Taking On 2024 - Top Films

Another long pause between posts, and one I had intended to do earlier but was derailed by having to wait for I'm Still Here (2024) to play locally before I could realistically finalize a list. Such is life, the fragility of permanence. But a list thankfully was finalized, and this year I broke with a Top Ten to include a bonus film, or perhaps it's the New Normal(tm) since it's the second year running where the list has expanded. Kind of in line with the year though, as it had a number of notable strong titles, some of the best would have contended for last year's list had they played the local festival in October. One can only speculate on the battles that were never fought.

This battle, however, is one that will be conquered. We have, as usual, a list of every film I considered eligible for the year, if you want to see what missed the cut in no real order. Nothing else really to plug, and perhaps one day I will return more regularly to blogging. There's always something fun about getting back to sit with and think through the year that was in film. But, as they say, fuck all that, let's get to it.

Taking On 2019: Top Films Of The Year So Far

Another year halfway in the books, and another books halfway in the year, am I right? That means that we're at a point where it should be good to really take a deep dive in on roughly the ten best films that I've seen this year. The world of cinema has been, at the very least, pretty solid this year, even with a number of films that were kind of hard to cut down when making this list, even if, overall, I'd think it's more of an underwhelming year for movies thus far. I've been doing, as per usual, some capsule reviews on Letterboxd as I watch things, and also keep a running list of the things that I have watched. But we're here now, the cream of the crop, the best of the best, the list that doesn't include "Anima" because it's still too new and I'm more interested in diving back in than blurting out some thoughts this early, the list that also doesn't have Too Old To Die Young because I'm both still watching it and don't really put TV shows on here even if NWR is on another level with the first five episodes. Oh yeah, list time, baby.

Taking On 2018 - Top Films

Look at that, another year in the books. And that means that films came out, a lot of them, actually, and even though there were plenty I still wanted to check out, I did have a chance to get out to plenty of them. A lot of has changed since the last time I checked in on the world of cinema to name my best of the year so far. Not sure that I'd label it an amazing year for film, but also when I was whittling down this thing to the Top Ten it was pretty difficult, so in the end I guess it was pretty solid. As always, I logged everything that I counted as a 2018 film on Letterboxd in a list that isn't ranked, and some even have words if that's your thing. Just like the ones below the cut, or below these words if you've already clicked in to the post proper. There will be some pictures here too though, just the posters or something. Some numbers as well, ones that aren't even spelled out, so in that sense you ought to call this Mr. Toad because it's about to be closed and never to be heard from again a wild ride.

Taking On 2018 - Top Films Of The Year So Far

Here we are once again, halfway through 2018, what is undeniably the worst year in existence, marked with nothing but pain, sadness, hopelessness, and a few okay films. Some would say it has #BeenAWhile since I last wrote anything on this blog proper, and it has, especially as I use Letterboxd to get out quick thoughts and then just process and have conversations elsewhere, but I imagine there's still a good amount of value is writing down more extensive thoughts on things that have stood out to me throughout the year. So I'll do that. This time in a list form while I try to figure out which things I liked more than other things. The actual process of putting this together ended up being more difficult than I imagined, mostly figuring out what would compete for the last few slots. So with that, it looks like this is how things shook out at the halfway point.

Taking On 2016 - Top Films

Okay, it is finally that time. The year has, almost two months in, officially come to an end. At least in regards to cinema. Not counting, of course, a ton of foreign films that will have to be 2017 films for my list making purposes because distribution of them is kind of shitty or whatever, but at least I saw a lot of things. There's an entire list on Letterboxd of all the things I watched from 2016 (triple digits!), and of course I recently ran through my top performances. But now with the Oscars coming up in just a couple of days, well, it seems the best time to look back and get to thinking of what truly was the best of the best in the year that was.

Taking On 2016 - Performances

So, obviously I haven't been writing as much as I should have, but here we are with another year in cinema in the books. And I think, finally, I am close to as caught up as I am going to get with the year, even if I have a few things here and there I still need to add to the list before I fully put a bow on it, as the case was. No music this year, because I listened to a lot of things over and over again, but not enough of a selection to feel comfortable making a list. But I did watch a lot of films, and those films had actors. Normally I'd break things up, but how about one big list before The Big List(tm)?

Taking On 2016 - Top Films (Q2 Quaterly Review)

Ah, here we are again. Late to the party, but not too late. Though later than it should have been since my last post. In that time though I have watched a lot (but listened to a lot less, which would explain the halfway point of the year missing a music countdown), and this has been quite the year. After a few spotty years, finding a list that felt good to me was incredibly challenging. Regardless of genre 2016 has been simply superb for all types of films. And, as usual, there are plenty of busts as well. If you are interested, you can take a look at everything from 2016 I have watched over on Letterboxd. Either way, no reason to further delay, how about we get to it?

Taking On 2015 - Top Films

Well, here we are, right after the Oscars and the official end to the year that was in cinema. Though there is still plenty of catching up that I wish I was able to do, but when is life not full of regrets, right? After a kind of lost year at the blog (where I should do a 2015 blowout post, but not sure that I'll get around to it), I feel compelled to continue at least the yearly tradition of writing up some things about films outside of short reviews on Letterboxd. You can also find a list there of all the films I have seen there. It helps to solidify my thoughts on how things have changed since the last time this happened. And changed they have. Also, it would not be a year end Top 10 if I didn't cheat. So let's start with that initial slip up.

Taking On 2014 - Top Films

So, after a(nother) long break, we have once again found our way back here to fully wrap up the year that was 2014 hot on the heels of the Academy Awards. I sort of got bogged down trying to play catch up, especially with films like American Sniper and Selma, things I couldn't qualify as 2015 films because of their place in the Oscar race, releasing about halfway through January. But it's time to stop chasing and start moving on to the year ahead. But first, one last look back at the year that was, the movies that have changed, and the films that will continue to be.

Taking On 2014 - Top Films (Q2 Quarterly Review)

It's been a while, so to speak, and I really did mean to do this earlier, but part of me hoped that I would somehow be able to see Boyhood prior to making this list, but that's just going to have to wait for our October check in. So now with TV, songs, and albums out of the way, it's time to take a quick look at the best of the silver screen in 2014 thus far. Have things changed since we last looked in? Probably. How much? Let's find out.

Taking On 2014: Top Films (Q1 Quarterly Review)

I kind of wrestled with how best to do this list, as I do most years, because by the end of March the total number of films I have watched is actually not all that high since much of January and February is spent catching up with movies I missed out on the previous year. Unlike with songs and albums that I have already written about, film takes more time to digest and slightly more effort to access. It also doesn't help that the first two months of the year are generally a wasteland. But as I looked over my final list, even the films that barely make up a top ten have something worth writing about, so I guess we'll do ten and just wait for the rest of what looks to be a fairly stacked year if March is any indication.

Taking On 2013: Top Films

The moment we have all been waiting for has finally arrived. It took us a while to get through all the great video games, tv shows, songs, albums, supporting and lead performances from the previous year, but we have finally gotten to the point where we can officially reveal Processed Grass's best film from the previous year! Who will take the top honor, who will just miss out? Let's take a gander!

Taking On 2013: Top Performances

It's time to move things along, we have been living in the past for far too long! Even though we have taken the time to go through the best supporting performances, it's now time to get on to the leads, those figures who are asked to shoulder the entire load of a film. So who ended up being the best of the best? I guess it's time to take a look and find out.

Taking On 2013: Supporting Performances

Okay. It has taken us a bit to get here, but as we progress farther in to the year that is 2014 it's easy to forget all of the great songs, albums, video games, and TV shows that we loved from the past year because, let's face it, it's awards season for cinema. And while there are some celebrating their Oscar nominations as the Academy drags the year that was 2013 in to the beginning of March 2014, here at Processed Grass we like to let the stars know earlier that they are being recognized for their greatness on the silver screen. So, starting with the best Supporting Performances, we shall recognize greatness. Break out the bubbly all the celebs who have been waited for this day, it's finally here!

Taking On 2013: Top Films (Q3 Quarterly Review)

So here we are once again, back to taking a look at motion pictures and the best ones of the year so far and how things have all changed since the summer onslaught of superheros and shit came a knockin' and right on the cusp of prestige Oscar picks and some things that might trickle out of Cannes before the end of the year. These ain't albums, these ain't songs, these are films and that's what we're all here for any way, right? Right. So let's get this road on the show, so to speak.

Taking On 2013: Top Films (Q1 Quarterly Review)

I'm not sure if it's been a slower year for film, generally by this point in time a lot of the foreign films I wanted to see at the end of last year have finally gotten theatrical release, or if I just saw more foreign films than I had anticipated in 2012, but in the first quarter the world of cinema has been a bit lean. Still, despite that when compiling my five favorite films of the year so far, the most accomplished works in their field, some tough decisions had to be made. So, with summer nearly upon us, perhaps it has been a pretty good year so far.

And I'm Sick And Tired Of Wondering What Your Presents Mean

Stoker (Park, 2013)

It's always interesting to see how an artist transitions from one medium to another, whether it be a painter stepping behind a camera or a novelist turning in to a screen writer. Yet with Stoker, director Park Chan-wook is not moving mediums but is actually breaking language barriers. If that isn't already a massive challenge to take on in what is the first English language film from the Korean visionary, then why not add in an extended metaphor of the physical and sexual awakenings that define the adolescent experience? If there's one thing that everyone can universally understand it would definitely the teenage psyche.

And Do It All Although You Can't Believe It

Spring Breakers (Korine, 2013)

I've never really been on a spring break before. Technically I guess I have since my college had a week a year that was called Spring Break, but I never went on trips. Actually, I probably have more vivid memories of MTV's Spring Break coverage as a kid than I do of my college spring breaks which tended to be occupied by paper writing. So as I entered Harmony Korine's latest fever dream of a film, Spring Breakers, there was a part of me that wondered if I would be too far out of my element. Thankfully all those years of MTV watching paid off though, but filtered through the kinetic, frantic party montages Korine creates a sense of clarity, a sense of dread. And it's in this storm that the genius of Spring Breakers emerges.

Oscar Predictions 2013: Zero Hour

Well, it's that time of the year again where the Academy gets together to honor the most inoffensive underwhelming films of the year and give tangential recognition to the things that are kind of out there but not too out there Mr. Paul Thomas Anderson! As such, I sit down the day before the big ceremony to make my final predictions. Even the categories no one seems to care about. Go behind the politics, behind the machine, put all my analytic credibility on the line for a bunch of little statues. As usual, I have ranked the nominees in each category from most likely to win to least likely. So who will win? Lets find out!

Taking On 2012: Top Films

We have, after a long road, finally arrived at the end of the year known as 2012 in the world of culture. With supporting actors, actresses, and lead performances all taken care of I really only have the best collective works of the year to go through now. Am I completely done with the year on a personal level? Probably not, but sometimes we all have to move on. The long road calls, and we all have to walk the path in to the future (note: I did not see The Future in 2011 or 2012, so it won't be on this list. I really dropped the ball there). Some of these titles have links, which you can click for my full reviews.