Jonathan Lack's Top 10 Films of 2017

No matter where you looked for cinema, 2017 was a great, rich, and varied year for the art of film.

It was most assuredly not a great year for the business or culture of film, and this must be addressed before we get back to the art, for any assessment of 2017 would be grossly incomplete without that consideration. A growing revolution in American culture had a major part of its epicenter in the film industry, as the abuses of a seemingly endless parade of awful, powerful men were revealed, exposing an insidious and systemic rot that has hurt more people and robbed the world of more great careers than we may ever truly understand. Multiple online film coverage outlets and the gatekeepers controlling them were similarly outed, while a major theatre chain whose arms extend into film festivals, distribution, and much of modern film culture was revealed to have a CEO who actively covered up and enabled a serial sexual harasser. No American industry, no segment of American life, has been or will be immune from the #MeToo wave, nor should they be, for this is a systemic cultural cancer that we are all of us, men especially, responsible for recognizing and taking active steps to improving. But the entertainment industry was a major and critical part of this revolution, and will continue to be going forward, and as long as we enjoy and discuss and write about film or television, we must also be vigilant in supporting the voices of those who have been hurt and working, in whatever small or large ways we can, to change and improve our culture going forward.

But as small as it all can seem in the face of such widespread abuse and suffering, let us return to the art. I find it remarkable not only how many truly great films were released in 2017, but in how many places they could be found. From the smallest arthouse to the biggest multiplex, 2017 offered a steady stream of smart and soulful artistic accomplishments. Hollywood’s tentpoles were far better than average, with the creatively resurgent superhero genre having its best year to date – Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman and James Mangold’s Logan both rank among the genre’s greatest entries – while some of our most interesting commercial filmmakers delivered great new experiences, from Matt Reeves’ biblically scaled War for the Planet of the Apes to Steven Soderbergh’s effortlessly charming Logan Lucky. The festival circuit was particularly rich, and I found most of the glut of year-end ‘awards’ films unusually compelling, from Guillermo del Toro’s impossibly sweet The Shape of Water, to Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris’ insightfully mounted Battle of the Sexes, to Scott Cooper’s thoughtful revisionist Western Hostiles, to Steven Spielberg’s wildly timely and wonderfully performed The Post. Streaming once again gave home to some real gems, like Dee Rees’ piercing period drama Mudbound, and the entire year was peppered with under-the-radar gems like Matt Spicer’s social-media-stalking comedy Ingrid Goes West or the documentary David Lynch: The Art Life, which is one of the great films ever made about the artistic process. And I don’t even know what category it fits in at this point, but John Wick: Chapter 2 kicked an unholy amount of ass.

None of these films are on my Top 10 list.

I found 2017 a particularly competitive year, for all the reasons outlined above. My Top 5 came together pretty quickly, and it then took a lot of watching and rewatching and hand-wringing to whittle down the next 5. But the final list feels like a very good summation of my personal journey through film this year, and it was extremely rewarding to write about each of them for this piece. I have structured this year’s list a little differently than the past, leaning in to my own allergy to brevity and writing a miniature 3-paragaph essay for each movie, with a longer piece for my #1 film. I wanted to lend a little more substance to the list this year, both because I didn’t have the chance to write full reviews of most of these films, and because writing at a more ‘academic’ length simply comes more naturally to me. The result is one of my favorite Top 10 lists I’ve ever had the pleasure to write, and I hope it is one you enjoy.

So without further ado, continue reading after the jump for my Top 10 Films of 2017…

Ranking All 40 of Steven Moffat’s Doctor Who Stories – Part 4: #10 - #1

On April 3^rd, 2010, a new era of Doctor Who began with “The Eleventh Hour,” and this week, that era came to an end with “Twice Upon a Time,” the Christmas Special that saw Steven Moffat, Peter Capaldi, and a whole host of other creatives from the era take a bow, handing the reigns off to Chris Chibnall and Jodie Whittaker for the show’s next, exciting step forward.

But with any change comes a chance for reflection, which is what I am doing here. Now that his final episode is out in the world, I am counting down all 40 – count ‘em, forty – Doctor Who stories Steven Moffat has contributed, as writer or, in a few rare cases, co-writer, from 2005’s “The Empty Child” to this week’s “Twice Upon a Time.” I watched every single one of these again, took extensive notes, and ranked them from least-favorite to most-favorite.

This series is also a walk down memory lane, as I have included links to my original written reviews and/or the original Weekly Stuff Podcast reviews to every episode (save some of Moffat’s earliest Russell T Davies-era stories, for which the podcast and my site did not yet exist). In some of these original reviews, you will see that my thoughts are either markedly more positive or negative than they are now, which is part of the fun of this project – I’ve been living with, writing about, talking about, and reconsidering these episodes for years now, some for nearly a decade, and trying to put a punctuation note on that progression (for now) is part of what attracted me to this project.

This list will be published in four parts, once a day through the end of the week, with each part containing 10 episodes. I hope you enjoy, and if you would like to listen to these rankings in Podcast form, we did a whole episode for that.

Be sure to catch up with Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 if you haven’t already, and without further ado, let us conclude our journey with Part 4: #10 - #1, coming up after the jump…

Ranking All 40 of Steven Moffat’s Doctor Who Stories – Part 3: #20 - #11

On April 3^rd, 2010, a new era of Doctor Who began with “The Eleventh Hour,” and this week, that era came to an end with “Twice Upon a Time,” the Christmas Special that saw Steven Moffat, Peter Capaldi, and a whole host of other creatives from the era take a bow, handing the reigns off to Chris Chibnall and Jodie Whittaker for the show’s next, exciting step forward.

But with any change comes a chance for reflection, which is what I am doing here. Now that his final episode is out in the world, I am counting down all 40 – count ‘em, forty – Doctor Who stories Steven Moffat has contributed, as writer or, in a few rare cases, co-writer, from 2005’s “The Empty Child” to this week’s “Twice Upon a Time.” I watched every single one of these again, took extensive notes, and ranked them from least-favorite to most-favorite.

This series is also a walk down memory lane, as I have included links to my original written reviews and/or the original Weekly Stuff Podcast reviews to every episode. For “The Eleventh Hour,” which we reach today, I have even, in a rare little treat, gone back and found my original written review, which was either never published or published on a site that doesn’t still exist, and republished it on this blog under its original date for completion’s sake. Certainly a good window into my mind at the outset of this incredible journey.

This list will be published in four parts, once a day through the end of the week, with each part containing 10 episodes. I hope you enjoy, and if you would like to listen to these rankings in Podcast form, we did a whole episode for that.

Be sure to catch up with Part 1 and Part 2 if you haven’t already, and without further ado, let us continue with Part 3 - #20 - #11, coming up after the jump…

Ranking All 40 of Steven Moffat’s Doctor Who Stories – Part 2: #30 - #21

On April 3^rd, 2010, a new era of Doctor Who began with “The Eleventh Hour,” and this week, that era came to an end with “Twice Upon a Time,” the Christmas Special that saw Steven Moffat, Peter Capaldi, and a whole host of other creatives from the era take a bow, handing the reigns off to Chris Chibnall and Jodie Whittaker for the show’s next, exciting step forward.

But with any change comes a chance for reflection, which is what I am doing here. Now that his final episode is out in the world, I am counting down all 40 – count ‘em, forty – Doctor Who stories Steven Moffat has contributed, as writer or, in a few rare cases, co-writer, from 2005’s “The Empty Child” to this week’s “Twice Upon a Time.” I watched every single one of these again, took extensive notes, and ranked them from least-favorite to most-favorite.

This series is also a walk down memory lane, as I have included links to my original written reviews and/or the original Weekly Stuff Podcast reviews to every episode (save some of Moffat’s earliest Russell T Davies-era stories, for which the podcast and my site did not yet exist). In some of these original reviews, you will see that my thoughts are either markedly more positive or negative than they are now, which is part of the fun of this project – I’ve been living with, writing about, talking about, and reconsidering these episodes for years now, some for nearly a decade, and trying to put a punctuation note on that progression (for now) is part of what attracted me to this project.

This list will be published in four parts, once a day through the end of the week, with each part containing 10 episodes. I hope you enjoy, and if you would like to listen to these rankings in Podcast form, we did a whole episode for that.

Be sure to catch up with Part 1 if you haven’t already, and without further ado, let us continue with Part 2 - #30 - #21, coming up after the jump…

Ranking All 40 of Steven Moffat’s Doctor Who Stories – Part 1: #40 - #31

On April 3^rd, 2010, a new era of Doctor Who began. Steven Moffat was our new head writer and showrunner, Matt Smith was our new Doctor, and we were off to the races with “The Eleventh Hour,” an episode that announced with confidence that the show was in good hands. That’s the first episode of Doctor Who I ever watched live, and I’ve been following this era closely ever since, covering nearly every episode of these past eight years in written or podcast form. And this week, that era came to an end with “Twice Upon a Time,” the Christmas Special that saw Moffat, Peter Capaldi, and a whole host of other creatives from the era take a bow, handing the reigns off to Chris Chibnall and Jodie Whittaker for the show’s next, exciting step forward. 

But with any change comes a chance for reflection, which is what I am doing here. The Steven Moffat era of Doctor Who was a truly special and singular one, in part because Moffat is a special and singular writer, one of the most significant voices ever to contribute to this remarkable creative institution. So now that his final episode is out in the world, I am counting down all 40 – count ‘em, forty – Doctor Who stories Moffat has contributed, as writer or, in a few rare cases, co-writer, from 2005’s “The Empty Child” to this week’s “Twice Upon a Time.” I watched every single one of these again, took extensive notes, and ranked them from least-favorite to most-favorite. These rankings are, of course, only an expression of my own taste and preferences; wherever yours may differ, I hope we can, at least, all agree that the sheer number of amazing TV episodes contained on this list is rather mind-boggling. 

This series is also a walk down memory lane, as I have included links to my original written reviews and/or the original Weekly Stuff Podcast reviews to every episode (save some of Moffat’s earliest Russell T Davies-era stories, for which the podcast and my site did not yet exist). In some of these original reviews, you will see that my thoughts are either markedly more positive or negative than they are now, which is part of the fun of this project – I’ve been living with, writing about, talking about, and reconsidering these episodes for years now, some for nearly a decade, and trying to put a punctuation note on that progression (for now) is part of what attracted me to this project. 

This list will be published in four parts, once a day through the end of the week, with each part containing 10 episodes. We will begin at the bottom, with #40, and climb our way to the peak at #1 over the next four days. I hope you enjoy, and if you would like to listen to these rankings in Podcast form, we did a whole episode for that.

So without further ado, let us begin with Part 1 - #40 - #31, coming up after the jump…

Jonathan's Top 10 Video Games of 2017

2017 was a surprising, overwhelming, and altogether wonderful year for video games, with another insanely strong showing from Sony’s PlayStation 4 and an all-time great launch year for the Nintendo Switch (the less said about Microsoft and Xbox in 2017 the better). Trying to keep up with one ongoing video game library this year was tough; two or more nearly impossible; and trying to cover as much as possible for an ongoing weekly podcast? Well, let’s just say it’s good we were able to divide and cover as much as possible, because no one person could take in all the great games 2017 had to offer.

We’ve been doing Top 10 Video Game lists on the podcast since 2011, and I can say with confidence that 2017 was the most competitive year I’ve done this. I played more than 35 new games this year, and when the time came to start assembling this list, I had 9 games I considered ‘locks’ and 5 or 6 titles jockeying for the last spot. Suffice it to say, even in great years like 2013 or 2016, I usually have a lot more room to maneuver when compiling the list. In 2017, the truly great games landed early and often and I accumulated favorites at a pretty rapid clip. Every game on this list is one I love deeply and could not recommend more enthusiastically, but I must make particular note of the Top 3, because not only do I think they stand as the clear masterpieces of 2017, but they would all land very highly – perhaps even in this exact order – on the ‘Best of the Decade’ list we’ll be considering in two years’ time. They are 3 of my all-time favorites and it is incredible they all came out in the same calendar year.

Some quick observations on the content of the list before we begin: All but one of these ten titles are from an existing franchise or property, and while that could on the surface point towards a stale year in games, it was anything but, for all of these games (and others not listed here) were substantial innovations or refinements, returns to form or glorious evolutions. And on a personal level, 2017 played home to new entries in almost all of my favorite ongoing series, and nearly every one (sorry, Mass Effect Andromeda) was a home run. What a treat. All but one of these games are also exclusives, in one way or another, with 6 of the 10 appearing on only one system, and for the first year this generation, not a single game I played on Xbox – which, with a largely anemic lineup, was the year’s clear outlier – made it on this list (the one multiplatform title is playable there, however). Save Microsoft, though, the barrage of great games in 2017, and the sheer number of accomplished exclusives, speaks to an industry that is, while not without its problems, healthy and thriving in creativity, imagination, and ingenuity.

What a year. What a joy to experience and cover it. And without further ado, these are the 10 I loved the most, coming up after the jump...

The Weekly Stuff Podcast #220 - The Top 10 Video Games of 2017

It’s time for another episode of The Weekly Stuff Podcast with Jonathan Lack & Sean Chapman, a weekly audio show that explores the worlds of film, television, and video games. You can subscribe for free in iTunes by following this link.

In our final episode of 2017, we look back on a truly special year in video games (albeit a rather horrible year for the world at large) by counting down the Top 10 Games of the Year, with each host presenting their own list. It was a year defined by amazing exclusives, resurgent franchises, and a renaissance for Japanese developers, with the majority of games on both lists coming from Japan. For the second year in a row, there are only four titles that cross over between our two lists, and there are quite a few surprises along the way. This has been the biggest year for our podcast to date, and what better way to close things out than with this annual countdown? It’s a great conversation, and one you won’t want to miss.

Enjoy, and we will see you all again in the new year!  

Stream The Weekly Stuff Podcast Episode #220

Download 'The Weekly Stuff' Episode #220 as an MP3

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in iTunes!

Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!

Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter!

The Weekly Stuff with Jonathan Lack & Sean Chapman is a weekly audio podcast, and if you subscribe in iTunes, episodes will be delivered automatically and for free as soon as they are released. If you visit www.jonathanlack.com, we also have streaming and downloadable versions of new and archival episodes for your listening pleasure.

The Weekly Stuff Podcast #219 – Reviewing Star Wars: The Last Jedi

It’s time for another episode of The Weekly Stuff Podcast with Jonathan Lack & Sean Chapman, a weekly audio show that explores the worlds of film, television, and video games. You can subscribe for free in iTunes by following this link.

For the third December in a row, we’ve got a big new Star Wars movie to talk about, and for the first time we agree: The Last Jedi is the real deal, a genuine, beautifully made Star Wars movie with a hell of a lot of meat on its bones. Before our big review, though, we cover a few different topics, including the week’s major news that Disney is buying Fox. We head on over to Sean’s Beta Corner for his thoughts on the Monster Hunter World beta, while Jonathan review the Champions Ballad DLC for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. And then it’s time to dive into The Last Jedi, in full spoiler detail. It’s a really good conversation about a fascinating, imperfect, but absolutely rewarding movie.

Enjoy, and come back Thursday for our final episode of the year: The Top 10 Video Games of 2017!

Time Chart:

Intro and Housekeeping: 0:00:00 – 0:10:07

Doctor Who Stuff: 0:10:07 – 0:19:28

Other Stuff: 0:19:28 – 0:36:10

News, including Disney buying Fox: 0:36:10 – 0:50:00

Sean’s Beta Corner – Monster Hunter World: 0:50:00 – 1:00:36

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Champion’s Ballad DLC: 1:00:36 – 1:16:09

Reviewing Star Wars: The Last Jedi: 1:16:09 – 3:39:21

Stream The Weekly Stuff Podcast Episode #219

Download 'The Weekly Stuff' Episode #219 as an MP3

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in iTunes!

Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!

Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter!

The Weekly Stuff with Jonathan Lack & Sean Chapman is a weekly audio podcast, and if you subscribe in iTunes, episodes will be delivered automatically and for free as soon as they are released. If you visit www.jonathanlack.com, we also have streaming and downloadable versions of new and archival episodes for your listening pleasure.

The Weekly Stuff Bonus Podcast #5 – Doctor Who: City of Death (Story 105, 1979)

It’s time for another monthly bonus episode of The Weekly Stuff Podcast with Jonathan Lack & Sean Chapman, episodes where we will be discussing serials from classic Doctor Who history.

To do the long reign of the Fourth Doctor justice, we’re sticking with Tom Baker again this month, jumping ahead to 1979, his penultimate season, for one of the greatest Doctor Who stories ever mounted: “City of Death,” credited to the pseudonym ‘David Agnew,’ but which was mainly written by then-script editor and Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy writer Douglas Adams. One of the great humorists of all time, Adams’ voice is apparent throughout this wonderful, zany, insanely compelling story, which features Lalla Ward as companion Romana, famed actor Julian Glover as the lead antagonist, a terrific guest performance from Tom Chadbon as memorable one-off companion Duggan, and even an amazing cameo from John Cleese and Eleanor Bron. And much of it is shot on location in Paris, one of the few times Doctor Who has ever left England. If you’ve never seen a classic Doctor Who story, “City of Death” will make you a true believer – this is just about as good as TV gets.

Stream The Weekly Stuff Bonus Podcast #5

Download 'The Weekly Stuff' Bonus #5 as an MP3

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in iTunes!

Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!

Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter!

The Weekly Stuff with Jonathan Lack & Sean Chapman is a weekly audio podcast, and if you subscribe in iTunes, episodes will be delivered automatically and for free as soon as they are released. If you visit www.jonathanlack.com, we also have streaming and downloadable versions of new and archival episodes for your listening pleasure.