This was, by all accounts, an absolutely miserable year for animated films. The major animated features were mostly drab, uninspired affairs that promoted products more than anything else (let us introduce you to “The Emoji Movie“) And while there were a number of smaller animated features that attracted attention, none of them were crossover sensations and, once they left specialty screens, became increasingly difficult to track down.

2018 looks like it’ll be an uptick, both in terms of quality and variety of what is being released (with new features from major players like Aardman, Pixar, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Sony, Animal Logic and Illumination) alongside intriguing independent productions like Toho’s first “Godzilla” anime (premiering on Netflix soon) and “Isle of Dogs.” These are movies that have a commercial and artistic edge, helmed by some of the most talented filmmakers in the industry (like Brad Bird, Genndy Tartakovsky, Rich Moore and Wes Anderson).

Continue reading Best Animated Movies & TV Shows Of 2017 at The Playlist.

Most filmmakers will tell you when they’re making a movie, that they have little time for anything else. So, that means that directors might have to go with missing that TV show everyone is talking about, or the movie that has set Twitter aflame. That’s how it went for Darren Aronofsky who spent the bulk of 2017 putting the finishing touches on “mother!” and then going out on a grueling press tour for the flick.

Continue reading Darren Aronofsky Can’t Wait To Finally Watch ‘Game Of Thrones’ Season 7 at The Playlist.

“Man Not Accepting Any More Television Recommendations At This Time,” went a particularly good Onion headline this week, and most of us can probably identify. An estimated 455 scripted shows aired on U.S. TV in 2016, and it’s likely to be even more than that in 2017, more than anyone could watch even if they devoted every waking hour (and beyond) to the idiot box.

READ MORE: The 30 Best TV Shows Of 2016

We’ve already highlighted a good 250 hours or so in our 2017 TV Preview, but we only focused on new shows (or, in a couple of cases, a sequel, in “Top Of The Lake: China Girl,” or the decades-later follow-up to a beloved classic in “Twin Peaks”), whereas the year to come will see plenty more established hits returning, some of which took a year out last year (or even beyond that).

Continue reading The 20 Best TV Shows Returning In 2017 at The Playlist.