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| Wombat 2017, Finito! Alone on p4 |
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 20th December 2017, 06:14 PM
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#1
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 The owls are not what they seem
Pronouns: He/him
Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,120 User: 9,232 
          
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 I finally got round to compiling a list for this, honestly I thought I would probably restrict it to around 50 or 75 songs as I just haven't been into music in general this year, I guess cos I've had other things on my mind, but lo and behold I did just about manage to find 100 songs to go through so yay! It's been a tough year - my charts interests again declined, not gone entirely but I could possibly see that happening in future years, I tended to stick to BJSC + random YouTube and reddit finds so there's quite a lot of them here, but there is still quite a few chart hits littered about as well as some old time faves of mine, I guess I can't resist a good waffle about music. I'll hopefully be talking about my film + TV adventures this year too, starting tomorrow hopefully ;o |
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21st December 2017, 01:27 PM
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#2
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 Buy yourself a car, and a house in Devon
Joined: 6 May 2016
Posts: 23,892 User: 23,247
     
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Looking forward to this!
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21st December 2017, 10:47 PM
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#3
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The owls are not what they seem
Pronouns: He/him
Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,120 User: 9,232
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I'm gonna start with TV shows. A straight out ranking of everything I watched this year that are 2017 shows, decided not to include those I haven't finished yet to make it fair (which unfortunately includes The Walking Dead, I used to look forward to catching up with this but...
 ), Philip K Dick's Electric Dreams was one that's discounted, it started out good and had a fab premise, but nothing really grabbed me much and I found myself forgetting it was on a lot.And Black Mirror may well be up here, but given it's not out for another week and I likely won't complete it within 2017 at that rate, I will count that as 2018 to hopefully sing it's praises next year~ Anyways:  06. Westworld 07. American Crime Story: The People vs OJ Simpson 08. Bates Motel 09. Stranger Things 2 10. Pls Like 11. A Series of Unfortunate Events 12. Doctor Who 13. Born to Kill 14. W1A 15. Back 16. Black Lake So I do tend to want to finish TV series' when I start them even when their rubbish so it can become a bit of an endurance test, it's rarely bad, I wouldn't bother starting if I didn't think I could endure it, but sometimes it's not so good. Black Lake is a good example, a Scandinavian supernatural horror, it had a wonderful setting and was gorgeous to look at, and had good set-ups, but otherwise...meh. Nothing really built up, we knew there was a mystery but the main characters seemed insistent on being as stupid and unlikeable as possible and going round in circles, resulting in nothing happening for the majority of the time. To top it all off, in the last episode, we never really found out all the questions, and I highly doubt it was keeping us guessing for a second season, more poor writing. Just generally a bit of a bore-fest and a reason that building suspense isn't really good enough when you have nothing to actually build to. The rest were all quite good though - Back was a decent comedy, I always love Mitchell and Webb, I found the ending a bit of a damp squib and I doubt it'll stick in my mind much, but it was pleasant. W1A has certainly seen better days, but it was still pretty hilarious (and indeed from knowledge of my sister working at the BBC, quite apt) and a nice round off, I loved the feature of David Attenborough particularly. Yes, exactly yes. Born to Kill was quite intriguing, certainly a brave and interesting character study of a psychopath that was quite suspenseful, if veering between slow going and difficult to watch sometimes. Awww, I didn't intend for Doctor Who to be that low, it just got pushed down a lot, not a vintage series, last year was much better, but one that still kept me interested and had moments of excellence for it's moments of grey. Bill was a great companion and Capaldi was far more comfortable, I look forward to his send off. My only experience of A Series of Unfortunate Events before had been a rather unremarkable film adaptation and I never got round to finishing the books even though I own them. Netflix's version turned out to be a success and one I could get into - it had the tone and actors just right and being pretty faithful to the books at the same time is a plus. Neil Patrick Harris still isn't quite right as Olaf for me, but he still has a good few series' to make that up. Pls Like is a BBC Three online series savagely parodying Youtubers and telling the story of a cynical bast*rd that is challenged by a ultra seedy PR manager to become one himself and it is pretty darn hilarious, it's six episodes and they're only fifteen minutes each so you can get through it in an afternoon, I think it's on YouTube so I'd really recommend it, it's worth it. Stranger Things 2 was a more than worthy follow up to Season 1 with more focus on character development and ramping it up on the horror which was great, tad more slower moving and didn't expand the world as much as I'd hoped, but still very entertaining and promising that this is going to be a wonderful series to follow. Bates Motel had it's final series this year, a retelling of Psycho, this was after the inevitable had happened and Norman's descent into madness becomes clearer. What I like about this show is even though it is an adaptation and acknowledges it's restrictions, it still is it's own show and isn't afraid to switch things up if it needs to. This final series had a lot of twists which you may not have expected, especially in relation to the film and was a suitably emotional and dramatic ending to the tale of Norman Bates. I wish this had got more acclaim as it really was quite a great show. I binge-watched American Crime Story: The People vs OJ earlier this year, and it was great. I'm not normally into crime but this is gloriously filmed, respectful to it's story and constantly tension building and shocking in it's reveals, it certainly interested me in looking up the case and still feels very topical to this day. Shoutout to AHS regular Sarah Paulson who is excellent as always, but all performances are great. Hyped for Season 2 coming next year ;o Finally WestWorld I completed this year even though I did discuss it last year, and it was a fantastic show. They have really done the right thing taking the layered characters and thoughtful moments over constant action that they could've done and it really is a thought-provoking insightful piece of sci-fi, with a wonderful performance from Anthony Hopkins. The ending almost left me breathless, I'm certainly eager to find out what they do next with it as it really could become the next Game of Thrones as it keeps on. |
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21st December 2017, 11:14 PM
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#4
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 🔥🚀🔥
Joined: 30 August 2010
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That seems about right for Doctor Who. It is an improvement over the Clara era but the writing still isn't as good as it was back in the first few seasons of the reboot. I'm excited for what Jodie Whitticker will bring to the character though, I've heard she is meant to be good. Also only a few more sleeps until the Christmas special! Which will inevitably be disappointing as usual but still. The premise of the return of the first doctor sounds more interesting than last year's superhero idea.
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21st December 2017, 11:50 PM
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#5
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The owls are not what they seem
Pronouns: He/him
Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,120 User: 9,232
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In FIFTH is Game of Thrones, still continuing to be the top show on television and for good reason - Season 7 was a spectacular call to arms for all the main participants and we got some pretty incredible battle and dragon scenes (the White Walker battle especially) and truly some of the most breathtaking cinematography seen on television. It goes without saying that Game of Thrones is a lot to take in and this was no different, there was an awful lot going on and sometimes too much that certain characters couldn't help but feel a bit neglected and somewhat different traits of characters to what was expected, and the upped ante of everything meant there was some pretty weird and out of the ordinary rules even for a fantasy show, but then what else could it do, it's the final season of a true epic. It still is by rights the best show on television, and the final part of the season when it will come, is surely going to be jaw dropping.
In FOURTH is Inside No. 9, one of the most underrated and excellent shows on television. I have seen no show that is truly daring, unconventional and constantly several steps ahead of the viewer in such a long time and Season 3 of this series exemplified that. Some of these tales really pushed the boundaries of black humour, some were straight out uncomfortable to watch at times (I won't do spoilers but let's just say nothing's particularly too taboo for this show) but always impactful. I can see why this is still kept to BBC2 as a mainstream audience would not get it at all, but it's one of the all time best works of macabre anthology fiction and would highly recommend it to all. In THIRD is a curveball~ Not a full series but one of the most powerful and interesting documentaries I've seen in a long time - Chris Packham: Aspergers and Me having Aspergers myself, I often don't feel that understood by that many people around me and it can be hard for me to understand people from time to time. I feel like this show was the most honest, understanding, insightful and relateable take on Aspergers I've ever seen, I don't even know this guy, I gather Autumnwatch or something, but he was truly stunning here. Really revealing how while he has learnt to live with it and accomplish so much with his own interests, it's never gone away and that's the way it will be. It somewhat gave me the confidence It was also quite a harrowing look at some ways at which it is attempted to be 'cured', showing that unfortunately there's some work to do with regards for getting people/employers to understand this, but also, more hopefully, some of the employers that recognise the seriousness of the condition and that people that function this way can give their own benefit to society. I really would recommend it, especially to those that do have Aspergers on here, it's on BBC iplayer and really is a wonderful watch. In SECOND is Blue Planet II, so this was NEVER going to disappoint and sure enough, it didn't. Picking up where Planet Earth II left off, it gave a visually and dramatically stunning view of our oceans and the weird and wonderful life that inhabits there, some of which I have certainly never heard of before. every show I was just left open-mouthed at how they actually managed to film certain shots and capture these glorious animals in their element, so the making of... was always stunning. Central to the show ofc. was an environmental awareness message, and the true devastation that the Earth's oceans are suffering as a result of rubbish in oceans and temperatures rising, it's not a new message but a heartbreaking one and this view of oceans delivered so exquisitely really showed how much we need to work to save it, much like Planet Earth did the same last year. Still, you can only leave it up to a show like this to truly make you see the best of where you are and what you can do. But in FIRST after some deliberation is The Handmaid's Tale, a show that will probably be seen by many as one of the defining shows of the year and I can definitely see why. I've never read the novel though I have intended to on various occasions and did actually research it a bit for my dissertation back in the day, so I was eager to see a TV adaptation. But seriously, top marks to whoever brought this out now of all times - as it really couldn't have been more relevant. We always look to dystopias as fear of what's to come, but ultimately fiction, but the fact is the best dystopias get it RIGHT, look at Orwell's 1984 - a lot of what's happened there has happened to some extent at some places in the world, and Brave New World's concept of things we love making us immune to corruption can sadly be seen quite clearly too. And so the same is true for The Handmaid's Tale - a story that shows a society where a theocracy rules and women are subjugated as maidens and carriers of children for their lords. In a world where the president of the USA has been called out for sexual assault and where TIME's person of the year are women that break the silence on these attacks, it's timing couldn't have been better and really shows that we do have a long way to go in equality and the scary lifelike scenarios (including modern use of iPhones, coffee shops etc.) that endures throughout do well to staple the series to the present to exemplify this. But asides from it's themes, it's an excellent show in it's own right - told almost as a stream of consciousness from Offred's perspective as she goes about her life and silently plots to gain independence as well as showing grisly flashbacks as to how this came about is effective in it's tension building, especially when Offred is with supposedly 'the enemy' and while some of the suffering shown is grueling, it ultimately serves it's purpose of showing an enigmatic and slow moving world ruled by tyranny and the horrors that can become of just one person. It really is an excellent, well acted watch thematically, visually and no show quite summed up 2017 like it. The Emmys were well deserved.  01. The Handmaid's Tale 02. Chris Packham: Aspergers and Me 03. Blue Planet II 04. Inside No. 9 05. Game of Thrones 06. Westworld 07. American Crime Story: The People vs OJ Simpson 08. Bates Motel 09. Stranger Things 2 10. Pls Like 11. A Series of Unfortunate Events 12. Doctor Who 13. Born to Kill 14. W1A 15. Back 16. Black Lake |
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22nd December 2017, 01:12 PM
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#6
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The Lady Said Go Home!
Pronouns: He/Him
Joined: 20 April 2014 Posts: 22,030 User: 20,835
  
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Out of all those television shows I have only seen Doctor Who
 
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22nd December 2017, 02:59 PM
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#7
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 c:
Joined: 12 March 2014
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Not seen a single one of those TV shows and probably won't have heard many of the songs but I'm super excited for the Movies section which I hopefully will be a bit more familiar with :')
I've still been enjoying the commentaries anyway. The Handmaid's Tale was on my watchlist for ages but I never got around to it, your write-up really makes me want to see it now 
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22nd December 2017, 04:53 PM
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#8
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 I'm a paragon so don't perceive me
Joined: 3 February 2011
Posts: 37,417 User: 12,929          
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Yes at other people doing TV show countdowns. I think it's only (curse my non-Western approach) Game Of Thrones I have in common, with and I agree mostly with what you said in that the ante upping means that there's a few of the quieter parts of the show that I liked that have gotten a bit neglected. I have Stranger Things 2 on my watchlist, I would have seen it had I not gone away, because the first one was incredible last year - and your #1 sounds fairly incredible, I may have to give that one a check, although having said that, I've been meaning to give Westworld a check for basically the whole year based on what I think was your review of it last year
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23rd December 2017, 02:36 PM
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#9
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The owls are not what they seem
Pronouns: He/him
Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,120 User: 9,232
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QUOTE(►▲NT▲ CL▲ @ Dec 21 2017, 11:14 PM)  That seems about right for Doctor Who. It is an improvement over the Clara era but the writing still isn't as good as it was back in the first few seasons of the reboot. I'm excited for what Jodie Whitticker will bring to the character though, I've heard she is meant to be good. Also only a few more sleeps until the Christmas special! Which will inevitably be disappointing as usual but still. The premise of the return of the first doctor sounds more interesting than last year's superhero idea. I think I'm done expecting any of the writing near the standard of the RTD era tbh but I can't give up yet Indeed, I'm certainly interested in what she can bring as I've liked her before. I never particularly take the Christmas specials seriously as they're almost always very corny and meant for pure enjoyment rather than canon tales, but this one certainly looks interesting and particularly with Capaldi's regeneration.QUOTE(MerryFlynnmas @ Dec 22 2017, 01:12 PM) Out of all those television shows I have only seen Doctor Who QUOTE(Josh! @ Dec 22 2017, 02:59 PM) Not seen a single one of those TV shows and probably won't have heard many of the songs but I'm super excited for the Movies section which I hopefully will be a bit more familiar with :') I've still been enjoying the commentaries anyway. The Handmaid's Tale was on my watchlist for ages but I never got around to it, your write-up really makes me want to see it now I would highly recommend The Handmaid's Tale to you both, you guys would love it! (And Stranger Things as well for that matter!) QUOTE(Yuki On Ice~ @ Dec 22 2017, 04:53 PM) Yes at other people doing TV show countdowns. I think it's only (curse my non-Western approach) Game Of Thrones I have in common, with and I agree mostly with what you said in that the ante upping means that there's a few of the quieter parts of the show that I liked that have gotten a bit neglected. I have Stranger Things 2 on my watchlist, I would have seen it had I not gone away, because the first one was incredible last year - and your #1 sounds fairly incredible, I may have to give that one a check, although having said that, I've been meaning to give Westworld a check for basically the whole year based on what I think was your review of it last year WestWorld would be sooo up your street, get on it! (and I will finish Death Note at some point too)  Stranger Things 2 is great, bit slower moving than the last one but I'd say episodes 8 and 9 are the better than any S1 episode. If you're into dystopias, you'd definitely like Handmaid as well~
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23rd December 2017, 03:38 PM
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#10
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The owls are not what they seem
Pronouns: He/him
Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,120 User: 9,232
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Had I see one more movie I could've made it a perfect 20, awww, but that's actually a few more than I thought. Generally a very good year for films, though I'm still very annoyed Hollywood could actually green light something as horribly twisted and exploitative as The Emoji Movie, a film that truly shows the dark side of the world and though I didn't go near it, it is genuinely a complaint about the film industry. Anyway, spoilers may follow etc.
 06. Manchester By The Sea 07. Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi 08. Moonlight 09. Wonder Woman 10. Moana 11. The Lego Batman Movie 12. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. II 13. La La Land 14. Hell or High Water 15. Hacksaw Ridge 16. Lion 17. Annabelle: Creation 18. Hidden Figures 19. Fences So I liked all of these to some extent, the most far out were probably the bottom 2. Fences while boasting incredible performances, was essentially a staged play filmed and not particularly entertaining or cinematic. Hidden Figures again had excellent performances and was an inspirational story that I wasn't aware of before, but it was kinda cheesy and Hollywood-ised in it's retelling, something I admire but not that I go back to. Annabelle: Creation I saw in the summer when I needed a bit of a horror fix, and like Ouija: Origin of Evil last year, it was while using every trope in the book, still pretty darn creepy and thrilling viewing, I swear to God, children's dolls in horror are the most terrifying thing ever. A little bit different, Lion again had an excellent performance and a beautiful story and I actually shed a few tears at the ending, but ultimately while the beginning act in incredible, the middle where he's grown up ultimately drags far too much, could've been half an hour shorter at least. Hacksaw Ridge isn't often my type of film, but again an inspiring story and certainly a pacifist on the battlefield is someone I can root for. Hell or High Water was pretty thrilling and breathless, a cat and mouse race similar to No Country for Old Men if not having quite the same impact and I liked that it gave a focus to both the outlaws and the cops both doing their last job. La La Land probably came at the wrong time and wasn't really the film Hollywood needed to show they weren't up their own arse, but it's a highly stylish, well acted musical with great songs and incredible cinematography that reaches outside even musical fans, I didn't think it deserved my number 1 but then I suppose that nothing else really....oh hang on, it's only 13th (  ). Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 & The Lego Batman Movie were actually one and the same in that I adored both originals and the sequels were great and very entertaining, but never quite reaching those heights and sometimes being a bit 'more of the same'. I still highly adored both though and the second act of both with the upped (and a tad convoluted) drama was pretty amazing. Moana was another triumph from Disney, very catchy songs and a suitably epic tale to match it's setting, great voice work too though both were overshadowed by the chicken quite frankly x it's also nice to not see an overly Americanised view of different cultures from Disney which they had gotten wrong, I particularly liked that some of the songs were in a different language! Wonder Woman was refreshing as amongst the oversaturation of superhero films, it's good to see one that not only has a woman at the lead but also one that hasn't been explored much before despite being an iconic character. DC really got this just right, amazing action, a great heart to the story with reliance on mythos and humour thrown in and faithfulness to the character, pleasing to see a World War setting as well outside the traditional 'New York in peril', Gal Gadot was simply born to be that character and she is STUNNING in the film going well beyond the typical male gaze. Moonlight was probably one of the most important films to come out of this year - there's so little attention paid to the demographic the film was focused on and NOT studied from a racism angle and even analysing LGBT issues is a brave choice and it's played excellently throughout as it gives a thoughtful and dramatic life story told excellently, think Boyhood but a bit more rough edged. This winning Best Picture (whether it was the academy responding to the #Oscarssowhite trend or not) was a great moment. Finally, Manchester By The Sea was an excellent and so so tragic portrait of loss with another well deserved win for Casey Affleck, it's refreshing to see a character so devoid of life spark such a reaction and the wintery setting and uncertain plot points building up the reveal are stunningly done, beautiful score too. I may be doing a ranty paragraph about Star Wars now as I kinda have to in the wake of this backlash So yes, The Last Jedi I only saw last week and I really enjoyed, and as I speak, it's certainly cementing itself as one of the most divisive Star Wars films ever. Critics called it one of the best up there with Empire Strikes Back, then audiences saw it and...well not all of them agreed. Currently sitting at 92% on Rotten Tomatoes yet just 54% on audience scores, it's safe to say there was somewhat lofted expectations for these. My view? I really liked it and this has taken me aback a bit on further analysis, I do see some of the valid criticisms but some of them are just stunningly missing the point. I read an article the other day which perfectly summed up my thoughts so you can read about it here so I won't repeat it. I'll just say my own thoughts on the film - the criticisms I DO agree with are that the villains with the exception of Kylo Ren have proved extremely two-dimensional and worrying. I'm hoping there's more to Snoke we don't know yet revealed next film as otherwise, he was a damp squib and Captain Phasma was awfully underused when she was so hyped out and played by the mighty Brienne of Tarth, that was a missed opportunity. The plot wasn't the best, it came to a standstill at points and yes, Finn and Rose's storyline was completely pointless dramatically as it didn't further the plot at all and served as a distraction. I grant those that, but at the same time I don't see why this is an exclusive problem to this film - HOW many plot holes have there been in the Star Wars films? It's not a franchise particularly renowned for it's incredible writing, Empire aside, it's hardly exclusive to this film. This does lead me on to the main criticism I don't really agree with - that it's 'not what you'd expect' from a Star Wars film. For a franchise to move on, it has to evolve, it has to move forward and it should and will surprise fans. Things are different now and Star Wars should adapt to that - I like that they made Rey's parents no one, it would've been super cliched whatever the reveal, I like Luke's new cynicism and rejection of the Jedi and the fact that the Force can work on others and allow teleportation, I think it suits him and expands what the Force is, and the humour really wasn't that bad, God forbid they put a few one liners in there. Moreover, I really love the dynamic between Kylo and Rey, I really found myself not knowing which way they'd turn and I found that the best way to treat them, two different sides drawn together both struggling with the weight of what they've been doing, I think it's fascinating to watch and it's what made all the island scenes all the more engrossing. I liked The Force Awakens, but it was essentially a remake of a New Hope, and I certainly wouldn't have wanted it to continue with that as it has to establish a new identity for a new times, which I think it did here, and I do wish Star Wars fans moaning 'omg they're changing everything, I want the old Star Wars back!11' would shut up and realise we are NEVER going to get a Star Wars film that's as great as the original trilogy, a classic isn't born in a day and I do feel time will be kinder to this like it was to Empire... (or I could be wrong ;o). I didn't think it was the best film I saw this year and far from the best Star Wars film, but it was a daring and adventurous new direction for the franchise and it still leaves me very interested in what will happen next. I think I wrote more about that than my top 5 films put together whoops  Breathing break~
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23rd December 2017, 04:53 PM
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#11
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you never forget your first time...
Pronouns: he/him
Joined: 19 April 2011 Posts: 121,677 User: 13,530        
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Doctor Who
 I've said it before, but while series 10 isn't overall as good as many that have been and gone, it's certainly the most consistent series in years and I don't think there was a truly terrible episode for me. And that finale....wow Bill and Nardole were both super refreshing and it was Capaldi's best performance in the role so far, will be a shame to see him go.
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24th December 2017, 12:57 PM
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#12
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The Lady Said Go Home!
Pronouns: He/Him
Joined: 20 April 2014 Posts: 22,030 User: 20,835
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My favourite movie of that list is Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol II as it's the only one I have seen yet.
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24th December 2017, 01:50 PM
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#13
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🔥🚀🔥
Joined: 30 August 2010
Posts: 74,564 User: 11,746
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Really love Star Wars and Guardians of the Galaxy, two of the best franchises at the moment.
Kylo Ren and Rey are the big standouts of Episode VIII, the film wasn't perfect but it's far better than what the fanbase would have you believe (the Star Wars fanbase are never pleased with anything though). |
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24th December 2017, 04:21 PM
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#14
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The owls are not what they seem
Pronouns: He/him
Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,120 User: 9,232
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In FIFTH is Dunkirk, I would definitely count Christopher Nolan as one of the best and most innovative living directors currently. He's no Hitchcock yes, but it's quite hard to deny there are many other directors that push the boundaries of genre quite like he does. Dunkirk, a movie set in World War II and so you have prior expectations for a war movie, but again he confounds them into not just a spectacle on the horrors of war but a celebration of the good humans can do as well as a technically stunning view of the war through three different perspectives that tells a different story, not focusing entirely on action but instead raising the stakes gradually. The greatest thing about this was the sound - and it should hopefully pick up a few Oscars for that - it is so clear and brilliant particularly in the plane side of the story, even better was that the dialogue in this movie could've probably filled up five pages of the script at most, it was very much secondary to what we were seeing. It was almost a literary experience with a cinematic view, as odd as that sounds, only he could do something like this and it certainly cements his status as one of the twenty first century's own auteurs.
In FOURTH is Blade Runner 2049, which will probably be remembered as one of the saddest disappointments box office wise, it still did well ofc. but just not quite as great as you would think for the long awaited sequel to one of the most well known sci-fi films ever. Maybe it was the lack of marketing and trailers, maybe it was the lack of mainstream appeal, but either way it's a great shame as it is an excellent film. Denis Villeneuve, again one of the greatest directors of recent times, was certainly right for this. There is certainly no obvious crowd pleasing going on here, except through the absolutely jaw-droppingly stunning future city which look just as great as the original's setting and was certainly what a modern remake of this film would be. As well as that, it works as certainly not a rip-off the original, but more continuing it's mythos and adding some thoughtful intrigue - if the original focused on the potential dangers of technology and how much it can blend with our world, this almost offers a sympathetic view to that and questions further how human and technology can be so intertwined and being told from the point of view from a replicant exemplifies this and makes the memory scenes even more powerful. It's a bit of a heavy film and can be hard to follow, but if you stick with it, it really gives some incredible emotional pay off, the performances and characters are all excellent too, Ryan Gosling is as wonderfully mysterious as ever and Harrison Ford offers a great throwback for fans at the end. There are still a lot of unanswered questions so I wonder if another one is planned, either way, this sequel was worth it and I can only hope it can gain a similar cult following that the original got over time. In THIRD is Logan, Superhero movies becoming so oversaturated in the market means that one that changes up the rules stands out in a big way and Logan was certainly a refreshing addition. There is no sugarcoating, no dumb action and cracking one liners (though that's not to say this movie doesn't have a sense of humour, far from it, taking itself too seriously is a sin that only the worst superhero movies fall into), instead is virtually, in a similar vein to The Dark Knight which this could have similar impact to, is a dark thriller that just happens to feature the X-Men. The disheveled state of Wolverine alongside Professor X is heartbreaking for characters we know and love so well, but excellently done and it's made clear that there's going to be no happy ending right from the start and we are less breathlessly wondering where their final mission will take them. It's easily the best performance and perfect swan song for Hugh Jackman in years. Caliban was also great, I must confess not to knowing a lot about the X-Men comics but he was a welcome addition. One could argue the ending stepped into cliche territory but it doesn't confirm victory, just offers hope and Logan and Laura have excellent chemistry, we can all see the ending coming but that doesn't make it any less heart-breaking. One of the most innovative and distinct superhero films to come out possibly since The Dark Knight and which I hope can continue to have a big influence on the genre. In SECOND is Get Out. Another film that I think will be remembered as one of the defining films of the year and seeing a horror film do so well amongst critics to be highlighted as an Oscar contender is brilliant and I really hope that is gets a nomination at the very least. Horror films do follow a certain formula that isn't for everyone, but Get Out takes this to a wider scale and it results in one that is not only a great horror film but also a great, thought provoking. The tension is built throughout, the performances are excellent (particularly the white family that are terrifically unnerving) and the black seeming house servants are actually one of the scarier parts of the movie along with the psychological aspects for just being so terrifying in their absence of emotions. It's hard to not talk about the big reveal here, but suffice to say the theme of racism and the breaching the elite are the main themes and these turn out to be crucial in the movie's main scare - that white people domineering over blacks are something we often take for granted and don't notice as much these days even though racism is still clearly prevalent where we don't necessarily see it, the film extrapolates that to make something very scary ultimately because it taps into something we like to think we're past as humans. It's a large part of how this film's social critique really works and combining it with all the homages paid to horror and thriller films and the thrills that ensue make it a unique film in the market and one I'm very pleased has been recognised. My watching experience of this was unfortunately hampered by the fact I had to watch in the same theatre of girls that chatted and texted through the whole movie and then started screaming and cheering at all the big scares, and I'm reminded of why I like to watch films at home  But it wasn't enough to ruin the film, that rare horror that actually has something for everyone. And in FIRST is Arrival, Gosh Denis Villeneuve is quite wonderful isn't he? (I still need to check out Sicario), his view of Science Fiction is so intelligent and layered than others of the same ilk and that certainly shines through with Arrival. I was so pleased to see this get a Best Picture nod even if I knew it hadn't a hope of winning as it is such a brilliant film and Science Fiction along with Horror is still very underrepresented within that category. But onto the film itself - it's certainly worth my number 1 as everything here is done so perfectly - the performance from Amy Adams is exceptional and makes it even more of an injustice that she was snubbed from the Actress category as she is the perfect intelligent yet clearly struggling scientist that is set to command the world. The cinematography is also stunning, there's more than a callback to Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey with that monolith and it shows. The themes are also perfectly done for modern science fiction - it uses it's subjects to show the biggest weakness in humanity and also how human other lifeforms can be. The concept of language is crucial and works as a major theme in this film (won't spoil it, but it's certainly a great pay off) that you really wonder why it hasn't been explored before. Lastly, it works narratively as it constantly raises your intrigue about not just the alien main plot but also her own secrets and how they tie in before a sneaky reveal at the end, again I won't spoil but it's done very well. I really can't praise this enough, an utter triumph of modern science fiction and filmmaking itself and one that certainly showed Villeneuve as a talent to watch. I can think of no other suitable film as my number 1 and I highly recommend it to you all. 01. Arrival 02. Get Out 03. Logan 04. Blade Runner 2049 05. Dunkirk 06. Manchester By The Sea 07. Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi 08. Moonlight 09. Wonder Woman 10. Moana 11. The Lego Batman Movie 12. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. II 13. La La Land 14. Hell or High Water 15. Hacksaw Ridge 16. Lion 17. Annabelle: Creation 18. Hidden Figures 19. Fences That's enough writing for one day I think, tune back after Christmas for the top 100 songs! *. Feliz Navidad to you all in the meantime~ |
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28th December 2017, 07:38 PM
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#15
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The owls are not what they seem
Pronouns: He/him
Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,120 User: 9,232
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QUOTE(JosephCarey @ Dec 23 2017, 04:53 PM) Doctor Who I've said it before, but while series 10 isn't overall as good as many that have been and gone, it's certainly the most consistent series in years and I don't think there was a truly terrible episode for me. And that finale....wow Bill and Nardole were both super refreshing and it was Capaldi's best performance in the role so far, will be a shame to see him go.It was consistent in that there were mainly solid episodes, it just lacked a really huge memorable standout (although the Cybermen two parter was great). Bill was indeed great and I'll miss her, Nardole...I did grow to tolerate, but I'm not shedding tears he's not coming back QUOTE(MerryFlynnmas @ Dec 24 2017, 12:57 PM) My favourite movie of that list is Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol II as it's the only one I have seen yet. I'm not sure exactly what movies you're into, but if you liked GOTG, you'd definitely like The Lego Batman Movie and Wonder Woman! QUOTE(►▲NT▲ CL▲ @ Dec 24 2017, 01:50 PM) Really love Star Wars and Guardians of the Galaxy, two of the best franchises at the moment. Kylo Ren and Rey are the big standouts of Episode VIII, the film wasn't perfect but it's far better than what the fanbase would have you believe (the Star Wars fanbase are never pleased with anything though). I'm glad someone agrees! Indeed, I wish the mega fans would take Star Wars films as solo films and not constantly compared to the original trilogy, which is clearly never going to be matched -x- Songs starting imminently! |
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28th December 2017, 08:30 PM
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#16
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The owls are not what they seem
Pronouns: He/him
Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,120 User: 9,232
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 91. Wolf Alice – Don’t Delete the Kisses 92. Charlie Puth – How Long 93. Linkin Park – Heavy (feat. Kiiara) 94. Haim – Want You Back 95. Fant4stik – Reptilian 96. Luis Fonsi feat. Daddy Yankee - Despacito 97. Stefflon Don feat. French Montana – Hurtin’ Me 98. Rita Ora - Anywhere 99. Big Shaq - Mans Not Hot 100. Captain Ska – Liar Liar GE2017 So a lot of this bottom section is songs that I shouldn't really enjoy, but did for some reason and some songs that I really enjoyed but didn't quite have enough time to devote much attention to them, or otherwise. The latter point certainly applies to Wolf Alice, I really enjoyed this song and heard it several times on Radio 1, I've never checked them out properly before, but this had me really wanting to try, the spoken word sections work really well with the comparatively dramatic chorus and make for quite an always engaging listen, its times like this I'm still thankful for keeping Radio 1 on in the morning. Likewise, Charlie Puth, I wasn't expecting him to ever even rear his head here after the abomination that was Marvin Gaye, but slickly produced, Justin Timberlake style pop jams certainly suit him very well and How Long is brilliant in how it jumps in tempo and it's danceable chorus, I'd have had this down as a surefire chart smash, but I tend to not be able to predict these as well today, still, well done for winning me round Mr Puth~ On other end, Haim have always been big faves and Days are Gone was a fantastic album, this one took a bit more growing but is another very cool and chilled soft rock number that benefits from an incredibly choreographed video, it's unfortunate that nothing else I've heard from the album has really drawn me into listening to it, don't turn into Little Mix too fast now girls D: So the guilty pleasures yeah, Luis Fonsi's worldwide smash was a perfect summer jam and was an infectious Spanish bop right from the get go and hearing Daddy Yankee on a non-Gasolina song was quite the moment *. it's domination and seeing other artists jump on board was unsurprising, but I'm always glad to see a Latino song catch on even if it needed Bieber sticking a few lines of dodgy Spanish on to even get people to check out a *gasp* song in a language other than English (incidentally, the version with him on is a bit crap and I always go back to the original). Also here is Rita Ora with Buzzjack's current song of the moment, I'm not usually on board with these, but I can't deny it's a really well done and catchy pop song, it's probably the first time she HASN'T sounded blatantly trend chasing and seems to have actually found a sound that suits her so I hope that continues (though I still wish it didn't have that breakdown, worst part of the song). Oh, and Stefflon Don is here too...  this is kinda awful as a song as it's generic in all aspects, there's about three different hooks that are sold, a shoehorned rap verse and it's a little bit of a mess, but those hooks just work SO WELL that it's just so darn difficult to get out of your head so can kinda endorse this (the same cannot be said for Ding-a-Ling, Christ...) and I still get a lot of joy out of listening to it. Gosh all this praise to pop music, brb reading Pitchfork to cleanse my mind of this filth~Ah and another one that actually I was very underwhelmed with at the time, I feel like Linkin Park had been losing me for a long time and Heavy seemed like a different artist and it was way too trend chasing to be an authentic progression in sound. We all know what happened next, and though I did go back to all of Linkin Park's discography, it was really this song that truly hit home how hard it was for Chester and that we all never noticed, and this simple song really channeled those emotions through effectively and as a result, it's gained new life for me. It's a really hard listen, as are most Linkin Park songs with how grim and depressing the lyrics are (how did we never suspect anything rlly? :'(), but it feels so much more effective as a song when read as an indictment of his final struggles. Truly a name that will be missed, I loved Linkin Park loads as a youngster and grew up with them, so this was the death that affected me the most in the last few years. I can only hope that as a group they can continue to honour his memory. And the other three, Fant4stik (despite the name reminding me of that terrible film) was a slightly different listen that I love finding on here - an utterly insane drum'n'bass and house combo that refuses to lose steam or energy until the dying seconds. I would've gone mad to this in a club at Uni if I still did that sort of thing. Walking up the road bopping with 'never stop the fucking beat' airing in my headphones has been quite the refreshing experience and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Two chart show oddities to end with - Big Shaq is pretty genius, there aren't enough really effective parodies in music and this works excellently especially as the heavy clothes is a sharp point to mock, I'm really good with this being a big hit, even with how many of my students are quoting it back to me now, and yes, Captain Ska is here - the lyrics are spot on, it might have had a bit more effect on May's campaign which led to no majority than we first thought, and it's a fairly catchy ska tune, what's not to like?   |
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29th December 2017, 09:53 AM
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#17
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Buy yourself a car, and a house in Devon
Joined: 6 May 2016
Posts: 23,892 User: 23,247
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All For One was pretty catchy and memorable - It was 2016 though wasn't it?
 How Long and Anywhere both hit me for a short while but I'm a little tired of both now
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30th December 2017, 04:44 PM
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#18
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The owls are not what they seem
Pronouns: He/him
Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,120 User: 9,232
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QUOTE(Petelehem @ Dec 29 2017, 09:53 AM) All For One was pretty catchy and memorable - It was 2016 though wasn't it? I have no idea what you're talking about  |
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30th December 2017, 05:32 PM
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#19
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The owls are not what they seem
Pronouns: He/him
Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,120 User: 9,232
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 81. Felicita – A New Family 82. Era - Ameno 83. Zola Jesus – Exhumed 84. Miley Cyrus - Malibu 85. Francesca Micheilin - Vulcano 86. Lorde – Perfect Places 87. Sampha – No One Knows Me Like the Piano 88. World’s End Girlfriend – Les Enfants du Paradis 89. Conner Youngblood – The Warpath 90. Foo Fighters – Run First few of the typically many BJSC entries that feature here - World's End Girlfriend is something of an oddity, I'd call it a BJSC entry as a Turner prize nominee - it's weird, seems to have no direction apart from a crazy guitar and multiple interpretations as to what it could mean accompanied with it's visuals, still it's wonderful and so unique and I love finding things like this so it's been a great addition to my playlists. eRa is a new age 1990s track that completely passed me by for years, I don't know how as it's the sort of thing I'm just all over - starting with ominous choral vocals before the choir picks up with a thumping bass beat behind it and a suitably medieval video to accompany it makes it a hypnotising and infectious listen throughout, I am thankful for UP for introducing me to this wonderful genre. Zola Jesus I hadn't heard much about prior to this year but this was certainly what won me over, with more than a hint of PJ Harvey and Kate Bush of these banshee vocals, this is a wonderfully haunting dark pop piece with frantic strings adding to a erratic, uncomfortable atmosphere accompanying those vocals, I'd imagine it as a perfect soundtrack to a gothic horror film set in the highlands, or Wuthering Heights, will have to check out more from her. I don't think I've ever been as enchanted by a pop singer this year than I have by Francesca Micheilin, I adore her subtle Italian tones and set to a calm pop beat makes it a simple yet soothing listen with something you'll be humming for days. Vulcano is exactly that and I was really pleased to see it win BJSC, she was also the inspiration for another song that will feature higher up the countdown. A fair few here were influenced from outside of the contest too, Foo Fighters were incredible at Glastonbury, the amount of energy and charm that Dave Grohl brought to the set made me a Foo Fighters a superfan I never thought I was, they knew exactly how to work a crowd and knew how to make them sound, Run wasn't their best comeback, but it still had their classic sound and an amusing video that showed that none of that charm has gone in the 20+ years since their debut, they are a band that somehow manage to get away with not freshening their sound as I'm not sure I could imagine them doing any other sound better. I'm usually clueless about the Mercury, but the winner this year, Sampha it turns out I had heard quite a bit on the radio and it's a beautifully written and performed ode to music that certainly gives a convincing case for his win (I wouldn't know yet as I haven't heard the album), this stripped back sound isn't my favourite type, but I can certainly get on board when there is genuine emotion, soul and authenticity in the lyrics and delivery, really makes a case for a love of music rather than chasing trends. Finally of the indie darlings, Lorde FINALLY released new music this year, I thought that was always going to be a myth, I really enjoyed her Hunger Games soundtracks she made so was looking forward to it - Green Light was certainly good and will surely top everyone's chart here, but it took a while to grow on me because I still think it sounds disjointed as a whole and there's a tad too many hooks that are promoted despite the excellent chorus, I preferred her when she was a bit calmer and subtle with her tones. I found Perfect Places was much more that classic Lorde sound of Royals, Team etc. and I enjoyed it much more. I was glad this era went well for her and I look forward to more of her music as she has seemed to have found a niche that suits her, when I was slightly worried she'd be hit with the sophomore slump. Slightly less indie is Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball aside, her musical output and persona around the Bangerz era was utterly vile and one big attention seeking grab to show 'I'm not Disney anymore!!11', which I just rolled my eyes at and all her escapades. I'm glad she made whatever 'point' it was she was trying to and realised there was slightly more mature ways to show progression - Malibu is a good example, a great nostalgic country throwback to presumably her country roots from her father that was so refreshing to have back. I actually really enjoyed listening to it in the sun and it was such a shame that the UK public didn't take to this or her new sound as much (RIP Miley forum </3). Lastly, there are two of my own BJSC entries here. Conner Youngblood gave me the nice distinction of sending two different artists with the word 'Youngblood' in their artist name, fun, and a slightly different genre than I usually send - sounding very much straight out of a spaghetti western from the whistling refrain, strong guitars and even the hushed, course vocals, it's certainly a pretty epic listen and I don't go back to it as much as entries still to come, but it's good enough and I'd still recommend it. Far from just 'nice enough' on the other end, felicita is apparently the latest PC Music sign up and wouldn't you know it as 'a new family', even if you aren't keen on it, it certainly captures your attention with it's harsh screamo vocals turning into some silly little rhyme about Volvic as you'll see in the gif above and when some screaming synth breakdowns, you realise you're not really sure what it is your listening to but that only serves to make it all the more endearing. It didn't stick with me as much as my other BJSC entries due to me admiring it's eclecticness rather than truly loving it as a song, but it's certainly one of my proud unique finds this year.  |
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30th December 2017, 08:04 PM
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#20
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Buy yourself a car, and a house in Devon
Joined: 6 May 2016
Posts: 23,892 User: 23,247
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Run is pretty decent, not as memorable as The Sky is a Neighbourhood but still a good track!
No One Knows Me (Like the Piano) was a grower as well! Nice to see Sampha get the attention he deserves
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