tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post4950748688151602256..comments2024-03-28T06:14:54.076-04:00Comments on And So It Begins...: Top 10 Films of 2016Alex Withrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-71707132498828158652017-05-08T20:59:15.554-04:002017-05-08T20:59:15.554-04:00Awesome, love the new list! I just mentioned The E...Awesome, love the new list! I just mentioned The Eyes of My Mother to you in another comment... so happy you saw that one. That'd probably make my top 10 of 2016 now too. Holy fuck that movie. So unsettling. Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-46274361581060575252017-05-02T22:43:04.330-04:002017-05-02T22:43:04.330-04:00You know, shortly after I posted this, I saw Scors...You know, shortly after I posted this, I saw Scorsese's Silence, and I was floored in a way very few films ever, let alone this year, have floored me. Also I saw Moonlight (which I liked but didn't love) and La La Land (which I enjoyed greatly), and completely forgot about others I saw, like Zulaski's Cosmos and Hell or High Water.<br /><br />If I had to redo the list, it would be something like<br />1) Silence<br />2) The Eyes of My Mother<br />3) Swiss Army Man<br />4) Hacksaw Ridge<br />5) Deadpool<br />6) La La Land<br />7) Cosmos (A swan song from a master. No one does mania like Andrzej Zulawski)<br />8) The Witch<br />9) Hell or High Water<br />10) Zootopia<br /><br />Also, I see you've got a new banner. Nice! Looking at the images, would I be correct in saying they're all from Bergman films? Although there is one in the bottom row of a clown that looks suspiciously Jodorowsky-esque, but I'm not sure what your views on Jodorowsky are.Nick9000https://www.blogger.com/profile/04850668284839130387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-29602251650515825922017-04-14T12:51:39.337-04:002017-04-14T12:51:39.337-04:00And that will never make sense to me. It is very p...And that will never make sense to me. It is very possible to like two movies that come out in the same year and are nominated for the same awards.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-50340290711873760092017-04-13T16:04:55.084-04:002017-04-13T16:04:55.084-04:00I completely agree. Many friends of mine adored La...I completely agree. Many friends of mine adored La La Land until they saw Moonlight, at which point they decided that they hated La La Land, and vise versa. Evanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-30423712262757174992017-03-13T12:45:30.768-04:002017-03-13T12:45:30.768-04:00Thanks Eva! Hype can be a killer for sure. It'...Thanks Eva! Hype can be a killer for sure. It's one of the reasons I like to get to movies as early as I can.<br /><br />My opinions on Moonlight are complicated. There's a movie like this almost every year, one that is seemingly universally praised that I don't fully connect with (Spotlight, Selma, American Hustle, Les Mis/Lincoln, The Artist, etc) . I did enjoy and appreciate Moonlight and any film that cost $1.5 million and ultimately wins Best Picture is a grand step forward for indie films. The film was acted incredibly well and shot to perfection, but there were some things in it that lost me. Mainly, I still do not understand how Black can have a wet dream about Kevin, without having met adult Kevin. In the dream, Kevin looks how he looks in real life, he's wearing clothes he would wear, standing near where he works. Black has no idea about any of this, but he has a dream about it. It makes no sense! I also thought the first two segments were drastically superior to the third. But truthfully, it's a fine and important film and I'm eager to see it again.<br /><br />I also thought it was laughably absurd that people created this ridiculous notion of Moonlight vs La La Land. As if it's impossible to like (or dislike) two movies from the same year that happen to be nominated for awards. Chazelle and Jenkins are friends and really enjoyed each others' movies. Why can't people chill out and stop creating fervor from nothing?Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-76665689352252253802017-02-28T16:12:33.642-05:002017-02-28T16:12:33.642-05:00Great list Alex! Although I didn't adore La La...Great list Alex! Although I didn't adore La La Land, I enjoyed it and may give it another go considering your comments on it. I think it was just too hyped up for me unfortunately, but I want to try it again with fresh eyes. There are lots of films on your list I haven't seen yet, but I'll get around to them eventually! A quick question, what are your thoughts on Moonlight, seeing how it won best picture and you left it off your list?Evanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-15473427671741603622017-02-08T17:05:28.094-05:002017-02-08T17:05:28.094-05:00Totally agree. Movies that buck convention are my ...Totally agree. Movies that buck convention are my jam. Those will always be my favorites. Musicals are my least genre, but damn if La La Land didn't steal my heart.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-653564753173003992017-02-08T17:03:49.952-05:002017-02-08T17:03:49.952-05:00Thanks man! I'm stunned Everybody Wants Some w...Thanks man! I'm stunned Everybody Wants Some wasn't marketed better. It's so damn good. Hopefully it will find an audience and live on, like much of Linklater's best work. Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-76939421445437856542017-02-08T17:02:28.978-05:002017-02-08T17:02:28.978-05:00Can't wait!Can't wait!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-41387887718055774822017-02-07T15:01:51.481-05:002017-02-07T15:01:51.481-05:00Talking about La La Land: drove 20 miles to watch ...Talking about La La Land: drove 20 miles to watch it on the silver screen. Don't care much for musicals (is this really a musical?), but I knew I had to watch it for some reason. There's quite a few things in the movie I would criticize (e.g. its predictability, Gosling is playing Gosling, the heavy use of coincidence - not only in the beginning, I mean throughout the movie etc.).<br />But I loved the film.<br />So what's the point? The point is: you cannot explain art. And that's the magic of art. If there was a formula to it, everybody would make great movies, right? All you need is an iPhone and that formula.<br />I am so glad there is NO formula. You can save the cat, do your homework, but there's NO formula. Never was. Never will be.Dunkelzifferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13390969475870322350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-7178541816264187792017-02-06T16:53:10.203-05:002017-02-06T16:53:10.203-05:00Great list, Alex! I'll have mine finished pre-...Great list, Alex! I'll have mine finished pre-Oscars. Will definitely include Manchester, La La Land, and Everybody Wants Some!! So glad to see Everybody Wants Some!! on your list. I can't believe it didn't have a mediocre cult following, at least, but it seems to have flown well under the radar. Tanner Joneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18194005028924327658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-67011783038739140182017-02-01T19:20:31.640-05:002017-02-01T19:20:31.640-05:00I knew she wasn't returning and I was sad abou...I knew she wasn't returning and I was sad about that too, but I haven't read the new synopsis, I will check it out asap! María Val. https://www.blogger.com/profile/17702353414253463871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-60664017360719555742017-02-01T12:48:15.793-05:002017-02-01T12:48:15.793-05:00SO happy you gave The Girlfriend Experience a chan...SO happy you gave The Girlfriend Experience a chance and ended up liking it. While I'm sad Keough's character won't be around for Season 2, I'm very intrigued by the early synopsis of that season. Sounds very ambitious and promising.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-10039221370335442292017-01-29T18:19:08.956-05:002017-01-29T18:19:08.956-05:00Glad to see you've included The Girlfriend Exp...Glad to see you've included The Girlfriend Experience. I loved it, I binge watched it 'cause I couldn't wait to know more about Riley Keough's character, her performance was wonderful. From the ones I've seen my favorite would be The Lobster. Loved Farrell and Léa Seydoux's little role and its whole metaphor about love and relations in this messed up "modern" world. I liked The Neon Demon but not as much as I'd liked to, and I'm sad La la land didn't work for me, the ending is a thing of beauty, but the rest of it didn't engage me as I was hoping having two of my favorite actors on the leading roles. Adding to my "to watch" list some films I didn't know about and can't wait to see the rest, 'cause you always make some very interesting choices!María Val. https://www.blogger.com/profile/17702353414253463871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-44369867470062150442017-01-26T18:41:07.569-05:002017-01-26T18:41:07.569-05:00Great list. I still have some of yours to see, mos...Great list. I still have some of yours to see, mostly a handful of your foreign picks. I had trouble finding a lot of foreign films from this year that I liked. But your list is a good place to start.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-10377680870565521342017-01-26T18:39:53.182-05:002017-01-26T18:39:53.182-05:00Nice list buddy. Green Room was so damn brutal. I&...Nice list buddy. Green Room was so damn brutal. I've only seen it once. Need to give it another go!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-32054044098133323162017-01-26T18:39:21.840-05:002017-01-26T18:39:21.840-05:00Awesome man, so happy you liked that film. It work...Awesome man, so happy you liked that film. It worked for me in every way.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-60569100610428905072017-01-26T18:39:00.797-05:002017-01-26T18:39:00.797-05:00Thanks for the comment! I agree, a good but not gr...Thanks for the comment! I agree, a good but not great year. I can't wait to see Silence again. There was so much going on in that one. So deep and evolving. Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-26211456296095107532017-01-26T18:36:35.846-05:002017-01-26T18:36:35.846-05:00Nice! So happy you dig the list. I found a lot of ...Nice! So happy you dig the list. I found a lot of substance in Knight of Cups... just really connected with it. But I totally get what you mean.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-37256725810848489282017-01-24T23:15:53.006-05:002017-01-24T23:15:53.006-05:00A couple films I've yet to see and several mor...A couple films I've yet to see and several more that I wasn't particularly impressed with but I respect the specificity and passion of your choices. For the life of me, I don't get the love of Nocturnal Animals from some quarters but it is a visually striking film and Tom Ford executes his vision without compromise.<br /><br />Here's my list:<br />1. MOONLIGHT (U.S., Barry Jenkins)<br />2. JACKIE (U.S., Pablo Larraín)<br />3. ARRIVAL (U.S., Denis Villeneuve)<br />4. THE LOBSTER (Ireland, Yorgos Lanthimos)<br />5. EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT (Colombia, Ciro Guerra)<br />6. AMERICAN HONEY (U.S., Andrea Arnold)<br />7. KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS (U.S., Travis Knight)<br />8. HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE (New Zealand, Taika Waititi)<br />9. SON OF SAUL (Hungary, László Nemes)<br />10. FENCES (U.S., Denzel Washington)<br />11. KRISHA (U.S., Trey Edward Shults)<br />12. TAXI (Iran, Jafar Panahi)<br />13. THE FITS (U.S., Anna Rose Holmer)<br />14. LA LA LAND (U.S., Damien Chazelle)<br />15. A BIGGER SPLASH (Italy, Luca Guadagnino)<br />16. HELL OR HIGH WATER (U.S., David Mackenzie)<br />17. THE SALESMAN (Iran, Asghar Farhadi)<br />18. ELLE (France, Paul Verhoeven)<br />19. 20th CENTURY WOMEN (U.S., Mike Mills)<br />20. GREEN ROOM (U.S., Jeremy Saulnier)W.J.http://inwidescreen.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-75420177297259068922017-01-24T19:14:09.109-05:002017-01-24T19:14:09.109-05:001. Moonlight
2. Silence
3. The Lobster
4. Green Ro...1. Moonlight<br />2. Silence<br />3. The Lobster<br />4. Green Room<br />5. The Handmaiden<br />6. The Witch<br />7. Manchester By the Sea<br />8. American Honey/Everybody Wants Some (tie)<br />9. La La Land<br />10. Arrival<br /><br />Honorable Mention: I Daniel Blake, Nocturnal Animals, Hell Or High WaterLukehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03231911249238795602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-64507674530254170742017-01-22T13:06:08.699-05:002017-01-22T13:06:08.699-05:00Nice list all around. I can safely say I'm in ...Nice list all around. I can safely say I'm in 100% agreement with your #1. <br /><br />- ZachZach Murphyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13082822697901306809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-38191696352190042182017-01-18T17:50:18.868-05:002017-01-18T17:50:18.868-05:00Love your list and I haven't seen some of them...Love your list and I haven't seen some of them but I'm going to go ahead and list 10 of my favorite films of 2016. But before I would like to say that I enjoyed this year in 2016. As a whole it wasn't an amazing year but I would definitely say it was a good year. The last year for film that really was fun for me was probably 2014 with movies like Interstellar, Boyhood, Birdman, etc etc. BUT back to my favorite films and films I enjoyed the most in 2016<br /><br />1. Silence<br />2. The Handmaiden<br />3. Moonlight<br />4. Arrival<br />5. Sing Street<br />6. Nocturnal Animals<br />7. The Nice Guys<br />8. The Neon Demon<br />9. Eye in the Sky<br />10.Hell or High Water<br /><br />Honorable Mentions:<br />1. Allied<br />2. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story<br />3. Zootopia<br />4. Captain America: The Civil War<br />5. Deadpool<br />6. Love & Friendship<br />7. 10 Cloverfield Lane<br />Those are just a few. Again I enjoyed the film year as a whole. Some really really good films out there just have to find them I always say.Elijah Warrennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-45222169889634753712017-01-18T08:22:33.920-05:002017-01-18T08:22:33.920-05:00Such a great list! So pleased I find here the Lobs...Such a great list! So pleased I find here the Lobster, Manchester by the Sea and the Handmaiden. Such great movies. I still value substance way above any style, so I currently find it difficult to appreciate Knight of Cups and the Neon Demon, but I will be re-watching these films soon, so maybe I will change my opinion.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-67407981734699030522017-01-17T15:07:00.010-05:002017-01-17T15:07:00.010-05:00Thanks so much - what a kind comment! Perhaps I mi...Thanks so much - what a kind comment! Perhaps I misspoke somewhere, but I did indeed appreciate Moonlight. There were a few minor things in it that I took issue with, but they were minor indeed. I'm so happy you connected with La La Land as intensely as I did. I adore that film.<br /><br />And let me know if you see White Girl!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.com