Participate in Our Top 10 Best Movies of 2016 Episode and You Could Win a $50 Amazon Gift Card, a $25 Amazon Gift Card or Ryan’s No. 1 Movie of 2016!

Top 10 of 2016 blog

Preface:
For those who love movies, there’s nothing so valuable or as anticipated as a year’s Top 10 Best Movies list. Even cinephiles who find list-making to be arbitrary or problematic can’t help but take notice of the flurry of Best Of submissions that flood the Internet in December and January.

At the end of each year, Movie Podcast Weekly (and separately, Horror Movie Podcast) assembles a Top 10 Best Movies of the Year list, where each host reveals his selections for the very best cinema of the past 12 months.

But something we love to do is to incorporate another Top 10 list that’s a collective consensus of our listenership’s favorite films of the year!

Here’s how we do it: When you e-mail your Top 10 list to MoviePodcastWeekly@gmail.com, we will assign a point value to weight each spot on your Top 10 list. It looks like this:

1 spot = 12 points (gets extra because it’s No. 1)
2 spot = 10 points
3 spot = 9 points
4 spot = 8 points
5 spot = 7 points
6 spot = 6 points
7 spot = 5 points
8 spot = 4 points
9 spot = 3 points
10 spot = 2 points
And you get five Honorable Mention spots. Each is worth 1 point.

We collect and tally all your votes, according to this point system, in order to arrive at the collective listenership’s actual Top 10.

(Again, please e-mail your list to Jason at MoviePodcastWeekly@gmail.com. Please don’t share your Top 10 picks publicly in our comments just yet, because we’d like the results to be a surprise on the show.) Naturally, after the episode is published, we hope you will post your Top 10 lists in the comments for that particular episode!

What We Would Like You to E-mail to Us:

1.) Your Top 10 Best Movies of 2016 list, in order, with No. 1 being your first favorite and 10 being your 10th favorite.

**Optional but preferred: We would love for you to e-mail some brief comments with each of your Top 10 selections, ***50 words or fewer per movie, please.*** Why? This is how you listeners get your voices on the show! Each MPW host briefly discusses why he picked each movie, so these descriptions give us some of your feedback to possibly read on the show. Here is an example of a 2014 film with the exact format we’d like for you to please follow. (It would make the preparations much faster for Jason.) Write whatever you’d like, of course. This example just shows you the components and the length of write-ups that we’re looking for:

(12 points) = 1. Blue Ruin (2014) – Jeremy Saulnier’s common man, revenge / crime drama shows us, with troubling realism, what it might look like if an average person like you or me attempted to execute a violent revenge plot. Bloody, messy, brilliant! 10 out of 10. A must-see and the best movie of 2014! -Jason Pyles

Note that I included:
– the point value
– the rank number
– some comments that were fewer than 50 words
– my name (If you could do this for each one, it would be very helpful!)
Here are the other End-of-the-Year categories we’d like for you to include:

2.) Honorable Mentions of 2016 – Please also include only the titles of your “Honorable Mentions,” which are essentially your 11 through 15 ranked movies.

3.) Biggest Disappointments / Heartbreaks of 2016 – These are the movies that you had high hopes for, but they let you down and broke your heart.

4.) Four Dishonorable Mentions (bad movies) and the Very Worst Movie of 2016 – Think of this list as the opposite of your Top 5 picks.

5.) Guilty Pleasure of the Year Award – Your pick of a movie that’s not necessarily “good,” per se, but it sure is a wonderful mess of a guilty pleasure…

6.) Most Overrated (You didn’t understand all the love it got) Movie of 2016 – These are the movies you just didn’t “get” (even though everyone else seemed to love it).

**You can also include a list of your “Most Anticipated in 2017,” but we won’t be discussing these until the following episode, No. 221.

FAQ: Obviously, we’re discussing the movie releases of 2016. But what is our criteria for determining a film’s year of release? In simplest terms, Jason defines it this way: The year of release is determined by the first date that a film becomes *widely available* to a U.S. audience.

CONTEST: What and How Those Who Participate Could Win:

Prizes:
Grand Prize
= $50 Amazon gift card that we hope you’ll use for buying movies.
Second Prize = $25 Amazon gift card that, again, we hope will be used for movies.
Third Prize = You win a copy of Ryan’s No. 1 favorite movie of 2016.

The more listeners who participate, the more accurate our Listener Top 10 list will be. Therefore, we’re bribing you to participate. Depending on your level of participation, your name will be entered into the prize raffle. Obviously, the more your name is entered, then the better your chances of being selected.

5 entries = If you do everything asked above, we’ll enter your name 5 times in the raffle.

3 entries = If you only do Top 10, descriptions and honorable mentions…

2 entries = If you only do Top 10 and honorable mentions (no descriptions)…

1 entry = If you only send a Top 10 list of movie titles.

When?
We’re recording this episode on Monday, December 26, 2016. (So, yes, much to Jason’s chagrin, 2016’s December 30th releases will not be considered during the recording of this episode…)

***DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: Your deadline for submission is no later than 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, December 24, 2016.

When will this episode release? Jason’s goal (seriously) is Friday, Dec. 30 or Saturday, Dec. 31, 2016.

How to Submit Your Entry:
1. E-mail MoviePodcastWeekly@gmail.com
2. Please use this phrase for your e-mail subject line: “Top 10 Movies of 2016”

Winners will be announced in MPW Ep. 220 (our Top 10 episode).

One last request:
In the comments for this blog post, please feel free to post the titles only of any movies you’ve heard some buzz about for 2016. To be clear, don’t tell us what that buzz is or any commentary of your own, please… Just post the title of the movies, so people can add them to their watchlist before making their end-of-the-year submissions. I will include an example in the comments below. Thanks!

87 thoughts on “Participate in Our Top 10 Best Movies of 2016 Episode and You Could Win a $50 Amazon Gift Card, a $25 Amazon Gift Card or Ryan’s No. 1 Movie of 2016!

    • Ha! True. It’s a little work for you all, though it could pay off with a prize!

      But you should try tallying all the listener data… I believe last year it took me a solid 8 hours to compile all the feedback and convert it into the collective listeners’ Top 10 list.

      Good luck!
      J

        • Mario,
          Jay of the Dead at your service…

          You may have seen many of these, but off the top of my head, in no particular order:

          Lights Out
          Don’t Breathe
          Green Room
          The Shallows
          The Witch
          Clown
          What We Become
          The Boy
          The Monster
          10 Cloverfield Lane
          The Conjuring 2
          Hush
          Viral

          And if that’s not enough, be sure to watch for our January 7, 2017 release of Horror Movie Podcast’s Top 10 Horror Movies of 2016 episode for our very best picks of the year!

          Thanks,
          JOTD

          • Jason, are you counting The Blackcoat’s Daughter as a 2016 release? I know you reviewed it and loved it… I still haven’t been able to track it down, though.

          • Dino,
            I haven’t seen “The Blackcoat’s Daughter,” but it appears to be a 2017 film. I would consider it for 2017, at this point, at least.
            J

            • Really? I could have sworn you reviewed The Blackcoat’s Daughter either here or on HMP at some point this year. That’s how I heard of it in the first place!

              Maybe you just referenced seeing a trailer for it?

        • Mario, if you’ll allow me to add to Jason’s solid starter list, I would also recommend:

          The Wailing
          Train to Busan
          Under the Shadow

          In my opinion, those are the three best horror films of the year so far. Word of warning, though: they are all sub-titled foreign films (the first two are Korean, and the third is Persian), so if you struggle with sub-titled films then that might hamper your enjoyment of them. If you’re cool with sub-titles, though, then those would be my top three horror recommendations. (followed closely by The Monster – don’t let Jason’s baffling lukewarm review on the latest episode of MPW deter you; it’s excellent)

  1. Here’s the example of the “last request” I was referring to above, where you just list any movie titles that are still coming that we all should be aware of:
    Jackie
    Incarnate
    The Eyes of My Mother
    Things to Come
    La La Land
    Office Christmas Party
    Carefree
    Friend Request
    Harry Benson: Shoot First
    The Space Between Us
    Collateral Beauty
    A Kind of Murder
    Neruda
    Solace
    Sing
    A Monster Calls
    Silence
    Julieta
    Live by Night
    Hidden Figures
    Fences
    Gold
    20th Century Women
    Paterson
    Toni Erdmann

  2. Hello MPW and fellow movie goers,

    I am compiling my list for the top 10, so far I only have 8 it has been a bad year for movies. In saying that is there any movies that you guys can recommend that will make my list that came out earlier this year and may have missed. Unlike Andy I like to have my list made of movies I have seen!!! LOL 🙂 In saying that I think the one movie that I am looking forward to the most does not come out until 12/23 and I am going to rush to see it that day is the highly anticipated “Silence” by Martin Scorese I am hoping that will make my list. Please share with me what movies I have to see before the end of the year….. I will make every effort to see it before I email my list to MPW. Thank you
    Mario

    • Mario, that would be tricky without knowing what you’ve seen. A few of my faves that weren’t widely released or discussed much or at all on MPW include Sing Street, Genius, Captain Fantastic and Hunt for the Wilderpeople. And though they are more avant-garde and probably won’t quite make my list, Swiss Army Man and The Lobster are worth checking out. Coming up, I hope to see La La Land and Manchester by the Sea, before finalizing my list.

      • If you enjoy Korean cinema then seek out The Handmaiden. It was released about a month ago as a limited run, mostly in art house theaters. It’s worth the effort of finding it.

      • Thanks Eric will check those movies out and and add them to my list. The only two that you mentioned that I saw is Sing street and Swiss army man. So I have some watching to do.

      • Guys,
        Week after week, I keep trying to squeeze in reviews of “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” and “Captain Fantastic.” I know I always say it on the show, but I will get to them (probably next week)!

        Say, Josh is joining us on MPW Ep. 216! : )

        J

      • Yes, Sir! We loved it! We Feature Reviewed it back on MPW Ep. 203, and coincidentally, tonight in our recording for Ep. 216.
        Thanks,
        J

        • I can’t wait to do my top ten list. I have been thinking about it for a few weeks now. I am still trying to cram some more movies in before I decide though.

  3. OK, Everybody. Since we’ve invited the MPW listenership to truly participate in assembling the Top 10 lists of 2016, I figured I’d really let you in on the madness! This post and the following one will be obnoxiously long “comment-killers,” but I’m posting it here in hopes that this may help you compile your lists so you can e-mail them to us at MoviePodcastWeekly@gmail.com. (The next list beneath this one will be much more extensive.)

    *** Remember, some films may be considered 2015 releases by The Academy and by you, but I’m going with my own determination (linked above) for deciding year of release.

    Here are MPW’s Feature Reviews of 2016:

    Ep. 220
    La La Land
    Passengers
    Collateral Beauty

    Ep. 219
    Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

    Ep. 218
    Manchester by the Sea
    Miss Sloane
    Office Christmas Party
    Nocturnal Animals

    Ep. 217
    Man Down
    The Hunt for the Wilderpeople
    Captain Fantastic
    The Handmaiden

    Ep. 216
    Allied
    Moana
    Moonlight
    Pencils Down! The 100 Days of the Writers Guild Strike

    Ep. 215
    Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
    The Edge of Seventeen
    Bleed for This
    Shut In
    The Monster

    Ep. 214
    Arrival

    Ep. 213
    Doctor Strange
    Hacksaw Ridge

    Ep. 212
    Jack Reacher: Never Go Back
    Inferno
    Keeping Up With the Joneses
    Ouija: Origin of Evil
    Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

    Ep. 211
    The Accountant

    Ep. 210
    The Girl on the Train
    Masterminds

    Ep. 209
    Deepwater Horizon

    Ep. 208
    The Magnificent Seven
    The Last Descent

    Ep. 207
    Blair Witch
    Snowden
    Bridget Jones’s Baby

    Ep. 206
    Sully
    Imperium
    Downriver

    Ep. 205
    Morgan
    Krisha
    In Order of Disappearance
    Skiptrace
    A Monster With a Thousand Heads

    Ep. 204
    Don’t Breathe
    Mechanic: Resurrection

    Ep. 203
    Hell or High Water
    Kubo and the Two Strings
    Ben-Hur
    War Dogs

    Ep. 202
    Blood Father
    Anthropoid
    Pete’s Dragon
    Florence Foster Jenkins
    Batman: The Killing Joke
    Edge of Winter

    Ep. 201
    Jason Bourne
    Bad Moms
    Suicide Squad
    Into the Forest

    Ep. 200
    Star Trek Beyond
    Lights Out

    Ep. 199
    Ghostbusters
    The Infiltrator

    Ep. 198
    The Secret Life of Pets
    Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates
    Swiss Army Man
    Carnage Park

    Ep. 197
    The Legend of Tarzan
    The Purge: Election Year
    The BFG

    Ep. 196
    Independence Day: Resurgence
    Free State of Jones
    The Shallows

    Ep. 195
    Finding Dory
    Central Intelligence

    Ep. 194
    Warcraft
    Now You See Me 2
    The Conjuring 2
    Love & Friendship

    Ep. 193
    Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
    Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows
    The Finest Hours

    Ep. 192
    X-Men: Apocalypse
    The Ones Below

    Ep. 191
    The Nice Guys
    Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising
    The Angry Birds Movie

    Ep. 190
    Money Monster
    The Darkness
    Sing Street

    Ep. 189
    Captain America: Civil War

    Ep. 188
    Green Room
    Keanu

    Ep. 187
    Elvis & Nixon
    Miles Ahead
    Colonia (aka The Colony)

    Ep. 186
    The Jungle Book
    Criminal
    The Boss
    Mr. Right

    Ep. 185
    Midnight Special
    Hardcore Henry

    Ep. 184
    Eye in the Sky
    I Saw the Light
    My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2
    Against the Wild: Survive the Serengeti

    Ep. 183
    Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
    The Invitation
    10 Cloverfield Lane (Spoilers version)

    Ep. 182
    The Divergent Series: Allegiant – Part 1
    The Bronze
    Yosemite
    Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday
    The Wave

    Ep. 181
    10 Cloverfield Lane
    The Brothers Grimsby
    The Young Messiah
    Gods of Egypt
    The 2 Dollar Bill Documentary

    Ep. 180
    London Has Fallen
    Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
    Zootopia
    The Assassin

    Ep. 179
    Triple 9
    Eddie the Eagle

    Ep. 178
    The Witch
    Race
    Risen

    Ep. 177
    Deadpool
    How to Be Single

    Ep. 176
    Hail, Caesar!
    Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

    Ep. 175
    Kung Fu Panda 3

    Ep. 174
    Room
    The Boy
    The 5th Wave
    400 Days

    Ep. 173
    13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
    Anesthesia
    Diablo

    Ep. 172
    The Revenant

    Ep. 171
    The Hateful Eight (2015)

      • It looks like he is (they’re both on his long list below), but he really shouldn’t since they were both released in 2015. In particular, The Hateful Eight was widely released in the US on December 30, 2015, according to Jason’s “official reference source” – IMDb. I think that’s just his cheat to get them on his list because he didn’t get a chance to see them last year.

        Personally, I think his official reference for year of release should be the year they are “Oscar eligible.” Seems odd to me to include films like The Hateful Eight and The Revenant on a best of list the year after they were nominated for and/or won an Oscar.

        Note to Jason: I really hope you aren’t including those two films on your 2016 list. That would be like including No Escape on a top horror list – it just doesn’t belong.

        • Dino,
          In all seriousness, please explain this to me. I know you’re very smart. If you can give me a satisfactory answer to this dilemma, then I will change my ways (and celebrate your wisdom).

          Here’s my problem:
          Let’s use “The Revenant” for this illustration… “The Revenant” was not available for exhibition anywhere near me in Utah (that I know of) until January 8, 2016. To be clear, let’s assume it is a FACT that I could not see “The Revenant” in 2015, which is to say, before deciding my Top 10 of 2015 list…

          Having said that, now let’s assume I decided to go with The Academy’s classification of 2015, and I consider “The Revenant” a 2015 film. Period.

          What this means (and herein lies my problem) is, if I wanted to include “The Revenant” as a favorite film… I could not include it on my 2015 list, because I had no possible way to see it yet. And, according to you, I could not include it on my 2016 list, either! It would fall between the cracks in some nether-region oblivion…

          Therefore, because of this limbo (that I wouldn’t be the only one in America facing, by the way), it would be IMPOSSIBLE for me to include “The Revenant” on any of my Top 10 Movies of the Year list!

          How is that acceptable to you, Dino?

          Am I supposed to disregard truly great films like “The Revenant,” “The Hateful Eight” and “Room” just because they can’t “fit” on either list? That’s crazy!

          This is why my solution is the best approach I know of, because if I use the criterion of “a movie’s release year is when it was first WIDELY available in the United States,” then I can legitimately prevent great films from falling through the cracks as described above. My way enables me to potentially consider every film release, not just most of them…

          Dino, if you can think of a better way, Sir. By all means, I’m all ears… Thanks!

          Much love,
          J

          • Under the circumstances I’m with J. It does make things screwy, though.

            A better solution, IMO, would be to not do any “best of 2016” lists until late January of 2017, to allow time for everyone to see things they missed and to see those “released officially in 2016 but not widely available until early 2017” films.

          • @Eric,
            The only problem I have with your solution, Eric, is it’s kind of like celebrating Christmas in July… There’s something timely about the “end of the year” lists…

            And one other general point… just to be clear to everyone: If I wanted to see “Free State of Jones,” but I still haven’t yet (which is true), given its wide release and availability, I just have to accept that I did not get around to it in time to consider it for my list. But indeed, it is still a 2016 film, even though I didn’t see it, obviously. But the important distinction is, I *could have* seen it. It wasn’t completely unavailable or impossible for me to see.
            J

            P.S. for Andrew: Of course I completely respect that you’re with Dino on this one, Andrew. But I’m just curious if you have any thoughts about my dilemma posed above? (I’d genuinely love for someone to figure out a better solution than mine.) Andrew, does this mean that you have films that fall into this impossible-to-include limbo, or are you one of these lucky New Yorkers who get to see anything and everything in a given calendar year? (I could understand a New Yorker or perhaps a prolific film festival-goer to oppose me.) Thanks, Buddy. — J

          • Jason, I get the dilemma. And on the surface, your criteria seems like a good solution. However, it becomes problematic when you’re looking at your list historically, and when compared to other such lists because you wouldn’t be comparing apples to apples. If the rest of the world is considering The Revenant a 2015 film because that’s when it was submitted to The Academy for Oscar consideration, but then you put it up on your 2016 list, that just seems “off.”

            The problem with your system really is highlighted this year by The Revenant for that very reason. And I’m still unsure why The Hateful Eight is in this discussion because that was “widely available” on December 30, 2015, according to IMDb.

            I really do think the best solution is to go by a film’s “Oscar year” because that is (I assume) the industry standard. My suggestion on how to follow this standard while still solving your dilemma of availability would be to continue doing your end-of-year top 10 list shows as you normally do, but then have another show a month or two later where you update your lists after all the movies have become widely available. You wouldn’t need to devote an entire show to revisiting your top 10 list; probably just a 30-minute (or less) discussion as part of one of your February episodes, for example. You could even have it as part of your pre-Oscar primer/coverage.

            Benefits:
            – You have films listed in their “Oscar year” of release, which I assume is the industry standard, as opposed to your own very specific set of rules (i.e. the film being available in a theater near you)
            – You get to revisit your top 10 list
            – You no longer have to worry about defending your dogmatic approach to determining year-of-release 😉
            – Facilitates conversation because we’re dealing with apples to apples comparisons (e.g. I would not include The Hateful Eight for 2016 because I saw it in 2015, and I suspect many others did as well)

            Drawbacks:

          • As a follow-up to my suggestion above^, you could come up with a small list to go through at the end of your end-of-year top 10 list show with all the 2016 movies you have not gotten to yet, but want to prior to your top 10 list revisit.

            So, for last year’s top 10 list show, you could have included The Revenant and The Hateful Eight as films that were not available near you in time for that show, but you will get to before your top 10 list revisit. That way, you still get to mention those films on the end-of-year show and, if they ultimately make your top 10 list, then they’ll be listed as such on your top 10 list revisit segment (and for posterity’s sake).

          • Ok Jay you have won me over. That is fair because you didn’t get a chance to see them in 2015.
            Sorry to cause a fuss but this is my first year to do a list and I wanted to get it right.
            P.s I am definitely not a New Yorker. I live in Australia so I am sure we get an even smaller selection of movies to see than you guys in America. They are probably released later here too.

        • @Andrew:
          Regarding your comment from 2:45 p.m. today, since you’re in Australia, Brother, I wouldn’t fault you at all for only considering films that you’ve been able to see this year (or whatever year) once they make it to Australia.

          And honestly, as “dogmatic” as I seem about this (good word, Dino), I respect ANYBODY who simply takes his or her Top 10 list seriously, which you’re obviously doing. (This is why I don’t respect Andy because he doesn’t take it seriously. ha ha)

          And in fact, to that end, whatever films the listeners send to me, I will surely tally them (regardless of which year I would assign them to). In other words, I honor everybody’s own system for reckoning their top 10.

          I have actually e-mailed Dino behind the scenes this afternoon, after being impressed by his comments above. He gave me a very interesting idea… but he’s keeping me in suspense and giving me nothin’ but crickets as of yet! (E-mail me back, Dino!) ha ha. But we may have something interesting (for Top 10 list sticklers like us) cooked up once Dino gets back to me… Stay tuned!

          By the way, I love Australians. Seriously, I do. I’m very excited to read your Top 10 list, Andrew. Thanks for joining the fray today.

          Your pal,
          Jay

        • Ok now I don’t know what to do. You make some great points Jay. I think I am going to have to re-evaluate my list. I like Eric’s idea of doing it in January. But you also can’t see everything either. What if you see the best movie of the year 2 or 3 years later? (Unlikely, I know, but maybe it’s something that not many other people liked and it just connects with you in some way). Maybe some just have to fall through the cracks? I will have to think about it some more.

  4. OK. Now, if you’re ready to get nuts! I have compiled a massive list of 2016 movie releases here below. (I collect these titles all year long.) Some of these may not adhere to my personal release guidelines: For instance, some may not actually release until 2017. I didn’t have time to “check” them all. In fact, some may have never released at all. Still, I’m pretty proud of this compilation. May it help and guide you with your feverish watchlist in the coming days, and help you to remember what you’ve seen this year.

    Much love through this Labor of Love…
    Jason

    2016:

    10 Cloverfield Lane
    13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
    20th Century Women
    31
    400 Days
    4th Man Out
    A Beautiful Planet
    A Bigger Splash
    A Country Called Home
    A Cure for Wellness
    A Date With Miss Fortune
    A Kind of Murder
    A Man in the Dark
    A Meyers Christmas
    A Monster Calls
    A Perfect Day
    A Street Cat Named Bob
    A War (Krigen)
    About Scout
    Absolutely Famous: The Movie
    Admiral
    Aferim!
    Against the Wild: Survive the Serengeti
    Alice Through the Looking Glass
    All Mistakes Buried
    All Roads Lead to Rome
    All We Had
    Allegiant (The Divergent Series)
    Almost Christmas
    American Honey
    American Pastoral
    Amityville: The Awakening
    Anesthesia
    Anomalisa
    Anthropoid
    Ants on Shrimp
    Army of One
    Arrival
    As I AM: The Life and Times of DJ AM
    Assassin’s Creed
    Audrie & Daisy
    Author The JT LeRoy Story
    Ava’s Possessions
    Backgammon
    Backtrack
    Bad Moms
    Band of Robbers
    Barbershop: The Next Cut
    Barney Thomson
    Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
    Bazodee
    Be Somebody
    Beauty and the Beast
    Befikre
    Being Charlie
    Ben-Hur
    Better Off Single
    Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
    Black Mirror
    Black Songbird
    Blackly
    Blair Witch
    Bleed for This
    Blinky Bill: The Movie
    Blood Father
    Blood in the Water
    Blue Jay
    Boom Bust Boom
    Born to Be Blue
    Bridget Jones’s Baby
    Brother Nature
    Burn Country
    CRD
    Cafe Society
    Camino
    Can We Take a Joke?
    Captain America: Civil War
    Captain Fantastic
    Cardboard Boxer
    Carefree
    Carnage Park
    Cemetery of Splendor
    Central Intelligence
    Certain Women
    Channel Zero
    Chevalier
    Chicken Soup for the Soul
    Christine
    City of Gold
    City of Women
    Closet Monster
    Clown
    Clowntown
    Collateral Beauty
    Colliding Dreams
    Colonia (aka The Colony)
    Come What May
    Compadres
    Complete Unknown
    Conner4Real
    Contract to Kill
    Crazy About Tiffany’s
    Creative Control
    Criminal
    Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny
    Dairy of a Chambermaid
    Dancer
    Danny Says
    Dark Horse
    Daughters of the Dust
    De Palma
    Deadpool
    Deepwater Horizon
    Demolition
    Demon
    Denial
    Desierto
    Detective Chinatown
    Dheepan
    Diablo
    Dirty 30
    Dirty Grandpa
    Disorder
    Do Not Resist
    Doctor Strange
    Dog Eat Dog
    Don’t Breathe
    Don’t Look Down
    Don’t Think Twice
    Doctor Strange
    Eat That Question: Frank Zappa in His Own Words
    Eddie the Eagle
    Eisenstein in Guanajuato
    Elle
    Elstree 1976
    Elvis & Nixon
    Embrace of the Serpent
    End of a Gun
    Equals
    Equity
    Everybody Wants Some
    Exposed
    Eye in the Sky
    Fan
    Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
    Fathers and Daughters
    Fences
    Fifty Shades of Black
    Finding Altamira
    Finding Dory
    Fitoor
    Five Nights in Maine
    Florence Foster Jenkins
    For the Love of Spock
    Forsaken
    Frank & Lola
    Free State of Jones
    Free to Run
    Friend Request
    Front Cover
    Gambit
    Generation Startup
    Genius
    Ghost Team
    Ghostbusters
    Gimme Danger
    Girl Asleep
    Gleason
    Goat
    Gods of Egypt
    Gold
    Green Room
    Hacksaw Ridge
    Hail, Caesar!
    Hands of Stone
    Happy Birthday
    Hardcore Henry
    Harry & Snowman
    Harry Benson: Shoot First
    Havana Motor Club
    Hell or High Water
    Hello My Name Is Doris
    Hidden Figures
    High Strung
    High-Rise
    Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party
    Hillsong – Let Hope Rise
    Holidays
    Holy Hell
    How He Fell in Love
    How to Be Single
    Hunt for the Wilderpeople
    Hush
    Hyena Road
    I Am Not a Serial Killer
    I Saw the Light
    I, Daniel Blake
    I.T.
    Ice Age: Collision Course
    Imperium
    In a Valley of Violence
    In the Hell of Dixie
    Incarnate
    Independence Day: Resurgence
    Indignation
    Inferno
    Into the Forest
    Intruder
    Intruders
    Ip Man 3
    Is That a Gun in Your Pocket?
    Ithaca
    It’s So Easy and Other Lies
    I’m Not Ashamed
    Jack Goes Home
    Jack Reacher: Never Go Back
    Jackie
    Jane Got a Gun
    Jason Bourne
    JeruZalem
    Joshy
    Julieta
    Jumanji
    Keanu
    Keeping Up With the Joneses
    Kevin Hart: What Now?
    Kickbocker: Vengeance
    Kicks
    Kidnap
    Kill Ratio
    Kill Zone 2
    King Cobra
    King Georges
    Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV
    Klown Forever
    Knight of Cups
    Knights of the Round Table: King Arthur
    Krisha
    Kubo and the Two Strings
    Kung Fu Panda 3
    L.O.R.D.
    La La Land
    La Leyenda del Chupacabras
    Lamb
    Land of Mine
    Last Days in the Desert
    Lazer Team
    Let It Snow
    Let’s Be Evil
    Life on the Line
    Life, Animated
    Lights Out
    Little Men
    Live Another Day
    Live by Night
    Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World
    Lolo
    London Has Fallen
    London Road
    London Town
    Louder Than Bombs
    Love and Friendship
    Loving
    Ma ma
    Maggie’s Plan
    Manchester by the Sea
    Man Down
    Marauders
    Marguerite
    Marguerite & Julien
    Martyrs
    Mascots
    Masterminds
    Max Rose
    Max Steel
    Maximum Ride
    Me Before You
    Me Him Her
    Mechanic: Resurrection
    Mia Madre
    Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life
    Midnight Special
    Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates
    Milton’s Secret
    Miracles From Heaven
    Misconduct
    Miss Hokusai
    Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
    Miss Sharon Jones
    Miss Sloane
    Miss Stevens
    Moana
    Mojave
    Money Monster
    Monkey Up
    Monster High
    Monster Hunt
    Monster Trucks
    Moonlight
    Moonwalkers
    Morgan
    Morris From America
    Mother’s Day
    Mountain Men
    Mr. Church
    Mr. Right
    My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2
    My Blind Brother
    My Dead Boyfriend
    My Golden Days
    National Bird
    Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising
    Neruda
    Nerve
    Nina
    Nine Lives
    No Manches Frida
    No Stranger Than Love
    Nocturnal Animals
    Norm of the North
    Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You
    Now You See Me 2
    Of Mind and Music
    Office Christmas Party
    Officer Downe
    Old Stone
    Only Yesterday
    Operation Avalanche
    Ordinary World
    Other People
    Ouija: Origin of Evil
    Our Kind of Traitor
    Our Last Tango
    Our Little Sister
    Papa Hemingway in Cuba
    Passengers
    Paterson
    Patient Zero
    Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday
    Pele: Birth of a Legend
    Peter and the Farm
    Pete’s Dragon
    Phantasm: Ravager
    Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
    Portrait of a Serial Monogamist
    Precious Cargo
    Prescription Thugs
    Presenting Princess Shaw
    Priceless
    Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
    Providence
    Puerto Ricans in Paris
    Queen of Katwe
    Rabid Dogs
    Rabin, the Last Day
    Race
    Raiders! The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever
    Ratchet & Clank
    Regression
    Remember
    Remember the Goal
    Ride Along 2
    Rio, I Love You
    Rise of the Legend
    Risen
    River of Grass
    Road Games
    Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
    Rolling Papers
    Room
    Roseanne For President
    Same Kind of Different as Me
    Sausage Party
    Search Party
    Seasons
    Shut In
    Silence
    Silicon Cowboys
    Sing
    Sing Street
    Skiptrace
    Snowden
    Snowtime!
    Solace
    Southbound
    Southside With You
    Space Dogs: Adventure to the Moon
    Spectral
    Stagecoach: The Texas Jack Story
    Standoff
    Star Trek Beyond
    Storks
    Stranger Things (Season 1)
    Suicide Squad
    Sully
    Sun Choke
    Sunset Song
    Swiss Army Man
    Sworn Virgin
    Synchronicity
    Talent Has Hunger
    Tallulah
    Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows
    Term Life
    Terminus
    The 13th
    The 5th Wave
    The 9th Life of Louis Drax
    The Abandoned
    The Accountant
    The Alchemist Cookbook
    The Angry Birds Movie
    The Automatic Hate
    The BFG
    The Bad Kids
    The Beat Beneath My Feet
    The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years
    The Benefactor
    The Best Man Wedding
    The Birth of a Nation
    The Blackcoat’s Daughter
    The Boss
    The Bounce Back
    The Boy
    The Boy and the Beast
    The Bronze
    The Brothers Grimsby
    The Choice
    The Clan
    The Club
    The Conjuring 2
    The Darkness
    The Devil’s Dolls
    The Disappointments Room
    The Dog Lover
    The Dressmaker
    The Duel
    The Duelist
    The Edge of Seventeen
    The Eyes of My Mother
    The Family Fang
    The Final Project
    The Finest Hours
    The Fits
    The Forest
    The Founder
    The Free World
    The Fundamentals of Caring
    The Girl on the Train
    The Greasy Strangler
    The Great Gilly Hopkins
    The Great Wall
    The Handmaiden
    The Hateful Eight
    The Hollars
    The Huntsman: Winter’s War
    The Idol
    The Infiltrator
    The Intervention
    The Invitation
    The Ivory Game
    The Jungle Book
    The Lady in the Van
    The Lake
    The Land
    The Last Heist
    The Last King
    The Last Man on the Moon
    The Late Bloomer
    The Legend of Tarzan
    The Lennon Report
    The Light Between Oceans
    The Little Prince
    The Lobster
    The Love Witch
    The Lovers and the Despot
    The Magnificent Seven
    The Man Who Knew Infinity
    The Masked Saint
    The Meddler
    The Mind’s Eye
    The Monster
    The Music of Strangers
    The Neon Demon
    The Nice Guys
    The Ones Below
    The Other Side of the Door
    The Pack
    The Pastor
    The People vs. Fritz Bauer
    The Perfect Match
    The Phenom
    The Pickle Recipe
    The Program
    The Purge: Election Year
    The Revenant
    The Salesman
    The Sea of Trees
    The Secret Life of Pets
    The Shallows
    The Space Between Us
    The Take
    The Tenth Man
    The Treasure
    The True Memoirs of an International Assassin
    The Unspoken
    The Vessel
    The Wailing
    The Wait
    The Wave
    The Whole Truth
    The Wild Life
    The Windmill
    The Witch
    The Witness
    The Young Messiah
    They Will Have to Kill Us First
    They’re Watching
    Things to Come
    Tickled
    Time to Choose
    Toni Erdmann
    Total Frat Movie
    Touched With Fire
    Transpecos
    Trapped
    Triple 9
    Trolls
    Troublemakers: The Story of Land Art
    Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween
    USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage
    Under the Shadow
    Valencia
    Viktoria
    Viral
    Viva
    Voyage of Time
    War Dogs
    Warcraft
    Wazir
    We Are X
    Wedding Doll
    Weiner
    Welcome to Happiness
    Westworld (TV series)
    What We Become
    When the Bough Breaks
    Where to Invade Next
    Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
    White Girl
    Why Him?
    Wiener-Dog
    Wild Oats
    X-Men: Apocalypse
    Yoga Hosers
    Yosemite
    Zero Days
    Zoolander 2
    Zoom
    Zootopia

    • Holy haystack, Batman!

      Thanks for sharing “the list” with us, Jason. I assume this is the ridiculously long list you always share with the other co-hosts that we’ve occasionally heard about on the show.

      Are you on Letterboxd? I know you have a certain aversion to social media, but this is a social platform I think you could get behind. A few of us in the community are connected on there, and it’s really helpful for gathering information like this (and making lists). Anyway, in the future, you could keep a running list of each year’s releases and share the link to the list.

      Just a thought. If nothing else, I think you should check it out if you haven’t already. It’s right up your alley.

    • Wait … what?!

      RED ALERT! Jay, does putting “Stranger Things” and “Westworld” on this list mean that you are considering them as movies for purposes of Top 10 list-making? Or did you just not realize that they were on here when you posted the list?

      This should be clarified ASAP. I realize that the explosion in popularity of longform serials muddies the waters. They seem like movies because a) they tell a single story, and b) they can be viewed without commercial interruption. And the two examples you have on this list do have a more cinematic feel to them than, say, “Game of Thrones” or “The Walking Dead.” Still, to consider them as movies for the purposes of year-end cinema Top 10 lists feels like it opens a ginormous can of worms.

      • Cody,
        I can always (and indeed do) count on you for your intelligence and attentiveness.

        Side note: Even though many of these comments for this blog post lovingly come after me, what truly makes me ELATED in these comments is how obviously seriously you all are taking this Top 10 list…

        If I had a genie that granted me one wish… that one wish wouldn’t be that everyone just agree with me… ha ha. Nope. My one wish is that everyone would take this as seriously as I do. And I’m so pleased to observe that you all obviously do! No damn genie needed!

        Cody asks a fair question… This was a preemptive strike, on my part. I know people will try to include such things, anyway, which is kind of a bummer, because with the existence of “Stranger Things” and “Westworld,” we’ll get eight picks for people, instead of 10. I think on many lists, these series will be “givens.”

        I knew a kid named Nathan Givens once…

        Anyway, even so, I took the liberty of including them because they are truly cinematic productions — much like a very long-form film. The aforementioned series, as well as “Making a Murderer” (which I should add) are cinematic in nature, and really, nothing more than a gigantically long film with story arcs and such, just punctuated and segmented by releasing / format restrictions…

        Would you not consider “Roots” (1977) a film (even though it’s a mini series)? Or “Jesus of Nazareth” or “Shogun” or “Storm of the Century” or “Lonesome Dove”? (Let me put it this way, Cody Clark: If it were the year 1985, you’d better believe I’d have “Lonesome Dove” on my Top 10 list for that year!)

        So, I’m saying let’s count ’em!

        Having said that, I won’t be including them in my Top 10 list this year, because I’m sticking to the more conventional / traditional understanding of Feature Films and their typical, 80- to 120-minute runtimes… [I couldn’t actually find any rules that gave a *maximum* length for a feature film; I just found minimums of 40 minutes (and in some cases 80 min.)].

        Anyway, great question! Let the arguments begin! If people send those in for Top 10’s, then we might get an audience pick of “Westworld” as the No. 1 “film” of 2016… Deserving? Maybe. Kind of weird? Definitely. This is why I’m not including it.

        J

        • Fair points, Jay. And I certainly love me some “Stranger Things.” I haven’t seen “Westworld,” but I’d probably flip for that one, too. (I love Westerns. I love sci-fi. I love southern Utah. I love [mostly] Ed Harris and [frequently] Anthony Hopkins. They had me at “howdy,” really.) I understand and relate to the impulse to include great television in the discussion.

          And yet this just feels … wrong. To riff on Churchill’s famous “riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma” turn of phrase, I feel like we’re staring at a quandary wrapped in a dilemma inside of a dilly of pickle, here. It sounds like such a snobby things to say, but movies are movies, dammit. Television, even really great television, is something else.

          As arbitrary a distinction as it seems, running time is probably an element of my objection. It’s part of what defines cinema as an art form. If forces the artist to make choices and grapple with limitations. And it forces audiences to settle in a bit more deeply and maybe pay attention a little more closely.

          And while going to the theater is certainly dying as a means of cinematic consumption, seeing a really good movie at least once on a big screen in a darkened auditorium feels like it counts for something extra. Maybe a little like the difference between an listening to classical music on an iPod and going to a concert hall to hear it performed by an orchestra. I realize that it sounds silly and (again) arbitrary, but theatrical release feels like it ought to count for something here as well.

  5. New comment strictly directed at Andy, Karl, Ryan (my co-hosts):

    I’d just like to apologize ahead time that my Top 10 list will be *superior to all of yours. —Jason

    *Superior is not a subjective word; it is actually a substantially factual word in this case… Here’s how I will be able to prove it: Each film that the listeners vote for will have a sum total of points derived from their voting and placement. (This is how we will determine their collective Top 10 and highest five honorable mentions, 11-15.)

    Therefore, we will be able to SUM the “listener point value” (LPV) of each movie that we selected, in order to determine whose list is most in line with the tastes of our listenership, thereby being “superior” to our co-hosts’ lists…

    And I’m making this bold claim, even while dealing with the three handicaps of:
    1. being at odds with many listeners for year of release
    2. including lesser-known, under-the-radar picks for my list (in order to try to help champion deserving cinema)
    3. having a trick heart.

    J

      • They don’t read them, which is why I talk smack about them here so freely.

        Hell, they probably don’t even realize we’re having a Top 10 show yet, to be honest…
        J

  6. ATTN: Awesome people who are reading these comments:

    You will have noticed the debate raging about “Determining a Film’s Year of Release…” Obviously, this is of crucial importance to me (and the community), because it directly affects the way we build our Top 10 lists.

    Dino and others have been engaging with me, and they have made some pretty good points…

    Therefore, instead of continuing the debate here in the comments, where only 0.001% of our listenership will even be aware of it, I have invited Dino to join us in Episode 217 of MPW for a regular episode.

    And then immediately thereafter, just Dino and I will have what I’m calling an “MPW Summit” to discuss and debate the finer points of determining year of release in an attempt to decide this matter once and for all. (Feel free to include your suggestions in the comments here, and we’ll try to address them!)

    Don’t miss it!

    J

    • Good. You are both level-headed representatives whom we trust with this important task.

      I do like Dino’s reasoning and his ideas for solutions. An end-of year list which we could get excited about with opportunity for revision to finalize our lists before the Oscars and have them jiving with all the other lists forevermore.

      Last year was just so weird with all those great movies coming out right at the end… or was it? Is is always like that?

      The Producer; I know you go to a LOT of work with the stats and the numbers and the listeners and the contests.. There’s a lot of moving parts there and you are so brave to even take it on. But it’s JUST so fun!

  7. Update for those who care:
    It’s 1:30 a.m., and 30 minutes ago Dino and I just finished our MPW Summit, where we discussed solutions for determining year of release. (This will be at the end of MPW Ep. 217.)

    Dino is brilliant, as always, and he made many good points. In the 30 minutes following our discussion, I’ve thought it over, and Dino! — I think I have as close to perfect a solution as is possible, satisfying both “ends of the law.” ha ha.

    I’ll keep everybody in suspense a little longer, but honestly, I think it will please just about everyone! I’ll reveal it soon (when it’s not 1:30 in the morning)…

    Thanks again for your help, Dino! Couldn’t have done it without ya!
    Jay

      • I hope you can make it to the end! Haha.

        I feel bad that our discussion was largely focused on U.S. release dates… well, exclusively focused on U.S. release dates. But I guess you gotta crawl before you can run.

    • While the rest of the world sleeps it is nice to know that Jay and Dino are tackling world problems can’t wait to hear all about it!!!

      • Haha! #firstworldproblems

        Glad to hear you’ll be listening, Mario. Between you and Andrew, I think that fills our expected quota of people we hoped would listen!

    • It was 3 a.m. for me, Jason. I can’t remember the last time I was awake at 3 a.m. by choice.

      I’m glad you came up with something because I felt like we circled back to the start by the end, if that makes any sense. That might not make any sense; my body is awake, but my brain is still asleep.

      It was definitely a good time, though, and I am by no means complaining – I’m fully aware that my struggle with brevity is largely responsible for our 4-hour recording session (yikes!).

      Have fun editing down that beast, buddy!

      p.s. Sorry

      • Dino,
        It was a pleasure. Now if I can get Ep. 216 posted and out of the way, I’ll get started on Ep. 217 (featuring Dino!) right away. With your blessing, at the very end of our recording, I’m going to put the all-inclusive solution I came up with over some Cocoa Krispies this morning. Honestly, I think it appeases everyone… And if people can’t get to the end of our very esoteric discussion, then I’ll also write up a brief comment about it in the show notes or something. Thanks again, Dino. It was a pleasure!
        J
        P.S. I can’t even imagine tackling rules for foreign cinema releases! ha ha

  8. Jay here. Just wanted to rouse some more rabble real quick…

    I recently bought two tickets to see “Rogue One” for my son and me. (Seats are filling up fast.) I showed him the trailer last night, and I have a prediction that I’d like to put out there in advance:

    Judging from its trailers, unless they’re playing all its good cards close to the vest, “Rogue One” will be underwhelming and ultimately disappointing. That much seems obvious.

    But here’s the prediction: Despite this, I’m predicting that the MPW audience (whom I love) will still be coerced by Nostalgia, insomuch that “Rogue One” will still end up among their collective Top 10 of 2016 list! … ha ha ha Don’t be slaves to your Nostalgia, Friends. If it’s a spade, then let’s call a spade a spade.

    If I see the film and I’m wrong, I will happily redact this whole comment.

    But let me tell you one more thing…

    There’s a fuzzy piece of foam that’s designed to protect the onboard mics on my digital audio recorder (which I use for podcasting). *IF* “Rogue One” ends up on my Top 10 Best Movies of 2016 list, then I will eat that foam and film it for y’all to see.

    Much love,
    J

  9. BMOTY alert! LA LA LAND is really, really good. Strong BMOTY potential. Also, Karl and Andy will die and go to heaven when they get a load of Emma Stone in this thing. 10/10

      • “La La Land” doesn’t *look like* my cup of tea; however, I have been making an effort to try to see it ASAP. I’m open to its famed magic.

        Unfortunately, “La La Land” doesn’t open anywhere (that I know of) in SLC until Dec. 16, when it will be screening at The Broadway. I hope I can find a way to get to it.

        Thanks for the recommendation, Cody!
        J

        • Be sure to make time for this one, Jay. Even if you don’t LOVE it (and I’d say there’s an excellent chance that you might), I think you’ll be glad you saw it. Also, getting Karl and Sandy to shut up about Emma Stone after *they’ve* seen the movie will probably be impossible if you can’t tell them you’ve seen it yourself.

          As a bonus, this is one that you need have no hesitation about seeing with Nat. The PG-13 rating is for one flipping of the bird and about three total swears (one of which is a mostly comical and largely inoffensive utterance of the F-word [Because, as we all know, you get one freebie with every PG-13 and, hey, free F-word!]) and nothing else at all. There are a handful of smooches, mixed in with a lot of longing looks and some hand-holding, but nothing else even remotely sexual. Zero violent content (almost goes without saying).

      • Given Jason’s well-documented hatred of the cinema, it’s tough to say. The musical element is both delightful and (mostly) ingenious, though, and Jason *is* a musician, so I think he’ll be respectful at the very least, and possibly respond much more strongly. It’s not a straight musical (not through-sung), and the stretches of dramatic material between musical numbers are just as compelling as the rest of it. Also, I suspect that almost all creative/artistic types will strongly relate to both the Stone and Gosling characters, even if they seem superficial at first.

        • Ah man, I’m drooling. I got chills during the trailer for it I saw yesterday. Could be a 1-2 of musical films for me this year, between this and Sing Street. I need to temper my expectations, though, but damn, it looks great.

      • Standard-issue preview screening last night at the AMC 12 in West Jordan. A friend got some free passes by listening to a telemarketer and shared.

  10. Hi Friends,
    Don’t forget to e-mail your Top 10 lists BEFORE Christmas Day (Dec. 25). This upcoming Saturday, Dec. 24, is the deadline.

    Also: If you’re feeling thin on your horror movies for 2016, in Ep. 106 of Horror Movie Podcast (a 4-hour, 10-minute episode), we essentially “Feature Review” 20 horror films from 2016. We’ll tell you what NOT to miss! Check it out when you have 4 hours!

    http://horrormoviepodcast.com/horror-movie-podcast-ep-106-considering-20-new-release-horror-films-of-2016/

    Thanks!
    J

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