 69.5 (C)

7- Zach and Miri Make a Porno (2008)
Smith took a few pages out of the Appatow handbook when he wrote this one. Z and M is a pretty smooth blend if Smiths witty comedic style, and the new age sensibility of people like Seth Rogen and Judd Appatow. Although it’s much better than most of Smiths post JSBSB work, it still doesn’t hold a candle to the likes of his 90s stuff.
SniderScore: 73 (C+)

6- Chasing Amy (1997)
Before I started writing this list, I was really sure this would be top 3 at least but I guess the heart feels how it feels. Chasing Amy is one of Kevin Smiths most mature screen plays, but at the end of the day, it comes off a bit too serious for the amount of comedy forced into it and doesn’t quite have the rewatchability of some of his other stuff.
Chasing Amy appears to be the first 90’s project listed and that doesn’t sit right with me, but I guess that’s how I feel. In any case, there is a huge quality gap between the top and bottom half of this list.
SniderScore: 82 (B-)

5- Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
A rare time in which Kevin Smiths comedy impulses produced something 100% charming. I can watch this film any day of the week and it’s good for a few laughs. It doesn’t hold up quite as much as it did when I was 15, but I think it’s silly and playful at it’s best. When compared to much more serious Chasing Amy, it’s really a toss up as far as personal experience, but the quality level is about the same.
SniderScore: 82.5 (B-)

4- Clerks (1994)
Now this is going to hurt some people….
Clerks is fantastic for what it is, and definitely deserves praise for how resilient Kevin Smith had to be when trying to get it made, but at the end of the day, it moves a bit slow and doesn’t have as high of quality (both writing and directorial) as some of his next few tries.
SniderScore: 86 (B)

3- Tusk (2014)
I understand the hate and confusion towards this film, but everything that people dislike about it, worked for me. I think Kevin Smith blended horror and comedy perfectly when he made this twisted black comedy project. Tusk is Smiths best script in years, has some of the best acting and production value of his entire filmography, and it was something so fresh when we all thought Smith was done for. I really like this movie!
SniderScore: 88.5 (B+)

2- Mallrats (1995)
Everything that is so great about Clerks was enhanced in this go around. The script was snappier and had a much better sense of pacing. The characters showed major range without making themselves too complex and unrelatable. Mallrats has the exact same 90’s slacker nostalgia that you would expect after the success of Clerks, has way more re-watch value.
SniderScore: 89 (A-)

1- Dogma (1999)
For most people, this would place top 3 but there are also a few people out there with zero taste….
Kidding.
Dogma is the wittiest script by Smith as well as the perfect blend of CONTROLLED chaos. Think, the gap between Chasing Amy and Yoga Hosers.
Dogma boasts the most impressive cast of any Smith film and I truly believe everyone let themselves have fun on set and make a great piece of satire.
SniderScore: 92 (A)

Smith has some of the most memorable screenplays for me and remains a huge influence on me creatively, but weak directorial outings and not knowing which ideas to throw out have riddled some very promising projects (especially later in his career) also. Barring Cop-Out, every Kevin Smith film has a little something to offer and I look forward to hearing what some of you think are his best and worst films.

Not to be confused with being a ranking of the films in general, but specifically Tom Hanks’s performances.

Tom Hanks has starred in some of the greatest films of the past 3 decades and given several Oscar worthy performances. Now everybody knows about the big stuff, “Big”, “Green Mile”, “Toy Story”, “Cast Away” ect., but Hanks has been given some pretty noteworthy performances that have flown under the radar in the grand scheme of things. Here are what I believe to be his best 20:

20) Apollo 13 (1995)
Although this performance didn’t garner tons of critical acclaim, Hanks did get a nod at that years Peoples Choice Awards. At the end of the day, this is a pretty standard performance, but even so, Hanks always brings charisma to each role that you can’t really find from all the movie stars out there.

19) The Terminal (2004)
One of the more low-key Spielberg products, sadly, I don’t have a strong enough memory of this film to include it on my Spielberg rankings earlier this week, but I do recall Hanks giving a very honest and heartwarming performance (even a bit off type at the time).

18) The Burbs (1989)
Aside from the smash hit ‘Big’, this dark comedy boasts one of Hanks only memorable performances pre “Philadelphia”, before he was considered a “serious actor”. I think he had a lot of improving to go, and the nature of the script made it a less than stellar avenue to show talent, but even in 89′ you could see that he was bound for success.

17) Toy Story 2 (1999)
After breaking new ground by starring in an animated feature (Toy Story) during the first peak in his career (95), Hanks made a major statement and also gave an amazing voice performance. He didn’t stop there, but enjoyed the experience so much that he cranked it up to 11 for the sequel! Bonus points for being the best film in the franchise!

16) Road to Perdition (2002)
Following one of the greatest acting performances of all time (Cast Away), Hanks dialed back a bit in the early 2000’s barring this one fantastic performance. RTP was a major change of pace at the time and even though it isn’t exactly a career highlight, Hanks did prove his versatility yet again with this crime drama, earning himself a Hollywood Film Award nomination.

15) A League of Their Own (1992)
Another pre Philadelphia performance that showed improvement with Hanks in terms of expressiveness vs emoting, something a lot of actors and actresses start to really improve as they take on more more mature content.

14) Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
Even though Hanks has cranked out some pretty in depth performances over the years, he does have the charisma and every man qualities to make the perfect rom-com actor, and this is rom-com at it’s finest. This is the Hanks we would come to know and love, and this performance even earned him a Golden Globe nomination.

13) Charlie Wilson’s War (2007)
There is so much good acting in this film that you almost forget how subtly brilliant Hanks is. CWW was more of a low-key film in terms of reception, but Hanks really started to develop himself for “old man who is also very serious” roles with this performance and even earned yet another Golden Globe nomination for his work!
Did I ever mention how versatile this man is?!

12) Sully (2016)
Even though he only earned a Best Actor nomination at the People’s Choice Awards, he was definitely snubbed by the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild. I wouldn’t go as far as to say he earned an Oscar nod that year (with the steep competition that year) but he acted his butt off. At this point nobody was really sure that he still had a ton of star power left in the tank, having really shown out in just Captain Phillips and Cloud Atlas as far as major performances for about a 10 year span.

11) Cloud Atlas (2012)
Hanks didn’t give us any particularly deep performances, but he did put on a clinic on versatility, diving into a wide array of character types, each with believable conviction.

10) The Post (2017)
I wasn’t really sure where to put this at first, but I knew it deserved a spot in the Top 15. Upon reflection, Hanks didn’t do anything we didn’t already expect,but managed to go toe-to-toe with Meryl Streep (easily one of the top 4 actors of all time, regardless of genre) and there was also such a vitality to his approach in The Post that you don’t find with many actors 35 years in the game. Major props, and also a Golden Globe nom.

9) Catch Me If You Can (2003)
This was released during a generally quiet period for Hanks in terms of blockbuster performances but he does something pretty special, competes with the most charismatic actor of all time (DiCaprio) and gave us some of the best cat and mouse chemistry in all of cinema.
Even though Hanks sometimes falls into a type, there’s just something so honest and human about is portrayal of the ordinary. It really puts it perspective that everyone is unique in their own way.

8) Toy Story (1995)
Not only was Toy Story one of the most revolutionary animated films at the time, but even started the global powerhouse that is Pixar. It took a lot of grit for Hanks to risk his image as a serious actor (having just won 2 Best Actor Oscars back to back the previous year) to do a voice role fora company that has 0 films under it’s belt. It’s the grit like that,that truly puts Hanks ahead of many of his contemporaries, not to mention he committed fully to his new experience and crushed it, creating one of his most iconic roles.

7) Green Mile (1999)
I’m not really sure how Hanks got 0 nominations for this role, but Green Mile is one of the strongest book adaptations and modern epics of all time, and Hanks really showed out. It isn’t easy to help carry a 3 hour film.

6) Captain Phillips (2013)
Before I get into this performance, can we just acknowledge how consistently great Tom Hanks has been throughout his 35 year career. I mean he’s gained critical and fan love for roles dating back to the mid 80’s and all the way up to The Post in 2017. Tom Hanks has had a very rare career trajectory, and he isn’t even done yet!
Anyone who follows the awards circuit knows that Hanks was snubbed an Oscar nomination with this performance. I mean,it’s incredibly rare to be nominated for a Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Screen Actors Guild award and not gain an Academy Award nod. Hanks shreds harder than he has in over a decade during this role and if you haven’t seen it, you definitely should. What a captivating hostage?!

5) Big (1988)
The performance that started it all (in terms of recognition),earning him a Golden Globe, Academy Award, and even a Saturn Award nomination(s). Tom Hanks played this role with so much honesty that people cherish this film today (30 years later). Although we wouldn’t see his dramatic chops until a few years later, 1988 was the day Hanks became a star.

4) Saving Private Ryan (1998)
This is Hanks doing Hanks. Bringing major honesty and nuance to the every man role, and under crazy circumstances. Not only was the leading role in one of the best War Films of All-Time, but Hanks would even earn some stripes as a producer of a multi-Oscar nominated film (the mark of a maturing artist).
With this performance, Hanks earned his 4th Best Actor Oscar nomination, as well as his 5th Golden Globe nom and his 2nd SAG and BAFTA nom’s as well.

3) Philadelphia (1993)
Tom Hanks has never been afraid to play risky and/or gutsy roles, and playing an HIV positive homosexual in the 90’s is the epitome of risky. If this performance didn’t go well, it could have marked an early end to the rising star but Hanks showed major acting chops and went toe-to-toe with another all-time great, Denzel Washington.
This was his first Academy Award win for Acting, but it wouldn’t be long before achieving that feat again.

2) Cast Away (2000)
I debated putting this at 1 all the way up until just now. Just a moment ago I mentioned that Hanks is no stranger to taking on new challenges, and he really must’ve been bored with what he was given at the time because acting with yourself (and holding up a 2.5 hour film) for almost an entire, very long, film takes major comfort with your skill. It’s kind of crazy to think that this was Hanks last Oscar nomination, but it is pretty clear that he will have to go above and beyond to match his work in this film.

1) Forrest Gump (1994)
The year following his Best-Actor win with Philadelphia, Hanks gave us one of the most meme worthy, honest, and biting performances of all time in Forrest Gump. On a list of iconic american films, FG has to be top 10 or even 5 for most people and there’s a good reason, Tom Hanks is a master at playing truth. Forrest Gump is one of those once in a lifetime roles, and Hanks really leaned into it, earning nominations for best Actor at the Academy Awards, Screen Actors Guild, Golden Globes, BAFTA and even the People’s Choice, winning ALL but BAFTA.

Tom Hanks is one of the most recognized actors of all time, but even more importantly, he’s a fan favorite for people of all ages and backgrounds all over the world and I don’t think we’re anywhere near seeing the end of him.

Over the past few days I’ve prepped a few list’s and reviews for the films ‘Tully’ and ‘Sorry to Bother You’ but in the process I’ve fallen in love with this gem of a show called Gravity Falls. I watched the entire first season (20 episodes) in like 2 days!
IN addition to a list later on today, I decided it would be fun to take a whirl at ranking the first season episodes of Gravity Falls. I didn’t write anything yesterday so I needed to make up for that anyway, so here is some information to before I dive in.

Gravity Falls aired from 2012-2016 on DisneyXD, with 40 episodes in total spanning 2 seasons. Gravity Falls was created by Alex Hirsch, who is credited as writing a total of 6 episodes of The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack and creating the children’s show Fish Hooks prior to the start of GF, neither of which even compare to it in terms of quality. Alex Hirsch based many of the characters off people in his family, namely the 2 protagonist twin siblings Dipper and Mabel. As a twin himself, he used his own childhood memories with his sister Ariel as an influence on the relationship shenanigans for Dipper and Mabel. The primary caregiver during the show Grunkle (Great Uncle) Stan is also based on his actual grandfather, the primary setting, Gravity Falls, Ore is based on real life town Boring, Ore & The Mystery Shack is a fictionalized version of a real life ‘tourist trap’ called the Oregon Vortex that he visited during college.
Now for some stuff you can’t find of imdb trivia page:
What makes GF so great and unique is the perfect combination of real life influence and adoration/inspiration of pop culture, from some of the more stand-out influences like Twin Peaks, X-Files, and The Goonies most notably, but also classics like The Simpsons and Doctor Who (and I suspect even some aspects of Spongebob Squarepants and Southpark) and even stories from HP Lovecraft . In my opinion, Gravity Falls contains the smoothest blend of spooky and occult horror vibes with family friendly humor and easily defined moral lesson and the with an adult undercurrent (notably, several references and commentaries on things like existential dread, toxic masculinity,  the illuminati, and even sexuality), every episode has a lesson and is told in a unique way. In other words, this show runs the gambit on entertainment for everyone!

If you aren’t familiar with Gravity Falls, the plot centers around a pair of twins, Dipper (who you later find out isn’t actually named Dipper, just a nickname), and Mabel aged 12 and born 5 minutes part, Mabel being the elder.
Dipper and Mabel’s parents ship them off to stay with their Great Uncle Stan in his tourist trap where they work (seemingly for free) and get into shenanigans in the nearby woods and town.
In addition to Grunkle Stan, the Mystery Shack employs two young adult employees that often hang out with the kids and get involved in the shenanigans. Soos (early 20’s) is kind of man-child but blindly supports Dipper in his endeavors and consistently makes tough situations worse with his clumsiness. Wendy (15) is the resident ‘cool kid on the block’ and love interest of Dipper. Grunkle Stan is sort of a self righteous, greed ball,but proves to have a heart of gold and fierce loyalty when push comes to shove. Anyway, those are the main characters and a pretty decent starting point.

Here are the first 20 episodes ranked: I’ll try to avoid any major spoilers.

20- Episode 13 ‘Boss Mabel’
In this mid season episode, Mabel and Grunkle Stan switch places for 72 hours, leaving Mabel in charge of the Mystery Shack and Stan get’s to go off and do his own thing. Essentially, Mabel thinks she would make a better boss than Stan and he puts her to the task only to reveal that it’s harder to be in charge than you think. Nothing super entertaining about this episode and the lesson is a bit under developed.

19- Episode 8 ‘Irrational Treasure’
Mabel has trouble dealing with her town bully, ‘pacifica northwest’, a rich, snobby, know it all who hoards her families relationship to the towns history over everyone’s head, only to find out that everything is not what it seems.
This episode has some of the least humor of the entire season and kind of gets lost in wildness of the season.

18- Episode 12 ‘Summerween’
This one is also kind of a mess compared to some of the stronger episodes. One of the most zany of premises but a pretty weak narrative and cliche’ moral lesson “there’s no fun in growing up too fast, enjoy your childhood while it lasts’ ect.

17- Episode 2 ‘The Legend of the Gobblewonker
I think this episode get’s more hate than it deserves but it is kind of forgettable compared to some of the other ‘wild/exotic/fictional monster themed episodes’ and kind of reeks of the show still coming into itself.

16- Episode 15 ‘The Deep End’
This episode was pretty hilarious when I originally watched it, but after reflection and comparison it doesn’t have as much of an impact on the evolution of the characters or plot (aside from Mabel having her first kiss). All in all, the 3rd quarter of the season was kind of a low point, with some of the weakest episodes of all 20.

15- Episode 17- ‘Boyz Crazy’
If I were judging off the A story-line, this episode would be at least 5 or 6 positions higher, but the B story plot is incredibly weak and holds down the episode. This episode is a hilarious commentary on Boy Bands and teen obsession but the whole ‘shitty boyfriend’ side arch falls flat.

14- Episode 6- ‘Dipper VS Manliness’
I zoned in and out a few times during this episode, not gonna lie, but it was definitely one of the weakest ‘Dipper learns to accept his flaws’ arch. And there are about 12 of them out of 20 episodes.

13- Episode 14-‘Bottomless Pit’
The ‘characters tell stories within the context of the episode’ premise is a bit tired, but this is a major highlight for Soos’s character arch over the season, and has a pretty unique wrap around ending.

12- Episode 4- ‘The Hand that Rocks the Mabel’
This is the first episode with an actual character antagonist and also the introduction to Lil’ Gideon, the major villain of Season 1 (and I suspect parts of season 2 as well). It is also a major episode in both Mabel and Dipper’s growth as characters and relationship with each other, but isn’t quite as funny as I feel it could have been.

11- Episode 5- ‘The Inconveniencing’
The first noticable ‘Twin Peaksy’ episode and the introduction of Dipper’s crush on the much too older Wendy. This episode takes a little too long to get going, but has a pretty fun ending!

10- Episode 18- ‘The Land Before Swine’
Really fun monster episode, great pacing, and great development in Grunkle Stans slow humanization arch as well as a really sweet episode for the Soos/Dipper bromance. Also, tons of cute pig!

9- Episode 3- ‘Headhunters’
I love the pop culture references and the general fun-ness of this episode. It didn’t have anything major to say about the characters or but it was really fun, and was also the first episode in which the kids worked WITH Grunkle Stan to solve the problem. In general,a really offbeat and goofy take on the Murder Mystery genre.

8- Episode 16- ‘Carpet Diem’
If you haven’t noticed the major story-telling trend of GF yet, here it is: Telling a story we’ve all seen before, but making it more interesting. Gravity Falls loves showing us things we’ve seen before, but by adding in some offbeat humor, and telling the moral of the story between the lenses of two, very different, twin siblings, we’re able to see to see how the differences we all share don’t effect that the problems and solutions we experience aren’t all that different. This episode is super wacky, but very heartwarming.

7- Episode 7- ‘Double Dipper’
Remember earlier when I said that ‘Dipper vs Manliness’ was a weak ‘Dipper learns to accept his flaws’ arch, well this is much better. In this episode, Dipper comes to terms with his affections for Wendy and experiences how much more difficult things can be when you are too hard on yourself. It’s also just a really funny episode, taken right of the mind of the likes of Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon.

6- Episode 1- ‘Tourist Trapped’
One of the strongest Pilot episodes I’ve seen in a really long time. Alex Hirsch is able to make a super captivating story and include all the exposition we need all in 20 minutes time, which is sadly not the case for most pilots (who sacrifice one for the other). In this Pilot episode, we not only learn why Dipper and Mabel have found themselves in Gravity Falls, Ore, but also a definitive amount of who they are fundamentally as people and how they relate to each other as twins/siblings/best friends.

5- Episode 20- ‘Gideon Rises’
Although it’s a pretty solid conclusion with a worthy cliffhanger, the season finale pales in comparison to the first half of it’s 2 part story arch, and therefore, backwards from whats to be expected. essentially, episode 19 introduces the most interesting character (and antagonist) of the series and is also super crazy and well written, and then the finale feels like a deflation of sorts.
I do really enjoy this episode though, or it wouldn’t have cracked the top 5.

4- Episode 10- ‘Fight Fighters’
This episode is essentially glorified mid-season filler in the shape of video game nostalgia and I loved every minute of it. It also goes through the beats of all the successful episodes of the season and does them well. Dipper learns a lesson, Mabel does funny shenanigans, the 2 arches collide towards the end, includes tons of pop culture references and quirky jokes. Nothing mind blowing but the shows creator just having fun.

3- Episode 11- ‘Little Dipper’
Before I wrote this I took a peek at some other rankings of GF and apparently I like this episode waaaay more than everyone else. I think it’s probably one of the best Mabel and Dipper friendship episodes and also the funniest Lil’ Gideon episode.

2- Episode 19- ‘Dreamscaperers’
Part 1 of the season finale is by far the furthest Alex Hirsch has gone in the dark/mature content and it really worked. I loved the introduction to Cipher Bill and there are tons of season long pay-offs that get addressed (notably Dippers insecurities about being picked on by Grunkle Stan, and a lot of stuff about the lore of the supernatural stuff in Gravity Falls). This episode is one of the smartest episodes in terms of writing for sure.

1- Episode 9- ‘The Time Traveler’s Pig’
In terms of narrative, this episode is super wacky and smartly written. The relationship between Dipper and Mabel takes a huge spike up as well as the ‘Dipper in in unrequited love for Wendy’ arch. Essentially, all in all,a mid-season pay off for a lot of the issues Dipper had been dealing with up to that point, and also the introduction of Waddles, Mabel’s pet pig.
Bonus points for the masterful voice work from Justin Roiland and being a super fun take on TIME TRAVEL! (one of my personal favorite sci-fi concepts).

Even though there are a few weaker episodes, this first season of Gravity Falls is pretty consistently good. Alex Hirsch has given us all a great blend of wit and silly humor, pretty solid character growth with season long arches as well as funny iterations of numerous sci-fi and horror tropes. I would say that the 2nd quarter/middle of the season was definitely the strongest as well as the last few episodes. I’m really looking forward to season 2 though, I hear it’s even better than the first. Stay tuned for a complete ranking of the series in the coming week or 2!

Steven Spielberg is by far the most profitable filmmaker in the history of the medium. Some people even credit him as the pioneer of ‘Blockbuster Films’, which is usually shed in a positive light, but sometimes people see that as a negative turn in cinema history. Needless to say, Spielberg is a pretty major character in the evolution of films.
I’m not as big of a fan as most people I know, but I do like (and even love) some of his more special and emotionally gratifying films, but at the end of the day I do agree with the assertion that his work tends to lack the true depth that the source material requires (specifically his post 90’s stuff).
Spielberg definitely deserves a spot on my 2nd or 3rd string Mount Rushmore of film, but he’s made a ton of stinkers and over the past 2 decades kind of rode on the coat-tails of his hits from the 70-90s. Here is a complete list of each of his (Directed) films that I’ve seen or that I have enough memory of seeing to give it an honest look. Sry, it’s only 25…..

25- 1941
I mean, there isn’t a lot positive that can be said about this film. To this day, Spielberg recognizes this as a failure and a major lesson in his career. He talks about it with tons of shame and regrets and for good reason. Aside from bringing together some of the most iconic and charismatic comedy actors of the time, all 1941 is, are a ton of explosions and a really painful narrative.
SniderScore- 28

24- War of the Worlds
Pretty bad adaptation of an already overrated book. Riddled with awkward dialogue, mediocre acting, and average CGI effects, this outing gets lost in a filmography so solid as his.
SniderScore- 32

23- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
This never should have been made. Touching on 80’s nostalgia and the charisma of Harrison Ford barely keep this afloat. Shia LaBeouf has some major acting chops, but none of his talents are on display here.
Indiana Jones and the KCS has some decent action sequences and therefore I can’t put it dead last, but it is pretty BAD.
SniderScore- 38

22- AI: Artificial Intelligence
Although it does contain moments of cuteness, it doesn’t hold up well and many others have done the same thing but better.
SniderScore- 41

21- Ready Player One
It’s kind of impressive how boring a movie something this fundamentally entertaining turned out to be. A major misfire, mostly because of the flat writing. The one redeemable is the fact that it looks AMAZING.
SniderScore- 43

20- Lincoln
There isn’t anything inherently bad about this 2012 historic biopic, I just don’t think we really needed and it runs way too long.
DDL shows the world why he’s the greatest actor of All-Time with his historic portrayal of Abe Lincoln, but Lincoln doesn’t showcase any of what makes Spielberg such a special artist.
SniderScore- 64

19- Bridge of Spies
BOS has a great ensemble and a bunch of great performances, but it isn’t as fresh as I think SS believed it to be when he made it. Again, more of a misfire on the selection of material by SS with this one. When you make a film that doesn’t immediately offer the masses anything in the way of cultural relevance or emotional appeal, you need to make it special or tell the story in a specific enough way to garner interest, and Speilberg took more of a color by number approach.
SniderScore- 66.5

18- Jurassic Park: The Lost World
Dinosaurs are super great and the CGI effects hold up relatively well all things considered. TLW doesn’t conjure up nearly the as much emotional resonance as its predecessor nor does it have as much charm.
SniderScore- 69

17- BFG
I think BFG gets a little too much harsh judgment considering its a film made for CHILDREN. Steven Spielberg captures the spirit of the Roald Dahl children’s book perfectly and what we got was a light-hearted, breezy, charmingly acted and visually stunning film (albeit a bit forgettable afterwards though).
SniderScore- 70

16- The Hook
As much as the kid in me loved this adaptation of Peter Pan, hindsight is 20/20. The Hook is a little too unsure of its vibe and long.
SniderScore- 71.5

15- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Really adorable way to address his own daddy issues by Spielberg, but the story is pretty lackluster, and when compared to its predecessors this iteration of Indian Jones is by far the weakest.
SniderScore- 74

14/13- The Post/The Adventures of Tin Tin
When I was compiling scores for these Rankings, I just couldn’t decide which film I thought was better. I certainly enjoyed watching Tin Tin more but The Post was consistently good in all the ways of production and so I guess they tie. The Post just seemed kind of unnecessary and was a bit too fluffy and Tin Tin is a tad forgettable and I just couldn’t see myself justifying its place any higher.
SniderScore(s)- 79

12- Amistad
I’m not gonna lie, it had been so long since I’ve seen this and I didn’t really want to sit through a 3-hour movie that I know is really good so I just watched a few clips to bring it back. I love the score and I love the performances and mostly it’s just a great emotional story that knows what it is tonally.
SniderScore- 80

11- Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
Before you start in on me, don’t. As much fun as Raiders is, it was meant to serve as pure, mindless entertainment and that feat was achieved for sure, but that is the extent of my enjoyment of it. All of the non-action sequences just feel flat and uninspired.
SniderScore- 82

10- Indian Jones and the Temple of Doom
Slightly better script and I was more worried for Indiana Jones character (which was the main issue with Raiders… we never feared he could die or be seriously hurt), which caused me to feel more invested and on the edge of my seat.
SniderScore- 83

9- Minority Report
This film is a perfect example of what an effective action/sci-fi is supposed to feel. Minority Report is intense and interesting and fully effective within its genre, not confused about what it’s meant to be or over/underdone (ultimately 2 of the biggest Spielberg flaws). Tom Cruise is really good in this piece too, and during a time when making him appear talented in a movie was almost unheard of.
SniderScore- 85

8- The Color Purple
The first strict drama of Spielberg’s career and an overall stunning achievement. SS adapted a book that NOBODY thought should be adapted, and specifically by a WHITE, MALE. I mean, how could someone like Spielberg relate and articulate an experience, so foreign to his own, and yet, it is beautiful.
The things he chose to leave out and include wound up doing wonders for the story he was trying to tell and this was a gorgeous looking film through and through. TCP was the worlds first witnessing that Spielberg can direct ACTORS/ACTING.
SniderScore- 87.5

7- Close Encounters of the Third Kind
1977 and this film still looks AMAZING. I mean come on. A very simple and stripped back form of story-telling and yet, something very true to the vibe.
Close Encounters doesn’t look like anyone’s 4th movie, and yet it is. 1977 and this flick still feels so special when you see it.
SniderScore- 89

6- Catch Me If You Can
CMIYC is one of the most watchable Spielberg films. The acting is bar-none. The script is fabulous as well as the adaption itself. CMIYC is captivating and touching and special and a truly versatile showcase of direction and versatile is not a word I associate with Spielberg.
SniderScore- 90.5

5- E.T.
One of the only instances in Speilberg’s career where the sappiness matched the subject matter completely. E.T. features some of the best actings from children of all time, which is a major credit to SS’s communication and understanding as a visionary.
E.T. also features a knock-out score and fabulous prosthetics and spfx, not just in reference to its time, but EVER. I will never NOT adore this film.
SniderScore- 91.5

4- Jaws
Never before or since has a film elicited more fear than Jaws did in 75, and that hasn’t really changed. Jaws is the ultimate thriller and SS proved his chops as a director early on with this one. If you watch Jaws closely, you can see just how little you actually see the Shark.
In just his 3rd feature attempt, Spielberg started an institution, and for good reason. Jaws holds up over 40 years later.
SniderScore- 92

3- Saving Private Ryan
SPR is easily in the Top 3 War Films of All Time list. The first 15 minutes of this film should be taught in every film school in the country. Steven Spielberg showed the world that he can express grit, and fear, and violence in a way that nobody had ever done before-combining the terrible sadness of the entire narrative with beautiful imagery and conjuring powerful, honest performances in the process.
SniderScore- 95

2- Jurassic Park
The creation of CGI as we know it. An action-packed but truly entertaining piece of cinema. I can’t really think of anything bad about it.
SniderScore- 97

1- Schindlers List
By far the most important film of SS’s illustrious career, and also the most emotionally honest and heart-wrenching. Schindlers list as loaded with amazing performances, masterful handling of a difficult script, and some of the most gorgeous shots to ever grace this earth. The camera panning the little girl in red as she walks along this horror-stricken town surrounded by terror with the inevitability of her death looming and waiting and lurking as a way of symbolizing the slow build up and danger of the Nazi party to the point that extermination was imminent is one of the biggest feats in all of cinema,.
The use of shadows and light to represent Oscar Schindler’s understanding of his own feelings and fears is a subtly perfect piece of direction that makes a major difference in how everyone understands the iconic role.
Confronting his own faith and experience as a Jewish-American and honoring and educating millions of people in the process cannot be weighed in only cinematic terms and for his work on this 93 historical odyssey, casual viewers and fanatics of cinema alike are truly indebted to Steven Speilberg.
SniderScore- 99

Ranging from a measly 28 to one of the greatest films of all time, Spielberg really has made some polarizing films over the past 5 decades. Although he’s likely to pass on in the next 10-15 years, his legacy will live on forever, and if we’re lucky, the next crop of iconic filmmakers to fill in will have learned a few things from Spielberg’s better works.

Nobody needs to see anything in his bottom 10 though, they won’t miss too much.

2017 was a pretty fantastic year critically in film, boasting some of the most consistently high qaulity award nominees throughout all the different associations with honors (SAG, The Academy, Peoples Choice, Critics Choice, Golden Globes).
Quality, well produced indie films are becoming much more common, and as a result, smaller production companies are landing experienced stars to portray more personal subject matter. All of those things attract critical acclaim. For all the best films I watched last year, I truly think 9 of the top 10-12 were nominated for Best Picture, but even within those 9, there is a major distribution of quality. Following is my ranking of the 9 Best Picture Nominees (films made or released in 2017) from worst to best:

9- Dunkirk
Christopher Nolan doesn’t make a bad movie, he just doesn’t. Dunkirk is no exception. This 1940’s WW2 epic is gorgeous, well scored, decently well written and has narrative clarity. I feel like there were many pro’s and con’s to telling the story from the POV of many characters, with varied backgrounds and environments within the war to give the audience a wide scope of understanding, however, in doing so, Dunkirk limits the amount of character development it can have exponentially. Nolan really committed telling the story that way and I respect that and enjoyed various aspects, I just didn’t love it. Dunkirk is an interesting take on the war epic genre, but ultimately not a major highlight in Nolan’s career nor will it have as lasting of effects on the medium as some of the other films on this list.
SniderScore- (that’s me) (77)
Tomatometer- 92

8- The Post
As well crafted a film as Spielberg made here, I almost considered putting it at 9 but the performances of Hanks and Streep and the powerful yet accessible script put this just a notch ahead of Dunkirk. Of all the nominees, I feel like The Post and Dunkirk are the 2 I wouldn’t have nominated if given the choice personally. Don’t get me wrong, The Post is a well crafted story, I’m just not sure anyone wanted or needed it. Spielberg did the thing he usually does, make an entertaining and accessible film that looks really great and contains a ton of star power, but in the grand scheme of things this is definitely one of his more average outings as well as ‘just okay’ compared to some of the competition.
SniderScore-  (79)
Tomatometer- 87

7- The Darkest Hour
As far as general enjoyment, I don’t think this is above The Post for me, but the cinematography and arguably one of the greatest portrayals of a non-fictional character of All-Time by Gary Oldman just put this slightly over the edge in terms of overall quality. When push comes to shove, I watch films sometimes just to learn and experience greatness, and what Oldman does in that film warrants all the claim it received and more. I thought the script was pretty competent and even funny at times and the score was pretty great too.
SniderScore- (86)
Tomatometer- 85

6- Phantom Thread
Paul Thomas Anderson delivers a piece of cinema unlike anything we could have expected with Phantom Thread. As much as I personally enjoyed the brilliance of the acting and writing, I recognize that PT is still a pretty spacey and dry film and that because of that, it won’t appeal to everyone.
In a way, the intricate use of subtlety and sophistication of the characters and setting hinder it’s universality and ultimately it’s quality. this film had 2017’s best score in my opinion, as well as 3 of the strongest performances and some phenomenal production design but in all that, it is a bit too niche and stripped back of emotion to place higher on this list.
SniderScore- (90)
Tomatometer- 91

5- Call Me By Your Name
A quick note, the Top 5 Best Picture Nominees, are for me, a direct reflection of the best 5 films made in 2017 so even being the 5th (and so on down) best film of an entire year full of great films is a very high honor, now with that said: The best pieces of cinema touch and/or excite the audience, without feeling like they’ve had to work for it. That’s the difference between Call Me By Your Name and Phantom Thread. CMBYN manages to tell us an extremely complex visceral and touching story about love but do so with elegance and class and taste unrivaled by any almost every romance film in the past decade. CMBYN fuses just the right amount of sophistication to be understood by everyone, with a deeply true to life articulation of the concept of love and it’s incredibly powerful. The script is a very worthy adaptation of what I hear is an amazing book, it contains some really amazing camera work, and the performances from Timothee Chalamet, Armie Hammer, and Michael Stuhlbarg mark the best in each of their respective careers. All that said, the subject matter is limited to just one essential relationship and thus, the narrative and scope of the film do come of a bit contained.
SniderScore- (93)
Tomatometer- 95

4- Lady Bird
When I first made this list back in March, Lady Bird was 2 and since then I’ve dropped it 2 spots. I want to be clear that on a personal level, this movie effected me more profoundly than any of the other Best Picture Nominees. Anyone who knows me knows that Coming of Age is my most preferred genre as well as my main creative lens to tell stories from in my own writing. Over the last few months I’ve tried to detach myself from my appreciation in an influence sense and look at Lady Bird as a piece of cinema comparatively to its contemporaries. Lady Bird contains some of the most relatable and human dialogue I’ve ever heard and is also portrayed very honestly and for that, I will always admire it, but when you look at what some of these other films have done socio-politically, or just how well crafted a script some of them have it becomes hard to compare. Lady Bird is based on Greta Gerwig’s (the writer/director) own experiences growing up and is very honest and earnest and powerful in its own way, but Get Out,Three Billboards, and The Shape of Water are pieces of fiction, that manage to collide with masterful story-tellers to create truly flawless pieces of cinema. There is a distinction to be made, but make no mistake, Lady Bird is a wonderful film.
SniderScore- (95)
Tomatometer- 99

3- Three Billboards Outside Ebbing ,Missouri
Martin McDonagh has always been a brilliant satirist and competent writer of dialogue, which together form to make fantastic scripts, but nobody was prepared for this. 3B is far and away the smartest and most successful black comedy of all-time. If I told you what the plot without including some of the specifics to indicate some humor, just A happens, and then B, and then C, ect. you would think I’m describing a psychological thriller, not a black satire.
In addition to being the strongest written script of all of 2017, 3B has some of the most bold performances of the past few years. Frances McDormand gives the strongest performance of her career and Sam Rockwell commits to a very difficult and easy-to-mess-up performance and which will command respect for a long time. Woody Harrelson also gives a stand out performance (considering his limited screen time).
The script and acting are in competition with the the best of each respective category of nominees within the last decade at least. 3B has a pretty solid score and and camera-work as well.
All in all, Martin McDonagh and company have put together a film that will be used as the prime example of how pushing the boundaries of humor can cause a dialogue and teach people all about the effectiveness of perspective.
SniderScore- (96)
Tomatometer- 92

2- The Shape of Water
All the way up until 30 seconds ago, I had The Shape of Water as my number 1, but when I went to type “Get Out”, my gut instinct kicked in and I changed my mind. The Shape of Water to me, is the perfect amalgamation of all the other films best pieces. The Shape of Water contains the 2nd best ensemble of acting (3B), the 2nd personal script (Lady Bird), and also the more universal version of the power and blindness of love (CMBYN). The Shape of Water has the 2nd best score (Phantom Thread) and it has by far the most appealing production design.
The Shape of Water is the most consistently high-quality film of 2017. The Shape of Water is, and will be special, for years to come because it subverts genre. Romance, Sc-Fi, Thriller, Drama, and even Action fans can all love this film (and also make a reasonable claim that it is that genre). TSOW is the movie we all wanted and needed in 2017. TSOW reminds film goers everywhere that the power of love is always the strongest thing we have and that it’s okay to be different.
SniderScore- (98)
Tomatometer- 92

1- Get Out
Jordan Peele exceeded every expectation anyone could have ever come up with prior to the release of Get Out. Not only did Get Out create on of the most constructive dialogues about race relations in the United States that we’ve experienced in my lifetime, but in doing so, proved itself as one of the most brilliantly crafted films in the past decade. The script to Get Out is so layered and nuanced and cultured that it’s shines a light on the fears of an entire race of peoples, but also recognizes the complexity within itself. Get Out manages to take a microscope to a problem that has plagued the world (and specifically the United States) for thousands of years and is extremely entertaining the whole time.
The acting is fantastic and the score is super fitting for each scenario. Get Out is a very complete film, and an amazingly impressive debut from one of the future GOATs (yes, I’m making that claim).
I truly believe Get Out will stand the test of time because of all the reasons people analyze it to this day, it starts a dialogue that all the people looking backward don’t think we need to have, and there will always be even more people looking forward.
SniderScore- (99)
Tomatometer- 99

2017 was an amazing year in film, boasting an incredibly diverse line-up of Best Picture nominees, many of which will stand the test of time. I always like to mention, this list is just my opinions but I do enjoy each of the mentioned films for different reasons. I’d love to hear opinions!

-JS

Yeah, so I see a ton of movies at the theaters each year, upwards of 30. So far this year, I’ve gone out and seen 20, and here were the 10 that I enjoyed most.
To be clear, this is not the order of overall quality, just how fun of a time I had at the Theater and my immediate reaction after seeing. In hindsight, many of these films have fluctuated in my perception of their objective quality upon multiple viewings and reflection but the Theater-going experience does funky things to you. Anyway, here we go

10) TAG
A lot of people I know think this movie wasn’t very good but I disagree. I don’t think it’s amazing or a gold standard for comedy, but I laughed consistently throughout and I’m definitely getting it on DVD at some point down the road. Sometimes you have to try to enjoy something for what it is.

9) Isle of Dogs
This was one of my most anticipated films of the year and it was pretty good, it just didn’t quite live up to the hype. Great writing, gorgeous animation and design and a fantastic voice cast but ultimately the narrative was pretty disengaging by the end. I’d still love to own this in my collection.

8) Upgrade
This was non-stop intensity and a pretty great time, it’s just not really my preferred genre and therefore, there’s only a limit to how much I can truly enjoy its merits. I did love it for what it was though, but I don’t know if I’d ever want to own it. I might stream it again at some point though.

7) Sorry To Bother You
STBY is a freaking roller-coaster and I really liked it, but it is extremely layered and also contains tons of biting commentary so as a theater-going experience, it was disorienting at times. Make no mistake though, this is a fantastic film and I will definitely own it at some point.

6) Solo: A Star Wars Story
I actually really liked Solo. It was really easy to absorb and it never really stopped being exciting and fun from beginning to end. I’m a sucker for anything SW and this was a good time.

5) Deadpool 2
So apart from a handful of pretty unnecessary jokes that definitely MISSED the mark, this was doubly gorgeous, doubly funny, and an even better movie going experience than Deadpool. The X-Force stuff really sells it all though and I fear it won’t hold up quite so well without some of the shock value.

4) Black Panther
Hands down the best superhero movie for a very long time, easily top 5 all time. Great to look at, well written, acting was on point, and the soundtrack slaps, but sitting in a theater full of young people of color and feeling just how powerful an effect that positive representation had on them really overshadowed the experience itself. I believe Black Panther was made for everyone to enjoy, but it wasn’t made for ME or for people like me. (To be clear, I’m perfectly fine with that), but the intense socio-political gratitude I have for Black Panther just trumped it as a piece of cinema that day, otherwise, it would probably be number 1.

3) A Quiet Place
The theater is probably the best place to see AQP. It’s an extremely well-crafted suspense horror film and it will be talked about for a long while I think, but nothing beats the silent dread of the room as everyone looked with sheer intensity and refused to eat their snacks or take a drink, lest they miss something important. I truly special experience.

2) Hereditary
What a year for horror films! This was one of the most confusing and intense theatre experiences I have ever had. There’s a very specific 2 or 3-minute span that gets’s drug out to the point of literally palpable tension, as the audience waits to figure if something did or didn’t happen and what that means going forward in the film. I will always remember the feeling I had after this was over. I was up all night.

1) Incredibles 2
I waited 14 years and it was everything I wanted it to be and more. I laughed until I cried during some of Jack-Jack’s funniest scenes, I sat eagerly at the edge of my seat during the entire final 30 minutes, and I loved every single moment of this experience (Including Bao, the confusing but very sweet and touching short film before the shebang).

I’ll probably see at least a dozen more movies this year in the theater but these were the best of the best so far, let me know what you think! 🙂

-JS

It’s 4am now and I’m behind schedule so to be brief: I love Pixar. I enjoy every single Pixar movie I’ve ever seen (besides Cars 2) at least on some level. There are good Pixar films and there are REALLY good Pixar films. Over the past 20 years, Pixar has put out 20 feature films, and the margin of quality ranges pretty drastically.
Since Pixar films operate on a completely different level from your typical ‘critically acclaimed’ films, I figured I’d use a different metric.
Here are my criteria: great writing, lovable characters, re-watchability, well-crafted narrative, wow factor.
Great Writing at it’s best, bridges the gap between child and adult humor and understanding.
Lovable Characters at their best, are flawed and multi-dimensional and yet still beg to be rooted for, for one reason or another, much like actual people.
Re-Watchabiltiy is pretty obviously defined by its name, it’s how effective all the pieces are upon multiple viewings.
Narratively, the plot should be pretty cohesive considering many adults have to watch it, but not overly complex. For me, a well-crafted narrative is what makes something re-watchable above all else.
A wow factor is kind of intangible, it’s that feeling you get when you know that what you’re watching is touching your soul or reaching you on a profound level for any number of reasons.
Wow, that wasn’t brief at all. Did I mention it was 4am?

Anyway, each film get’s a 1-10 rating for each of the 5 criteria, and the score dictates it’s ranking. Here we go, OH, AND LET ME REITERATE, THESE ARE JUST MY OPINIONS, I, IN NO WAY, CLAIM TO KNOW MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE, although I do feel I have better taste than a lot of people. (That might not mean you).

20) Cars 2
Score, 20/50. This is uninspired garbage. It made decently likable characters much less likable, suffered from a really stupid plot, and overall, I wish it didn’t exist.

19) The Good Dinosaur
Score, 27/50. So this is a pretty amazing looking film (Pixar’s best-looking film until Coco imo) with some pretty cute (albeit 1 dimensional) lead characters with a stupid plot and overall pretty boring.

18) Cars 3
Score, 27.5. I really just don’t like this franchise much, but after a terrible, like, truly terrible outing in Cars 2, this was a slight step up. And it looked FANTASTIC.

17) Monsters University
Score, 29.5/50. Tons and tons of college jokes. Seriously, about 7 billion. Sully and Mike became caricatures of themselves and this is the moment my childhood died.

16) Brave
Score, 32/50. Congrats on having a super badass female lead. Too bad there isn’t that much else very funny or entertaining about it though. It kind of drowns out in the overall quality of some of Pixar’s follow-ups.

15) Cars
Score, 32.5/50
So the first time you watch it the characters are slightly charming. This also features the best plot of the entire franchise (if that’s not an indicator of how much of a trash pile this franchise is, I don’t think I’ve taught you anything).

14) Up
Score, 33/50. I know a lot of people will hate me for this, but having a ridiculously idiotic and hard-to-follow plot and annoying characters don’t make up for one of the greatest introductions of all time, and certainly some of the best 1 minutes in all of Pixar. It just doesn’t work that way sadly.

13) Finding Dory
Score, 36.5/50. I’m honestly surprised at how high this ended up. I guess having a bunch of charming random characters pop up to distract us from the fact that there’s virtually no plot or character growth isn’t so bad after all. Chalk this up as a slightly uninspired sequel with some pretty entertaining parts.

12) Toy Story
Score, 37.5/50. Props for being the stepping stone to an INSTITUTION, and also for being much much better during my childhood.

11) Bugs Life
Score, 38/50. I think Bugs Life is one of the most underrated Pixar films. The pieces are all okay, but something about the final product just feels so special. I genuinely can watch this ANY DAY of the week, which is more than I can say for anything placed below it on this list.

10) WALL-E
Score, 40/50. We’re starting to enter ‘really genuinely high-quality film’ territory. Wall-E has grown on me more and more with each viewing (just 3, tbh), but I do firmly believe there’s a great lesson to be learned from this one, and it’s so DARN CUTE.

9) Incredibles 2
Score, 41.5/50. As much amazing fun as it was to see this in theatres after waiting 14 years!, it is a lot of bells and whistles and lacks some of the heart of 8-1 on this list. I did really enjoy it, and it could easily be top 5 upon more viewings (or if I were a bit younger when it was released).

8) Toy Story 3
Score, 42/50. The main flaw is it’s constant pandering to the millennials to feel so bad and ignore the flaws because of nostalgia and stuff.

7) Inside Out
Score, 43/50. An extremely well-crafted film and also biting social commentary, but it feels a bit too much like a PSA and therefore loses re-watchability points.

6) Incredibles
Score, 44.5/50. Can we just take a second and realize that Incredibles made us excited about a concept that’s been mainstream for about 75 years. In itself, ‘superheroes’ is one of the least fresh and outside-the-box concepts in all of Pixar, and yet, The Incredibles is still one of the most popular products and manages to make a powerful statement on the importance of family and trust that came out of NOWHERE.

5) Monsters Inc
Score, 45/50. What a twisted perspective on something incredibly universal and relevant to children. FEAR. Also, this is such a FUN movie to watch. Monster Inc holds up better than almost all of the Pixar films that came later and I believe 20 films from now, it should (and will be) be pretty firmly in the Top 10.

4) Coco
Score, 47.5/50. The only reason this isn’t higher is that I predicted the entire ending (and reveal) about 20 minutes into the thing and that still disappoints me to this day. Also, as gorgeous and well written, and culturally representative as it is, it’s not as easy to watch and immerse yourself in as some of the others. BUT MY GOD, THIS ONE REALLY CHANGED THE GAME.

3) Ratatouille
Score, 48/50
I’m not really sure what to say because nobody loves this film as much as I do. I think it features some of the best writing of any Pixar film, it has two of the most lovable losers for protagonists and has a nice slice of culture that wasn’t really present for Pixar at the time. Not to mention an extremely well-crafted narrative.
Bonus points for the badass video-game too.

2) Toy Story 2
Score, 48/50. Technically a tie score with Ratatouille, for all the same reasons also. I just went with my gut on this one. Toy Story 2 is one of the best sequels of all time and the major peak of all the characters we’ve grown to love over the last 20 years.

1) Finding Nemo
Score, 49/50. This one wasn’t even that hard for me. Finding Nemo has always been my favorite Pixar movie. I’ve seen it at least 25 times and I still love it as much as I did when I was 7 (the year it came out). Nemo would be the standard for Pixar films for years to come.
Finding Nemo was the first Pixar film to feature multiple, multi-dimension characters as well as a genuinely well-crafted plot. Ultimately, Finding Nemo is the best parts of Incredibles, Inside Out, Ratatouille, and even Coco: It told us a pretty simple story but in an amazingly powerful and fun way, it had an extreme looming lesson present but didn’t feel like PSA at all, it gave us not 2, but 3 (or even more) lovable losers who we REALLY WANTED TO SEE WIN, and it was freaking gorgeous to look at.

Obviously, there were some major decisions made during this list, but I really think I put ample thought into the placement of each film on this list (except Cars 2, that one was obvious) and I know that we will all disagree on lots of things about this, but that’s part of the fun of watching movies I think.

-JS

Throughout the last few years, there have been many iterations of this list for me, in some of the early ones Inglorious Basterds was one of the lowest/weakest rated ones, and then after a very specific watch sometime last year I discovered a new love it, the opposite can be said of Hateful Eight. Though I think it’s pretty awesome still, the first couple of times I watched it I had it really high on my list (like top 2 or 3) and now its much lower. I guess my point is, like any body of work, there are weaker and stronger projects, and peoples opinions change for a complexity of reasons and I’mulled this list over so much that I feel confident in saying that I don’t foresee any more major changes past this point. Brace yourself, because here is what I think:

9- Deathproof
Deathproof seems to be the only QT film almost unanimously considered to be his wost. ALMOST. Although it isn’t a bad film by any means, I think it gets drowned by the more clearly Tarantino-esque entries in his catalog. With Deathproof I feel like Tarantino has written a perfectly crafted love letter to the 70’s grindhouse genre that shaped his writing and directing style, but that’s really all he did. In focusing so hard on making a genre film, QT abandoned his most memorable trait, not adhering to any genre.
It doesn’t help that Planet Terror, the Robert Rodriguez grindhouse flick grouped together with Deathproof is far superior.
I will say, the chase scene with the woman on the hood of the car is pretty freaking amazing, but sadly, it was the most redeeming aspect of Deathproof.

8- Jackie Brown
Now this one is tricky. People either love or hate Jackie Brown. Everyone I know has it in their Top 2 or Bottom 2 and that’s for 2 key reasons. 1) It isn’t nearly as ‘frivolous’ (for lack of a better term) as any other QT entry (think, the antithesis of Django or Kill Bill) and 2) The source material isn’t from the mind of Tarantino.
1 is a direct consequence (again, for lack of a better term) 2, and in my humble opinion, Tarantino works best when uninhibited, hence my lowest 2 selections, his only true ‘genre’ film, and the only one not directly created by his mind.
For me, Jackie Brown is a perfectly unique adaptation and also a film worth respecting, it just doesn’t really captivate me. It’s hard to sit through for me, and that really only applies to Jackie Brown and Deathproof of all his films.

7- Kill Bill Volume 2
For me, 1 is so good and 2 just kind of lingers and roams on it’s way to a conclusion. All of what was fun about 1 is slightly less present in 2 and that’s a major difference. I don’t think either Kill Bill is Tarantino’s best work, but the more boring of the 2 falls this low simply because he doesn’t really make bad movies and something has to be 7th.
I don’t have anything else really to add, this one was pretty easy for me.

6- The Hateful Eight
I respect so much all the ways that Tarantino tried going outside his box (which, at this point, was pretty big, to begin with), and for a long while, this was one of my very favorites. I absolutely adore the references to Agatha Christie novels/plays of old as well as the choice to set almost 2 hours of (this heavily, heavily wordy) film in 1 remote location. Essentially, there were many bold decisions made, many of which worked and a couple of them didn’t.
The Hateful Eight doesn’t have a huge re-watchability and on top of that, upon reflection, the characters are much weaker than the ones you expect to find in a QT film.
I think H8 might be one of the most important films of the 9, it just doesn’t compare with the likes of Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, Django, etc in an objective quality sense.

5- Kill Bill Volume 1
The Top 5 are just all crazy bangers, just saying.
Kill Bill is a ton of fun and a perfect example of when Tarantino has TOO MUCH freedom. As much fun it is and MY GOD, THE ACTION SEQUENCES ARE THE STUFF OF LEGENDS, oh yeah, as much fun as it is, it does have major tonal in-cohesion as well as being a little much… If I could, I would give half of it’s blah to Volume 2 and that way each of them feels more cohesive narratively and tonally.
I love this movie though, but it’s cutthroat when you compare the 5 best Tarantino flicks.

4- Reservoir Dogs
This one really hurts my heart. Unlike most people, who watched Pulp Fiction and went backward, RD happens to be my first QT experience. For most of my teen years, I was pretty adamant that RD was better than Pulp Fiction…but then I realized that’s incorrect. Reservoir Dogs is still a super rad, dialogue and character drive crime flick and one of the best first films of all time by any director. As perfectly competent as RD is, Tarantino definitely learned more about the craft and how to direct actors as his career went on, and this just doesn’t hold as much production power as some of his other work.

3- Inglorious Basterds
A great twist of frivolity (and yes, recreating history, in this fashion, is pretty damn frivolous) and sensibility in script writing. I think Inglorious and Pulp are Tarantino’s most superior scripts, and that’s not even close. Pair that up with stand out performances from Christof Waltz, Michael Fassbinder, and Brad Pitt and the fact that Hitler finally gets the gruesome death he’s always deserved and you get a great piece of cinema.
Each time I watch it I start to feel warmer and warmer on its charms.

2- Pulp Fiction
Great script, fantastic acting, very well-crafted narrative, the keys to a perfect script. Pulp Fiction is one of the most iconic films of all time and the only reason it isn’t number 1 is that ‘Django’ is a masterpiece in my eyes.

1- Django Unchained
So this is a western, which is a pretty clear commentary on slavery (and a great one) that has the most charismatic duo of actors of any of QT’s films and it also has tons of blood and gore (as you’d expect).
Every time I watch Django, I just can’t believe it’s a REAL movie. A former slave goes around killing a bunch of terrible people, with the help of some random older white guy, on a quest to find his banging wife. Tons of over the top violence but oddly enough, just the right amount. It’s a slightly less wacky version of Kill Bill, but with a major historic background and commentary, and Leo shreds hard in it too!
My love for Django is very much subjective but I do urge you to look at the script, the acting, and all the technical greatness that go into it next time you watch it, and how its flaws kind of seem to work in its favor. Django is such a charming amalgamation of so many pieces that shouldn’t work, but should, and that’s the epitome of Tarantino.

Regardless of how you feel about my placement of your favorite QT film, we can pretty much all agree that it’s comparing apples to oranges, but only both fruits are fucking rad.
As always, comment your opinions, I’d love to hear why you’re wrong 🙂

-JS

Before I really dive in and start writing really specific reviews I thought it would really fun to do a week of special reviews of really big name franchises/players just so that people can get a basic idea of my tastes. There really isn’t a better way than to rate things that everyone has seen and has strong feelings about, which brings me to the trifecta of Fandom. Lord of the Rings (and Hobbit), Star Wars (franchise and universe), and Harry Potter. I have many friends that obsess over these franchises EVEN today. Personally, I’m partial to Harry Potter (mostly due to the time period in which the first few films were released) but I happen to be a die-hard Star Wars fan and I do enjoy LoTR as well. Without further ado

Harry Potter Films Ranked-

9- The Deathly Hallows Pt 1
Although I really don’t have strong feelings either way about some of the lower positioned films on the list, this one is always the hardest to sit through and seems to serve the least purpose. The whole ‘Ron thinks Hermione is having an affair with Harry even though she isn’t even dating him’ story-line is really hard to sit through and the most memorable plot point all-together is Dobby dying, so that’s just sad. Splitting the final part was a poor choice in that all the lame build-up had to be put on 1, but what we got in the concluding chapter kind of made up for it.

8- Order of the Phoenix-
Umbridge makes my skin crawl. Yes, it’s all part of the actress’s job and she played it SOOO masterfully, but that doesn’t make me want to sit through it anymore. The whole Cho Chang thing is stupid too. The final 20 minutes is some of the best in the whole franchise, there just isn’t a lot of redeemable stuff throughout. I don’t take the books and how well they’ve been adapted into account much but turning the longest, and in my opinion, the 2nd or 3rd best book into the shortest and one of the most uneventful was just a pretty disappointing start for Yates. Luckily, he would recover quickly!

7- Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them-
I thought the world building in this to be pretty excellent as well as the introduction of all-new characters. I don’t think Newt is the most exciting character to drive an entire franchise, but this first entry seems to have done justice to the book and I always find myself enjoying it, it just isn’t as special as most of the others on the list.

6- Goblet of Fire-
When I first wrote this list, Goblet was 5th and Chamber was 6th, but after thinking a bit more about it, I do have to change that. Let me be clear, I love Goblet of Fire and everything below it on this list, in fact, Goblet was my favorite in the franchise at one time. Upon some reflection, it has one of the weakest (if not the very weakest) opening sequence, it seems to struggle in finding a balance between the humor and the dread (something that Pheonix does very poorly also) and when comparing it to Azkaban, it’s predecessor, it really deflated the progress of the series as a whole. I do love the dragons and the use of the tri-wizard tournament as a whole though, and I always watch this film with tons of affection!

5- Chamber of Secrets-
What a great follow up to the amazing film that started it all! I think Chamber does an amazing job of capturing a much more serious and dreadful tone, one that we can expect going forward, but managed to have fun in the process. I think I watch Chamber 2nd or 3rd most in the entire franchise and for good reason.
I must admit though, I don’t think it holds up quite so well (objectively speaking) as Sorcerors Stone or even Azkaban, I just really love watching this one.

4- Deathly Hallows Pt 2-
As far as going out with a bang, 10/10. As far as fan-service, 10/10. The last 45 minutes, 10/10. There is just a lot of build-up and on top of that, it’s goodbye, and even after having seen it a dozen times, it always feels too sad knowing its the end while you watch it. Now I know that isn’t a direct reflection of the quality, but it does make a difference when the smallest thing separates these Top 4.

3- Half-Blood Prince-
Interestingly, this was my least favorite theatre-going experience of them all (which is basically 4-8), and for a long time, it was one of my least favorites. Over the last 4 or 5 watches, I’ve really grown to love some of the subtle things that I feel take it over the top. It’s by far the most authentically funny of the franchise and manages to blend a very dark tone with very natural humor. In this film, the actors are starting peak as actors and not just as characters, and I think the use of color saturation to enhance the constant dread of the situation is a small but masterful piece of filmmaking.
There really isn’t anything working against this film other than Dumbledore dying (RIP), and in conclusion, it sets up what was supposed to be the concluding CHAPTER of the franchise masterfully.

2- Sorcerors Stone
Most people put this fairly low on their list and I think that’s a huge mistake. It’s a fantastic adaptation, it’s amazing in its world-building, and technically speaking, it’s extremely well crafted and holds up considering it’s been out for almost 2 decades.
Score- 10, SPfx (for the time)- 10, Cinematography- 10, add that to 3 strong performances by very young/inexperienced actors and you have franchise material quality.

1- Prisoner of Akzaban
It’s a great adaptation of one of the stronger books, it’s objectively the strongest directed film (and most outside the clichè of them all, and it’s the first film where all the pieces seemed to begin peaking. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint have begun coming into their own as actors within the world of Magic and their characters, Alfonso Cuaron directs the hell of out, adding his french auteur artsiness that compliments the natural magic of the universe. Also, Serius and Lupin and the start of the Ron-Hermione saga.

Star Wars Rankings-

10) Attack of the Clones-
Terrible CGI, even worse acting, and a ridiculous plot. Not nearly as watchable as it was when I was a kid. Luckily, there’s alcohol.

9) Phantom Menace-
My nostalgia towards this film must not cloud my judgment. Other than the pretty neat pod racing scene and the introduction of Darth Maul, this offers nothing to the canon.

8) Rogue One-
When a movie requires it’s characters, not it’s plot, to carry on its success, it shouldn’t have such weak characters. the final half hour is pretty special but overall, it’s pretty lame.

7) Solo-
I had a lot of fun watching this. It isn’t great, but it was far more enjoyable than Rogue One.

6) Revenge of the Sith-
Far and away the best prequel, but the CGI was still a minor issue and the acting left a lot to be desired. Obi V Anakin was pretty awesome though.

5) Return of the Jedi-
I realize it’s pretty controversial, but I think episode 6 is the most overrated of the entire franchise. The entire first act is bland and weak and the Luke v Vader showdown isn;t as good as the one in ep5.

4) Force Awakens-
Though its kind of a ‘paint by numbers’ version of ep 4, it still did well in reviving the Star Wars Saga and introduced us to some pretty likable heroes yet again.

3) The Last Jedi-
Another pretty controversial choice but I really like that they went a different direction by subverting every clichè outcome Star Wars have grown to expect. There is some really badass fight choreography, and other than the Rey/Luke story-line and the weird Leia almost-death, I really enjoyed every minute of it. I’m also a fan of their use of humor and thought it was pulled off much better than in ep 7. Don’t hate me, it’s just how I feel.

2) A New Hope
I mean, duh.

1) Empire Strikes Back-
The best in every way. None stop bangers for scenes.

LoTR/Hobbit-

6) The Hobbit: 5 Armies
Just a whole lot of wasted CGI and lackluster script-writing.

5) The Hobbit: Unexpected Journey
A decent start to the trilogy, but nothing super special about it. Acting overpowered a pretty weak script and at times just felt out of place.

4) Hobbit: Smaug
I mean, Smaug is pretty dope. Overall, the Hobbit series is pretty hard to watch for me.

3) LoTR: Fellowship of the Ring
This one really hurt. I mean, these are 3 bangers. I just really feel like it’s apples to oranges. As the opening chapter, it’s the main source of introduction into the characters and that holds back how much action/drama it can contain.

2) LoTR: Two Towers
For a long time, this was my very favorite but you really can’t rival the final hour or ROTK. You just can’t. I will say, TT and ROTK are essentially flawless in my eyes.

1) LoTR: Return of the King
It’s just such a big piece of cinema. the spfx are pretty wicked considering it was 03′ and it’s just none stop excitement.

So I’m not as big on Lord of the Rings as I am on Star Wars and specifically Harry Potter, so sorry about the lack of reasoning behind my choices as I went on. Also, I’ve definitely been typing this for over an hour so I’m feeling kind of drained. I hope you like my lists though and I look forward to hearing your thoughts and opinions.

-JS