About this Episode
For anyone paying attention to...just about anything last year, the best way to describe 2016 might just be, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Unless, of course, you’re Josh, who doesn’t know if he’s seen a “best of” anything just yet. Anyway, 2016 certainly had its low points, but the quality of cinematic releases wasn’t one of them. There were some standout films last year, and the Screeners have made it their mission to find as many of them as they can. This episode is...the Best of 2016.
Longtime listeners know the drill here, but if you’re new, you’re, um, not that far behind. It’s your basic top-ten countdown list, with the caveat that only Daniel has seen every movie released in 2016, so he’s the only one who can make a proper list. We think he might be living in a theater; frankly, we’re worried about him. We’ll put the lists below for anyone who happens to be a fan of spoiling their own surprises (you’re the kid who broke into Dad’s office just so you could find out if you got that Power Rangers action figure, aren’t you?), but if you’re not in that crowd, we have just a couple more paragraphs here before you should stop reading and start listening.
After the top 10 is over, the Screeners have a couple of palate cleansers (or palate ruiners, depending on your perspective) for you. First off, they’ll recount their biggest disappointment of the year (did anything disappoint Chris last year?). Up next is the overall worst movie of the year, then one that each host liked despite everyone else* hating it, and, to round things out on a sour note, the movie they didn’t like despite all the good things everyone else said about it.
By this point, the Screeners were approximately 6 hours into recording the episode, so a vote was taken; the best TV of 2016 was mercifully cut from the roster, and the episode was wrapped up. Rest assured, though; Chris and Melody really loved WestWorld.
Anyway, that’s it for 2016. Finally. It’s over. We’ll all tell our grandchildren about it in muted, wavering tones. Join the Screeners next time for a review of M. Night Shyamalan’s Split...if there is a next time. Even if there’s not, we’re sure at least Facebook will survive, so remember us there.
Oh, right. You were promised lists, and lists you shall have:
Episode Spoilers Below
Chris
Arrival
Moana
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Hush
Deadpool
Star Trek Beyond
Zero Days
Doctor Strange
Weiner
Hell or High water
Honorable Mentions:
10 Cloverfield Lane
La La Land
Pete’s Dragon
Biggest Disappointment
Ghostbusters (Theatrical Cut)
Worst movie of the year:
Allegiant
Movie I liked that no one else did:
13 Hours
Movie I didn't like that everyone else did:
Hail, Caesar!
Daniel
La La Land
Arrival
Green Room
Manchester By The Sea
Hell or High Water
Weiner
A Monster Calls
Hacksaw Ridge / Silence (A tie! For...8th place!)
Patriots Day
Sing Street
Honorable Mentions:
Lion
Jackie
Loving
Moonlight
Biggest Disappointment:
Suicide Squad
Worst movie of the year:
Gods of Egypt
Movie I liked that no one else did:
Passengers
Movie I didn't like that everyone else did:
Kate Plays Christine / Captain Fantastic
Melody
Arrival
10 Cloverfield Lane
The Little Prince
Hush
Star Trek Beyond
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Finding Dory
Pete's Dragon
La La Land
Florence Foster Jenkins
Honorable Mentions:
Green Room
Moana
Biggest disappointment:
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back
Worst movie of the year:
London Has Fallen
Movie I liked that no one else did:
Batman v Superman
Movie I didn't like that everyone else did:
Hail, Caesar!
Josh
Hail, Caesar!
Star Trek Beyond
Arrival
Deadpool
Snowden
Doctor Strange
Elvis & Nixon
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Sully
Finding Dory
Biggest disappointment:
Mascots
Movie I didn't like that everyone else did:
10 Cloverfield Lane
Movie I liked that no one else did:
Hail, Caesar!
Worst movie of the year:
Batman v Superman
Chad
Manchester by the Sea
Arrival
Lion
The Edge of 17
Tower
Nocturnal Animals
La La Land
Jackie
Hell or High Water
The Witch
Honorable Mentions:
Everybody Wants Some
Krisha
10 Cloverfield Lane
The Invitation
Kubo and the Two Strings
Fences
Moonlight
Birth of a Nation
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Captain Fantastic
Biggest disappointment:
Batman v Superman
Worst movie of the year:
Independence Day: Resurgence
Movie I liked that no one else did:
Ghostbusters / The Accountant
Movie I didn't like that everyone else did:
Zootopia
* The definition of “everyone else” here is...fungible. Maybe it’s critics; maybe it’s everyone else on the podcast. As we’ve said time and time again, there are no rules, and everything is meaningless. OK, so we’ve at least said the first part. Maybe Josh has just thought the second part.