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29 December 2017

2017 in the Ground: Other Movie Stuff

We recounted our Top Movie Moments earlier today, but there's so many more superlatives we need to discuss. Let's get to it, then get the hell out of 2017!

Best Trailer of the Year:

I hardly ever watch movie trailers. I know enough about what is going to come out to usually form an opinion, and if there's something like Annihilation (2018) that I'm like "What the fuck is this weird shit?" then I'll watch it, but usually I'll just go to the theater or rent the shit. For the record, Annihilation should be a solid runner up. But there was one trailer I watched over and over and over again, and that was THOR: Ragnarok (2017), which was perfect, dastardly, sets some sincere stakes (and unfortunately gives away the best, and most marketed character reveal):



Also props to Atomic Blonde (2017), IT (2017), Infinity War (2018), Valerian and the City of Something Planets (2017), and Isle of Dogs (2018). I really loved the Run the Jewels use in Black Panther (2018) and the ruggedness of Michael B. Jordan, but kind of whatever on that, to be honest.

Best Soundtrack:

Let's call this the collective songs chosen to prop up a film. Now, solid contenders include Baby Driver (2017) for its perfect sync-up moments and heavy emphasis on music or Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) for pushing the same gimmick as its predecessor while finding its own niche. No flick, though, found such harmony and perfection in melding soundtrack to its period and tone as Atomic Blonde did while thumping through an onslaught of 80s Euro-trash hits, where each needle drop laid a beautiful sonic companion. I wouldn't go out and buy the soundtrack or even listen to it casually, but within the film, it's a golden supplement.

Best Score:

I listened to the Blade Runner 2049 (2017) score on loop while writing my excessively long take on the film and it became a part of my soul. I am totally going against the grain and saying this improves on Vangelis, who only plays one fucking note the whole movie. It's intimidating, beautiful, nostalgic, and futuristic, all an incredible feat.

As you can tell, I've been crying.
Actor of the Year:

When I was thinking about this I didn't even consider The Rock, even though he was in three huge (or trying to be huge movies - Fate of the Furious, Baywatch, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle). Has his star faded? Tom Holland showed up in movies big (Spider-Man: Homecoming) and small (Lost City of Z) that were both great. Hugh Jackman seemed to have a great year until no one cared about The Greatest Showman, and I was even thinking Adam Driver based on a ridiculous range between doofy (Logan Lucky) and dire (The Last Jedi).

None of these feel like 2017, though, right? Actor of the Year instead belongs to the newcomers - Daniel Kaluuya, Timothée Chalamet, Ansel Elgort, and Bill Skarsgard. These four are the faces of horror, romance, action, and uhh...clown horror respectively. The image of Kaluuya crying is the most iconic of 2017.

Actress of the Year:

I had a lot of internal debate over Actor of the year and decided to give it to the newcomers. There was no such inner monologue over Actress of the Year. The winner was clear, as is the overall actor who owned 2017: Gal Gadot.

My girl ate the last fry!
She was only in two films this year and played the same character in both, but this just felt like her year more than anything else. There were others like Nicole Kidman (The Beguiled, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Big Little Lies) and Saiorse Ronan (Lady Bird) who had some great years, but Gal just dominated. Other newcomers who are going to rock the hell out of our world for the next few years include Sofia Boutella, Ana de Armas, and Tiffany Haddish.

So, that's it, folks. Those are all your movie moments and other paraphernalia wrapped up in a bow. Do you agree with this nonsense? Does Dunkirk, Call Me By Your Name, Coco, The Disaster Artist, and The Big Sick deserve more credit? Sound off below!

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