They May Not Win Oscars But They Won Our Hearts: Top 3 Film Superlatives of 2017 [Contributors: Chelsea and Jon]

2017 was an absurd year for the world, but the one thing we could always fall back on was film. There were plenty of average, fun films that had problems and were kind of dumb (though you still enjoyed them). While some of these won’t make our Top Films of the Year superlative list and won’t be sweeping your award shows, we wanted to shed some light on the good and bad films of 2017 that you should still check out. Because sometimes cheesy and silly movies are the best ones.



Best Drama
Dunkirk
Logan
Wonder Woman 



Best Comedy
Brigsby Bear  
Girls Trip 
Lady Bird



Best Action Film
Baby Driver
Power Rangers
Kong: Skull Island



Y’all Slept on This Treasure!  
Battle of the Sexes
Okja
Power Rangers



Your Platform Release Killed Me 
Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool
The Florida Project
Phantom Thread



Surprisingly Great and I Shouldn’t Have Judged You
Darkest Hour
Free Fire
Kong: Skull Island



You Could Have Been Awesome But You Dropped The Ball 
Atomic Blonde
The Disaster Artist
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2



Calm Down, You’re Not That Great 
The Lego Batman Movie
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri



People Who Are the Lights of Our Lives
Greta Gerwig
Jordan Peele
Power Rangers Cast (Naomi Scott, Dacre Montgomery, RJ Cyler, Becky G, Ludi Lin)



Pitch Perfect Award for Film I’m Going to Rewatch a Billion Times
Baby Driver
Lady Bird
Wonder Woman

What were some of your favorite 2017 films that won't sweep the Oscars tonight?

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2016 in Review: Jon's Top 3 Video Games [Contributor: Jon]

While we cover many aspects related to films and TV on the site, one item that rarely gets talked about is gaming.

2016 was a phenomenal year in gaming. Many new intellectual properties were introduced to the public, garnering massive critical acclaim for innovative gameplay and unique stories. Other existing IPs released new entries in their respective franchises, which not only furthered the continuing mythos of each franchise, but allowed new ideas into the series as well.

With this list, we’re going to be doing something a little different. There were many video games out this year, and I unfortunately can only play so much (my backlog is ASTOUNDING). Therefore, I’ve selected three from this year’s crop as the games that really stood out this year.

And before anyone says anything, no, I have not played Overwatch. Therefore, Overwatch is not on this list. It’s know it’s on everyone and their grandmother’s top lists, but not this one. We cool? No one’s going to get mad here? Awesome.

These three games are the games that truly stood out for me in 2016.

3. The Last Guardian

For a decade now, this game was the one everyone would joke about never coming out. Its status of release reached near Half-Life 3 levels, and some feared it may have never seen the light of day. But finally in December, we saw the release of Team Ico’s (Shadow of the Colossus) next project.
The game is a simply beautiful one showcasing, at its core, the relationship between a boy and his pet... even if that pet happens to be a cross between a chicken, another bird, and a Chihuahua. The story never goes for slam-bang action throughout, rather opting for slow, more intimate moments. The background scenery is stunning, and the animations on the creature, Trico, are some of the best animation I’ve seen in years.

The gameplay itself is similar to how Shadow of the Colossus is played, in that it is a mix of puzzles and platforming. However, the introduction of Trico into the gameplay is when things really become intriguing. With most support characters in games, you call them over and they heed right away.
With Trico, it may take a few tries to coerce it into doing the right task, similar to how one might behave with an actual pet.

But at its heart, this game is about the relationship between a young boy and his pet, which is pulled off so well that you feel the emotional connection throughout the entire game. It is truly an emotional experience.

2. DOOM (2016)

By all purposes, there’s no way this game should have worked. In films, rebooting or remaking a film is difficult to begin with, but rebooting/remaking a classic game? Not just that, but rebooting or remaking the game that’s basically responsible for bringing first-person shooters into modern-day gaming?

There’s no way that the DOOM reboot should have succeeded.

Yet, it does. This is, hands down, the most entertaining first-person shooter I’ve played in years. What makes this game so much fun is what it boils down to: shoot stuff first, and keep on shooting until every monster is pulverized. As the eponymous DOOMGuy, it’s either kill or be killed, as you have to take down every monster you see in sight (this is especially seen when using “Glory Kills” to take them down in brutal fashion).

The game’s hard-hitting gameplay, accompanied by a heavy metal instrumental soundtrack, provides the biggest adrenaline rush in gaming this year.

1. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

Nathan Drake and the Uncharted franchise has been a staple of gaming for the better part of ten years now. With Uncharted 4, the final adventure starring Nathan Drake, we get to see the character in a much more vulnerable light. We see the internal conflict Drake goes through in wanting to help his long-lost brother Sam find the lost pirate city of Libertalia (their White Whale, so to speak), or to remain safe for the sake of his love, Elena.

Because of this, this is a much more personal battle for Drake, as he’s fighting not only to save his brother, but also against his own personal demons. Drake, while still trading his usual one-liners, knows that he’s got one more hunt left in him and is conflicted over wanting to fully leave the life behind, or stay with the adventure (it should be noted that Nolan North, Troy Baker, Emily Rose, and the rest of the cast give career high performances here).

It’s a beautifully well-told story from writers Neil Druckmann (who also co-directed) and Josh Scherr. Druckmann seems to have carried over the personal drama he learned from The Last of Us and mixes it seamlessly with the breathtaking action of Uncharted.

And breathtaking might be an understatement, as this is truly the most exciting game I’ve played all year. From new ideas such as stealth kills or using a rope to swing from one area to the next (which is WAY more fun than expected) to heart-pounding set pieces that the franchise is known for — all of the action in this game is the best action since the train sequence in Uncharted 2 — the game has everything one could hope for in a video game.

What were some of your favorite games of 2016? Sound off in the comments below!

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2016 in Film: The Best Three Horror Films [Contributor: Melanie]

So, if any year deserved to have a ranking of the best horror films, it’s 2016. In fact, the year itself could be considered the universe’s great horror masterpiece. But all good horror exists to give us a place to decompress and take inventory of our fears, reflected from real life (unfortunately, Purge: Election Year seems to have taken the cake for most relevant among the horror that came out this year).

But this year has been filled with some great additions to our horror canon, and some not-so-greatones (looking at you, the reboot-that-shall-not-be-named). So here’s my pick for the top three that that came out this year in a sea of moderately average horror attempts.

Don’t Breathe

This one was almost tied with Hush, but one of the reasons I’m going with this is because of its unique take on the home invasion. I’m not a huge fan of home invasion films and I’d probably consider this film more of a thriller than anything else (which is why Green Room isn’t on this list). But, the reason this gets props as a nice little hybrid film is, first, owed to its director Fede Alvarez, who created a demonic and pretty disturbing rendition of Evil Dead. This film was his attempt to prove he could create horror without the shocking gore of his last endeavor. He succeeded in creating an incredible stressful experience and a pretty scary movie monster in the form of the Blind Man.

The Conjuring 2

I loved The Conjuring. I don’t mind its slight derivative nature of it because I love all the works that inspired its mood, tone, and direction. Farmiga and Wilson are probably one of the most believable on screen couples I’ve seen in a while, and their devotion to each other always serves as the heart of these movies. While the spin-offs in this Warren version of the MCU aren’t exactly spectacular, this second installment of the main story proved to be an excellently achieved work of horror. It wasn’t perfect, but the world and motifs James Wan has created continue to impress.

The Witch

This is probably going to rank as one of my favorite horror films, period. The Canadian sleeper hit combines a family drama with The Crucible in an isolated environment to create a great film with some very intelligent scares. This was a horror film that carried some unsettling atmospheres, minimal jump scares, and an interesting point about feminism. It also utilized age old fears in the human psyche and the breakdown of exactly why the woods is such a scary place (which I outlined in detail in my original review of it) to get at the crux of fear.

Among these greats, there were some misfires though. Lights Out failed to live up to the hype and well craft scares of its source material. Blair Witch should have just never happened. 10 Cloverfield Lane had a confused atmosphere and genre. The Forest was just not good and borderline racist in its depiction of the source culture. And the list goes on.

Here’s to 2017 providing some terror! But only in the form of films, books, and television.

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3 Reasons You Should Watch the Final Season of Beauty & the Beast [Guest Poster: Bibi]

For those of you who have never seen the show Beauty & the Beast (abbreviated here and on social media as BATB) is a new-age version of the show that premiered in the late 80s. In this version, Vincent Keller was made a beast by a series of scientific experiments, greenlit by the government to virtually make their own version of super soldiers. Vincent — presumed dead — actually survived the experiments and uses his powers to become a vigilante in his own right. After her mother’s murder right before her eyes and a subsequent save from death by the Beast, Catherine Chandler decides to forgo law school and become a police officer.

This is a story has been told in various ways by a couple of different franchises, but there is a freshness and even grit that this version of BATB provides. Here are three reasons why you should binge seasons 1-3 on Netflix and definitely watch the final season when it returns on June 2nd.



3.  A lovely and supportive bromance.

Since day one, the character of J.T. Forbes has proven to be one of the most brilliant, loyal and funniest on television. He is an accomplished scientist, great friend, and a hero in his own right. J.T. and Vincent have been friends since childhood. So when Vincent returns from the dead, it is only natural that the first and only person he would trust is J.T. His friend is then charged with caring for Vincent and keeping him safe for a number of years, and in the first season, this is an integral part of the plot. While this is a tall order, and really a lot for Vincent to ask of one person, J.T. willingly does it all. Because for him, Vincent is family.

When Cat comes on the scene — first as a cop looking at Vincent as a murder suspect, and then eventually as a partner in solving special crimes — it is a challenge at first for J.T. to give up his role as protector and let someone else in. But once the three of them start working together, they begin to form a bond unlike any other.  Between being the brains behind most of the operations, and attempting to help the police, keep Vincent under the radar, AND get Cat one step closer to solving her mother’s murder, J.T. is an indisposable team member.

Also, let’s be honest, J.T., is Vincent’s original “person” and voice of reason. When Vincent turns into the guilt-stricken vigilante that all superheroes turn into, J.T. can help him return to being a reasonable and functioning member of the team and remind Vincent that his love for Cat is the only way to take down the “Big Bad” every season.



 2. Shipping it? Shipping it!

The “unlikely” pair and the center of the show, Vincent and Catherine (or VinCat) learn to share work and love. Years after her mother’s murder and their first encounter, we see Vincent watching Catherine after saving her life from the guys that killed her mother. When he becomes a quasi-vigilante, this is what begins to peak Cat’s attention and interest in him. At first she believes that Vincent is a criminal, but she quickly finds out that his intent is to save the innocent. They work together to figure out a string of police cases that lead to more information about Cat’s family and her mother’s murder. When Vincent and Cat meet, there are underlying hints of attraction, and well... we know they will eventually fall in love.

Cat and Vincent’s relationship initially causes tension in their other professional and personal relationships. We see them struggle with the complexities of coming to terms with his beast side, saving innocents, dating in the shadows, and what that means in the context of this world. As the seasons progress, Cat and Vincent eventually break up after Vincent is kidnapped and turned into an even stronger and more powerful beast. He loses his humanity and becomes someone Cat doesn’t even recognize. They move on, date other people, and Cat is adamant about not falling for this version of Vincent again.

Unlike what’s currently happening on another show I love, this break-up makes sense. Cat and Vincent need to be apart in order to realize their greater purpose together. Vincent needs time to gain his humanity back and realize that he can live with the beast within.



1. Strong female characters.

As a woman who loves to see strong women dominating screen, I appreciate the writers and showrunners of BATB because they do not disappoint; Cat and Tess are two of the most important heroines. The show is just as much about Cat and Vincent’s relationship as it is about Cat’s friendship and working relationship with Tess. It is refreshing to see two women on TV who are smart, strong, and go after what they want, but are also not afraid to disagree and discuss when life gets messy. They bring criminals to justice, all while balancing friends, family and love.

When Cat forms her partnership with Vincent, she begins lying to Tess and pushing her friends and family further and further away. This causes serious tension between her and Tess because they truly are best friends and Cat is keeping a “dead’ hostage a secret. Seeing their relationship fall apart was one of my favorite things the series has provided us with thus far. Tess was angry with Cat for not allowing her into her life fully, and as someone who only has brothers and really views Cat as her sister, Tess was justified in feeling that way. It really is heartbreaking when Tess finally sees Cat with Vincent, and is immediately filled with hurt when Cat seemingly chooses Vincent over her. What I appreciated about this conflict was the timing of it. The writers did this just right: they created a natural issue between the friends and allowed them time, mature conversations, and growth in order to rebuild that friendship.

Once they mend their broken friendship, and the seasons progress, we see Tess become more and more engrossed in the greater purpose and story of VinCat. She finds her greater purpose on the police force, and gets to save her friends a few times. Additionally, she escapes a bad relationship with the wrong guy, only to find an incredible one with the right guy. Cat is by her side every step of the way, and never lets her problems overshadow her loyalty to Tess.

So if you like supernatural tales, great friendships, women who are extraordinary, and the men who love them, check out Beauty & the Beast when it returns!

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