Okay, turns out that I am working with a bunch of super duper nice people that have made me feel very welcome in my new workplace, so I really had nothing to worry about on that front. And even though I am craving a space to hide myself away in because I am still a major social spazz, I have actually really enjoyed my first few days of early introductions and workplace orientation. I cannot believe how genuinely lovely everyone has been to me, I still feel a bit like I have stepped into The Twilight Zone to be honest because everyone is so extraordinarily kind and pleasant. 
There are just so many shiny, happy people milling around the place and it is positively infectious to be around. On top of that, they also appear to really love the work that they are doing as well. All of them seem to undertake tasks with a sense of real vigor, enthusiasm and gusto; which is a bit of a stark contrast to my old workplace where a lot of people did not appear to be enjoying themselves very much at all most of the time.
Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining, quite the opposite in fact,  these people are totally inspiring to work with. I am really loving the positive change, but I'd be lying if I didn't acknowledge how different it is to be around contented co-workers. When you are not used to it, it is quite weird and also deeply fascinating.
My suspicious mind cannot help but wonder -Can everyone really be that happy? Well, from what I have seen, yes; apparently they can! Staff in a school can totally be content, organised, committed, happy and accountable! Who knew? I don't really know what I was expecting to be honest, but it feels so great to be going to a place where people genuinely seem to care about everyone else in the school as much as they care about themselves. No wonder the children are all so chilled out, it's a pretty blissful place to be. 
Of course, it is still a workplace and not a day spa, and in spite of the 'namaste' feelings that I am vibing on, I know that there will most certainly be challenging days ahead, especially now that the children have arrived back. However, in spite of the awareness that there will be days ahead when things feel anything but blissful; I'll take what I can get for now. I cannot help but feel good about the positive change that a new workplace has brought to my life, and if my new co-workers are anything to go by, I feel like the challenges will indeed come, but just as easily go as well. It's certainly a terrific start to the work year that's for sure. 

ON YOGA: THE ARCHITECTURE OF PEACE
Release Date: 2017
Rating: M
Running Time: 97 mins
A documentary from director Heitor Dhalia that follows the experiences of American photographer Michael O'Neill as he photographs and interviews the great Yoga Masters of India, Tibet and New York. 
This is one of the most beautifully realised and spiritually inspiring movies that I have ever seen. If you aren't already doing yoga, this movie will make you want to go and join the nearest ashram immediately! The magical soundtrack, the sage advise, the inspiring yogi masters turning themselves into pretzels, what's not to like?
To be fair, I am a fan of both yoga and photography so I am probably deeply biased in my love for this movie, but I don't care, I was into it completely. This movie was somewhat of an experience for me, and although it's not going to spin everyone's tyres, I really think that the terrific interviews with the older yoga practitioners are definitely worthy of everyone's attention.
FINAL SAY: Namaste.
4 Chilli Peppers 

It is with great sadness that the summer holiday period has reached its inevitable end. It has been an absolutely glorious summer break with more than adequate time for celebration, procrastination and self indulgence of every variety. I would be lying if I said that I didn't feel totally rejuvenated and ready to face a return to responsibility, I have spent more than my fair share of time lounging about and doing what I like; so come tomorrow morning when the alarm goes off, I shall rise without complaint and begin a new year of workplace adventures. 
I am actually filled with a mixture of excitement, anticipation and anxiety about returning to work this year because not only am I starting at a totally new workplace, but I am also taking on a completely new role on top of that. I have tried to prepare for my new role by diligently practicing Braille at home everyday over the break and reading everything that I could get my hands on about supporting blind students in the classroom, but at the end of the day nothing is going to help me to learn better and faster than 100% immersion. Without  a doubt, there will be many challenges to be tackled and bridges to cross along the way, but I am going to give it my very best effort and attention, so I look forward to some victories and triumphs along the road ahead as well. 
Meeting a whole swag of new people in a completely new work environment is certainly going to prove extremely interesting for me. I don't like to sway too far from my well trodden social circles and comfort zones, so the staff side of things will more than likely prove to be one of the most challenging parts of this new adventure. However, to combat the spazz in me, I have been really investing a lot of time over the holidays in refining my mindfulness practises, meditations and positive visualisation techniques, and I think that these practises will serve me well in this scenario. If I can keep calm and 'seem' calm then I should be able to stop myself from coming across like a totally panic stricken loon, which is kind of the worst case scenario when meeting new work colleagues. 
There does seem to be a healthy middle ground when entering a new workplace, and I haven't been in  that zone for almost decade so I can really only call the examples of others in the 'what to do' and 'what not to do' stakes on this one. However, what I have learnt through years of 'newster' observation is that you cannot be too cool or aloof and you most definitely cannot be too confident either, that is a massive off-putter. Nothing gets people's tongues  in a workplace waggling faster than a new know-it-all! It can take years to bounce back from that shit, I've seen it happen to people before. 
Treading the middle ground is always the safest bet in a new workplace, and remembering to only speak when you need to and remaining quiet when you don't. Don't talk about yourself or your past other than answering those obligatory questions that everyone asks about children and the like, and most importantly of all, in all new interactions, let them talk at length about themselves uninterrupted no matter how boring or uninteresting it may seem, and say things like uh-huh regularly and nod and smile a lot. Easy! No, really not easy at all, bloody terrifically terrifying actually, but I got this.....I got this.....well, I will tell you if 'I got this' or not next time I blog anyway. Wish me luck! 

SPY
Release Date: 2015
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 119 mins 
Written and directed by Paul Feig, this action spy comedy really took me surprise. Let's be honest, Melissa McCarthy movies have been pretty hit and miss. Ever since she first gained momentum off the steam of Bridesmaids, she has appeared in some appallingly bad comedies, and I was starting to think that she was a one trick pony, but here is all the evidence that anyone will ever need to support the fact that she has some seriously good comedic ability.
Desk-bound CIA agent Susan Cooper (McCarthy) heads out into the field in an attempt to avenge her partners murder and foil the black market sale of a suitcase nuke. 
Even with the ridiculous and unlikely plot-line, this film still delivers. There are more than a few raucous laughs to be enjoyed and the strong cast of well known actors are tremendously funny. Jason Statham, Allison Janney, Rose Byrne and Miranda Hart are all on their A game here, delivering a tidy and terrible funny comedy that shouldn't be missed. 
FINAL SAY: I look like someone's homophobic aunt! 
​4 Chilli Peppers ​

I am crazy about poetry, I have been all of my life. For as far back as I can remember I have been making up ditties and prose about my environment and experiences. I have volumes of notebooks filled with not so great poetry that I have written, much of it from a very long time ago, however even today I do on the odd occasion still write pieces of prose if the mood hits me. Unfortunately, the mood usually hits me now when I am shitfaced drunk, so the writing is still primarily drivel, but I do enjoy writing it. 
Once I won an award in the Ballarat Begonia Festival Writing Competition for a piece of poetry that I wrote when I was 16, it was all about teenage suicide. I got asked to read that piece of writing at a variety of things on stage, talk about nerve wracking stuff! Looking back on it I think that people may have thought that I was actually a bit suicidal at the time, but I wasn't. The piece of writing probably would've been a lot better if I had had some actual experience with the emotions that I was trying to convey because it really wasn't a well written piece at all, but I was still pretty chuffed about getting a $20 book voucher as a prize for it. 
Even as a small child, I was always fascinated by nursery rhymes and spent hours trying to remember lines of simple prose. I believe that my father may have ignited that spark within me, because he has always liked poems and would often recite extracts from Rudyard Kipling poems and other simple limericks that he had picked up himself as a boy. I remember many ditties that he shared with me over the years, perhaps my favourite of all was the Three Jolly Gypsies, a poem that he told so often that I can recite it word for word still today. 
As children, we had a series of Colliers books in our home and one of them had dozens of poems and rhymes in the front section, recently I came back into possession of a copy of that book and was so excited to see the prose and sketches that had so enchanted me as a child once again. I reread it from cover to cover, relishing in the nostalgic trip down memory lane. 
Poetry is a bit of a lost art these days and there are not nearly enough poets in the world anymore. People also do not long to hear poetry being read anymore, well not many people do anyway. I do still love to listen to good poetry being read and I love to get lost in the mystery of really good prose, but the opportunities to indulge are few and far between these days. Generally, anyone wandering about reciting poetry these days would be considered a bit of a nutter really; alas the days of the poet are truly over!
Anyone that can string a few sentences together now becomes a singer, whether they can actually sing or not is irrelevant, in fact 99% percent of rappers are really just poets anyway. Unfortunately though, no-one really wants to be known as a poet these days because there is no money in it. There probably never was to be honest, but at least poets were somewhat revered back in the day before mass media and online distraction.
Well, poetry may be a dying art, but it is an art that I personally adore, and if like me, you feel like getting lost in some quality poetry anytime soon than I highly recommend a look at this little gem of a movie. Everything about it is pure poetry!

Yesterday Craig and I hosted Zoe and Lachlainn's engagement party out here in Enfield. Around 55 friends and family members ventured out in the evening to join us, and the weather could not have been any more perfect. A spectacular pink sunset greeted our guests as they lounged around the garden, resting below bobbing lanterns and sipping beers and champagne in the still coolness of the evening. It was such a wonderful evening, everyone appeared to be having a really great time and most importantly of all, Zoe and Lachlainn had a terrific time sharing their special event with everyone else as well. 
Zoe had a very clear idea about how she wanted the evening to look, kind of rustic, relaxed and country themed; which involved hay bales, wild flowers, mood lighting and a variety of seating arrangements for guests to choose from. The preparations started the day before with a massive all day baking session and then by 9am on Saturday the real setup had begun and all four of us pitched in to make it happen; and it all came together very nicely. To be honest, I think that we managed to pull off a pretty respectable engagement soiree. If only the clean up today had been as much fun as the actual event, because I tell you when I awoke this morning sporting a nice little champagne hangover the last thing that I felt like doing was cleaning up from a big event. Nevermind, c'est la vie, you have to endure the after party clean up, and if there is no mess to clear up then it probably wasn't a very good event in the first place.
Zoe and Lachlainn are just the cutest couple, it was so lovely to see them enjoying the company of their nearest and dearest together. There was certainly no shortage of smiling faces around them last night, everyone was super happy for them both and obviously agree that they make a fantastic couple. Everyone that I spoke to was 'over the moon' happy for them to be getting engaged, clearly they too had seen the makings of a good long term relationship growing over the last six years and were not at all surprised that the two had decided to make things more official.
I know that we were more than pleased to be sharing in the celebration of such a wonderful declaration of love, especially between two such wonderful people. When it comes to celebratory events, this one topped them all for me. My daughter has found someone that makes her so happy that she wants to spend her life with them - now that's truly an event that is totally worth celebrating!

Seth turned thirteen yesterday. I now have a teenage son, which makes me feel quite old in some ways, but also very proud, because I absolutely adore my son and couldn't be any happier about the young man that he is becoming. 
As usual, Seth celebrated his birthday in the most low key manner that he could think of. One friend to sleepover, a spread of various tacos, a homemade ice-cream cake and plenty of gaming time. Seriously, teenage boys are the most easily pleased creatures on the planet from what I can gather; no fuss, no frills and as a little social interaction as possible and they are completely happy and content. Seth literally wanted nothing for his birthday, he wasn't even a little bit phased about the day at all. You should've heard the awkward conversations leading up to the event, they mostly went something like this: 
Your birthday is coming up buddy, pretty exciting, you're gonna be 13!
Yeah 
Have you thought about how you might like to celebrate it?
Nope.
Would you like to go out for the day?
No I don't think so.
Would you like to go to the pool or the beach?
No.
Would you like a party?
HELL NO!
What would you like me to do for your birthday then?
Nothing really......uhhh....maybe you could make tacos? 
Tacos? Is that what you want to eat for your birthday? You know that you can have anything you want right? 
Yeah, I want tacos.
Okay, anything else? 
No
Cake?
If you want to.
It's your birthday, you will be wanting cake won't you?
I spos.
What sort?
Whatever you like
Whatever you like I think!
Okay, ice cream cake maybe?
Sure, anything else? 
Nope.
Do you want me to invite anyone over or anything?
Maybe, I'll get back to you on that one. 
Okay, well if you think of anything else let me know.
OK.

And that was it, there was no getting back to me, no mention of his birthday again until a couple of days before when I had another go at grilling him. 
So any thoughts on your birthday yet?
Nah
So you aren't going to do anything to celebrate it?
I thought Conor could come over.
Of course
He said he could.
You already asked him?
Yeah.
And?
He said yeah.
So he will come out or will I be picking him up?
He will just come out sometime, his dad will drop him out. He's gonna call you. 
Oh, so it's all sorted?
Yeah.
And that's all you want to do?
Yep. Don't stress mum, it's all good, it's just another birthday.

And that is how it always plays out with Seth, minimal conversation, minimal hassle and as little fuss as possible. I can't say that it is all that weird, I mean he has Craig and I for parents so what can we expect really? Both of our kids are pretty introverted, but Seth is a serious home body that even I cannot compete with. And in spite of his lack of adventure or thirst for stimulation, he had a terrific time on his birthday and said thanks for an awesome day when it was all over. Like I said, teenage boys, they're the easiest species on the planet to please and that can only be seen as a good thing. 

THE BOY AND THE BEAST
Release Date: 2016
Rating: PG
Running Time: 119 mins
A Japanese animated adventure film, written and directed by award winning director Mamoru Hosoda, that won Animation of the Year at the 37th Japan Academy Prizes. The Boy and the Beast also captivated audiences around the world with its unique animation style and creative storytelling. 
A troubled boy stumbles upon an alternate world that is filled with fantastic beasts. A powerful and gruff beast warrior named Kumatetsu, who has been searching for an apprentice, takes the boy on and attempts to train him in the ways of the warrior. 
This is a thoughtfully put together coming of age tale that has plenty of interesting and colourful characters, and enough complications to keep interest levels high. The animation styling here is so good, I loved the overall tone and effect of this film, it was such a pleasing visual undertaking. The Boy and the Beast  was certainly one of the hidden gems of 2016 and is definitely a family movie worthy of your time.  
FINAL SAY: Am I human, or am I a beast?
4 Chilli Peppers ​

There is an old Persian proverb that I often turn to during difficult or dark times in my life -Sunshine all of the time makes a desert.
I believe that this is quite true. It is not good to only have sunshine and for it to never rain; it is bad for the land and it is also bad for the soul. No one has ever grown as a person without experiencing some hardship, obstacle or difficulty. The good times are really only good times because we know what the bad times feel like and how difficult they are, thus making room for us to recognise and appreciate when the good stuff happens to us. 
Equally when there has been a lot of sunshine and a dark day arrives, we sometimes struggle to come to terms with the sudden change, and mostly we struggle to seek meaning from the content and to understand the lesson that is being presented. However, in all honesty, I believe that sometimes the learning to be garnered from those dark days is not exclusively ours to learn. Some dark days are not even really about us, they are more about the growth of others and we are just along for the ride; a rather shitty, rough and uncomfortable ride, but a ride nonetheless.
In my opinion, these lessons are often the hardest ones to accept and the most difficult ones to come to terms with, but life deals them out and we all get a go around once and awhile. Sometimes really shitty things happen to really lovely people and there is nothing that anyone can do about it, sometimes people get some karma that they probably didn't deserve and it seems totally unjust, and sometimes people really hurt or even destroy the ones that they love along the road to finding themselves. 
Through the lessons of others, we do inevitably grow somewhat ourselves as well, but it can be a lot more difficult to understand if we are merely the catalyst, the victim or the bystander in the way that things play out. In my life I have been all of those things - a catalyst, a victim and a bystander, on my own path and also through the lives of others. I know that no matter how seasoned that you think you are, the lessons don't get any easier along the way and that a lot of the time they don't seem to have any pattern, rhyme or reason, they just are. 
​Just like the cast of a production, we all get our chance to play different roles in this lifetime, sometimes we get to play the sunny hero and then other times we play the stormy villain; and unfortunately we have to really. If we didn't play all of the roles then we would only ever understand a small portion of life and its massive tapestry, we would lack emotional empathy and we would never be a truly complete person.
The rain must happen, but as I said, accepting the jagged little pills of life is never easy or pleasant and just like a cold rainy day in the Summer, it is both unexpected and unwelcome. My advice is to always remember to pack an umbrella and to be ready for a change at any time, because the changes will come. And when they do, they will arrive straight out of left field, right over yonder from a tiny grey cloud, right from where you haven't been looking at all.

I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of  droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror - 
The wide brown land for me. 
- extracted from My Country, a poem by Dorothea Mackellar. 

I am not insanely patriotic, but I must admit that I do genuinely love Australia. In spite of its faults and shortcomings, I feel like Australia has truly grown considerably as a nation and I always feel completely at home when I am in Australia. Sure we have some problems, I am not claiming that we are 'the perfect nation,' however, when you compare Australia to a lot of other countries, it is easy to see why we have been labelled The Lucky Country for so long. 
I have travelled and seen a lot of different places in the world, and I feel that I can say without a doubt, that Australia has some of the most diverse and beautiful landscapes in the world. I think that the land of Australia is second to none, we really do have it all here. As far as land bragging rights go, Australia has it in buckets.
Australia is actually the 6th largest country in the world and it's ocean territory in the third largest in the world, spanning three oceans and covering around 12 million square kilometres of water. 91% of Australia's landmass is covered in vegetation because even our desert landscapes are home to native plants. Australia is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world and is home to more than one million species of plants and animals, many of which cannot be found anywhere else in the world. About 85% of flowering plants, 84% percent of mammals, more than 45% percent of birds and 89% of inshore, freshwater fish are unique to Australia. We also have around 140 species of marsupials that are native to our country and we are best known for our exotic creatures like the kangaroo, koala, echidna, dingo, platypus, wallaby and wombat. 
We have one of the oldest indigenous cultures in the world, spanning over tens of thousands of years. The original custodians were inextricably linked to the land, its forms, its flora and its fauna. The knowledge and culture of our Indigenous Australians has shaped our nation; and through their understandings, all Australians now share a relationship with the natural environment. 
Australia is incredibly multicultural, in fact one in four of our 22 million people were actually born overseas. 46% of Australians have a parent that was born overseas and 20% of Australians speak a language other than English in their own home.  Since 1945 almost seven million people have migrated to Australia, and in spite of often being called a racist nation, in a recent poll 84% of Australians said that multiculturalism had vastly improved our country and 86% said that they are in support of all actions to tackle racism in our country. Thankfully, we now also have same sex marriage marriage, and overall I do believe that we are moving forward as a nation of inclusiveness.  
Melbourne, Victoria has been ranked the most liveable city in the world for seven years running in The Global Liveability ranks, which is determined by healthcare, education, stability, culture, environment and infrastructure. Although we are one of the most urbanised countries in the world, we are also one of the most coastal-dwelling populations, with over 80% of Australians living within 100 kilometres of the coast. 
Australia has become one of the most desired tourist destinations in the world for travellers and every year millions of tourists visit our shores to experience its beauty and diverse travel experiences. Our most desired travel locations are listed below, and it is easy to see why people want to have these experiences, they are all truly amazing places. 

• The Great Barrier Reef
• Uluru
• Sydney
• Daintree Rainforest
• The Whitsundays
• Melbourne
• Broome and the Kimberley
• The Great Ocean Road
• Margaret River Region
• Cradle Mountain
• Kakadu National Park
• Fraser Island
• South Australia Wine Regions
• Arnhem Land

On top of terrific travel opportunities, Australia is also renowned for it extensive art, music, sport, cuisine and culture. We have many successful actors, musicians, sportspersons, chefs, writers and artists that have enjoyed international acclaim - some of my personally favourite famous Aussies are Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett, Heath Ledger, Toni Collette, Albert Namatjira, Will Anderson, Chris Hemsworth, Paul Kelly, Mia Wasikowska, Michael Hutchence, Christos Tsiolkas, Geoffrey Rush, Joel Edgerton, Hugo Weaving, Tim Winton, Margot Robbie, David Wenham, Ben Mendelsohn, Sia, Barry Humphries, Peter Carey,  Jim Jefferies and Nick Cave. 
When you look at it all together, it is easy to see why I love Australia and why I am proud to call Australia home. We really do have bragging rights, we are a great nation, we have come a long way and we should be proud of that fact. Loving where you live makes life so much better and I am proud to say that I do love my sunburnt country, and that in Australia we really do have the best of everything. 

It so lovely to have the luxury of free time to spend doing whatever I chose to do. I am always amazed at how easy it is to fill in that spare time by doing things are not really necessary or important, but are incredibly enjoyable, and make the hours and days just melt away. This has been one of the laziest summers of my life, and good god it is truly wonderful! My days have been filled with sleep-ins, reading, yoga, journaling, French lessons (yeah, I am learning to speak French), drawing, painting, pilates, gardening, meditation, long breakfasts, late lunches and moonlight tipples. Bloody glorious! What a wonderful couple of weeks it has been. I can literally feel my batteries recharging and my wellbeing realigning, and it has left me feeling really positive about the year ahead. 
Apart from a couple of trips to the movies and a pop around to the local plant nursery, I have pretty much avoided all contact with the outside world so far this year. I have gone 100% introvert these holidays and have spent more time watching the ducks swim on the dam than I have spent with anyone apart from my immediate family. I have been indulging in my own passions completely, and I don't feel even slightly guilty about that, but I do feel gracious that I have been given the chance to do so.  
I am loving the opportunity to not have to be anywhere or do anything unless I want to, and guess what? I haven't wanted to! I have relished in the chance to just be restful and relaxed, because I know that these moments are fleeting and should be embraced when they arise. I have spent so many of my past holiday breaks racing around doing things and trying to catch up with people and I always just feel exhausted by the end of it; but as I am getting older (and wiser?) I am getting a lot better at prioritising my time and learning to put my own rest and wellbeing at the forefront of my break periods.
If I have learnt anything worth knowing in this life it's that you have to take care of your own needs and embrace your own passions. You have to steer your own journey and to do that well, you need to be able to put yourself first sometimes. 
I have always wanted to have a  life that I never felt like I needed to take a holiday from, and I think that I have found that. I have absolutely everything that I could ever need to feel fulfilled right here in Enfield, and I am taking full advantage of it. There is a lot of peace to be had in the stillness and sanctuary of home and there is a certain type of grace in not needing to be on the move all of the time; and I am truly grateful for the time that I am getting to spend unhindered doing those things precisely. What a marvellous beginning to a brand new year. 

It's that time again, the time for me to unleash my viewing loves and loathes for the year of 2017. In total, I watched 279 movies and 62 TV series in 2017, so yeah, it is fair to say that I have a robust addiction to entertainment and that I have a fairly good idea of what is out there.
My biggest undertaking for the year was a rewatch of the entire Lost Series, 121 episodes in total, and although it took me the better part of the entire year to get through, it was worth the effort. Next to the Twin Peaks Reboot, Lost was the next biggest mind fuck of the year for me.
I must say that the bar raises every single year for me because movies and TV are constantly improving in quality and there is a never ending stream of excellent viewing to be had. That makes it a lot harder for me to discern the best,  but also a lot more enjoyable in the long run.
However, without further ado, here are my picks for the best and worst of 2017, my full reviews of these movies can be found on their corresponding genre lists. 
BEST MOVIES OF 2017:

• IT  - Horror  4.5 Chilli Peppers
• A Ghost Story - Art House 4.5 Chilli Peppers
• Mother! - Challenging 4.5 Chilli Peppers
• Blade Runner 2049 - Science Fiction 4.5 Chilli Peppers
• Baby Driver - Action 4 Chilli Peppers
• Dunkirk - War 4 Chilli Peppers
• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 - Fantasy 4 Chilli Peppers
• Logan - Super 4 Chilli Peppers
• Get Out - Horror 3.5 Chilli Peppers
• A Dark Song - Horror 3.5 Chilli Peppers
• T2 - Trainspotting - Drama 3.5 Chilli Peppers
• Logan Lucky - Action/Comedy 3.5 Chilli Peppers

BEST CATCH UP MOVIES OF 2017: (Movies released before 2017 that I finally saw in 2017)

• La Grande Bellezza (The Great Beauty) - Foreign 5 Chilli Peppers (Hall of Fame)
• Manchester by the Sea - Drama 5 Chilli Peppers (Hall of Fame)
• Moonlight - Drama 4.5 Chilli Peppers
• Arrival - Science Fiction 4.5  Chilli Peppers
• Nocturnal Animals  -Drama 4.5  Chilli Peppers
• Hidden Figures - Drama 4  Chilli Peppers
• Moana - Kid Friendly 4  Chilli Peppers
• The Edge of Seventeen -Comedy 4 Chilli Peppers
• The Conjuring 2 - Horror 4 Chilli Peppers
• Captain Fantastic - Drama 4 Chilli Peppers
• Samson and Delilah - Gritty 4 Chilli Peppers
• The House of the Devil - Horror 3.5 Chilli Peppers
• The Mermaid - Foreign/ Fantasy 3.5 Chilli Peppers

WORST MOVIES OF 2017:

• Kong: Skull Island - Fantasy 2 Chilli Peppers
• The Great Wall - Action/ Fantasy 1.5 Chilli Peppers
• The Ghost in the Shell - Science Fiction 1.5 Chilli Peppers
• A Cure for Wellness - Horror 1.5 Chilli Peppers
• Loving - Drama 1.5 Chilli Peppers
• Valerian and the City of a 1,000 Planets - Science Fiction 1.5 Chilli Peppers
• Baywatch - Comedy 1.5 Chilli Peppers
• Yoga Hosers  -Comedy 1 Chilli Pepper
• The Bye Bye Man  - Horror 0 Chilli Peppers
• The Greasy Strangler - Art House 0 Chilli Peppers

BEST TV SERIES 2017:

• Big Little Lies - Drama 5 Chilli Peppers
• The Handmaid's Tale - Drama/ Fantasy 5 Chilli Peppers
• American Gods - Horror/ Fantasy 5 Chilli Peppers
• Atlanta - Drama 4.5 Chilli Peppers 
• Godless - Western 4.5 Chilli Peppers
• Game of Thrones S7  - Fantasy 4.5 Chilli Peppers
• Stranger Things S2 - Science Fiction 4.5 Chilli Peppers
• Twin Peaks Reboot - Art House 4 Chilli Peppers 
• Mozart in the Jungle - Drama 4 Chili Peppers 
• Alias Grace - Historical Drama 4 Chilli Peppers 
• AHS - Cult - Horror 4 Chilli Peppers
• Peaky Blinders S4 - Historical Drama 4 Chilli Peppers
• Better Things - Comedy 4 Chilli Peppers
• A-Typical - Drama 3.5 Chilli Peppers
• Girls - Final Season - Drama 3.5 Chilli Peppers
• The Sinner - Mystery/Drama 3.5 Chilli Peppers

As far as bad TV series go, well I was so busy watching really high quality TV that I managed to miss all of the shit this year, so I'm not even putting in a category for that. To be honest, I think that this year may have been one of the best of years for quality TV that I have ever known, which fills me with a lot of hope for 2018. 
Hopefully you will find something on my lists that you haven't seen yet and will now go and see on my recommendation. Also, you now know what to avoid like the plague if you should have the misfortune of coming across it.
I hope that the holiday period is being kind to you all, happy viewing!

IT
Release Date: 2017
Rating: R 18+
Running Time: 135 mins 
A supernatural horror directed by Andy Muschietti and based on the highly successful 1986 novel of the same name by Stephen King. Clearly audiences are thirsting for excellent retro horror tales because IT swiftly became the highest grossing horror film of all time and the third highest grossing R rated movie of all time. 
It's 1988 in a small American town called Derry and something insidious is lurking in the sewers; an ancient evil that feeds on the fears of children and presents itself as a clown called Pennywise. Seemingly invisible to adults, Pennywise starts to abduct the children of Derry, and turns its sights on a tight group of friends called The Losers Club. 
With all of the terrific friendship dynamics  and comradery of The Goonies, Stranger Things and Stand By Me  and all of the creepiness of a James Wan horror, IT has a formula that works on so many levels. Not only is there a creepy as all shit clown torturing the children, but all of the adults in Derry seem to be rather unpleasant as well which adds another layer of turmoil to this already emotionally affecting tale. 
IT is most definitely the best horror movie to come out of 2017. The acting is on point, with Bill Skarsgard delivering one of the most memorably disturbing horror characters of all time in Pennywise. He is however exceptionally well supported by a young and fresh faced cast who are all bringing their A game here as well, with notable performances being delivered by Finn Wolfhard, Sophia Lillis, Nicholas Hamilton and Jeremy Ray Taylor.
The visuals are certainly dark, dreadful and nightmarish; but the coming of age story that is playing in the background is not at all drowned out by the grim effects, which was really pleasing to see. IT is a true horror gem and a must see movie for fans of quality horror.
FINAL SAY: We all float down here. 
4.5 Chilli Peppers ​