Aaron’s Top 100 Movies (2020 Edition)

Posted on by Aaron White.

Recently I made a major change to how I rate films, doing away with half-stars altogether in favor of a simplified system with only 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 stars as an option. My hope is that by taking away the additional complication of half-stars, I will be able to more accurately rate films on the first go-around. It’s no secret that I struggle with hype and I often find myself using half-stars only to scale ratings back when the end of the year rolls around and I take another look at them. Additionally, and more importantly, I’ve come to thoroughly embrace the conversations that we have about film online in places like our Feelin’ Film Discussion Group and in person at work. What I desire is for the words in my written reviews, on my podcast, or spoken in conversation to tell you more about my feelings for a film than the number assigned to it. To that end, simplifying my ratings means if you want to understand what distinguishes films in a certain group (say my 4-star rating) from each other, you’ll have to actually read what I have to say or… gasp… ask me about them.

With this change came a mass re-rating project, and after completing that and noticing that I am 2.5 years removed from my last Top 100 list, this was the perfect opportunity to give it an update. As always is the case, gray hairs emerged during this painful process as I tried to distinguish between beloved films. As always, my list is ever-changing, but this serves as a current reflection of my personal cinematic taste – a snapshot view of the cinephile that I am at this moment in time. I hope that as you read through this list you might be able to learn a little about who I am as a person by seeing what type of stories I love the most.

Note: For the purposes of this list, any film with an asterisk (*) after it represents its series or trilogy and is only used in cases where all films of the series are rated as 5-star. The arrows and numbers after each title them are just a fun little addition that shows a film’s movement since the last edition of this list. You can see the previous editions here:

2017 Top 100
2018 Top 100

This is my list. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

#1 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring *  —  —
#2 The Princess Bride ↑ 3
#3 It’s a Wonderful Life ↓ 1
#4 Top Gun ↑ 11
#5 Before Sunrise * ↑ 4
#6 Casablanca ↓ 3
#7 La La Land  —  —
#8 12 Angry Men ↓ 4
#9 The Last of the Mohicans ↑ 7
#10 Interstellar ↓ 4
#11 Die Hard ↑ 46
#12 The Lion King ↑ 40
#13 Jaws ↓ 5
#14 The Dark Knight ↑ 7
#15 Jurassic Park ↑ 2
#16 Toy Story * ↓ 2
#17 Your Name. ↑ 41
#18 Raiders of the Lost Ark ↑ 1
#19 The Prestige ↓ 8
#20 Beauty and the Beast ↑ 44
#21 Star Wars ↑ 7
#22 The Shawshank Redemption ↑ 19
#23 Sleeping Beauty ↑ 15
#24 Black Hawk Down ↑ 46
#25 Full Metal Jacket ↓ 13
#26 The Sound of Music ↑ 10
#27 Memento ↑ 40
#28 Lawrence of Arabia ↑ 9
#29 Titanic NEW NEW
#30 National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation ↑ 36
#31 The Wizard of Oz ↓ 11
#32 Children of Men ↑ 27
#33 Kill Bill * NEW NEW
#34 Singin’ in the Rain ↓ 11
#35 Groundhog Day ↑ 42
#36 Back to the Future ↑ 25
#37 The Departed ↑ 56
#38 Gladiator ↑ 13
#39 Mary Poppins ↓ 21
#40 The Social Network  —  —
#41 The Nightmare Before Christmas ↓ 9
#42 Scream ↑ 1
#43 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl NEW NEW
#44 Hell or High Water ↑ 36
#45 Terminator 2: Judgment Day NEW NEW
#46 My Neighbor Totoro ↓ 1
#47 Fast Five NEW NEW
#48 The Incredibles ↑ 28
#49 Lost in Translation NEW NEW
#50 Gone Girl NEW NEW
#51 Blade Runner 2049 * ↓ 41
#52 Forrest Gump NEW NEW
#53 Tombstone ↓ 3
#54 Fight Club ↓ 20
#55 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs NEW NEW
#56 Happy Gilmore NEW NEW
#57 The Fault in Our Stars NEW NEW
#58 The Rock NEW NEW
#59 The Bridge on the River Kwai ↓ 15
#60 Se7en ↑ 31
#61 Armageddon NEW NEW
#62 Young Guns NEW NEW
#63 Avengers: Infinity War NEW NEW
#64 The Great Gatsby NEW NEW
#65 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade NEW NEW
#66 Alien ↓ 53
#67 Kubo and the Two Strings NEW NEW
#68 WALL*E NEW NEW
#69 Ex Machina ↑ 3
#70 Scott Pilgrim vs. the World ↓ 35
#71 The Avengers NEW NEW
#72 The Cabin in the Woods ↑ 12
#73 Pitch Perfect NEW NEW
#74 The Hunt for Red October NEW NEW
#75 Inception ↓ 48
#76 Creed NEW NEW
#77 Wreck-it Ralph NEW NEW
#78 Reservoir Dogs ↑ 10
#79 Little Women NEW NEW
#80 How To Train Your Dragon NEW NEW
#81 Almost Famous ↓ 51
#82 Friday Night Lights NEW NEW
#83 TRON: Legacy NEW NEW
#84 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban NEW NEW
#85 Crazy, Stupid, Love NEW NEW
#86 Gravity NEW NEW
#87 Les Misérables NEW NEW
#88 Hamilton NEW NEW
#89 Con Air NEW NEW
#90 The Empire Strikes Back ↓ 44
#91 10 Cloverfield Lane NEW NEW
#92 Reality Bites ↓ 23
#93 Rashomon ↓ 60
#94 Vertigo ↓ 70
#95 Moon ↓ 10
#96 Rocky NEW NEW
#97 First Man NEW NEW
#98 Passengers NEW NEW
#99 Whiplash ↓ 21
#100 A Star is Born (2018) NEW NEW
  • It’s not unlikely for films to enter/leave/re-enter this list, but any film that has dropped out at one point and come back on is still designated as “NEW” just to keep things simple.

Link to list on Letterboxd

Like it? Hate it? Think I’m crazy? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Aaron White is a Seattle-based film critic and co-creator/co-host of the Feelin’ Film Podcast. He is also a member of the Seattle Film Critics Society. He writes reviews with a focus on the emotional experience he has with a film. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter to be notified when new content is posted.

Aaron’s Top 100 Movies (2018 Edition)

Posted on by Aaron White.

In 2017, I created my first ever Top 100 Movies list. Many gray hairs formed, I’m sure, as I sat trying to distinguish between beloved films. It’s been almost a year since that list was published and I’ve now seen quite a few more classic films that managed to find their way into my heart and onto this list. As is the case for most folks, my list is ever changing, but this serves as a current reflection of my personal cinematic taste – a snapshot view of the cinephile that I am at this moment in time. My hope is that through this list you might be able to learn a little about who I am as a person by seeing what type of stories I love most.

Note: For the purposes of this list, any film with an asterisk (*) after it represents its series or trilogy. The arrows and number after them specify a film’s movement since the last edition of this list, in this case 2017.

This is my list. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

#1 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring * — —
#2 It’s a Wonderful Life ↑ 1
#3 Casablanca ↑ 31
#4 12 Angry Men ↑ 1
#5 The Princess Bride ↑ 1
#6 Interstellar ↑ 3
#7 La La Land ↓ 5
#8 Jaws ↓ 4
#9 Before Sunrise * ↑ 1
#10 Blade Runner * ↑ 1
#11 The Prestige ↓ 4
#12 Full Metal Jacket NEW NEW
#13 Alien ↓ 5
#14 Toy Story * NEW NEW
#15 Top Gun ↓ 1
#16 The Last of the Mohicans ↑ 1
#17 Jurassic Park ↓ 4
#18 Mary Poppins ↑ 60
#19 Raiders of the Lost Ark ↑ 14
#20 The Wizard of Oz ↑ 20
#21 The Dark Knight ↓ 1
#22 2001: A Space Odyssey ↑ 7
#23 Singin’ in the Rain ↓ 8
#24 Vertigo ↑ 6
#25 Scott Pilgrim vs. the World ↓ 6
#26 Citizen Kane ↑ 18
#27 Inception — —
#28 Star Wars ↑ 44
#29 Rear Window NEW NEW
#30 Almost Famous ↑ 2
#31 The Silence of the Lambs ↑ 55
#32 The Nightmare Before Christmas ↑ 6
#33 Rashomon ↑ 36
#34 Fight Club ↑ 36
#35 Gone with the Wind ↓ 4
#36 The Sound of Music ↑ 25
#37 Lawrence of Arabia NEW NEW
#38 Sleeping Beauty NEW NEW
#39 The Exorcist ↓ 27
#40 The Social Network ↑ 1
#41 The Shawshank Redemption ↓ 18
#42 All About Eve NEW NEW
#43 Scream ↑ 19
#44 The Bridge on the River Kwai ↑ 9
#45 My Neighbor Totoro ↓ 9
#46 The Empire Strikes Back ↑ 11
#47 Unforgiven ↑ 9
#48 The Godfather ↑ 37
#49 Mr. Smith Goes to Washington ↑ 26
#50 Tombstone ↓ 13
#51 Gladiator ↑ 14
#52 The Lion King ↓ 11
#53 The Thin Red Line NEW NEW
#54 The Iron Giant ↓ 9
#55 Seven Samurai ↓ 12
#56 McCabe & Mrs. Miller NEW NEW
#57 Die Hard ↓ 26
#58 Your Name. ↑ 42
#59 Children of Men ↓ 38
#60 Aliens ↓ 24
#61 Back to the Future ↓ 19
#62 Network NEW NEW
#63 Apocalypse Now ↑ 19
#64 Beauty and the Beast ↑ 23
#65 Monty Python and the Holy Grail ↓ 18
#66 National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation NEW NEW
#67 Memento ↓ 9
#68 The Right Stuff ↑ 3
#69 Reality Bites NEW NEW
#70 Black Hawk Down NEW NEW
#71 The Blair Witch Project ↓ 25
#72 Ex Machina ↑ 16
#73 Dead Poets Society NEW NEW
#74 3:10 to Yuma ↑ 3
#75 The NeverEnding Story ↑ 20
#76 The Incredibles ↓ 25
#77 Les Miserables NEW NEW
#78 Whiplash ↓ 28
#79 Groundhog Day ↓ 3
#80 Hell or High Water ↓ 13
#81 Into the Wild ↓ 21
#82 One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest ↓ 34
#83 Warrior NEW NEW
#84 The Cabin in the Woods ↓ 59
#85 Moon ↓ 1
#86 Drive ↓ 59
#87 The Red Shoes NEW NEW
#88 Reservoir Dogs ↓ 34
#89 War For the Planet of the Apes NEW NEW
#90 The Shining ↓ 10
#91 Se7en NEW NEW
#92 The Wailing ↓ 13
#93 The Departed ↓ 41
#94 The Exorcism of Emily Rose ↓ 2
#95 Fargo ↓ 12
#96 Stalker NEW NEW
#97 Pacific Rim ↓ 42
#98 Arrival NEW NEW
#99 Silence ↓ 1
#100 The Perks of Being a Wallflower NEW NEW

Dropped Out: Armageddon, Batman Begins, Dr. Strangelove, Equilibrium, Finding Nemo, Forrest Gump, Gravity, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Inside Llewyn Davis, Kill Bill: Vol. 1, No Country For Old Men, Pan’s Labyrinth, Platoon, Psycho, Pulp Fiction, Serenity, Short Term 12, The Breakfast Club, The Place Beyond the Pines, True Grit (2010), Young Frankenstein

Link to list on Letterboxd

Like it? Hate it? Think I’m crazy? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Aaron White is a Seattle-based film critic and co-creator/co-host of the Feelin’ Film Podcast. He is also a member of the Seattle Film Critics Society. He writes reviews with a focus on how his expectations influenced his experience. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter to be notified when new content is posted.

What We Learned this Week: New Year’s Resolutions for the Movie Industry in 2018

Posted on by everymoviehasalesson.

Plenty of regular everyday people make New Year’s Resolutions, but I think bigger entities, namely movie makers and movie moguls, need to make them too.  Annually, including this seventh edition, this is my absolute favorite editorial to write every year.  I have fun taking the movie industry to task for things they need to change.

Since last year, I feel like I’ve been writing a little bit of this every week all year over on the “What We Learned This Week” column contribution here on the Feelin’ Film Podcast website.  Readers and followers of that podcast and column will get my cadence.  I’m sarcastic, but I’m not the guy to take it to the false internet courage level of some Twitter troll.  This will be as forward as I get all year.

Some resolutions come true (a great deal of last year’s list is still relevant), while others get mentioned and reiterated every year. You would hope Hollywood would learn from those lessons going forward.  Alas, here we go again!  Enjoy!

1. Clean out your closets for good.

Without question, the most enormous and egregious issue to cross this industry this past year was the avalanche of sexual misconduct allegations leveled against big names, small names, and studio executives.  I know I’ve preached patience in a recent Feelin’ Film “soapbox” to plead with folks to be in the camp of “innocent until proven guilty” and not the other way around, in terms of letting these claims play out to proven guilt before burning careers to the ground.  That said, let these exposures continue to be moral napalm to clean out a dirty Hollywood.  Purge the skeletons from the closets in a string of ugly years, if that’s what it takes, to advance equality and fairness going forward.  Pass the matches.

2. Continue the “Year of the Woman” into the “Era of Women.”

Last year on this column, I celebrated female protagonists.  Despite the ugly headlines, 2017 was an incredible year for women going ever further to lead the charge in film behind the scenes as well.  If voters were vigilant enough, you could fill the upcoming Best Director Oscar field with 80% women, Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman), Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird), Dee Rees (Mudbound), Sofia Coppola (The Beguiled), and the category wouldn’t lose an ounce of talent or respectability.  Much like #OscarsSoWhite sticking around through Moonlight last year, Hollywood has to do better than a one-year surge or knee-jerk olive branch.  Turn this banner year into a string of them worthy of being called an era.  These ladies and others have earned it.  Reward them as such with opportunity.

3. There is room for objective to go with the subjective.

I might be gunning fairly high-brow with this one where I might be wearing too much of my film critic hat to go with my movie fan t-shirt.  I get the general foundation where loving and enjoying movies will always be greatly subjective.  Too each their own, all day.  I get that.  However, maybe it’s the capacity of the school teacher in me, but if I’ve learned anything doing this film critic thing is that there is room for objective to go with the subjective when it comes to reacting to a film.  I’ve seen movies this year like A Ghost Story, mother!, and Call Me By Your Name that I do not find entertaining, per se, or contain content I don’t condone or agree with from the seat of my personal values.  When that occurs, I’ve learned to take a step back and recognize the goals those films and filmmakers were going for and find ways to respect them, and even commend them, even when I don’t like the finished products.  I think general audiences could try a form of this reflection on for size too.  I think if people took a breath, stepped back, and looked at something other than their own expectations for a film, they might see purposes other than some self-serving ones and we would have a whole bunch fewer rants and raves of negative hyperbole.

4. Make smarter trailers and less of them.

Stop giving away too much in a trailer.  There are films from this past year where the trailer gave away 80% of storylines.  Where’s the mystery?  Less is more.  Take Star Wars: The Last Jedi.  After Star Wars: The Force Awakens made over $900 million domestically two years ago, the sequel didn’t need the help of a lengthy trailer and could have sold itself on principle alone rather than a second trailer that even director Rian Johnson had to give a minor spoiler warning to.  Trailers like that aren’t worth it or necessary.  Between Star Wars: The Last Jedi and all the people who fussed about not getting an Avengers: Infinity War trailer until December, find some patience.  Trailer-makers, leave the audience wanting.  Make them wait.  Imagine the anticipation if there wasn’t a trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi or Avengers: Infinity War.  Imagine the frenzy and the payoff, not just on the screen, but on the bottom line of box office receipts.

5. Drown out the click bait with creativity.

One of my satisfactions from Star Wars: The Last Jedi was that it shook off two years worth of superfluous noise and the endless conjecture of silly fan theories and think pieces to surprise just about everyone by sticking to its creative guns to blaze its own trail, not one caving to unreasonable expectations.  How I know it worked is watching the butthurt backlash from the two weeks of people trying to disown the movie because it wasn’t what they thought it was going to be.  To the click bait crowd, Rian Johnson and company made THEIR movie, not YOUR movie.  That was the objective goal and it’s a shame people can’t respect that or the differences, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi was just one example of many.  Pushing anything else is entitlement and not anticipation.

6. Don’t let Disney’s head (or portfolio) get too big.

Last year on this annual editorial, one of my items read “Disney/Marvel, please pay Fox and Sony whatever they want to bring your universe under one roof.”  By golly, I didn’t think Disney was going to go even further that that to entirely buy 21st Century Fox.  Disney is playing Monopoly with more money and property than anyone else with a token on the game board.  Be wary and mindful of that power beyond the wish fulfillment of X-Men and Fantastic Four possibilities in the MCU.  Disney hasn’t been a saint this year with the blackout of critics from certain publications, shuffling and firing directors, price hikes for theater dividends, taking their ball to their own convention, pulling their content from Netflix (while buying controlling stake in Hulu Plus), arranging their own streaming service, and more.  Maintain healthy competition and watch out for that bullseye on your back, Sony.

7. While we’re talking about superheroes, scale them down a touch.

Superhero films are the hottest tickets in town.  You don’t have to necessarily have studios slow down the pace of the film releases, just the size of the films and stories.  The best superhero film this past year was Logan, which striped all the spectacle away and told essentially a modern western to become of the best-ever entries to the genre and further proof that R-rated options were viable as well.  Until the big swirling finale of special effects, Wonder Woman was nearly the same for leanness and importance.  The counterexamples are Justice League this year and X-Men: Apocalypse two years ago, where the storylines are becoming overstuffed and piling on in an effort to constantly top themselves.  Logan is proof you don’t need to do that.  Tell a single good story.  Lead up from small to big, instead of from big to bigger.  Build from small for a few films and then get to the massive Infinity War level events.  That rumored Matt Reeves Batman detective story can’t come soon enough instead of the next intergalactic throwdown.

8. Put more depth of heart and less dumb antics in family films.

I’m bringing this resolution back verbatim as a repeat from last year.  I hear people (one of them sounds like me) all the time saying how annoying and unintelligent the movie options are for kids and families, particularly in the live-action department.   In 2016, Pete’s Dragon and Queen of Katwe showed audiences that not everything had to be 90 minutes of animated noise, but neither took off as big hits.  This year, Beauty and the Beast was a ready-made blockbuster and Wonder is doing great this holiday season.  They give me hope.  I just wish more folks could have seen and discovered the heart of Wonderstruck this year like I did.  Keep the efforts coming.

DON SHANAHAN is a Chicago-based film critic writing on his website Every Movie Has a Lesson.  As an elementary educator by day, Don writes his movie reviews with life lessons in mind, from the serious to the farcical.  He is a proud member and one of the founders of the Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle.  As a contributor here on Feelin’ Film, he’s going to expand those lessons to current movie news and trends.  Find “Every Movie Has a Lesson” on Facebook, Twitter, Medium, and Creators Media.

 

 

The Best Films of 2017 (So Far)

Posted on by Steve Clifton.

It’s hard to believe we’re halfway through 2017.

Traditionally, the first half of the year is a mixed bag. We must endure the dumping grounds known as January and February, hoping maybe something of note will slip through the cracks.  Summer seems to begin earlier and earlier each year, as some big budget players try to get a jump on the blockbuster season with notable releases in March and April.  And then the popcorn season officially begins in earnest on that first week of May, and the cineplexes fill up with loud explosions, CGI, and cute animated critters.

When looking back on films you’ve enjoyed from January to July, it’s always interesting to think about how many of them will actually land high on your top ten list come year’s end.  Let’s face it, for many of us, some of the best films roll out after October first, either as Oscar bait or holiday blockbusters.  The back half of 2017 is loaded with some serious heavyweights in both regards, so it’ll be fun to see how it all shakes out.

That said, the staff at Feelin’ Film has compiled our individual top three films of the first half of the year, presented for your reading enjoyment below.  We’d love to hear your thoughts on our picks, and invite you to leave your thoughts and own lists in the comments section or on the Facebook page.  Or, if you just want to mock Aaron for his pretentiousness, that’s okay too.

Without further ado….

#3  Steve – Beauty & the Beast

I admit I’m a bit bias here, with having been a slave to the Mouse House for nine years of my existence.  I met my better half at Disney and our first date was actually seeing the animated version in theaters.  Personally, I think this is one of Disney’s best tales, and the live action film was everything I hoped it would be.  Haters gonna hate, but I think Emma Watson was a perfect choice for the role of Belle, and the production value is a high point.

#3  Don – Lucky

In a rare and perfect leading role for his stature, Harry Dean Stanton play the titular nicknamed war veteran, diner regular, and barfly slowly coming to grips with his own quickly approaching mortality.  In “…if it hasn’t killed me yet” fashion, the rough edges of this straight shooter melt away to a warm heart at the core as he looks into himself and his small town connections.  Lucky washes its salty kick with a soft finish, without a wasted spec of storytelling patience.

#3  Patrick – Spider-Man: Homecoming

My man Peter Parker comes swinging onto the big screen once again, but this time I think the filmmakers found the perfect balance of what makes your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man work.  Tom Holland is a great long-term investment, and the deal between Sony and Marvel Studios is a win-win for EVERYONE.  I’m looking forward to seeing how creative both companies will get with this latest and hopefully final iteration of the web-slinger.

#3  Jeremy – Spider-Man: Homecoming

I didn’t think it would be possible for me to enjoy a comic book film more than I enjoyed Wonder Woman, but Spider-Man proved me wrong.  It’s a perfect combination of cast and story; comedy and drama; thrills and fun.

#3  Aaron – Get Out

This place on my list is extremely competitive.  Personal Shopper, The Beguiled, and The Lego Batman Movie all deserve recognition here.  But the most impactful film of this group was my experience seeing Get Out among a packed, diverse crowd.  Jordan Peele has taken his trademark humor, social commentary, horror, and thriller aspects and reassembled them into one of the most creative, intense, crazy genre-benders I’ve ever seen.  It’s one of those rare films that feels “important” while also being incredibly entertaining, and it’s one film I suggest everyone see.

#2  Patrick – Wonder Woman

In the muck and mire that is the DC criticism, and the reality that is superhero fatigue, I walked out of this movie feeling incredibly encouraged and refreshed about the future of the genre.  Having never been a huge fan of Diana Prince, being able to keep me engaged and wanting more installments of the Amazon goddess says something about director Patty Jenkins, star Gal Gadot, and company.  I’m looking forward to Justice League even more after seeing this one.

#2  Don – The Big Sick

The Big Sick nimbly moves with a constant levity, even when the potential for heavy drama invades.  That jocular wit makes you appreciate any of the lows that sneak up on you because they arrive bearing tissues for your smiling eyes.  It is one of the best romantic comedies of this short century and one of the best films of 2017, period.

#2  Jeremy – Baby Driver

While it’s probably my least favorite Edgar Wright film, Baby Driver is still thrilling enough to be my second favorite film of the year so far.  Heck, if all I got was a blank screen with the soundtrack blasting, it would probably still land as my number three.

#2  Steve – Baby Driver

Edgar Wright continues to expand his unique visual style in this revved up, supercharged action thriller.  The story of a misguided kid getting in too deep with big time criminals might not seem unfamiliar, but with fantastic performances and the soundtrack of the year keeping tempo with the on screen mayhem, Baby Driver is a white knuckle ride of pure adrenaline.

#2  Aaron – A Ghost Story

A Ghost Story is a simple, unique, and poetic film about the fragility of life and passing of time.  Its pacing requires complete dedication and patience from an audience, something that will certainly not appeal to all, and may cause frustration.  However, for those who commit, this is a masterpiece filmmaking effort by the superbly talented David Lowery that will haunt their emotions and thoughts.

#1 Don – War for the Planet of the Apes

So far this year, I’ve only given four five-star reviews, and no film has impressed me more completely from top to bottom that this trilogy capper.  From Michael Giacchino’s score and all of the weighty nuances brimming inside this epic, to the masterful and special performance by Andy Serkis, War for the Planet of the Apes carries the highest and best emotionality that actually felt like it mattered.

#1  Aaron – Your Name

This is a story about dreams (and desperately trying not to forget them), time travel, body swaps, natural disaster, coming of age, romance, and deep longing that is emotionally riveting from beginning to end.  Comedic at all the right times, soul-crushingly painful, and yet tender and hopeful.  Your name is an animated masterpiece that goes far beyond its dazzling visuals, and is the film that has most deeply affected me in 2017 so far.  (Note:  This film initially released in Japan in 2016 but did not receive an American release until 2017)

#1  Steve – Wonder Woman

Consider me the chief skeptic when it comes to the DC cinematic universe, but Wonder Woman far surpassed my middling expectations.  It took studios long enough to throw bank at a female fronted superhero film, but man, the wait was worth it.  Director Patty Jenkins handled every nuance with such great care, Gal Gadot owned the role of the princess , Diana, and the importance of what this film manages to accomplish for women everywhere cannot be understated.  Is this not the best cinematic moment of any superhero film ever?

#1  Jeremy – Get Out

Jordan Peele’s directorial debut is both the most important and most thought provoking film I’ve seen this year.  It’s gotten funnier and more intense every time I’ve watched it, even though I’m fully aware of what’s coming.  I’d be shocked if it’s much lower on my list come January.

#1  Patrick – The Lego Batman Movie

I don’t know that I’ve laughed this loud and so many times in a theater in a long time.  Everything about this film made my theater experience incredible.  The story felt original, the callbacks to the past franchises were on point, and the jokes felt perfectly placed.  Walking out, I knew I wanted to own it immediately.

There you have it.  Disagree?  Let us have it.  Share your top films with us.  Hopefully, we’ve added something to your cinematic radar and you’ll all soon be feelin’ these films as well.

Aaron’s Top 100 Movies (2017 Edition)

Posted on by Aaron White.

I’ve always wanted to expand my favorite films list to 100 and my birthday seemed like the perfect time for doing so. With that, I present my list. It is ever changing. This list is a current reflection of my personal cinematic taste – what speaks to me emotionally, and those films that are just too so entertaining that all evaluation of their technical quality doesn’t even matter. I’ve labored over this for quite some time and it was not an easy task, but I feel confident that the results are accurate. For today.

(For the purposes of this list, LotR: The Fellowship of the Ring and Before Sunrise represent their respective trilogy.)

This is my list. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

  1. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
  2. La La Land
  3. It’s a Wonderful Life
  4. Jaws
  5. 12 Angry Men
  6. The Princess Bride
  7. The Prestige
  8. Alien
  9. Interstellar
  10. Before Sunrise
  11. Blade Runner
  12. The Exorcist
  13. Jurassic Park
  14. Top Gun
  15. Singin’ in the Rain
  16. Inside Llewyn Davis
  17. The Last of the Mohicans
  18. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
  19. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
  20. The Dark Knight
  21. Children of Men
  22. Young Frankenstein
  23. The Shawshank Redemption
  24. Aliens
  25. The Cabin in the Woods
  26. Die Hard
  27. Inception
  28. Drive
  29. 2001: A Space Odyssey
  30. Vertigo
  31. Gone with the Wind
  32. Almost Famous
  33. Raiders of the Lost Ark
  34. Casablanca
  35. Short Term 12
  36. My Neighbor Totoro
  37. Tombstone
  38. The Nightmare Before Christmas
  39. The Social Network
  40. The Wizard of Oz
  41. The Lion King
  42. Back to the Future
  43. Seven Samurai
  44. Citizen Kane
  45. The Iron Giant
  46. The Blair Witch Project
  47. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
  48. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
  49. Armageddon
  50. Whiplash
  51. The Incredibles
  52. The Departed
  53. The Bridge on the River Kwai
  54. Reservoir Dogs
  55. Pacific Rim
  56. Unforgiven
  57. The Empire Strikes Back
  58. Memento
  59. Forrest Gump
  60. Into the Wild
  61. The Sound of Music
  62. Scream
  63. Gravity
  64. Pan’s Labyrinth
  65. Gladiator
  66. Batman Begins
  67. Hell or High Water
  68. Pulp Fiction
  69. Rashomon
  70. Fight Club
  71. The Right Stuff
  72. Star Wars
  73. Finding Nemo
  74. Serenity
  75. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
  76. Groundhog Day
  77. 3:10 to Yuma
  78. Mary Poppins
  79. The Wailing
  80. The Shining
  81. True Grit (2010)
  82. Apocalypse Now
  83. Fargo
  84. Moon
  85. The Godfather
  86. The Silence of the Lambs
  87. Beauty and the Beast
  88. Ex Machina
  89. No Country for Old Men
  90. The Breakfast Club
  91. The Place Beyond the Pines
  92. The Exorcism of Emily Rose
  93. Platoon
  94. Equilibrium
  95. The NeverEnding Story
  96. Kill Bill: Vol. 1
  97. Psycho (1960)
  98. Silence
  99. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
  100. Your Name.

Like it? Hate it? Think I’m crazy? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Link to list on Letterboxd

 

 

What We Learned This Week: March 26-April 1

Posted on by everymoviehasalesson.

LESSON #1: BRETT RATNER IS FULL OF SUGAR-HONEY-ICED-TEA— Formerly prolific film director Brett Ratner, who’s been cleaning it up as a producer of Ratpac Entertainment, stepped out late last week to pontificate to Entertainment Weekly that “the worst thing that we have in today’s movie culture is Rotten Tomatoes” and added “I think it’s the destruction of our business.”  You can read his full thoughts, but I don’t buy his logic.  Rotten Tomatoes is too big and combines too many diverse critics for a film to be held down.  If you want better RT scores, make better movies.  It’s that easy.  Brett is full of it and, if you’ve seen his films, as I have, you probably already knew that.

LESSON #2: WARNER BROS. IS GOING ALL-IN WITH POTENTIAL COURSE CORRECTION ON THE DC EXTENDED UNIVERSE— Pack your bags when you’re done with “Justice League,” Zach Snyder.  New talent is coming.  Warner Bros. already poached James Wan of “The Conjuring/Insidious/Saw” fame for “Aquaman” two years ago and last month Chris McKay of “The LEGO Batman Movie” was tabbed to direct a solo “Nightwing” movie, joining “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” helmer Matt Reeves jumping on “The Batman.”  This week, news broke Thursday that “Avengers” and “Firefly” mastermind Joss Whedon has crossed party lines to direct a standalone “Batgirl” movie for Warner Bros.  Now that is the coup of coups and a perfect director to deliver a legitimate female superhero film.  When “Kingsman” and “X-Men: First Class” director Matthew Vaughn puts ink to paper for “Man of Steel 2,” the shift from Total Snyder will be complete and it looks outstanding.

LESSON #3: IF YOU THINK THE “BEAUTY AND THE BEAST” RE-IMAGINING IS HUGE, JUST WAIT FOR “THE LION KING” ONE IN A FEW YEARS— Unlike the opinions of many skeptical haters, “Beauty and the Beast” destined to be a smash.  Bill Condon was a different class of director and the casting was incredible before the cameras ever rolled.  Sure enough, it has raked over $750 million worldwide in just two weeks and should cross the $1 billion mark with ease before it’s run is done.  Watch “The Lion King” do even better in a few years.  Jon Favreau nailed “The Jungle Book,” “The Lion King” has an ever larger following than “Beauty and the Beast,” and the rumors of potentially casting Beyonce as Nala to join Donald Glover’s Simba and a returning James Earl Jones  as Mufasa would be colossal.  Place that bet right now that “The Lion King” will make even more money.

LESSON #4: WATCH FEWER TRAILERS THAN YOU THINK YOU NEED— A conga line of trailers for 2017 wannabe blockbusters arrived in the last two weeks and, I, for one, wish I didn’t see a single one of them.  Trailers these days are showing too much.  Between “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and “Justice League” to “War for the Planet of the Apes” and “Alien: Covenant” and more, I felt like I was inundated with too many clues and potential spoilers.  Frankly, I’m beginning to avoid trailers altogether and have been recommending others to do the same.  Why?  Ask yourself this cardinal question: Do you really need to be convinced from any footage to see some of these slam-dunk-must-see films?  Because I don’t.  These no-doubters are getting my money regardless on resume and presence alone.  Avoid the easy and rote trailers and let yourself be surprised.  Even though I know this isn’t going to happen, I hope Disney doesn’t show a single second of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.”  They don’t need to and, in a roundabout way, not releasing a trailer would be such a huge and unprecedented “less is more” statement proving that you can sell a movie on reputation alone.  A boy can dream.

DON SHANAHAN is a Chicago-based film critic writing on his website Every Movie Has a Lesson.  He is also one of the founders and the current President of the Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle.  As an elementary educator by day, Don writes his movie reviews with life lessons in mind, from the serious to the farcical.  As a contributor here on Feelin’ Film, he’s going to expand those lessons to current movie news and trends.  Find “Every Movie Has a Lesson” on Facebook, Twitter, Medium, and Creators Media.

What We Learned This Week: March 19-25

Posted on by everymoviehasalesson.

LESSON #1: SEE A MOVIE BEFORE YOUR JUDGE IT— I don’t know about you, but I sure don’t hear as many “Beauty and the Beast” ranters this week as I heard and read the week before the film came out.  Too many people can work themselves into a lather over the smallest sample size of an actual film generating by a film’s marketing.  It was very encouraging for me to see the film itself and its monster box office debut silence a large majority of its false haters who judged from clips and trailers before seeing the entire film.  I know we operate in a news cycle where stepping out with a hot take or being first in clickbait gets traffic and eyes, but so much of that buzz sours to silliness when a film finally comes out and proves people wrong (not everyone but most).

LESSON #2: WHEN A FILM DOESN’T SCREEN FOR PRESS, THAT IS NEVER A GOOD SIGN— Aaron and I, on this website, have active press credentials and get to see films ahead of time for review.  It’s rare when a film doesn’t screen for critics and it’s normally never a good sign.  Fire up the disaster siren warning for “CHIPS” this week.   Buyer beware and run for the hills!  Proceed at your own risk.

LESSON #3: PAY ATTENTION TO THE SXSW FILM FESTIVAL— I’ll echo advice I gave in January on the Sundance Film Festival and turn my spotlight to Austin, Texas.  The trendy SXSW Film Festival is quickly gaining attention, buzz, and notoriety as not just a good time with flashy red carpet premieres, but a legitimate film festival with quality offerings.  Keep an advance Oscar eye on the SXSW award winners, beginning with Grand Jury narrative winner “Most Beautiful Island” and documentary winner “The Work.”

LESSON #4: TERRANCE MALICK IS ONE OF THE MOST POLARIZING DIRECTORS WORKING TODAY— Speaking of SXSW, “Song to Song” arrives in theatrical release this week after its Austin premiere.  Any new Malick film brings out the worshippers and haters from all directions.  There are staunch critics who, more often than not, refuse to downgrade the man and his extremely experimental and non-traditional work.  Mark me down in the column of people that refuse to bow at his altar.  While I really do get what he’s doing, I find the man’s work lost and tirelessly repetitive even if it’s absolutely gorgeous from a visual style.  You get to be your own judge because there are not many film experiences more rigorous than a Terrance Malick film.  Best of luck.  Let’s compare notes afterwards.

LESSON #5: WOULD YOU PAY A LITTLE MORE MONEY TO SEE THEATRICAL NEW RELEASES AT HOME?— This lesson paraphrases a headline from a provocative topic presented by /Film this week that put a few fingernails to heads for itch-scratching.  Over the last 10-15 years of HD capabilities possible in home entertainment technology, this is not the first conversation from studios to consider digital access at home.  VOD platforms have continued to evolve, leaving price point as the one tricky and crucial factor in play.  How does $30 sound to watch, say, “Beauty and the Beast” at your leisure on the couch this weekend?  If movie tickets are $12 and you have a family of four, spending $30 compared to $48 before travel and concessions is beyond tempting.  You’re trading saving money for the incomparable experience of the big screen with a captive audience.  How do you feel about that?

 

DON SHANAHAN is a Chicago-based film critic writing on his website Every Movie Has a Lesson.  He is also one of the founders and the current President of the Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle.  As an elementary educator by day, Don writes his movie reviews with life lessons in mind, from the serious to the farcical.  As a contributor here on Feelin’ Film, he’s going to expand those lessons to current movie news and trends.  Find “Every Movie Has a Lesson” on Facebook, Twitter, Medium, and Creators Media.

MOVIE REVIEW: Beauty & the Beast (2017)

Posted on by Steve Clifton.

Piggybacking off the success of recent live action adaptations to its animated library, Disney unveiled its modern retelling of the tale as old as time to audiences this weekend. Based on the box office reports, a lot of audiences at that. And while the Twitter-verse and various blog sites continue to hem and haw over the necessity of another visual iteration of this story, I will simply tell you that you should ignore it at your own risk, because the experience is breathtakingly magical.

In the name of full disclosure, I’m a bit bias toward Beauty & the Beast. I was under the employ of the Mouse when the animated film came out, and the future Mrs. and I had our first date at a showing on Disney World property. I hold that film in very high regard, both as a masterpiece of animated filmmaking and for the sake of nostalgia. To that end, please accept this film on its own merit. Don’t muddy the waters trying to compare it to previous versions, animated or otherwise. I won’t belabor this post with words outlining a plot we are all familiar with. Suffice it that the core of the story remains, with a little bit of fluff in spots which only serve to enhance the story, not alter it. No childhoods are being ruined here.

Disney has turned the production value up to eleven. Previous animated to live-action adaptations have fared well- I look at Maleficent, Jungle Book, and Pete’s Dragon as good examples- but none of those fine films can touch the majesty on display with Beauty & the Beast. It would be criminal if the Academy were to ignore these set designs and costumes next February. If I must find a reason to criticize, I did find some of the visual effects and visual editing to be a touch blocky in spots, but never distractingly so. For the most part, the scenes that really mattered came off seamless.

As for that “other” big thing being bandied about on the Interwebs, I will not dignify it with debate here. I’ll just say, if THAT truly does hold you back from seeing this film, then I feel sorry for you that your life is so devoid of joy. It is much ado about nothing, and I implore you to take it as such. There is a line in the film, and I paraphrase it here…”People who are angry say a lot of things…it’s up to us whether or not to listen.”

The cast works on every level, but Emma Watson is a pure revelation, whether aided and abetted by Autotune or not. She is a voice the next generation of young girls needs to rally around. Knowing what she stands for and how she manages herself in a world that is built to obstruct her as a strong woman, makes her presence on screen all the more engaging and important. And she is enchanting at every turn.

Don’t let the cynics dissuade you. Beauty & the Beast is a magical, dazzling spectacle of pure enjoyment, even though you know how it all shakes out in the end. Each flicker of a candelabra or twirl of a ball gown is handled with the utmost of care. When I look back at my own time at Disney, I fondly recollect those moments when the real magic was being made. For every ignorant adult that couldn’t stop complaining about the long lines, or the prices, or whatever, there were dozens of children, young and old, laying eyes upon Cinderella’s castle for the first time, eyes wide and full of wonder, unsullied by the cynicisms that consume too many of us. And when a young girl in my theater, perhaps all of six years old, squealed “BELLE” when the character first pops on screen, I realize that Disney is still making magical moments. This is still the tale as old as time. And it is timeless.

phpxnctheamSTEVE CLIFTON has been writing moderately well on the Internet at this blog, Popcorn Confessional, for the better part of the last decade.  His love for movies can be traced back to the North Park Cinema in Buffalo, NY circa 1972, when his aunt took him to see Dumbo.  Now living in Maine, Steve routinely consumes as much film, television, and books as time will allow.  He also finds time to complain about winter and Buffalo sports teams.  He is a big fan of bad horror films and guacamole, and mildly amused by pandas.

Episode 050: Beauty and the Beast

Posted on by thisispatch.

In this landmark 50th episode, we discuss Disney’s newest live-action remake, Beauty and the Beast. Is it better than the original? Does it even matter? Is Emma Watson a good enough Belle? Are the new songs worthy of the classics? We answer these burning questions and more as we celebrate almost a year of podcasting with this magical new film.

What We’ve Been Up To – 0:02:01
(Patrick – Uglies)
(Aaron – Dogtown & the Z-Boys, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest on Cinescope, The Zookeeper’s Wife Review)

Beauty and the Beast Review – 0:18:30

The Connecting Point – 1:07:08

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Intro/Outro Music – “Air Hockey Saloon” by Chris Zabriskie

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What We Learned This Week: March 12-18

Posted on by everymoviehasalesson.

This week, it’s time to collectively put a firehose of truth and pragmatism to the flaming mountains of fake outrage that has been brewing for weeks on several fronts.  The targets today are remakes, reboots, and reimaginings.  A whole lot of fuss was made this week by the arrival of Disney’s reimagining of “Beauty and the Beast” (my full review) and the news of Warner Bros. eyeing a remake of “The Matrix.”  Sigh.  Pass the teacher’s chalk and let the rant begin.

LESSON #1: REMAKES ARE INEVITABLE— Old favorites are old favorites because they are exactly that: OLD.   New mediums and new art forms evolve with time.  Wikipedia will tell you that “La Belle et la Bete” has been adapted to film no less than 11 times.  Classic stories, whether in print or in film, have been retold by each generation for decades.   No one was bitching in 1991 when Disney made the fifth such film attempt, yet here are the butthurt today ranting about the 11th.  Guess what?  In another 10-25 years, you’ll see the 12th and maybe even the 13th version next.  I hate to tell you this, but in 50 years, some bloke is going to remake “Harry Potter” and “Star Wars.”

LESSON #2: MANY FILMS YOU ALL LOVE ARE REMAKES, REBOOTS, OR REIMAGININGS— In case you have all forgotten, the endless likes of “Mutiny on the Bounty,” “The Dark Knight,” “Ocean’s 11,” “The Departed,” “The Fly,” “The Magnificent Seven,” “The Thing,” “True Lies,” “Scarface,” “True Grit,” “Some Like it Hot,” “The Ring,” “Cape Fear,” “A Fist Full of Dollars,” “The Maltese Falcon,” and f–king “The Wizard of Oz” are all either remakes, reboots, updates, or reimaginings of early film adaptations.   If you’re going to play the purist card, then go ahead and try to deny the elements of greatness that followed.  Enjoy that island.

LESSON #3: REMAKES ARE HARMLESS— No remake ever replaces a film that came before it, period.  They don’t burn all of the previous copies of the original and say that you have to only receive and like the new one now.    Both versions exist in perpetuity.  Both versions are perfectly accessible to enjoy.

LESSON #4: NO ONE IS FORCING YOU TO WATCH ANY FILM, REMAKE OR OTHERWISE— No childhoods are ruined by any film remake.  Divorces ruin childhoods, not movies played through a device that has an OFF button.  If you don’t want to see a remake or new version of something you love, then don’t see it.  Don’t waste your two hours.  Don’t waste your money.  Go get that unburned copy from Lesson #3 and enjoy the one you love.  No one is stopping you.  To go another angle, here’s a great quote from Arizona Republic film critic Bill Goodykoontz in his “Beauty and the Beast” review: “Does it need to exist? No, not really. Neither does ice cream, but you don’t hear many complaints about that. Don’t question it, or look for controversy where it doesn’t exist. Instead, do something better: enjoy it.”

LESSON #5: DON’T MAKE COMPARISONS— This is my best advice.  Let the original and remake be different, whether that’s better or worse, because they are different.  View them separately and independently.  Judge them separately and independently.  It’s that easy.  In the end, every audience has their own taste and that’s the whole point.  There is room for each person’s enjoyment and we all get to pick what we choose to enjoy.  Some teenager is going to adore the “Power Rangers” movie next week.  Let him or her have it.  You have yours.

LESSON #6: THIS HAS BECOME A BUSINESS FIRST, AND AN ART EXPOSITION SECOND— I can rant all day about “how” remakes, reboots, and reimaginings exist and thrive, but the question of “why” always remains after.  That answer is easy as well: MONEY.  “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Matrix,” and properties like Spider-Man and James Bond have name recognition and built-in audiences that sell movie tickets.  Why does Disney reimagine their animated classic films?  Because they can afford it and the results are supremely profitable.  Even if the films are not necessary, people will still pay to see them. Good luck stopping them from doing it and watch them laugh all the way to the bank.  The only way an audience can tell a studio how to do its business is by either giving them or not giving them your business.  If you don’t like it, go back to Lesson #4 and keep your money.

DON SHANAHAN is a Chicago-based film critic writing on his website Every Movie Has a Lesson.  He is also one of the founders and the current President of the Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle.  As an elementary educator by day, Don writes his movie reviews with life lessons in mind, from the serious to the farcical.  As a contributor here on Feelin’ Film, he’s going to expand those lessons to current movie news and trends.  Find “Every Movie Has a Lesson” on Facebook, Twitter, Medium, and Creators Media.