Top 15 Movies of 2016

After such a long ride of ups and downs, it's hard to believe that 2016 is nearly over.  Before we head to 2017, it's time to look back at the best movies of 2016.  This year  has been stuffed with blockbusters, but it also has some big surprises, so I've decided to break this down into a top 15 list, with some honorable mentions to kick it off.  

Rogue One Gives Hope to Expanded Star Wars Franchise

NO SPOILERS

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is set just before Star Wars: A New Hope, following a band of Rebel soldiers who uncover the Empire's plan to build a superweapon and their harrowing mission to try and steal those Death Star plans that kick off the Star Wars story.  

               Four years ago when Disney announced the earth-shattering news that they had purchased Lucasfilm and were making new Star Wars movies, one of the more interesting - and concerning - elements of the reveal was that they would not only be giving us new Episodic movies, but that they would also be giving us "Anthology" movies that worked much like spin-offs into various ends of the Star Wars Galaxy.   While the excitement was strong for Episode 7, I was concerned that these "Anthology" movies would be nothing more than cash grabs and even after The Force Awakens I fearfully wondered if Disney could  truly venture beyond the core story and still manage to feel worthwhile.  Would the first of these Star Wars Stories, Rogue One, live up to this fear?  Or would it prove that the galaxy of Star Wars truly is open for new and exciting stories? 

Top 10 TV Shows of 2016

The Film Fan Awakens: Top 10 TV Shows 2016

                2016 is quickly coming to an end and it’s time to look back on the year as a whole, the best and the worst.  Here, I’ll go through the top ten TV shows of 2016, from Netflix pop culture takeovers to philosophical examinations of our current society.  Check out my list below and come back later this month for a look at the best and worst of movies this year.