We’ve grown from that day. Year by year this website and its loyal community of readers and fans have increased and we’ve always worked toward our mission of bringing our readers our core focus of ‘Entertainment in all its Spicy Goodness’. Whether this be the latest release of film trailers, breaking industry news, in-depth and thought-provoking reviews, or just our sheer enthusiasm for the current state of entertainment, this has been our focus and effort, and every day we’ve worked to bring out our passion for the entertainment industry.

This last decade has seen an incredible transformation in the entertainment space. From the rise of streaming to the dominance of long-form narrative television storytelling to the prevalence of the superhero genre to the very notion of how entertainment and storytelling have changed with the times. This last decade has seen many disruptions to the Hollywood industry, and we’ve been there for all of them.

Memorable moments and releases from these ten years have included our interviews with luminaries such as Quentin Tarantino and Sylvester Stallone, being present for the reign of the MCU and watching it grow and develop into the juggernaut it’s become, being gripped by such compelling television events such as Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, Sons of Anarchy and True Blood to newer releases including the likes of Mayans MC, House of the Dragon, Reacher, The Boys and The Terminal List. We’ve witnessed some incredible cinematic achievements including the likes of Damien Chazelle’s First Man, James Gunn’s work on the Guardians of the Galaxy, Taika Waititi’s famed New Zealand comedy Hunt for the Wilder People, the almighty force of Christopher Nolans Dunkirk and the quintessential cool of Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.

My passion and desire for SpicyPulp and the entertainment space have not diminished in this time, and I’m excited for what comes next. I want to say a huge thank you to our studio friends and partners, to all our readers and commenters and to the medium itself for gifting me the extraordinary opportunity to be a part of something so creative and energetic and I’m very excited to where we go to from here.

So here’s to the last decade, and here’s to where we go to next. I hope you’ll be reading and watching because SpicyPulp will be there.

The post SpicyPulp – The Journey To 10 Years appeared first on SpicyPulp.

From there it only grew as we continued to share our love for all things film, television and pop culture, presenting entertainment in all its spicy goodness and to celebrate this milestone we wanted to celebrate seven of our favourite films from the last seven years.

This is a simple round up of some of our favourite films of the last seven years and ones which we reckon make for an awesome session of binge watching.

Check them out below:

The Great Gatsby – 2013

It all began for us in 2013 with Marvel Studios Iron Man 3, and after that we were off and running. An amazing variety of incredible cinema came our way that year and Baz Luhrman’s glittering and lavish adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s magnum opus, The Great Gatsby, certainly caught our eye. A gorgeous film to look at in every single frame and packing flawless performances from the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire and Joel Edgerton, The Great Gatsby is a film that makes your heart beat faster and you can’t be caught up in the glamour and emotion of it’s jazz age story.

Nightcrawler – 2014

We got serious in 2014 with our movie watching and one of the coolest, most original releases of that year was Dan Gillroy’s hard-edged anti-hero tale Nightcrawler. Chronicling the rise to power of Los Angeles stringer Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal), Nightcrawler was the tale told from the villains perspective as this hungry, jackal of a character does anything to succeed in a modern capitalist society. From beginning to end, Nightcrawler had it’s audience on edge, and this is what we classify as utterly addictive viewing. Told with breathtaking originality and lightening speed, Nightcrawler was a film

The Hateful Eight – 2015

Quentin Tarantino’s eighth film was a very big deal and it certainly wasn’t what we were expecting. This western-mystery-horror-comedy-action-thriller was a complete backhander that took you by surprise at every turn and introduced to a group of the most despicable mercs, bounty killers, outlaws, liars, cheats, double-crossers and villains ever committed to the big screen! This was QT at his most outlandish and The Hateful Eight delivered one hell of a wallop when it came to the body count and blood splatter of the piece. Tarantino was firing on all cylinders with this one and The Hateful Eight certainly ranked up there as one of 2015’s most memorable releases.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople – 2016

Trust it to the good old vibes of Taika Waititi to give us all the feels with the instant cult classic that is Hunt for the Wilderpeople. A classic film bound by ‘kiwi as’ goodness, Hunt for the Wilderpeople is the perfect story of teenage delinquent Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) and his ‘Uncle’ Hec (Sam Niell), who set off into the bush and embark on a strange, humorous and ultimately enjoyable journey together. Waititi gave this film a whole lot of heart and spirit, and everyone who saw it was sure to crack a smile.

Dunkirk – 2017

2017 was one definitely epic year for cinemas lovers, and it didn’t get much grander than Christopher Nolan’s wartime masterpiece Dunkirk. This gripping thrill ride of a blockbuster had your pulse pounding at every second as Nolan presented the story of the British Armed Forces desperate retreat from the shores of Dunkirk, France in 1940 as the Nazi war machine advanced on them with the single purpose of utterly annihilating more than 300,000 men. From land, air and sea this story was told, and with Nolan’s ambitious narrative, a breathtaking accurate sense of production design and costuming, a cast of Britain’s best, the magnificent cinematography of Hoyte van Hoytema and the pulse pounding score of Hans Zimmer led to one of the most exciting and visceral cinematic experiences of the decade.

First Man – 2018

Damian Chazelle had made a name for himself as a Hollywood whizz kid with amazing works like Whiplash and La La Land had made him a filmmaker to watch and his 2018 historical-space drama First Man was one incredible watch. Documenting the Apollo space program and the journey of astronaut Neill Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) to the lunar surface, First Man was a breathtaking piece of cinema and it certainly took audiences to the edge. Both the intense performance from Gosling and the force of Chazelle’s filmmaking where on full display here and the result was something truly magnificent.

Avengers: Endgame – 2019

2019 was a massive year for film fans, and when it came to blockbusters they certainly didn’t get much bigger than Avengers: Endgame, the culmination of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s ‘Infinity Saga’, and it made for one of the most awe-inspiring pieces of cinema ever committed to the big screen. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) were all assembled for this one and they were ready to do whatever it took to restore hope and order back to the universe. The story was gripping, the visuals striking, the visual effects amazing and the emotion marvelous in a story that was testament to the power of the blockbuster and for these stories to resonate with audiences the world over, they truly don’t get any better than this.

There you go, seven films for seven years, and while 2020 is still very much up in the air with what awaits due to all the uncertainty that is going on in the world right now, we can still hold to the fact that cinema still reigns and that one day soon cinemas will be opened and we can all take in these bold technicolour masterpieces once more.

In the meantime we hope you all stay safe and well, and thank you once again for all your support for the SpicyPulp experience….here’s to what comes next.

The post Seven films to watch on SpicyPulp’s seventh anniversary appeared first on SpicyPulp.

Check them out below:

10. John Wick 2

It’s never a wise move to stab the devil in the back, and that’s exactly what happens to Keanu Reeves legendary assassin John Wick. And that leads to plenty of PAYBACK! Director Chad Stahelski and star Keanu Reeves cranked the adrenaline up again, and the results were amazing. Reeves again showed off his skilled gun-fu moves as he spun, bullets, blades and even a pencil or two to eliminate his targets. And let’s not forget the film’s intense museum shootout or it’s shocking climatic scene! Yep, John Wick 2 was one phenomenal piece of action cinema and made for a wicked time out at the movies.

9. Professor Marston and the Wonder Women

She’s one of the 20th Century’s most defining pop culture symbols and director Angela Robinson made a bold attempt to tell the untold story of Wonder Woman’s creation which really paid off. Stars Luke Evans, Rebecca Hall and Bella Heathcote were all in top form and crafted an incredible multi-dimensional relationship between the three of them. And did we mention that Professor Marston and the Wonder Women was one hot watch? Robinson and her performers embraced the underlying sensuality and sexuality of Wonder Woman’s kinky past, and there was plenty of hot tie and tease action up on screen. Love and creation were firmly at the core of this magnificent picture and it really made an impression on us.

8. The Lost City of Z

What does it mean to step out into the unknown and walk into legend? Lauded director James Grey and star Charlie Hunnam set out to answer this question in The Lost City of Z, a bold throwback to the giant epics of the past which examines one man’s obsessive pursuit for glory and accomplishment. Charlie Hunnam was completely committed as Col. Percy Fawcett, and his performance is nothing short of masterful. Hunnam balances Fawcett’s fanatical dream of uncovering Z with a clear and strict devotion to his beloved wife Nina who suffers greatly from his prolonged absences. Grey’s direction is astonishing and his daring use of cinematography and score evokes an unexplored, dangerous and mythical landscape. The Lost City of Z sears its mighty vision into your mind and was fearless filmmaking at its best.

7. Baby Driver

Cult film icon Edgar Wright cranked the volume and revved up his engine for the zany and off-beat Baby Driver which was fun, fun, fun. Telling the story of a love-struck and musically powered getaway driver caught at a crossroads in his life, Baby Driver spun its audience at every turn. The narrative was slick, the casting was spot on and the action was in-your-face. Stars Ansel Elgort and Lily James made a very cute couple as Baby and Debora and evoked the pairing of James Dean and Natalie Wood in Rebel Without a Cause. But if you wanted a scene stealer then it most definitely came in the form of Jamie Foxx’s crazed gangster Bats who had a talent for compromising everything. Baby Driver was a rush from beginning to end and Wright really took the filmmaking medium and brought it to a whole new edge.

6. The Greatest Showman

Hugh Jackman lets his voice be heard in this magical and imaginative musical that stirs plenty of feelings and emotions in its audience. Powered by a collection of impressive songs from musical geniuses Pasek and Paul, The Greatest Showman makes its audience feel alive and magnificently brings to life the stunning ambience and larger than life deeds of P.T. Barnum. Everything here is in top form and star Hugh Jackman is joined by an amazing supporting cast including Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson and Zendaya. For end of the year movie magic there was no better film than The Greatest Showman and Jackman indeed did audiences proud.

5. American Made

Sometimes you’ve just gotta be a rebel and that’s exactly what megastar Tom Cruise does with the larger than life true story of drug smuggling pilot Barry Seal in American Made. Cruise was in his element and took to the skies in audacious style as the maverick pilot who finds himself running drugs, guns and money for both the Columbian cartels and the CIA, playing both off against the other and growing mega rich in the process. Decked out in a very cool pair of aviators Cruise’s Seal made for one very smooth rogue and his quest to make it big in ‘the greatest country in the world’ made for one crazy adventure of a life lived on the edge. American Made proved that it’s better to fly high and shoot for the skies.

4. Thor: Ragnarok

New Zealand directing sensation Taika Waititi again proved why he is a genius as he stepped into the big time with the loud and colourful Thor: Ragnarok! Waititi took Asgard’s mightiest hero to a whole other place with plenty of wicked throwback 80s flair and injected a healthy dose of outlandish comedy. Bright, dashing and energetic, Thor: Ragnarok was a joy to watch and it was awesome to see the mighty Thor come into his full power and rise up to become King! Stars Chris Hemsworth and Cate Blanchett had an intense showdown and Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk did indeed SMASH! Where Thor goes next we can only imagine, but we hope Taika will be along for the ride because he did one incredible job here.

3. Atomic Blonde

Stepping into a world of clandestine secrets and neon light Charlize Theron proved that girls can indeed fight as she shook up the screen with in-your-face spy thriller Atomic Blonde. This completely unapologetic piece of action cinema kicked you straight in the face from its very first frame and threw in plenty of shady twists and turns. Theron’s MI6 operative Lorraine Broughton was scintillating in her sexuality and downright lethal in her combat and paired next to James McAvoy’s scheevy shitbag handler David Percival the fireworks flew. Packed out with brazen sexuality, bone-crunching action and possibly the coolest scene of this entire year, the ambitious ‘hallway fight’, Atomic Blonde was totally lit and proved that action cinema is better when it’s moving at full kinetic speed!

2. Dunkirk

The word masterpiece gets thrown around a lot these days but lauded filmmaker Christopher Nolan made them come true with his stunning vision of hope’s last breath in Dunkirk. Shot with glorious IMAX cameras Dunkirk was as big as blockbusters come and it’s unique structure and point-of-view of land, sea and air told a harrowing and heroic story of the fight to survive and of the Allies greatest hour. A stunning cast including Sir Kenneth Branagh, Tom Hardy, Sir Mark Rylance, Cillian Murphy, James D’Arcy and Harry Styles helped bring this great vision to life and all of them were spot on in their acting. Then there was Hans Zimmer’s thumping orchestral score that was guaranteed to set you on edge as the action unfolded before you. Dunkirk was indeed an utter masterpiece.

1. Logan

Everything comes to an end, and director James Mangold and star Hugh Jackman gave audiences an utterly compelling one with the fierce Logan. The final chapter of the X-Men’s greatest hero, Logan took audiences to a bleak and brutal future with the famed clawed mutant had failed and now found himself with one last chance for redemption. The action was brutal, and the violence was bloody, as claws cut through flesh and bone. No one was spared, and nothing could stop the carnage. But next to the excellent action was the heartfelt journey of Jackman’s Logan and sensational newcomer Dafne Keen as Laura. Their’s was a tale of long lost father and daughter who had now found each other and now faced the most arduous journey to freedom. By the time the credits began to roll the tears were indeed flowing and we knew we had witnessed something extraordinary. They don’t get more raw or emotional than Logan, and it was a privilege to see Jackman and Logan’s final ride.

Images: Roadshow Films, 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney Pictures, Sony Pictures, Studio Canal, Paramount Pictures

The post SpicyPulp’s Top 10 Films of 2017 appeared first on SpicyPulp.