Welcome to the Fifth Annual Zeppo Marx Appreciation Award. For this pointless award, we pay tribute to the films that may have been overlooked in favor of something flashier and more interesting. In some cases, these films exceed the expectations set by those around them. However, to remove these lesser known titles is to sacrifice what is great about cinema. Just like Zeppo Marx, these films have a thankless job that is worthy of further recognition in really arbitrary categories. Join me in honoring 10 films that are better than those films you likely call great and deserve to have more attention.
Incoherent Theme Song for a Superhero Movie
Winner: Eminem - "Venom" (from Venom)
Better Than: Pitbull feat Rhea - "Ocean to Ocean" (from Aquaman)
If we're being honest with ourselves, 2018 was one of the best years for the movie soundtrack in quite awhile. There were the soundtracks for Black Panther and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse which brought a new flavor to the superhero music game. Oh, and don't forget A Star is Born's phenomenal mix. However, there were also two heavily maligned songs that raised a lot of conversation that went beyond film. Most recently, Pitbull was taken to task for his Aquaman theme song that arguably has more to do with "The Great Gatsby" and graffiti artist Banksy than Arthur Curry - though more people take him to task for lazily sampling Toto's already irredeemable song "Africa." It's a triumph in laziness. However, nothing is still more wonderfully baffling than Eminem's "Venom," which may or may not be about the film Venom, as it diverts into so many tangents and one of his least pleasant choruses of his recent career. However, Eminem's failure to write an anthem on par with 8 Mile's "Lose Yourself" still fits the film it's written for as it's a manic mess that is strangely alluring. While none of this compares to his brief and memorable beef with Machine Gun Kelly, which itself was better than his try-hard new album "Kamikaze," it's weird that the highlight of the aging rapper's recent career is a song that doesn't always work. But hey, it's still better than whatever Pitbull's less than three minute opus was going for.
Best Use of Spider-Man
Winner: Spider-Man:: Into the Spider-Verse
Better Than: Avengers:: Infinity War
For the first half of the year, there was one moment that Twitter couldn't get enough of. In "the most ambitious cross-over in film history," better known as Avengers: Infinity War, Spider-Man's line "I don't feel so good" quickly became a meme. It was a pretty great performance from Tom Holland, made more impressive by the massive cast that he was surrounded by. However, the year ended with something arguably even more groundbreaking than the galaxy that Thanos could cross in a matter of seconds. It was Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which upped the ante of one Spider-Man to limitless superheroes and timeliness. It's largely thanked to the animated realms that the film embraces, but also that it manages to find plenty of pathos in Miles Morales' journey. It's the type of film that reinvents the genre and gives the character some of his biggest moments of importance in years, possibly even a decade. There's power in every scene that feels innovative and full of energy. Holland may have the better lines, but the Spider-Verse has the bigger potential for years of entertainment.
Disney-Sanctioned Sequel Featuring Raccoons
Winner: Incredibles 2
Better Than: Avengers:: Infinity War, Ralph Breaks the Internet:: Wreck-It Ralph 2
Whether it was intentional or not, Disney had a thing for raccoons this past year. There is of course Avengers: Infinity War which featured Rocket Raccoon once again with the Guardians of the Galaxy. In a slighter role, Ralph Beaks the Internet featured Disney Princess Pocahontas cuddling with her beloved sidekick Meeko. While this would be enough to suggest a trend, it's interesting to note that the Pixar film Incredibles 2 once again featured a raccoon, and this time in the most memorable way possible. Baby Jak-Jak discovers that he has unpredictable superpowers in one of the film's most memorable subplots. He discovers this one night when his home is invaded by a feral raccoon. In an attempt to get rid of him, the baby walks through walls and shoots lasers at him until the raccoon disappears. It's a hilarious scene and one of the biggest highlights of a great Pixar sequel. The year 2018 was a monumental moment for raccoons, though few could compare to a rip-roaring fight scene with a baby who could do just about anything.
TV Series About the Afterlife
Winner: Forever
Better Than: The Good Place
For those who love TV, there's more than enough of a strong chance that The Good Place comes across as this exciting anomaly. In an era of cable and streaming programs, it is the one network show that has become appointment viewing. It's for good cause as well, as it's one of the more intelligent, creative shows currently running. However, it's a show that hasn't stuck to its roots week to week and is maybe at points a bit tiresome at asking the questions about why we're here and what morality brings to the table. Forever is a show on Amazon Prime that got some traction in large part because of its strange plot twist in the second episode. As both characters enter the afterlife, they discover something deeper about themselves as individuals and how they relate to the world around them. Unlike The Good Place, Forever feels like a show that's taking permanent chances and trying to find deeper rooted emotions. It may be more dry, but it's still got plenty of power to it.
Evidence That Adam Sandler is Existential
Winner: Adam Sandler:: 100% Fresh
Better Than: Hotel Transylvania 3:: Summer Vacation
When it was announced that Adam Sandler was moving to Netflix and striking a long term deal with them, there was a certain sense of dread. He was coming off of mediocre hits like Grown Ups 2, and his early run of Netflix movies weren't much better. However, the past two years have had a surprise uptick in quality as he's started to form what could be described as a conscience. Everything released after The Meyerowitz Stories has featured some sort of exploration of family and growth, with Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation managing to give an exploration of Dracula's inherent loneliness. There's a sense that Sandler is growing as an individual, and it even shows in his rare comedy special, 100% Fresh. It may be manic and juvenile at points, but by the end it's a tribute to what his fans have always wanted from him. The final stretch in particular feels like an artist reflecting back on his life. He may not be everyone's favorite, but the fact that there's passion and effort put into his work again to have deeper catharsis suggests that things may be getting better between him, Netflix, and us.
Films Featuring One or More Members of the Justice League
Winner: Teen Titans Go! to the Movies
Better Than: Aquaman
It's strange to admit, but Aquaman was one of the biggest films of the Christmas season. With a strong debut at the box office, many are ready to embrace the weirdness about the ocean's most memorable superhero. However, there's plenty to not like about the film because of its silliness and it's a strong detriment tonally to the ongoing D.C. Extended Universe. With that said, it wasn't a terrible year for the fish man when placed alongside his other big screen film: Teen Titans Go! to the Movies. It's an update of the animated series that gets meta as Robin and the Teen Titans try to get a movie made. The Justice League feature in a supporting role and provide hierarchy of what makes a good superhero film. It's the type of commentary that Aquaman the movie could've used. It's highly entertaining, even if Arthur Curry is one of the heroes with the least amount of screen time. At least in this one he swims like a dolphin popping his head out of the water.
Internet Movies
Winner: Ralph Breaks the Internet:: Wreck-It Ralph 2
Better Than: Ready Player One
If you're reading this, there's a good chance that you rely a lot on the internet in your daily life. It's true that it's essential to daily communication. That is likely why two opposing films sought to make films epitomizing the web as a form of communication. The first up was Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One, which had the odd habit of being one of the most intellectual property-leaded films of the year without featuring much Spielberg. It was also too chaotic and lacking depth beyond what the Ernest Cline book had. Comparatively, Disney fared a lot better with Ralph Breaks the Internet, which found Disney coming to terms with their legacy as well as exploring the monoculture that they were creating. It may have not been a runaway hit, especially not in comparison to their first Wreck-It Ralph film, but its ambitions lead to one of the more clever uses of the internet that any studio has come out with this year, or any year for that matter.
Best Use of Josh Brolin During Summer 2018
Winner: Deadpool 2
Better Than: Avengers:: Infinity War
By some strange miracle, 2018 was a moment where Josh Brolin got to headline two blockbusters for Marvel films. His most noteworthy was the decades long conclusion to Marvel Cinematic Universe's Avengers: Infinity War where he played Thanos. He brought an empathy to one of the most powerful, enigmatic villains that the studio has produced. However, it was far from the best role that he embodied during the summer. In Deadpool 2, he played time travelling villain Cable, whose seriousness put a damper on the Merc with the Mouth's hi-jinks. What set the film apart wasn't just the clash of humor with a genuinely compelling villain, but that Cable is somehow a richer character with a lot of great subtext. He evolves over the film and changes, becoming more than the guy who doesn't understand how dubstep is still popular. It may all be a bit vapid and nonsensical, but it's the heart of why Deadpool 2 was able to be an entertaining romp that far exceeded the quality of the first.
Most Memorable Use of Winnie the Pooh
Winner: Yuzuru Hanyu at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics
Better Than:: Christopher Robin
It may have not been the biggest deal, but August's Christopher Robin was a very charming movie. It didn't really have much to compete with, but instead brought Winnie the Pooh into the realm of live action in a way that embraced the whimsical innocence of the A.A. Milne character. It was by every measure a perfect feel good movie. However, to call it the best use of Winnie the Pooh in 2018 would be farcical. It was great, but it couldn't hold a candle to Japanese ice skater Yuzuru Hanyu's time with the bear. During the Pyeonchang's Winter Olympics, Hanyu was often greeted by adoring fans who threw dolls at him following each performance. It was a delightful moment of chaos and one of the many highlights of this year's ceremony. To see Winnie the Pooh as an international icon that made it to the Olympics was fun. To see how many were piled up into the corner was even greater. It's a silly gimmick, but definitely was one that left a positive impression.
Netflix-Sanctioned Content Regarding Orson Welles
Winner: They'll Love Me When I'm Dead
Better Than: The Other Side of the Wind
By some strange luck, Orson Welles in 2018 was a big deal. No, there wasn't any big retrospective of his work, though that would be worth celebrating anyways. No, he managed to posthumously sign a deal with Netflix to release his long unreleased film The Other Side of the Wind. What's incredible about the film is how radical and provocative it is for a filmmaker who may come across these days as conventional. With plenty of layers and some autobiographical elements, it's a film that has meticulous thought in every frame. However, the accompanying documentary They'll Love Me When I'm Dead is a great exploration of the artist himself. Welles is nowadays remembered as an ambitious filmmaker who pushed boundaries and advanced technique. However, director Morgan Neville posited the harder question, which was that Welles was maybe arrogant in a bad way, and that his inability to finish projects was just as much about his inability to create his vision as it was to cooperate with others. There's plenty here that muddles the legend of Welles, for better and worse, and it's more interesting as a document of a cinematic icon than his autobiographical film ended up being, though both are very much worth your time.
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