My Top Twelve Movie Villains of the 21st Century

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During the early 2000s, I loved the 100 Years… series of movie lists released by the American Film Institute, counting down film’s top Laughs, Thrills, Passions, and such. They served as a great introduction to the cinematic highs of various genres, some of which I knew and others I got to experience vicariously for the first time. It’s really a shame that they stopped after 2008; I would have at least liked another ten-year update of the Top 100 Movies list.

Yet one list seemed like it could particularly use an update. In 2003, the AFI counted down the top 50 heroes and top 50 villains, and I couldn’t help but notice that the only villain from the 21^st century was Denzel Washington’s crooked cop in Training Day at #50. Over the last 19 years, though, there have been plenty of other villainous characters that I think could have earned placement on that villain list. Therefore, I thought I’d do my own updated villain countdown for the current century, leaving heroes for another time.

I’m not necessarily in favor of celebrating evil, but a memorable villain can make a good movie great and a bad movie watchable. One villain I do think should be on the list is Mr. Smith from The Matrix series, but he’s technically ineligible since the first film was released in 1999. And sidenote: I’m ignoring TV, as much as I’d like to include Ben from Lost, Bill Cipher from Gravity Falls, or Kyubey from Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Thus, with consideration for how iconic each has become, here are my own picks for the top villains of the 21^st century:

 

12. Mr. Glass from Unbreakable/Glass

Unbreakable was an unconventional superhero movie, and true to M. Night Shyamalan form, its villain proved to be a surprise. Samuel L. Jackson’s brittle-boned antagonist seemed so harmless at first, yet his role as a mastermind and the unhealthiness of his comic book fascination became clear by the end. I laughed during a recent rewatch of Parks and Recreation where they ask what Mr. Glass is up to and “Why no sequel?” Of course, we did get one this past year, with mixed results, but the “strength” of the character remains.

 

11. President Snow from The Hunger Games series

A mere vaguely threatening presence in the first Hunger Games film, President Snow proved just how ruthless and dastardly he was in the next three. From blackmailing Katniss to ordering the deaths of countless citizens, he became an increasingly dangerous mastermind, and Donald Sutherland played him with an icy pragmatism right up to the very end.

 

10. Doctor Octopus from Spider-Man 2

I think it’s telling that of the original Spider-Man trilogy villains, only Doc Ock hasn’t had some kind of “reboot” in the Spider-Man films since. (Well, at least in live-action; Into the Spider-Verse went a little different with its version.) I think that’s because of how perfectly Alfred Molina became the character, brought to life with an awesome mix of CGI and puppetry. Uniquely sympathetic due to his Jekyll-and-Hyde complex with his robotic arms, he remains one of the franchise’s best villains.

 

9. The Babadook from The Babadook

Few horror films have genuinely scared me like The Babadook, thanks largely to its titular creature. This Australian scarefest features a picture book that described the top-hatted terror in detail, letting people’s fear and suspicion make it real and inescapable. As movie monsters go, it’s definitely up there with the most chilling, even more so due to what it represents psychologically.

 

8. Voldemort from the Harry Potter series

Granted, I haven’t seen any of the Harry Potter films, but the reputation of Ralph Fiennes’ Voldemort precedes him. The very name of He Who Must Not Be Named has become synonymous with villainy, so even if I only know him by cultural presence, the significance of that presence deserves placement on any list of cinematic villains.

 

7. Captain Barbossa from The Pirates of the Caribbean series

I had considered putting Bill Nighy’s Davy Jones on the list, but in the end, Geoffrey Rush’s Captain Barbossa won out. With his smarmy dealing and sneering delivery, he’s just the perfect pirate antagonist, whether as a skeleton or less-than-trustworthy ally, and Rush always looks like he’s having a blast. Plus, he’s got one of the best surprise entrances in movie history.

 

6. Hans Landa from Inglourious Basterds

Another film I haven’t actually seen all of, Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds nonetheless delivered a villain for the ages in Christoph Waltz’s Oscar-winning portrayal of Hans Landa, the wicked Nazi “Jew Hunter.” Able to shift easily from casual courtesy to racist murder, he’s a true psychopath, and his opening scene alone was enough to convince me of his placement here.

 

5. Magneto from the X-Men franchise

As far as which version of the character, take your pick. Whether played by Ian McKellen or Michael Fassbender, Magneto is the ideal archrival to Charles Xavier, bitter enough about his traumatic past to hate all non-mutants. He’s suffered so much that you can’t help but sympathize with him, even as he uses his power over metal to cause havoc. Plus, he’s not too different from Charles in his end goals; he’s just far more ruthless in his means of achieving them.

 

4. Pennywise from It and It Chapter Two

I still haven’t gotten around to watching the latest version of Stephen King’s It, but I must give props to Bill Skarsgård for helping this incarnation of Pennywise the Dancing Clown rival the great Tim Curry’s. His frightening painted face has become an instant icon of scary clowns (just look at the Halloween costumes), so that makes him the most recent entry on the list.

 

3. Joker from The Dark Knight

“Why so serious?” Speaking of clowns, we mustn’t forget the other Oscar-winning villain role on this list. You’re welcome to include Joaquin Phoenix’s most recent version of the Joker here, but I have Heath Ledger in mind. I can’t help but wonder if the darkness required to personify the Joker contributed to his death, but he certainly made the role his own and, in effect, his legacy. Edgy and grimy to match the underworld of Gotham, his Joker is a compulsive liar and a true criminal mastermind, a man whose goal is simply, in the words of Michael Caine’s Alfred, “to watch the world burn.”

 

2. Sauron – The Lord of the Rings films

Few villainous images are as iconic as the Eye of Sauron. Watching from atop the tower of Barad-dûr, it’s an all-watching representation of evil, especially the evil of the One Ring, the source and reason for Frodo’s quest across Middle-earth. I could easily have sided with Saruman, the Ringwraiths, or Gollum as well, but Sauron is the big bad to end all fantasy big bads.

 

1. Thanos from Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame

Yet when it comes to big bads, who can question Thanos, the final boss of 20+ films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? No other villain has achieved his goals as successfully as did Thanos in Infinity War, and it has to be a new height in villainy to wipe out half of all life in the universe. Marvel has often been criticized for its weak villains, but Thanos blew them all away (literally) and may well be the best villain of the new millennium.

 

And here are some other contenders that could deserve placement on a list of 21^st-century villains, a list of nefarious runners-up, so to speak:

 

Loki – Thor, The Avengers, etc.

Red Skull – Captain America: The First Avenger

Ultron – Avengers: Age of Ultron

Killmonger – Black Panther

Severus Snape – Harry Potter series

Syndrome – The Incredibles

Davy Jones – The Pirates of the Caribbean 2 & 3

The White Witch – The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

No-Face – Spirited Away

The Green Goblin – Spider-Man

Other Mother – Coraline

Eris – Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas

Kylo Ren – Star Wars: Episodes VII-IX

The Armitage Family – Get Out

Daniel Plainview – There Will Be Blood

Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch) – Star Trek into Darkness

Raoul Silva – Skyfall

Owen Davian – Mission: Impossible III

Solomon Lane – Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation and Fallout

Bane – The Dark Knight Rises

Smaug – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Immortan Joe – Mad Max: Fury Road

Annabelle / The Nun – The Conjuring franchise

David – Prometheus and Alien: Covenant

Anton Chigurh – No Country for Old Men

Patrick Bateman – American Psycho

Jigsaw – Saw franchise

Kevin Wendell Crumb – Split and Glass

Wilson Fisk/Kingpin – Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

 

So do you agree? What cinematic villains would you suggest are worthy of such a list? I’d love to know what you think!

 

My Top Twelve Films of 2018

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It may seem past the usual time for such lists, but it’s about time I posted this Top Twelve list of my favorite films from last year. Better late than never, right? After all, it’s never too late for a list. The year 2018 yielded a plethora of sequels, adaptations, and the occasional original story that made it a strong year at the cinema.

You might notice that my choices diverge from the Oscar fodder you’d expect on this kind of list, and that’s because I’ve either not seen it yet (BlacKkKlansman, Roma) or didn’t like it much (First Man, Annihilation). Nevertheless, if you see a movie you liked that isn’t here, feel free to recommend. I’m always on the lookout for hidden gems. Without further ado, let’s start the countdown, first with the runners-up and working our way up to the Top Twelve:

Leave No Trace

Creed II

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Ben Is Back

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

The Hate U Give

Flavors of Youth

Teen Titans Go! to the Movies

The Bookshop

Mirai

The Endless

Bohemian Rhapsody

Isle of Dogs

Next Gen

Puzzle

Psychokinesis

Skyscraper

Mortal Engines

A Star Is Born

Crazy Rich Asians

Mary Poppins Returns

Instant Family

Aquaman

Eighth Grade

Maze Runner: The Death Cure

Beautiful Boy

The Christmas Chronicles

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

The Commuter

Game Night

Black Panther

Please Stand By

12. Searching

Portraying the modern Internet experience in a movie would be hard enough, but doing so while gradually unfolding a mystery and a compelling father-daughter relationship is masterful. Starring John Cho as a dad who searches for clues online to find his missing daughter, Searching makes the most of its creative choice to show everything through a computer screen. It’s hard to imagine this concept being done better.

11. A Quiet Place

A monster movie that makes sound itself the enemy, A Quiet Place is proof of the talents of writer/director John Krasinski and his wife Emily Blunt, both playing parents who do everything they can to keep their kids safe during this soundless apocalypse. Even if its plot is a bit too similar to the criminally underrated Hidden, the tension it draws from every scene is palpably effective.

10. Solo: A Star Wars Story

I wrote in my review that most seemed to agree that Solo was “not bad,” but I stand by my belief that it deserves “good” status. It may not be the strongest Star Wars movie, but it was better than I expected, especially since it was tasked with recasting two iconic roles. These incarnations of Han Solo and Lando Calrissian are different, but the actors deliver enough swagger to make them close enough interpretations. The worst part is that the film’s underperformance probably means we’ll never get the sequel it sets up.

9. Mission: Impossible – Fallout

It was only last year that I caught up with the Mission: Impossible series, and Fallout continued the upward trend for the series that started with Mission: Impossible III. There seems to be no stopping Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, and the action set pieces never disappoint. I was a tad disappointed with how it resolved the relationship begun in the third film, but Fallout knocked everything else out of the park.

8. Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms

This beautiful anime tearjerker deserved so much more than it got. It may have gotten a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, but it seems that anyone in charge of awards never heard of it. It couldn’t even get a nomination from the Crunchyroll Awards! This tale of a near-immortal teenage girl who adopts a human baby merges tender maternal themes and a larger fantasy plot, delivering a gut-punch of emotion that left me a sobbing puddle by the end.

7. Ralph Breaks the Internet

I loved the first Wreck-It Ralph. My VC did not, but we both agreed that Ralph Breaks the Internet is a great sequel. Between the gloriously shameless product placement of everything Disney owns and the affecting bond between Ralph and Vanellope, this movie’s foray into the highs and lows of Internet culture is both colorfully metaphorical and hugely entertaining.

6. Ant-Man and the Wasp

Speaking of hugely entertaining, Ant-Man and the Wasp brought a much smaller (pun intended) adventure to follow up the universe-shaking clash of Infinity War. It often feels more like a family comedy than a superhero actioner, but they blend so well with these characters that I left the theater happy. They don’t all have to be world-ending face-offs.

5. Green Book

I still don’t get why Green Book was such a controversial pick for Best Picture, and I’m personally glad that it grabbed the top Academy prize. Race is obviously a sticky subject at this time, but Green Book breathes a good deal of humanity into its depiction of the friendship between New York bouncer Tony “Lip” Vallelonga and black classical pianist Dr. Don Shirley. Viggo Mortenson and Mahershala Ali give outstanding performances that ring true all the way to the satisfying end.

4. The Incredibles 2

The Incredibles seemed to be the Pixar movie that most cried out for a sequel, and it only took them fourteen years. This follow-up doesn’t quite match the original, but it’s still a winning mix of familial lessons and superhero action and a welcome revisiting of everyone’s favorite super-family.

3. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

With so many cinematic versions of Spider-Man, it’s a small miracle that an animated version turned out to be one of the most original movies in recent memory. Into the Spider-Verse not only turned the Spider-Man mythology on its head by using the many versions of the character to its story’s advantage, but it represented those varied incarnations with an eye-popping blend of cutting-edge animation styles.

2. Ready Player One

Nostalgia sells these days, especially for the ‘80s, and every aspect of Ready Player One is built on nerdy nostalgia. I loved the book, and while Spielberg’s adaptation takes some liberties with the plot, it’s faithful to its spirit, loaded with Easter eggs that will appeal to geeks everywhere on different levels. The effects and action scenes are outstanding, and it’s easily one of the most entertaining movies of late.

1. Avengers: Infinity War

Any longtime reader should not be surprised by my #1. As a Marvel geek, I was right there on opening weekend to watch the beginning of the culmination of the whole MCU, and, like everyone else, I was left reeling by the gut-punch cliffhanger with which Infinity War ended. Yet that didn’t take away from the fact that it was also the biggest, most bombastic spectacle Marvel had yet delivered, and while I said then my continued appreciation would hinge on how well Endgame stuck the landing, I was thrilled and satisfied that it did. It seems so many are getting sick of superhero movies, but I’m still “marveling” at the awesomeness that Marvel has wrought.

So ends my Top Twelve Films of 2018, and thanks to anyone who bothered to read my absurdly late ranking. Now over halfway through 2019, I already have some ideas for this year’s Top Twelve, but it’s too early now. I ought to wait till at least next July. 😉

NaPoWriMo 2019 Recap

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Well, April is over, and National Poetry Writing Month is done with it. It was once again a fun challenge writing a poem and review every day of the month, and NaPoWriMo went by way faster than I thought it would. I was prepared to possibly miss a day, and now I’m looking back and wondering how I kept up!

A big thank you to everyone who read, liked, commented, and encouraged me along the way! You all made it that much more enjoyable!  Below is a recap of all the films reviewed throughout last month, in case anyone missed a day. Back now to business as usual, until next May rolls around!

 

April 1 – Please Stand By (2018)  –  List-Worthy

April 2 – Duel (1971)  –  Honorable Mention

April 3 – Bel Canto (2018)  –  Honorable Mention

April 4 – Beautiful Boy (2018)  –  List Runner-Up

April 5 – Into the Woods (2014)  –  Dishonorable Mention

April 6 – Snowpiercer (2013)  –  Honorable Mention

April 7 – Florence Foster Jenkins (2016)  –  Honorable Mention

April 8 – The Commuter (2018)  –  List Runner-Up

April 9 – Dancer in the Dark (2000)  –  List-Worthy

April 10 – Leave No Trace (2018)  –  Honorable Mention

April 11 – The Endless (2018)  –  List Runner-Up

April 12 – Psycho 2 (1983)  –  Honorable Mention

April 13 – Annihilation (2018)  –  Dishonorable Mention

April 14 – Isle of Dogs (2018)  –  List Runner-Up

April 15 – A Few Good Men (1992)  –  List-Worthy

April 16 – Game Night (2018)  –  List Runner-Up

April 17 – I Am Dragon (2015)  –  List Runner-Up

April 18 – Chicken with Plums (2011)  –  Honorable Mention  (personal best poem written)

April 19 – The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)  –  List Runner-Up

April 20 – Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991)  –  Honorable Mention

April 21 – Unplanned (2019)  –  List Runner-Up

April 22 – The Magnificent Seven Comparison (1960, 2016)  –  List-Worthy

April 23 – Pitch Black (2000)  –  List Runner-Up

April 24 – I Am Somebody’s Child: The Regina Louise Story (2019)  –  List Runner-Up

April 25 – Smokey and the Bandit (1977)  –  List Runner-Up

April 26 – Murder on the Orient Express (2017)  –  List Runner-Up

April 27 – Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)  –  List-Worthy  (favorite movie watched this month)

April 28 – Teen Titans Go! to the Movies (2018)  –  List Runner-Up

April 29 – Alita: Battle Angel (2019) / Gunnm (1993) Comparison  –  List Runner-Up

April 30 – Odd Thomas (2013)  –  List Runner-Up  (most popular/liked post)

My Top Twelve 2019 Movies I Hope Are Good

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I would normally have posted this over a month ago, but, despite the delay, I wanted  to give a little sneak peek of what the rest of the year holds for us movie lovers. If I had gotten to this list earlier, I would have included the likes of Glass, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, and Captain Marvel (Alita: Battle Angel was part of my list from last year), but these are all films that I’m eagerly awaiting. If they’re as good as I hope they are, 2019 will be a very good year for film (and these are just the ones I know of so far).

 

12. The Best of Enemies

Reminiscent of Hidden Figures and Selma, the trailer for The Best of Enemies promises a riveting story of the real-life friendship between civil rights activist Ann Atwater (Taraji P. Henson) and KKK leader C. P. Ellis (Sam Rockwell). With two strong leads, I hope it will help in bridging the racial division plaguing our country.

 

11. Aladdin

 

In principle, I’m still not a fan of these Disney live-action remakes (The Lion King especially just feels wrong, but then again so did Beauty and the Beast), but Aladdin’s latest trailer raised my expectations. Will Smith is no Robin Williams, but he could still pull off a different kind of Genie, and the production looks sumptuous.

 

10. Cats

Cats isn’t really one of my favorite musicals, but if it means more musical films in its wake, I hope it’s a massive success.

 

9. Tolkien

 

I have no idea how historically accurate this film will be, but I do love a good literary biopic, and my love of The Lord of the Rings will no doubt bleed into my appreciation of Tolkien. I do hope they include his faith since it was so integral to his life and work.

 

8. Men in Black: International

 

My expectations are cautiously optimistic for this reboot largely unconnected to the original MIB trilogy. Still, it’s a promising reunion for Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson, who are both due to show off their proven comedic chops, and perhaps it can kick-start the franchise all over again.

 

7. Yesterday

 

I hadn’t heard of this film till recently, but the trailer has me hyped. The Beatles are quite dear in my family, and this Twilight Zone-esque what-if plot has my interest piqued.

 

6. Frozen 2

 

Is the first Frozen overrated and overcommercialized? Yes. Is it still a great Disney movie worthy of an equally great sequel? Yes again. The trailer certainly captures an intriguing, darker mood than the original.

 

5. Toy Story 4

 

I really think they should have ended the series with Toy Story 3, but I guess we simply must trust Pixar to pull off one more fun, tear-jerking visit with Woody and Buzz.

 

4. Weathering with You

Makoto Shinkai might have the toughest job of any filmmaker this year: following up the highest-grossing anime film of all time, Your Name. There aren’t a lot of details about Weathering with You, but we know Shinkai excels at depicting clouds and rain and weather, so it will no doubt be gorgeous to behold.

 

3. Pokémon: Detective Pikachu

 

I’ll admit I’m strangely fascinated by this movie, based on a spin-off game from 2016. Pokémon fans I’ve talked to seem to have low expectations, but I really think this film could be great if done right. Whether a Deadpool-style Pikachu voiced by Ryan Reynolds will constitute “done right” remains to be seen, but I do wish this movie would defy the odds.

 

2. Star Wars: Episode IX

I was in the minority in loving The Last Jedi, so Star Wars: Episode IX has a doubly hard task: pleasing fans who loved its predecessor and “redeeming” the franchise for those who didn’t. I can’t wait to see how J.J. Abrams rises to the challenge.

 

1. Avengers: Endgame

 

After that ultimate cliffhanger at the end of Infinity War, there’s no doubt that Endgame is the most anticipated film of the year, at least in my house. I love how mum Marvel’s trailers are thus far (except for the next Spider-Man movie’s), leaving much room for hype-building speculation. I’m hoping time travel will be involved. Thank God it’s only a month away!

 

 

Other promising features in the coming year:

 

1917 – Sam Mendes directing a World War I movie released in late December. Probable Oscar material.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood – Can’t wait to see how Tom Hanks plays Mr. Rogers in this biopic.

Ad Astra – This Brad Pitt vehicle sounds like Interstellar but potentially with aliens.

Artemis Fowl – Never got into the books, but Disney might be going for a new Harry Potter-type franchise.

Call of the Wild – Not sure how this classic retelling will combine live-action and animation, but I’m curious to find out.

Dark Phoenix – Considering I hated The Last Stand, I don’t have very high hopes for this new retelling of the Dark Phoenix saga, but you never know.

Doctor Sleep – Of all the unexpected sequels being developed, a follow-up to The Shining was particularly unexpected, but since it’s also based on a Stephen King book, this might have potential.

Dumbo – I wish Disney would lay off the live-action adaptations. I’m not really a Tim Burton fan, so only time will tell for Dumbo.

Gemini Man – The plot sounds suspiciously like Looper without time travel, but Will Smith could make this a real winner.

Jumanji sequel – Welcome to the Jungle seemed like a good standalone follow-up to the original, so I’m not sure how they’ll sequelize it with the same characters.

Knives Out – An all-star cast in an Agatha Christie-style whodunit. I’m all for it!

The Lion King – This isn’t even live-action, just a more realistic-looking animation!

Little Women – Another all-star cast in a classic novel adaptation released in late December. Can you say Oscar bait? If it’s faithful to the book, I’m hoping it won’t need the R rating so common to Oscar-worthy films these days.

Midway – A Roland Emmerich war remake could be explosive or explosively bad. We’ll see.

The New Mutants – Between this and Brightburn, horror is starting to creep into the superhero genre, and I’m not sure how I feel about it yet.

PLAYMOBIL: The Movie – Never played with Playmobil, but I like the animation here. Despite allegations of ripping off The Lego Movie, I’m more curious to see this one than the second Lego Movie.

Rocketman – An Elton John musical that has real promise.

Shazam – A superhero version of Big. Sure, why not? I’m game.

Sonic the Hedgehog – I’m less convinced on a live-action Sonic than a live-action Pokémon. Too early to tell.

Spider-Man: Far From Home – I’m sure this will be another solid Marvel/Sony collaboration, but I don’t appreciate the spoiler-ish trailers before Endgame. Still, marketing is marketing.

Terminator: Dark Fate – Like the Terminator himself, this franchise refuses to die. Will they end on a high note?

UglyDolls – I didn’t even know these toys were a thing until the trailer, but a cast full of singers promises a fun kid-friendly musical.

Us – Jordan Peele’s follow-up to Get Out looks darn scary and is getting really strong reviews. Hope it’s not too R-rated.

 

My Top Twelve Songs of 2018

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Here at last is another post I’ve been putting off for far too long, my annual Top Twelve of my favorite songs of the previous year. I’m always notoriously behind on catching up with movies, so a list of my top 2018 films will have to wait a bit, but songs are shorter and easier to rank (for me at least).

And boy, has 2018 been a banner year for music! And that’s despite songs that seem to indicate the end of good music as we know it, like “This Is America” or the dreadful rise of Cardi B. It was harder than usual paring down last year’s musical offerings to a mere twelve, so please forgive the excessive length of the Honorable Mentions. Honestly, most of the honorable mentions could have knocked off songs from my 2017 list if they’d had to compete, so I’d say 2018 easily outclassed its predecessor, though perhaps I’m just being exposed to more music lately.

Beyond specific songs, 2018 helped me to pin down exactly what my preferred kind of music is, which had always been rather vague and definitionless for me. It seems that it includes adjectives like “progressive,” “chill”, “tropical,” and “house”; as a fan of Kygo and Avicii, I suppose I should have known that, but it’s nice to have a label for it now. Don’t be discouraged, though, if those genres aren’t your cup of tea, since I think my list below has a fairly well-rounded mix of styles to appreciate.

On top of that, 2018 introduced me to artists that have become new instant favorites. Previous years have sort of been defined for me by one great discovery, an artist I listen to and love nearly every track of theirs (Florence and the Machine in 2016, Kygo in 2017), but 2018 had a record four! These favorites are Chvrches, Aurora, Tom Odell, and Rufus Du Sol, all of which blew me away with every song, and thankfully, they all put out new music this year. For anyone who hasn’t heard of them, do yourself a favor and check them out (perhaps in the list below), and for anyone who already loves them and is thinking “Boy, he’s late to the party,” at least I’ve finally come around to become a fellow fan. 2019 has already introduced me to other instant favorites like Sigma and Kensington, so I can’t wait to see what other discoveries await.

Do be aware that this list is entirely my personal preference, which could easily change based on my tastes and what songs I might stumble upon. (For instance, if I’d known of it, the awesome adrenaline shot that is Royal Republic’s “Getting Along” would have easily topped my list last year.) Also, I’m not including covers or rereleased songs, so my apologies to Morgxn’s “Home,” Lumidelic’s “Magic Garden,” and Bad Wolves’ version of “Zombie.” I’m aware too that this is only my personal slice of last year’s music; for a different top music list, check out Chris’s top 10 songs of 2018 at Movies and Songs 365. Lastly, if anyone has a personal favorite of their own, please share in the comments and widen my horizons further!

Thus and therefore, I present my Top Twelve Songs of 2018!

 

12. “Paradise” by George Ezra

 

This infectious pop tune was one of the first new songs I heard in 2018, and it’s still on this list a year later. I’ve been a bit overexposed to George Ezra, thanks to my workplace seemingly playing his entire discography on repeat, but, while “Shotgun” might have become more famous,  “Paradise” is his irresistible best.

 

11. “Back Down” by Bob Moses (also “Don’t Hold Back”)

 

It took quite a few listens for me to fully appreciate “Back Down,” but now that I do, I can’t see why its inclusion on this list wasn’t an instant no-brainer. With vocals reminiscent of the Alan Parsons Project, it resides in a strange sweet spot between head-bopping catchiness and soothing coolness. This is the first song I’ve heard of theirs on the radio, so I hope it’s helping them reach a wider audience.

 

10. “Something Strange” by Vicetone, feat. Haley Reinhart

 

Oh, how I do love a heavy-handed piano! Reminiscent of Vicetone’s 2015 favorite “No Way Out,” “Something Strange” delivers an iconic piano riff that would be just as at home in an Avicii song, and it gets my head pumping every single time. Special mention also to Vicetone’s “Way Back” featuring Cozi Zuehlsdorff and “Walk Thru Fire” featuring Meron Ryan.

 

9. “Ride or Die” by The Knocks (feat. Foster the People)

 

It didn’t get nearly enough airplay on the radio, but “Ride or Die” is the essence of a summer hit IMO, easy to sing along to while cruising down the road. I’m still not entirely sure what the phrase “Ride or die” means, but it’s so cool that I don’t even care. (Plus, movie lovers will appreciate the music video.)

 

8. “Lucid Dream” by Owl City

 
 
Ethereal and dreamy in the best way, “Lucid Dream” is a return to the best of Owl City, conjuring imaginative mental images and a heavenly synth beat.

 

7. “Soul Train” by Just Loud, feat. Debbie Harry of Blondie (as well as “Electrified,” “Ghost,” and “Angels and Demons”)

 

Just Loud was yet another great discovery this year, and while it might be too soon with just one EP out, I’m tempted to label the Afro-wearing singer the new incarnation of Prince. “Electrified,” “Angels and Demons,” and “Ghost” are also solid tunes, but “Soul Train” has a uniquely funky and classic sound and jams like few rock songs have since the 1970s.

 

6. “Handyman” by AWOLNation

 

A subtly emotional anthem, “Handyman” was yet another early 2018 release with a memorable pensiveness that kept it popular on my playlist throughout the year. There’s something rich and satisfying about the lyrics, like “I’m not brittle; I’m just a riddle born of white, blue, and red,” but maybe that’s just the poet in me.

 

5. “Forgotten Love” by AURORA (and “Gentle Earthquakes”)

 

Here at last is the first member of the big four that became instant favorites this year, and despite this one coming in at #5, Norwegian singer Aurora Aksnes may be my favorite of the four. Her ballads are unlike any other music I’ve heard, and “Forgotten Love” is a prime example of the primal beauty her voice can summon, complete with a bridge in a supposedly made-up language that sounds like an ancient lost tongue. I could listen to this and all her songs on repeat . . . and often have.

 

4. TIE: “Lost in My Mind” and “Underwater” by RÜFÜS DU SOL

 
And here’s another discovery of mine, the Australian alternative dance band RÜFÜS DU SOL, formerly known as Rufus. Whereas other times that I mention more than one song by the same artist, anything but the main song are secondary recommendations, but this one is an outright tie, because I just couldn’t decide between the pounding, hypnotic electronica of “Lost in My Mind” and the mesmerizing, swelling beat and chant of “Underwater.” Put simply, this is my kind of music.

 

3. “Remind Me to Forget” by Kygo (and “Happy Now”)

 

At this point, I love these songs so much that the top 5 might as well be one massive tie, but I must give Kygo his due, as the one artist to make last year’s list and this year’s. He’s quickly become my favorite DJ, and “Remind Me to Forget” is a brilliant contribution to the genre of break-up songs. The happily bouncy “Happy Now” is also practically an undeclared tie for this spot.

 

2. “Body Talks” by The Struts

 

There are some songs that feel like instant rock ‘n’ roll classics, and “Body Talks” deserves a place alongside the work of artists like Queen and Joan Jett. This is energetic modern rock at its finest and has led to many a head-banging jam session in my car. The version with Kesha is good too, but I think I prefer the one with just The Struts, likely because I heard it first.

 

1. “Miracle” by Chvrches (as well as “Heaven/Hell,” “Graves,” and “Get Out”)

 

Chvrches was the first band I stumbled upon this year that made me wonder “Why have I not heard of this group yet?” Their synthpop style quickly captured my ears, and “Miracle” was my introduction. I’ve repeatedly second-guessed whether it should be #1 or not, but when I’m actually listening to it, the doubt disappears. The forceful drop, the chorus of “whoas,” the metaphorical single-take video – everything comes together into a luminous earworm I was glad to discover.

 

Now that the main list is through, here is the list of Runners-Up, listed in descending order as if the list were continuing (#13, #14, #15, etc.), and yes, I know there are a lot of them. All I can say is that this list could have been much longer;  I just couldn’t post a best songs list without giving these lesser favorites a plug. Many of these are vastly underappreciated, so check them out if you’re looking for a potential new favorite.

 

“High Hopes” by Panic! At the Disco

“Just Got Paid” by Sigala, Ella Eyre, Meghan Trainor, feat. French Montana

“I’ll Be Gone” by Avicii, feat. Jocke Berg

“Lullaby” by Sigala, feat. Paloma Faith

“Something Human” by Muse

“Lash Out” by Alice Merton

“Gold Rush” and “Northern Lights” by Death Cab for Cutie

“Make Way” by Aloe Blacc

“It Might Get Dark” and “Sky Beaming” by White Denim

“She’s Kerosene” by The Interruptors

“If You Wanna Love Somebody” by Tom Odell

“High on Life” by Martin Garrix, feat. Bonn and “Burn Out” by Martin Garrix & Justin Mylo, feat. Dewain Whitmore

“Uh Huh” by Jade Bird

“The One” by Michael Christian & AMB (especially the Maratone Dub Remix)

“Celebration” by Lumidelic

“Quarter Past Midnight” by Bastille

“All Your Love” by Flight Facilities, featuring Dustin Tebbutt

“Electricity” by Silk City & Dua Lipa, featuring Diplo & Mark Ronson

“Promises” by Calvin Harris and Sam Smith

“Saturday Sun” by Vance Joy

“Open Doors” by Awolk

“One Thing Left to Try” by MGMT

“Shallow” and “Black Eyes” from the A Star Is Born soundtrack

“Get Up” by Shinedown

“Hunger” and “Sky Full of Song” by Florence and the Machine

“Blackout” by Frank Turner

“IJskoud” and “Diamant” by Nielson

“Guiding Light” by Mumford and Sons

“Head Above Water” by Avril Lavigne

“My Blood” by Twenty-One Pilots

“More Than I Am” by Mountain Heart

“POP/STARS” by K/DA

“Far Away Truths” by Albert Hammond, Jr.

“Without Me” by Halsey

“Ran Away” by Hollow Coves

“Somebody’s Daughter” by Tenille Townes

“Give a Little” by Maggie Rogers

“Rescue Me” by Thirty Seconds to Mars

“99” by Barns Courtney

“White Flag” by Bishop Briggs

“Missing U” by Robyn

“joy.” by for KING & COUNTRY

“I Know You Can Dance” by Chris James

“Your Side of the Bed” by Loote

“Right of Passage” and “Setting Sail” by Eastern Odyssey

“New Birth in New England” by Phosphorescent

“Last Lion of Albion” by Neko Case

“Bit Logic” by The Bottle Rockets

“Tangerines and Daffodils” by The Voodoo Children

“Apollo” by St. Paul and the Broken Bones

“A Trick of the Light” by Villagers

“Come Tomorrow” by Dave Matthews Band

“New Compassion” by Haerts

“The Somnambulist” by Echo and the Bunnymen

“In Betweenin’” by Austin Brown

“Girls” by AJ Mitchell

 

And as with the last two years, I wanted to end this post with a short tribute to the musical artists we lost in 2018, including Betty Willis, Ray Thomas, Dolores O’Riordan, Lari White, Leah LaBelle, Dennis Edwards, Johann Johannsson, Avicii, Bob Dorough, Yvonne Staples, Matt “Guitar” Murphy,  Aretha Franklin, Ed King, Charles Aznavour, Tony Joe White, Marty Balin, Hugh McDowell, and Roy Clark. All of them will be sadly missed, but may they live on in the music they shared with the world.

 

 

Here’s to finding even more great music in the year to come!

 

My 2019 Blindspot Picks

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Lists

Now that last year’s Blindspots have been wrapped up with a bow, it’s time to begin anew in the new year. (I was really hoping to post this a month ago, but better late than never.) I’ve really enjoyed this Blindspot series the last two years, finally exposing myself to some movies I’ve been meaning to see for far too long. I’m already behind for 2019, but once I catch up, I do hope I can keep to one per month and find some new favorites along the way. Thus, below are my 2019 Blindspot Picks:

 

Amadeus (1984)

Best in Show (2000)

 

Dancer in the Dark (2000)

 

How Green Was My Valley (1941)

 

The Longest Day (1962)

 

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1974)

 

Mr. Nobody (2009)

 

Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise (1987)

 

Run Lola Run (1998)

 

Selma (2014)

 

Twenty Bucks (1992)

 

Vertigo (1958)

2018 Blindspot Ranking

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Lists

Well, it’s a bit later than planned, but I’ve finally finished my Blindspot series from last year, so with great satisfaction, it’s time to rank them before starting anew. While my 2017 Blindspots resulted in at least three films added to my Top 365 List, this year had some truly great films that didn’t quite make the cut to be List-Worthy, though that’s largely because I don’t include documentaries like #1. I did actually count #2 as List-Worthy at first, but on further thought decided it lacked the rewatchability factor. Even so, I thoroughly enjoyed watching these former Blindspots, especially #9 and up and can’t wait to begin this year’s picks.

 

12. All is Lost (2013)

Good work from Robert Redford, but boring and not helped by the lack of dialogue

 

11. Some Like It Hot (1959)

Very classic, but overlong and not quite as funny as I would have hoped

 

10. Into the Forest of Fireflies’ Light (2011)

Solid anime tearjerker; its simplicity is both a strength and a weakness

 

9. Hush (2016)

Effective slasher, with the uniqueness of a deaf woman fending off a sadistic killer

 

8. Clue (1985)

Uneven but fun mystery with a great cast; would have loved this even more when I was younger

 

7. The Sandlot (1993)

Great family film; again, my younger self would have made this a favorite

 

6. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

Weird, violent, and imaginative, a bit too much of all three, but beautifully told

 

5. Sunshine (2007)

Strong sci-fi thriller with some amazing music; a worthy Alien successor without any aliens

 

4. Yi Yi (2000)

Chinese drama that (for once) I can agree with the critics on; slow pace but a truly great film

 

3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Crazily imaginative sci-fi mixed with bittersweet romance

 

2. Boyhood (2014)

A modern classic and a highly relatable one for me who grew up alongside the main character

 

1. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)

Deeply personal documentary that hits the heartstrings hard

THE LIST (2019 Update)

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Lists

Behold, the fifth iteration of my own private compulsion, THE LIST, featuring my top 365 favorite films. My 5th blogiversary post yesterday detailed the latest additions and drop-outs, but I’ve put the newest insertions in bold so they’ll stand out more.

Last year’s additions didn’t leave much of an impression on the top 200, instead clustering in the bottom third, but it seems to me that the higher rankings of the most recent films added should give you an idea of just how much I loved them. Even so, the Top 100 remains pretty solid, with only four additions, three of which are being grouped with films that were already there. (Again, Dead Men Tell No Tales is mainly on here because it continues the original Pirates trilogy).

Perhaps because I haven’t had a lot of time to revise, the rankings of existing films haven’t been touched much (Your Name went up; Out of Africa went down, but no major shakeups). Seven additions are being grouped with their respective franchises, and I’ll admit to cheating with a tie here and there when faced with two very similar and closely ranked films (e.g., A Quiet Place with Hidden, April and the Extraordinary World with Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow). And once again, I just couldn’t bring myself to knock off Psycho, even though it’s been at #365 for the last two years, so I moved it up a little for good measure.

Without further ado, I present my Top 365 Movie List, all of them true favorites.  The rankings are all based on my personal tastes and opinions and could easily change with time. I’d love to hear your thoughts, opinions, and/or recommendations! After finding new favorites in unlikely places in 2018, who knows what might find its way on here a year from now? A very happy 2019 to all!

 

1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001, 2002, 2003)
2. Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995)
3. Forrest Gump (1994)
4. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
5. The Sound of Music (1965)
6. Star Wars Trilogy (1977, 1980, 1983)
7. Finding Nemo (2003) and Finding Dory (2016)
8. Titanic (1997)
9. Toy Story Trilogy (1995, 1999, 2010)
10. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
11. The Princess Bride (1987)
12. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
13. Groundhog Day (1993)
14. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
15. The Prince of Egypt (1998)
16. You’ve Got Mail (1998)
17. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
18. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
19. War Horse (2011)
20. The Incredibles (2004) and The Incredibles 2 (2018)
21. Cast Away (2000)
22. Heart and Souls (1993)
23. Pirates of the Caribbean (2003, 2006, 2007) and Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)
24. Tarzan (1999)
25. Les Miserables (2012)
26. The Avengers (2012), Captain America: Civil War (2016), and Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
27. Ben-Hur (1959)
28. Star Trek (2009)
29. The Chronicles of Narnia (2005, 2008, 2010)
30. The Family Man (2000)
31. The Mummy (1999) and The Mummy Returns (2001)
32. Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
33. Oliver! (1968)
34. Whisper of the Heart (1995)
35. Spider-Man Trilogy (2002, 2004, 2007)
36. The Five People You Meet in Heaven (2004)
37. Elizabethtown (2005)
38. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
39. Chariots of Fire (1981)
40. Babe (1995)
41. The Blues Brothers (1980)
42. Jurassic Park (1993)
43. 84 Charing Cross Road (1987)
44. National Treasure (2004)
45. Ratatouille (2007)
46. The Fugitive (1993)
47. True Grit (1969, 2010)
48. Evita (1996)
49. The Lion King (1994)
50. Inception (2010)
51. When Harry Met Sally… (1989)
52. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) and The Last Jedi (2017)
53. Lilies of the Field (1963)
54. Life of Pi (2012)
55. Mary Poppins (1964)
56. Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
57. Glory (1989)
58. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
59. The Sixth Sense (1999)
60. Back to the Future Trilogy (1985, 1989, 1990)
61. Aliens (1986)
62. Life Is Beautiful (1997)
63. Sherlock Holmes (2009) and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)
64. The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
65. Awakenings (1990)
66. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
67. Paulie (1998)
68. Home Alone (1990)
69. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
70. Big (1988)
71. Jumanji (1995)
72. Somewhere in Time (1980)
73. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
74. A Christmas Story (1983)
75. Speed (1994)
76. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
77. 1776 (1972)
78. High School Musical Trilogy (2006, 2007, 2008)
79. Wit (2001)
80. Serenity (2005)
81. Miracle on 34^th Street (1947)
82. Gone with the Wind (1939)
83. Aladdin (1992)
84. The Greatest Showman (2017)
85. Saints and Soldiers (2003)
86. La La Land (2016)
87. Fantasia (1940)
88. Shadowlands (1993)
89. Hook (1991)
90. Young Frankenstein (1974)
91. The Truman Show (1998)
92. The Ten Commandments (1956)
93. Star Wars Prequel Trilogy (1999, 2002, 2005)
94. October Sky (1999)
95. Saving Mr. Banks (2013)
96. Holes (2003)
97. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
98. The Martian (2015)
99. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
100. About Time (2013)
101. Taking Chance (2009)
102. Star Trek into Darkness (2013) and Star Trek Beyond (2016)
103. Signs (2002)
104. The Blind Side (2009)
105. Star Trek: Generations (1994)
106. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
107. The Santa Clause (1994)
108. Starman (1984)
109. My Fair Lady (1964)
110. The Passion of the Christ (2004)
111. Train to Busan (2016)
112. On Golden Pond (1981)
113. Brother Bear (2003)
114. WALL-E (2008)
115. The Green Mile (1999)
116. Air Force One (1997)
117. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2013)
118. Shrek 2 (2004)
119. Big Hero 6 (2014)
120. Iron Man Trilogy (2008, 2010, 2013)
121. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
122. The Matrix (1999)
123. Ghostbusters II (1989)
124. The Right Stuff (1983)
125. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
126. Shuffle (2011)
127. The Mask of Zorro (1998) and The Legend of Zorro (2005)
128. The Color Purple (1985)
129. Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)
130. Ready Player One (2018)
131. Shrek (2001)
132. Inside Out (2015)
133. The King’s Speech (2010)
134. X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
135. The Hunger Games series (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015)
136. Yentl (1983)
137. Men in Black Trilogy (1997, 2002, 2012)
138. Skyfall (2012)
139. The Music Man (1962)
140. Ghostbusters (1984)
141. Regarding Henry (1991)
142. Alien (1979)
143. National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)
144. The Polar Express (2004)
145. Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
146. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
147. Julie and Julia (2009)
148. Airplane! (1980)
149. Darkest Hour (2017)
150. Extraordinary Measures (2010)
151. Secondhand Lions (2003)
152. A Christmas Carol
153. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
154. Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
155. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
156. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
157. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
158. United 93 (2006)
159. The Little Mermaid (1989)
160. Die Hard trilogy (1988, 1990, 1995)
161. Castle in the Sky (1986)
162. Source Code (2011)
163. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
164. Planet of the Apes Trilogy (2011, 2014, 2017)
165. Overboard (1987)
166. Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980)
167. The Nativity Story (2006)
168. Cinderella (1950) / Cinderella (2015)
169. A League of Their Own (1992)
170. The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (1971)
171. Tangled (2010)
172. Zootopia (2016)
173. The Untouchables (1987)
174. As Good As It Gets (1997)
175. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)
176. Ella Enchanted (2004)
177. Splash (1984)
178. Monsters, Inc. (2001) and Monsters University (2013)
179. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
180. The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974)
181. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
182. Enchanted (2007)
183. Up (2009)
184. Children Who Chase Lost Voices (2011)
185. What’s Up, Doc? (1972)
186. Ant-Man (2015) and Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
187. Wolf Children (2012)
188. Pocahontas (1995)
189. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)
190. Rudy (1993)
191. Mulan (1998)
192. Your Name (2016)
193. Hidden Figures (2016)
194. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
195. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Vol. 2 (2017)
196. Labyrinth of Lies (2014)
197. Treasure Planet (2002)
198. Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms (2018)
199. Mission: Impossible III (2006), Ghost Protocol (2011), Rogue Nation (2015), and Fallout (2018)
200. The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005, 2008, 2012)
201. Les Miserables (1998)
202. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
203. Spaceballs (1987)
204. King of Thorn (2010)
205. The Way (2010)
206. The Prestige (2006)
207. Déjà Vu (2006)
208. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011)
209. Cars (2006) and Cars 3 (2017)
210. Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
211. Doc Hollywood (1991)
212. Foul Play (1978)
213. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
214. Frozen (2013)
215. Woman in Gold (2015)
216. Twister (1996)
217. Coco (2017)
218. Funny Girl (1968)
219. Rocky (1976), Rocky II (1979), Rocky III (1982), Rocky IV (1985), and Creed (2015)
220. Hello, Dolly! (1969)
221. Joyeux Noël (2005)
222. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
223. To Sir, with Love (1967)
224. April and the Extraordinary World (2015) / Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)
225. Out of Africa (1985)
226. Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
227. The Hobbit Trilogy (2012, 2013, 2014)
228. Adventures in Babysitting (1987)
229. Hoosiers (1986)
230. Gravity (2013)
231. The Great Escape (1963)
232. The Naked Gun (1988)
233. Jumpin’ Jack Flash (1986)
234. Soul Man (1986)
235. Philadelphia (1993)
236. Raising Arizona (1987)
237. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
238. Ghost (1990)
239. Misery (1990)
240. Captain Phillips (2013)
241. School of Rock (2003)
242. Something the Lord Made (2004)
243. Vantage Point (2008)
244. Peter Pan (1953)
245. The Terminal (2004)
246. Superman (1978)
247. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
248. Jane Eyre (1970)
249. Casablanca (1942)
250. Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2^nd Dimension (2011)
251. The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
252. The Girl Who Leapt through Time (2006)
253. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) and Waterworld (1995)
254. Casino Royale (2006) and Quantum of Solace (2008)
255. Annie (1999)
256. The Elephant Man (1980)
257. Cloud Atlas (2012)
258. Anastasia (1997)
259. X-Men (2000) and X2: X-Men United (2003)
260. Surrogates (2009)
261. Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)
262. WarGames (1983)
263. My Girl (1991)
264. Chronesthesia (or Love and Time Travel) (2016)
265. The Ultimate Gift (2006)
266. The Way Back (2010)
267. Memphis Belle (1990)
268. Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
269. Dances with Wolves (1990)
270. The Judge (2014)
271. The Terminator (1984)
272. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)
273. The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)
274. Rain Man (1988) and Dominick and Eugene (1988)
275. Pinocchio (1940)
276. City Slickers (1991)
277. The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014)
278. Patema Inverted (2013)
279. Forget Paris (1995)
280. Eddie the Eagle (2016)
281. A Silent Voice (2016) / Hear Me (2009)
282. Doctor Strange (2016)
283. Akeelah and the Bee (2006)
284. Dunkirk (2017)
285. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
286. Superman II (1980)
287. Murphy’s Romance (1985)
288. Shenandoah (1965)
289. The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
290. The Red Violin (1999)
291. Arrival (2016)
292. Bridge of Spies (2015)
293. Hidden (2015) and A Quiet Place (2018)
294. A View to a Kill (1985) along with most other Bond films I’ve seen, including Spectre (2015)
295. Wonder Woman (2017)
296. Con Air (1997)
297. The River Wild (1994)
298. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
299. Finding Forrester (2000)
300. Unbreakable (2000)
301. Starter for 10 (2006)
302. Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003)
303. The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)
304. Wayne’s World (1992)
305. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
306. The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya (2010)
307. Steel Magnolias (1989)
308. Searching (2018)
309. Have a Little Faith (2011)
310. Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)
311. Music and Lyrics (2007)
312. Sister Act (1992)
313. The Abyss (1989)
314. The Breakfast Club (1985)
315. Lady and the Tramp (1955)
316. Places in the Heart (1984)
317. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
318. Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)
319. In Time (2011)
320. Thor (2011), Thor: The Dark World (2013), and Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
321. Minority Report (2002)
322. Swiss Family Robinson (1960)
323. Scrooged (1988)
324. A Monster Calls (2016)
325. Wuthering Heights (1970)
326. Coma (1978)
327. The Peanuts Movie (2015)
328. Trading Places (1983)
329. Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
330. Remember the Titans (2000)
331. The Brave Little Toaster (1987)
332. Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008)
333. Sheffey (1977)
334. Seven Samurai (1954)
335. Citizen Kane (1941)
336. The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
337. Galaxy Quest (1999)
338. Serendipity (2001)
339. The Others (2001)
340. Joseph: King of Dreams (2000)
341. Baby Boom (1987)
342. Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2003)
343. The Conjuring (2013) and The Conjuring 2 (2016)
344. Amazing Grace (2006)
345. The Wind Rises (2013)
346. Lion (2016)
347. Ordinary People (1980) and Rabbit Hole (2010)
348. The Last Days (or Los Ultimos Días) (2013)
349. Cloak and Dagger (1984)
350. Chicken Run (2000)
351. Sneakers (1992)
352. The Fault in Our Stars (2014) and Paper Towns (2015)
353. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
354. Hercules (1997)
355. Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Beginnings and Eternal (2012)
356. Silverado (1985)
357. Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
358. The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)
359. Dave (1993)
360. Psycho (1960)
361. War of the Worlds (2005)
362. A Bug’s Life (1998)
363. Harrison Bergeron (1995)
364. Time of Eve (2010)
365. The Quick and the Dead (1987)

My 5th Blogiversary and 2018 List Additions

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Lists

It’s hard to believe, but a whole other year has passed, and I find myself once again celebrating a Blogiversary. Has it really been five years since I started my original top 365 movie countdown?! It doesn’t feel like that long, but perhaps that just means I’m having fun. That must be it, because 2018 has been an especially good year for movie-watching, and as with every blogiversary before, it’s time to recap all the high points of the past year with (what else?) a Top Twelve List of the movies worthy of joining my Top 365 List!

Since I now have five years of movie-blogging under my belt, I’ve had to become more choosy with what I christen as List-Worthy, which means only 25 films earned that distinction this year, the least of any year thus far. That’s not to say I haven’t seen many more great films than that, such as Black Panther, Boyhood, Yi Yi, In This Corner of the World, Tombstone, Marjorie Prime, 50 First Dates, Sunshine, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Next Gen, The Sandlot, Still Mine, and Only the Brave, but for whatever reason, they fell just a tad short.

Yet, while last year’s 35 additions were mainly in the latter half of the list, this year’s favorites climb a little higher. I, of course, liked my Top Twelve from last year, but this year’s additions have some new films I truly loved. As usual, several of them are from me playing catch-up on 2017’s releases, but even more are from 2018, and I couldn’t help but notice that none of the additions are from the 20^th century. Hmm, I’ve got to fix that next year and see more older films.

As always, this is my personal opinion, and everyone is free to agree or disagree. I welcome any comments or recommendations, and I look forward to finding more movies worth loving next year.

Anyhoo, let’s get to the list itself and reminisce on the cinematic rollercoaster that was 2018.

 

12. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

As much as I enjoyed this second Ant-Man movie, I’m surprised it ended up as low as #12. After Infinity War’s epic doom and gloom, the MCU needed a little levity, and Ant-Man and the Wasp delivered an all-around fun thrill ride with one of the more satisfying endings in the franchise, at least until the after-credits scene. Luis saying “Whazzup!” still cracks me up.

 

11. April and the Extraordinary World (2015)

This is only the first awesome animated film you’ll see on this list. Animation lovers mainly get their jollies from American or Japanese properties, so it’s nice to be reminded that Europe’s got game too. A steampunk adventure out of France that would make Miyazaki proud, April and the Extraordinary World offers an exciting blend of genres that feels fresher than the vast majority of recent animated fare.

 

10. Coco (2017)

Pixar hit it out of the park yet again with Coco, a fantasy tale of a Mexican boy visiting the Land of the Dead on Dia de Muertos. Boasting astounding new heights of CGI detail and a surprising amount of heart, Coco is proof that Pixar’s storytellers still know what they’re doing.

 

9. Mission: Impossible III, Ghost Protocol, Rogue Nation, and Fallout (2006 – 2018)

Last year, I caught up on the excellent Planet of the Apes remakes and this year decided to again tackle a series I’ve been unconsciously avoiding, the increasingly acclaimed Mission: Impossible franchise. To my surprise, they were even better than anticipated, and all of them from the third on (after J.J. Abrams got involved) are outstanding actioners. I think M:i:III is still my favorite for having the most personal stakes and the most satisfying ending.

 

8. Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms (2018)

Ah, the tearjerker makes its way onto the stage. As a fan of both fantasy and anime, as well as movies that earn the viewer’s tears, I was bound to love this film, and indeed its ending hit me harder than expected. Easily the most poignant film I saw all year.

 

7. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

I may have seen this animated Spider-Man extravaganza for the first time only a couple days ago, but it keeps getting better in my head. The rap music wasn’t my favorite, but everything else about this trippy cross-over adventure was so well-done that I can’t wait to see it again.

 

6. Darkest Hour (2017)

Darkest Hour isn’t great just for having one of the most transformative performances on film, courtesy of Oscar winner Gary Oldman. It’s also among the best biopics I’ve seen, giving a well-rounded view of Winston Churchill, sometimes as a demanding bully but more often as a persevering patriot, as well as a vulnerable human being in his most dire period. Especially as a companion piece to Dunkirk, it’s a fascinating piece of history eloquently told.

 

5. The Incredibles 2 (2018)

This year, Pixar once again pulled off the unlikely, offering a worthy sequel to one of their best films. Continuing the story of the Parr/Incredible family as they try to make superheroes legal again and face a mind-controlling threat, this is a great family film and ranks among Pixar’s best sequels.

 

4. Ready Player One (2018)

This dystopian virtual-reality pop-culture treasure hunt was #1 on my list of films I hoped would be good at the beginning of 2018, and, thanks to Steven Spielberg and company, it was. True, it doesn’t quite measure up to the book, but the changes made sense as it offered up one geeky thrill after another.

 

3. Train to Busan (2016)

If you had told me a year ago that I would be putting a zombie film on my list, I would never have believed it. I am by no means a typical fan of the genre, but no film kept me on the edge of my seat like this South Korean thriller. It’s an adrenaline-pumping fight for survival where things repeatedly go from bad to worse, but it’s paired with an affecting tale of a father trying to live up to his daughter’s expectations while saving her life.

 

2. The Greatest Showman (2017)

I love musicals, and I insist that we need more original ones like The Greatest Showman. Not subtle or historically accurate enough perhaps to be considered Oscar material, it’s nonetheless a joyous film from start to finish, full of misfit empowerment, spectacular show tunes, and an undercurrent of family values. It leaves me smiling every time.

 

1. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Well, Marvel pulled it off, the crowning glory of the MCU thus far. Infinity War is staggering in its ambition, juggling so many characters that it so easily could have turned into a jumbled mess in less skilled hands (ahem, DC), yet I’ve little doubt that the Russos surpassed everyone’s expectations. The ending still stings, and my continued appreciation of this movie will likely depend on how well Endgame completes it in the coming year, but for now Infinity War still amazes. I’ve heard it called this generation’s Empire Strikes Back, and I don’t disagree.

 

 

So that’s the Top Twelve, but here are the other films that made it onto my Top 365 Movie List this time around. Keep in mind that I do group most franchises together, which is the only reason I made Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales List-Worthy, since it continued the original trilogy. I also group certain similar films together, so Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow will be paired with April and the Extraordinary World, while A Quiet Place will pair with Hidden.

 

A Monster Calls (2016)

A Quiet Place (2018)

Chronesthesia (a.k.a. Love and Time Travel) (2016)

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)

Searching (2018)

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)

Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

The Last Days (or Los Ultimos Dias) (2013)

Thor (2011) and Thor: The Dark World (2013) (brought back to join Thor: Ragnarok as a trilogy)

 

And as in past years, here are some unofficial awards for the List-Worthy films, which only list nerds like myself will find of interest:

 

Best opening scene: Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation

Best final scene: Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms

Coolest scene: Avengers: Infinity War

Biggest emotional impact: Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms

Oldest film: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)

Most recent film: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

Longest film: Avengers: Infinity War (149 minutes)

Shortest film: A Quiet Place (90 minutes)

Best soundtrack: The Greatest Showman

Best score: Thor: The Dark World

Best special effects: Avengers: Infinity War

Most mind-bending: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (even though it wasn’t quite List-Worthy)

Most family-friendly: The Incredibles 2

Most mature: either The Last Days or Train to Busan

Scariest: A Quiet Place

Funniest: Ant-Man and the Wasp

Best VC Pick: Tombstone

Best male performance: Gary Oldman in Darkest Hour

Best female performance: Not many to choose from, but probably Sigourney Weaver in A Monster Calls

Personal favorite poem written: Yi Yi

Most represented year: 2018, with ten films

 

And last comes the difficult part, figuring out which entries on my current List will have to be displaced by these new additions. This always hurts since I still love all these movies, but it’s a necessary evil for me as a list nerd. The following are the (still great) films that sadly bit the dust:

 

Almost Famous (2000) and Sing Street (2016)

A Star Is Born (1937)

The Age of Adaline (2015)

The Big Sick (2017)

Cannery Row (1982)

Counterpoint (1967)

Footloose (1984)

The Impossible (2012)

Innerspace (1987)

The Iron Giant (1999)

The Iron Lady (2011)

Spy Kids (2001) and Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams (2002)

Time after Time (1979)

X-Men: First Class (2011) and X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

 

I’ll be posting the updated List tomorrow. Again, I wish to thank everyone who has taken the time to read my poetry or film ramblings and leave a like, follow, or comment in the past year (and especially anyone who is still reading this long post)! I can’t wait to see what the year ahead holds. A very Happy New Year to all!

 

P.S. And here’s a little montage video I found to sum up 2018 in film:

My Top Twelve Characters with Robotic Arms

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This is one of those lists for which the concept just came to me out of nowhere and niggled in my brain until I finally had enough for a list. Why? Because robotic arms are just cool, that’s why. While sometimes perceived as an encroachment of technology replacing the human person, they’re usually used as impressive enhancements indicating the technological progress of their owner’s futuristic setting. They’re also a convenient replacement that serves as an ever-present reminder of the trauma of a lost limb. For those who have lost a limb, I look forward to the day when fully functional limbs comparable to the real thing are actually a reality, though that might be a mixed blessing, as you can see in this very dark animated short film.

As for this list, I had to go outside my typical realm of movies in order to get a full twelve. I had considered forgoing the robotic part and sticking instead with any prosthetic arm (think Dr. Strangelove, The Fugitive, and The Best Years of Our Lives), but that’s a list for another time. Eschewing realism, we’re sticking with fully functional robotic limbs, with my selection aided by the likes of television and anime. I’m also not counting characters who are more robot than human, so don’t expect to see the Terminator, Robocop, or DC’s Cyborg on here, despite the fact they technically fit the theme. Thus, here are my Top Twelve characters with robotic arms:

 

12. Jet Black – Cowboy Bebop

As the captain of the Bebop, Jet Black is the most level-headed and fatherly member of his crew of interplanetary bounty hunters. A cop before being betrayed by his partner and losing his arm, he keeps his cybernetic replacement limb as a reminder of his former life and mistakes.

 

11. Ulysses Klaue – Black Panther

Andy Serkis’s Klaue lost his arm to Ultron’s rage in Avengers: Age of Ultron, but in Black Panther he got a fancy vibranium one complete with a laser cannon. Too bad he didn’t stick around long enough to use it more.

 

10. Yang – RWBY

This is sort of a spoiler for anyone who hasn’t watched Rooster Teeth’s ongoing animated web series, but Yang (the Y in the title RWBY) meets the wrong end of a sword and is dis-armed rather traumatically at one point. After a tough time healing, though, she’s come back strong with a cutting-edge replacement.

 

9. Finn – Adventure Time

This might also count as a spoiler, but Finn, the human main character of Cartoon Network’s hit Adventure Time, also misplaces his arm, several times actually. After one replacement made of cursed grass turned into a clone of him (this is a weird series), he finally went with a mechanical upgrade, just like his counterpart from another dimension.

 

8. Claw – Inspector Gadget

Whether it’s Rupert Everett in the first live-action film or his animated counterpart, Dr. Claw is Inspector Gadget’s most dangerous nemesis and gets this high on the list based on pure nostalgia. Yes, I realize the claw might be considered a hand prosthetic rather than an arm, but I’m allowed to fudge now and then.

 

7. Violet Evergarden – Violet Evergarden

The title character of Netflix’s recent anime series Violet Evergarden is a traumatized former child soldier who, after the war’s end, finds a new life as a professional letter writer. Having lost both of her arms, her two mechanical limbs are both strong and remarkably adept at activities like typing on a typewriter. It’s really a good and poignant series, with the tenth episode being one of the most emotional episodes of TV I’ve seen.

 

6. Furiosa – Mad Max: Fury Road

In most cases of replacement limbs, suspension of disbelief is required since their operation should involve complicated nerve links and such, so I have no idea how Furiosa’s mechanical forearm that straps into place is supposed to function. But it does, and it makes her that much cooler.

 

5. Long John Silver – Treasure Planet

I never said someone on the list couldn’t also have a robotic leg. I hold that Treasure Planet is much better than the gimmicky update some critics called it, and turning Treasure Island’s one-legged pirate into a cyborg was an inspired addition, as well as a neat way to work in CGI to the 2-D animation.

 

4. Edward Elric – Fullmetal Alchemist franchise

Here’s another character with a robotic arm and leg, both made out of a material called automail. The adventure of the Elric brothers in this hugely popular anime franchise all stems from an alchemy experiment gone wrong that claims two of Edward’s limbs and his brother’s whole body. Good thing he has access to automail prosthetics, which help facilitate all the fantasy action for which the series is known.

 

3. Bucky / The Winter Soldier – Captain America/MCU

I’ll be honest. I sort of developed this list around Bucky. Captain America’s friend-turned-brainwashed-enemy-turned-friend-again was the first character I thought of, with the best robotic arm of recent years. Time will tell if Rocket ever gets his hands on it.

 

2. Doctor Octopus – Spider-Man 2

Remember I said I could fudge? Sure, you could say Doc Ock’s robotic appendages are tentacles rather than arms, but the fact that they’re fused to his spinal column makes them limbs in my eyes, and he sure knows how to use them.

 

1. Luke Skywalker/ Darth Vader – Star Wars

Most nerds out there probably saw this one coming. I couldn’t choose between father and son, so both Skywalkers share the #1 spot. If you have to lose a limb, light sabers are probably the safest way for it to happen, and at least the Star Wars universe has handy life-like replacements on demand. One day, perhaps we’ll get to that point too. (I can dream, can’t I?)

 

 

And here are some prosthetic runners-up worth mentioning:

 

Tetsuo from Akira – Tetsuo builds himself a robotic arm with his psychic powers, though it doesn’t go well afterward.

Combustion Man from Avatar: The Last Airbender – A bounty hunter after Aang has both a third eye and a mechanical forearm.

Cable (Josh Brolin) from Deadpool 2 – Cable didn’t make the list because I have not seen Deadpool 2, but he’s still worth a mention.

Detective Spooner (Will Smith) from I, Robot – Despite hating robots, Spooner has a bit of robot himself.

Tee Hee (Julius Harris) from Live and Let Die – I barely remember this James Bond movie, but apparently there’s a henchman with a pincer hand?

Kushana from Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind – The antagonist from this Miyazaki classic has removable hands thanks to some giant killer bugs.

Jonah (Beau Knapp) from The Signal – Alien experiments give abductees strange prosthetics in this sci-fi.

 

Thanks for reading my random nerdy list! Let me know what you think and feel free to tell me of any other robotic arm owners I may have forgotten.