The "Stevies"

The "Stevies"

With the Academy Awards a little under a week away, I figured it is time to release my nominations for the brighter side of the year in film in 2017. Some people may say that this past year was not a good year for movies but I say to them that they just must not have watched very many movies.

(nominations are in no particular order and are my personal opinion)

Best Fight

One of the best things about movies is getting to see fantasies played out before your eyes. What you could once only dream of appears as reality for the runtime of the movie. And some of the most exciting of these realities involves a fight or two.

• Las Vegas (Blade Runner 2049)
• John Wick vs. The Bowler King (John Wick: Chapter 2)
• Opening Scene (Logan)
• Mike Myers Bank Robbery (Baby Driver)
• Stairwell Scene (Atomic Blonde)
• Final Shootout (Wind River)
• The Storms of Crait (The Last Jedi)

Most Surprising

Walking into these movies, I was not expecting anything great. In fact for some of them I just wanted to get the movie over with. But I ended up having a lot of fun with them and would recommend that you see them as well.

• A Cure for Wellness
• The House
• It Comes at Night
• Only the Brave
• Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Best Ensemble

One person delivering a good performance is pretty standard in movies. But having the entire cast firing on all cylinders is a sight to behold.

• Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
• The Big Sick
• Only the Brave
• It
• Logan Lucky

Best Use of "Take Me Home, Country Roads"

2017 saw the use of the John Denver classic in quite a few movies, enough to make you wonder why it happens so often. This is presumably due to a new licensing deal.

• Alien: Covenant
• Logan Lucky
• The Golden Circle

Best Looking

One of the most overlooked parts of a movie is ironically the way it looks. When a movie knows how to properly compose shots, it leads to some amazing works of art that could be framed and hung in living rooms around the world.

• A Cure for Wellness
• Alien: Covenant
• Dunkirk
• Wind River
• Blade Runner 2049

Best Special Effects

Bad special effects can essentially ruin a movie that otherwise had good performances and a compelling script. Luckily these movies put the time and effort to churn out something special.

• War for the Planet of the Apes
• Star Wars: The Last Jedi
• Blade Runner 2049
• Okja
• Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2

Best Actress

• Allison Williams (Get Out)
• Tiffany Haddish (Girl's Trip)
• Frances McDormand (Three Billboards...)
• Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird)
• Margot Robbie (I, Tonya)
• Jessica Chastain (Molly's Game)

Best Actor

• Barry Keoghan (The Killing of a Sacred Deer)
• Michael Stuhlbarg (Call Me by Your Name, The Shape of Water, The Post)
• Vince Vaughn (Brawl in Cell Block 99)
• Kyle Mooney (Brigsby Bear)
• Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick)
• Paul Walter Hauser (I, Tonya)
• James McAvoy (Split)

Best Film

• Lady Bird
• Dunkirk
• Brigsby Bear
• The Shape of Water
• The Killing of a Sacred Deer
• Blade Runner 2049
• Logan
• Get Out
• Baby Driver
• Logan Lucky