Numbers' Numerical Numbering: Vol. III, A 2016 Top 50 (COUNTDOWN COMPLETE)

[4815162342]

#42

 

Spoiler

 

 

Directed by: Rawson Marshall Thurber

 

Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Amy Ryan

 

Domestic Release Date: June 17, 2016

 

 

This is the start of a solid tag-team lineup for years to come, if they're smart. Johnson and Hart effortlessly play off one another as two former classmates from high school thrown into a MacGuffin whodunnit action caper. The film features a few too many twists and turns, since the outcome is never in doubt, so a little streamlining of the convolution would have served it well. But the focus of the film is rightfully on its leading duo and their banter and reactions. Johnson proves once and for all that he has strong comedic timing, even while being a badass about it, and the exasperated Kevin Hart routine naturally fits into the proceedings here. Also tucked within the movie is a nice anti-bullying message, though it gets a bit buried at times underneath all the pratfalls, shootouts, and explosions. I definitely look forward to seeing these two team up again for another comedy outing (not a sequel to this, just any old action-comedy).

 

 

[4815162342]

#41

 

Spoiler

 

 

Directed By: Ben Wheatley

 

Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller, Luke Evans, Elisabeth Moss

 

Domestic Release Date: May 13, 2016

 

 

This film for a decent chunk of its running time was threatening to end up pretty high on my list, but a somewhat undercooked third act results in it just missing the Top 40. Set during an undisclosed portion of the 1970s, the film chronicles the inhabitants of a high-rise tower on the outskirts of a major city whose lives slowly devolve into social chaos as the amenities of the all-in-one tower slowly shut down one by one. The acting, set designs, pacing, and mood of the film are all top-notch, but where it ultimately falters a bit is with the plot and character motivations. We never really get much setup for why certain events happen the way they do or why certain characters act the way they act other than brief dalliances on their main traits. Perhaps the film could have done a bit better if Hiddleston's character wasn't written to be as emotionally distant and socially reclusive as he was, since for most of the film he is ultimately a passive observer to the madness and rarely takes any action. In the end it's not a complete success, but still worth admiring and enjoying for what it is.

 

 

[4815162342]

hints for 40-36 (tonight):

 

40- Not your typical family road trip

 

39- Bear it

 

38- Do to Isis what it did to Al-Qaeda

 

37- Is it the GOAT?

 

36- Equal Opportunity Child Neglect

[Tower]

4 hours ago, 4815162342 said:

hints for 40-36 (tonight):

 

40- Not your typical family road trip

 

39- Bear it

 

38- Do to Isis what it did to Al-Qaeda

 

37- Is it the GOAT?

 

36- Equal Opportunity Child Neglect

40- American Honey

39- The Jungle Book

38- Eye In The Sky

37- ?

36- Bad Moms

[4815162342]

#40

 

Spoiler

 

 

Directed By: Jeff Nichols

 

Starring: Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, Adam Driver, Jaeden Lieberher

 

Domestic Release Date: March 18, 2016

 

 

Over the past 5 years Jeff Nichols has quietly staked a reputation as a pretty good up-and-coming small to mid-sized director. This year he generated two films, the first of which being Midnight Special. The relationship between Michael Shannon and Jaeden Lieberher is the film's rock, with Shannon's weary, grim, desperate father willing to do everything and anything he can to protect and save his gifted son. Joel Edgerton does pretty well as Shannon's old friend whose resourcefulness and steely nerves come in handy getting the characters through jams. Less well developed are Kirsten Dunst and Adam Driver. The film's emotional core is pretty strong, but plotwise I guess I was waiting for a final twist or hook that never materialized, and the result was that I ended up a little underwhelmed by the finale. Still, it is a gripping drama about a family racing against everyone else and is another quality notch in Nichols' belt.

 

 

[4815162342]

#39

 

Spoiler

 

 

Directed By: Jon Favreau

 

Starring: A lot of celebrity voices

 

Domestic Release Date: April 15, 2016

 

 

Disney is now full-speed ahead in its plan to do live-action remakes of various animated classics. Of those so far, I think this one is just a couple hairs behind Cinderella. We know the story and there's not much difference in this variant, but Favreau presents a truly lush visual landscape for the adventure to take place in. I remember from an initial trailer I was concerned a bit about desaturation of color, but luckily there's not much of that in the end result. The mo-cap CGI effects for all of the animals is brilliant, and the voice acting is overall good, though some of the actors joyously tear into their material more than others. On the whole there's not a lot new here outside of the technical wizardry, but it's still a very fun and enjoyable time. John Debney's music does a good job of weaving in some of the old songs from the animated film into the orchestral tapestry.

 

 

[4815162342]

#38

 

Spoiler

 

 

Directed By: Akiva Schaffer & Jorma Taccone

 

Starring: Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, Sarah Silverman, Tim Meadows

 

Domestic Release Date: June 3, 2016

 

 

Up next is a forum cult favorite, the slayer of the Wilderpeople, the pride and joy of the Lonely Island. A 21st Century Spinal Tap, Popstar rests on the shoulders of Andy Samberg, who ably carries on as the egotistic, vain, and clueless Conor Friel, whose sheer audacity and ignorance allows him to keep going forward as his mistakes and miscues progressively mount until he stares into the abyss of being a has-been. The documentary-style cameos by various star musicians, recording artists, and producers is a nifty touch, and the film is relentless in staging its satire, parody, and gags. While there aren't many true hysterical moments, I was constantly chuckling through much of the movie. It's a dynamic ball of fun.

 

I was surprised the fans here couldn't get a song nominated at the forum awards. I guess they will end up fucking the BOFFYs like we fucked Bin Laden.

 

 

[4815162342]

#37

 

Spoiler

 

 

Directed by: Robert Eggers

 

Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie

 

Domestic Release Date: February 19, 2016

 

 

The Witch was the February horror film that took a lot of the forum by storm in surprise at how much they liked it. In many ways it is a grim period drama that is occasionally dressed up with classical horror elements. Aside from a 30-second scene early on in the movie, much of the first two acts of the film is very much absent of the supernatural and instead focuses on an exiled Puritan family slowly coming apart at the seams after youngest child suddenly and inexplicably goes missing in broad daylight. As much a commentary on 17th-century intolerance and misogyny as it is a tale about witches eating children and driving people insane, the tension of the film slowly builds and builds until it gets unleashed in a few minutes of stark violence. I was really into this film, but the final 5-10 minutes just did not work for me at all, which resulted in it dropping down to this point.

 

 

[That One Girl]

Mona Lisa might be an overrated piece of shit.  Popstar certainly isn't 

[MrPink]

8 minutes ago, 4815162342 said:

#38

 

  Hide contents

 

 

Directed By: Akiva Schaffer & Jorma Taccone

 

Starring: Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, Sarah Silverman, Tim Meadows

 

Domestic Release Date: June 3, 2016

 

 

Up next is a forum cult favorite, the slayer of the Wilderpeople, the pride and joy of the Lonely Island. A 21st Century Spinal Tap, Popstar rests on the shoulders of Andy Samberg, who ably carries on as the egotistic, vain, and clueless Conor Friel, whose sheer audacity and ignorance allows him to keep going forward as his mistakes and miscues progressively mount until he stares into the abyss of being a has-been. The documentary-style cameos by various star musicians, recording artists, and producers is a nifty touch, and the film is relentless in staging its satire, parody, and gags. While there aren't many true hysterical moments, I was constantly chuckling through much of the movie. It's a dynamic ball of fun.

 

I was surprised the fans here couldn't get a song nominated at the forum awards. I guess they will end up fucking the BOFFYs like we fucked Bin Laden.

 

 

 

WATCH OUT, WATCH OUT

 

IT'S CONNOR

 

 

[4815162342]

#36

 

Spoiler

 

 

Directed by: Jon Lucas & Scott Moore

 

Starring: Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn, Christina Applegate

 

Release Date: July 29, 2016

 

 

If you had told me a year ago that in a head-to-head battle this film would win out quality-wise over the Damon/Greengrass Bourne Reunion, I would have been pretty surprised. But the superior film this is, an unrepentant and energetic ode to hardworking parents who can never quite be good enough and who need to blow off a shit-ton of steam. The interactions between the three leads are great and they form quite the trio of comparisons and contrasts. I think perhaps the film leaned a bit too hard on making Applegate's character the outwardly perfect tiger mom seeking to control the lives of every other mother in the school district, but that's more of a quibble than a real problem for the movie. The movie is fun and bold but never forgets its heart, the end credits bits with the various lead actresses being interviewed with their moms was a really nice touch that sells the core message. A sweet end to a raunchy experience.

 

 

[4815162342]

Hints for #35-31 (tomorrow morning)

 

35- An American Safari

 

34- Not an African River

 

33- Involves something both Hitchcock and Ah-nuld have in common

 

32- Summer Nostalgia

 

31- Dachshund

[cannastop]

4 minutes ago, 4815162342 said:

31- Dachshund

*ahem*

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4144190/

[cannastop]

4 minutes ago, 4815162342 said:

35- An American Safari

 

 

I have a kind of plausible guess for this.

[aabattery]

43 minutes ago, cannastop said:

*ahem*

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4144190/

 

It could be this but I'm thinking it's the Weiner doco.

[4815162342]

#35

 

Spoiler

 

 

Directed By: David Yates

 

Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterson, Dan Fogler, Colin Farrell, Alison Sudol

 

Domestic Release Date: November 18, 2016

 

 

The ninth movie in the Harry Potter universe and the first one not part of the main storyline, Fantastic Beasts has the awkward task of having to juggle a couple different movies within its frame. You have the monsters on the loose story, the prelude to the wizarding war story, and the wizard/muggle tension and mutual disdain story, all squeezed into one narrative. This does result in some pacing and story issues, since we can jump from thoughtful discussion to sudden chase wand fight in mere seconds, and some of the ideas and character development remains undercooked. The Core Four do a strong job, even though Redmayne tries to break that quality with his perpetual mumble-whispering. Colin Farrell is delightfully sneering and hammy as the antagonist, until well, you know what happens. Ezra Miller is easily the weak link, looking like a perpetually constipated teen sulking because his parents took away his iPhone. James Newton Howard does a great job sliding into the Potter musical scene and the visuals and production design is top notch. Ranked against the prior Potter movies it comfortably falls into the middle range

 

 

[4815162342]

#34

 

Spoiler

 

 

Directed by: Mick Jackson

 

Starring: Rachel Weisz, Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Spall, Andrew Scott

 

Domestic Release Date: September 30, 2016

 

 

I'm always a sucker for history and legal related movies, and Denial deftly combines the two areas into one. Based on true events, it chronicles a famous British libel trial involving one of the most prominent Holocaust deniers of that time. Rachel Weisz is excellent as the American writer forced to go on trial, displaying a range of emotions and resilience as she slowly learns that the qualities that make her successful and driven won't serve her well in the particular style and methods of a British courtroom. Tom Wilkinson is good as the barrister who comes to her defense, and Timothy Spall is unnervingly slimy as the Holocaust denier who has brought the lawsuit. The film's pacing is a little jonky here and there, but it slowly builds tension and emotion as Weisz and Wilkinson come to understand and respect one another. All in all, it is a quality drama I'd recommend everyone try out.

 

 

[4815162342]

#33

 

Spoiler

 

 

Directed By: Justin Lin

 

Starring: The Enterprise Crew and others

 

Domestic Release Date: July 22, 2016

 

 

J.J. Abrams turned the keys to the Enterprise over to Justin Lin and, quality-wise, the franchise is in safe hands. The film is kind of an odd mix, shifting the style and tone a bit as it progresses, evolving to meet the changing circumstances for the crew. The cast in general does a good job as usual, with Sofia Boutella being a highlight as a stranded outcast on a remote planet who throws in with the Enterprise team. Idris Elba is fine as the villain, but his motivations and character remain incredibly murky until the final 15 minutes, and all of the remaining antagonists are just generic makeup/CGI thugs. We get a lot of musing on purpose, destiny, and mortality in this movie, which in a way feels apt given the fine line between success and flop that exists at the box office for a franchise that has never had strong overseas markets. If this does end up being the final outing in the NuTrek saga, I would be content, as it goes out on a relatively high note.

 

But we all know that the prayer circle here was SABOTAGED. I guess unity was not their strength.

 

 

[4815162342]

#32

 

Spoiler

 

 

Directed By: Andrew Stanton

 

Starring: Ellen Degeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O'Neill, Kaitlin Olson, Ty Burrell

 

Domestic Release Date: June 17, 2016

 

 

Finding Dory was a sequel I was both excited and apprehensive about. On the one hand, I loved Finding Nemo and was cool with getting to see the characters again. On the other hand, there didn't seem to be a reason to make the movie and I wasn't sure where they would take things. Ultimately my fears were mostly abated, as the film is a nice, pleasant, fun ride that allows Ellen DeGeneres to dig past the surface slapstick of Dory and go into the core feeling of loss and abandonment she has but can never quite recall in its entirety. The slapstick does come on a little too thick here and there, and some of the choices don't really work (Louis Armstrong + slow-mo), but there's a very gripping emotional core at the center that has a good payoff. Ed O'Neill is a great addition to the voice cast as a cynical, loner octoseptopus who just wants to do his own thing and be alone, but slowly becomes part of the team. The film doesn't hit all of the high notes as Nemo, but it doesn't have many lows either. So a quality time, even if it's nowhere near as excellent as the original.

 

 

[4815162342]

#31

 

Spoiler

 

 

Directed By: Josh Kriegman & Elyse Steinberg

 

Domestic Release Date: May 20, 2016

 

 

Weiner is the story of the Rise, Fall, Redemption, and Re-Humiliation of a New York City politician who could've gone far except for the minor fact that he couldn't stop shooting himself in the foot even after he knew it was a bad idea, and then being obfuscative at best about it. It's a comic tragedy where as unsettling and pervy as the title figure is, you can't help but pity him as by all accounts he was a good politician who cared for his constituents and fought for their best interests with courage and vigor. The pacing could have used a little work as it speeds through the comeback story a little too quickly before settling into his second major scandal that was the coup de grace to his political career. The access for the documentary crew is astounding and you can't believe they had permission to be there for some scenes, let alone film them.

 

And roughly a year later I'm sure Kriegman and Steinberg wish they had waited another year to release, because man oh man that Third Story Arc from 2016 that culminated in possibly the most impactful October Surprise of all time in presidential election history.