My number one prediction: This will be the single most political awards ceremony ever. I expect mostly issue-focused speeches rather than the usual heartfelt (or insincere) shock, but hopefully the sense of humor remains in tact. At the very least, I’m certain Jimmy Kimmel knows how hard his job is at the moment.
 
With that said, I’m just going to get right into it. I also PROMISE my favorite films of 2016 will be coming within a week, even if it’s just ridiculous at this point. Deadlines work for me.
 
Awards show disclaimer: In the end, none of this really matters. Will I care if I get most of these wrong? Not much. I honestly may be happier because that will be exciting. Does a typical win mean anything beyond confirmation of strong name recognition, an effective marketing strategy, and at least a competent film? Not assuredly. Will anything about this ceremony change the great slate of films that came out in 2016 (both nominated & not) or any of their elements? Nope. Remember that, in the end, it’s all PR politics.

Most of the time 'Sausage Party' is exactly what you would expect. There's over-the-top vulgarity, endless food puns, ridiculous character names, potentially offensive stereotypes & definitively offensive sexuality. In a lot of ways it appears that writers Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg & Jonah Hill wanted to be so sure that no one mistook this for a kid's movie that they went as hard as they could in the other direction. Some of it is chuckle-worthy, but the real meat (pun intended) of the film rests almost entirely in the third act. There are seeds planted that might make repeat viewings more rewarding, but any initial originality, surprise or cleverness is very disappointing the first time you see it.

Netflix has done it again with 'The Get Down,' one of their riskiest and most ambitious shows yet. Their big Baz Luhrman ('Chicago,' 'The Great Gatsby') musical bet paid off handsomely with one of the most purely entertaining series of the year. An operatic tone applied to a modern historical story during the birth of hip-hop (remember, it's fictional) works perfectly, blending different genres of music, settings and characters spanning from mythical to well-rounded and back again to purposefully broad. It is balancing a whole lot on its shoulders, but feeling overstuffed was often a good thing for me as I just wanted to spend more time in this world.

The show tackles cultural, sociopolitical, and religious themes that never feel like preaching and nicely underscore the entire story (if those elements weren't there it would be a weightless fantasy). An expected romantic story never gets in the way of anything else, mainly because of how strong the characters are, plus a lot of the classical stage show feeling would be lost without a forbidden romance. A great soundtrack of original music and well-known hits is organically integrated, bringing it all together to feel cohesive. The show's eager sense of discovery is infectious and kept me on the edge of my seat in anticipation.

The past year has given new life to the idea of the long gestating sequel, with 'Creed,' 'Star Wars Episode VII,' & 'Mad Max: Fury Road' all proving to not only be the expected financial successes, but also creatively reinvigorating - bringing new life to familiar franchises. I don't want to say that 'Zoolander 2' negates all of that good will, but it is certainly a solid argument against going back to the well after more than a decade. The first 'Zoolander' actually had something interesting and political to say about the exploitation of child labor in foreign countries. This sequel feels like so much less of a mockery of the fashion world because it has been fully embraced by them and has cameos by just about every famous designer you can think of (and many more I probably didn't recognize). The only mean jokes about the fashion world here are that people in that world are weird, stupid, gullible & crazy which doesn't do much when everyone is in on the joke (and it's not exactly biting or original commentary). The sequel treads the same jokes as the original but lacks the additional substance that made it a cult classic.

I've never been a big follower of comic books, but ever since the outcry about the depiction of Deadpool in 'X-Men origins: Wolverine' I have been intrigued by this character. The idea of a snarky, morally ambivalent comedic character that also has a prevalence to break the fourth wall and make fun of the whole concept of superheroes was right up my alley, so I had to find out more. Eventually this led to me reading a few comics and even digging up the screenplay that had been floating around for years. After reading and enjoying all of that I just assumed the film would never get made since it necessitated a 'hard R' rating which doesn't happen for superhero films sine they theoretically need the teenage male audience to come out in droves. Well, thankfully Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Tim Miller and all the fans are persistent because what has finally been released isn't quite as incredible as what could have been, but it has maintained what makes the character unique to create a film that really stands out among the constant stream of similar recent blockbusters.

The Coen Brothers are unquestionably some of the best filmmakers working today, and they have certainly earned the right to do whatever they want to. When they decide to have a little fun they manage to align with my sense of humor pretty perfectly, so their comedies are some of my favorite films of all time. With 'Hail, Caesar!' they have been given free reign to revisit the Hollywood backlots of the 1950's and clearly havr a ball getting to explore this world. Some parts of it are perfectly realized screwball set-pieces and it all manages to come together as a celebration not only of film, but the absurd reality that comes with creating this entertainment for the world (especially when it was almost exclusively run by a few select studios). I wouldn't be surprised if just like all of the other Coen comedies this one ages remarkably and reveals layers missed on first viewing, however my experience was with a simply fun film that included some ingenious set-pieces infused with hilarious bits of subtle comedy, it just doesn't quite come together as a complete story.

2015 was a busy year for me, so I saw fewer films released in the past 12 months than I did in any of the 3 years prior. That didn’t stop a bunch  of those I did see from having a very serious impact on me though. Whether it happens to be where I am in my life or just a coincidence these were all released close together, there were a lot of personal experiences at the movies for me this year.
 
I always caveat this list that these are by no means the ‘best’ films of the year, but simply my favorites. I feel like that had a much more significant impact on my choices this year as I was reading even more than usual into these characters’ lives and finding similarities with myself. In some cases it’s because I’ve been through something similar, but mostly it’s due to the way in which the emotion is handled so delicately or the emotions it evoked in me. I make no promises or guarantees for the quality of these films, except that I really enjoyed all of these and hope you also had a great year at the movies. There's also the consistency of a little levity in some very tough situations, which I seem to be gravitating towards even more than usual lately.

I joked last year that a top 12 would be a CineMcCord tradition, so we're sticking to that completely arbitrary number that somehow works well for me each year, plus some honorable mentions and random other notes at the end. Please share your thoughts or comments with me if you have any. Enjoy!