Last Week's Record: 2-2 (Correct: Chiefs, Packers Incorrect: Vikings, Ravens)
Overall Record: 3-5
Kansas City Chiefs over Tennessee Titans: What the Titans have accomplished over the past two weeks is absolutely remarkable. Mike Vrabel has this team playing hard-nosed, gutsy football on both sides of the ball, which has allowed them to knock off NFL royalty and an electrifying team that had won their previous 12 games with pretty minimal resistance in back-to-back weeks. Considering the immense fearlessness and focus they've displayed in the playoffs so far, it wouldn't be the least bit surprising if they went into Arrowhead and earned a 3rd straight road win over a Chiefs team that has a checkered history in the playoffs (especially over the past 25 years or so) to clinch their first trip to the Super Bowl since 1999. However, there's one thing that the Chiefs have that the Patriots and Ravens didn't: an elite vertical passing attack that can move the ball downfield and score points in no time at all, which should significantly reduce the effectiveness of the clock-bleeding, repeatedly run the ball up the gut offensive approach the Titans have heavily leaned on in both of their wins as well as expose the weaknesses on the back end of their defense.
San Francisco 49ers over Green Bay Packers: I continue to lack trust in either of these erratic-ass teams, so I've been forced to raise a ton of questions about both sides over the past few days. Will the 49ers be the imposing two-way powerhouse they were in the Divisional Round or the soft, aloof team that lost to the Falcons a month ago? Will Aaron Rodgers make clutch throw after clutch throw like he did last week to carry the team to a win or will the future Hall of Famer inexplicably be put on the back burner in favor of a running game that has proven several times that they can't be relied on to carry the offense on a weekly basis? Can Jimmy Garoppolo protect the ball in a showdown with a QB that does as good of a job at avoiding turnovers as anyone that's ever played the position? Can the Packers offensive line withstand the heat from an 49ers imposing pass rush that can attack you from the edge and interior with equal proficiency? Can the 49ers continue to hide Akhello Witherspoon's bum ass in coverage? How will head coaches with the lack of playoff experience that Kyle Shanahan and Matt LaFleur possess approach a game of this magnitude? Ultimately, I'll give the slightest of edges in this wildly contested matchup to the home team, although I fully expect this to be a far more competitive game than their regular season matchup at Levi's Stadium in which the 49ers eviscerated the Packers 37-8.
Friday, January 17, 2020
Thursday, January 16, 2020
2019 in Movies: A Year in Review
What an ending to the decade. From comeback vehicles for beloved actors (Dolemite is My Name, The Irishman) to bold indie powerhouses (Uncut Gems, Honey Boy) to franchise-capping blockbusters (Avengers: Endgame, Toy Story 4) that delivered beloved characters the proper farewells they deserved, 2019 featured a diverse, ridiculously loaded slate that was among the finest in recent memory. Below you'll find a plethora of lists celebrating this banner, largely dud-free year for the cinematic artform including my picks for the top performances, a worst to best ranking of every movie I saw with grades and much, much more. Enjoy!
Haven't seen, but plan to watch in the future:
21 Bridges
3 from Hell
A Vigilante
Avengement
Black and Blue
Black Christmas
Clemency
Corporate Animals
Dark Waters
The Day Shall Come
Doctor Sleep
Dragged Across Concrete
Earthquake Bird
El Chicano
The Fanatic
First Love
The Good Liar
Harriet
High Flying Bird
The Highwaymen
Hotel Mumbai
The Hummingbird Project
I Am Mother
Klaus
Last Christmas
The Laundromat
Little Monsters
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
Midsommar
The Mustang
Night Hunter
Pain and Glory
Primal
Replicas
The Report
Richard Jewell
The Two Popes
Under the Silver Lake
Where'd You Go, Bernadette
Wine Country
Wounds
116.Joker (D-)
115.Arctic (D)
114.Captive State (D)
113.Velvet Buzzsaw (D+)
112.Miss Bala (D+)
111.Gloria Bell (D+)
110.The Kitchen (D+)
109.The Lion King (D+)
108.Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (C-)
107.Glass (C-)
106.Brightburn (C-)
105.It: Chapter Two (C-)
104.Motherless Brooklyn (C)
103.The Last Black Man in San Francisco (C)
102.Pokemon Detective Pikachu (C)
101.Teen Spirit (C+)
100.The Kid Who Would Be King (C+)
99.Hellboy (C+)
98.JT Leroy (C+)
97.The Best of Enemies (C+)
96.Triple Threat (C+)
95.Unicorn Store (C+)
94.Murder Mystery (C+)
93.Five Feet Apart (C+)
92.Alita: Battle Angel (C+)
91.Shazam! (C+)
90.Someone Great (C+)
89.Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (B-)
88.Serenity (B-)
87.Wild Rose (B-)
86.Angel Has Fallen (B-)
85.Late Night (B-)
84.The Hustle (B-)
83.The Dead Don't Die (B-)
82.Godzilla: King of the Monsters (B-)
81.Pet Sematary (B-)
80.The Peanut Butter Falcon (B-)
79.Men in Black: International (B-)
78.How High 2 (B-)
77.Waves (B-)
76.Aladdin (B-)
75.Anna (B-)
74.Queen & Slim (B-)
73.Fighting with My Family (B)
72.Point Blank (B)
71.Paddleton (B)
70.Charlie's Angels (B)
69.The Farewell (B)
68.A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (B)
67.Ready or Not (B)
66.Climax (B)
65.Cats (B)
64.Isn't It Romantic (B)
63.Stuber (B)
62.Gemini Man (B)
61.Ad Astra (B)
60.Spider-Man: Far from Home (B)
59.Escape Room (B)
58.1917 (B)
57.Crawl (B)
56.Shaft (B)
55.The Dirt (B)
54.6 Underground (B)
53.The Art of Self-Defense (B)
52.The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (B)
51.Travis Scott: Look Mom I Can Fly (B)
50.The Upside (B)
49.Polar (B)
48.Happy Death Day 2U (B)
47.Hail Satan? (B)
46.The Perfection (B)
45.Rambo: Last Blood (B)
44.Brian Banks(B)
43.Ma (B)
42.Hustlers (B)
41.Little Women (B)
40.Always Be My Maybe (B)
39.Family (B)
38.Jexi (B+)
37.Captain Marvel (B+)
36.Dark Phoenix (B+)
35.Between Two Ferns: The Movie (B+)
34.The Irishman (B+)
33.Little Woods (B+)
32.The Lighthouse (B+)
31.Bombshell (B+)
30.Terminator: Dark Fate (B+)
29.Brittany Runs a Marathon (B+)
28.Us (B+)
27.Cold Pursuit (B+)
26.Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (B+)
25.Child's Play (B+)
24.Ford v. Ferrari (B+)
23.Luce (B+)
22.Rocketman (B+)
21.Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened (B+)
20.Triple Frontier (B+)
19.Knives Out (B+)
18.Toy Story 4 (A-)
17.Good Boys (A-)
16.Avengers: Endgame (A-)
15.Hobbs & Shaw (A-)
14.Honey Boy (A-)
13.Jumanji: The Next Level (A-)
12.Parasite (A-)
11.Booksmart (A-)
10.The Beach Bum (A-)
9.Zombieland: Double Tap (A)
8.Just Mercy (A)
7.Dolemite is My Name (A)
6.Long Shot (A)
5.Uncut Gems (A)
4.Jojo Rabbit (A)
3.Once Upon a Time in.. Hollywood (A)
2.Marriage Story (A)
1.John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum (A)
Awards:
Best Picture: John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum
Best Actor: Adam Driver, Marriage Story
Best Actress: Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
Best Supporting Actor: Shia LaBeouf, Honey Boy
Best Supporting Actress: Billie Lourd, Booksmart
Best Director: Benny and Josh Safdie, Uncut Gems
Best Original Screenplay: Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story
Best Adapted Screenplay: Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit
Best Cinematography: Jarin Blaschke, The Lighthouse
Best Score: Michael Abels, Us
Best Visual Effects: Pokémon Detective Pikachu
Best Animated Movie: Toy Story 4
Best Documentary: Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened
Best Subtitled Movie: Parasite
Best Directorial Debut: Olivia Wilde, Booksmart
Best Villain: Mark Hamill, Child's Play
Best Performance in a Bad Movie: Melissa McCarthy, The Kitchen
Worst Performance in a Good Movie: Emma Watson, Little Women
Best Performance by a Suspect Actor: Lily James, Little Woods
Worst Performance by a Good Actor: Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Best Overacting: Willem Dafoe, The Lighthouse
Worst Overacting: Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
The 2nd Annual "Carry a Movie on Your Back" Award presented by Greg Jennings: Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Most Delightfully Insane Plot Twist: Serenity
Most Egregious Use of Netflix's Deep Pockets: 6 Underground
Best Theater Experience: John Wick-Chapter 3: Parabellum
Worst Theater Experience: Joker
Best Action Sequence: Antique Weapon Museum Fight, John Wick-Chapter 3: Parabellum
Worst Action Sequence: Final Battle, Shazam!
Most Enjoyable Remake: Child's Play
Most Useless Remake: The Lion King
Best Blockbuster: Jumanji: The Next Level
Worst Blockbuster: The Lion King
Finest Hidden Indie Gem: Honey Boy
Most Insufferable Indie Trash: Velvet Buzzsaw
Biggest Piece of Shit to Ever Receive the Most Oscar Nominations in a Given Year: Joker
Hack Director of the Year: Todd Phillips, Joker
Directors That Made Movies That Were Released in the United States in 2019 That Are More Deserving of a Best Director Nomination than Todd Phillips: All of them
Biggest Surprises:
1.Child's Play
2.Terminator: Dark Fate
3.Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
4.The Perfection
5.Escape Room
Biggest Letdowns:
1.Joker
2.Velvet Buzzsaw
3.It: Chapter Two
4.The Kitchen
5.Hellboy
Most Underrated Movies:
1.Just Mercy
2.Honey Boy
3.Triple Frontier
4.Luce
5.Child's Play
Most Overrated Movies:
1.Joker
2.The Peanut Butter Falcon
3.Shazam!
4.1917
5.Waves
Top Performances:
1.Shia LaBeouf, Honey Boy
2.Adam Driver, Marriage Story
3.Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
4.Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems
5.Billie Lourd, Booksmart
6.Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood
7.Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
8.Kelvin Harrison Jr., Luce
9.Matthew McConaughey, The Beach Bum
10.Margot Robbie, Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood
Breakthrough Performances:
1.Taylor Russell, Waves
2.Ana de Armas, Knives Out
3.Julia Fox, Uncut Gems
4.Keith Williams Richards, Uncut Gems
5.Roman Griffin Davis, Jojo Rabbit
6.Keith L. Williams, Good Boys
7.Brady Noon, Good Boys
8.Natalia Reyes, Terminator: Dark Fate
9.Rosa Salazar, Alita: Battle Angel
10.DeWanda Wise, Someone Great
Top Acting Ensembles:
1.Marriage Story
2.Once Upon a Time in.. Hollywood
3.Jojo Rabbit
4.Booksmart
5.Uncut Gems
6.The Beach Bum
7.Dolemite is My Name
8.Knives Out
9.Jumanji: The Next Level
10.Zombieland: Double Tap
10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2020:
1.Tenet
2.Those Who Wish Me Dead
3.The Gentlemen
4.Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)
5.Fast & Furious 9
6.Last Night in Soho
7.King of Staten Island
8.Next Goal Wins
9.Bad Boys for Life
10.Army of the Dead
Haven't seen, but plan to watch in the future:
21 Bridges
3 from Hell
A Vigilante
Avengement
Black and Blue
Black Christmas
Clemency
Corporate Animals
Dark Waters
The Day Shall Come
Doctor Sleep
Dragged Across Concrete
Earthquake Bird
El Chicano
The Fanatic
First Love
The Good Liar
Harriet
High Flying Bird
The Highwaymen
Hotel Mumbai
The Hummingbird Project
I Am Mother
Klaus
Last Christmas
The Laundromat
Little Monsters
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
Midsommar
The Mustang
Night Hunter
Pain and Glory
Primal
Replicas
The Report
Richard Jewell
The Two Popes
Under the Silver Lake
Where'd You Go, Bernadette
Wine Country
Wounds
116.Joker (D-)
115.Arctic (D)
114.Captive State (D)
113.Velvet Buzzsaw (D+)
112.Miss Bala (D+)
111.Gloria Bell (D+)
110.The Kitchen (D+)
109.The Lion King (D+)
108.Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (C-)
107.Glass (C-)
106.Brightburn (C-)
105.It: Chapter Two (C-)
104.Motherless Brooklyn (C)
103.The Last Black Man in San Francisco (C)
102.Pokemon Detective Pikachu (C)
101.Teen Spirit (C+)
100.The Kid Who Would Be King (C+)
99.Hellboy (C+)
98.JT Leroy (C+)
97.The Best of Enemies (C+)
96.Triple Threat (C+)
95.Unicorn Store (C+)
94.Murder Mystery (C+)
93.Five Feet Apart (C+)
92.Alita: Battle Angel (C+)
91.Shazam! (C+)
90.Someone Great (C+)
89.Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (B-)
88.Serenity (B-)
87.Wild Rose (B-)
86.Angel Has Fallen (B-)
85.Late Night (B-)
84.The Hustle (B-)
83.The Dead Don't Die (B-)
82.Godzilla: King of the Monsters (B-)
81.Pet Sematary (B-)
80.The Peanut Butter Falcon (B-)
79.Men in Black: International (B-)
78.How High 2 (B-)
77.Waves (B-)
76.Aladdin (B-)
75.Anna (B-)
74.Queen & Slim (B-)
73.Fighting with My Family (B)
72.Point Blank (B)
71.Paddleton (B)
70.Charlie's Angels (B)
69.The Farewell (B)
68.A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (B)
67.Ready or Not (B)
66.Climax (B)
65.Cats (B)
64.Isn't It Romantic (B)
63.Stuber (B)
62.Gemini Man (B)
61.Ad Astra (B)
60.Spider-Man: Far from Home (B)
59.Escape Room (B)
58.1917 (B)
57.Crawl (B)
56.Shaft (B)
55.The Dirt (B)
54.6 Underground (B)
53.The Art of Self-Defense (B)
52.The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (B)
51.Travis Scott: Look Mom I Can Fly (B)
50.The Upside (B)
49.Polar (B)
48.Happy Death Day 2U (B)
47.Hail Satan? (B)
46.The Perfection (B)
45.Rambo: Last Blood (B)
44.Brian Banks(B)
43.Ma (B)
42.Hustlers (B)
41.Little Women (B)
40.Always Be My Maybe (B)
39.Family (B)
38.Jexi (B+)
37.Captain Marvel (B+)
36.Dark Phoenix (B+)
35.Between Two Ferns: The Movie (B+)
34.The Irishman (B+)
33.Little Woods (B+)
32.The Lighthouse (B+)
31.Bombshell (B+)
30.Terminator: Dark Fate (B+)
29.Brittany Runs a Marathon (B+)
28.Us (B+)
27.Cold Pursuit (B+)
26.Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (B+)
25.Child's Play (B+)
24.Ford v. Ferrari (B+)
23.Luce (B+)
22.Rocketman (B+)
21.Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened (B+)
20.Triple Frontier (B+)
19.Knives Out (B+)
18.Toy Story 4 (A-)
17.Good Boys (A-)
16.Avengers: Endgame (A-)
15.Hobbs & Shaw (A-)
14.Honey Boy (A-)
13.Jumanji: The Next Level (A-)
12.Parasite (A-)
11.Booksmart (A-)
10.The Beach Bum (A-)
9.Zombieland: Double Tap (A)
8.Just Mercy (A)
7.Dolemite is My Name (A)
6.Long Shot (A)
5.Uncut Gems (A)
4.Jojo Rabbit (A)
3.Once Upon a Time in.. Hollywood (A)
2.Marriage Story (A)
1.John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum (A)
Awards:
Best Picture: John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum
Best Actor: Adam Driver, Marriage Story
Best Actress: Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
Best Supporting Actor: Shia LaBeouf, Honey Boy
Best Supporting Actress: Billie Lourd, Booksmart
Best Director: Benny and Josh Safdie, Uncut Gems
Best Original Screenplay: Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story
Best Adapted Screenplay: Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit
Best Cinematography: Jarin Blaschke, The Lighthouse
Best Score: Michael Abels, Us
Best Visual Effects: Pokémon Detective Pikachu
Best Animated Movie: Toy Story 4
Best Documentary: Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened
Best Subtitled Movie: Parasite
Best Directorial Debut: Olivia Wilde, Booksmart
Best Villain: Mark Hamill, Child's Play
Best Performance in a Bad Movie: Melissa McCarthy, The Kitchen
Worst Performance in a Good Movie: Emma Watson, Little Women
Best Performance by a Suspect Actor: Lily James, Little Woods
Worst Performance by a Good Actor: Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Best Overacting: Willem Dafoe, The Lighthouse
Worst Overacting: Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
The 2nd Annual "Carry a Movie on Your Back" Award presented by Greg Jennings: Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Most Delightfully Insane Plot Twist: Serenity
Most Egregious Use of Netflix's Deep Pockets: 6 Underground
Best Theater Experience: John Wick-Chapter 3: Parabellum
Worst Theater Experience: Joker
Best Action Sequence: Antique Weapon Museum Fight, John Wick-Chapter 3: Parabellum
Worst Action Sequence: Final Battle, Shazam!
Most Enjoyable Remake: Child's Play
Most Useless Remake: The Lion King
Best Blockbuster: Jumanji: The Next Level
Worst Blockbuster: The Lion King
Finest Hidden Indie Gem: Honey Boy
Most Insufferable Indie Trash: Velvet Buzzsaw
Biggest Piece of Shit to Ever Receive the Most Oscar Nominations in a Given Year: Joker
Hack Director of the Year: Todd Phillips, Joker
Directors That Made Movies That Were Released in the United States in 2019 That Are More Deserving of a Best Director Nomination than Todd Phillips: All of them
Biggest Surprises:
1.Child's Play
2.Terminator: Dark Fate
3.Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
4.The Perfection
5.Escape Room
Biggest Letdowns:
1.Joker
2.Velvet Buzzsaw
3.It: Chapter Two
4.The Kitchen
5.Hellboy
Most Underrated Movies:
1.Just Mercy
2.Honey Boy
3.Triple Frontier
4.Luce
5.Child's Play
Most Overrated Movies:
1.Joker
2.The Peanut Butter Falcon
3.Shazam!
4.1917
5.Waves
Top Performances:
1.Shia LaBeouf, Honey Boy
2.Adam Driver, Marriage Story
3.Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
4.Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems
5.Billie Lourd, Booksmart
6.Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood
7.Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
8.Kelvin Harrison Jr., Luce
9.Matthew McConaughey, The Beach Bum
10.Margot Robbie, Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood
Breakthrough Performances:
1.Taylor Russell, Waves
2.Ana de Armas, Knives Out
3.Julia Fox, Uncut Gems
4.Keith Williams Richards, Uncut Gems
5.Roman Griffin Davis, Jojo Rabbit
6.Keith L. Williams, Good Boys
7.Brady Noon, Good Boys
8.Natalia Reyes, Terminator: Dark Fate
9.Rosa Salazar, Alita: Battle Angel
10.DeWanda Wise, Someone Great
Top Acting Ensembles:
1.Marriage Story
2.Once Upon a Time in.. Hollywood
3.Jojo Rabbit
4.Booksmart
5.Uncut Gems
6.The Beach Bum
7.Dolemite is My Name
8.Knives Out
9.Jumanji: The Next Level
10.Zombieland: Double Tap
10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2020:
1.Tenet
2.Those Who Wish Me Dead
3.The Gentlemen
4.Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)
5.Fast & Furious 9
6.Last Night in Soho
7.King of Staten Island
8.Next Goal Wins
9.Bad Boys for Life
10.Army of the Dead
Top 15 Movies of 2019
Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order):
Avengers: Endgame
Good Boys
Knives Out
Toy Story 4
Triple Frontier
15.Hobbs & Shaw: Vin Diesel can rest easy knowing that his nemesis Dwayne Johnson didn't tarnish the Fast and Furious legacy with his spin-off film. David Leitch does an outstanding job staging the huge action setpieces, every new addition to the cast (Vanessa Kirby, Idris Elba, Eiza Gonzalez, Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Hart) seamlessly acclimates to the self-aware absurdity of this world and the winning snarky rapport between the titular characters (Johnson, Jason Statham) only gets stronger with them serving as the headliners instead of the direct support act.
14.Honey Boy: Shia LaBeouf's erratic behavior and substance abuse problems have commanded more attention than his onscreen work in recent years. Honey Boy provides a lot of insight into what inspired LaBeouf's mental health issues, which subsequently made me develop a ton of empathy for him. This semi-autobiographical drama fearlessly explores the relationship between a child actor (Noah Jupe) starring on a hit television series and his abusive, recovering addict father (LaBeouf in an alternately terrifying and heartbreaking performance that is truly revelatory) that's jealous of the success his son is having. Growing up in a hostile environment where your own parent terrorizes you on a daily basis is the type of nightmarish situation that I can't even begin to fathom and LaBeouf deserves to be lauded for having the courage to put his pain on display for the world to see.
13.Jumanji: The Next Level: Thanks to a sharp story that logically raises the stakes, additional character development and some great additions (Awkwafina, Danny DeVito, Danny Glover) to an already loaded ensemble cast (Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillan), Jumanji: The Next Level manages to be even more clever, amusing and delightful than its predecessor.
12.Parasite: A weak, out of left field finale is the only thing that prevented Parasite from appearing in the top 10. Writer/director Bong Joon-Ho masterfully combines multiple genres (black comedy, thriller, satire, drama) to tell an engaging, tense and unpredictable story centered around an impoverished South Korean family that scams their way into securing jobs at the home of a tech mogul. Please don't let the presence of subtitles scare you off from watching this very accessible and engaging flick.
11.Booksmart: Remember when these things called comedies used to hit theaters every couple of months? Well, Olivia Wilde's directorial debut was a perfect reminder of the joys this sadly underserved genre can provide. Booksmart is a hysterical, smart coming-of-age tale full of memorable characters that should retrospectively have the same effect on today's teenagers that Superbad did on my generation.
10.The Beach Bum: The king of cinematic nihilism has found something that resembles a soul! The latest from the notoriously polarizing Harmony Korine (Spring Breakers, Gummo) still features plenty of vulgar excess, but underneath its trashy exterior lies an infectiously joyous tale about living life to its fullest regardless of circumstances. It also doesn't hurt that it's a trippy, insane stoner comedy featuring a career-best performance from Matthew McConaughey as a burnout poet named Moondog and a supporting cast (Snoop Dogg, Isla Fisher, Jonah Hill, Zac Efron, Martin Lawrence) full of heavy hitters that each get their moment to shine over the course of Moondog's freewheeling journey.
9.Zombieland: Double Tap: This is how you make a satisfying sequel folks. Zombieland: Double Tap is an enthusiastic reunion tour for the original creative team that retains every ounce of the quirky humor/ample gore/little bit of heart combo that made the first installment great while also bringing in enough new faces (Zoey Deutch, Rosario Dawson, Avan Jogia) and ideas (more powerful zombies, improvised weapons) to keep things fresh.
8.Just Mercy: Just Mercy is a powerful, urgent and captivating film about the injustices that occur in the United States legal system that many people in this country ignore or know nothing about. The true story of a falsely-accused death row inmate (Jamie Foxx in his best performance since Ray) and the lawyer (Michael B. Jordan) that helps free him after a nearly decade-long legal battle in the Alabama court system angers, educates and eventually uplifts. Hopefully this important, underrated gem will go onto find a wide audience after a very average wide opening last weekend.
7.Dolemite is My Name: Eddie Murphy has returned from the shadows to remind the world why he's one of the most magnetic and electrifying comic performers of all time. Aided by vivid, energetic direction from the great Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow, Black Snake Moan) and a scene-stealing supporting cast (Wesley Snipes, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Keegan Michael-Key, Mike Epps, Titus Burgess, Chris Rock), Murphy's passion project about the unusual, roadblock-filled path cult comedy icon Rudy Ray Moore faced on his way to finally achieving fame with the creation of the Dolemite character is both funny and inspiring as hell.
6.Long Shot: How can you make a romantic comedy that's centered around modern day politics without it suddenly descending into a groundswell of negativity? Well, you start by writing a script that is smart enough to poke fun at that world without brushing off the seriousness of the very specific issues female politicians face then cast a pair of multi-dimensional, immensely likable actors (Seth Rogen, Charlize Theron) that have tremendous chemistry in the lead roles. 2 hours later, you have an instant genre classic that also happens to be the most unlikely feel good movie of the year.
5.Uncut Gems: Getting pissed about who does and doesn't get recognized during awards season is arguably the most petty activity film diehards engage in on a yearly basis. The primary source of my perceived snub-fueled ire this year was Uncut Gems. The Safdie Brothers turned what easily could've been a pretty straightforward crime drama about a reckless POS degenerate gambler (Adam Sandler in a brilliantly scuzzy turn) whose massive debts are finally starting to catch up with him into a relentlessly chaotic adrenaline shot of a movie that displays the high-and-lows of gambling and delusional minds of the addicts that are always chasing the next score better than any other film I've ever seen.
4.Jojo Rabbit: I doubt that any other filmmaker working today besides Taika Waititi could've made a film like Jojo Rabbit work. With the help of a brilliant cast headlined by Scarlett Johansson, Thomasin McKenzie, Sam Rockwell and newcomer Roman Griffin Davis as the titular Jojo, Waititi turns a film about a young boy in Nazi-occupied Germany that happens to have Hitler as his imaginary friend (Waititi) that has his worldview challenged when he discovers his mother (Johansson) is hiding a Jewish girl (McKenzie) in their home into a hilarious, depressing and touching commentary on the absurdity of bigotry, and how getting to know people from a group you've been trained to fear can make that blind hate go away.
3.Once Upon a Time in.. Hollywood: Quentin Tarantino's supposed second-to-last movie sees the celebrated filmmaker embracing a more restrained and personal approach while still retaining his distinct morbidly humorous flair by setting a laid-back buddy movie in the vibrant Hollywood of his childhood that made him fall in love with the glamorous world of entertainment. The performances from the huge ensemble cast are flawless across the board, the richly-detailed period atmosphere is intoxicating and the alternate history storytelling technique he's employed a bunch over the past decade is especially effective here as he explores what might've happened to the city had Sharon Tate not been murdered by the Manson Family in the summer of 1969.
2.Marriage Story: At no point does Noah Baumbach's divorce drama feel like a movie. The characters, the reasons why they're getting divorced and their disagreements over what's best for their child are so well-developed that it seems like a documentary about the process of divorce, which helps makes this an unbelievably devastating and rewarding watch. The authenticity that occupies every moment of this film is a testament to the rawness that this unreal cast (Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Laura Dern, Alan Alda, Ray Liotta, Julie Hagerty) puts into their performances as well as the unflinching honesty in which Baumbach portrays everything from the petty competition both parties engage in to win favor with their kids while they're battling for custody to how civility can slowly return to the relationship after the agonizing process has concluded.
1.John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum: Anybody that visits this site with any regularity and/or has known me for more than 5 minutes is aware of my deep-rooted love of the action genre. I've spent more time defending/championing the genre to people that have mocked it than I could possibly count and will watch just about every one that's released in a given year that isn't a Bruce Willis/Dolph Lundgren/Steven Seagal VOD special. This is all a lengthy prelude to say watching John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum was like if a religious individual got to be in the presence of the higher power they worship for 2 hours. I walked out of the theater with a smile so big that it would make Tom Hanks look like the saddest motherfucker on the planet. Injecting more humor, creative kills and martial arts into the staggeringly well-executed fight scenes this franchise has become known was enough to easily make Parabellum the most electrifying entry in this excellent series to-date. John Wick 4 can't come soon enough.
Avengers: Endgame
Good Boys
Knives Out
Toy Story 4
Triple Frontier
15.Hobbs & Shaw: Vin Diesel can rest easy knowing that his nemesis Dwayne Johnson didn't tarnish the Fast and Furious legacy with his spin-off film. David Leitch does an outstanding job staging the huge action setpieces, every new addition to the cast (Vanessa Kirby, Idris Elba, Eiza Gonzalez, Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Hart) seamlessly acclimates to the self-aware absurdity of this world and the winning snarky rapport between the titular characters (Johnson, Jason Statham) only gets stronger with them serving as the headliners instead of the direct support act.
14.Honey Boy: Shia LaBeouf's erratic behavior and substance abuse problems have commanded more attention than his onscreen work in recent years. Honey Boy provides a lot of insight into what inspired LaBeouf's mental health issues, which subsequently made me develop a ton of empathy for him. This semi-autobiographical drama fearlessly explores the relationship between a child actor (Noah Jupe) starring on a hit television series and his abusive, recovering addict father (LaBeouf in an alternately terrifying and heartbreaking performance that is truly revelatory) that's jealous of the success his son is having. Growing up in a hostile environment where your own parent terrorizes you on a daily basis is the type of nightmarish situation that I can't even begin to fathom and LaBeouf deserves to be lauded for having the courage to put his pain on display for the world to see.
13.Jumanji: The Next Level: Thanks to a sharp story that logically raises the stakes, additional character development and some great additions (Awkwafina, Danny DeVito, Danny Glover) to an already loaded ensemble cast (Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillan), Jumanji: The Next Level manages to be even more clever, amusing and delightful than its predecessor.
12.Parasite: A weak, out of left field finale is the only thing that prevented Parasite from appearing in the top 10. Writer/director Bong Joon-Ho masterfully combines multiple genres (black comedy, thriller, satire, drama) to tell an engaging, tense and unpredictable story centered around an impoverished South Korean family that scams their way into securing jobs at the home of a tech mogul. Please don't let the presence of subtitles scare you off from watching this very accessible and engaging flick.
11.Booksmart: Remember when these things called comedies used to hit theaters every couple of months? Well, Olivia Wilde's directorial debut was a perfect reminder of the joys this sadly underserved genre can provide. Booksmart is a hysterical, smart coming-of-age tale full of memorable characters that should retrospectively have the same effect on today's teenagers that Superbad did on my generation.
10.The Beach Bum: The king of cinematic nihilism has found something that resembles a soul! The latest from the notoriously polarizing Harmony Korine (Spring Breakers, Gummo) still features plenty of vulgar excess, but underneath its trashy exterior lies an infectiously joyous tale about living life to its fullest regardless of circumstances. It also doesn't hurt that it's a trippy, insane stoner comedy featuring a career-best performance from Matthew McConaughey as a burnout poet named Moondog and a supporting cast (Snoop Dogg, Isla Fisher, Jonah Hill, Zac Efron, Martin Lawrence) full of heavy hitters that each get their moment to shine over the course of Moondog's freewheeling journey.
9.Zombieland: Double Tap: This is how you make a satisfying sequel folks. Zombieland: Double Tap is an enthusiastic reunion tour for the original creative team that retains every ounce of the quirky humor/ample gore/little bit of heart combo that made the first installment great while also bringing in enough new faces (Zoey Deutch, Rosario Dawson, Avan Jogia) and ideas (more powerful zombies, improvised weapons) to keep things fresh.
8.Just Mercy: Just Mercy is a powerful, urgent and captivating film about the injustices that occur in the United States legal system that many people in this country ignore or know nothing about. The true story of a falsely-accused death row inmate (Jamie Foxx in his best performance since Ray) and the lawyer (Michael B. Jordan) that helps free him after a nearly decade-long legal battle in the Alabama court system angers, educates and eventually uplifts. Hopefully this important, underrated gem will go onto find a wide audience after a very average wide opening last weekend.
7.Dolemite is My Name: Eddie Murphy has returned from the shadows to remind the world why he's one of the most magnetic and electrifying comic performers of all time. Aided by vivid, energetic direction from the great Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow, Black Snake Moan) and a scene-stealing supporting cast (Wesley Snipes, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Keegan Michael-Key, Mike Epps, Titus Burgess, Chris Rock), Murphy's passion project about the unusual, roadblock-filled path cult comedy icon Rudy Ray Moore faced on his way to finally achieving fame with the creation of the Dolemite character is both funny and inspiring as hell.
6.Long Shot: How can you make a romantic comedy that's centered around modern day politics without it suddenly descending into a groundswell of negativity? Well, you start by writing a script that is smart enough to poke fun at that world without brushing off the seriousness of the very specific issues female politicians face then cast a pair of multi-dimensional, immensely likable actors (Seth Rogen, Charlize Theron) that have tremendous chemistry in the lead roles. 2 hours later, you have an instant genre classic that also happens to be the most unlikely feel good movie of the year.
5.Uncut Gems: Getting pissed about who does and doesn't get recognized during awards season is arguably the most petty activity film diehards engage in on a yearly basis. The primary source of my perceived snub-fueled ire this year was Uncut Gems. The Safdie Brothers turned what easily could've been a pretty straightforward crime drama about a reckless POS degenerate gambler (Adam Sandler in a brilliantly scuzzy turn) whose massive debts are finally starting to catch up with him into a relentlessly chaotic adrenaline shot of a movie that displays the high-and-lows of gambling and delusional minds of the addicts that are always chasing the next score better than any other film I've ever seen.
4.Jojo Rabbit: I doubt that any other filmmaker working today besides Taika Waititi could've made a film like Jojo Rabbit work. With the help of a brilliant cast headlined by Scarlett Johansson, Thomasin McKenzie, Sam Rockwell and newcomer Roman Griffin Davis as the titular Jojo, Waititi turns a film about a young boy in Nazi-occupied Germany that happens to have Hitler as his imaginary friend (Waititi) that has his worldview challenged when he discovers his mother (Johansson) is hiding a Jewish girl (McKenzie) in their home into a hilarious, depressing and touching commentary on the absurdity of bigotry, and how getting to know people from a group you've been trained to fear can make that blind hate go away.
3.Once Upon a Time in.. Hollywood: Quentin Tarantino's supposed second-to-last movie sees the celebrated filmmaker embracing a more restrained and personal approach while still retaining his distinct morbidly humorous flair by setting a laid-back buddy movie in the vibrant Hollywood of his childhood that made him fall in love with the glamorous world of entertainment. The performances from the huge ensemble cast are flawless across the board, the richly-detailed period atmosphere is intoxicating and the alternate history storytelling technique he's employed a bunch over the past decade is especially effective here as he explores what might've happened to the city had Sharon Tate not been murdered by the Manson Family in the summer of 1969.
2.Marriage Story: At no point does Noah Baumbach's divorce drama feel like a movie. The characters, the reasons why they're getting divorced and their disagreements over what's best for their child are so well-developed that it seems like a documentary about the process of divorce, which helps makes this an unbelievably devastating and rewarding watch. The authenticity that occupies every moment of this film is a testament to the rawness that this unreal cast (Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Laura Dern, Alan Alda, Ray Liotta, Julie Hagerty) puts into their performances as well as the unflinching honesty in which Baumbach portrays everything from the petty competition both parties engage in to win favor with their kids while they're battling for custody to how civility can slowly return to the relationship after the agonizing process has concluded.
1.John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum: Anybody that visits this site with any regularity and/or has known me for more than 5 minutes is aware of my deep-rooted love of the action genre. I've spent more time defending/championing the genre to people that have mocked it than I could possibly count and will watch just about every one that's released in a given year that isn't a Bruce Willis/Dolph Lundgren/Steven Seagal VOD special. This is all a lengthy prelude to say watching John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum was like if a religious individual got to be in the presence of the higher power they worship for 2 hours. I walked out of the theater with a smile so big that it would make Tom Hanks look like the saddest motherfucker on the planet. Injecting more humor, creative kills and martial arts into the staggeringly well-executed fight scenes this franchise has become known was enough to easily make Parabellum the most electrifying entry in this excellent series to-date. John Wick 4 can't come soon enough.
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
The Best and Worst of Martin Lawrence
“The Best and Worst of” series chronicles the career
highlights and lowlights of an actor starring in one of the week's
new theatrical releases. This week, I take a look at the filmography
of “Bad Boys for Life” star Martin Lawrence.
Films starring Martin Lawrence that I've seen:
Do the Right Thing
Bad Boys
Blue Streak
Big Momma's House
Black Knight
National Security
Bad Boys II
Big Momma's House 2
Wild Hogs
Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins
Death at a Funeral
Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son
The Beach Bum
Best Performance: The Beach Bum (2019)
Lawrence couldn't have possibly orchestrated a better big screen comeback than this. Harmony Korine basically just Lawrence run wild as a zany dolphin tour guide named Captain Wack who may or may not have a stunning lack of knowledge about the species he loves so much and the results were absolutely priceless. By completely embracing the combination of enthusiasm and recklessness that drives this preposterous character, Lawrence provides this abstract stoner comedy with its most uproarious 10 minutes of material.
Worst Performance: Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son (2011)
Boy is it a blessing that Lawrence returned to acting because it would've been downright depressing if Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son ended up being his last big screen credit. His third go-round as an FBI agent who is somehow forced to pose as an obese elderly woman every time he's involved in an undercover operation was a low effort piece of work that nicely complements the monumentally unfunny jokes that occupy 100% of the runtime.
Best Film: Do the Right Thing (1989)
Spike Lee's debut is a stone cold masterpiece that reaches heights that he's yet to achieve since. Watching this film slowly morph from a breezy, vibrant comedy about the residents of a Brooklyn neighborhood on a brutally hot summer day to a devastatingly visceral depiction of race relations and police brutality made this is a distinctly haunting watch that I'll never forget.
Worst Film: Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son (2011)
You won't get a lot of strong takes from me surrounding the Big Momma House's franchise. They were just silly, somewhat tasteless comedies that were the product of an era where male comedians wearing fatsuits got asses in the seats. After seeing Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son at the age of 20, I almost felt compelled to hail the previous two films as classics. The attempts at comedy here are so embarrassingly lazy and weak that it turns into a joyless, infuriating marathon of pain by the 15 minute mark.
Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “The Gentlemen” star Jeremy Strong.
Films starring Martin Lawrence that I've seen:
Do the Right Thing
Bad Boys
Blue Streak
Big Momma's House
Black Knight
National Security
Bad Boys II
Big Momma's House 2
Wild Hogs
Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins
Death at a Funeral
Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son
The Beach Bum
Best Performance: The Beach Bum (2019)
Lawrence couldn't have possibly orchestrated a better big screen comeback than this. Harmony Korine basically just Lawrence run wild as a zany dolphin tour guide named Captain Wack who may or may not have a stunning lack of knowledge about the species he loves so much and the results were absolutely priceless. By completely embracing the combination of enthusiasm and recklessness that drives this preposterous character, Lawrence provides this abstract stoner comedy with its most uproarious 10 minutes of material.
Worst Performance: Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son (2011)
Boy is it a blessing that Lawrence returned to acting because it would've been downright depressing if Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son ended up being his last big screen credit. His third go-round as an FBI agent who is somehow forced to pose as an obese elderly woman every time he's involved in an undercover operation was a low effort piece of work that nicely complements the monumentally unfunny jokes that occupy 100% of the runtime.
Best Film: Do the Right Thing (1989)
Spike Lee's debut is a stone cold masterpiece that reaches heights that he's yet to achieve since. Watching this film slowly morph from a breezy, vibrant comedy about the residents of a Brooklyn neighborhood on a brutally hot summer day to a devastatingly visceral depiction of race relations and police brutality made this is a distinctly haunting watch that I'll never forget.
Worst Film: Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son (2011)
You won't get a lot of strong takes from me surrounding the Big Momma House's franchise. They were just silly, somewhat tasteless comedies that were the product of an era where male comedians wearing fatsuits got asses in the seats. After seeing Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son at the age of 20, I almost felt compelled to hail the previous two films as classics. The attempts at comedy here are so embarrassingly lazy and weak that it turns into a joyless, infuriating marathon of pain by the 15 minute mark.
Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “The Gentlemen” star Jeremy Strong.
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
2019 in Music: A Year in Review
2019 was a pretty unusual year throughout music. Established artists made sudden, drastic changes to their sound with a wide variety of results (Tyler, the Creator, Sturgill Simpson, BROCKHAMPTON), beacons of reliability stumbled (Fallujah, ScHoolboy Q, Offset) and acts that had been long creatively stagnant suddenly got rejuvenated (Whitechapel, Children of Bodom, Korn). Unsurprisingly, this general weirdness led to a slate of records that wasn't overloaded with true greatness or total failures, but remained interesting nonetheless. Plus any year that produces something as essential as Norman Fucking Rockwell! will never be looked back at with complete contempt by me. Below you'll find a number of 2019 retrospective lists including my picks for the 50 best songs, biggest surprises/letdowns and a worst to best ranking of every EP/LP I heard with grades. Hope you enjoy and may the next decade bless us with many more high quality pieces of music.
EP's:
6.Drake-The Best in the World Pack (C)
5.Future-Save Me (C+)
4.Lil Nas X-7 (B-)
3.Kevin Abstract-ARIZONA baby (B)
2.$ucideboy$ and Travis Barker-Live Fast Die Whenever (B)
1.Action Bronson and The Alchemist-Lamb Over Rice (B)
LP's:
103.ScHoolboy Q-CrasH Talk (D+)
102.Hootie & the Blowfish-Imperfect Circle (D+)
101.Kanye West-Jesus is King (C-)
100.Charli XCX-Charli (C-)
99.Tyler, the Creator-IGOR (C-)
98.James Blake-Assume Form (C-)
97.Yelawolf-Trunk Muzik 3 (C)
96.Pile-Green and Gray (C)
95.PUP-Morbid Stuff (C)
94.Baroness-Gold & Grey (C)
93.Sharon Van Etten-Remind Me Tomorrow (C+)
92.Hath-Of Rot and Ruin (C+)
91.Jackboys-Jackboys (C+)
90.Vampire Weekend-Father of the Bride (C+)
89.Beast Coast-Escape from New York (C+)
88.Secret Band-LP2 (C+)
87.JPEGMAFIA-All My Heroes Are Cornballs (C+)
86.Foals-Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part 1 (C+)
85.Future-The WZRD (C+)
84.Wristmeetsrazor-Misery Never Forgets (C+)
83.Offset-FATHER OF 4 (C+)
82.The Number Twelve Looks Like You-Wild Gods (C+)
81.Trippie Redd-A Love Letter to You 4 (C+)
80.Angel Olsen-All Mirrors (C+)
79.Thaiboy Digital-Legendary Member (B-)
78.Soilwork-Verkligheten (B-)
77.Camilla Cabello-Romance (B-)
76.The Black Keys-“Let's Rock” (B-)
75.Kevin Abstract-ARIZONA BABY (B-)
74.DaBaby-Kirk (B-)
73.King Princess-Cheap Queen (B-)
72.Royal Coda-Compassion (B-)
71.Taylor Swift-Lover (B-)
70.Caroline Polachek-Pang (B-)
69.DaBaby-Baby on Baby (B-)
68.Fallujah-Undying Light (B-)
67.Antagonize-Slip Death (B-)
66.Amon Amarth-Berserker (B)
65.Injury Reserve-Injury Reserve (B)
64.Maggie Rogers-Heard It in A Past Life (B)
63.Exhumed-Horror (B)
62.Fit for An Autopsy-The Sea of Tragic Beasts (B)
61.EARTHGANG-Mirrorland (B)
60.Inculter-Fatal Visions (B)
59.Freddie Gibbs & Madlib-Bandana (B)
58.Car Bomb-Mordial (B)
57.Trippie Redd-! (B)
56.Thy Art is Murder-Human Target (B)
55.King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard-Infest the Rats' Nest (B)
54.Weyes Blood-Titanic Rising (B)
53.As I Lay Dying-Shaped by Fire (B)
52.Knocked Loose-A Different Shade of Blue (B)
51.Rico Nasty and Kenny Beats-Anger Management (B)
50.Hozier-Wasteland, Baby! (B)
49.Fleshgod Apocalypse-Veleno (B)
48.Big K.R.I.T.-K.R.I.T. IZ Here (B)
47.Kelsey Lu-Blood (B)
46.Carnifex-World War X (B)
45.Rings of Saturn-Gidim (B)
44.Blood Incantation-Hidden History of the Human Race (B)
43.City Morgue-City Morgue Vol.2: As Good as Dead (B)
42.Despised Icon-Purgatory (B)
41.Megan thee Stallion-Fever (B)
40.While She Sleeps-SO WHAT? (B)
39.Young Nudy & P'ierre Bourne-Sli'mierre (B)
38.Carly Rae Jepsen-Dedicated (B)
37.Gunna-Drip or Drown 2 (B)
36.Post Malone-Hollywood's Bleeding (B)
35.Born of Osiris-The Simulation (B)
34.Billie Eilish-When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (B)
33.Lil Pump-Harverd Dropout (B)
32.Venom Prison-Samsara (B)
31.BROCKHAMPTON-GINGER (B)
30.Killswitch Engage-Atonement (B)
29.Korn-The Nothing (B)
28.Equipoise-Demirgus (B+)
27.The Callous Daoboys-Die on Mars (B+)
26.Critical Defiance-Misconception (B+)
25.2 Chainz-Rap or Go to the League (B+)
24.Itacha-The Language of Injury (B+)
23.Counterparts-Nothing Left to Love (B+)
22.Sadistic Ritual-Visionarie of Death (B+)
21.Norma Jean-All Hail (B+)
20.Periphery-Periphery IV: HAIL STAN (B+)
19.Slipknot-We Are Not Your Kind (B+)
18.Shadow of Intent-Melancholy (B+)
17.After the Burial-Evergreen (B+)
16.Tove Lo-Sunshine Kitty (B+)
15.Ariana Grande-thank u, next (B+)
14.Danny Brown-uknowwhatimsayin? (B+)
13.Sturgill Simpson-Sound & Fury (B+)
12.FKA twigs-Magadelene (B+)
11.Moon Tooth-Crux (B+)
10.Young Thug-So Much Fun (B+)
9.Anderson. Paak-Ventura (B+)
8.Banks-III (A-)
7.Thank You Scientist-Terraformer (A-)
6.SeeYouSpaceCowboy...-The Correlation Between Entrance and Exit Wounds (A-)
5.Children of Bodom-Hexed (A-)
4.Whitechapel-The Valley (A-)
3.Denzel Curry-ZUU (A-)
2.Allegaeon-Apoptosis (A)
1.Lana Del Rey-Norman Fucking Rockwell! (A+)
Biggest Surprises:
1.Whitechapel-The Valley
2.Children of Bodom-Hexed
3.Korn-The Nothing
4.Born of Osiris-The Simulation
5.Carnifex-World War X
Biggest Letdowns:
1.Fallujah-Undying Light
2.Freddie Gibbs & Madlib-Bandana
3.ScHoolboy Q-CrasH Talk
4.Car Bomb-Mordial
5.Offset-FATHER OF 4
Most Underrated:
1.Denzel Curry-ZUU
2.Whitechpel-The Valley
3.SeeYouSpaceCowboy...-The Correaltion Between Entrace and Exit Wounds
4.Banks-III
5.Moon Tooth-Crux
Most Overrated:
1.Freddie Gibbs & Madlib-Bandana
2.Tyler, the Creator-IGOR
3.JPEGMAFIA-All My Heroes Are Cornballs
4.Angel Olsen-All Mirrors
5.PUP-Morbid Stuff
Top Discoveries:
1.SeeYouSpaceCowboy...
2.Sadistic Ritual
3.Ithaca
4.Critical Defiance
5.Venom Prison
Top 50 Songs (in alphabetical order by artist):
After the Burial-Behold the Crown
Alleageon-Exothermic Chemical Combustion
Alleageon-Interphase/Meiosis
Alleageon-Metaphobia
Alleageon-Tsunami and Submergence
Anderson. Paak-Chosen One (feat. Sonyae Elise)
Anderson. Paak-Jet Black (feat. Brandy)
Ariana Grande-bloodline
Banks-Gimme
Banks-Propaganda
Banks-Till Now
BROCKHAMPTON-NO HALO
Children of Bodom-Kick in a Spleen
Children of Bodom-Relapse (Nature of my Crime)
Dance Gavin Dance-Head Hunter
Danny Brown-Savage Nomad
Denzel Curry-BIRDZ (feat. Rick Ross)
Denzel Curry-RICKY
Denzel Curry-WISH (feat. Kiddo Marv)
FKA twigs-Holy Terrain (feat. Future)
FKA twigs-Mary Magadelene
Gunna-Out the Hood
Hozier-No Plan
Kelsey Lu-Pushing Against the Wind
Lana Del Rey-California
Lana Del Rey-Cinnamon Girl
Lana Del Rey-Fuck It, I Love You
Lana Del Rey-The Greatest
Lana Del Rey-Norman Fucking Rockwell
Lil Pump-Nu Uh
Moon Tooth-Rhythm & Roar
Moon Tooth-Trust
Periphery-Garden in the Bones
SeeYouSpaceCowboy...-Dissertation of an Idle Voice
SeeYouSpaceCowboy...-Put on a Show, Don't Let Them You See Fall
Shadow of Intent-Gravesinger
Slipknot-Solway Firth
Sturgill Simpson-Sing Along
Thank You Scientist-Everyday Ghosts
Thank You Scientist-Swarm
Tove Lo-Jacques (feat. Jax James)
Venom Prison-Uterine Industrialization
The Weeknd-Blinding Lights
Whitechapel-Doom Woods
Whitechapel-Hickory Creek
Whitechapel-When a Demon Defiles a Witch
Young Nudy & Pi'erre Bourne-Dispatch (feat. DaBaby)
Young Nudy & Pi'erre Bourne-Shotta (feat. Megan Thee Stallion)
Young Thug-Hot (feat. Gunna)
Young Thug-Mannequin Challenge (feat. Juice WRLD)
EP's:
6.Drake-The Best in the World Pack (C)
5.Future-Save Me (C+)
4.Lil Nas X-7 (B-)
3.Kevin Abstract-ARIZONA baby (B)
2.$ucideboy$ and Travis Barker-Live Fast Die Whenever (B)
1.Action Bronson and The Alchemist-Lamb Over Rice (B)
LP's:
103.ScHoolboy Q-CrasH Talk (D+)
102.Hootie & the Blowfish-Imperfect Circle (D+)
101.Kanye West-Jesus is King (C-)
100.Charli XCX-Charli (C-)
99.Tyler, the Creator-IGOR (C-)
98.James Blake-Assume Form (C-)
97.Yelawolf-Trunk Muzik 3 (C)
96.Pile-Green and Gray (C)
95.PUP-Morbid Stuff (C)
94.Baroness-Gold & Grey (C)
93.Sharon Van Etten-Remind Me Tomorrow (C+)
92.Hath-Of Rot and Ruin (C+)
91.Jackboys-Jackboys (C+)
90.Vampire Weekend-Father of the Bride (C+)
89.Beast Coast-Escape from New York (C+)
88.Secret Band-LP2 (C+)
87.JPEGMAFIA-All My Heroes Are Cornballs (C+)
86.Foals-Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part 1 (C+)
85.Future-The WZRD (C+)
84.Wristmeetsrazor-Misery Never Forgets (C+)
83.Offset-FATHER OF 4 (C+)
82.The Number Twelve Looks Like You-Wild Gods (C+)
81.Trippie Redd-A Love Letter to You 4 (C+)
80.Angel Olsen-All Mirrors (C+)
79.Thaiboy Digital-Legendary Member (B-)
78.Soilwork-Verkligheten (B-)
77.Camilla Cabello-Romance (B-)
76.The Black Keys-“Let's Rock” (B-)
75.Kevin Abstract-ARIZONA BABY (B-)
74.DaBaby-Kirk (B-)
73.King Princess-Cheap Queen (B-)
72.Royal Coda-Compassion (B-)
71.Taylor Swift-Lover (B-)
70.Caroline Polachek-Pang (B-)
69.DaBaby-Baby on Baby (B-)
68.Fallujah-Undying Light (B-)
67.Antagonize-Slip Death (B-)
66.Amon Amarth-Berserker (B)
65.Injury Reserve-Injury Reserve (B)
64.Maggie Rogers-Heard It in A Past Life (B)
63.Exhumed-Horror (B)
62.Fit for An Autopsy-The Sea of Tragic Beasts (B)
61.EARTHGANG-Mirrorland (B)
60.Inculter-Fatal Visions (B)
59.Freddie Gibbs & Madlib-Bandana (B)
58.Car Bomb-Mordial (B)
57.Trippie Redd-! (B)
56.Thy Art is Murder-Human Target (B)
55.King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard-Infest the Rats' Nest (B)
54.Weyes Blood-Titanic Rising (B)
53.As I Lay Dying-Shaped by Fire (B)
52.Knocked Loose-A Different Shade of Blue (B)
51.Rico Nasty and Kenny Beats-Anger Management (B)
50.Hozier-Wasteland, Baby! (B)
49.Fleshgod Apocalypse-Veleno (B)
48.Big K.R.I.T.-K.R.I.T. IZ Here (B)
47.Kelsey Lu-Blood (B)
46.Carnifex-World War X (B)
45.Rings of Saturn-Gidim (B)
44.Blood Incantation-Hidden History of the Human Race (B)
43.City Morgue-City Morgue Vol.2: As Good as Dead (B)
42.Despised Icon-Purgatory (B)
41.Megan thee Stallion-Fever (B)
40.While She Sleeps-SO WHAT? (B)
39.Young Nudy & P'ierre Bourne-Sli'mierre (B)
38.Carly Rae Jepsen-Dedicated (B)
37.Gunna-Drip or Drown 2 (B)
36.Post Malone-Hollywood's Bleeding (B)
35.Born of Osiris-The Simulation (B)
34.Billie Eilish-When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (B)
33.Lil Pump-Harverd Dropout (B)
32.Venom Prison-Samsara (B)
31.BROCKHAMPTON-GINGER (B)
30.Killswitch Engage-Atonement (B)
29.Korn-The Nothing (B)
28.Equipoise-Demirgus (B+)
27.The Callous Daoboys-Die on Mars (B+)
26.Critical Defiance-Misconception (B+)
25.2 Chainz-Rap or Go to the League (B+)
24.Itacha-The Language of Injury (B+)
23.Counterparts-Nothing Left to Love (B+)
22.Sadistic Ritual-Visionarie of Death (B+)
21.Norma Jean-All Hail (B+)
20.Periphery-Periphery IV: HAIL STAN (B+)
19.Slipknot-We Are Not Your Kind (B+)
18.Shadow of Intent-Melancholy (B+)
17.After the Burial-Evergreen (B+)
16.Tove Lo-Sunshine Kitty (B+)
15.Ariana Grande-thank u, next (B+)
14.Danny Brown-uknowwhatimsayin? (B+)
13.Sturgill Simpson-Sound & Fury (B+)
12.FKA twigs-Magadelene (B+)
11.Moon Tooth-Crux (B+)
10.Young Thug-So Much Fun (B+)
9.Anderson. Paak-Ventura (B+)
8.Banks-III (A-)
7.Thank You Scientist-Terraformer (A-)
6.SeeYouSpaceCowboy...-The Correlation Between Entrance and Exit Wounds (A-)
5.Children of Bodom-Hexed (A-)
4.Whitechapel-The Valley (A-)
3.Denzel Curry-ZUU (A-)
2.Allegaeon-Apoptosis (A)
1.Lana Del Rey-Norman Fucking Rockwell! (A+)
Biggest Surprises:
1.Whitechapel-The Valley
2.Children of Bodom-Hexed
3.Korn-The Nothing
4.Born of Osiris-The Simulation
5.Carnifex-World War X
Biggest Letdowns:
1.Fallujah-Undying Light
2.Freddie Gibbs & Madlib-Bandana
3.ScHoolboy Q-CrasH Talk
4.Car Bomb-Mordial
5.Offset-FATHER OF 4
Most Underrated:
1.Denzel Curry-ZUU
2.Whitechpel-The Valley
3.SeeYouSpaceCowboy...-The Correaltion Between Entrace and Exit Wounds
4.Banks-III
5.Moon Tooth-Crux
Most Overrated:
1.Freddie Gibbs & Madlib-Bandana
2.Tyler, the Creator-IGOR
3.JPEGMAFIA-All My Heroes Are Cornballs
4.Angel Olsen-All Mirrors
5.PUP-Morbid Stuff
Top Discoveries:
1.SeeYouSpaceCowboy...
2.Sadistic Ritual
3.Ithaca
4.Critical Defiance
5.Venom Prison
Top 50 Songs (in alphabetical order by artist):
After the Burial-Behold the Crown
Alleageon-Exothermic Chemical Combustion
Alleageon-Interphase/Meiosis
Alleageon-Metaphobia
Alleageon-Tsunami and Submergence
Anderson. Paak-Chosen One (feat. Sonyae Elise)
Anderson. Paak-Jet Black (feat. Brandy)
Ariana Grande-bloodline
Banks-Gimme
Banks-Propaganda
Banks-Till Now
BROCKHAMPTON-NO HALO
Children of Bodom-Kick in a Spleen
Children of Bodom-Relapse (Nature of my Crime)
Dance Gavin Dance-Head Hunter
Danny Brown-Savage Nomad
Denzel Curry-BIRDZ (feat. Rick Ross)
Denzel Curry-RICKY
Denzel Curry-WISH (feat. Kiddo Marv)
FKA twigs-Holy Terrain (feat. Future)
FKA twigs-Mary Magadelene
Gunna-Out the Hood
Hozier-No Plan
Kelsey Lu-Pushing Against the Wind
Lana Del Rey-California
Lana Del Rey-Cinnamon Girl
Lana Del Rey-Fuck It, I Love You
Lana Del Rey-The Greatest
Lana Del Rey-Norman Fucking Rockwell
Lil Pump-Nu Uh
Moon Tooth-Rhythm & Roar
Moon Tooth-Trust
Periphery-Garden in the Bones
SeeYouSpaceCowboy...-Dissertation of an Idle Voice
SeeYouSpaceCowboy...-Put on a Show, Don't Let Them You See Fall
Shadow of Intent-Gravesinger
Slipknot-Solway Firth
Sturgill Simpson-Sing Along
Thank You Scientist-Everyday Ghosts
Thank You Scientist-Swarm
Tove Lo-Jacques (feat. Jax James)
Venom Prison-Uterine Industrialization
The Weeknd-Blinding Lights
Whitechapel-Doom Woods
Whitechapel-Hickory Creek
Whitechapel-When a Demon Defiles a Witch
Young Nudy & Pi'erre Bourne-Dispatch (feat. DaBaby)
Young Nudy & Pi'erre Bourne-Shotta (feat. Megan Thee Stallion)
Young Thug-Hot (feat. Gunna)
Young Thug-Mannequin Challenge (feat. Juice WRLD)
Monday, January 13, 2020
Top 15 Albums of 2019
Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order):
After the Burial-Evergreen
Periphery-Periphery IV: HAIL STAN
Shadow of Intent-Melancholy
Slipknot-We Are Not Your Kind
Tove Lo-Sunshine Kitty
15.Ariana Grande-thank u, next:
After a few spins, thank u, next left me feeling pretty cold. While it was a cohesive and well-produced effort, I felt like it lacked variety, was light on earworms and didn't sufficiently utilize Grande's extensive vocal range. After a few more, that indifference quickly blossomed into admiration. The subdued hooks are a perfect match for the melodic trap beats, the quality of tracks is consistent throughout and above all, it does a terrific job of giving the world a window into her mind during a particularly tumultuous year in her life. It's a highly effective act of musical healing that shows off Grande's maturity and talent in equal measure.
Favorite Tracks: 1.bloodline 2.NASA 3.bad idea
14.Danny Brown-uknowwhatimsayin?:
A breather was kind of necessary after the emotionally-draining journey through Danny Brown's personal hell that was Atrocity Exhibition and that's exactly what uknowwhatimsayin? provides. While there are serious moments ("Shine", "Combat", "Dirty Laundry") scattered throughout, it predominantly consists of Brown laying down aggressive bars behind delightfully abstract production from the likes of Q-Tip, Flying Lotus and Paul White. This significantly less heavy tone leads to a record that is both easy to digest and a fitting entry into Brown's uniquely eccentric catalog.
Favorite Tracks: 1.Savage Nomad 2.Negro Spiritual (feat. JPEGMAFIA) 3.Dirty Laundry
13.Sturgill Simpson-Sound & Fury:
While he has no ties to the genre, Sturgill Simpson embodies the punk aesthetic as well as anyone making music right now. He's the kind of artist that ignores what he did in the past or the trends audiences are responding to at that particular moment in time and just does whatever the hell he wants to when he crafts new material. Case in point: He just followed up the country soul/R&B effort (2016's A Sailor's Guide to Earth) that allowed him to achieve a ton of crossover commercial success with a woozy groove-driven psychedelic blues rock record that sounds like a dance party being held in an acid den at the dawn of the Apocalypse. His dedication to his own singular experimental vision is incredibly admirable and I hope whatever genre overhaul he undergoes next will produce something as electrifying as Sound & Fury.
Favorite Tracks: 1.Sing Along 2.All Said and Done 3.Remember to Breathe
12.FKA twigs-Magadelene:
If I had gotten to spend more time with it, there's a strong chance that the long-awaited comeback record from the unclassifiable British singer/songwriter would be much higher on my list. Her use of electronic-influenced production that slowly builds in intensity by the second paired with her fearless introspective lyrics and angelic, almost operatic vocals makes Magadelene a thrillingly powerful listen that cuts deep.
Favorite Tracks: 1.Mary Magadelene 2.Holy Terrain (feat. Future) 3.Fallen Alien
11.Moon Tooth-Crux:
This Long Island-based quintet refers to their music as "aggressive progressive". That expert opinion is a perfect description of what occupies nearly every moment of their sophomore LP Crux. Throwing huge, heavy riffs that takes cues from everything from sludge to thrash into a blender with soaring falsetto vocals and some prog melodies allows Moon Tooth to embody pretty much the entire metal spectrum without ever sounding disjointed or disingenuous.
Favorite Tracks: 1.Rhythm and Roar 2.Trust 3.Thumb Spike
10.Young Thug-So Much Fun:
Embracing a pretty straightforward trap sound (or at least the closest hip hop's proudest weirdo will ever come to it) has resulted in Young Thug's finest release since 2016's Jeffrey. As great as his signature eccentricity is, it was nice to see him dial it back a bit to make an accessible, high energy record full of terrific upbeat production and big hooks that lives up to its name.
Favorite Tracks: 1.Mannequin Challenge (feat. Juice WRLD) 2.Hot (feat. Gunna) 3.Cartier Gucci Scarf (feat. Lil Duke)
9.Anderson. Paak-Ventura:
The absurdly talented singer/rapper/drummer has never sounded better than he does on Ventura. Paak's ode to old school funk/soul is a beautiful collection of bittersweet love songs that makes brilliant use of his smooth vocals, endless charisma and knack for picking great guest artists (Andre 3000, Smokey Robinson, Lalah Hathaway, Brandy, Sonyae Elise) that come in and really elevate tracks.
Favorite Tracks: 1.Jet Black (feat. Brandy) 2.Chosen One (feat. Sonyae Elise) 3.Yada Yada
8.Banks-III:
Seeing a number of songs from this record performed live in September allowed me to develop a much deeper appreciation for it. By utilizing the most consistently nuanced, dynamic production of her career to-date, Banks receives the vividly detailed backdrop that was needed to bring a bit of a new edge to the emotional, alternately swagger-and-pain-filled electropop sound she's damn near perfected throughout her small but impressive discography.
Favorite Tracks: 1.Till Now 2.Propaganda 3.Gimme
7.Thank You Scientist-Terraformer:
Lineup changes are always a scary proposition for a band. Adding new members can potentially change everything from the dynamic within the group to the way fans respond to the music. Thank You Scientist was faced with an especially terrifying transition when a trio of founding members suddenly exited the band shortly after the release of their third LP Stranger Heads Prevail in 2016. Thankfully, losing nearly half of the people that were responsible for them becoming an acclaimed act with a devoted cult following had no ill effects on the New Jersey-bred rockers. In fact, Terraformer features some of the most sprawling, catchy and satisfying jazzy prog epics they've ever concocted. Big shoutout to Joe Fadem, Sam Greenfield and Joe Gullace for stepping in and helping a great American institution survive.
Favorite Tracks: 1.Swarm 2.Everyday Ghosts 3.Son of a Serpent
6.SeeYouSpaceCowboy...-The Correlation Between Entrance and Exit Wounds:
These dealers of relentless chaos easily topped my list of discoveries in 2019. Their full-length debut The Correlation Between Entrance and Exit Wounds is a mathcore powerhouse that swiftly alternates between the worlds of aggressive and melodic with the grace and confidence of a band that's been around for decades. Hopefully this will go down as the first chapter of a long and successful career.
Favorite Tracks: 1.Put on a Show, Don't Let Them See You Fall 2.Disdain Coupled with a Wide Smile 3.Disseration of an Idle Voice
5.Children of Bodom-Hexed:
Children of Bodom has been around for a long-ass time and like a lot of grizzled veteran acts, they had fallen into a vicious cycle of putting out competent yet ultimately uninspiring releases that looked like it had no end in sight. Then after 15 years, it suddenly did. Hexed saw Bodom enthusiastically dive back into their big bag of cornball melodeath/power metal tricks (blistering riffs, big, stupid keyboard lines, their signature dueling guitar/synth solos) and the result is a dizzying, gloriously nostalgic ride that reminded me just how fucking fun this band is when they're firing on all cylinders. The entire lineup save for frontman/lead guitarist Alexi Laiho and rhythm guitarist Daniel Freyberg departed about a month ago, so this likely won't turn into a long-term resurrection, but even a brief return to their vintage form was more than I could've ever hoped for at this stage of their career.
Favorite Tracks: 1.Kick in a Spleen 2.Relapse (The Nature of My Crime) 3.Under Grass and Clover
4.Whitechapel-The Valley:
Continuing the theme of unexpected 2019 comebacks was Tennessee extreme metal outfit Whitechapel. However, unlike Children of Bodom, Whitechapel achieved success by taking their music into a completely different direction that would've seemed unfathomable during the Somatic Defliement/This is Exile days. The Valley is a melancholic concept album about the trauma vocalist Phil Bozeman underwent as a child that sees the group showing off a previously unseen introspective side in their lyrics while also adding clean vocals, extended melodic sections and sludge/doom riffs to their crushing deathcore attack. It's not always an easy listen as Bozeman details a variety of difficult subject matters over the course of its 10 tracks including his mother's battle with schizophrenia and the abuse he endured from his stepfather, but it's a tremendously powerful one that fully realizes the songwriting strength that they had only flashed in spurts in the past.
Favorite Tracks: 1.When a Demon Defiles a Witch 2.Hickory Creek 3.Doom Woods
3.Denzel Curry-ZUU:
Where last year's TAB1300 displayed his versatility, ZUU shows off Curry's gift for making infectious bangers that go unbelievably hard. This fully-freestyled love letter to the 25-year old rapper's hometown of Miami is loaded with massive trap/southern anthems that will assault subwoofers ("Birdz", "P.A.T"), set clubs on fire ("Wish", "Automatic") or simply inspire good times ("Ricky", "Carolmart") in any setting.
Favorite Tracks: 1.BIRDZ (feat. Rick Ross) 2.RICKY 3.WISH (feat. Kiddo Marv)
2.Alleageon-Apoptosis:
Apoptosis tones down the prog elements that were heavily featured on their superb, epic-length 2016 LP Proponent of Sentience in favor of a more streamlined death metal sound that features more blistering technical guitarwork, huge melodeath riffs and guttural low/piercing high screams. Scaling back on dynamism isn't usually a formula for improvement, but Alleageon's ability to relentlessly bombard the listener with addictive, gloriously high octane extreme music shows that better results can come from a less complex approach.
Favorite Tracks: 1.Metaphobia 2.Exothermic Chemical Combustion 3.Tsunami and Submergence
1.Lana Del Rey-Norman Fucking Rockwell!:
Lana Del Rey and producer Jack Antonoff capped off a decade of pop music that they were in instrumental shaping by crafting a masterpiece that their peers are going to have a very hard time topping. The marriage between Antonoff's vibrant musical canvas that features psychedelic guitars and lush strings in addition to his usual array of booming piano lines, and Del Rey's seemingly limitless vocal range is just stunning to behold. It's exactly the dreary yet hopeful record that Del Rey's entire career has been building up to and there couldn't have possibly been a better time in history to release it than 2019 when the world needed its message of holding onto hope in a world plagued by pain and suffering more than ever.
Favorite Tracks: 1.California 2.Norman Fucking Rockwell 3.Cinnamon Girl
After the Burial-Evergreen
Periphery-Periphery IV: HAIL STAN
Shadow of Intent-Melancholy
Slipknot-We Are Not Your Kind
Tove Lo-Sunshine Kitty
15.Ariana Grande-thank u, next:
After a few spins, thank u, next left me feeling pretty cold. While it was a cohesive and well-produced effort, I felt like it lacked variety, was light on earworms and didn't sufficiently utilize Grande's extensive vocal range. After a few more, that indifference quickly blossomed into admiration. The subdued hooks are a perfect match for the melodic trap beats, the quality of tracks is consistent throughout and above all, it does a terrific job of giving the world a window into her mind during a particularly tumultuous year in her life. It's a highly effective act of musical healing that shows off Grande's maturity and talent in equal measure.
Favorite Tracks: 1.bloodline 2.NASA 3.bad idea
14.Danny Brown-uknowwhatimsayin?:
A breather was kind of necessary after the emotionally-draining journey through Danny Brown's personal hell that was Atrocity Exhibition and that's exactly what uknowwhatimsayin? provides. While there are serious moments ("Shine", "Combat", "Dirty Laundry") scattered throughout, it predominantly consists of Brown laying down aggressive bars behind delightfully abstract production from the likes of Q-Tip, Flying Lotus and Paul White. This significantly less heavy tone leads to a record that is both easy to digest and a fitting entry into Brown's uniquely eccentric catalog.
Favorite Tracks: 1.Savage Nomad 2.Negro Spiritual (feat. JPEGMAFIA) 3.Dirty Laundry
13.Sturgill Simpson-Sound & Fury:
While he has no ties to the genre, Sturgill Simpson embodies the punk aesthetic as well as anyone making music right now. He's the kind of artist that ignores what he did in the past or the trends audiences are responding to at that particular moment in time and just does whatever the hell he wants to when he crafts new material. Case in point: He just followed up the country soul/R&B effort (2016's A Sailor's Guide to Earth) that allowed him to achieve a ton of crossover commercial success with a woozy groove-driven psychedelic blues rock record that sounds like a dance party being held in an acid den at the dawn of the Apocalypse. His dedication to his own singular experimental vision is incredibly admirable and I hope whatever genre overhaul he undergoes next will produce something as electrifying as Sound & Fury.
Favorite Tracks: 1.Sing Along 2.All Said and Done 3.Remember to Breathe
12.FKA twigs-Magadelene:
If I had gotten to spend more time with it, there's a strong chance that the long-awaited comeback record from the unclassifiable British singer/songwriter would be much higher on my list. Her use of electronic-influenced production that slowly builds in intensity by the second paired with her fearless introspective lyrics and angelic, almost operatic vocals makes Magadelene a thrillingly powerful listen that cuts deep.
Favorite Tracks: 1.Mary Magadelene 2.Holy Terrain (feat. Future) 3.Fallen Alien
11.Moon Tooth-Crux:
This Long Island-based quintet refers to their music as "aggressive progressive". That expert opinion is a perfect description of what occupies nearly every moment of their sophomore LP Crux. Throwing huge, heavy riffs that takes cues from everything from sludge to thrash into a blender with soaring falsetto vocals and some prog melodies allows Moon Tooth to embody pretty much the entire metal spectrum without ever sounding disjointed or disingenuous.
Favorite Tracks: 1.Rhythm and Roar 2.Trust 3.Thumb Spike
10.Young Thug-So Much Fun:
Embracing a pretty straightforward trap sound (or at least the closest hip hop's proudest weirdo will ever come to it) has resulted in Young Thug's finest release since 2016's Jeffrey. As great as his signature eccentricity is, it was nice to see him dial it back a bit to make an accessible, high energy record full of terrific upbeat production and big hooks that lives up to its name.
Favorite Tracks: 1.Mannequin Challenge (feat. Juice WRLD) 2.Hot (feat. Gunna) 3.Cartier Gucci Scarf (feat. Lil Duke)
9.Anderson. Paak-Ventura:
The absurdly talented singer/rapper/drummer has never sounded better than he does on Ventura. Paak's ode to old school funk/soul is a beautiful collection of bittersweet love songs that makes brilliant use of his smooth vocals, endless charisma and knack for picking great guest artists (Andre 3000, Smokey Robinson, Lalah Hathaway, Brandy, Sonyae Elise) that come in and really elevate tracks.
Favorite Tracks: 1.Jet Black (feat. Brandy) 2.Chosen One (feat. Sonyae Elise) 3.Yada Yada
8.Banks-III:
Seeing a number of songs from this record performed live in September allowed me to develop a much deeper appreciation for it. By utilizing the most consistently nuanced, dynamic production of her career to-date, Banks receives the vividly detailed backdrop that was needed to bring a bit of a new edge to the emotional, alternately swagger-and-pain-filled electropop sound she's damn near perfected throughout her small but impressive discography.
Favorite Tracks: 1.Till Now 2.Propaganda 3.Gimme
7.Thank You Scientist-Terraformer:
Lineup changes are always a scary proposition for a band. Adding new members can potentially change everything from the dynamic within the group to the way fans respond to the music. Thank You Scientist was faced with an especially terrifying transition when a trio of founding members suddenly exited the band shortly after the release of their third LP Stranger Heads Prevail in 2016. Thankfully, losing nearly half of the people that were responsible for them becoming an acclaimed act with a devoted cult following had no ill effects on the New Jersey-bred rockers. In fact, Terraformer features some of the most sprawling, catchy and satisfying jazzy prog epics they've ever concocted. Big shoutout to Joe Fadem, Sam Greenfield and Joe Gullace for stepping in and helping a great American institution survive.
Favorite Tracks: 1.Swarm 2.Everyday Ghosts 3.Son of a Serpent
6.SeeYouSpaceCowboy...-The Correlation Between Entrance and Exit Wounds:
These dealers of relentless chaos easily topped my list of discoveries in 2019. Their full-length debut The Correlation Between Entrance and Exit Wounds is a mathcore powerhouse that swiftly alternates between the worlds of aggressive and melodic with the grace and confidence of a band that's been around for decades. Hopefully this will go down as the first chapter of a long and successful career.
Favorite Tracks: 1.Put on a Show, Don't Let Them See You Fall 2.Disdain Coupled with a Wide Smile 3.Disseration of an Idle Voice
5.Children of Bodom-Hexed:
Children of Bodom has been around for a long-ass time and like a lot of grizzled veteran acts, they had fallen into a vicious cycle of putting out competent yet ultimately uninspiring releases that looked like it had no end in sight. Then after 15 years, it suddenly did. Hexed saw Bodom enthusiastically dive back into their big bag of cornball melodeath/power metal tricks (blistering riffs, big, stupid keyboard lines, their signature dueling guitar/synth solos) and the result is a dizzying, gloriously nostalgic ride that reminded me just how fucking fun this band is when they're firing on all cylinders. The entire lineup save for frontman/lead guitarist Alexi Laiho and rhythm guitarist Daniel Freyberg departed about a month ago, so this likely won't turn into a long-term resurrection, but even a brief return to their vintage form was more than I could've ever hoped for at this stage of their career.
Favorite Tracks: 1.Kick in a Spleen 2.Relapse (The Nature of My Crime) 3.Under Grass and Clover
4.Whitechapel-The Valley:
Continuing the theme of unexpected 2019 comebacks was Tennessee extreme metal outfit Whitechapel. However, unlike Children of Bodom, Whitechapel achieved success by taking their music into a completely different direction that would've seemed unfathomable during the Somatic Defliement/This is Exile days. The Valley is a melancholic concept album about the trauma vocalist Phil Bozeman underwent as a child that sees the group showing off a previously unseen introspective side in their lyrics while also adding clean vocals, extended melodic sections and sludge/doom riffs to their crushing deathcore attack. It's not always an easy listen as Bozeman details a variety of difficult subject matters over the course of its 10 tracks including his mother's battle with schizophrenia and the abuse he endured from his stepfather, but it's a tremendously powerful one that fully realizes the songwriting strength that they had only flashed in spurts in the past.
Favorite Tracks: 1.When a Demon Defiles a Witch 2.Hickory Creek 3.Doom Woods
3.Denzel Curry-ZUU:
Where last year's TAB1300 displayed his versatility, ZUU shows off Curry's gift for making infectious bangers that go unbelievably hard. This fully-freestyled love letter to the 25-year old rapper's hometown of Miami is loaded with massive trap/southern anthems that will assault subwoofers ("Birdz", "P.A.T"), set clubs on fire ("Wish", "Automatic") or simply inspire good times ("Ricky", "Carolmart") in any setting.
Favorite Tracks: 1.BIRDZ (feat. Rick Ross) 2.RICKY 3.WISH (feat. Kiddo Marv)
2.Alleageon-Apoptosis:
Apoptosis tones down the prog elements that were heavily featured on their superb, epic-length 2016 LP Proponent of Sentience in favor of a more streamlined death metal sound that features more blistering technical guitarwork, huge melodeath riffs and guttural low/piercing high screams. Scaling back on dynamism isn't usually a formula for improvement, but Alleageon's ability to relentlessly bombard the listener with addictive, gloriously high octane extreme music shows that better results can come from a less complex approach.
Favorite Tracks: 1.Metaphobia 2.Exothermic Chemical Combustion 3.Tsunami and Submergence
1.Lana Del Rey-Norman Fucking Rockwell!:
Lana Del Rey and producer Jack Antonoff capped off a decade of pop music that they were in instrumental shaping by crafting a masterpiece that their peers are going to have a very hard time topping. The marriage between Antonoff's vibrant musical canvas that features psychedelic guitars and lush strings in addition to his usual array of booming piano lines, and Del Rey's seemingly limitless vocal range is just stunning to behold. It's exactly the dreary yet hopeful record that Del Rey's entire career has been building up to and there couldn't have possibly been a better time in history to release it than 2019 when the world needed its message of holding onto hope in a world plagued by pain and suffering more than ever.
Favorite Tracks: 1.California 2.Norman Fucking Rockwell 3.Cinnamon Girl
Saturday, January 11, 2020
92nd Academy Award Nomination Predictions
In an effort to shorten awards season, the Academy Awards have been moved up from late to early February this year (the 9th to be exact). While it remains to be seen what effect this shift will have long-term, it does at least provide some more suspense around the nominations, which are being announced on Monday morning, as almost none of the other award shows have taken place yet. Here are the films and individuals I expect to be vying for Oscars this year.
Best Picture:
1917
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
Once Upon a Time in.. Hollywood
Parasite
Locks: 1917, The Irishman, Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood, Parasite
Toss-ups: Joker, Jojo Rabbit, Little Women, Marriage Story
Dark horse contenders: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Bombshell, The Farewell, Ford v Ferrari, Knives Out, Rocketman, The Two Popes
Best Director:
Greta Gerwig (Little Women)
Bong Joon-Ho (Parasite)
Sam Mendes (1917)
Martin Scorsese (The Irishman)
Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time in.. Hollywood)
Locks: Sam Mendes, Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino
Toss-ups: Greta Gerwig, Bong Joon-Ho
Other contenders: Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story), Todd Phillips (Joker), Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit), Lulu Wang (The Farewell)
Best Actor:
Leonardo DiCaprio (Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood)
Adam Driver (Marriage Story)
Taron Edgerton (Rocketman)
Joaquin Phoenix (Joker)
Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes)
Locks: Leonardo DiCaprio, Adam Driver, Joaquin Phoenix
Toss-ups: Taron Edgerton, Jonathan Pryce
Other contenders: Christian Bale (Ford v Ferrari), Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory), Roman Griffin Davis (Jojo Rabbit), Robert De Niro (The Irishman), Eddie Murphy (Dolemite is My Name), Adam Sandler (Uncut Gems)
Best Actress:
Awkwafina (The Farewell)
Scarlett Johansson (Marriage Story)
Saiorse Ronan (Little Women)
Charlize Theron (Bombshell)
Renee Zellweger (Judy)
Locks: Scarett Johansson, Saoirse Ronan, Renee Zellweger
Toss-ups: Awkwafina, Charlize Theron
Other contenders: Ana de Armas (Knives Out), Cynthia Erivo (Harriet), Lupita Ny'ongo (Us)
Best Supporting Actor:
Tom Hanks (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood)
Anthony Hopkins (The Two Popes)
Al Pacino (The Irishman)
Joe Pesci (The Irishman)
Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time in.. Hollywood)
Locks: Tom Hanks, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Brad Pitt
Toss-ups: Anthony Hopkins
Other contenders: Wilem Dafoe (The Lighthouse), Jamie Foxx (Just Mercy), Song Kang Ho (Parasite), Sam Rockwell (Jojo Rabbit)
Best Supporting Actress:
Laura Dern (Marriage Story)
Jennifer Lopez (Hustlers)
Florence Pugh (Little Women)
Margot Robbie (Bombshell)
Zao Sushsen (The Farewell)
Locks: Laura Dern, Jennifer Lopez
Toss-ups: Florence Pugh, Margot Robbie, Zao Sushen
Other contenders: Kathy Bates (Richard Jewell), Annette Bening (The Report), Scarlett Johansson (Jojo Rabbit), Nicole Kidman (Bombshell), Margot Robbie (Once Upon a Time in.. Hollywood)
Best Original Screenplay:
Booksmart
Knives Out
Marriage Story
Once Upon a Time in.. Hollywood
Parasite
Best Adapted Screenplay:
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women
The Two Popes
Best Animated Feature:
Frozen II
I Lost My Body
Klaus
Missing Link
Toy Story 4
Best International Feature:
Atlantics
Beanpole
Les Misérables
Pain and Glory
Parasite
Best Documentary Feature:
American Factory
Apollo 11
The Cave
For Sama
Honeyland
Best Cinematography:
1917
Ford v Ferrari
Joker
The Lighthouse
Once Upon a Time in.. Hollywood
Best Editing:
1917
Ford v Ferrari
The Irishman
Once Upon a Time in.. Hollywood
Parasite
Best Score:
1917
Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Best Original Song
"A Glass of Soju" (Parasite)
"I'm Gonna Love Me Again" (Rocketman)
"Into the Unknown" (Frozen II)
"Spirit" (The Lion King)
"Stand Up" (Harriet)
Best Costume Design:
Dolemite is My Name
Downton Abbey
Little Women
Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood
Rocketman
Best Makeup and Hairstyling:
Bombshell
Joker
Judy
Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood
Rocketman
Best Production Design:
1917
The Irishman
Little Women
Jojo Rabbit
Once Upon a Time in.. Hollywood
Best Sound Editing:
1917
Ad Astra
Avengers: Endgame
Ford v Ferrari
Rocketman
Best Sound Mixing:
1917
Ad Astra
Ford v Ferrari
Rocketman
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Best Visual Effects:
1917
Avengers: Endgame
The Irishman
The Lion King
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Best Animated Short:
Dcera (Daughter)
Hair Love
Kitbull
The Physics of Sorrow
Sister
Best Documentary Short:
After Maria
Fire in Paradise
Learning How to Skateboard in a Warzone
Stay Close
Walk Run Cha-Cha
Best Live Action Short:
A Sister
Brotherhood
Little Hands
The Neighbors' Widow
Refugee
Best Picture:
1917
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
Once Upon a Time in.. Hollywood
Parasite
Locks: 1917, The Irishman, Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood, Parasite
Toss-ups: Joker, Jojo Rabbit, Little Women, Marriage Story
Dark horse contenders: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Bombshell, The Farewell, Ford v Ferrari, Knives Out, Rocketman, The Two Popes
Best Director:
Greta Gerwig (Little Women)
Bong Joon-Ho (Parasite)
Sam Mendes (1917)
Martin Scorsese (The Irishman)
Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time in.. Hollywood)
Locks: Sam Mendes, Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino
Toss-ups: Greta Gerwig, Bong Joon-Ho
Other contenders: Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story), Todd Phillips (Joker), Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit), Lulu Wang (The Farewell)
Best Actor:
Leonardo DiCaprio (Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood)
Adam Driver (Marriage Story)
Taron Edgerton (Rocketman)
Joaquin Phoenix (Joker)
Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes)
Locks: Leonardo DiCaprio, Adam Driver, Joaquin Phoenix
Toss-ups: Taron Edgerton, Jonathan Pryce
Other contenders: Christian Bale (Ford v Ferrari), Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory), Roman Griffin Davis (Jojo Rabbit), Robert De Niro (The Irishman), Eddie Murphy (Dolemite is My Name), Adam Sandler (Uncut Gems)
Best Actress:
Awkwafina (The Farewell)
Scarlett Johansson (Marriage Story)
Saiorse Ronan (Little Women)
Charlize Theron (Bombshell)
Renee Zellweger (Judy)
Locks: Scarett Johansson, Saoirse Ronan, Renee Zellweger
Toss-ups: Awkwafina, Charlize Theron
Other contenders: Ana de Armas (Knives Out), Cynthia Erivo (Harriet), Lupita Ny'ongo (Us)
Best Supporting Actor:
Tom Hanks (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood)
Anthony Hopkins (The Two Popes)
Al Pacino (The Irishman)
Joe Pesci (The Irishman)
Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time in.. Hollywood)
Locks: Tom Hanks, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Brad Pitt
Toss-ups: Anthony Hopkins
Other contenders: Wilem Dafoe (The Lighthouse), Jamie Foxx (Just Mercy), Song Kang Ho (Parasite), Sam Rockwell (Jojo Rabbit)
Best Supporting Actress:
Laura Dern (Marriage Story)
Jennifer Lopez (Hustlers)
Florence Pugh (Little Women)
Margot Robbie (Bombshell)
Zao Sushsen (The Farewell)
Locks: Laura Dern, Jennifer Lopez
Toss-ups: Florence Pugh, Margot Robbie, Zao Sushen
Other contenders: Kathy Bates (Richard Jewell), Annette Bening (The Report), Scarlett Johansson (Jojo Rabbit), Nicole Kidman (Bombshell), Margot Robbie (Once Upon a Time in.. Hollywood)
Best Original Screenplay:
Booksmart
Knives Out
Marriage Story
Once Upon a Time in.. Hollywood
Parasite
Best Adapted Screenplay:
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women
The Two Popes
Best Animated Feature:
Frozen II
I Lost My Body
Klaus
Missing Link
Toy Story 4
Best International Feature:
Atlantics
Beanpole
Les Misérables
Pain and Glory
Parasite
Best Documentary Feature:
American Factory
Apollo 11
The Cave
For Sama
Honeyland
Best Cinematography:
1917
Ford v Ferrari
Joker
The Lighthouse
Once Upon a Time in.. Hollywood
Best Editing:
1917
Ford v Ferrari
The Irishman
Once Upon a Time in.. Hollywood
Parasite
Best Score:
1917
Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Best Original Song
"A Glass of Soju" (Parasite)
"I'm Gonna Love Me Again" (Rocketman)
"Into the Unknown" (Frozen II)
"Spirit" (The Lion King)
"Stand Up" (Harriet)
Best Costume Design:
Dolemite is My Name
Downton Abbey
Little Women
Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood
Rocketman
Best Makeup and Hairstyling:
Bombshell
Joker
Judy
Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood
Rocketman
Best Production Design:
1917
The Irishman
Little Women
Jojo Rabbit
Once Upon a Time in.. Hollywood
Best Sound Editing:
1917
Ad Astra
Avengers: Endgame
Ford v Ferrari
Rocketman
Best Sound Mixing:
1917
Ad Astra
Ford v Ferrari
Rocketman
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Best Visual Effects:
1917
Avengers: Endgame
The Irishman
The Lion King
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Best Animated Short:
Dcera (Daughter)
Hair Love
Kitbull
The Physics of Sorrow
Sister
Best Documentary Short:
After Maria
Fire in Paradise
Learning How to Skateboard in a Warzone
Stay Close
Walk Run Cha-Cha
Best Live Action Short:
A Sister
Brotherhood
Little Hands
The Neighbors' Widow
Refugee
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)