With “The New Mutants” and “Dark Phoenix” pushed back to next year, 2018 has gone from a massive year for “X-Men” fans to a more mundane year – although with “Legion” and “The Gifted” on TV and “Deadpool 2” hitting screens on May 18, we’re talking about First World Problems here. Before the “Deadpool” sequel breaks fourth walls nationwide, here’s a look back at the first 10 “X-Men” Universe films, ranked from worst to first.
10 movies and TV shows John is looking forward to in 2018 (Commentary)
Here are 10 TV shows and movies I have high hopes for in the new year:
“The X-Files” (TV show, 8 p.m. Eastern Wednesdays, starting Wednesday, Fox) – OK, so I’m not as big on the mythology episodes lately (Haven’t we seen it all before?), but I do love me some Monster of the Weeks. And I won’t say no to an occasional Darin Morgan comedy hour either. With 10 episodes this time around (compared to six in 2016), there’s bound to be a good variety.
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John’s top 10 movies of 2017
For me, 2017 goes in the books as the year when we don’t have to comment on special effects anymore. In major motion pictures, they are almost universally good now, and if they aren’t, it’s because the studio purposely cut corners. As such, several blockbuster science fiction movies find spots on my list, starting with the year’s most pleasant surprise.
First episode impressions: ‘The Gifted’ (TV review)
Because of a bizarre reticence to turn big-ticket properties into TV series, the 2000 “X-Men” film inspired things like “Mutant X,” “Heroes,” “No Ordinary Family” and “The Cape” but not an actual “X-Men” series — until this year. First up was FX’s “Legion,” a show so confusing I don’t know when or on what timeline it takes place. But “The Gifted” (9 p.m. Eastern Mondays on Fox) is more accessible.
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Fall TV 2017: 1 new show and 5 returning shows John is looking forward to (Commentary)
There are more good TV shows than ever before – so much so that TV overload has become an issue for even the biggest TV geeks – but they premiere throughout the calendar year now. As such, Fall TV ain’t what it used to be. Still, there’s something traditional and nostalgic about getting that Entertainment Weekly Fall TV Preview in the mail. Not willing to wait any longer for mine to arrive so I can research the offerings, here are my picks for one new show and five returning shows to watch (all times Eastern):
‘X-Men’s’ Wolverine trilogy goes out on top with unshackled ‘Logan’ (Movie review)
“Logan” (now available on streaming) is the most unconstrained “X-Men” film so far, and – not coincidentally – it’s also the best of the saga, which stands at 10 movies and counting (plus one TV show, with a second on the way). I’m a fan of the franchise, but with a lot of my “X-Men” reviews, I have caveats: I say it’s good considering how many characters it tried to cram into the story, or it’s good considering that it was trying to please a mass audience.
First episode impressions: ‘Legion’ (TV review)
My first-episode impression of “Legion” (10 p.m. Eastern, Wednesdays, FX) is “What the heck did I just watch?” The 90-minute premiere is undeniably a mess. There’s no doubt it’s an INTENTIONAL mess, but whether you’re willing to stay on this ride will depend entirely on how much you like mind-trip TV shows.
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Movies and TV shows John is looking forward to in 2017 (Commentary)
Here are 10 movies and TV shows I’m looking forward to as a new entertainment year begins:
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John’s top 10 movies of 2016
These were my 10 favorite movies of 2016:
1. “The Witch” – This horror film set in Colonial America delivers a striking sense of time and place (so much so that you might want to put the subtitles on to grasp the language), with life-threatening poverty as an omnipresent invisible character. On top of that, it invokes another layer of foreboding horror: The religion-fomented fears are so real to this family – including Anya Taylor-Joy in a breakout turn as teenager Thomasin — that they become real to us. Against this backdrop, the idea of “living deliciously” as a witch becomes a viable — although still creepy as hell — escape hatch. (Full-length review)
Entertainment Weekly’s 50 Most Powerful Superheroes list has absurd omissions (Commentary)
I asked my friend Jeremy if he had checked out Entertainment Weekly’s 50 Most Powerful Superheroes list in the latest issue and he said he doesn’t “pay attention to those crap lists.” But then he quickly noted the oddity of a 50 Most Powerful Superheroes list where “powers” count for 10 out of 100 possible points.