In Deedful Jubilee Brian White Picks His Top 10 Movies of 2017!

As Walking Dead‘s Negan would say “oh shiz.”  It’s that time of year again that I dread the most.  It’s colder.  It’s more expensive because of the holidays.  And worse of all I have to publicly proclaim which film titles I liked the most.  I sound like a broken record, but this year more than ever I am behind the eight ball.  Because of being laid up from hip surgery, my managerial duties for one of the biggest companies in the world and everything else going on I have not seen an awful lot this year.  I’m afraid to say this, but I’ll disclaim this now that the list below pretty much contains all movie titles you’d expect from a simple mind like mine.  Sadly I did not stray too far out of my comfort zone to catch a flick this year.  It’s not that I didn’t want to, but it was simply due to a lack of time in life (because of my job it’s very hard).  I can’t believe I even squeezed Comic-Con in this year.  Believe me though I paid for it dearly with my body as I was sick for a week with the Comic-Con flu, but I digress.

So today were flippin’ gathered here to see what films I thought were the best of 2017.  The caveat is that these are obviously titles I have personally seen and we’re released domestically in the calendar year of 2017.  Since I live in Austin, TX don’t be surprised if you don’t see some December titles like all the California critics have on their lists.  Lady Bird was only playing on one screen in an arthouse theater down here.  This place is not one I would choose to pay and see a flick in.  As a result I stayed away.  And to Aaron Neuwirth, yes I did finally see Dunkirk.  As I originally expected the subject matter was ultimately uninteresting to me. It’s a technical marvel and a beautifully shot piece of cinema to behold, but it just didn’t do it story-wise for me.  Oh well, let’s get this burdensome list over already by starting off with some nods, honorable mentions and guilty pleasures of mine.  Here goes nothing.

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Nods, Mentions, & Guilty Pleasures:

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War for the Planet of the Apes – In a perfect world this movie should probably be close to number one on my list.  After all its first two entries finished number one on my lists the years in which they were released.  However, this isn’t a perfect world, albeit far from it.  Seriously though it’s hard to find fault with this rousing trilogy capper helmed once again by the very brilliant and humble Matt Reeves.  Although it’s definitely not the feel-good movie of the year there’s still lots to praise about this third entry in one of my favorite trilogies ever.  It’s got it all: heartache, loss, despair, spunk, rebellion, angst, action, APES, you name it!  It picks up a couple years after Dawn of the Planets of the Apes and never lets you go, but man does it kick you in the nuts the whole two hour and twenty-minute runtime pulling at your heartstrings the whole damn time.  It’s brutal!  So if you’re looking for a pick-me-up film, War for the Planet of the Apes is definitely not for you.  You’re not going to be walking out of this one unscathed.  However, if you’re looking for a Logan-way to end it all, this one’s for you!

Check out our theatrical reviews here and here in addition to our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray one here.

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Ghost in the Shell – While I never saw the anime of the same name, which this movie is based on I have been looking forward to this one ever since it was first announced.  I got to be honest though that probably had something to do with Scarlett Johansson being cast as the leading lady and how they were going to approach that “nude” bodysuit dilemma.  Ha!  Needless to say though this one wasn’t a hit with the critics and masses “mostly” because of the white washing controversies surrounding it, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the hell out of it.  Ghost in the Shell sure looks pretty although I totally get the others that say it’s nothing special or feels like a movie that came out quietly five years ago.  It’s definitely not a movie with much depth.  It’s literally all on the surface, but it’s there that it excels for me.  All the tech within keeps my brain ticking with wild imagination and curiosity as to what is truly possible with our human bodies one fine day.  I’d volunteer for a chance to have my brain live on forever in another host.  What say you?

Check out our theatrical review here and our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray one here.

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Blade Runner: 2049 – If you would have told me at the beginning of the year that I would have been so infatuated with my viewing of this new sci-fi masterpiece, I would laughed in your face.   It’s not that I hate the first film in 1982.  I hold that film with high regards as one of the greatest sci-fi flicks ever.  However, it’s a very slow burn and sometimes you just can’t help but fall asleep while watching it.  That doesn’t make it a bad movie, but to the initiated it can be viewed as quite a chore.  Then the month of September ushered in something I wasn’t expecting, one of the greatest 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray releases yet, Blade Runner: The Final Cut.   It was only logical though that I was very skeptical about going into this sequel.  Let’s face it this didn’t need to be made, but I’m so glad it was.  From the breathtaking cinematography to the performance by Harrison Ford everything about it spells modern day sci-fi masterpiece.  Like Aaron Neuwirth said to me “it’s very much a Blade Runner movie” so expect nothing less than a slow burn clocking in at a whopping two hours and forty minutes.  Truth be told though I could have lasted for another twenty minutes in this updated Blade Runner universe.

Check out our theatrical review here.

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Wind River – I feel like I can be brutally honest with y’all here.  Screenwriter Taylor Sheridan’s name on this is what made me want to see this.  The trailers for Wind River were not spectacularly thrilling, but his previous work on Hell or High Water and Sicario was enough to warrant my attention to this feature.  So in this outing we see Taylor with both wiring and directing duties.  Now ordinarily a movie about a veteran tracker (Jeremy Renner) with the Fish and Wildlife Service investigating the murder of a young Native American woman doesn’t sound very interesting on the surface, but hot damn if this one isn’t both visceral and brutal.  That’s what I love about it.  It shies away from nothing as it’s both thrilling and cold, albeit due to the snow.  No it’s not on Sicario playing field levels, but unlike most of the critics saying Sheridan should not have been directing this one I thought he did a splendid good job.

Check out Jason Coleman’s quick look on it via his review found here.

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Justice League – This one is very hard for me to write about.  It’s not that I did not like Justice League, but it could have been so much better if it had not been for the harsh sentiments towards earlier DCEU films and Warner Bros. meddling with it.  I am not saying the movies that came before this one were perfect either, but Zack Snyder had a vision and had it not been for all the naysayers who knows what geeky goodies we could have had to work here (I’m talking Darkseid and how home world of Apokolips).  However, for me it’s all about bringing the team together and the superhero characters (as well as the actors who portray them) that I love so much in this universe.  Like it or not this one is all about teamwork, but not in a destructive way like Marvel’s Civil War was.  Comedy is forced here and there, but nothing like the awkward Disney dealings in The Last Jedi.  That’s not a bad thing though because I think Brandon Peters said it best many weeks ago.  What’s so bad about having a laugh at the movies?  In my opinion absolutely nothing.  Maybe I am just a curmudgeon.  Ha!  We also may never know exactly what Joss Whedon meddled with or what Zack’s ultimate vision may have looked like.  However, one thing’s for sure.  Justice League could have been so much better.  For me though this is a guilty pleasure much like 2016’s Suicide Squad was.  Where else you going to find up-skirt shots of Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman?  It’s F-U-N and it wins movie poster of the year for me too!  Also I wanted to give special thanks to Jason Coleman who showed so much support of my adoration for this film.  He sent me some very special gifts that I’m thankful for.

Check out our theatrical reviews here and here.

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10).

I, Tonya

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Thanks to the kindness of the PR folks from at the Alamo Drafthouse I miraculously received a last minute opportunity to see one of my most anticipated December releases like my fellow California peeps have had access to for some time now.  The film doesn’t open here until January 4th, but me and some other folks got to take it all in last night.  It has been a crazy week in my life (one of the worst too) so I was ecstatic to be able to take a few hours off and catch this one.  I was drawn to this film not only because of my affinity for Margot Robbie, but because I lived during this media-crazy time period.  I remember this news story unfolding as vividly as the OJ Simpson Ford Bronco chase that replaced it in the eyes of the media.  On top of that I dug the overall vibe of the trailers and the gangster-documentary narrative way this one is ultimately told.  It feels the lovechild of a smart gangster movie meets the world of ladies figure skating.  What’s not to like?  Margot Robbie is exceptionally cast here as Tonya Harding, but it’s Allison Janney who steals the show as her mother.  Despite the bleak incident this movie revolves around you can really have a lot of fun with this story and cast.

Check out Jason Coleman’s quick take on it via his review found here.

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9).

Ingrid Goes West

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Having been a big fan of Aubrey Plaza’s comedic body of work as of late I decided to give this one a spin last week.  The trailers are what really sold me on it because the subject matter is one that’s of utmost importance to me because I see people suffer from it every day.  That is the addiction to social media and of course resulting privacy concerns/violations too.  When ever I find myself falling into such a similar trap I remind myself of one of life’s most valuable lessons.  The grass is always greener on the other side.  I know from experience abiding by that philosophy is easier said than done and this movie, while comedic in nature, takes a very serious look at social media addiction.  I think it’s something everyone should see at least once to make sure they are not falling prey to what Aubrey’s character goes through here.  That’s just my two cents of course.  For me it’s really scary to think how “real life” this movie is.  It fires on all cylinders driving its chaotic point home.

Check out Jason Coleman’s quick look on it via his review found here.

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8).

American Made

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So up above we have the life story of Tonya Harding, but there’s another life story I strongly feel that’s worth taking in this year too, this is of TWA pilot Barry Seal.  Based on the fabricated real tales of guns, drugs and money laundering Tom Cruise brings the pilot to life with his good looks, humor and charm.  Other than this year’s Mummy the man is on an impenetrable roll.  Edge of Tomorrow’s Doug Liman is the man responsible for the look and feel of this outrageous story that’s begging to be seen.  From aerial battles and heart pounding evasions to some crafty landings and daring takeoffs, all courtesy of Mr. Cruise himself, American Made is a flight I plan on taking again and again now that it’s on the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format this January.  Does a 70’s smuggling story get more F-U-N than this?  Maybe it does, but not in 2017.  Check it out!

Check out our theatrical review here and our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray here.

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7).

mother!

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So like Aaron Neuwirth wrote in his theatrical review over here absolutely nothing will prepare you for how bat sh1t insane mother! gets by its fiery conclusion.  Filmmaker Darren Aronofsky wrote and directs this feature which on the surface looks like a home invasion movie.  In reality it is, but it’s so much more under the surface.  It’s a story of biblical proportions, literally, and also a tale of our destructive nature as it relates to Mother Earth.  For the masses when you first see mother! you’ll have a natural inclination to say to yourself what the hell was that.  By the end there’s so much thrown at you in every which way/form of violence you can think of not to mention some of the most brutal chaos you’ve ever seen onscreen.  It’s quite a lot to take in.  But if you really are brave and look behind the curtains, you’ll see there’s so much more to this big metaphor here.  It really is brilliant if you can let mother! in and get beyond its surface brutality.  I’m just saying.

Check out our theatrical review here and our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray here.

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6).

Split

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I pretty much have all but given up on M. Night Shyamalan after his abysmal films he put out, which very much includes After Earth and The Last Airbender.  However, due to positive word of mouth I couldn’t resist giving this one a watch and I was so glad I got over my M. Night fears because this one is tensely fun.  What sold me on this, and I’m just being honest, was everyone raving about the ending.  Of course I’m talking about its connection to 2000’s Unbreakable here and the sequel coming as a result of this new shared universe/sandbox.  Yay!  James McAvoy should be given an Oscar nod for his 23+ performances here (LOL), but wishful thinking of course.  However, on a serious note he is both the peanut butter and jelly of this production.  His multiple personality performances are spectacular throughout here.  Split is an exciting watch even after multiple viewings.  That’s why I ranked it so high here.

Check out our theatrical review here and our Blu-ray one here.

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5).

Logan

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I guess the real question should be how could one NOT have Logan in their Top 10 film lists of the year?  While it’s as violent as last year’s Deadpool it’s the complete polar opposite in its somber tone and throwback western influences. While Deadpool is pure hip hop Logan is a homage to the classical western.  It’s raw, brutal and visceral and thanks in part to the R-rating one of the bloodiest fun times I ever had with a comic book movie albeit with a serious dose of tears attached to it too.  Yep that’s right it’s a sad one folks, but it’s also a rite of passage as Logan and Professor X have finally overstayed their welcome in the X-Men cinematic universe paving the way for the younger band of merry mutants and misfits.  Truth be told too I couldn’t think of a better way for Hugh Jackman to take his final bow from these films other than how it all goes down in Logan.  He’s old, tired and cranky to the max, and I honestly wouldn’t want him any other way than this, mutton chops and all.

Check out our theatrical reviews here and here in addition to our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray one here.

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4).

Get Out

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This one should also get mad props from all of us here.  I simply cannot get enough of this “black” comedy I never saw myself falling for, the hilarious and racially insensitive dark comedy/thriller, Get Out.  If you haven’t seen it yet, do yourself a favor and just blind buy it.  It’s that good!  Heck!  The great thing about this one it’s quite entertaining even after repeat viewings.  It has BIG replay value.  I sense big things are on the horizon for crafter Jordan Peele.  If he wasn’t on the map after Keanu, this one definitely puts him there!  Plus Keanu is a really good movie too.  I’m just saying, ha ha.  In a stuffy world full of all political correctness it’s completely refreshing to take in something so outrageously politically incorrect.  In other words it’s a very racial “black” comedy.  You picking up what I’m dropping?  I sure hope so as this one should not be missed!

Check out our Blu-ray Review of Get Out here.

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3).

The Shape of Water

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The Shape of Water had me very curious.  It’s not because it’s brought to you by the masterful mind of Guillermo del Toro, but it’s because of our resident MPAA certified reviewer, Sir Aaron Neuwirth.  He gave it an overwhelming 5 doggies out of 5 doggies over here.  Truth be told he doesn’t hand out that kind of praise for a film very often.  In fact he even went as far as to call The Shape of Water a “Fantastical Masterwork.”  What it all comes down to here for me is the fact that The Shape of Water is an adult fantasy fairy tale brought to life.  I almost prefer to call it poetry in motion.  The story is a very simple one, but it’s execution is near flawless.  The cast, the chemistry of the onscreen characters, the threat, peril and even the comedy of it all just works.  While its love story may not appeal to all moviegoers it’s definitely a testament to del Toro’s finely honed storytelling craft.  It’s like a Cold War version of Beauty and the Beast, albeit a more interesting one thanks in part to the gratuitous R-rating.  Oh how I love it!

Check out both our “Fantastical Masterpiece” theatrical reviews here and here.

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2).

Wonder Woman

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This one should come as no surprise for those who know me.  I am head-over-heels enamored with the DCEU movie universe ever since the can do no wrong superhero adventure of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.  More importantly that film introduced us to a very “wonderful” woman I am talking about here embodied, and making all guys’ fantasies real, by the traffic stopping Gal Gadot.  You can say what you want about the DCEU cinematic universe, but most critics will at least agree Wonder Woman is the strongest effort put forth yet.  Yes, some do say DC played it safe with this movie and others will argue it’s no different than Captain America’s first big screen adventure.  While both of those points are completely justified there’s just no denying the beauty of this film.  You probably think I’m only talking about Gal’s stunning looks, but I am actually not.  This one has been a long time coming, some 80+ years, for Wonder Woman to make her onscreen solo debut.  More importantly though this is a gender bending, significant culture changing motion picture that for the first time outside of Star Wars shows the strength of a female character and her reluctance to any help offered to her from the male sex.  I’m not trying to be sexist, but this one puts women on the map and I for one LOVE a good, strong female protagonist.  Stunning looks are just the icing on the cake.  I’ve been waiting a long time for this one and I wasn’t let down.  It’s everything I wanted it to be and more, especially in the humor department.  Yes that third act God battle was rather anti-climatic, but when you’re talking Wonder Woman’s powers how else are you really going to challenge her?  It had to be done and I’m looking froward to where they go next with her.  I’ll be watching her character’s every next move with great interest (take that any way you want).

Check out our theatrical reviews here and here in addition to our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray one here.

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1).

Baby Driver

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When I first saw the trailer for Baby Driver I was very unimpressed given all the buzz in the film community around this feature.  I even passed up the four press screening opportunities I had to see it down here in Austin, TX.  However, the positive buzz eventually grew to be so strong that this was actually my Fourth of July movie since there was really nothing else playing.  So wow!   Not since 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy have I been so impressed by a film’s soundtrack and the brilliant way its interwoven into this feature not to mention how everything and every little cue revolves completely around each beat.  There’s nothing like it and well Edgar Wright’s simplistic, but “driving” story is second to none too.  How can you not root for a getaway driver named Baby?   I know you can’t!  The all-star cast even includes Mr. Kevin Spacey.  I suppose I’m going to get a lot of crap for having not only a Kevin Spacey movie on my Top 10 list, but also as number one.  I digress on that point.  I just need for Ansel Elgort to keep his nose clean because supposedly they are giving this one the sequel treatment and we need Baby alive for it.

Check out our theatrical reviews here and here as well as our Blu-ray one here.

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Another calendar year is sadly almost over for us all.  Where does the time go?  I don’t know!  I want to thank everyone that read through my entire list up above and whether you agree or not, I’d love to hear any of your thoughts below in the comments.  I also want to take a quick moment to thank all the wonderful and accommodating press and studio representatives in the Austin, TX area that have made it possible for me to attend every screening I was able to make as well as my hard working crew here on the site (you all know who you are).  With that being said I really am looking forward to waking up each and every day in 2018 (hoping for some big changes in my life).  Until then…Happy New Year!

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