2018 Entertainment Preview -- Plus, 2017 In Review

Happy New Year from Eclectic Pop! Hopefully, your 2018 has already gotten off to a wonderful start. For those of you wondering, the next bit of coverage Eclectic Pop will be publishing is its review of 2017. Expect the unveiling of 2017's most-read content and Eclectic Pop's picks for the Best of 2017 TV and movies.

Before all of that, let's reflect back on some of pop culture's milestones. For starters, 2017 was the year mainstream media finally showed Nicole Kidman, the respect she has long-deserved.

It was also the year that streaming services released more international entertainment. Series such as the outstanding crime thriller "Silver Spoon," the soapy drama "Winter Sun," the riveting mystery mini "Hotel Beau Sejour," and the decadent costume drama "Ekaterina: The Rise of Catherine the Great" were among the binge-worthy content that was made available in the USA.

As for movies, the breathtaking romantic drama "Sadece Sen" premiered on Netflix in 2017, warming many hearts in its wake. Other fantastic movies released on Netflix last year, were "Sword Master" and "The Lighthouse of the Orcas" via Instant, and "The Duelist" via the streaming giant's DVD service.

Charming Christmas movies made the holidays and life in general, all the sweeter. Yours truly watched 12 new movies total; including 9 by Hallmark, 1 by Lifetime, and 2 via Netflix Instant.

[Image by HBO]

"Game of Thrones" maintained its pop culture prominence in 2017. The series' seventh season enthralled audiences for 7 weeks, dominating the zeitgeist well-before its premiere and ever since.

The series' music maestro Ramin Djawadi also developed a stunning concert tour that brought the incredible music of the series to fans. It was one of yours truly's greatest 2017 experiences. 

Another highlight was the release of Taylor Swift's sixth studio album ‘Reputation.’ After a longer than usual wait (is this becoming a new entertainment trend?), Swift delivered on high expectations with album standouts that include "Don't Blame Me," "King of My Heart," "...Ready For It?," "This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things," "Getaway Car," "Gorgeous" and "Dress."

Sadly, 2017 also meant saying some bittersweet goodbyes. Fans lost "Bates Motel," "Pretty Little Liars" and "Reign," whilst preparing to bid adieu to "Game of Thrones" in the not-so-distant future. Thankfully viewers still have "The Blacklist" and some promising new series to help soften the blow.

I Don't Get "It"

It wouldn't be the end of the year without a quick review of the year's most overrated movie. Since Eclectic Pop likes to keep things positive with its year-end list, this is a great opportunity to declare that the 2017 adaptation of "It" was the most overrated movie of the year.

"It" was not just an overrated movie either. It was a bad one. Period. Personally speaking, there is nothing scary about a CGI clown/demon and while the young cast did an exceptional job with the material, the story failed to resonate with any redeeming qualities, amid its dark build-up and dour ending, both of which disturbed this viewer greatly. Suffice it to say, I didn't get "It" and its enormous popularity.

2018 Entertainment Preview

After Eclectic Pop wraps up its year-end coverage, it will begin publishing new reviews with an emphasis on streaming series and some late 2017 movie releases.

Speaking of movies, there are quite a few 2018 titles worth being excited about. The Liam Neeson thriller "The Commuter" is one of them. The film also stars Vera Farmiga and the premise is well-suited to their talents, and the initial trailer provided a compelling glimpse of the film. 

"The Commuter" marks Neeson's fourth collaboration with director Jaume Collet-Serra. Suspense is the duo's forte and their latest work appears to be on par with their previous efforts. "The Commuter" hits theaters January 12.

[Image by Universal Pictures]

The "Fifty Shades of Grey" trilogy will come to an end in February with "Fifty Shades Freed." For all of the talk surrounding it, this guilty pleasure franchise has delivered two entertaining films that have still left viewers wanting more, and that is more than many franchises’ can say following the release of a sequel. You can watch Ana (Dakota Johnson) and Christian (Jamie Dornan) become Mr. and Mrs. Grey when "Fifty Shades Freed" arrives in theaters, February 9.

The dark comedy "Game Night" also looks compelling, as does "Red Sparrow." The action thriller’s story is set in Russia and given the newfound availability of Russia's original content in the U.S., it will be interesting to see how Hollywood's take on the sprawling country, compares to their own.

-"Victoria" Season 2 premieres on PBS, January 14 at 9 p.m. EST, so expect a few features on the 2017 breakout, in the near future. If you are interested in reading an in-depth preview of Season 2, then click here to check out a feature I wrote for the Inquisitr. I attempted to cover everything you need to know about Season 2, in terms of the cast, air date info, and insight into Season 2's plotline.

-Eclectic Pop will also have features on the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, all of which will center on figure skating. One of the most thrilling battles will take place in the realm of ice dance, and I fully endorse Virtue and Moir for the gold medal. They are ice dance and their comeback has been mind-blowingly brilliant.

-A new Spotify playlist will also enter the fray, so stay tuned for that. 

2018 is going to be an exciting year and Eclectic Pop looks forward to spending it with you. To make sure you never miss an article in 2018, you can subscribe to Eclectic Pop's mailing list, here. As always, thanks for reading, retweeting, liking, following, and sharing! Eclectic Pop continues, thanks to your support.

All the Best,

Britt

[Featured Image by ITV Studios for MASTERPIECE/Lionsgate, Studio Canal/Universal Pictures]