Top 12 Favorite Movie Scenes of 2017

Here are my top 12 Favorite Movie Scenes of 2017

12. Baby Driver-Opening Scene: The opening car chase of this movie was a perfect intro to Baby and perfectly set the tone for the rest of the movie in a heartpounding first five minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XMuUVw7TOM

11. Last Jedi-Opening Fight
This was my first time ever seeing a Star Wars movie on the big screen and I was immediately treated to a massive visual spectacle. The opening fight was an incredible visual display and started off the movie in amazing fashion.

10.  Spider-Man Homecoming: Washington Monument Scenee
Middle acts of movies can sometimes be a drag, but this sequence gave the middle portion of Spider-Man Homecoming an incredible sequence.

9. Kingsman-Lets Go Crazy Opening Sequence
The 3rd time already the opening scene of a movie makes this list. Once again this scene set up the movie perfectly, as I was instantly hooked and knew this movie would be a ton of fun.

8. Thor: Ragnarok-Gladiator Fight
It's always fun when we get to see two of the heroes go at it against each other, and Thor and Hulk being forced to fight in a Roman Coliseum style gladiator fight was a ton of fun.

7. Dunkirk-Trapped in the ship
No other scene maybe ever in a movie had me as tense and on the edge of my seat as this one. British soldiers are trapped in a ship on the beach as high tide rolls in. With holes in the ship water starts to pour in. The choices are stay hiding in the ship and drown to death, or leave the ship and risk being immediately shot down by german soldiers. Its as tense a scene as you could ever get.

6. Spider-Man Homecoming-Car Scene
Another very tense scene as Its so fun to see Michael Keaton slowly put the pieces together that hes looking at Spider-Man and seeing Peter squirm as he realizes the pieces are being put together and hes nothing he can do about it. It fully sets into gear the final act of the movie.

5. Kingsman-Saturday Nights Alright
The final battle scene is a ton of fun to watch, and with this Elton John song playing in the background it makes it even more amazingly fun.

4. Guardians of the Galaxy 2-Yondu's sacrifice/Funeral
Such a great finish to a great movie

3. IT-Bload Oath
Who would have thought a horror movie could produce such an emotionally poignant and powerful scene?  It's made even more powerful by those who are aware of the story and know that when they make the blood oath it is the last time all 7 members of the losers club are together as a group. It perfectly wraps up the first half of the story while also perfectly setting up the 2nd half.

2. Guardians of the Galaxy 2-Yondu slaughters the Ravagers
The beginning of Yondus redemption as he and Rocket break out of jail by slaughtering everyone on the ship. It is the definiton of badass and the song that accompanies the scene is perfect.

1. IT-Neibolt Street
 So much about this scene is perfect. Pennywise crawling out of the fridge as he slowly walks toward Eddie and taunts him, Richie in the room full of clowns, the "Very Scary, Scary, Not Scary at all" doors sequence, the moment where Pennywise s about to eat Eddie, then hears Richie and Bill open the door and he pauses, the moment where Bev impales Pennywise, and Eddies "Do not fucking touch me!" The best 5-10 minutes of cinema this year.

Ranking every movie I saw in Theaters in 2017

A new obsession and hobby began for me in 2017, going to the movie theater. Truthfully, over the past five years or so seeing movies in theaters was incredibly rare for me. In fact between October 2015 and June 2017 I did not see a single movie in theaters. Even before that I averaged maybe 2 or 3 a year since I got out of high school.

Honesty time: I struggle with anxiety. Sometimes I can keep it supressed, but its always a threat to surface, and sometimes it can be unbearable. It is this anxiety that kept me away from theaters for so long. The thought of "disconnecting" for 2+ hours from the outside world is something I could rarely bring myself to do. I dont have the attention span to just sit and stare at a movie for that long. I needed to be doing something while I'm watching a movie, so I preferred to watch at home. At home I can browse the web, write things down, get chores done while watching a movie. At the theatre, you sit and watch and thats it, something I had a hard time getting myself to do. So I avoided going to the movies unless there was one I REALLY wanted to see. But then with a full summer off and a few boring afternoons to kill I decided to try to start going to the movies again, and I realized something: seeing a movie in the movie theatre was the  ultimate relaxation for me. My brain is always moving at full speed and I can hardly ever truly relax, even when Im at home watching TV my brain is racing thinking about something. But at the movie theatre, that is one place where I truly feel relaxed and disconnected from the world. So I kept going back to more and more movies. Just sitting and getting lost in the movie and soaking it in, there was nothing more relaxing. All in all I ended up seeing 26 different movies in the theater this year, and will probably see much more than that in 2018 with a five month head start over 2017. Here is my attempt at ranking every movie I saw in the theater in 2017. When looking at this list, it was a great war for movies. I adore the top 12 movies on this list, and even 13-18 are movies I got a lot of enjoyment out of. Only 19-27 are movies I would rank a C or lower on an A-F scale and only 24-27 I would rank a D or lower.


27. Wish Upon
26. Flatliners
25. Daddy's Home 2
24. Jigsaw
23. 47 Meters Down
22. Girls Trip
21. Cars 3
20. The Mummy
19. Murder on the Orient Express
18 Pirates of the Caribbean 5
17. Despicable Me 3
16. Justice League
15. The Dark Tower
14 War for the Planet of the Apes
13. Wonder Woman
12. Baby Driver
11. Disaster Artist
10. Coco
9. Dunkirk
8.Star Wars: The Last Jedi
7. Thor: Ragnarok
6. Kong: Skull Island
5. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
4. Kingsman 2
3. Spiderman: Homecoming
2. Guardians of the Galaxy 2
1. IT

Halloween Watch List

With my absolute favorite holiday of the year approaching, I figured I'd put together a list of movies and TV shows that are religious viewing for me during the month of October. To me, Halloween is not a day, it is a month long celebration. Many people love scary movies this time of year and I am no exception, but to me Halloween movies have a different vibe. Truly scary bleak movies (Texas Chainsaw Massacre for example) are not for Halloween. Halloween is for lighthearted, campy movies which is why you will notice a lot of the movies on this list are 80s horror movies. Here it is, in no particular order, my list of movies and tv show episodes that are essential halloween viewing

Halloween: Duh, the month would not be complete without viewing this slasher classic.

Halloween 2: The sequel is just as much fun and has an even more Halloween atmosphere to it than the original.

Halloween 3: This is a very underrated gem. Many people hate this movie because its the one Halloween movie without Michael Myers, but its still a fantastic movie for Halloween. There is no way you can watch this jingle and not be filled with Halloween spirit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIHUv2ooG38

Evil Dead: So over the top, so campy, so much fun

Sleepaway Camp: Everything I said about Evil dead also applies here, plus with a great twist at the end.

Monster Squad: Universals classic monsters in a Goonies style movie? Hell Yes

Killer Klownz From Outer Space: Once again, Over the top, campy, fun, sensing a theme here?

Friday the 13th: Such a weird movie in that the reveal of the killer was never meant to be a major twist, but it organically turned into one over time after 30 years and so many sequels. First time viewers still get shocked when they find out Jason is not actually the killer in the first one.

Fright Night: One of the greatest horror movies of the 80s and the greatest vampire movie ever made, sorry Dracula. So much fun to watch from start to finish, a Halloween doesnt go by where I dont watch this gem. 

Return of the Living Dead: Yup, over the top, campy, fun, and a great soundtrack. The movie poster just screams "Halloween" to me.

A Nightmare on Elm Street: The most iconic horror movie character of all time in the original that started it all. Definitely essential Halloween viewing.

Trick R Treat: We have this movie to thank for the revitilization of horror anthologies.

Tales of Halloween: Just discovered this one this year. Another anthology in the vein of Trick R Treat, though this one crams ten fun little stories all taking place on Halloween night.

Under Wraps: A disney movie! I have so many nostalgic memories of coming home trick or treating and counting my candy with this movie on in the background on the disney channel.

Halloweentown: Another disney movie! This movie always played on Halloween nights right after Under Wraps, so itd be playing as I was heading to bed. Again, nostalgic memories.

WNUF Halloween Special: Another one I just discovered this year, a ton of fun and unconventional.


The American Scream: As Much as I love Halloween in Orlando, there still is nothing quite like Halloween time in a small midwestern city, and this documentary about people who build haunted houses in their homes for Halloween in small midwestern cities provides me with that feeling of Halloween in the midwest without having to leave Orlando.

That 70s Show: Too young to die, Too Old to Trick R Treat: Without a doubt the greatest comedy show Halloween episode ever. This episode spoofs all the classic Alfred Hitchcock movies in hilarious fashion.

Never Sleep Again: This 4 hour documentary about all 8 Nightmare on Elm Street Movies is something i insist on finding time to watch every year around this time.

Goosebumps: The Haunted Mask. The most iconic Goosebumps episode ever. this story about a girl who buys a Halloween Mask inflicted with a curse is Halloween gold. There is not a 90s kid alive who didnt read this book and love watching this episode on ABC Family every year the Friday before Halloween.

Tracking IT's historical Box Office Run: 10/2-10/8

IT Total from 10/2-10/8: 13.8 Million Dollars
Total Through 10/8: 304.9 Million

Notable Movies IT passed for all time money made this week: Chronicles of Narnia: Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Harry Potter and the order of the Phoenix, Inception, Up, The Sixth Sense, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

All Time Box Office Rank: 66

Accomplishments: IT crossed the 300 million mark, an unthinkable feat for a horror movie. IT is now the 4th highest grossing rated R movie of all time.

Tracking IT's historical box office run 9/25-/10/1

Now that IT's numbers have slowed a little bit as all movies do after three weeks, I'm only going to do one update a week.

It's Box Office total from 9/25-10/1: 24.8 Million Dollars
Total Through Sunday 10/1: 291.1 Million Dollars

Notable Movies IT passed for All Time Money Made this week: The Hangover, Meet The Fockers, Home Alone, Monsters Inc, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Stars Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Man of Steel

All Time Box Office Rank: 78

Other Notable Accomplishments: IT continues to make box office history as it inexplicably in its 4th weekend was the highest grossing movie of the weekend, reclaming the top spot at the box office beating out an opening weekend of a Tom Cruise movie, American Made, as well as the opening weekend of another horror movie, Flatliners, also beating the second weekend of Kingsman. A horror movie winning the box office weekend in its 4th week is just another example of uncharted territory that IT has crossed into. IT is now the 4th highest grossing rated R movie of all time. This week IT will cross the 300 million dollar mark, a number previously though unthinkable for a horror movie. Depending on if IT has a good run in October or not it could finish anywhere between 325 million on the low end, to about 350 million on the high end.

Plot Synopsis for Mother!

Seriously, WTF?!


Him (Javier Bardem) places a large crystallized object in a pedestal. The structure he is in changes from a burnt-out husk to a newly renovated house. Mother (Jennifer Lawrence) forms in a bed, wondering aloud where Him, her husband, is. An acclaimed author struggling with severe writer's block, Him's creative issues begin to take a toll on the tranquil existence that Mother has created for the home. She starts seeing things around the house that unsettle her, including visualizing a beating heart within the walls of the house.
One day, Man (Ed Harris) turns up at the house, asking for a room. Him readily agrees, and Mother reluctantly follows suit. During his stay, Man experiences prolonged coughing fits. Mother witnesses Him assist Man as he crouches over the toilet and catches a glimpse of a fresh wound by his rib area before her husband covers it with his hand. The next day, Man's wife, Woman (Michelle Pfeiffer), also arrives to stay. Mother begins to become more and more frustrated with her guests, while Him begs her to let them stay, reasoning that it makes the house feel alive to him. He also tells Mother that the guests are fans of his work and that the male guest is dying, and wanted to meet Him before dying. However, when Man and Woman accidentally break and shatter the crystallized object, Him and Mother come to a decision to kick them out.
While preparing to leave, the couple's two sons (Domhnall Gleeson and Brian Gleeson) arrive and start to fight over the will their father has left. The Oldest Son, who will be left with nothing, mortally injures his Younger Brother, and seemingly flees, while Him, Man, and Woman take the injured son to get help. As Mother grows more and more paranoid after she is left alone in the house, the Oldest Son comes back but leaves abruptly, taking Man's wallet. Upon returning, Him informs Mother that the son has died and has been buried. Dozens of people begin arriving at the house for a wake for the dead son. More and more people arrive, and behave in a way that bothers Mother; she becomes angrier and eventually snaps when the plumbing breaks and begins to flood the house. She kicks everyone out. Angry with Him for allowing so many people into the house for his own pleasure and ignoring her, she berates him before the two have sex.
The next morning, Mother announces that she is pregnant. The news leaves Him elated and inspires him to finish his work. A few months later, Mother prepares for the arrival of their child and reads Him's newest piece, which is so beautiful it drives her to tears. Upon publication, it immediately sells out every copy. In celebration, Mother prepares dinner for him when a group of fans arrives at the house. As she barricades herself in her home, more fans arrive and begin to enter the house to use the bathroom. More arrive and their behavior devolves into stealing their belongings as keepsakes, and disrupting the environment. An increasingly disoriented Mother makes her way around the house as each room devolves into chaos. Him's publisher, the Herald (Kristen Wiig), takes part in the madness, executing some of his fans with point-blank gunshots to the head. Military men with guns arrive to help Mother, but a cult of devoted fans forms around Him; they start to engage in rituals.
Mother goes into labor and finds her husband, who takes her to his study, where she gives birth. The havoc outside subsides as he tells Mother that the massive crowd wants to see the baby. Refusing, she holds on tight to her son. When she falls asleep, however, he takes the baby outside to the crowd, who grab him and break his neck. Devastated, Mother makes her way to the front of the crowd where she sees the hacked corpse of her child and witnesses the crowd eating his flesh. Furious at them, she calls them murderers and begins stabbing them with a shard of broken glass. They turn on her, beginning to strip and beat her until Him intervenes and stops it. Mother escapes the grasps of the crowd and makes her way to the cellar where the furnace oil tank is. Despite her husband's pleas, Mother sets the oil on fire, destroying the crowd, the house, and some of the surrounding garden and trees.
Both Mother and Him survive, but Mother is horrifically burned while Him is unscathed. He asks her for the love she has left for him, and she agrees to give it to him. He then tears open her chest, removing her heart in the process. As he crushes the heart, a large crystallized object is revealed. He places the object in a pedestal. Once again, the house changes from a burnt-out husk to a newly renovated house. A new Mother forms in a bed and wakes up, wondering aloud where Him is.

Tracking IT's Historic Box Office Run: Saturday 9/23 and Sunday 9/24

IT's Combined Total on 9/23 and 9/24: 20.9 Million Dollars
Total Through 9/24: 266.3 Million (33.4 Million Past The Exorcist)

Notable Movies IT passed for all time money made on 9/24: Toy Story 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Despicable Me, Men in Black, Jaws, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Incredibles, Despicable Me 3, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

All Time Box Office Rank: 92

Other Notable Accomplishments: IT is now the 6th highest grossing Rated R movie of all time. The next rated R movie it will pass will be "The Hangover" which it is currently 11 million behind. It is just the 35th movie ever and the first this year to make at least 30 million dollars in its 3rd weekend.