The Code Is Zeek

This week’s Out Now with Aaron and Abe is bringing some last minute cheer before the New Year. Aaron and Abe are joined by Jonathan Van Dyke to go over a number of recent releases, news and more. Recorded just after Christmas , the guys are here to talk the holidays, classics, TV classics, new films, more thoughts on The Last Jedi and more. Among topics covered, we have several Out Now Quickies™ ( 8:26 ), Trailer Talk for Ocean’s 8 ( 45:34 ), Sicario 2 ( 51:00 ), and Mortal Engines ( 57:30 ), News ( 1:03:35 ), and Out Now Feedback ( 1:21:24 ). We then wrap things up ( 1:44:40 ) and end on some bloopers ( 1:57:00 ), following this week's close out song.   So now, if you’ve got an hour or so to kill… You can also find links to the episode at AudioBoom .  Subscribe via iTunes HERE

It's the end of the year, which means it's time for lots of lists recapping the year in film. I have put together a lot, so be ready to enjoy my Top Ten Films of the Year , along with others. There are also some reviews for recent releases now in theaters, including Phantom Thread   and The Post . A few things came out for home viewing this week, so enjoy the reviews there. Lastly, if you haven't enjoyed our Last Jedi  podcast already, it's available, with a new episode coming soon as well. Thanks for reading! Top Ten Films of the Year -  http://whysoblu.com/aarons-top-ten-films-of-2017/ Top 40-11 Films of the Year -  http://www.thecodeiszeek. com/2017/12/2017-year-end- recap-top-40-through-11.html Favorite Movie Moments and Shout Outs -  http://www.thecodeiszeek. com/2017/12/2017-year-end- recap-favorite-movie.html Disappointing and Worst Films of the Year -  http://www.thecodeiszeek. com/2017/12/2017-year-end- recap-disappointme...

I will be publishing my Top Ten Films of 2017 list over at Why So Blu?  o n December 29th . It will be posted here at a later date as well, but leading up to the Top Ten, I will be posting a few lists reflecting my thoughts on the many films from this year. This list features a collection of my favorite movie moments of the year, along with a variety of films I wanted to give a shout out to. Whether they are documentaries I caught up with, big blockbusters I was entertained by, or the smaller or foreign-language films I really enjoyed but couldn't fit into my top ten, let alone my top forty, I wanted to provide a list that gave them all some more notice. As far as the moments, there were some genuinely sublime moments of cinema that I wanted to single out for a new idea for a list I had. So here are the listings of favorite movie moments (mild spoilers) and some random shout outs for the films of 2017 (with links to the reviews for each when available).

On December 29th, I will be publishing my Top Ten Films of 2017 list over at Why So Blu? . That same list will be posted here at a later date as well. For the time being, I still have a couple lists I wanted to share reflecting my thoughts on the many films from this year. The following post features my Top 40 through 11 favorites. It's a big list for sure, and as usual, I am always pleased with how these runner-up lists essentially look like a couple great top ten lists of their own. These picks may not have made it to my Top Ten (some were harder choices than others) but I still really appreciated what they had to offer. So here is a large batch of my favorites from 2017 (with links to the reviews for each when available).

Let's get this over with. I enjoy putting together these end of the year lists, as it's fun to recap the year in film and give praise to film's worthy of recognition. Of course, there's also this list, which focuses on the misfires. Honestly, I've never had much of a taste for concentrating on which films I just wasn't into, and I likely won't have too much commentary on where these picks stem from by the time I've finished up writing this post (reviews are linked though). That said, I've combined three different categories here. This list contains my picks for the most disappointing films of the year, the movies that seemed to be loved by most audiences that I just wasn't into, and my picks for the worst films of the year. I will note I did not see every movie considered "bad" (sorry Emoji Movie ), but here we go.

It's Christmastime, which means lots of movies are currently in release. If you already saw Star Wars , this week has Jumanji   and The Greatest Showman in theaters, along with the terrible Bright   on Netflix . The Shape of Water  finally goes nationwide, while The Post  and a few others hit a few theaters or will open a few days later in limited release. At home, you have some of the year's best films and one of the worst. There's also some bonus stuff, including my best Blu-ray picks of the year and the LAOFCS winners. Lastly, check out our terrific podcast covering The Last Jedi  this week. Enjoy! In Theaters Now: The Greatest Showman -  http://whysoblu.com/ greatest-showman-limited-acts- movie-review/ (At least the songs are good) Jumanji -  http://whysoblu.com/jumanji- delivers-welcome-return- jungle-movie-review/ (The first good movie with Jumanji in the title) Bright -  https://weliveentertainment. com/welivefilm/...

This week’s Out Now with Aaron and Abe is the spark that will light the fire of other podcasts. Aaron and Abe are joined by Adam Gentry, David Yeh and the lovely Ana Bosch to review Star Wars: The Last Jedi . The group is ready to go completely into their thoughts on the film, which includes plenty of spoilers, so be aware of where this discussion well be headed. Among topics covered, we have a fun round of Know Everybody (5:25), some Out Now Quickies™ (15:03), Trailer Talk for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (21:09) and Alita: Battle Angel (27:03), the main review (34:04), Games (2:05:17), and Out Now Feedback (2:12:23). We then wrap things up (2:25:02) and end on some bloopers (2:35:53), following this week's closeout song.   So now, if you’ve got an hour or so to kill… You can also find links to the episode at AudioBoom .  Subscribe via iTunes HERE

Star Wars: The Last Jedi has finally arrived and it is amazing. A fantastic entry in the ongoing saga with Rian Johnson delivering in spades. Also out this week, Ferdinand , the decent animated story of a non-violent bull. I also have a new review up for the upcoming Molly's Game from writer/director Aaron Sorkin . Being a bit sick, I didn't have time to cover some of the other upcoming releases, but there is plenty in theaters to see, as evidenced by the number of reviews below. Also out - several new home releases worth seeking out. Plus, a review for the lackluster mid-season finale of The Walking Dead . Lastly, two new podcast episodes to listen to. Enjoy! In Theaters Now: Star Wars: The Last Jedi -  http://whysoblu.com/strong- force-last-jedi-movie-review/ (A fantastic Star Wars movie, the best in years) Ferdinand -  https://weliveentertainment. com/welivefilm/review- ferdinand-fights-flowery-good- time/ (Decent animated effort) Spreading Wider:...

This week’s Out Now with Aaron and Abe goes over failure-turned-success and a romance. Aaron and Abe are joined by Todd Gilchrist and Luke Y. Thompson to discuss The Disaster Artist and The Shape of Water . Both are passion projects from directors who have some key influences from particular filmmakers, making for an interesting pairing. Among topics covered, we have a fun round of Know Everybody ( 4:27 ), some Out Now Quickies™ ( 8:32 ), Trailer Talk for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom ( 24:48 ), the main reviews ( 36:37 ) and ( 1:15:40 ), and Out Now Feedback ( 1:43:55 ). We then wrap things up ( 2:10:58 ) and end on some bloopers ( 2:22:41 ), following this week’s closeout song.  So now, if you’ve got an hour or so to kill… You can also find links to the episode at AudioBoom .  Subscribe via iTunes HERE

It’s another December featuring a new Star Wars movie, so that means another Out Now with Aaron and Abe Star Wars commentary track. This time Aaron is joined by Brandon Peters, Scott Mendelson and Yancy Berns for a discussion of The Empire Strikes Back . This is a packed commentary that goes over the excellent middle chapter of the world’s most famous saga by way of its placement in history, the impact it had, the status of the stars and filmmakers involved. There’s more as well, such as the current state of blockbusters, debates over the current crop of Star Wars films and plenty of other fun. This is the sort of commentary where the group could easily do it again and have a whole new discussion, so let the guys know if they should do this again because it’s never not fun talking Star Wars . So now, if you’ve got an hour to kill…

Just one week left until Star Wars , but in the meantime, I have a bunch of reviews for upcoming films and films currently in limited release, such as I, Tonya , a wonderful dark comedy that tells the story of Tonya Harding . I also have thoughts on the upcoming releases from Spielberg and P.T. Anderson , so enjoy those. New releases at home are here as well, including a great addition to The Criterion Collection . TV reviews of course, plus a look at Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom . Lastly, another great podcast episode to listen in to. Enjoy! In Theaters: I, Tonya -  https://weliveentertainment. com/welivefilm/afi-fest- review-tonya-trashes- competition/ (A terrifically entertaining dark comedy/biopic) The Breadwinner -  http://www.thecodeiszeek.com /2017/12/brief-thoughts-breadw inner.html (A wonderful and emotional animated film) Spreading Wider: The Shape of Water -  http://whysoblu.com/the-shap e-of-water-movie-review/ (A ...

After a week of teases, the first trailer for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is here, and it has aimed to impress. Going bigger and darker, this is the sort of thing you'd expect to see from a sequel to one of the biggest films of all time. Fortunately, I'm on board for more adventures based on the creations spearheaded by John Hammond. Take a look at the trailer above and then come back to read some more thoughts on this upcoming summer blockbuster. I'd say that was pretty great as far as setting up as a reason for another Jurassic film to exist and finding ways to throw new visual ideas into the mix. It may be a lost cause, but I was holding out hope for a film that was entirely set in a courtroom and concerned the fight against those responsible for the events of the previous movie. Regardless, rescuing dinosaurs from a volcano sounds good enough as well.

This week’s Out Now with Aaron and Abe is flying away to a place of justice. Aaron and Abe are joined by Jordan Rath and Kenny Miles to discuss Lady Bird and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri . These two acclaimed films are featured in enough locations at this point, so the guys can only hope you check them out, as well as here their takes on them, along with other recent releases. Among topics covered, we have a fun round of Know Everybody ( 5:19 ), some Out Now Quickies™ ( 11:10 ), Trailer Talk for Avengers: Infinity War ( 20:12 ), the main reviews ( 30:25 ) and ( 55:51 ), and Out Now Feedback ( 1:26:50 ). We then wrap things up ( 2:08:30 ) and end on some bloopers ( 2:24:18 ), following this week’s closeout song.  So now, if you’ve got an hour or so to kill… You can also find links to the episode at AudioBoom .  Subscribe via iTunes HERE

I really enjoy putting my reviews together.  I honestly wish I could delve deeper into certain movies, but alas, I get incredibly busy and can sometimes only deal with movies to a briefer extent than I would prefer.  This is why I write these occasional "Brief Thoughts" posts on movies I have seen, as I want to at least offer some of my own perspective on them.  They may not be as polished, but I can at least get my opinions out there. This edition of "Brief Thoughts" features a mini-review of the independent animated drama The Breadwinner .

We are now heavy into awards season and there are plenty of great films out. A few open in limited release this week. Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water and James Franco's The Disaster Artist are sure to satisfy. Woody Allen's latest is also here. Three Billboards spreads wide this week. At home, I have a few things up, including a review of Le Samourai , one of the coolest films of all time. There's also our great Coco podcast, which is a good listen. And I have a new trailer post going into what to expect from Avengers: Infinity War . Enjoy! The Shape of Water -  http://whysoblu.com/the- shape-of-water-movie-review/ (A love story and an adult fairy tale. One of the year's bests) Wonder Wheel -  http://whysoblu.com/wonder- wheel-movie-review/ (Woody Allen's latest) The Disaster Artist -  https://weliveentertainment. com/welivefilm/review- disaster-artist-tears-apart- laughter/ (Hilarious) Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Misso...