2016 Media in Review: Movie Roundup

It’s 2017, and you know what that means: It’s time to take a look at what the movie gods of 2016 left for me. For my master list this year, I combined Movies at the Theater and Movies on DVD/Streaming, since my 2015 theater count was so low. But then I actually went to the theater a lot in 2016, and those are the movies I want to talk about.

So, consider this post a roundup of the new movies I saw. Don’t worry, we’ll get nerdy with numbers and old movies next.

2016 Sure Was Super (at the movies, anyway)

I usually see about four movies at the theater each year, but the offerings this time around were so plentiful that I nearly doubled that number. Last year brought me superheroes, the supernatural, aliens and magic — and while I was harsher on some of them than others, there wasn’t a single movie that I disliked. Good job, 2016! You did one thing right!

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Ghostbusters: I ain’t afraid of no haters

Wow, I actually really enjoyed the new Ghostbusters movie.

How I grew optimistic for the Ghostbusters reboot

Well, I can’t put this post off anymore. It’s been sitting on my computer in bits and pieces pretty much since the new Ghostbusters movie was officially announced and garnered instant-hate. And to be honest, I was kind of one of the haters. Something about it felt exploitative. Like, there was nothing wrong with the original Ghostbusters. Sure, it was a product of its time, but it held up okay. Rebooting it — now with female ghostbusters, what a twist! — seemed like pandering, blatant attempt to catch the social justice wave. Like the movie was being made not because it was needed, not because it was wanted, just because it could be.

And for a while, that didn’t sit well with me. And when images of the new costumes started being released – costumes that looked more befitting of a I don’t even know what – I doubled down on my ire.