The Best* of 2018
By Emery Snyder @leeroy711
What a wild year we’ve had. Especially if you’re like me and have spent an unhealthy amount of time following American politics. We’ve seen this country ramp up its adherence to tribalism amidst debates on gun control, immigration, media coverage, women’s rights, etc., etc., etc., And all of this is happening amid the most serious allegations ever levied against an executive administration. I’ll leave the majority of my political rants to my Facebook page but, I will say one thing. We live in a country that was founded upon the notion that the presumption of innocence is paramount in a free society. This presumption certainly does nothing to grease the wheels of justice. It’s a slow process. But the truth always comes out. So, I’ll remain patient and hopeful. In the meantime, our institutions, designed to serve as checks against overreach, are being constantly tested. And they are consistently working.
What a wild year we’ve had. Especially if you’re like me and have spent an unhealthy amount of time following American politics. We’ve seen this country ramp up its adherence to tribalism amidst debates on gun control, immigration, media coverage, women’s rights, etc., etc., etc., And all of this is happening amid the most serious allegations ever levied against an executive administration. I’ll leave the majority of my political rants to my Facebook page but, I will say one thing. We live in a country that was founded upon the notion that the presumption of innocence is paramount in a free society. This presumption certainly does nothing to grease the wheels of justice. It’s a slow process. But the truth always comes out. So, I’ll remain patient and hopeful. In the meantime, our institutions, designed to serve as checks against overreach, are being constantly tested. And they are consistently working.
It’s important to remember that along with voting and the media,
art is one of those institutions. Artforms like cinema, television and music
have the ability and responsibility to speak out. Empathy is the greatest tool
of storytelling. And the byproduct of empathy is the destruction of tribalism
and polarization. Nothing breaks down proverbial walls quicker than the ability
and willingness to look, listen and learn from those who differ from you. Lest
we forget, punk-rock and hip-hop were born of protest, mistrust and disenfranchisement.
These are the things that I’ve tried to keep in mind as I
consume and appreciate the movies, tv and music of our modern world. And 2018
proved to be a rewarding year, especially for me. I fell in love with hip-hop
music in ’93 and skateboarding in ’94. I spent many of my teenage hours skating
at a closed elementary school or various underground parking lots with
Gravediggaz or The Pharcyde on an old boombox providing the soundtrack. My love
for movies came later. Somehow, this year’s cinema seemed to fuse together
these three passions that informed my most informative years. We had three
films that centered around skateboarding and two films made by amazing hip-hop
recording artists. I have three teenage boys of my own now and this year has
given me the opportunity to bond with them over some really cool stuff. Overall,
2018 was a banner year and I’m very excited about the years to come. So, here’s
a glimpse into what I did, what I liked and what I loved.
Best* On-Air Television
Atlanta – Season 2 – FX
I think season one of this show was the most innovative and
unique thing on television. Season 2 did not disappoint at all. Triple threat,
Donald Glover has consistently shown his commitment to artistic
experimentalism. I think this is working out far better in his television career
than in his music as of late. So, I’m hoping that this ends up a long running
series.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – Season 13 – FX
I’ve heard some explain this season as a surprising turn for
a show that has always remained apolitical. I don’t see it that way. I feel that
this was the logical progression of a show that has kept its social commentary
on the more subversive side. This is a show that’s more engaged in the ‘long-con’
of wokeness. And “Mac’s Dance” is the most fitting completion of this thesis.
Stan Against Evil – Season 3 – IFC
I guess I was a lot less broken up about the cancellation of
Starz’s Ash Vs. The Evil Dead series. This show is the reason why. It’s a horror/comedy
series created by Dana Gould. It feels like it could have been the lovechild of
Matt Groening and Sam Raimi. John C. McGinley produces, and stars and his
character’s daughter Denise is played hilariously by Deborah Baker Jr. So, if
you feel like your life is less complete now that Ash has retired, check this
one out while it’s still around.
Best* Original Series by Streaming Network
Ozark – Netflix
This show may be kind of trashy, I’ll admit. And I’m not
really sure how any single one of the characters is still alive. But I guess
it’s my kind of trash. Julia Garner is someone to watch and I hope this trashy
show puts her on the map.
Castle Rock – Hulu
This wasn’t a perfect series by any stretch of the
imagination. I did however find it to be a very inventive use of a fictional
universe. Sissy Spacek and Bill Skarsgård both do great work.
The Core – Shudder
I know all my horror friends have been really into The Last
Drive-In. Admittedly, it’s a lot of fun. But if you’re into the genre, I can’t
really recommend The Core enough. It’s a half-hour long talk show hosted by
Mickey Keating that gives us in-depth interviews with a who’s who list of
horror scene movers and shakers. If you’ve ever wanted to get involved with the
finer details of making scary movies, there’s a ton of information to be
gleamed from this series. And it’s so much fun that it doesn’t even feel like
homework.
Best* Release on Home Video
Passion of Joan of Arc – The Criterion Collection
In recent years, we’ve seen more and more boutique home
video studios continue to step up their game. This is actually a great time to
be a collector. Because of streaming services, these home video studios are
catering much more specifically to collectors. Box sets and collector’s
editions with beautiful transfers and all sorts of neat special features have
been finding their way onto my shelf. Shout! Factory and its offshoot, Scream
Factory’s awesome collector’s edition releases of Joe Dante’s THE BURBS (’89)
and Bernard Rose’s CANDYMAN (’92) were both great. And I’m ever so grateful to
have seen so many films from my beloved Seijun Suzuki get Blu-ray releases from
Arrow over the past two years.
But still, with all of this taken into consideration, The
Criterion Collection remains the gold standard of physical media. And this was
a great year for their collectors. 2018 was the year that Criterion treated us
to a beautiful restoration of George A. Romero’s independent masterpiece, THE
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (’68). We also got Blu-ray upgrades to classics like
Welles’ THE MAGNIFICIENT AMBERSONS (’42), Schlesinger’s MIDNIGHT COWBOY (’69)
and Reiner’s THE PRINCESS BRIDE (’87). And of course, the release that most of
my contemporaries would put at the top of their list, the Ingmar Bergman’s
Cinema box set. Now don’t get me wrong, I love Bergman and this set is stacked
and gorgeous. But if I’m being honest, and I was in some sort of desert island
situation, I would use it as a floatation device, just so I could ensure that I
never have to live in a world without Carl Theodore Dreyer’s 1928 masterpiece.
I discovered this film on DVD when it was first released by
Criterion. I immediately fell in love. The expressionistic camerawork combined
with Renée Falconetti’s unforgettable performance creates what I believe to be
the pinnacle of silent cinema.
I was floored by it. And then around 2010, news came out
that Portishead’s Adrien Utley and Goldfrapp’s Will Gregory had collaborated on
an original score for the film. You see, the film had been thought lost to a
fire for about 60 years. And to the best of anyone’s knowledge, no
accompaniment was ever composed specifically for it in the 20’s. The DVD came
with an amazing piece called “Voices of Light” by Richard Einhorn. I love it
but I’m a huge Portishead fan from the mid 90’s and when news of this new score
came out, I was hyped. I was sure that a new edition of the film, updated to
Blu was just around the corner of the middle-of-the-month announcements of
upcoming titles by Criterion.
Eight years later…. I’m not sure what took so long but the
release is fantastic. It contains three different audio tracks, each one adds
something unique to the experience. There are great special features including
an especially nerdy, passionate and in-depth frame rate discussion. And the job
they did on the transfer is amazing, especially considering the state it was in
when the reel was found.
Best* Soundtrack/Score
LOWLIFE – Kreng
Do yourself a favor and put this on anytime you’re doing
some mundane chores around the house. It will make the whole experience very
intense and your clean kitchen will feel like much more of an accomplishment.
SORRY TO BOTHER YOU – The Coup
It had been a long time since I listened to The Coup’s Pick A Bigger Weapon. I threw it back
into my regular rotation earlier this year when I found out that the band’s
charismatic front man, Boots Riley had written and directed this new film. I
actually didn’t even know that they were still a group. This soundtrack
features guest vocals from Janelle Monáe, Killer Mike & E-40.
BLINDSPOTTING – Daveed Diggs & Rafael Casel
After watching the film, I’ve spent the last couple of
months listening non-stop to the double EP from Diggs and Casel…. I’m basically
from Oakland now.
Best* Original Films by Streaming Network
HOLD THE DARK – Directed by Jeremy Saulnier – Netflix
Jeremy Saulnier is quickly becoming one of my favorite
directors. I started watching his work when he became more widely known with
2013’s BLUE RUIN. As it turns out, BLUE RUIN is my least favorite of his work
thus far. GREEN ROOM is still my favorite film of 2015, so I was stoked to see
this one. He composes his shots in a very specific tone that you just don’t
find elsewhere. It’s thoughtful, meditative and slow but not in a clinical way.
Your patience will be rewarded.
APOSTLE – Directed by Gareth Evans – Netflix
About 20 minutes or so into the first RAID film, there is a
shot of a machete being pulled out from under a table. The angle of the shot,
the lighting and the deliberation of the action made me immediately think that
Gareth Evans should make a horror film. Maybe I like this one a little bit
extra just because it proved me right… Sorry, not sorry.
ROMA – Directed by Alfonso Cuarón – Netflix
Scroll down… More on this later…
MINDING THE GAP – Directed by Bing Liu – Hulu
Keep reading
Underseen & Underrated
THE NUN – Directed by Colin Hardy
The newest entry into the “Conjuring” universe has a 26% Rotten
Tomatoes score and a 5.5 on IMDB. I think it’s my 2nd favorite of
the series. This was much better than I had expected. I like the
atmosphere and the cinematography. There was a lot of jump scares, but they
paid off in the end. It was not your typical religious centric ghost story
where the scares play out in the background. The horror was much more in your
face and personal. It was more like a religious iconographic creature feature
in the same vein as Marion Baino’s DARK WATER (’93) or Michele Soavi’s THE
CHURCH (’89).
REVENGE – Directed by Coralie Fargeat
I'm not sure if you should say that this film subverts the
male gaze exactly. It was more like the intent was to flip the perspective
around to show us just how ugly the other side is. We men should take note and
be concerned if this how women see us.
LOWLIFE – Directed by Ryan Prows
This is a non-linear, Tarantino-esque underworld ultra-dark
comedy about a ring of sex slavery and black-market organ transplants. Mayhem
and hilarity ensue. This film features a lot of great practical effects and a
flawlessly cast ensemble of characters. I'm sure this movie has its faults. But
between its frenetic pacing and off-kiltered humor, you won't likely notice
them, at least the first time around. I'm sure I'll be revisiting this one in
the years to come and it's possible that it will grow on me even more.
DIRECTOR’S CUT – Directed by Adam Rifkin
This is probably the most meta film I've seen since Spike
Jonze's ADAPTATION (2002). This film actually constructs multiple artificial
4th walls, just to tear them down. I wrote a full
review when I caught it at the Phoenix
Film Festival earlier.
NOVEMBER – Directed by Rainer Sarnet
I’m not completely sure how to classify this
Estonian film. Is it a beautiful costume drama arthouse? Or, is this a bizarre midnight-movie
just waiting for its anointment into cult classic status. Most cult films do
not showcase such crisp, innovative and strikingly beautiful black and white
cinematography. But then again, most arthouse films don’t have this many oozing
fluids and fart sounds. It doesn’t matter. This flick works on both levels
quite well. Sit and watch it by yourself and marvel at the gorgeous scenery.
Double feature it with Ciro Guerra’s underappreciated masterpiece EMBRACE OF
THE SERPENT (’15). Or get some friends together and watch it with Lynch’s ERASERHEAD
(’77). Maybe the best course of action would be to triple feature these three
films, using NOVEMBER as the bridge between the two cinematic worlds. Either
way, see it. The most surprising thing about this film I found was the lack of
buzz around it. I can only assume this is because it’s thus far, fallen through
the cracks.
Best* Films
10. BLAKKKLANSMAN – Directed by Spike Lee
I’ve heard a lot of people call this film Spike Lee’s best
since 25th HOUR (’02). I guess I was the only one that loved CHI-RAQ
(’15)… But I digress… I’ve heard the critiques on this film and I understand
them. But I still really responded to it. It was timely and appropriate for our
current culture. There is a certain attitude that I always look for in Lee’s work.
I found it here in abundance.
9. THE FAVOURITE – Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
It’s been interesting to watch Lanthimos’ career over the
past decade. He came out of the box hot in 2009 with the critically acclaimed
DOGTOOTH. I wasn’t a big fan of that one, but I feel that since then, every
film has shown his craftsmanship progress. And as such, this turns out to be
his greatest technical accomplishment. Great performances have become a staple
for him since 2015’s THE LOBSTER so I wasn’t surprised to see such amazing work
from this film’s three leads. The visual style here is what surprised me. This
was the first time Lanthimos worked with cinematographer Robbie Ryan. I’ve been
keeping an eye on his work since John Maclean’s very underrated SLOW WEST (’15).
He also did great work in Andrea Arnold’s AMERICAN HONEY (’16). His work here
combined with the costumes and set design is what elevates this film in my
opinion. I’ll be very interested to see if they work together in the future.
8. MID90s – Directed by Jonah Hill
I’m actually surprised at this film’s somewhat lukewarm
reception. I feel like this one just reeks of blood, sweat and heart. If you
were a skater in the mid-90’s, you feel right at home in the world Hill
created. Before skate parks and video games, before Adidas and Nike began
exploiting the sport, being a skater, meant sharing water out of the gallon
jug, sitting around a broke-ass sofa at a skate shop watching videos, and a
healthy dose of trespassing. I took my 3 teenage boys to see this one and it
was like opening up a 20-year-old time capsule. It was one of the year’s most
honest films.
7. SORRY TO BOTHER YOU – Directed by Boots Riley
This is probably the best cinematic indictment of capitalism
since Robert Bresson’s L’ARGENT (’83). Riley relies on a healthy cocktail of
absurdism and magical realism to construct a social commentary on the slave trade
nature of an economy based on the almighty bottom line. Lakeith Stanfield and
Tessa Thompson are standouts here, but the film is full of great smaller rolls
by Danny Glover, Armie Hammer and Terry Crews. This is Boots Riley’s first film
and I haven’t heard whether he’s going to be working on anything in the future,
but I’ll be very intrigued if he does.
6. THE DEATH OF STALIN – Directed by Armando Iannucci
This
was my most anticipated release of the year and it certainly didn’t disappoint.
I’ve been a big fan of Iannucci since ‘09’s British comedy take on the lead up
to the Iraq invasion, IN THE LOOP. I’ve eaten up everything he’s put his name
on since then. He makes dark political humor. But then again, I think by
nature, any political comedy will always be dark. Because the context in which
the buffoonery takes place, will always have far reaching consequences.
Iannucci has always embraced this context and pushed it further than most
would. This may never get put on the same lists as Kubrick’s DR. STRANGELOVE
(’64) or Nichol’s CATCH 22 (’70). But I’m sure I’ll be revisiting it often.
5. ANNHILATION – Directed by Alex Garland
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, science
fiction has a very special place in my heart. When it’s done poorly, I tend to
take personal offence to it. This is not one of those time. It’s more
explorative than expositional. And that’s very refreshing. It’s not really
interested in making sure you have time to keep up. You just have to enjoy the
journey and try to figure it out later. This makes repeated viewings very
rewarding.
4. ROMA – Directed by Alfonso Cuarón
This was the prettiest film to look at in 2018. This isn’t
unique for the director of 06’s CHILDREN OF MEN or 13’s GRAVITY. The difference
is that prior to ROMA, I was always hesitant to give Cuarón the credit for
this. Cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki worked on both GRAVITY & CHILDREN
OF MEN and I’ve always considered their visual style to be more or less in his
wheelhouse. This film however, was shot by Cuarón himself and it’s beautiful.
It’s very deliberately paced and meditative. I think this is my favorite thing
about this movie. It rewards the patient viewer. Long shots that begin
abstract, slowly inform the audience with substance and context.
3. MINDING THE GAP – Directed by Bing Liu
This was my favorite documentary of the year. It’s an
absolutely harrowing look at the struggles of poverty, toxic masculinity and
the ascension into adulthood in a small impoverished Midwest town. It centers
around three friends who form a bond over skateboarding and it spans several
years. It was shot, edited and directed by one of the three, Bing Liu. This is
the epitome of personal filmmaking and I feel gracious to them for letting me
into their world.
2. FIRST REFORMED – Directed by Paul Schrader
Paul
Schrader once called Robert Bresson’s PICKPOCKET (’59), “the most influential
film in my creative life.” You can watch the interview on Criterion’s website here.
This knowledge has always informed by viewing of Scorsese’s TAXI DRIVER (’76).
His newest film however seemed to draw inspiration from a different Bresson
masterpiece, DIARY OF A COUNTRY PRIEST (’51). The messages explored here about
environmentalism and social responsibility are used magnificently as vehicles
to tell a tale that at its heart, is about the interconnection between faith
and human suffering. This is Ethan Hawke’s best* performance and I think the
best* performance of the year. I’m also very happy to see some filmmakers embracing
the 4:3 aspect ratio, when appropriate. It can be beautiful, especially when
our characters are looking to the heavens for answers.
1. BLINDSPOTTING – Directed by Carlos López Estrada
2018
was the year that Disney gave us a delightful sequel to a 1964 film that taught
us how “a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down”. But it was Carlos
Lopez Estrada’s feature debut that properly embodies this phrase. Hip-hop
artists, Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casel starred in and penned what turned out to
be the most provocative film about race in a year that certainly had no
shortage of provocation in the matter. While other films of the year did well
to speak out to more overt and institutionalized forms of bigotry, this one challenges
even the most “woke” of white “allies” (myself included). The friendship of
Collin and Miles can be seen as a stand-in for the relationship between POC in
this country and those of us who, in spite of best efforts, can never fully
appreciate the weight of another’s skin tone. This, along with and embroidered
into its take on police, gentrification and masculinity is the story’s
medicine. But that’s only the half of it. This also turned out to be one of
this year’s most entertaining, funniest and sweetest films. This, coupled with
the best* soundtrack of the year added at least a spoonful of sugar.
Best* Footnotes
* - “Best” is an entirely subjective term. Criticism is subjective and art is not a competition. Don’t @ me*.
* - I actually greatly appreciate constructive criticism. You can @ me if you want to*.
* - Please @ me.
