2017: The year as seen through movie trailers

Posted Monday, December 4, 2017 at 3:19 PM Central

by John Couture

This has been a year of change. We completely redesigned our site and offered the ability to order movies (and video games, accessories, toys, collectibles, etc.). Beyond the scope of our website, the world around us took a decidedly negative turn with politics, the tension in the Korean politics and the #MeToo revolution that has blown the lid off sexual harassment that has long given Hollywood an unspoken black eye.

One thing that remains the same though is how films mirror the changes in society perfectly. Over the years, there have been a few wonderfully talented individuals that have captured the sentiment in these end of the year mashups of the year's films. Kees van Dijkhuizen Jr. is a talented Dutch editor that recently parlayed his skill of creating these mashups to a real career with Annapurna Pictures.

Unfortunately, Kees no longer creates these mashups, presumably given the increased time pressures that a real job creates. This has allowed several others to step up and fill this void. One of the most talented individuals that blossomed from Kees' "retirement" is Sleepy Skunk.

Don't let his odiferous pseudonym fool you, Sleepy Skunk is quite talented and his mashups are a breath of fresh air at the end of the year when everything is crazy. What makes his mashups stand out is that Sleepy Skunk only pulls clips from movie trailers. So, ostensibly, you could not have seen a single film all year and you could still enjoy his mashup given that you've watched a bunch of trailers.

It's been enjoyable to watch Sleepy Skunk grow over the years and I think his 2017 offering is his best yet. Beyond simply splicing together scenes that seemingly go together, Sleepy Skunk seems to be communicating a message to the viewer this year. The 2017 mashup is divided into three distinct parts. The first part is very evocative of the dour cloud that seemingly sat over the year. The films and scenes deal with death and loss and really make the viewer uncomfortable.

By contrast, the second part is more uplifting and fun. The majority of films in this section are big action films that were released during the Summer and this part plays like a fun roller coaster.

Finally, the last part is an homage to hope. These films and the clips presented represent the best parts of the human spirit and its knack for being resilient in the face of a great challenge. It's almost like Sleepy Skunk is telling us that yes, 2017 was a crappy year in many aspects, but we must not lose sight of all of the good that we also enjoyed this year. Finally, he leaves the viewer with a sense that the future will be much better than this year.

In a way, Sleepy Skunk is able to use the material that Hollywood produced to create a visceral experience that is both unique and impressive. To bring things full circle, see if you can spot the clip from Professor Marston & the Wonder Women. This film's trailer was cut together by none other than Kees van Dijkhuizen Jr. himself and now his work is not only inspiring others, but his work is allowing others to create their own art.