Showing posts with label Game Of Thrones. Show all posts

Sunday, January 8, 2017

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2016

The Great, The Good, and The Interesting!

The Handmaiden

Shortcut links:
BEST MOVIES: 2016
BEST DOCUMENTARIES: 2016
BEST TV: 2016

"And...Action!"

B E S T
M O V I E S :
2 0 1 6

T H I N K

-THE HANDMAIDEN (South Korea)
✭✭✭✭✭ ⇧
To what lengths will you go to escape constriction?
Director Park Chan-wook (SNOWPIERCER) transplants a victorian novel into Korea's occupation by Japan, crafting a chameleonic mystery from shifting perspectives. The film is gorgeous to watch, a pleasure to puzzle out, and faceted to rewatch.

-THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN
Hitchcock's themes of intrigue, identity, and perception get a refreshing makeover in this sharp and twisty film, led by the always impressive Emily Blunt.

-HELL OR HIGH WATER
A neo-western full of character and complexity, quietly charting the desperation of navigating a heartland betrayed by political greed.

-CAROL
The best love story of the year.
A gorgeous and subtle interpretation by Todd Haynes of Patricia Highsmith's brave 1952 book, alive with the chemistry of Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara.

-MOONLIGHT ⇧
Three stages of life for a boy seeking (hiding) his identity among the minefields of southern gang territories.
Naomie Harris steals it as the disintegrating mother.

-EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT/ El abrazo de la serpiente (Spain)
An alternate parallel to Conrad's "Heart Of Darkness" (and APOCALYPSE NOW), this B/W film follows two timelines down the Amazon on a surreal quest for enlightenment.

-HIDDEN FIGURES
Based on Margot Lee Shetterly's book, this true story unveils the neglected story of the three African-American female mathematicians who put NASA on course for the moon.

-VICTORIA (Germany)
Shot in one single continuous take, this film follows a young woman through the labyrinth of Berlin in an arc toward chaos.

-PATERSON
Jarmusch's quiet meditation on the errant, essential joys of the mundane.

-THE BIRTH OF A NATION ⇧
Down with all bigotry and repression, always.
A grand take on the life of Nat Turner, who rose up against slavery, this ever timely rebuke stars its co-writer/director, Nate Parker.

S M I L E

-GHOSTBUSTERS ⇧
I'm a fan of the original film since it came out.
This clever and reverent retelling does everything well that one did, while being often loopier, refreshingly less fratboy, and downright poignant at the end.

-MAGGIE'S PLAN
An indie character comedy more than it is an alternative rom-com, with improv zing, hilarious lines, and a crack cast.
Julianne Moore quietly swipes the second half from the leads.

-TONI ERDMANN (Germany)
Rebecca Miller's exploration of an estranged father and daughter is a gently swelling rollercoaster, by turns insanely long and rambling while sentimental, ambivalent, mischievous, and at times wildly absurd. And all the more real for it.

-FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS
Jenkins was a sincere and unintentionally ludicrous person, and in this biopic Meryl Streep transforms a fun romp into something more fragile and sweet at its heart.

D R E A M

-ROGUE ONE: A Star Wars Story
✭✭✭✭✭ ⇧
This prequel film's unexpected realism brings a new depth and intensity that, as a hardcore fan from the very beginning, overwhelmed me emotionally.
Rebel.

-ARRIVAL
This moody contemplation on the value of tolerance and communication is required viewing right now.

-MIDNIGHT SPECIAL
A familiar story made new again with mystery and surprises, sold by empathy and intelligence.

-STAR TREK BEYOND ⇧
✭✭✭✭✭

Here's why this fine film is severely underrated.

When the original Star Trek series ended too soon after three seasons in spring 1969, fans longed for an expansion of the five year mission. In the early '70s, as syndicated reruns unified its faithful base, the fans took control: they wrote original books for Bantam, drafted blueprints, charted out Federation histories, and created the first massive Trek conventions along with costume competitions. At the heart of this was one unifying goal: to finish the mission, but - in the wake of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY and the Dune books- with a more expansive scope and a deeper ensemble character approach.

This popular groundswell led to the Animated Series (1973-1974), which did just that: the series is valuable because it expande the visual palette and scope, while deepening details about the characters (Spock's past; the name Tiberius), and Alan Dean Foster's book adaptions amplified those even further. Fandom had defined the pattern going forward; there would now follow a cycle of new Star Treks expanding the mythos with a more ensemble approach.

Look at how that underlying thread governs what followed. The STAR TREK films (1979-1991) reunited the original crew in adventures with scope (STAR TREK 1) and ensemble depth (STAR TREK III and IV). And new TV shows continued weaving this pattern, expanding the general mythos with new casts: Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987), Deep Space Nine (1993), Voyager (1995), and the shamefully-underappreciated prequel Enterprise (2001).

These are all valuable on their own merits, but they are actually alternate surrogates for the original goal without specifically being that goal: finishing the original mission with the original crew in deeper, wider dimensions. This is because of the passage of time. The first films start a decade after the show, and the original cast had matured while new tech and fashion styles transformed their world; they are the same, but it feels like being somewhere else. Once you change casts for the new shows, that subliminal gulf grows larger. The quiet truth, often unspoken, is that we watch and enjoy all these for themselves, while underneath wishing that we were seeing the 1969 and 1970 seasons that never came.

(Now, with the means of production more readily at hand, many fan-made productions have actually attempted to do just that, but without official sanction.)

It took J.J. Abrams' recent reboot films to bring this cycle officially full-circle. Now we have the original setting and a reset for new possibilities in the original mission. Audiences were won over by the sheer energy of the first film (2009), but some were woefully less appreciative of the better, focused sequel (2013). And with STAR WARS ascendent on a golden return, this third film didn't get enough play from any side. That's a mistake, from the film execs who bungled the marketing during Trek's 50th anniversary, to the blasé mehs who came too late without enough total context for appreciation.

Writer/actor Simon Pegg has done what we've waited four decades for. Sure, it's rollicking fun and there are familiar themes and clever easter eggs celebrating the entire history of the franchise. But the real triumph of the film is that a fan has become a pro who fulfilled the initial dream: this is the original characters in their period styles, on the original mission, but in expansive scope, as a truly interactive ensemble. That exact combination hasn't really happened before in live action, and it's what we've all waited for since 1969. It's easy to miss that distinction, after decades of so many versions, but it is the crucial difference. The first reboot film may've set the universe, the second set the ship, but the third film gives us the fuller possibilities of the original team on the actual original mission itself. Instead of another Kirk/Spock film with the cast careening around their orbit, this time the bridge crew become a family when everything else is gone but their mission and their connection. Seeing Kirk on a planet again with Checkov, or Spock and McCoy bonding in a cave, isn't just a flashback, it's releasing the pause button on the original series to at last flash forward with untapped possibilities. This isn't nostalgia... it's new life.

Thank you, Simon, from someone who came the whole way. You've boldly gone where all of us really wanted to go.

N I G H T M A R E

-THE WITCH ⇧
This film is completely riveting simply as one of the finest character dramas of the year.

-10 CLOVERFIELD LANE
Like The Twilight Zone, producer J.J. Abrams uses the name 'Cloverfield' as an anthology for trying edgy ideas.
This is another solid character drama built on tension and paranoia, with askew turns.

-I AM THE PRETTY THING THAT LIVES IN THE HOUSE
Like a Shirley Jackson story in spirit (and title), this well-crafted quiet burn builds on the spartan shots and tense score of the Perkins brothers.

G R A P H I C
I M A G E S

I review and do original illustrations of
Comics-based films for the review site,
Four Color Films.

-DOCTOR STRANGE ⇧
> Four Color Films review
Even amid the most astounding visuals and wildest concepts, the film stays consistently grounded with character interplay and gentle humor, always staying clear while flowing fast.
This excellently made film is one of Marvel's best, accessible to all while being everything that a fan could have hoped for.

-CAPTAIN AMERICA 3: CIVIL WAR
The Cap films excel on character build grounded in espionage action.
Even amid a maelstrom of guests, Cap's ethical center holds this marvelous film taut and true.

Underrated, Dept.:
-X-MEN 6: APOCALYPSE
The previous film X5 was pure greatness, so this generally good film with minor flaws got unfairly thrashed.
It's still a good film regardless, unlike certain other truly terrible hero films this year that thoroughly deserve that scorn instead.

See Also:
> Four Color Films,
THE Comic Movies Review Site!

A R T F L I X

-KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS ⇧
A spellbindingly beautiful film from Laika (CORALINE), this hand-animated period Japanese parable is a complete charmer.

-FINDING DORY
The flashbacks of adorable baby Dory lift this Pixar frantic antic to full crest.

-MISS HOKUSAI (Japan)
Beautiful to see, while strangely uneven in story and score.

-ZOOTOPIA
This could have been one of those CG clatter films that get fobbed off on family audiences, but it instead proves to be a smart and timely allegory about diversity and acceptance.

-APRIL AND THE EXTRAORDINARY WORLD ⇧(France)
Deftly capturing Jacques Tardi's art style ("The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec"), this sly and quicksilver steampunk opus is -like Tardi- cheeky, inventive, and a bit bent.

TV:
-STAR WARS: REBELS
The Star Wars: Clone Wars animated series had all the strengths and weaknesses of the prequel films, expanded.
But Rebels has all the strengths of the original 1977 film in style, tone, and wonderful McQuarrie art aesthetic.
This is the show you've been looking for.

B E S T
D O C U M E N T A R I E S :
2 0 1 6

-THE BEATLES: Eight Days A Week ⇧
Ron Howard's loving documentary follows the greatest band of all time performing live, from their early tours to their final 1966 bow-out.

-MISS SHARON JONES!
A fine celebration of Soul renaissance leader Sharon Jones in concert with her band, the Dap-Kings.
Rest In Power.

-SOUNDBREAKING
PBS' terrific mini-series about how pop music has been consistently revolutionized by studio wizardry.

-GIMME DANGER
Jim Jarmusch's excellent documentary on The Stooges will have you pumping fists and writhing floors.

-HIP HOP EVOLUTION ⇧(mini-series)
A fine overview and primer to the history of Hip Hop, from its fledgling 1973 beginnings to the worldwide industry it has become. Groundbreaking music, guests galore, and laughs and insights.
(See also: The Get Down TV series)

-13TH
From Ava DuVernay (SELMA) comes this blistering indictment of the prison system as the extension of slavery.

-ELSTREE 1976
A fun and interesting doc following the experiences of the supporting players and extras from the original STAR WARS.

-FOR THE LOVE OF SPOCK
A touching rumination on the impact of Leonard Nimoy and his universal counterpart.

B E S T
T V :
2 0 1 6

(The season number follows each title.)

D R A M A

-RECTIFY ⇧ 4
✭✭✭✭✭
The best character show on television comes to a graceful finale.

-BETTER CALL SAUL 2
✭✭✭✭✭
The other best character show on television grows deeper with the stealth ascent of Kim.

-MR. ROBOT 2
Morphing past its influences (V FOR VENDETTA, AMERICAN PSYCHO, FIGHT CLUB), the cinema-level series comes into its own as a harrowing and brutally honest psychological thriller and political wake-up call.

-MASTERS OF SEX 4
A fine closer, rich with character and nuance, by one of TV's best and most underrated series.

-THE NIGHT OF Maxi-series
A devastating critique of the American justice system and entrenched bigotry.
Riz Ahmed shines.

-ROOTS Maxi-series
Alex Haley's pivotal classic about his family history gets adapted again into a new mini-series.

W O N D E R

-WESTWORLD ⇧ 1
All the rich potential of Michael Crichton's original 1973 film comes to full fruition in this masterful and complex epic.

-THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE 2
Based on Phillp K. Dick's book, this alternate history warns us against an America taken over by Fascism.
But, in the real world, ... it's too late.

-12 MONKEYS 2
A time-travel show that turns itself inside out like silly putty should have fallen apart by now, and yet it streams along stronger than ever.

-GAME OF THRONES 6
The tipping point becomes drastic and deadly unilaterally. Everything is landsliding toward the epilogue.

-COLONY 1
Few alien-invasion shows have ever held me, but this one does with character, action, and jolts.

-INCORPORATED 1
This parable about a future Corporate dystopia is exactly about right now.
Resist.

-MARS 1
A mix of a current Space technology documentary with a fictional future Mars colonization drama that somehow works well and inspires.

-3% ⇧ (Brazil) 1 >Netflix
Potentially the new LOST, with a rich scenario and moving character flashbacks, set in a dystopia where the poor compete to be the 3% allowed to a promised paradise.

-THE OA ⇧ 1 >Netflix
Brit Marling (ANOTHER EARTH) returns to co-write/co-produce/star in this outrageously ambitious mindbender.
Brit is another SciFi fan turned pro producing thoughtful and adventurous work who deserves our support.

Good:
-THE EXPANSE 1
High marks for the plot and scope, but lukewarm results with the characters.

H O R R O R

-STRANGER THINGS ⇧ 1 >Netflix
The delightful suprise of the year, this homage to early '80s Lucas/Spielberg/Carpenter films is a timeless blast.

-THE X-FILES 10
A mini-series reunion, with six episodes in each of the series' narrative styles.
(After all this time, I finally realized I mainly love the funny ones.)

-THE MAGICIANS 1
It's a coin toss. The plot intricacy and breadth is impressive, but the obnoxious cast and cruel shocks are abrasive.

U K

-OUTLANDER ⇧ 2
One of the finest shows being made only gets grander and deeper in its lateral move to France.
No mere time travel story or romance novel, this intensely nuanced character play is energized by the most fully realized and believable love story on the screen.

-HUMANS 2
A terrific remake of the great Swedish Äkta människor/ Real Humans that only improves it.

-ORPHAN BLACK (Canada/BBC) 4
Tatiana Maslaney. Nuff said.

-BLACK MIRROR 3 >Netflix
The chilling anthology show forecasting the unintended repercussions of current tech returns, as satirical and prescient as ever.

-DOCTOR WHO (Christmas Special)
A loving homage to comic superheroes (particularly Supes and Bats), surprisingly canny within thrifty time, with a charming standout performance by the 'lois', Lucy (Charity Wakefield).

-CLASS ⇧ 1
This loose Doctor Who spin-off could have been a formula CW-style teen scarefest, but great lines, rending moments, and the mesmerizingly arch charm of the alien Quill (Katherine Kelly) lift it above.

-CRAZYHEAD ⇧ 1 >Netflix
From the typically bonkers and sacrilegious creator of Misfits comes the hilarious saga of two London women kicking some demon ass.

H E R O E S

-DAREDEVIL ⇧ 2 >Netflix
The past was prelude, and the red devil rises in this impeccable adaptation of the arrival of Elektra.
We've waited three decades for this to be done right, and -with the pitch-perfect casting of Élodie Yung- they nail it.

-LUKE CAGE 1 >Netflix
Reeling from the events of Jessica Jones 1, our man does his soul-searching in Harlem.
A celebratory ode to African American history with themes and shout-outs galore, fueled by a letter-perfect funksploitation soundtrack by Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad.

-AGENT CARTER 2
Hayley Atwell does one last series turn as '40s superspy Peggy Carter, the mother of S.H.I.E.L.D.

-AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. 4
The show turns edgier and more surreal, charting out the supranatural aspects of the Marvel universe, with a fiery debut by the new Ghost Rider.

-SLINGSHOT 4
This Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. webseries spin-off focuses on Yo-Yo Rodriguez, the Columbian dervish who'll snap your head back.

The pleasure of the DC/Berlanti-verse shows is seeing the Silver Age Of Comics come to life. As a desperately needed antidote to the dour Snyder-verse films, any formula loops, teenie focus, or dumb missteps involved are forgiven in the fun of it all.:
-SUPERGIRL 2
Martian Manhunter. Miss Martian. Lynda Carter!
-THE FLASH 3
Kid Flash. Earth 3.
-ARROW 5
Mr. Terrific. Ragman.
-LEGENDS OF TOMORROW 2
The Justice Society of America. The Legion Of Doom. Vixen.

See Also:
> Four Color Films,
THE Comic Movies Review Site!

D E T E C T I V E S

-ELEMENTARY ⇧ 5
The fun of this stealth alternate to Sherlock is its gleefully serpentine mysteries, dry social satire, and the impish chemistry of Holmes and Joan Watson.

-SHERLOCK ⇧ (Christmas Special)
A standalone set in the classic Victorian era, this feminist manifesto strikes a timeless blow against repression.

-HAPPY VALLEY (UK) 2 >Netflix
Creator Sally Wainwright is at the top of her game.
Star Sarah Lancashire's performance in Episode 3 alone is the equal of any awards nominee.

-THE FALL (UK) 3 >Netflix
The trilogy of Gillian Anderson's relentless hunt for a serial killer reaches its vital and wrenching finale.

-RIPPER STREET (UK) 4, 5
Against all odds, the unsung White Chapel coppers get two more seasons of grit, wit, and writs.
Unafraid to take perverse risks at every turn, and pulls them off regardless.

C O M E D Y

-THE GET DOWN ⇧ 1
Baz Luhrmann's stunningly operatic fantasy about the rise of Hip Hop in the 1977 South Bronx is an absolute Must-See.

-BROAD CITY 3
The crazed Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson kick all the butt.

-CHEWING GUM ⇧ (UK) 1
Michaela Coel unreels her lunatic farces like she's determined to burn it all down cackling.

-ATLANTA ⇧ 1
Besides being sharply hilarious, Donald Glover's acerbic slant on the southern Rap scene is often incisive and moving.

-PEOPLE OF EARTH ⇧ 1
This show is so funny that you'll miss half of the great lines from laughing over them.

-THE GOOD PLACE 1
Absurdism in the Afterlife.

© Tym Stevens

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2015

The Great, The Good, and The Interesting!

Rey, the new star of
S T A R
W A R S !

Shortcut links:
• BEST MOVIES: 2015
• BEST DOCUMENTARIES: 2015
• BEST TV: 2015

Note: This will often spotlight directors for special merit.
But Auteur Theory is a shoebox; films are a collaborative effort with everyone involved.

"And... Action!"

B E S T
M O V I E S :
2 0 1 5

T H I N K

✭✭✭✭✭
• SELMA ⇧
Ava DuVernay's timeless reminder of the Civil Rights struggle is universally invaluable.
David Oyelowo is in fine form as the human and humane Dr. King.

• MR. HOLMES ⇧
Ian McKellan as Sherlock Holmes.
That should be enough, but clever inversions and nimble drama round it out.

• LOVE AND MERCY ⇧
A moving biopic of Brian Wilson's musical triumphs and spiritual tragedies.
The period details are excellent, and the recording of Pet Sounds is worth the admission alone.

• SUFFRAGETTE ⇧
A strong docudrama of a young woman's rise from servant to rebel in the original Feminist revolution.
Carey Mulligan and Helena Bonham Carter.

• THE KEEPING ROOM ⇧
Brit Marling leads a trio of women trying to survive the end of the Civil War.

• A MOST VIOLENT YEAR
The best movie 1974 didn't make. An understated and perfect homage to New Hollywood crime dramas.
Oscar Isaac channels his best Pacino beside an iron Jessica Chastain.

• SPOTLIGHT
A true story of a terrible social crime exposed by actual journalism (remember that?).
Plays like a relentless thriller propelled by a crack ensemble cast.

• BROOKLYN
The best love story of the year.
Saoirse Ronan builds a bridge between old world Ireland and new world NYC in this thoughful and genuinely heartwarming dramedy.

• HIGH-RISE
J.G. Ballard's brutal satirical novel of classism descending into chaos, shot in full-on A CLOCKWORK ORANGE mode.

Most Valuable Player, Dept.:
Oscar Isaac
Like Jessica Chastain, Oscar Isaac is becoming ubiquitous as the go-to actor.

After breaking through in the Coen Brothers' INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS (2013), with fine singing and guitar playing no less, Oscar's star is on the rise. This year he was the amiably conceited creator in EX MACHINA; the ethical man trying not to slip in A MOST VIOLENT YEAR; the accidental crusader in HBO's intense mini-series SHOW ME A HERO (from the creator of 'The Wire'); and he ended on a high note as the best rebel pilot in the galaxy in STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS.

S M I L E

• TANGERINE ⇧
Two untrained transexual actors shot by three iPhone cameras in the L.A. streets equals ludicrous magic.

• WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS (New Zealand) ⇧
Twisted slapstick in a vampire mockumentary full of laughs.

• PEOPLE PLACES THINGS ⇧
A smart antidote to rom-coms, with fresh angles and Jemaine Clement (Flight Of The Conchords).

D R E A M

Proper Star Wars art by Drew Struzan.

✭✭✭✭✭
• STAR WARS: The Force Awakens ⇧
A wonder and a blessing, perhaps the finest Star Wars film yet made.
Rey and Finn are terrific new leads for the future.

• EX MACHINA ⇧
A clockwork rose.
A smart character film with turns that reward multiple viewings.

• MAD MAX: FURY ROAD ⇧
THE ROAD WARRIOR was the best, and this is ten times better.
An epic completely grounded in empathy, swiped by true star Charlize Theron as Furiosa.

• TOMORROWLAND ⇧
Pessimism is passe, optimism takes real courage.
This smart, inspired film makes a fine case for the power of the positive.

• THE MARTIAN
Robinson Crusoe on Mars.
Ridley Scott brings us a gripping thriller with a sharp cast.

• SPECTRE ⇧
The Daniel Craig films are a perfect prequel arc of the origins of Bond.
And they've rebuilt him better for the future.

Underrated, Dept.:

• TERMINATOR: Genisys
The first hour's re-evocation of the first film is amazing.
A more proper substitute as the third film to a trilogy.

• SYNCHRONICITY
A solid time travel film, with enough turns to keep you alert or surprised.

N I G H T M A R E

• CRIMSON PEAK ⇧
Guillermo Del Toro's gorgeous gothic romance where craft is the star.
Like a Poe or James story filmed by Powell and Pressburger (à la BLACK NARCISSUS, THE RED SHOES).

• IT FOLLOWS
Like the best indie horror film John Carpenter didn't make in 1979.
Straightforward suspense with quietly layered subtext.

• FELT
A touching and disturbing indie film, and conceptual cousin to REPULSION (1965).

G R A P H I C
I M A G E S

I review and do original illustrations of
Comics-based films for the review site,
Four Color Films.

• AVENGERS 2: AGE OF ULTRON ⇧
More ambitous even than the first, and more richly rewarding to the attentive.
The leads do well, but the non-solo-film characters grow and shine here.
All hail Joss Whedon!

• ANT-MAN ⇧
A fun romp better than anyone expected.
A Wasp-centered sequel promises even better.

• THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL ⇧
> Four Color Films review
Phoebe Gloeckner's acclaimed graphic novels > become an inspired and poignant dramedy.

See Also:
> Four Color Films,
THE Comic Movies Review Site!

A R T F L I X

• INSIDE OUT ⇧
Pixar makes films for adults who remember the wonder of childhood.
This navigation of the emotions is a profound guide for all ages.

• THE GOOD DINOSAUR
Pixar.

• WHEN MARNIE WAS THERE (Japan, 2014; English dub, 2015) ⇧
From Studio Ghibli; Yonebayashi channels Miyazaki's pastoral nostalgia with Takahata's emotional edge.
A moving and surprising story beautifully rendered.

• ANAMOLISA ⇧
An innovative and game-changing stop animation film that plays as a fine indie character dramedy.

B E S T
D O C U M E N T A R I E S :
2 0 1 5

• MONTAGE OF HECK ⇧
The secret life and creations of Kurt Cobain.

• MR. DYNAMITE
A solid overview of James Brown and a nice companion piece to last year's biopic, GET ON UP.

• SONIC HIGHWAYS
Dave Grohl's profiles of key studios and music scenes is required learning.
The Washington DC episode covering Trouble Funk and Go-Go, and Punk and Dischord Records, is essential.

• THE WRECKING CREW
From the late '50s to mid-'70s, one session crew played on all of your favorite Pop songs.
Illuminating and heartfelt.

• DESPITE THE GODS
Jennifer Chambers Lynch fought the impossible to make a sabotaged film, and this behind-the-scenes documentary referees the struggle.

• SUFFRAGETTES FOREVER! The Story of Women and Power (UK)
Ever-timely and needed mini-series on the original Feminist empowerment struggles.

• THE BLACK PANTHERS: Vanguard of the Revolution
All Power To The People!

• HE NAMED ME MALALA
The betrayla and rise of Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai.

• GOING CLEAR
An expose on the machinations of the Church Of Scientololgy.

B E S T
T V :
2 0 1 5

(The season number follows each title.)

D R A M A

✭✭✭✭✭
• RECTIFY 3 ⇧
Still television's best and most unknown drama.
As true a grasp of being human as can be found on the screen.

✭✭✭✭✭
• BETTER CALL SAUL 1 ⇧
With quiet, assured grace this prequel to Breaking Bad paves a new path and style.
The story of "Saul" is touching and surprising at every turn.

• FARGO 2
The ambitious second season is a stunner, at times breathtaking in its sharp skill.
This 1979 prequel arc homages much of the Coen canon, along with curveball surprises.

• MASTERS OF SEX 3
When Masters And Johnson's 1965 published findings liberated the mainstream.

• SHOW ME A HERO (HBO mini-series)
A true drama about civil rights struggles in late-'80s Yonkers.
Oscar Isaac shines in a project by Wire creator David Simon.

• MR. ROBOT ⇧
That time Palahnuik, Easton Ellis, Moore, and Dick wrote a jam session to destroy our corporate overlords.
Or as close to it as a gleefully seditious show can get.
(Or corporate-owned cable network will allow.)

W O N D E R

• THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE 1 ⇧
Philip K. Dick's celebrated novella about an alternate world where the Nazis won is adapted into a riveting series with finely-etched characters.

• GAME OF THRONES 5 ⇧
Serious tumult and turnover as the series hinges toward the endgame.

• SENSE8 1 ⇧
The Wachowskis drop the expensive FX of JUPITER ASCENDING for pure character and action.
A gestalt group of international players turn communion and boundaries inside out.

• 12 MONKEYS 1
In which more good mileage is twisted out of Gilliam's film scenario than one could expect.

• THE WIZ (live special)
A new staging for the 40th anniversary of the urban Wizard Of Oz musical.

• CHILDHOOD'S END (mini-series)

Good:
• DARK MATTER
• KILJOYS
Okay, they're not Firefly, but they're enjoyable fun.

H O R R O R

• FORTITUDE 1 ⇧
A strangely brave show set in an eerie arctic that's almost an alien world.
The first half is a brilliant mystery procedural... and the second half goes intrepidly bent.
Spellbinding and startling.

• HANNIBAL 3 ⇧
The prequel reaches its crescendo adapting "Red Dragon".
Like a surreal fever dream too entrancing and horrid to look away from.

• THE RETURNED (U.S.) 1
A solid remake of the French "Les Revenants", nearly obsessive in its exactness, before forking to a new path at the end. But it was cancelled.

• LES REVENANTS/ The Returned (France) 2
At last, the delayed second season of the French original rebounds and expands on the mystery and promise of the resurrected.

• ASH vs. EVIL DEAD 1
Hilarious fun that balances horror and slapstick.
Bruce Campbell is almost effortlessly great with crazy lines.

U K

• OUTLANDER 1.2 ⇧
The intimate GAME OF THRONES, more fleet and personal.
With one of the most exponentially hateable villains ever created.

• DOCTOR WHO 9 ⇧
An evenly paced season that builds to a brilliant send-off for Jenna Coleman.
And Peter Capaldi is more assured and fun than ever.

• HUMANS 1 ⇧
A terrific remake of the Swedish "Äkta människor/ Real Humans" that only improves it.
This series streamlines the strengths into a more unified, surprising whole.

• ORPHAN BLACK (Canada/BBC) 3 ⇧
Tatiana Maslaney. The chameleon actor schools us in how its done so well that the plots seem like loose frameworks for the fun.

• PENNY DREADFUL 2
Eva Green. The League Of Extraordinary Coincidence takes on black magic, and pays a heavy toll.

• JONATHAN STRANGE & MR. NORRELL (mini-series)
Excellent adaption of Susanna Clarke's book, bringing vivid life to an alternate 19th century London where magic exists.

Good:
• JEKYLL & HYDE 1
Crazed pulp fun with a crack cast clearly enjoying themselves.

• THE FRANKENSTEIN CHRONICLES 1
Sean Bean. An interesting take on fiction distorting 19th century reality in the wake of Shelley's book.

H E R O E S

We're in a golden era of superheroes onscreen. This is actually the screen catching up late to comics revolutions that already happened on the page.

Every decade had comics renaissances that improved the maturity, craft, range, and credibility of the genre. Networked by comic shop outlets, the '80s sparked indie revolts like American Flagg, Love And Rockets, The Rocketeer, and Starstruck.

DAREDEVIL (1981),
by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson.

The two majors noticed. Marvel rebuilt their cred in the early '80s on Frank Miller's brutally noir take on Daredevil (and DC partially with Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.); stripped, adult, harsh, hardboiled, haunted.

DAREDEVIL (2001),
by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev.

In the 2000's, writer Brian Michael Bendis revamped Daredevil in Tarantino terms with cinematic art by Alex Maleev and David Mack, pooling a loose collective of Hell's Kitchen defenders who were decidedly human and R-rated: Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, etc.

ALIAS (2001),
the Jessica Jones series by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gayros.

If upbeat mainstream shows like Flash, Arrow, and Supergirl echo classic mainstream comics, then the Netflix adaptions of Daredevil and Jessica Jones directly reflect the hard R comics of Miller and Bendis, down to the story arcs, the dialogue, the visual style, the adult tone, the credits, and the ad art.

The revolution is televised because it was already won in print.

• DAREDEVIL 1
An exact blending of Miller's template with Bendis' expansions, this bonejarring noir is the best Batman show never made.
Just as Miller's comics matured the medium, this streetwise series (and Christopher Nolan) reset the bar for adult comics on the screen.

• JESSICA JONES 1
Just as Bendis leveraged the momentum of Miller, this series raises the gravity and power razed by the companion Daredevil series.
Based on Bendis and Gaydos' adult-oriented Alias comic, the character drama tackled anger, pain, and loss to universal acclaim.

• AGENT CARTER 1 ⇧
Hayley Atwell gets the star vehicle she deserves as '40s superspy Peggy Carter, mother of S.H.I.E.L.D.

• AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. 3.1
All the setups pay off in this turbocharged, twisty season.
With more to come.

• POWERS 1
A pretty good take on Oeming/Bendis' comics, that catches fire when Eddie Izzard and Michelle Forbes appear.

• THE FLASH 2.1
The Multiverse begins, bringing the DC mythos to mainstream success.

• ARROW 4.1
More magic, more fun, and a good group collective against a mercurial villain.

• SUPERGIRL 1.1 ⇧
The Kryptonian we need, all positive hope and ethics!

• CONSTANTINE 1
John Constantine, as he was intended, briefly invades normal airwaves for a season.
Generally sharp with some great highs.

• VIXEN
The online cartoon companion to The Flash and Arrow, starring African superhero Vixen.

D E T E C T I V E S

• AMERICAN CRIME 1 ⇧
Oscar-winner John Ripley (12 YEARS A SLAVE) crafts what could be The Wire for mainstream TV.
Amidst our reductive kneejerk era, this carefully nuanced anthology instead covers all angles, quietly exposing all the false divisions that suffocate empathy and humanity.

• FARGO 2
Ambitious, intricate, arresting.

• BROADCHURCH 2
The first season was great, but the second is better, wringing unexpected dramatic gold with the aftermath of the murderer's trial.

• ELEMENTARY 4.1
Enter Holmes' father, and an even stronger focus.
Sherlock gets all the attention, but this underprized series continues to shine on its own.

• TRUE DETECTIVE 2
The genre anthology moves from Southern Gothic to Neo-Noir, subtly tracing by oblique angles the secret cabal that runs things.
Less quotable and clear, sure, but much more complex and daring.
Rachel McAdams, playing against type, was especially terrific.

C O M E D Y

• ASH vs. EVIL DEAD 1 ⇧
Some of the funniest lines and most demented actions on the screen.

• BROAD CITY 2
Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson go more brazen crazin', and it's too late to stop them.

• MASTER OF NONE 1
Aziz Ansari.

• UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT 1
Ellie Kemper and Jane Krakowski, via Tina Fey.

• MAN SEEKING WOMAN 1
Absurdist.

© Tym Stevens

Sunday, January 8, 2017

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2016

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2015

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