Although 2017 was filled a lot of great anime, it also produced a lot of stinkers. Some titles were worse than others. It’s now time to look at the 10 worst animes to come out in the year of rooster.
1Handshakers
Few shows offer absolutely no redeeming factors from watching them. At the very least you get a catchy song, a cute character, or at least some element which makes you won’t regret wasting your time on it. Handshakers is one of the times where there is nothing to take away from it. Full review is here but as a reminder: The CGI animation is beyond distracting to the throw point the series is ugly. A halfway feasible magical concept of holding hands grants powers is dragged down to the point of obnoxious. Not to mention the main female character has the personality of a plank of wood. By offering absolutely nothing to enjoy, this series easily found a way to become the worst show of the year.
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What did you think was the worst anime of 2017? Leave a comment below and let us know.
As the year winds down and we take a look at all the movies we’ve seen in 2017, it’s hard to narrow down the top five cinematic moments because there have been so many great moments on screen. Whose to say that final gunfight Wind River shouldn’t be on this list. Should I have included the scene from Thor: Ragnarok where Loki realizes that the Hulk is still alive? While it goes without saying this list like anything else is subjective, here’s my top five cinematic moments from the past year.
Honorable Mention – Wonder Woman No Mans Land Scene
Who didn’t get goosebumps as Diana (Gal Gadot) crossed No Mans Land much to the astonishment of Steve (Chris Pine) and a whole battalion of British Soldiers? It was a fantastic moment and quite an empowering moment for all the little girls in the audience. Check it out!
5. The Opening Chase Sequence In Baby Driver
The opening six minutes of Baby Driver has one of the greatest chase sequences that I’ve ever seen. This sequence sets the tone for the entire film and showcases the directorial talent of Edgar Wright. Check it out below.
4. Father and Son Moment In Call Me By Your Name
There’s a scene where Elio Perlman (Timothée Chalamet) and Mr. Perlman (Micheal Stuhlbarg) on the couch and the discussion of love comes up. This is, of course just after we learn that Oliver (Armie Hammer) is heading home after a whirlwind summer romance. Without giving too much away, let’s just say in a single statement we are witness to one of the most potent elements of love is acceptance. This trailer alone should persuade you to see the film.
3. The Sunken Place From Get Out
Many would be hard-pressed to find a movie that makes the kind of social statement that Get Out does. While many critics point to the scene where the African American gentleman is running across the lawn as being a standout moment, there’s another moment that stood out more in my opinion. Catherine Keener’s scene with Daniel Kaluuya in the living room where Chris is sent to the Sunken Place for the first time was both poignant and powerful as well. Check it out for yourself.
2. The Opening Scene In Lady Bird
The first three minutes of Lady Bird start off as anyone would expect. Lady Bird (Saoirse Ronan) and her mother (Laurie Metcalf) are finishing up visiting colleges which are nearby, and that morphs into a typical mother/daughter argument. What happens next is utterly shocking at sets the mood for one this year’s best releases. If you are interested in seeing what happens, it’s in the first 15 seconds of the trailer.
1. Eliza Makes A Connection In The Shape Of Water
The scene where Eliza (Sally Hawkins) and the amphibian creature (Doug Jones) make a connection via music stands out as my favorite scene of the year. Both characters realize without uttering one word that they judge each other for their actions and not by anything superficial. Hawkins character has no real reason to show any kindness to the creature, but she does. Some might refer to The Shape Of Water as a fairytale with a twist, but in reality, it’s a love story. Check out the trailer
Do you agree with the scenes that I’ve selected? Do you think Wonder Woman should have been ranked higher? Be sure to leave a comment. Here’s hoping that 2018 will bring us plenty of great scenes to discuss.
The ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ Sound Designer Ren Klyce recently sat down with CinemaBlend to explain the process into giving those cute little avians, better known as the ‘Porg’, their distinct squawk, through a mixture of turkey calls and both chicken and doves chirps.
“At Skywalker Sound there’s a chicken coop with these little chickens, and Coya Elliott, our first assistant, went down and recorded those chickens,” Klyce said. “Then we took that sound and slowed it down and stretched it out and found little chirps.”
Along with having a dove expert who releases them at weddings come into the studio to record them, the sounds of both the turkey and chickens were all cut together to give the Porg their sound. The birds got their look from actual Puffins, birds that inhabit Skellig Island, the site for the setting of the planet Ahch-To, where Rey goes to learn and train under Luke Skywalker.
Love them or hate them, the Porg have caused a merchandise craze and are seemingly a new fan-favorite animal in the Star Wars Universe.
John Williams announced he will pen the theme for the upcoming ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’, which will be the second stand-alone prequel in the Star Wars series of films.
The project will mark the ninth Star Wars film that the veteran composer has worked on. While Williams will work on the theme, the score, however, will be written by John Powell.
“His assignment is something I’m very happy about,” Williams stated. “What I will do is offer this to John, and to [director] Ron Howard, and if all parties are happy with it, then I will be happy. John [Powell] will complete the score. He will write all the rest of the themes and all of the other material, which I’m going to be very anxious to hear.”
‘Solo’ will tell the story of the adventures of both Han Solo and Chewbacca before joining the Rebellion, including their early encounters with Lando Calrissian. The film is set for a May, 2018, release and will star Alden Ehrenreich and Emilia Clarke.
Click HERE for the entire Williams interview with Variety.
The year of the dog is upon us and it will bring highly anticipated anime titles with it (New Full Metal Panic!!!) Before the year wraps up, its time to look at the best anime to come out this year. This was an intense year for anime and 2017 produced a lot of titles which turned out to be real gems. Here are the best shows to be released this year.
1Ancient Magus’ Bride
With a deep sense of pain, showcasing real emotion, and gorgeous artwork, The Ancient Magus Bride takes the number one spot of 2017’s best anime of the year. Watching as Chise, a damaged girl who feels like she has no worth in the world be taken in by the strange looking but kind hearted Magus Elias is captivating experience. It helps to reminds all who watch it of the power anime has as a media. Though only halfway through its run, the show’s elements allowed it to steal the title of “essential viewing” with ease. A round of applause for the best anime of 2017, which helped the year finish on a very high note.
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What was your favorite anime of 2017? Leave a comment below and let us know.
As the new year approaches, it’s time to turn the page and look ahead at what 2018 has to offer. With reboots and revivals on the horizon, it’s easy to look forward and expect that particular pop culture events break our way. However, there are certain things we can hope for more than others. Here are five wishes that I have for film and television in 2018.
5. Bring Back The Show Happy Endings
Happy Endings was perhaps a show ahead of its time. The show originally premiered on April 11, 2011, as a midseason replacement and it quickly developed a cult following. However, during the show’s third season, ABC displayed an unwillingness to give the show a permanent time slot, and that contributed to a decline in viewership. The show was canceled in May of 2013. To this day, fans are lobbying places like Hulu and Netflix to bring the show back. Check out this tweet.
With all of the tv show revivals coming out, now including Mad About You, can we please bring back Happy Endings? That show was the best! Taken from us too soon.
Why not, in this current climate of negativity, bring back something that was positive like the show Happy Endings? If anyone is looking to see what the show is about, the whole series can be found on Hulu.
4. Fans Of The Marvel And DC Cinematic Universe Need To Take A Step Back
Both Marvel and DC have major releases coming out in 2018. Rather than sit around and gripe about whether or not Aquaman is going to be superior to Black Panther, we should celebrate that we live in a world where these movies are being created for the fans. James Wan and Ryan Coogler are fantastic directors which should bode well for both franchises.
3. Fans Should Not Prejudge Solo: A Star Wars Story
While it’s easy to assume that Solo: A Star Wars Story will be a train wreck based on the production changing directors right in the middle of the shoot, I would caution everyone to stop and think. Ron Howard isn’t just any director and certainly has the talent to pull everything together. If I’m wrong then my review will reflect this, but rather than sound the alarm, give this release the same shot as anything else.
2. Avengers: Infinity War And A Wrinkle In Time Have To Live Up To Their Lofty Expectations
Joe and Anthony Russo have the weight of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe resting on their shoulders. Avengers: Infinity War is the moment fans have been waiting for the last ten years. We’ve all known that it was going to lead to this and nothing positive will come with the Russo’s next two projects being disasters. The same could be said about A Wrinkle In Time. This adaptation of one of the most popular young adult novels ever is directed by Ava DuVernay and has an all-star cast. The fans of this story are rabid, and it will take a fantastic effort to please them.
1. Aquaman Needs To Recieve The Same Type Of Acclaim As Wonder Woman
After The Justice League received lukewarm reviews, Aquaman needs to score well with fans and critics as well. Jason Momoa’s performance was one of the highlights in the film and knowing that he’s in the great hands of James Wan makes me excited for this release. If Aquaman does well, it will set up the rest of the DC universe for years to come.
Do you agree with my pop culture wishes for the new year? Be sure to leave a comment below.
As we prepare to put another year of comic books behind us, we look back at some of the creators and contributors to the medium we favor the most. Here are ten crucial comic book talents from the year 2017.
Rick Remender
Rick Remender had one hell of a year in 2017. Black Science continues to be one of the strongest sci-fi comics in the industry, ramping things up this year heading towards the finale. Seven To Eternity emerged as another powerhouse as well as Low. Not only did Deadly Class see major changes and deliver some of the strongest issues, but Rick also found himself busy on-set for the Deadly Class TV pilot for SyFy.
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Donny Cates
This was the year of Donny, he burst onto the scene in a major way. First, he hand cranked our hearts in God Country. Then, he put his personal spin on horror comics with Redneck and Babyteeth. He finished out the year making his Marvel debut in spectacular fashion with both Doctor Strange and Thanos. Cates is one of the most exciting names heading into 2018.
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Jordie Bellaire
Jordie is one of the top colorists in comic books, she’s always one of the hardest working women in the industry. She drove our imaginations on such titles as Batman, All-Star Batman, Hawkeye, Moon Knight, Punisher MAX: The Platoon, Spectacular Spider-Man, Head Lopper, and tons more. She also flexed her writing muscle in a major way with her series Redlands, which was one of the best books of the year.
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Charles Soule
The Soule-Man had another year as a top talent for Marvel. He’s consistently delivered on big Marvel titles such as Daredevil, Astonishing X-Men, and Uncanny Inhumans. He’s also one of the Star Wars torch-bearers, writing Darth Vader and Star Wars: Poe Dameron. His Image series, Curse Words, was one of the best new series this year.
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Scott Snyder
Scott Snyder was nowhere near done with Batman after his historic New 52 run ended. All-Star Batman was a Bat-Book truly worthy of the title. He also hammered out Batman/The Shadow and the monumental A.D.: After Death outside of DC Comics. Dark Knights: Metal is easily the best comic book event of 2017, which Snyder wrote and orchestrated.
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Kelly Thompson
One of the most predominant women in comics this year flew under the radar a bit. Kelly Thompson turned Kate Bishop into one of the most lovable and charismatic Marvel heroes in Hawkeye. She took women of the 80s to new places in Jem and the Holograms and Jem: The Misfits. Kelly also delivered the best Star Wars mini-series of the year with Journey To Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Captain Phasma.
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Tom King
What hasn’t been said about the year Tom King had? His Batman series dominated the news cycle seemingly every month (in a good way). He and Mitch Gerads delivered one of the best books of the year with Mister Miracle. We also can’t forget about the Batman/Elmer Fudd Special one-shot that caught everybody off-guard.
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Gail Simone
Gail finished up her monumental horror comic book, Clean Room, this year. She also debuted her Image series, Crosswind, which is one of the most highly rated books for the publisher in 2017. Her Wonder Woman/Conan mini-series finishes out a strong year for the creator.
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Jeff Lemire
Jeff Lemire ended his comic book tenure at Marvel, ending his brilliant runs on Moon Knight and Old Man Logan. He continued to captivate readers elsewhere with Royal City, Descender, A.D.: After Death, Bloodshot Salvation, Black Hammer, and it’s spin-off, Sherlock Frankenstein and the Legion of Evil. With another spin-off planned for 2018, Lemire has struck gold with the universe of Black Hammer.
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Daniel Warren Johnson
DWJ is the creator, writer, and artist of Extremity. This was one of the best new series of the year, an iconic and brutal masterpiece. You may also have noticed his name attached to some of the best variant covers of the year. Daniel Warren Johnson is a creator to keep your eye on going forward. There’s only three issues of Extremity left, hopefully we get to see him again more often in 2018.
2017 will be remembered in the history books as the year women had enough, and we found out how genuinely disgusting some men can get. Harvey Weinstein led the way as one of the worst people in 2017, but W Maginze wins the award for the worst story of the year.
How did Hirschberg and Stefano Tonchi the Editor In Chief of the magazine not have a problem with this? Six months later and after outrage by ‘Stranger Things’ fans, the article is now titled ‘Nicole Kidman, Milo Ventimiglia and 11 More Actors Who Prove that Television Has Never Been Hotter.’ Eight of the photos of the actors involved are going for sex appeal. Alasdair McLellan, the photographer, got Keri Russell to crawl around on all fours.
The photos below are the one before and after Brown’s picture.
There was no thought put into the article by Hirschberg or anyone else involved at W. The article is a lazy listicle with only quotes and substance, everyone involved should feel ashamed.
Sexualizing a 13-year-old is never okay! It is astonishing that I even have to write this article.
Hirschberg has worked in the industry for a very long time, and she probably heard stories about Weinstein and others, which makes her story the worst of 2017.
We have reached the end of the year AND the end of the most recent Suicide Squad arc, The Secret History of Task Force X. After a robot from space attacks Amanda Waller, the Squad is sent to an old space station. There they meet the original Task Force X, who were tasked to destroy an alien known as the Red Wave. Before they get the chance, the monster gains control of most of the Squad through telepathy. The only free member, Harley Quinn, ends up causing a device in the Red Wave’s cell to open a portal to the Phantom Zone. This allows Rick Flag Jr. to make a dramatic return and retake control of the Squad. Will Rick be able to even the odds against the dinosaur from space or is it already too late to stop it?
**Spoilers Below**
Story:
With Rick Flag’s return, the Squad is forced to fall in as they have one last mission in space. They need to save Karin Grace. The problem, however, is that she is on a crash course with the sun, the Red Wave Monster in tow. When the rest of the team agree that it’s a lost cause, Rick forces them out, causing a rift between him and his team. The Squad fights the giant alien dinosaur and wins, but at several unforeseen costs.
I think my biggest problem with this conclusion is that this arc has led to restarting the whole series. Almost every form of character development made over the course of the series thus far has been tossed. Harley’s attraction to Flag that changed her personality–gone! Killer Croc’s more human side–removed! Flag’s promise to try and get everyone home–thrown out with his morals, apparently. It’s as if Rob Williams had to make the Squad as miserable as those in the Suicide Squad movie. If that is the case, it has been executed perfectly, at the cost of the comic’s uniqueness. I have no problem with a reset when it is a change of creative teams, but when it’s unannounced and the same writer, it only leaves me with asking “why?”
Even the plot points for this arc became almost entirely pointless. For example, a big deal was made about the unstable Phantom Zone portal in the last issue. The portal’s instability threatened to swallow the universe like a black hole. At the start of this issue, they seal it behind a door… And that’s it. You mean to tell me that a giant safe from the late 50’s is strong enough to hold back a black hole? I know there has to be a suspension of disbelief but this is ridiculous!
Art:
While the story began to falter at the midway point of the arc, the art team changed and improved. The penciling team did amazing work here, alongside the inkers. The characters are drawn fantastically, and with the colors of Adriano Lucas, they pop off the page. The Red Wave Monster attacking the Space Station looks amazing in particular. The colors make the monster pop, the shadows make it look menacing, and the design is just fantastic overall. It’s good to see that an arc that started with subpar art can finish so strong.
Conclusion:
This was a very lackluster arc to end the year with. What started as a fantastic way to honor the past of the Suicide Squad ended up being a big reset for the characters. While the issue looks amazing, the story has too many faults to overlook. The Secret History of Task Force X probablyshould have stayed a secret.
2017 was an incredible year for cinema in general, but particularly the comic book side of things. There were a total of seven comic book films released in the calendar year, all of which aren’t terrible. Though some were better than others, none of the superhero movies seen in 2017 are necessarily bad. With that said, however, let’s get to my top 5.
5. Justice League
Though many were underwhelmed with Justice League, it was honestly everything I expected from the blockbuster. Zack Snyder has repeatedly shown his inability to handle putting an emphasis on multiple characters, so why would Justice League be any different than something as atrocious as Batman v Superman? Thankfully, though, Warner Bros. seemed to find their footing, slightly, and deliver a decent product. The film as a whole is somewhat of a mess, but works on multiple levels. Superman was incredibly well done, despite the awful CGI-removed mustache. Henry Cavill does his best to salvage the character, and actually does a spectacular job. The bulk of this movie, however, is made up of Batman, Cyborg, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and The Flash – our heroes learning about each other, and working with one another, is why I genuinely enjoyed Justice League. This is the most known and popular team of comic book heroes ever, and seeing them unite on the big screen was glorious.
4. Thor: Ragnarok
Thor: Ragnarok was a blast, but its direction is what hindered me from loving it. While the story, characters, and writing is all well done, it is not taken seriously enough. Taika Waititi tackled two of Marvel’s biggest storylines ever, only to make a minor joke out of both. I’m satisfied with what happened to Asgard and its people at the end of the film, but I just can’t get over how great Thor: Ragnarok could’ve been if it had that same edge, but was simply taken a bit more seriously.
3. Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is the second best DCEU film, and for good reason. While Man of Steel is still my favorite movie in the universe, as it told a story of Superman in a gritty and realistic way, Wonder Woman is another shining light in Warner Bros.’ series of films. Gal Gadot kicks ass as Diana Prince, equipped with adequate writing, fantastic scenes, and a spectacular story arc. This is essentially DC’s answer to Captain America: The First Avenger done better. Set in WWI, the plot truly takes you back to a time of mass doubt, led by Chris Pine’s character, Steve Trevor. The love-story between the two doesn’t overshadow the overall plot, yet it adds a new, convincing layer that only enhanced the film as a whole. Wonder Woman may be 3rd on my list, but don’t mistake its place for being anything but amazing.
2. Spider-Man: Homecoming
Spider-Man: Homecoming is what I’ve been waiting for. Peter Parker has been such an icon and a role model for me throughout my life, and seeing the character perfectly portrayed by Tom Holland brought me utmost joy. Homecoming also boasts an impressive array of side and supporting characters, along with a menacing villain that ranks near Marvel’s best. Overall, the movie is a John Hughes-esque story with stakes huge to that of a teenager, but not so much the world – this is one of the reasons I appreciate the latest Spider-Man installment so much. It’s not your typical end of the world-scenario; yes, it may get bigger than it should’ve been at the end with Vulture, Spidey, and Tony Stark’s side-plot, but it’s inherently about a kid finding out who he is in the world, which is exactly what the movie was trying convey.
1. Logan
Logan is something we’ve never seen before. A gritty, heartbreaking, R-rated comic book film about how truly precious life is. I’ve never been to attached to the Wolverine character, but seeing this in the cinema had tears running down my face due to the sheer impact of it all. Hugh Jackman, arguably the greatest performer in any comic book film ever, had just given his final performance as Logan. It was a conflicting moment for me, but in the end I was happy with his decision to leave the role. However, with all this said, it’s important to remember why Logan is #1 on this list. Yes, its real-life implications may have changed comic book cinema as a whole, but the self-contained film, Logan, is what made this list. The characters, plot, and direction by James Mangold is truly something special. Jackman gives arguably his greatest role ever, and the introduction of Dafne Keen is a welcome addition. It’s heartbreaking, emotional, and easily the best comic book movie of 2017.
What does your list look like? Chime in down below, in our comments section.
