The Zachtastic Movie Blog

The Retro Movie Minute feature is a series on The Zachtastic Movie Blog in which I briefly share my thoughts on an older film. Regardless of whether or not I had seen it previously, my general rule of thumb here will be that I report on something I had seen in theaters as part of the Cinemark Classic Series. I will also make exceptions for older films played in special events or if I am seeing some movie(s) in preparation for a new release that is somehow related. To catch up with all other installments of this series, refer to the list at the bottom of this post. Thank you for reading! Romeo + Juliet (Poster Source: IMDB ) As part of a class my wife and I are taking on Shakespeare at ASU, we have been asked to watch some movies that take liberties with the Bard’s material. Some of these particular movies may be faithful to what Shakespeare penned, while others will vary greatly from that which was originally written. In any case, though, the fact is that a few of ...

(Poster Source: IMDB ) Although legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki has emerged from his vowed retirement to write and direct another movie, his previous departure from Studio Ghibli back in 2013 sent shockwaves throughout the world of anime. In the wake of his (then) decision to move on from filmmaking, the acclaimed Japanese animation studio clamored together to reassess their financial situation. Combined with the fact that Miyazaki and Isao Takahata were both halting their productivity and Ghibli’s films were making decreasingly less money with each release, the famed studio clearly had to enter damage control. As a result, Studio Ghibli has since been under a “soft closure” of sorts. Alas, hope still remains for fans of the great animation house. Such is the case because of the creation of Studio Ponoc, a firm that has risen from the ashes of its predecessor. The Ghibli influences are clear in the company's transferral of employees from the original studio, the lo...

And now that time is here, the moment in which I can reveal my very favorite film of the past year! I have been excited to share this with all of you for quite some time, given that the particular film I will reveal has remained my favorite for many months. With this, though, I hope to impress one important point: this does not necessarily mean that my choice is the best film of 2017. While no film may be without flaws, people have had understandable issues with my favorite film of 2017. Nevertheless, not only do I have no relevant quibbles with what I’ve chosen, it has also left the deepest impact on my soul. Ultimately, it is these movies which imprint a long-lasting impression on my heart that I consider to be the greatest. Certainly general critical praise factors into this too, but what ultimately matters to me here is how a film means to me on a personal level. In that regard, my favorite film of 2017 had the edge on all the other contenders. Prior to revealing what...

With all of the honorable mentions now out of the way, I now dive into the nitty gritty of this particular type of Top 10 list: my absolute favorite films of the year. Once again, please bear in mind that this list reflects my personal favorites; this does not mean that these titles are objectively the best films of the past year. Therefore, movies I had as honorable mentions (or unincluded in the choices altogether) may be held in higher regard by you. I encourage this, for film discussion would become monotonous and dry if we always agreed. Discord engenders debate, and debate leads to fun, exciting discussion to listen and engage with. But enough of that, here are picks #10-2 for my official Top 10 list! The #1 choice will be unveiled in its own, dedicated post in a couple of days. For those who didn't read the previous post , here is a quick recap on the ten movies that just barely missed the cut: Honorable Mentions (alphabetical order): - Baby Driver - Blade R...