Month: November 2020

The 40 Best Albums of 2020

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By Andrew Buckner

40. ADHD by Joyner Lucas

39. Detroit 2 by Big Sean

38. Evolution by Joyner Lucas

37. The Devil Hates Sundays by J’L

36. Molocular Meditation by Jan St. Werner

35. Versus (EP) by Jonezen

34. After Hours by The Weeknd

33. Mystic by Mackenzie Nicole

32. Ceremony by Phantogram

31. Closer Than They Appear by Lyric Jones

30. Cut Throat City Soundtrack (EP) by Various Artists

29. My Brother’s Keeper by Kuniva & Swifty McVay

28. The Allegory by Royce Da 5’9

27. EnterFear by Tech N9ne

26. Fear Exodus (EP) by Tech N9ne

25. Guided Meditations (EP) by RZA

24. Pray For Paris by Westside Gunn

23. Who Made the Sunshine by Westside Gunn

22. The Food Villain by The Alchemist

21. Picture Perfect by Rittz

20. Your Birthday’s Cancelled by Iron Wigs

19. RTJ4 Run The Jewels

18. Gorilla Twins by Ill Bill & Nems

17. Alfredo by Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist

16. No Hermano by Sean Strange

15. Loud Is Not Enough by Public Enemy

14. Felt 4 U by Felt

13. Detroit Life by Swifty McVay

12. Alpha Underdog by Kuniva

11. Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God by Busta Rhymes

10. Seven Times Down, Eight Times Up by Elzhi

9. What You Gonna Do When the Grid Goes Down? by Public Enemy

8. From King to a God by Conway the Machine

7. Summer of Sam by Serial Killers (Xzibit, B-Real, Demrick)

6. Flag by Kxng Crooked

5. Streams of Thought, Volume 3: Cane and Abel by Black Thought

4. King’s Disease by Nas

3. All My Heroes Are Dead by R.A. the Rugged Man

2. A Beautiful Revolution (Pt.1) by Common

  1. Music to Be Murdered By and Music to be Murdered By: Side B by Eminem

The Ten Best Books of 2020

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By Andrew Buckner

10. Crooked River
     By Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child.

9. Survivor Song
    By Paul Tremblay.

8. Wonderland
    By Zoje Stage. 

7. Devoted
    By Dean Koontz.

6. The Living Dead
    By George Romero, Daniel Kraus.

5. Ready Player Two
    By Ernest Cline.

4. Home Sweet Home
    By Riley Sager.

3. Chasing the Light
    By Oliver Stone.

2. A Time for Mercy
    By John Grisham.

1. If It Bleeds
    By Stephen King

Runners-Up:

Camino Winds
   By John Grisham

Elsewhere
   By Dean Koontz

The 21 Best Short Films of 2020

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By Andrew Buckner

*The inclusion of the short films on this list is based on the criteria of an initial 2020 U.S. release date.

21. “For Milo”
Director: Matthew Gilpin.

20. “Rotten Magnolia”
Director: Tracy Huerta.

19. “Hollow”
Director: Max Buttrill.

18. “Private”
Director: Steve Blackwood.

17. “The Nurturing”
Director: Alex DiVincenzo.

16. “A Rock Feels No Pain”
Directors: Gabrielle Rosson, Kris Salvi.

15. “The Never Was”
Director: Mike Messier.

14. “Exeter at Midnight”
Director: Christopher Di Nunzio.

13. “Waffle”
Director: Carlyn Hudson.

12. “Dear Guest”
Director: Megan Freels Johnston.

11. “Thankless”
Director: Mark Maille.

10. “Wives of the Skies”
Director: Honey Lauren.

9. “Stuck”
Director: Steve Blackwood.

8. “The Dirty Burg”
Director: John Papp.

7. “Being Kris Salvi”
Director: Gabrielle Rosson.

6. “Voices from the Invisible”
Director: Miriam Revesz.

5. “Salvation”
Director: Gabrielle Rosson.

4. “Priest Hunter”
Director: Skip Shea.

3. “Fire (Pozar)”
Director: David Lynch.

2. “Gay as the Sun”
Director: Richard Griffin.

1. “Yesteryear”
Director: Chris Esper.

Andrew Buckner’s 100 Favorite Feature Films of 2020

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By Andrew Buckner

*This list is dedicated to the many theaters that were closed or permanently shutdown this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Without your ever-comforting presence a pivotal part of the one-of-a-kind artistry, understanding, and universal joy inherent in the cinematic experience will be forever erased.

*Please note that the inclusion of the films in this list are based on an initial 2020 U.S. release date.

100. Cadaver
Director: Jarand Herdal.

99. Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight
Director: Bartosz M. Kowalski.

98. Vampires vs. the Bronx
Director: Osmany Rodriguez.

97. Unhinged
Director: Derrick Borte.

96. Nocturne
Director: Zu Quirke.

95. Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics
Director: Donick Cary.

94. His House
Director: Remi Weekes.

93. The Phenomenon
Director: James Fox.

92. Notzilla
Director: Mitch Teemley.

91. May the Devil Take You Too
Director: Timo Tjahjanto.

90. Impetigore
Director: Joko Anwar.

89. Relic
Director: Natalie Erika James.

88. The Rental
Director: Dave Franco.

87. Dead Life: Wormwood’s End
Director: William Victor Schotten.

86. Antebellum
Directors: Gerard Bush, Christopher Renz.

85. Host
Director: Rob Savage.

84. The Mortuary Collection
Director: Ryan Spindell.

83. The Honeymoon Phase
Director: Phillip G. Carroll Jr.

82. Skyman
Director: Daniel Myrick.

81. Bill & Ted Face the Music
Director: Dean Parisot.

80. Tesla
Director: Michael Almereyda.

79. Porno
Director: Keola Racela.

78. Save Yourselves!
Directors: Alex Huston Fischer, Eleanor Wilson.

77. Cut Throat City
Director: RZA.

76. Alone
Director: John Hyams.

75. Elephant
Directors: Mark Linfield, Vanessa Berlowitz, Alastair Fothergill.

74. Close Encounters of the Fifth Kind: Contact Has Begun
Director: Michael Mazzola.

73. Why Don’t You Just Die!
Director: Kirill Sokolov.

72. An English Haunting
Director: Charlie Steeds.

71. The Gentlemen
Director: Guy Ritchie.

70. VFW
Director: Joe Begos.

69. First Love
Director: Takashi Miike.

68. Extra Ordinary
Directors: Mike Ahern, Enda Loughman.

67. Bit
Director: Brad Michael Elmore.

66. Gretel & Hansel
Director: Oz Perkins.

65. #Alive
Director: II Cho.

64. The Invisible Man
Director: Leigh Whannell.

63. Come to Daddy
Director: Ant Timpson.

62. Snatchers
Directors: Stephen Cedars, Benji Kleiman.

61. We Summon the Darkness
Director: Marc Meyers.

60. 1BR
Director: David Marmor.

59. The Lodge
Directors: Severin Fiala, Veronika Franz.

58. Time Warp: The Greatest Cult Films of All-Time Volume 1 Midnight Madness
Director: Danny Wolf.

57. Comic Book Junkies
Directors: Lenny Schwartz, Nathan Suher.

56. Sputnik
Director: Egor Abramenko.

55. Tigertail
Director: Alan Yang

54. A Secret Love
Director: Chris Boln.

53. Far from Perfect: Life Inside a Global Pandemic
Directors: Lenny Schwartz, Nathan Suher.

52. Blow the Man Down
Directors: Bridget Savage Cole, Danielle Krudy.

51. Uncle Peckerhead
Director: Matthew John Lawrence.

50. Rent-A-Pal
Director: Jon Stevenson.

49. The Platform
Director: Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia.

48. Scare Package
Directors: Courtney Andujar, Hillary Andujar, Anthony Cousins, Emily Hagins, Aaron B. Koontz, Chris McInroy, Noah Segan, Baron Vaughn.

47. Bacurau
Directors: Juliano Dornelles, Kleber Mendonca Filho.

46. Scare Me
Director: Josh Ruben.

45. The Hunt
Director: Craig Zobel.

44. Da 5 Bloods
Director: Spike Lee.

43. Possessor Uncut
Director: Brandon Cronenberg.

42. Time
Director: Garrett Bradley.

41. The Vast of Night
Director: Andrew Patterson.

40. Frank & Zed
Director: Jesse Blanchard.

39. The Swerve
Director: Dean Kapsalis.

38. The Trial of the Chicago 7
Director: Aaron Sorkin.

37. First Cow
Director: Kelly Reichardt.

36. The Social Dilemma
Director: Jeff Orlowski.

35. The Assistant
Director: Kitty Green

34. Vivarium
Director: Lorcan Finnegan.

33. Emma.
Director: Autumn de Wilde.

32. Strapped for Danger II: Undercover Vice
Director: Richard Griffin.

31. Family Romance, LLC.
Director: Werner Herzog.

30. The Assassination of Western Civilization
Director: Nathan Suher.

29. Seeds
Director: Skip Shea.

28. Before the Night is Over
Director: Richard Griffin.

27. Rewind
Director: Sasha Joseph Neulinger.

26. The Other Lamb
Director: Malgorzata Szumowska.

25. Color Out of Space
Director: Richard Stanley.

24. Planet of the Humans
Director: Jeff Gibbs.

23. Totally Under Control
Directors: Alex Gibney, Ophelia Harutyunyan, Suzanne Hillinger.

22. Shirley
Director: Josephine Decker.

21. Vote Motherf***er
Director: Lenny Schwartz.

20. Swallow
Director: Carlo Mirabella-Davis.

19. Beastie Boys Story
Director: Spike Jonze.

18. Fulci For Fake
Director: Simone Scafidi.

17. Gremlins: A Puppet Story
Director: Chris Walas.

16. Circus of Books
Director: Rachel Mason.

15. Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren & Stimpy Story
Directors: Ron Cicero, Kimo Easterwood.

14. Cleaning up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters
Director: Anthony Bueno.

13. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Director: Jason Woliner.

12. Hamilton
Director: Thomas Kail.

11. Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution
Directors: James Lebrecht, Nicole Newnham.

10. Spaceship Earth
Director: Matt Wolf.

9. Luz: The Flower of Evil
Director: Juan Diego Escobar Alzate.

8. I’m Thinking of Ending Things
Director: Charlie Kaufman.

7. Tommaso
Director: Abel Ferrara.

6. Slay the Dragon
Directors: Chris Durrance, Barak Goodman.

5. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Director: Eliza Hittman.

4. Beanpole
Director: Kantemir Balagov.

3. Sister Tempest
Director: Joe Badon.

2. The Painted Bird
Director: Vaclav Marhoul.

1. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Director: Celine Sciamma.