Blankments Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 I mean, we'll have to agree to disagree here. I don't like defending my films too much (because it's tacky lol), but Snickers as written is the most timid character in the movie, and just because he's a dog doesn't mean he needs to be perky and aggressive all the time. In fact, the plot of the movie is partially he doesn't fit in with the other dogs because he feels awkward not wanting to hunt the ducks! That said, I respect your opinion although I remain semi-confused by it lol 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLAM! Posted October 11, 2019 Author Share Posted October 11, 2019 5 minutes ago, Blankments said: I mean, we'll have to agree to disagree here. I don't like defending my films too much (because it's tacky lol), but Snickers as written is the most timid character in the movie, and just because he's a dog doesn't mean he needs to be perky and aggressive all the time. In fact, the plot of the movie is partially he doesn't fit in with the other dogs because he feels awkward not wanting to hunt the ducks! That said, I respect your opinion although I remain semi-confused by it lol I guess it makes more sense, now that you say that... Snickers was never too aggressive of a character... It still caught me off guarg, but it does make more sense. By the way, I just realized I've made claims about casting for three of your films this year... Children of Eden, Shiverin' Gulch, and now Duck Hunt... I promise that's not intentional! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blankments Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 7 hours ago, SLAM! said: By the way, I just realized I've made claims about casting for three of your films this year... Children of Eden, Shiverin' Gulch, and now Duck Hunt... I promise that's not intentional! it's all good; despite me seeing I try not to, I've argued against your take on all three of them 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLAM! Posted October 12, 2019 Author Share Posted October 12, 2019 So today, I read Jingle Hell and Guardians of the Internet. I will read the second Lucid, Most Wanted Man in Great Britain, and Gateways tomorrow. I'm really happy to be at the final stretch... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezen Baklattan Posted October 12, 2019 Share Posted October 12, 2019 1 minute ago, SLAM! said: So today, I read Jingle Hell and Guardians of the Internet. I will read the second Lucid, Most Wanted Man in Great Britain, and Gateways tomorrow. I'm really happy to be at the final stretch... Spoiler Spoiler Spoiler Spoiler wanna bake some cookies? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLAM! Posted October 12, 2019 Author Share Posted October 12, 2019 3 minutes ago, Spaghetti said: Reveal hidden contents Reveal hidden contents Reveal hidden contents Reveal hidden contents wanna bake some cookies? Spoiler Spoiler Spoiler Spoiler No thank you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLAM! Posted October 12, 2019 Author Share Posted October 12, 2019 SLAM! REVIEWS: DECEMBER ISSUE SPOTLIGHT Spoiler *DOUBLE FEATURE*(FOR A CHRISTMAS/HOLIDAYS ISSUE) Spoiler GATEWAYS dir. Pete Docter Gateways is an excellent animated film, and in all honesty, I didn't even realize is length as I was watching it; after all, that's what the best films do. The film is punctuated by a creative flair and a palpable sense of heart. The animation is of stellar quality, and the story allows the animation, in all of its various forms, to truly come to life. McKenna Grace shines as Bailee, while Donald Glover is a charming presence as Levi. The direction by Pete Docter is on point, while the story provides a wide range of emotions, from funny to suspenseful; it is traditional yet fresh. The film is about as great as an animated film aimed at children can feasibly get; in parts, it doesn't quite feel gripping; but the film is nonetheless brilliant in how the traditional story is executed by the creative team behind the scenes. Overall, this is a great time at the movies, and a film that offers something for everyone. Spoiler THE MOST WANTED MAN IN GREAT BRITAIN dir. Thomas Vinterberg This film, in a similar way to Gateways, is a traditional film elevated by its execution. But this film is further elevated by its raw, visceral quality at the hands of director Thomas Vinterberg, who is a great out-of-the-box choice for a film such as this. The film is lavishly produced, with excellent costume design, enthralling editing and pacing, and a fittingly accompanying score by composer Craig Armstrong. Every performance of this film ensemble is top-notch. Tom Holland shows a new side to him as Charles, Florence Pugh displays a wide range as Jane, Sam Heughan shines as a watchful guardian, and Dan Stevens, well... Let's just say he chews the scenery, inches short of stealing the entire film to himself. Yes, the film is traditional, but I do not believe traditional to be a negative aspect if that traditional feel is at once intended and absolutely nailed. Not to suggest that the film is ever too traditional; the film's simple focus on the historical moment, matched only by memorable films such as Endfield's Zulu, Nolan's Dunkirk, and Numerator Pictures's prior historical epic Fortnight, ensures that the cinematic events are displayed in an affecting and engaging way. The only nitpick I had is that the film dragged in parts, but my desire to see Charles and Wilmot complete their escape was never derailed because of a lull or two. This film truly hit its mark for me. It was a joy from beginning to end. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLAM! Posted October 12, 2019 Author Share Posted October 12, 2019 December Reviews & Scores Jingle Hell The film, while displaying unnecessarily repulsive imagery, is a fun and engaging horror film that is perfect for the holidays. 7.25/10 LucIId The film is a masterclass is visual spectacle without providing rhyme or reason for why one should care about the visual spectacle. Still, if you see it for any reason, see it for the visual spectacle. 7/10 Gateways The film is punctuated by a creative flair and a palpable sense of heart. The animation is of stellar quality, and the story allows the animation, in all of its various forms, to truly come to life. 9.75/10 The Most Wanted Man in Great Britain Not to suggest that the film is ever too traditional; the film's simple focus on the historical moment, matched only by memorable films such as Endfield's Zulu, Nolan's Dunkirk, and Numerator Pictures's prior historical epic Fortnight, ensures that the cinematic events are displayed in an affecting and engaging way. 10/10 Guardians of the Internet It's not a failure by any means, but for a blockbuster, I must admit, this is quite dull. 6/10 Thawed This is a film that, by all intents and purposes, would fit much better as a SyFy-channel original movie. 3.5/10 3 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLAM! Posted October 12, 2019 Author Share Posted October 12, 2019 So I can't quite predict how fast or slow the roll-out of my top 25 will be, but I want to do something similar to how I handled the Top 25 in Year 4, where I do a one or two sentence write up for each film explaining why I like it, or why I liked writing the film if it's one of mine. But I'll do some honorable mentions first. HONORABLE MENTION #1 and #2 Spoiler The Con Gone Wrong and The Girlfriend Hoax I decided not to put documentaries on my Top 25 list this year--just wanting to spice things up a bit--but these were both very interesting docs for very interesting reasons. I'm beyond ecstatic that other players are writing in-depth docs about interesting subjects. HONORABLE MENTION #3 Spoiler De Blob This film came so close to making the list, and I'm kind of sad it didn't make it. I really do admire it for its visual style. The film utilized Margot Robbie and Richard E. Grant extremely well. HONORABLE MENTION #4 and #5 Spoiler Hired Guns and U.S.S. SeaWolf Both of these films are pretty fascinating... I couldn't find space for either of them, but I really loved how they were good representatives of their specific genres. and two HONORABLE MENTIONS for films of mine Spoiler Bleach and The Feminist I resigned myself to only include five of the films I was involved in, and these films were inches away from making the cut. Bleach is an interesting film because, believing CAYOM 3.0 would be cut off at Y11, I jumped at the chance to write a franchise film and very hastily adapted the source directly without giving the adaption much thought. The third part with Kon really is a bit unnecessary and could've been trimmed; I wish we (me & @Reddroast) had repurposed that third part to touch upon the Kon character only a little bit while somehow giving Chad some more character development--he's going to be a really big character in the next film. But I still had a blast making this film, and I'm extremely grateful to Reddroast for instigating its creation. The Feminist, on the other hand, is a project that I've had in my head for about a year now. It is what it is, and "you win some you lose some," but I was a touch saddened that the film didn't have the impact I thought it would; I thought the film's focus on the Deborah story and the final montage at the end would provide a meaningful commentary to today's world. Then again, I definitely don't prefer this film to many of the other films I wrote, especially this year. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLAM! Posted October 12, 2019 Author Share Posted October 12, 2019 25. Spoiler Baseball Boy: The Base Thief I don't think anyone else is going to put this on their 25-list, so I'll go ahead and bite the bullet. I know this is filler--I know this is filler--but I really think there's something lovable and special about this small little franchise on a conceptual level. 24. Spoiler The Horn While the film does deal in some outdated nihilism, I considered the film's action to be breathless. I could sufficiently imagine the film's action setpieces. 23. Spoiler Pikmin I really enjoyed writing this film. My goal was to display a lot of beautiful animated moments and convey a sense of partnership between Olimar and the Pikmin, and I think I succeeded in achieving that goal. I do understand that the story is a bit stale and lacking in ambition, but all in all, this film was a blast for me to write. 22. Spoiler Shiverin' Gulch This was a fascinating blend of action, fantasy, and horror. There were some moments that made me go "huh", but other than that, I think there's something special about this film and can't wait to read its sequel. This film will likely have a hand in inspiring my own fantasy western. 21. Spoiler XJ9: Rebirth This film owes a great debt to modern blockbusters derived from brands that children enjoy (Spider-Man, Transformers), and if this film was trying to emulate films like those, then I think this succeeded in spades. Natalie Dyer was a great choice for the role of Jenny. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie Posted October 12, 2019 Share Posted October 12, 2019 20 minutes ago, SLAM! said: believing CAYOM 3.0 would be cut off at Y11 ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLAM! Posted October 12, 2019 Author Share Posted October 12, 2019 20. Spoiler The Neon Psalms I was very tempted to not even include this film on my list at all. I agree with all of the criticisms given to it, and even I knew it wasn't going tp amount to much. I had the opportunity to fix its kinks--Numbers did a great job pre-reading the piece and gave me some excellent pointers--and I regret not writing a better version of the film when I had the chance. But my ultimate goal with this was to write an unconventional faith-based film, and I think I succeeded on that front. Whoever's handling the box office this year, listen up: if you want this to bomb in a spectacular way, you have my full permission to make that happen. 19. Spoiler Children of Eden I decided I'd make a major statement by placing this directly in front of my own faith-based film. This is the better film, with great directing and a great performance by Lupita Nyong'o. I view the film in a much better light after having time to think about it. 18. Spoiler Thermal I'm such a sucker for disaster films. I loved 2012, I loved San Andreas, I loved The Day After Tomorrow. This is a nice role for Sophia Lillis, and the disaster itself, original in terms of the cinema, is engaging and haunting. 17. Spoiler The Thin, the Phat, and the Felon I love Edgar Wright and I can totally see him having a blast making this film. Domhnall Gleeson and Himesh Patel make an excellent pair. An excellent spaghetti western. 16. Spoiler The Last Policeman A memorable literary adaption. It's sometimes a bit too dreary for its own good, but I still love the way it speaks to the human spirit. The ensemble is well-rounded with great choices of performers, and I hope people feel the same way about David Harbour's role in this as I did. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLAM! Posted October 12, 2019 Author Share Posted October 12, 2019 4 minutes ago, cookie said: ? I know. I should've asked first, to see if there'd be an ending to 3.0 or not. I was really worried about my ability to make any sort of 'franchise' because of that cut-off year. But then I saw YourMother date a lot of Mario spin-offs for years that went way past Y11, and I was like, "thank goodness..." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rorschach Posted October 12, 2019 Share Posted October 12, 2019 (edited) 3 minutes ago, SLAM! said: I know. I should've asked first, to see if there'd be an ending to 3.0 or not. I was really worried about my ability to make any sort of 'franchise' because of that cut-off year. But then I saw YourMother date a lot of Mario spin-offs for years that went way past Y11, and I was like, "thank goodness..." The game won’t stop unless one of our years hits a major, major lull like Y10 did back in 2.0 And I sincerely hope it doesn’t come to that, but time will tell I guess. Edited October 12, 2019 by Rorschach 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLAM! Posted October 12, 2019 Author Share Posted October 12, 2019 15. Spoiler Green Arrow This was a great action film that, at times, felt more like a Tomb Raider film than a DC Comics film. I'd love to see this become a series of films; it's a more restrained superhero film that has a lot of potential. 14. Spoiler Little Black Bugs I bet it takes effort to make readers recoil in disgust. That's what this film did to me on numerous occasions. Frightening and grotesque in the best of ways! 13. Spoiler The Ancient Magus' Bride and the King of Cats If I hadn't copied the dialogue and set-pieces word for word and beat for beat, I might've been able to make something a little better, and I might've been able to ensure that the readers feel better about the relationship at the core of the film. Nevertheless, I was very happy with how this film turned out. I think I cast it pretty well, think it has a good director at its helm, think I did the right thing by keeping the anime's composer. I can't really explain why I like the source material so much. Not sure if I'll make a sequel yet. 12. Spoiler Super Mario Bros. This represented the franchise much better than I could've, that much is for sure. All the characters have good roles in the story, and the film, refreshingly, feels like a retro animated film from the 80s, which I believe to be fitting--that's when Mario was introduced in the first place. 11. Spoiler Plus One This was such a charming rom-com! I laughed at more than a few parts--Adam Driver's hands being too buttery when they were in the theater; I thought that was really funny! Such a good movie! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie Posted October 12, 2019 Share Posted October 12, 2019 (edited) 23 minutes ago, SLAM! said: I know. I should've asked first, to see if there'd be an ending to 3.0 or not. I was really worried about my ability to make any sort of 'franchise' because of that cut-off year. But then I saw YourMother date a lot of Mario spin-offs for years that went way past Y11, and I was like, "thank goodness..." I haven't seen anyone suggest Y11 as any sort of cutoff year. All I know is that we have box office duties reserved up to Y11 since we do these on a 5-year basis. Edited October 12, 2019 by cookie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezen Baklattan Posted October 12, 2019 Share Posted October 12, 2019 Thanks for 21 and two HMs! The best is yet to come, though. ❤️ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLAM! Posted October 12, 2019 Author Share Posted October 12, 2019 23 minutes ago, Rorschach said: The game won’t stop unless one of our years hits a major, major lull like Y10 did back in 2.0 And I sincerely hope it doesn’t come to that, but time will tell I guess. 10 minutes ago, cookie said: I haven't seen anyone suggest Y11 as any sort of cutoff year. All I know is that we have box office duties reserved up to Y11 since we do these on a 5-year basis. Thank you guys! That makes me feel a lot better! I don't have any reason to limit myself anymore. I'm really happy that I'm not confused anymore! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezen Baklattan Posted October 12, 2019 Share Posted October 12, 2019 I was gonna say, the Epsilon saga goes through Y12 as the earliest finale date. It better continue, lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLAM! Posted October 12, 2019 Author Share Posted October 12, 2019 10. Spoiler Pokemon: The Cinnabar Consipracy This series is such a great and quirky representation of the Pokemon franchise! I really loved this film! It's a great blockbuster! 9. Spoiler Fiesta Loca Once this idea came into my head, there was no way I could refuse writing it! It was a beautiful idea, and I think I made a beautiful film! I probably should've ironed out its kinks to make an even better film, but I'm really happy with how this turned out, and I'm really happy about the reception it's received so far! 8. Spoiler Voicemail This was such a tense thriller! It knew to play its cards and it knew to hold them close to its chest! It has a great social commentary, too! Morena Baccarin was fantastic. 7. Spoiler Mass Effect: Ascension An electric blockbuster with a firm yet subdued sense of scale! An absolute blast from beginning to end! 6. Spoiler Spark: A Hero's Promise A great conclusion to a great franchise! It was a Sophie's Choice scenario, but I gave this one the edge over ME:A because this film had an undercurrent of climactic bravado surging through it. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
