It's here it's here! The most wonderful time of the year for movie lovers is HEEEEEEERE!!! Sorry, excuse me for a few moments while I try to contain my excitement that it is time yet again for the Sundance Film Festival. Over the next two weeks I'll have several reviews of the films I scored tickets to, but in the meantime, check out my list of the ten movies that debut during the Festival that I'm anticipating most. Let's begin! 10. WIND RIVER Official Sundance Summary: U.S. Fish & Wildlife agent Cory Lambert discovers a body in the rugged wilderness of the Wind River Indian Reservation. The FBI sends in rookie agent Jane Banner, but she’s unprepared for the difficulties created by the oppressive weather and isolation of the Wyoming winter. When she employs Cory as a tracker, the two venture deep into a world ravaged by violence and the elements. Wind River is a stark look at life on the edge of an imposing wilderness, where the rule of law is eclipsed by the laws of nature. Acclaimed screenwriter Taylor Sheridan makes his directorial debut with the final film in his trilogy of screenplays on the American frontier. He showed the power of his writing in Sicario and Hell or High Water, both of which reverberated with unforgettable characters and dialogue, while creating a level of texture and detail that felt more like a novel. Sheridan continues that here, with an excellent cast—including many Native American actors—that vibrantly brings to life this thrilling tale of forging morality in extreme nature. REASONS I WANT TO SEE IT: A solid cast in a movie by first-time director Taylor Sheridan. Sheridan also wrote the screenplay for some solid flicks already, namely: Sicario and Hell or High Water. I'm hopeful he'll have as much talent as a director as a screenwriter. 9. THE KILLING GROUND Official Sundance Summary: When young couple Sam and Ian escape the confines of urban living for a weekend getaway at a remote campsite, they arrive to find a neighboring tent set up with its inhabitants nowhere in sight. As day turns to night and then to day again, the young couple becomes increasingly concerned about the whereabouts of their unknown fellow campers. When they discover a toddler wandering alone on the campground, things go from bad to worse, thrusting them into a harrowing fight for survival in a place miles from civilization, where no one can hear them scream. Teeming with dread and unnerving tension, the debut feature of writer/director Damien Power draws heavy inspiration from Michael Haneke's Funny Games and Sam Peckinpah's Straw Dogs, utilizing the film’s sparse locations to considerable effect. As jagged pieces of the puzzle are carefully revealed one by one, Killing Ground evolves into a brutally violent thriller that will force you to think twice the next time you dare venture beyond the city’s bright lights. REASONS I WANT TO SEE IT: Look. I love the horror genre, and the last few years Sundance always debuts a breakthrough horror film. Just the description of this one is very unsettling. 8. THOROUGHBRED Official Sundance Summary: Emotionally challenged Amanda and contemptuous Lily reboot their childhood friendship after years of instability and judgment, thrown back together by standardized-test tutoring. When Lily’s icy stepdad, Mark, conspires to ship her off to reform school instead of her dream college, Amanda’s nonchalant quips about killing him suddenly seem enticing. Even as Amanda’s sinister tendencies surface and the girls hatch a plan, the mutual manipulation that has always defined their relationship threatens to derail their ambitions. First-time director Cory Finley’s impressively stylish and assured filmmaking evokes a high-class world that is simultaneously familiar and strange, dripping with acidic dark wit and a disquietingly eerie score. Finley nurtures and coaxes astounding chemistry out of his talented cast, from the capricious friendship that binds Olivia Cooke (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, 2015) and Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch, 2015), to the unruly vulnerability of Anton Yelchin as their unlikely co-conspirator. Firmly staking his claim as a filmmaker to watch, Finley comfortably basks in the quiet chaos of his characters and leaves behind a beautiful and orderly trail of destruction. REASONS I WANT TO SEE IT: First off, I love the cast...and any chance I can get to see the late Anton Yelchin in his final roles I plan to take. This sounds kinda like the plot of Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, just replace time travel with murder. What can go wrong with that? 7. COLOSSAL Official Sundance Summary: Gloria (Anne Hathaway) is a hard partying New York scene girl who is thrust into crisis when her boyfriend, Tim (Dan Stevens), grows sick of her antics and kicks her out of their apartment. With no other options, she moves back to her hometown and quickly regresses, drinking every night until last call and accepting a job at a bar owned by her childhood friend Oscar (Jason Sudeikis). One day she wakes up and blurrily finds out that Seoul was terrorized by a giant creature the night before. Eventually, Gloria begins to suspect her own drunken actions are bizarrely connected to the monster rampaging in South Korea. Writer/Director Vigalondo, aided by an outstanding cast, weaves a twisty, funny tale with real depth and emotional resonance. Colossal is proof that the ambitions of indie filmmakers can be epic in scope without losing their humanity. REASONS I WANT TO SEE IT: This plot is so off the wall, I just have to see how it's executed! 6. MARJORIE PRIME Official Sundance Summary: Eighty-six-year-old Marjorie spends her final, ailing days with a computerized version of her deceased husband. With the intent to recount their life together, Marjorie’s “Prime” relies on the information from her and her kin to develop a more complex understanding of his history. As their interactions deepen, the family begins to develop ever diverging recounts of their lives, drawn into the chance to reconstruct the often painful past. Built around exceptional performances from a veteran cast and shot with the intimate rhythm of mortality, Marjorie Prime shines a light on an often-obscured corner in the world of artificial intelligence and its interactions with death. Bringing us robustly into the future, Michael Almereyda’s poetic film forces us to face the question—If we had the opportunity, how would we choose to rebuild the past, and what would we decide to forget? REASONS I WANT TO SEE IT: Once again, this festival brings some really fascinating stories, and this one really intrigues me. Different perceptions of the same memory is a really interesting idea that I am excited to see what they do with. Plus John Hamm never hurt anything either. 5. MANIFESTO Official Sundance Summary: Tour-de-force: a term so overused that we need an undeniable acting performance to renew its meaning for cinema. Cate Blanchett has just given us one, going all-out in Manifesto. Already respected as one of the best actresses in film, Blanchett raises the bar even higher by playing 13 different roles in Manifesto, embodying some of the most influential and emotional artist manifestos in history. The architect of this unique film idea is director Julian Rosefeldt, a veteran of intricate films and installations. In Manifesto, he uses the words from various twentieth century manifestos of artists, architects, and filmmakers for dialogue. With a gorgeous production and luscious cinematography that would make Baz Luhrmann proud, Rosefeldt puts Blanchett in the everyday world—as a housewife, a factory worker, or a TV anchor—declaring the words that have inspired whole art movements. Manifesto is entertaining while also asking us to question if these passionate statements still hold true and inspire us today. REASONS I WANT TO SEE IT: The preview of this movie was insane, but let's be honest...the reason to see this movie is for Cate Blanchett's performances. 4. THE DISCOVERY Official Sundance Summary: What would you do if there was proof of an afterlife? The answer to this question is rivetingly explored in The Discovery, where world-renowned physicist Doctor Thomas Harber (Robert Redford) is able to scientifically prove the existence of an afterlife—but with dire consequences. His estranged son, Will (Jason Segel), tries to confront the situation by returning to the New England–esque island where he grew up. He crosses paths with Isla (Rooney Mara), who's returning to the island for mysterious reasons of her own. The tale unfolds over the ensuing days as the regret of past choices forces these lost characters to reflect on how they've gotten to where they are. Director/co-writer Charlie McDowell (2014’s The One I Love) returns to the Festival with another metaphysical thriller that uses a fascinating premise as a launching point to explore complex issues in a deftly absorbing fashion. Enlisting a world-class cast who use their unique qualities to infuse humor and humanity, The Discovery plays to both the head and the heart. REASONS I WANT TO SEE IT: Firstly, I loooooved The One I Love. It was so bizarrely fascinating and this premise sounds really interesting to me. Plus it's got a solid cast. 3. INGRID GOES WEST Official Sundance Summary: Ingrid is an unstable young woman with a checkered past of obsessive behavior. She secretly moves to Los Angeles to get close to Taylor Sloane—an Instagram “lifestyle guru” with a fabulous artist boyfriend, a camera-ready terrier, and an array of new products and brands to promote to her followers. After Ingrid adopts a Taylor-made identity for herself, her machinations to prove she’s BFF material for her Insta idol are underway—that is, until she meets Taylor’s obnoxious brother Nicky, who threatens to tear down her façade. Aubrey Plaza is fearless in her performance as Ingrid, whose elaborate fabrications and unsettling behavior lead to an avalanche of harrowing and squirm-worthy situations. In the modern world of self-appointed social media “influencers,” where emojis are preferred over real emotion, writer/director Matt Spicer and co-writer David Branson Smith brilliantly satirize the ideal lives we create online, yet at the same time acknowledging the effects of a technologically dominated society where the human needs for truth and connection are still essential to our being. REASONS I WANTS TO SEE IT: I just love the idea of this movie. I think it's very present and has a ton of potential to be a lot of fun. 2. REMEMORY Official Sundance Summary: Famed scientific pioneer Gordon Dunn (Martin Donovan) is mysteriously found dead shortly after the unveiling of his latest and most groundbreaking achievement—a device that can extract, record, and play a person’s unfiltered memories. After his death, Gordon’s reclusive wife, Carolyn (Julia Ormond), recedes into her own private world until a mysterious man (Peter Dinklage) knocks at her door, claiming to be a past acquaintance. With questionable motives, he steals the machine in an attempt to unravel his own personal demons, launching an exploration into a troublesome past filled with guilt, grief, and betrayal. Through the glass of the mind’s eye, director/co-writer Mark Palansky steadily introduces pieces of an intricate puzzle that don’t always fit, leading us down a winding path where our human consciousness often defines reality. Rememory is a striking and uniquely stylized portrait of loss and recovery, reminding us that we are nothing more than the memories we keep. REASONS I WANTS TO SEE IT: I know I'm sounding redundant here, but once again this story just fascinates me. Such a cool premise! Plus I really loved the movie Penelope and hope this film is just as magical. 1. A GHOST STORY Official Sundance Summary: Lauded filmmaker David Lowery, last at the Festival with the lyrical Ain’t Them Bodies Saints (2013), reunites with his collaborators for a haunted tale like no other—one conceived in secret and fueled by the spirit of pure, creative expression. Lowery's meticulously sparse narrative contemplates a spectral figure who was once a man (Casey Affleck). Prematurely taken from this Earth, he makes his way toward his former home, where he is fated to remain forevermore. Shrouded in a white sheet, he observes the lament of his grief-stricken lover (Rooney Mara). Bearing unseen witness to her pain, the wisp stands sentry for years to come, interacting only with time as it hurtles further and further forward, the remnants of his humanity quietly evaporating. Making full use of his singular abilities as a visual storyteller and finely tuned craftsman, Lowery boldly returns with an enriching experiment in micro-cinema that gorgeously defies categorization. REASONS I WANTS TO SEE IT: Casey Affleck is already riding the wave of success with last year's Sundance Selection Manchester By The Sea, and so I'm really looking forward to seeing this project with him and Rooney Mara. Plus, this basically sounds like a dramatic version of a Lifetime Movie Network movie and that can only be a good thing right? Haha! Other films catching my eye: Band-Aid, I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore, Newness, The Polka King, Wilson, Sidney Hall, XX and Brigsby Bear. So stay tuned! The fun has just begun! Plus, I will be posting my Top Ten of 2016 list very soon (either tomorrow or Monday,) so keep an eye out for that as well.

Alright, my friends. The time has come for me to present you my Top Ten Worst Films of 2016, though I must admit I don't nearly feel ready. You might say I'm being too harsh on my list. But you see, I didn't have time to watch such gems as Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates or The Boss. I did take the time to watch the abysmally low rated horror films Shut In and The Disappointments Room and while incredibly stupid, I didn't find them completely irredeemable to put on my list (I mean they did have game lead actresses who did decently and some nice cinematography.) Then of course there's the usual band of films I deem unwatchable (that I usually devote to having their own list, but again ran out of time this year.) Such unwatchable films include: Dirty Grandpa, Hardcore Henry, Ride Along 2 and Max Steel....not to mention all the horrible animated films that looked mind numbing like Norm of the North, Storks, Sing, Trolls, etc etc etc. So without further ado, yes I know there were probably worse films out there, but these ten were the worst I suffered through. 10. GODS OF EGYPT Original prediction for the movie HERE. I won't deny that I wasn't entertained during this movie...in a so bad it's good kind of way. But that doesn't mean I'm gonna give it a pass and leave it off the list, because this movie was pretty preposterous. 9. WARCRAFT Unlike Gods of Egypt, Warcraft wasn't entertaining in the least. To be fair, I watched it in the Drive-In, which doesn't always allow for you to pay it the amount of attention you can in a regular theater, but nevertheless, Warcraft was a slog to get through. I'd come up with more to say here, but I don't really have the energy to try to remember anything about the movie besides that I hated it so very much. The only reason it doesn't get higher on the list is that I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt due to my viewing circumstances. 8. THE FIFTH WAVE The one thing we can possibly thank The Fifth Wave for is for possibly putting the nail in the coffin (along with the decline of the Divergent series) of the YA craze. The Fifth Wave is so laughably bad it has to stop all other films of its kind in its track from being made. 7. ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS Original review HERE. Watching Alice Through The Looking Glass in theaters I was instantly detached and bored out of my mind at how little it tried. I decided to cut it some slack though as I had never read the book it was based on, so I couldn't speak for its skills as an adaptation. But then I read on Wikipedia how the Mad Hatter (which the movie completely revolves around) wasn't even in the book, and then I felt no shame in hating this movie that stole the name of a famous sequel to make up their own garbage. I was pretty happy when it flopped, and let's hope that's the last time we see these goons in these roles. 6. TIE: THE DARKNES Though I gave a pass to the lame-brained Disappointments Room and Shut In, I couldn't do the same for the incredibly stupid and scareless horror flick The Darkness. Those films were pretty generic and harmless, but The Darkness was just idiotic. But, it didn't really have to be. It had an easy premise to build on and it really did nothing with it. Plus it took some conditions that people suffer with and made them punchlines. So pointless. 6. TIE: YOGA HOSERS How in the world was this movie allowed at Sundance? In the same year there were reported walk-outs during Swiss Army Man, how is it possible that no one had any problem with this movie? The first half of Yoga Hosers is completely charmless and surprisingly boring. It's trying to emulate better movies such as Scott Pilgrim vs. The World but does not have the wit. Then the second half happens and its absurdity isn't funny or outrageous enough to save the movie. It just makes it even more stupid. 5. THE DO-OVER It's debatable whether or not it's fair to include this film as it went straight to Netflix, but what would a Top Ten Worst List be without an Adam Sandler movie? And besides that, this is a really really awful one. Apparently, Sandler thought that if he could just let loose in an R-rated comedy somehow he'd be funnier. If anything, it was way worse. As expected, David Spade isn't any help in making it better, but at least for him maybe he doesn't make it worse. 4. THE FUNDAMENTALS OF CARING Another movie that debuted at last year's Sundance, The Fundamentals of Caring, was actually on my most anticipated list for the festival, but sadly (so I thought,) wasn't able to get tickets for it. It made its way to Netflix and one night I decided to finally watch what I believed to be a feel-good indie film. Instead, I saw a movie without any artistic integrity at all. A movie trying to be indie for indie sake, that actually happened to be incredibly awful and painful to watch. The most offensive thing about it is that it was a movie that's trying to sucker people into thinking it's good, heartfelt and unoriginal when it basically was the exact opposite. This movie simply went by the Indie Movie checklist without any thought at all to whether any of it would work or be good at all. What results is an excruciatingly pretentious experience. 3. NINE LIVES I called at the beginning of the year last year how insanely stupid this movie and no surprise I was right. But I didn't really predict how much everyone (aside from Jennifer Garner) would be sleepwalking through their roles and phoning it in. This movie was so lazy and uninspired, it's a wonder that it ever saw the light of day and didn't just end up at a Redbox one day. This movie was basically a bunch of cat sound effects combined with Kevin Spacey sounding really bored. So unbelievably stupid. 2. ZOOLANDER 2 Original review HERE. There's nothing worse than an unnecessary sequel to a movie that was good and didn't need one. But this had to be a new level of offensive. I really loved the first Zoolander, and the sequel was absolutely positively one of the worst movies of the year. I probably laughed twice in the entire film, and both were most assuredly guilty laughs. This movie completely ruined everything that happened in the first movie, so honestly it's best for everyone to pretend that this movie never happened. 1. INDEPENDENCE DAY RESURGENCE Original review HERE. Somehow, more mind numbing than all of these movies combined is undoubtedly Independence Day: Resurgence. This movie wasn't entertaining in the least. It wasn't so dumb it's fun, it was so dumb it was horrible, awful, terrible, and any other negative adjective you'd like to add. I wish I could say more, but I can't put my mind through that right now. So there you have it! I may have been a little harsh...but them's the breaks! Stay tuned tomorrow for my Sundance Preview and Friday for my Best List.

2016 was a year that didn't really go as planned for many people, and that includes many of the releases that came out. Some failed to deliver on their hype from trailers or critical praise, while others came out of nowhere to be surprisingly entertaining gems. Here's a look back at 12 disappointments and 9 surprises from 2016. Since there's so much ground to cover on this list, I'll try to keep it short. Also note, that the surprises might make repeat appearances on my Best List which you can expect sometime next week. DISAPPOINTMENTS Suicide Squad - Original review HERE. Probably the biggest disappointment this year had to be Suicide Squad, a film with great trailers that it just couldn't live up to. Margot Robbie was wonderful, but the rest of the film was so dull and frankly mediocre. Everybody Wants Some - After Boyhood, I was hoping for something with a little more depth from director Richard Linklater. Everybody Wants Some was a little brainless and very underwhelming next to his previous effort. Keanu - I fell in love with the previews when I saw that adorable little kitten Keanu. Unfortunately, the film had far too long stretches without him, which would have been fine if the laughs had been brought. Occasional laughs and an adorable kitten are okay, but I was hoping for a lot more. The Blair Witch - Original review HERE. The Blair Witch didn't give too much time to let people down since it's existence was only announced about two months before its release. Still, it got immediate early buzz that this was a legit sequel to The Blair Witch and a great horror film in its own right. Unfortunately, it ended up being incredibly lackluster and run of the mill. Bummer. Allied -Original review HERE. Trailers portrayed this World War II movie as a spicy thriller featuring love, betrayal, and suspicion. Instead, the film ended up being super bland, wasting a nice performance from Marion Cotillard. Finding Dory - Original review HERE. Aside from Toy Story, Pixar hasn't had the greatest track record with sequels and while many audiences seemed to love Finding Dory, I was incredibly underwhelmed with it. Two amusing sequences does not a movie make, plus adding endless conflict after endless conflict just to stretch out the runtime isn't my idea of a well-crafted plot. Jack Reacher: Never Go Back - I remember discussing once how much I wanted to see a sequel to 2012's Jack Reacher and as such, was so excited when I heard one was in development. Sadly, this film didn't feel related or connected to its previous film at all. Instead, it was devoid of the humor and fun combined with the hardcore action that made the first film so great. Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children - Original review HERE. During the first half of this film, I was sure this could be Tim Burton's comeback...until it completely unraveled into a hot mess during the second half. The film couldn't overcome its muddled convoluted end, but hopefully, Tim Burton will be able to in future projects. The Girl on the Train - At the beginning of the year I hoped this would be 2016's version of Gone Girl, but unfortunately this ended up going too far on the soap opera side and didn't have the directing to elevate it. Emily Blunt gave a great performance but the film will be ultimately forgotten. Hail Caesar! - Original review HERE. This movie definitely had its moments and was a nice ode to Old Hollywood during some of them....but a lot of the time it was a crazy misfire. The sum of its brilliant parts was not great enough to overcome the head scratching ones. Love & Friendship - Original review HERE. I was so excited to see this at last year's Sundance Festival, and after having seen so many great films at the fest, this one certainly left me the most underwhelmed. It was pleasant enough, but ultimately pointless. I'll never understand the glowing reviews it got. Live By Night. See yesterday's review. I think I covered it pretty well there. SURPRISES 10 Cloverfield Lane - Like The Blair Witch, 10 Cloverfield Lane was only announced a couple months before it was actually released. But unlike The Blair Witch it was an absolute triumph. And yes while it helps not having expectations, I did end up seeing this film three times in theaters and it held up every time. Pride & Prejudice & Zombies - Original review HERE. Okay it probably helped that I had zero expectations for this film going into it, but seriouslyI thought this was a hoot! And it was also a surprisingly decent adaptation of Pride & Prejudice. Win Win. The Shallows -Original review HERE. Yes this movie was preposterous, and yes it was tons of fun. There's something nice when a movie knows it's a B-movie and revels in it. No one took The Shallows seriously, which makes it all the more enjoyable. The Edge of Seventeen - Original review HERE. I expected this film to be a run of the mill, average teen flick with no depth or personality. What I got instead was a surprisingly earnest and honest character driven piece that really resonated with my own youth. How to Be Single - Every once in awhile the world needs a multi-storyline rom-com right? I thought this looked pretty dumb and only watched it one night when I was really bored. Yet I found myself really relating and enjoying the proceedings and dare I say, I found there to be some wisdom in it even. Sure it wasn't the film to usher in the second coming of rom-coms, but it was far more enjoyable than it had any right to be. Kubo and the Two Strings - Kubo came out of nowhere and took audiences on a beautiful and magical journey. Visually, Kubo is a work of art and story wise, the quest he embarks on draws upon archetypes but still feels creative and fresh. Don't Think Twice - For a film about improv comedy, Don't Think Twice covered a lot of different emotional ground. Most fascinating to me was the subject of failure, and more particularly why some people have it in them to succeed and others don't (try as they might.) Swiss Army Man - Original review HERE. Okay, it's true that a year ago I named this film as my most anticipated movie to debut at the Sundance Film Festival and promptly bought tickets. During the first premiere though when critics started tweeting about walk-outs and the film being "unwatchable" my expectations lowered considerably. But still I was determined to see the movie at the festival. I deem it a surprise because in my wildest dreams would I never believe a movie of this subject matter to be made...let alone be good. Tallulah - Another Sundance Film Festival film, but this one went straight to Netflix (they bought the rights at last year's fest.) One night I watched this and another straight to Netflix Sundance movie that will not be named presently, back to back and the results were incredibly varying. Tallulah was a film that had deeply rich characters and you had no idea where the plot would go. Because we cared for them our investment in them. Check back tomorrow when I hope to FINALLY post my Top Ten Worst of 2016.

Apologies for the late reviews. But as it's a national holiday today, I thought I probably should share my opinions on the two big releases that came out Friday. Two big wide releases today to review, both from two well-known and respected directors, both perhaps considered among the Oscar push from their respective studios. The first is Ben Affleck's period piece crime drama Live By Night, while the second film releasing today Silence, is also a period piece but features two very different leads than the former film's gangsters: two priests. These two films probably couldn't be more different in every way. We'll start with my thoughts on Live By Night. About ten years ago Ben Affleck astonished the world and began his career comeback as a director with his fantastic Gone Baby Gone. In 2010 he proved he wasn't just a one-hit wonder with The Town and in 2012 he won an Oscar for best picture of his film Argo. All three of his directed films were huge successes, now enter Live By Night. The film follows Ben Affleck's character Joe Coughlin as he enters the mafia world in the 1920's and his subsequent career in the years that followed. The film starts with promise but loses its way in the middle as it meanders in different side plot lines that you won't understand the relevance of until the very end. My mind wandered throughout and couldn't help but feel that the film could have been severely edited down to be more streamlined and able to get to the point. Affleck still shows promise as a director, though, as the really important scenes shine and are set up perfectly. Unfortunately, there were just a lot of scenes that seemed pointless (until the end.) Once the credits rolled a title card popped up that made the whole thing make a lot more sense: "Based on the novel." Of course this had been a novel. The structure was absolutely that of someone trying to shove a billion chapters of a book into the course of a two-hour-plus movie. Books and movies are two very different mediums and what works in one does not always work in another which ends up being a huge problem in Live By Night. RATING: 6.5/10 out of pure disappointment. If I was feeling more generous I might be able to give it a 7...but right now I can't. Let me just start off my review of Silence by saying that this film is clearly not for everyone. The story follows two young priests during the 1600's played by Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver who beg to go to Japan to find their lost mentor (Liam Neeson) who disappeared and was rumored to have gone apostate while teaching the people. The film is almost three hours long and full of ponderous moments throughout, and when it comes down to it really is all about one man's spirituality in the face of extreme adversity. was a passion project by Martin Scorcese that not everyone will appreciate, but I thought it was beautiful. SilenceFor me, watching this movie was almost like watching some unknown passage of the New Testament being shown on the screen, and I found it incredibly fascinating. So many different facets of religion and spirituality were explored here, I really found myself glued to the screen which certainly would not be the case with everyone. I must admit though, that a large part of the film's success is due to Andrew Garfield's unwavering performance. He nails the role and pretty much carries the film on his shoulders. Without his earnestness, this film might not have resonated with me the way that it did. RATING: 9/10

Last week I previewed the films of 2017 that I was looking forward to most, but this week just for equal opportunity's sake, let's discuss some of the movies that are most likely not appearing on anyone's upcoming list. And, much as I did last year in a similar post, let me predict what each movie is gonna be like. You can check for my accuracy on predictions by checking out last year's post HERE. So let's get started! THE BYE BYE MAN Unlike last year, every single movie not only has a poster and a full fledged synopsis to glean info from, but also a trailer. So it's certainly a little easier to make predictions this go-around (whereas last year I had nothing to work with for Nine Lives, Mother's Day, Sausage Party and Ouija 2, just to name a few.) Posters and trailers for The Bye Bye Man have been around for awhile and promise viewers an incredibly generic horror film to start the year off as usual. EMILY PREDICTIONS: This film will get a 15% on Rotten Tomatoes, an IMDb rating of 5.3 and an Emily rating of 5/10. Everyone in the film will die, and there will be parallels to "slender man" all throughout. MONSTER TRUCKS Yes, I understand that this is a pretty easy target to pick on...but I can't help it that every time I see the trailer for this movie I squirm quite a bit. It might have some audience appeal (read: boys under 10 years old,) but it ain't for me. EMILY PREDICTIONS: Much fun will be had with the lad and his monster, but eventually he'll set his friend free to hang with all the other weird monsters in a magical paradise. This film will get a 23% on Rotten Tomatoes, an IMDb rating of 4.8 and if I did ever see it...an Emily rating of 4/10. A DOG'S PURPOSE Every time I see this trailer, I can't quite comprehend that this movie exists. How is it that Hollywood execs heard this pitch and thought "Yes! Let us invest millions of dollars in this idea. Bring this movie to life!!" The only thing left to say is that I feel really bad for Dennis Quaid that his career has sunk so low. EMILY PREDICTIONS: A dog gets reincarnated and learns how much everyone loves dogs! I don't really know what more there is to predict honestly. A Rotten Tomatoes Rating of: 34%, IMDb score of 5.9 and Emily Rating of 2/10. THE SPACE BETWEEN US The worst thing about this stupid movie being delayed is that it meant I would have to suffer through its trailer continuing to be shown in movies for two more months. At this point, I feel like I can quote it, and that's really not a good thing. EMILY PREDICTIONS: This whole thing is pretty much shown in its trailer, but the boy comes to Earth, falls for the girl, gets sick so they get married and the only solution is for him to return to Mars. So she leaves her life behind on earth to join him. RT rating of 18% and IMDb of 6.4. Emily Rating of 5. FIFTY SHADES DARKER I'll be honest, I'm mostly not looking forward to this one because of the inevitable debates it creates on my Facebook feed between the fans and the anti-fifty shades folk going off on how empowering it is versus how wrong it is and how it's going to destroy the world. Sure it's a garbage movie, but giving it the power that some give it is just plain silly to me. EMILY PREDICTIONS: It's not really worth it to guess the plot when it's based on a book right? Therefore I'll stick to the predictions on its reception. Rotten Tomatoes will give it a 51% and IMDb will give it a 4.5 Emily won't see it to rate it most likely! BOSS BABY Have you noticed a recurring theme yet to these entries? Almost every single one mentions how I hate the trailer for the movie, and this entry is no different. The first time I saw the trailer for Boss Baby I found myself literally cringing the entire time. The titular character just screams ripoff of Stewie from Family Guy, which itself isn't the most original show. Watering it down further doesn't seem like a great idea. EMILY PREDICTIONS: The baby is foiled and learns the beauty of family. RT score of 41% and IMDb of 6.0. Emily will not see this movie under any circumstance....but if she did... probably a 2.5/10. SMURF'S THE LOST VILLAGE Why is another one of these films being made? Has anyone ever liked any of these movies? Were they that successful that another film was warranted? WHAT KIND OF GOD WOULD ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN? Okay okay I'm being a tad bit dramatic. But seriously. I don't understand how these are still getting made. EMILY PREDICTIONS: Okay... I'm not sure plot predictions really matter in a movie like this... but they find a village of women so that the Smurfs don't all have to lust after the same one woman in their tribe. Rotten Tomatoes rating of 12% and IMDb of 4.9. Emily Rating of.... I really don't want to see this but maybe if I did a 3? UNFORGETTABLE Unlike every other entry on this list where I bemoaned the trailer, I have to say the trailer for Unforgettable is actually a freaking hoot. And by this I mean, this is the one movie on the list that looks like it might actually fit in the category of "so bad it's good." EMILY PREDICTION: Again, after that trailer pretty much shows the whole movie there's not much to predict. But we'll say that Katherine Heigl ends up dead...just like her career. RT rating of 8% and IMDb rating of 3.9. Emily Rating of 5/10. TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT The first Transformers was silly fun. The second was loud noise. And I refused to watch the third and fourth because I didn't want to waste my time. Unsurprisingly, I feel the same about the fifth entry to the franchise. I just hope it really is the LAST knight. Something tells me it won't be. EMILY PREDICTIONS: Again, does plot matter here? The Transformers will be brought back. They'll fight. They'll defeat their enemies. The end. RT rating of 11% and IMDb rating of 5.7. Emily isn't gonna bother seeing it to rate it. POWER RANGERS The trailer for Power Rangers looks like the far less cool version of Chronicle. And honestly there's not much more I have to say besides that. EMILY PREDICTIONS: The plot plays out like Chronicle where some teens discover they have super powers. But someone gets wind of their power and they have to stop the threat. Basically any origin movie ever made. In particular I get the feeling that this will be this year's Fantastic Four reboot. RT RATING OF 27% and IMDb rating of 6.1. Emily Rating of 5.0. Well that'sit for this list. Was I too harsh? Let me know, and stay tuned for my 2016 wrap up lists coming so very soon....and my Sundance preview!

Hello, readers! Before I get to give you all my 2016 End of Year Lists that I'm still working very hard on, I thought the first post of the year should be all about 2017! As usual, I've rounded up the ten movies that I'm most looking forward to seeing in the new year. For 2016, I struggled picking a full ten to fill out the list, and this year I found myself having a hard time narrowing down movies! So luckily for you, you'll get a nice list of honorable mentions this year...(just don't expect to see any movies from a certain studio making either list.) Let's start the countdown shall we?? 10. SPLIT Maybe I'm being too optimistic here, but I really felt like 2015's The Visit was a step in the right direction for down and out director M. Night Shyamalan and I'm really hoping that Split which features the always wonderful James McAvoy will be a true return to form for the filmmaker. I can't help it, I loved his first four movies so much that I'm always hoping for redemption for this guy to recapture the magic that made his first films wonderful. Early reviews seem positive, but you never know...so PLEASE BE GOOD! 9. THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE 2014's The Lego Movie was one of the biggest surprises of the year for me when it came out. I was stunned that I thought it was so much fun and so downright enjoyable. One of the scene stealers of the film was absolutely Will Arnett's version of Batman. Giving his own movie might be a little risky in that he could wear out his welcome...but giving him a Michael Cera Robin makes me kind of happy. I hope this is as delightful as the last Lego movie! 8. GIFTED Almost every year I pick some movie that no one has ever heard of because it has some sort of (500) Days of Summer connection, and this year Gifted is that film! Poor Marc Webb got the Spider-man films taken away from him, and the only upside for me is getting to see him direct original content again with hopefully MUCH LESS studio interference. Marc Webb has such a great emotional touch and can elevate any material, and here he's got a great cast to work with. I honestly can't wait to see what he does with this film. 7. LOGAN I'm not totally cool with the track record of solo Wolverine films, but this one does look pretty good. Plus, I'm always happy to see Hugh Jackman play this character...and this time it looks like it's going to be different and fresh. 6. ALIEN: COVENANT I enjoyed Prometheus, but had pretty high expectations of its greatness that it didn't totally meet. Here's hoping that the sequel is all that we're hoping for! 5. WONDER WOMAN Wonder Woman happened to be one of my favorite parts of Batman v Superman, and as such I'm pretty excited to see her solo adventure. It will be great to see a powerful heroine lead a film and I hope it's great and successful. I'm excited and hope Gal Gadot can carry the film. Adding Chris Pine is never a bad thing. 4. JUSTICE LEAGUE Please be good. Pleaaaaase be good. Now, I'm not one of those BvS haters, in fact...quite the contrary. I'm an apologist who very much looks forward to seeing where the journey goes next. But it would be nice if it didn't get crucified by reviews again. 3. WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES The Planet of the Apes reboot is actually one of my favorite ongoing franchises right now as it feels like nothing else anyone is doing weirdly enough. It's captivating, fascinating and entertaining...and I hope the third film continues the trend! 2. STAR WARS EPISODE VIII Had The Force Awakens not disappointed me so much, there's no doubt this movie would have taken the #1 spot (and still, almost did...) The stakes are incredibly high for me on this one, as this might be the film that makes or breaks my love for what the Disney-owned Lucasfilm is doing to my beloved franchise. I know I've basically said on each entry that I want these films to be good, but I REALLY want to love this one. With Rian Johnson at the wheel this time I feel more confident, but am still trying to keep my expectations in check. 1. DUNKIRK For me, Christopher Nolan is one of the most reliable filmmakers out there. I have loved everything he's ever done and can't wait to see his take on this World War II tale. HONORABLE MENTIONS: The Mummy - This reboot starring Tom Cruise intrigues me...it could go either way, I just hope it's fun to watch, Kingsman: The Golden Circle - Kingsman was one of my favorite movies of 2015, I'm wary of a sequel but with most of the same players involved I think it could be just as fun (hopefully!!), Blade Runner 2049 - Denis Villenuve directing a sequel to a sci-fi classic...after his tremendous work in Arrival, you can definitely count me in, Beauty and the Beast - I fear that there will be little originality in this remake which I think is a huge mistake, but I'm excited to see it nonetheless, A Cure For Wellness - The trailer for this is sooooo creepy and good. It looks like Shutter Island meets The Ring; be still my horror loving heart, Kong: Skull Island - like the Mummy reboot, this remake of Kong looks like it could go either way, but will hopefully be entertaining, The Autopsy of Jane Doe - One reviewer claimed this was one of the scariest movies he'd ever seen so....naturally I'm dying to see it, Life - in a year where an Alien sequel is coming out, it's unfortunate Life has to compete with that. But the trailer looked pretty cool! It -everyone's favorite childhood nightmare is being remade too. We'll see how it goes! Coco - An original Pixar film. I much prefer those to the endless sequels. And that's a wrap! But don't worry, you'll be hearing a lot from me the next month. I've got all my 2016 recaps to do as well as all the Sundance posts that are coming your way. So stay tuned!!!

As usual, I had a hard time narrowing down some movies, so I cheated and added in a few ties. So this isn't so much a top ten as it is a top twelve. With all that in mind, let's get started shall we? 10 TIE: SILENCE & HELL OR HIGH WATER Originally, I had planned to give Rogue One a spot on the list due to wanting to finally give some Star Wars love after my disappointment with The Force Awakens, but then I ended up seeing these two films and let them steal a tying spot. Silence and Hell or Highwater both feature male duos. However, the duos of each film couldn't be more opposite. Silence focuses on the difficult experiences that two priests have during their mission to Japan in the 1600's. Hell or High Water focuses on two brothers in modern day Texas who rob banks. The films couldn't be more different, but I honestly couldn't choose which film deserved the #10 spot. Silence was an incredible spiritual experience of a film that was very thought provoking and well made. And Hell or High Water was tightly made and highly entertaining. Both are solid films with fantastic performances by their leads. Original review for Silence HERE 9. THE EDGE OF SEVENTEEN The Edge of Seventeen isn't totally a movie that everyone will connect to, or be featured on everyone's top ten list, but it was an extremely personal one for me. The film follows the lead character of Nadine, who certainly wasn't the most likable protagonist, but her lonely high school experience after a fight with her best friend really resonated with me. The Edge of Seventeen felt like a representation of youth that was honest and fresh. I was honestly surprised how much I loved this film, and can only wish for more like it. Original review for The Edge of Seventeen HERE. 8. 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE Speaking of surprises, 10 Cloverfield Lane had to be the biggest one of 2016. The movie came out of nowhere and ended up being amazingly good. I saw it three times in theaters and it totally held up every single time. It's so gripping and well done, I easily could have given this spot to some of the more Oscar bait films I watched at the end of the year, but this one just won me over and I wouldn't budge. Mary Elizabeth Winstead and John Goodman shine in this movie, and Goodman, in particular, does some of his best work in years. 7. LION Lion is definitely one of the most heart-wrenching films of 2016. The film kinda puts you through the ringer as you witness the true story of a four-year-old Indian boy who winds up miles and miles away from his family and no way of knowing how to get back to them. I found his plight (and the consequences of it) very gripping, and also fascinating. The performances here are also fantastic, and by the end, I found myself (and my mother and stepfather) sobbing. 6. NOCTURNAL ANIMALS Two stories are being told in Nocturnal Animals. One focuses on Amy Adams's character as she receives a manuscript from her ex-husband (Jake Gyllenhaal) that he asks her to read, and the second is the actual story inside that novel of a man heading out on a family vacation with his wife and daughter that turns insanely violent. The second storyline was what hooked me, because it was basically an absolute nightmare turned into film. The film is so gripping, and it left me thinking about it for days afterward. There's so much to dissect here, and that was almost half of the fun. 5. TIE: DON'T BREATHE & THE WITCH What a year for horror it was. Even though I saw The Witch two years ago at Sundance 2015, it wasn't released until February of last year, so since it hadn't released to the general public yet, I didn't feel like I could include it on my 2015 list. I was very happy to see it finally released a year ago and get the praise it deserved from film critics and lovers of the genre. It's honestly such a great and unique addition to the horror genre. It's a very slow and moody film that builds up to the incredibly tense finale. But that wasn't all for the year in horror. Don't Breathe, which was released last August somehow managed to be equally wonderful, yet a very different brand of horror. While The Witch took its time to revel in the world it created, the tension in Don't Breathe never lets up and it's an absolute thrill ride. I seriously loved both of these horror films and had to include both on my top ten list. Original review for Don't Breathe found HERE. Original review for The Witch found HERE. 4. ARRIVAL Every year for the last four years, we've had some sort of space movie come out in the fall (see Gravity, Interstellar and The Martian.) Arrival doesn't take place in space but somehow fits among these films. In particular, Arrival felt like a spiritual sibling of sorts to Interstellar. That not be something that everyone loves, but as someone who adored that film, I felt similar adoration with Arrival. The film is beautiful and it works on many levels, but it owes pretty much all of its success to Amy Adam's fantastic and sincere performance. Arrival felt simultaneously realistic and fantastical. Almost as if, should that type of event (the arrival of aliens) really occur, this is how it would go down. This grounded approach was refreshing when the film easily could have felt redundant. Original review of Arrival HERE. 3. MANCHESTER BY THE SEA Manchester by the Sea is a deeply disturbing tragedy that is quite frankly a masterpiece. The film is so incredibly beautiful, yet affectedly heartbreaking. It works because of Casey Affleck's performance of a man so removed from feeling, that we can't help but feel disconnected with. We know there's more beyond the surface, but never does he want to engage with anyone enough to show it. Michelle Williams too in her small screen time is amazing, and their scene together near the end of the film (you'll know the one) is one of the most personal scenes ever filmed. Honestly, this is just a perfect movie. Original review for Manchester By The Sea HERE. 2. LA LA LAND If Manchester By The Sea is a perfect movie then what other two films can beat that? Just a couple of other perfect ones. There has been quite a bit of backlash against La La Land, but I refuse to bend to it. I saw it back in November, far ahead of its release date, and was able to appreciate it for what it was before too much of the hype had gotten to people's heads. La La Land is a beautiful film about relationships, and if there's one thing I love, it's a movie about relationships (*cough 500 Days of Summer cough*) It's also about following your dreams. This movie didn't truly GET me until the epilogue, but that ending solidified it as one of my favorite movies about relationships. And that's a big deal to me. 1. SING STREET For much of the year, Sing Street had retained the number #1 spot, until La La Land had knocked it to #2. But the more I thought about it, the more this movie was MY movie. I just love everything about it. It's so watchable (it's like my new The Way Way Back,) and has one of the best soundtracks in recent memory. Like La La Land, it too is all about following your dreams and the ending here is just absolutely wonderful. It also features a wonderful brotherly relationship that is one of the highlights of the film, and Jack Reynor just steals every scene he's in. I honestly can't recommend this movie enough, nor stop singing its praises. I just love this movie so much. Original review for Sing Street found HERE. HONORABLE MENTIONS: ROGUE ONE, JACKIE, HACKSAW RIDGE, MOONLIGHT, BATMAN V SUPERMAN (sorry haters), FENCES, A MONSTER CALLS.

Last night, the first of its kind, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, (previously and better titled a Star Wars Anthology film)-- a film set in the Star Wars galaxy, but not immediately focused on the Skywalker family saga, hit theaters. In many ways Rogue One is quite the experimental journey for a Star Wars film...some of which pays off and some of which doesn't. But the question is, after my major disappointment in last year's The Force Awakens, did Rogue One leave me just as cold? Thankfully the answer is no, and I enjoyed the film quite a lot more than The Force Awakens. Was it the flawless film that some hype would have you believe? No. It was far from perfect and in some ways had just as many flaws as The Force Awakens... they just weren't the type of flaws that left me fuming this time. As you may have heard, Rogue One is all about a group of rebels banding together to attempt to steal the plans to the newly built Death Star. Rogue One is not a sequel to The Force Awakens, but takes place immediately before the events of the original Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Specifically it follows the tale of a young woman named Jyn Erso, whose father was a brilliant scientist captured by the Empire to complete their ultimate power of destruction when she was just a child. Rogue One decided against having the traditional theme and crawl to open the film, which as a traditionalist, I didn't really care for. The opening scenes set during Jyn's youth were nice setup to her character, but the transition to her adulthood is jarring. In fact, that's kind of the problem with the first act of the film in general. Scenes on their own are fine but don't flow together well. There are so many characters to introduce us to that the beginning feels a bit clunky. Unfortunately, with so much to juggle, no one is given too much depth and the beginning fails to properly set up and earn the emotional moments in the second half of the film. I think there's some dead weight with some of the characters here, that if they focused on a smaller group and let their personalities shine a bit more the film would have had more character depth and camaraderie between everyone. Also.... I know I'm contradicting myself when I'm saying less characters should have been shoehorned in... but more Vader would have been nice. And a Palpatine cameo. Now let me get back to the positive to assure you that I did enjoy this film. The final act is absolutely thrilling (although I'd love to see an alternate cut of this film, because from the trailers it looks like the ending was almost entirely reshot.) The thing I hated the most about The Force Awakens was creating something completely unoriginal when you had a galaxy of potential storylines at your fingertips. Rogue One hasn't been done before (at least in Star Wars,) and it feels fresh. Best of all to me, it felt like a film that truly tries to tie all trilogies together and bind the galaxy together....and for a pretty divided fandom I feel like that's a very wise thing to do. I thought Felicity Jones and Diego Luna were likable leads who just needed some more small personal moments. Maybe if Rogue One had given more to that and less to CGI characters the film could have been a bit more well-balanced. In the end, though it's not a perfect or flawless film by any means....it successfully got me a little excited about Star Wars again. And that is a very good thing. RATING: 8/10

Every winter a serious biopic comes out featuring a show-stopping performance by a talented actor or actress hoping to nab Oscar gold. Out today is one such film called Jackie with Natalie Portman already having buzz of an oscar repeat in her portrayal of Jackie Kennedy. Is her performance awards worthy and more importantly, is Jackie as a film good? In a similar structure to my all-time favorite film (500) Days of Summer, Jackie is not told chronologically, but rather in a series of memories shared randomly that reveal more and more of the woman behind the image. These memories are recounted to a journalist (played by the always reliable Billy Crudup) enquiring for a story after the death of her husband JFK. Jackie recalls all kind of memories of her time during the White House to being forced to pack up all her belongings after the assassination. At the beginning of the film, Natalie Portman doesn't quite fit as seamlessly into the role as one would expect, as the narrative framing scenes where she recounts the story to Crudup's character seem to be the weakest. You can see her just trying to get the role just right and it doesn't feel effortless. But once the audience gets further into her memories it seems the more Portman got lost in the role and thus the more fascinating the film, as well as her performance becomes. Some scenes are gut-wrenching and incredibly raw, and on on the whole she does a pretty admirable job. Aside from Portman, the acting all around is strong and another performance worth talking about here is Peter Sarsgaard who plays Bobby Kennedy. He's always a welcome presence and does a solid job here. Also among the film's strengths are the haunting score and the fabulous costume and production design. Natalie Portman, as well as everyone else in the film perfectly fits the 60's aesthetic. Jackie is definitely a movie to be seen more for the performances than a plot you'll desire to watch over and over. Certainly the plot and the depictions of famous scenes in history are incredibly well done, but it's more of the type of movie to be admired than loved and embraced. That said, I much preferred the way this biopic was handled as compared to say The Theory of Everything where they didn't take a clear side of whose story was being told and played it safe. Here we know that everything we're seeing is coming out of Jackie's lens which makes the story far more interesting. and she as a figure much stronger. Jackie might not be one of my favorites to come out this year or a movie I will want to rewatch again and again, but is a must see for the performances that will likely be nominated in a couple months. RATING: 8/10

Out just in time for Thanksgiving is Mr & Mrs Smith: World War II edition....or more specifically a film called Allied. A lot has been made out of Robert Zemeckis's latest film which pairs Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard...including speculations that the pairing of those two actors was the cause for ending the famous Brangelina relationship (of which Pitt was previously a part of.) But speculations about that aside, the real question is, is the film any good and is it worth your time? Allied follows the tale of a couple of spies who met and fell in love during their stay at (wouldn't you know it?) Casablanca during World War II. Surviving basically a suicide mission, the two bond and decide once their mission is over that the only natural thing to do would be to get hitched. Fast forward a baby and a couple years later and the couple find themselves in Britain where Brad's character is faced with a stunning possibility: that perhaps his loving wife has been a spy for the Nazis all along. His task given by his superiors is to test her, and if she fails their test he must execute her himself or be charged with high treason. What's a man to do? The answer, of course, is for him to do some investigating to find out what the truth really is. First and foremost, the movie looks absolutely gorgeous (and that includes the always stunning Marion Cotillard and dapper looking Pitt,) but unfortunately looks aren't everything! While it's cinematography, costume design, and general production values are top notch, the whole thing somehow just rings a little hollow. Really the best way to describe it is sadly bland and forgettable...which is a shame because the advertising portrayed something a lot more promising. As for Pitt and Cotillard, Marion is as reliable as ever, but Pitt seems to sleepwalk through his role. Perhaps your curiosity lies in seeing with your own eyes the chemistry Cotillard and Pitt have, but honestly, their connection seemed shallow and superficial....I didn't really buy it. That said, the results of the film as a whole are certainly watchable. It's entertaining but you just can't help but think it could have been more. All in all, Allied is a missed opportunity. It plays it too safe to either have fun with it and too shallow to be truly memorable. RATING: 6/10