Movies Seen In 2014

Saw two films today. Boyhood is a masterpiece. Woody Allen's new film, Magic in the Moonlight, is a trifle. Not a bad movie, but nothing worth thinking about for very long.

 

Just watched Dawn of the Planet of the Apes at the cinema. What an utterly outstanding movie that is. Better than Rise in nearly every department and I didn't expect that at all. Can't wait for the next one. Object lesson in doing a reboot series of films so far.

 

Spoiler: The rest of my list.

1. Philomena (B+)
2. Blue Is The Warmest Colour (A)
3. Her (A+)
4. Bicycle Thieves (B)
5. Frances Ha (B+)
6. Inside Llewyn Davis (A)
7. American Hustle (B+)
8. East of Eden (C+)
9. The Hunt (A-)
10. Amadeus (A+)
11. The LEGO Movie (A-)
12. Nebraska (B+)
13. Short Term 12 (A)
14. The Square (B+)
15. The Act of Killing (A)
16. Metropolitan (B)
17. Almost Famous (A+)
18. The Ice Storm (C+)
19. 300: Rise of an Empire (B)
20. The Great Beauty (B+)
21. Network (A+)
22. The Palm Beach Story (A+)
23. The Past (B+)
24. The Royal Tenenbaums (B+)
25. The Grand Budapest Hotel (A-)
26. Room 237 (B-)
27. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (A+)
28. Noah (B+)
29. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (A)
30. Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor (D)
31. Fantastic Mr. Fox (B+)
32. Independence Day (A)
33. Sherlock, Jr. (B+)
34. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (B)
35. Godzilla (B+)
36. Anna Karenina (B+)
37. X-Men: Days of Future Past (A)
38. Pride & Prejudice (A+)
39. The Perks of Being A Wallflower (A-)
40. Tess (B+)
41. Belle (B+)
42. Barton Fink (B+)
43. Miller's Crossing (A+)
44. Punch-Drunk Love (B-)
45. The General (A)
46. Ida (B+)
47. How To Train Your Dragon 2 (B+)
48. Jane Eyre (B+)
49. The Fault in Our Stars (A-)
50. Star Trek Into Darkness (B-)
51. 22 Jump Street (A-)
52. Chef (B+)
53. Begin Again (A)
54. The Immigrant (A+)

55. Sense and Sensibility (A+)

Is there a more versatile director than Ang Lee currently working? I doubt it, and this is one of his best films (and considering that I've been a fan of all of his films apart from The Ice Storm, that's saying something). I'd love to see a Blu-ray edition of this, as I suspect it would look wonderful; Criterion should get on that.

Cinema: 25
DVD: 14
Computer: 16 (+1)

 

73. Beneath the Planet of the Apes ★★★
74. The Battery ★★★
75. Escape From the Planet of the Apes ★★★
76. Conquest of the Planet of the Apes ★★
77. Battle for the Planet of the Apes ★
78. Odd Thomas ★★★

 

Spoiler: Movies Seen January, February, March, April, May & June

The Devil's Double - Netflix Instant
MST3K: Future War - Netflix Instant
Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay - Netflix Instant
Stephen King's Graveyard Shift - Netflix Instant
Charge - Netflix Instant
The Eiger Sanction - Netflix Instant
MST3K: Laserblast - Netflix Instant
The Joneses - Netflix Instant
The Reich Underground - Netflix Instant
In the Loop - Netflix Instant
The Other Man - Netflix Instant
Our Nixon - Netflix Instant
Broadcast News - Netflix Instant
MST3K: Final Justice - Netflix Instant
The Blob (1958) - HuluPlus
American Breakdown - HuluPlus
Spy Kids 3: Game Over - Netflix Instant
The Beast with a Million Eyes - Netflix Instant
Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959) - Netflix Instant
Escape from Alcatraz - Netflix Insant
River of No Return - Netflix Instant
The Apartment - Netflix Instant
Rewind This! - HuluPlus
Ping Pong - Netflix Instant
Schooled: The Price of College Sports - Netflix Instant
Bronies - Netflix Instant
Le Lac Des Zombies (aka Zombie Lake) - Netflix Instant
Cockneys vs Zombies - Netflix Instant
Humanoids from the Deep (aka Monster) - Netflix Instant
The Haunting in Connecticut - Netflix Instant
The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia - Netflix Instant
Giorgio Moroder Presents Metropolis (1984) - Netflix Instant
Dinosaur Island - Netflix Instant
Age of Dinosaurs - Netflix Instant
The Dinosaur Project - Netflix Instant
Baby Boom - Netflix Instant
Blindsided - Netflix Instant
Hobo with a Shotgun - Netflix Instant
Stranded - Netflix Instant
MST3K: The Phantom Planet - Netflix Instant
Looney Tunes: Back in Action - DVD
The Crow: Wicked Prayer - Showtime Extreme
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home - Starz Kids & Family
Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit - HBO on Demand
Bullet to the Head - Cinemax on Demand
Howard the Duck - HBO Family
Battlefield Earth - HBO on Demand
Me, Myself & Irene - HBO on Demand
Bad Milo! - Netflix Instant
The Final Cut - Netflix Instant
Starship Troopers: Invasion - Netflix Instant
P!nk: The Truth About Love Tour - Netflix Instant
Saving Mr. Banks - DVD
Avengers Confidential: Black Widow / Punisher - DVD
Suddenly - Netflix Instant
Captain America: The Winter Soldier 2D - theater
Turbulance - HBO
Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor - BBC America
Fearless- Cinemax
Blly Crystal: 700 Sundays - HBO
Jay Mohr: Funny for a Girl - Showtime
Assault on Precinct 13 (2005) - Cinemax
The Natural - MoviePlex
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie - Cinemax
She's the Man - HBO
Godzilla vs Destroyah (1995) - Movieplex
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 3D - Alamo Drafthouse
Justice League: War - DVD
Son of Batman - DVD
Prisoners - HBO
A Day at the Races - free admission
The Lego Movie 2D - discount theater
Non-Stop - discount theater
Godzilla 2D (2014) - free admission
The Grand Budapest Hotel - free admission
Neighbors - free admission
X-Men: Days of Future Past 2D - free admission
Million Dollar Arm - free admission
Grudge Match - DVD
The Monuments Men - DVD
3 Days to Kill - DVD
Maleficent 2D - matinee
The Family - Netflix Instant
Romancing the Stone - Netflix Instant
The Jewel of the Nile- Netflix Instant
The Sklar Brothers: What Are We Talking About? - Netflix Instant
Robocop (2014) - DVD
Lone Survivor - DVD
Knights of Badassdom - DVD
Frozen - DVD
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs - DVD
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 - Netflix Instant
A Million Ways to Die in the West - free admission
Wolverine: Weapon X - Tomorrow Dies Today - DVD
Dumb and Dumber: Unrated Edition - DVD
Maria Bamford: The Special Special Special! - Netflix Instant
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit - DVD
Escape from Tomorrow - Netflix Instant
22 Jump Street - theater
Edge of Tomorrow 2D - theater
Harlem Nights - Netflix Instant

JLA Adventures: Trapped in Time - DVD
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa .5 - Netflix Instant
The Raid 2 - DVD
The Wolf of Wall Street - DVD
Homefront - Netflix Instant
Out of the Furnace - Netflix Instant
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes 2D - theater
Stan Lee's Mighty 7 - DVD
Hot Coffee - Netflix Instant
Transformers: Age of Extinction 2D - theater
Odd Thomas - Netflix Instant
Bad Words - DVD

Watched OT the other day...it wasn't great, but I kinda liked it. The twist to the end actually kinda surprised me, and it was kinda cool to see Willem Dafoe in a smaller movie than normal for him. I may have to read the book now, too...

Rented a couple of movies yesterday before work, and just finished watchin' the first one.

BW was a dirty fun movie to watch. "Don't look at me!"

Watchin' it with the commentary track from director/star Jason Bateman, but I may turn it off to get some sleep soon.

 

Spoiler: 2010 viewed movies

I didn't start in the thread till August that year, partial list

1. Piranha 3D: C+
2. Book of Eli: B
3. Lethal Weapon: A
4. Lethal Weapon 2: A-
5. Lethal Weapon 3: B
6. Lethal Weapon 4: C+
7. The Crow: A
8. Clash of the Titans: B+
9. Prince of Persia: B
10. The Fountain: D
11. Resident Evil: A-
12. Resident Evil: Apocalypse: B
13. Resident Evil: Extinction: B-
14. Resident Evil: Afterlife: B
15. Resident Evil: Degeneration(animated): B
16. Bad Boys: B+
17. Zombieland: B
18. The Evil Dead: B-
19. R.E.D.: B
20. 30 Days of Night: Dark Days: B+
21. Conviction: A-
22. Crazies(2010): A-
23. Paranormal Activity: A+
24. Paranormal Activity 2: A
25. Shutter Island: B-
26. Gamer: F
27. Last House on the Left(orig): D+
28. Thirst(asian film): C-
29. The Hills Have Eyes: B
30. When In Rome: B-
31. Dr.Horrible Sing-A-Long: A
32. Expelled No Intelligence Allowed(doc): B
33. Zombie Strippers: D
34. Mammoth: D+
35. Everyone Else: D
36. Dark Ages(doc): A
37. Batman vs Dracula(anim): A-
38. Independence Day: A
39. Robin Hood(2010-Crowe): B
40. Taken: A
41. Only You: B-
42. Momma Mia: C
43. High Plains Drifter: C
44. Joe Kid: A-
45. Tron Legacy: B
46. Voyage of the DawnTreader: B+
47. Tourist: B
48. Duchess: B
49. Blade Runner: B+
50. Men In Black: A
51. Jumper: B-
52. Interview with the Vampire: A-
53. Brideshead Revisted: B
54. Wizard of Oz: A
55. Gone With the Wind: A
56. True Grit: A

Spoiler: 2011 viewed movies

1. The Fighter: B-
2. Batman(90's saga): A-,B-,C-,D
3. Star Wars OT-Special Edition: B+, A, B
4. The Green Hornet: B
5. True Grit(1969): C+
6. Lord of the Rings saga: (A,A,A)
7. The Machinist: A-
8. Season of the Witch: B
9. Frozen: A-
10. Due Date: B+
11. Planet of the Apes(2001): B-
12. Faster: C
13. Romance: D (French film, subtitled)
14. YPF: C- (YPF=Young People F*&^ing)
15. The Beautiful Truth: B-
16. Strictly Sexual: C+
17. DOOM: C
18. Brothers: B+
19. Men In Black II: B-
20. The Crow: Wicked Prayer: C-
21. The Soloist: C
22. Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love: C+
23. I Now Pronounce you Chuck & Larry: B-
24. Battle in Heaven: C+ (Mexican film, subtitled)
25. Legion: B-
26. Battle: LA: B+
27. Righteous Kill: B
28. Dracula II: Ascension: B-
29. Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li: D
30. You Don't Mess With the Zohan: C+
31. Finding Bliss: C
32. Dracula III: Legacy: B-
33. Tangled: B+
34. Paul Blart Mall Cop: C-
35. Chloe: B
36. Kung Fu Panda: B-
37. Centurion: B
38. The People I've Slept With: C
39. Grown Ups: B-
40. The Conspirator: A-
41. XXX: State of the Union: C+
42. Fast Five: B+
43. THOR: A-
44. Priest: D+
45. The Fourth Kind: B+
46. POTC: On Stranger Tides: B-
47. Turtles Forever: A-
48. Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story: B+
49. Easy A: A
50. Inception: B
51. #1 Cheerleader Camp: D
52. Freakanomics: C+
53. Green Lantern: C
54. The American: C-
55. Super 8: A
56. Green Lantern: First Flight: B
57. Transformers: Dark of the Moon: B-
58. 9 Songs: F
59. Kings Speech: A-
60. Whiteout: C+
61. Passion Play: D+
62. Captain America: The First Avenger: A-
63. Marley & Me: A
64. Date Night: C+
65. Frantic: B+
66. Presumed Innocent: A
67. Invictus: A
68. Rocky: A
69. Hurt Locker: A+
70. Rocky II: C+
71. Rocky III: B+
72. Rocky IV: A
73. Cowboys & Aliens: B
74. Wonder Woman (DC Animated): B+
75. Rocky V: B-
76. Conan The Barbarian('11): B-
77. Dinner for Schmucks: D
78. Nothing But the Truth: B
79. Snow Angels: B+
80. Everybody's Fine: C-
81. Rise of the Planet of the Apes: A+
82. Fragments: C+
83. Fright Night ('11): A-
84. Cold Comfort Farm: D
85. Machete: C-
86. The Queen: A
87. Public Enemies: B+
88. Drive Angry: D
89. Red Riding Hood: C+
90. Fright Night ('85): B
91. Love & Other Drugs: B
92. X-Files: I Want to Believe - B+
93. Source Code: A-
94. Paranormal Activity 3: A
95. Rachel Getting Married: C
96. Love Guru: F
97. Funny People: C-
98. Win Win: B+
99. Everything Must Go: B
100. Scott Pilgrim vs The World: D+
101. American Ninja: D
102. Revenge of the Ninja: D
103. Lonesome Dove: A
104. Black Swan: B
105. Westworld: B
106. Fireproof: A-
107. Mission Impossible(4):Ghost Protocol: A
108. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: A
109. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows: A-
110. Belly: D-
111. Despicable Me: B+

Spoiler: 2012 viewed movies

Kicking off my 2012 list:

1. Edge of Darkness: A
2. Star Trek: The Motion Picture: B+
3. Repo Men: B-
4. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier: B-
5. Underworld: Awakening: B
6. Lost City Raiders: C+
7. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist: B+
8. Contraband: B+
9. Kick-Ass: B+
10. Hereafter: A-
11. Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance: B
12. Act of Valor: C+
13. John Carter: B
14. Hunger Games: B+
15. Wrath of the Titans: C
16. Cabin In the Woods: B+
17. The Rum Diary: C
18. The Eagle: C+
19. The Avengers: A+
20. The Adjustment Bureau: A
21. Sucker Punch: B-
22. Knight & Day: C+
23. Mechanic: B
24. Devil: A
25. Dark Shadows: C+
26. Men In Black 3: B-
27. Columbiana: B
28. Haywire: C
29. Snow White and the Huntsman: B-
30. Meet the Parents: A-
31. Meet the Fockers: B
32. Prometheus: B
33. Chernobyl Dairies: B-
34. Little Fockers: B-
35. Halloween III: Season of the Witch: B+
36. Winters Bone: B+
37. Battleship: A-
38. Much Ado About Nothing: B+
39. Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs: B
40. Beauty & the Beast: A+
41. Bambi: A-
42. Sex & the City 2: D+
43. Top Gun: B
44. Abraham Lincoln-Vampire Hunter: B-
45. Brave: B+
46. Kill Bill vol.1: A-
47. Kill Bill vol.2: B
48. The Amazing Spider-man: B-
49. Virgin Territory: C-
50. 21 Jump Street: B+
51. The Dark Knight Rises: A-
52. Sicko: C
53. Capitalism A Love Story: C
54. Seven Pounds: B
55. Hot Fuzz: B
56. Total Recall (2012): A-
57. Total Recall (1990): B+
58. Hardware: D+
59. The Bourne Legacy: A-
60. Once Upon A Time in the West: B-
61. Expendables 2: B+
62. Hangover 2: C
63. Moneyball: A-
64. Adventures of Tin Tin: B-
65. 2016 Obama's America: A-
66. Unknown: B
67. No Strings Attached: B+
68. Megamind: A-
69. Superman/Batman: Public Enemies: A-
70. Halloween 4:Return of Michael Myers: A-
71. Halloween 5:Revenge of Michael Myers: B+
72. Halloween The Curse of Michael Myers: B
73. Halloween H2O: A
74. Halloween Resurrection: C+
75. The Day the Earth Stood Still(2008): B
76. Looper: A-
77. Smart People: C-
78. Atlas Shrugged-Part One: B
79. Dredd: A-
80. Bridesmaids: C-
81. Taken 2: B
82. Atlas Shrugged-Part Two: C+
83. Alex Cross: A-
84. RockNRolla: B-
85. Paranormal Activity 4: B
86. Argo: A+
87. Skyline: F
88. Cop Out: D
89. Skyfall: A
90. Red Dawn (2012): B-
91. Dracula (1979): B
92. Dracula (2009): C+
93. Slither: B-
94. Your Highness: F
95. Goldeneye: A
96. Whistleblower: B+
97. The Town: A+
98. Ted: A
99. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy: B+
100. Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: A
101. Jack Reacher: A-
102. Django Unchained: B+

Spoiler: 2013 viewed movies

The 2013 list:
1. A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas: C-
2. Les Miserables(2012): B
3. Lincoln: A+
4. Parental Guidance: C+
5. Warm Bodies: B
6. Waiting for Superman: B
7. Grindhouse: Planet Terror: B-
8. Grindhouse: Death Proof: C+
9. Zero Dark Thirty: A
10. Last Stand: B
11. Red Tails: A-
12. Hansel & Gretel-Witch Hunters: C-
13. Parker: B-
14. Bullet to the Head: B+
15. Judge Dredd(1995): C
16. The Mist: B+
17. A Good Day to Die Hard: B-
18. Fired Up: C+
19. Fling: C
20. Ask the Dust: D+
21. Mulan: A-
22. The Lovely Bones: B
23. The Initiation of Sarah: D
24. Jack the Giant Slayer: C+
25. Oz the Great and Powerful: B+
26. Olympus Has Fallen: A-
27. The Lives of Others: B+ (German film)
28. The Croods: B+
29. Jennifers Body: D+
30. Evil Dead (2013 remake): B+
31. G.I. Joe: Retaliation: B
32. The Dark Knight Returns pt.1: A+
33. The Dark Knight Returns pt.2: A+
34. Batman: Gotham Knight: B
35. Superman/Shazam: Return of Black Adam: A-
36. Batman: Year One: B
37. Batman/Superman: Apocalypse: A+
38. Superman vs The Elite: B+
39. Justice League: Doom: A
40. Green Lantern First Flight: A
41. Oblivion: B+
42. Iron Man 3: B-
43. Planet Hulk: A-
44. Welcome to the Jungle: F
45. The Time Travelers Wife: B+
46. Star Trek into Darkness: A-
47. The Lost Tomb of Jesus: B
48. The Heat: C+
49. Fast and Furious 6: A-
50. Hangover III: C-
51. Now You See Me: A
52. Boot Camp: B-
53. Green Zone: C
54. Ninja Assassin: B
55. Mr&Mrs. Smith: A-
56. Silver Linings Playbook: A-
57. Man of Steel: B+
58. Doubt: A
59. Godfather: A
60. World War Z: B
61. Much Ado About Nothing: A-
62. The Lone Ranger: C+
63. Godfather pt.II: A+
64. Godfather pt.III: B
65. Beyond Sherwood Forest: D
66. R.E.D. 2: B-
67. The Wolverine: B+
68. R.I.P.D.: C+
69. Proof of Life: B-
70. The Conjuring: B
71. Pacific Rim: B-
72. Alone in the Dark: D
73. Apocalypto: A
74. Stargate: Ark of Truth: A-
75. Stargate: Continuum: A
76. Mortal Instruments: City of Bones: B-
77. Pi: C-
78. Riddick: B+
79. Percy Jackson: Lightning Thief: B
80. The World's End: C+
81. The Other Woman: B
82. The Other Guys: B-
83. The Sorcerer's Apprentice: C+
84. Catfish: A-
85. Wild Hogs: C
86. Zach & Miri Make a Porno: B
87. Gravity: A+
88. Supergirl: D
89. Escape Plan: B+
90. Prisoners: A
91. Disappearance of Alice Creed: A
92. Deathrace 2000: C+
93. Thor Dark World: A-
94. Superman Unbound: B+
95. JCVD: B-
96. Drive: B-
97. Hunger Games: Catching Fire: B+
98. War Horse: B
99. How to Train Your Dragon: A
100. Scrooged: A-
101. W: D+
102. 127 Hours: A-
103. Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug: B+
104. Moonrise Kingdom: A
105. Piranha DD: D

Spoiler: 2014 First Time Viewed Films

2014 First time viewed films:
1. Saving Mr.Banks: A
2. American Hustle: A-
3. Larry Crowne: B+
4. The Grey: C
5. Real Steel: B-
6. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit: B
7. Just Go With It: A-
8. The Road: B
9. Blue Valentine: B
10. Fifth Element: C
11. Boy in the Stripped Pajamas: A
12. Hachi: A Dog's Tale: A
13. She's Out of My League: C
14. The Lego Movie: A
15. Whip It: B
16. Up in the Air: B
17. 300: Rise of an Empire: B+
18. Splice: C-
19. Mirrors: B-
20. Pitch Perfect: A-
21. Noah: C-
22. 2 Guns: B
23. The Seventh Seal: B+
24. Mongol: A-
25. Captain America The Winter Soldier: A+
26. Munich: B
27. Amazing Spider-man 2: C-
28. The Killer Inside Me: A-
29. Rio 2: B
30. Welcome to the Rileys: B+
31. X-Men: Days of Future Past: A-
32. Atonement: B
33. Charlie Wilson's War: A
34. Frozen: A-
35. Rio: B
36. Godzilla: B
37. Bowfinger: B-
38. Transformers Age of Extinction: C+

39. We Bought A Zoo: A-
40. Chronicle: D+
41. Knights Tale: C+
42. 9: D+
43. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: A-

Knights Tale - Too much satire vs trying to be a period film. It was a split identity. One part Men in Tights, one Part Gladiator and it didn't mesh well.

9 - The animated film about mini self aware robots who live in an alternate to our reality world where it's version of Skynet has taken over but circa 1940's due to a war. Not enough answers in this film for my taste. Visually a nice film. The character designs nice but too many unresolved questions for me.

Dawn/Apes - As solid if maybe not a bit more than Rise of Apes. Full of heart and emotion with fully realized characters that expand on the first film while also being new ones. I have a few minor questions but they don't ruin the film's pace. Very curious and eager about the next film. I'm thinking War for Planet of the Apes as a title.

 

^

Really? A Knight's Tale is my second favorite Heath Ledger movie...enjoyed that one quite a bit.

 

^^^^
I liked it in parts, others not so much. To me it just felt like two movies spliced together w/two different tones at times. Satire and Serious but not blended well.
Just didn't WOW me.
If it makes you feel better my girlfriend really likes it and she couldn't believe I'd not seen it. So I did tell her I liked it a bit better than my grade. Her feelings were in play you know.

 

Spoiler: The rest of my list.

1. Philomena (B+)
2. Blue Is The Warmest Colour (A)
3. Her (A+)
4. Bicycle Thieves (B)
5. Frances Ha (B+)
6. Inside Llewyn Davis (A)
7. American Hustle (B+)
8. East of Eden (C+)
9. The Hunt (A-)
10. Amadeus (A+)
11. The LEGO Movie (A-)
12. Nebraska (B+)
13. Short Term 12 (A)
14. The Square (B+)
15. The Act of Killing (A)
16. Metropolitan (B)
17. Almost Famous (A+)
18. The Ice Storm (C+)
19. 300: Rise of an Empire (B)
20. The Great Beauty (B+)
21. Network (A+)
22. The Palm Beach Story (A+)
23. The Past (B+)
24. The Royal Tenenbaums (B+)
25. The Grand Budapest Hotel (A-)
26. Room 237 (B-)
27. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (A+)
28. Noah (B+)
29. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (A)
30. Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor (D)
31. Fantastic Mr. Fox (B+)
32. Independence Day (A)
33. Sherlock, Jr. (B+)
34. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (B)
35. Godzilla (B+)
36. Anna Karenina (B+)
37. X-Men: Days of Future Past (A)
38. Pride & Prejudice (A+)
39. The Perks of Being A Wallflower (A-)
40. Tess (B+)
41. Belle (B+)
42. Barton Fink (B+)
43. Miller's Crossing (A+)
44. Punch-Drunk Love (B-)
45. The General (A)
46. Ida (B+)
47. How To Train Your Dragon 2 (B+)
48. Jane Eyre (B+)
49. The Fault in Our Stars (A-)
50. Star Trek Into Darkness (B-)
51. 22 Jump Street (A-)
52. Chef (B+)
53. Begin Again (A)
54. The Immigrant (A+)
55. Sense and Sensibility (A+)

56. The Birds (B+)

Finishing out a five-disk set of Alfred Hitchcock films of Blu-ray I bought some time ago, this thriller follows a woman with way too much time on her hands whose ridiculously extended practical joke leads to her getting stuck in a community being attacked by killer birds. The film is as much a relationship piece as a monster movie, with Tippi Hedren becoming increasingly folded into the Brenner family and earning the respect and affection of the mother. The sequences with the birds run the gamut from being very tense (though the climactic scene requires Hedren to behave with enormous stupidity solely for the sake of the plot, as Hitchcock acknowledged) to being rather silly-looking.

Cinema: 26 (+1)
DVD: 14
Computer: 16

 

Spoiler: My List

January

1. The Manor (✩✩✩✩) - Live TV
2. Pain & Gain (✩✩✩✩) - Download
3. Runner Runner (✩✩✩) - Download
4. Battle of the Year (✩✩) - Download
5. Byzantium (✩✩✩) - Netflix
6. Our Idiot Brother (✩✩✩) - Netflix
7. The Spectacular Now (✩✩✩½) - Download
8. Blue Jasmine (✩✩✩) - Download
9. Carrie (2013) (✩✩✩) - Download
10. Closed Circuit (✩½) - Download
11. Drive (✩✩✩½) - Netflix
12. The Roommate (✩✩½) - Netflix
13. Rocky (✩✩✩) - Netflix
14. Rocky II (✩✩✩½) - Netflix
15. Rocky III (✩✩✩) - Netflix
16. Rocky IV (✩✩✩½) - Netflix
17. Rocky V (✩✩✩) - Netflix
18. Rocky Balboa (✩✩✩✩) - Netflix

February

19. In a World… (✩✩✩½) - Download
20. Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (✩✩✩½) - Download
21. A Late Quartet (✩✩✩✩½) - Netflix
22. Justice League: War (✩✩✩½) - Download
23. ATM (✩✩✩✩) - Download
24. That Guy… Who Was in That Thing (✩✩✩½) - Netflix
25. Cleanflix (✩✩✩½) - Netflix
26. Side by Side (✩✩✩✩) - Netflix
27. RoboCop (2014) (✩✩✩½) - Theatre
28. Adult World (✩✩✩✩½) - Download
29. Oldboy (2013) (✩✩✩✩½) - Download
30. Oldboy (2003) (✩✩✩✩½) - Download
31. Cry of the Owl (✩✩✩✩½) - Download

March

32. Kiss at Pine Lake (✩½) - Live TV
33. Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa (✩✩✩½) - Download
34. Sleeping Dogs Lie (✩✩✩✩) - Netflix
35. The Future (✩✩) - Netflix
36. Frozen (✩✩✩✩) - Download
37. American Hustle (✩✩✩) - Download
38. The Right Kind of Wrong (✩✩✩✩) - Download
39. Passion (✩✩✩) - Download
40. Afternoon Delight (✩✩✩½) - Download
41. Breaking the Girls (✩✩✩½) - Download
42. Noah (✩✩✩✩) - Theatre
43. American Mary (✩✩✩½) - Download

April

44. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (✩✩✩½) - Theatre
45. Game Change (✩✩✩✩) - Download
46. I Don't Know How She Does It (✩✩✩) - Netflix
47. Trance (✩✩✩) - Netflix
48. Indigo (✩✩✩) - Download
49. In Our Nature (✩✩✩) - Download
50. Riddick (Unrated Director's Cut) (✩✩✩✩) - Download
51. Contraband (✩✩✩) - Netflix

May

52. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (3D) (✩✩✩½) - Theatre
53. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (✩✩✩½) - Download
54. Godzilla (✩✩✩✩) - Theatre
55. X-Men: Days of Future Past (✩✩✩✩) - Theatre
56. Non-Stop (✩✩✩½) - Download
57. Parts Per Billion (✩✩) - Download

June

58. Edge of Tomorrow (3D) (✩✩✩✩½) - Theatre
59. Sleeper (✩✩✩✩) - Live TV
60. 22 Jump Street (✩✩✩✩) - Theatre
61. The Poker House (✩✩✩½) - Download
62. Snowpiercer (✩✩✩✩½) - Download
63. Endless Love (✩✩✩) - Download
64. My Girlfriend's Boyfriend (✩✩✩✩) - Netflix
65. The Internship (✩✩½) - Netflix
66. Transformers: Age of Extinction (3D) (✩✩✩½) - Theatre
67. Pretty Maids All in a Row (✩✩✩✩) - Download
68. Some Velvet Morning (✩✩✩) - Download
69. Under the Skin (✩✩✩) - Download
70. Bad Words (✩✩✩½) - Download
71. Syrup (✩✩✩) - Netflix

July

72. I Think I Do (✩✩) - Download
73. The Wedding Date (✩✩✩½) - Netflix
74. Breathe In (✩✩✩½) - Download
75. Premature (✩✩✩✩) - Download
76. Somewhere (✩✩✩✩) - Netflix
77. The Councelor (✩✩✩) - Netflix

78. Flakes (✩✩✩½) - Netflix - An independent movie centered around a small eatery that serves nothing but boxed cereal. Cast includes Zooey Deschanel and Christopher Lloyd. It made just over $700. at the box office. Check out the trailer…

[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gk_trsgy5_I[/yt]

79. The New Year (✩✩✩✩) - Netflix - An independent slice of life film about a young woman who has to deal with an ailing father, work at a bowling alley and the two men in her life. If you like Kelly Trieste-Dunn, check it out.

[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25VRZf9Yx2A[/yt]

80. Dead Man Down (✩✩✩½) - Netflix - Not much to say. Stars Colin Farrell as a hired killer with a rather interesting backstory. The movie has some good atmosphere.

81. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (3D) (✩✩✩✩) - Theatre - Apes were well fleshed out. Comments here.

82. Safe House (✩✩✩) - Netflix - Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds in the CIA. Washington plays a captured rogue agent. Ooooo!

83. Fun with Dick and Jane (✩✩✩) - Netflix - Jim Carrey and Tea Leoni. Moderately fun commentary about hard economic times but it's nothing special.

84. About Sunny (✩✩✩✩) - Netflix - It's a nice independent film that shows the less glamorous side of Las Vegas. Check out the trailer…

[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v92RQ8RCrmU[/yt]

85. Heaven Is for Real (✩✩✩) - Download - True story about a boy who "died" on the operating tabel and saw Jesus in heaven. Stars Greg Kinnear. To my surprise, it wasn't saccharin or overly religious. It also put me onto an artist by the name of Akiane Kramarik. She appears at the start of the movie and they got a detail wrong. She's not from Lithuania.

86. Not Another Happy Ending (✩✩✩) - Download - Comments here. Stars Karen Gillan's bum and NotChris Pine.

87. Colombiana (✩✩✩½) - Netflix - Zoe Saldana as a highly skilled assassin is a lot of fun to watch. She would have made a fantastic Catwoman. The movie itself has problems but do check this out just for her alone.

88. Hercules (✩✩✩½) - Theatre - Great cast and the trailers are misleading. My review is here.

89. Lucy (✩✩✩✩) - Theatre - Some great stuff about mindfulness along with the pseudoscience. It's an entertaining summer movie. My review is here.

Theatre: 12
Netflix: 32
Live TV: 3
Download: 42

 

Spoiler: The rest of my list.

1. Philomena (B+)
2. Blue Is The Warmest Colour (A)
3. Her (A+)
4. Bicycle Thieves (B)
5. Frances Ha (B+)
6. Inside Llewyn Davis (A)
7. American Hustle (B+)
8. East of Eden (C+)
9. The Hunt (A-)
10. Amadeus (A+)
11. The LEGO Movie (A-)
12. Nebraska (B+)
13. Short Term 12 (A)
14. The Square (B+)
15. The Act of Killing (A)
16. Metropolitan (B)
17. Almost Famous (A+)
18. The Ice Storm (C+)
19. 300: Rise of an Empire (B)
20. The Great Beauty (B+)
21. Network (A+)
22. The Palm Beach Story (A+)
23. The Past (B+)
24. The Royal Tenenbaums (B+)
25. The Grand Budapest Hotel (A-)
26. Room 237 (B-)
27. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (A+)
28. Noah (B+)
29. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (A)
30. Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor (D)
31. Fantastic Mr. Fox (B+)
32. Independence Day (A)
33. Sherlock, Jr. (B+)
34. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (B)
35. Godzilla (B+)
36. Anna Karenina (B+)
37. X-Men: Days of Future Past (A)
38. Pride & Prejudice (A+)
39. The Perks of Being A Wallflower (A-)
40. Tess (B+)
41. Belle (B+)
42. Barton Fink (B+)
43. Miller's Crossing (A+)
44. Punch-Drunk Love (B-)
45. The General (A)
46. Ida (B+)
47. How To Train Your Dragon 2 (B+)
48. Jane Eyre (B+)
49. The Fault in Our Stars (A-)
50. Star Trek Into Darkness (B-)
51. 22 Jump Street (A-)
52. Chef (B+)
53. Begin Again (A)
54. The Immigrant (A+)
55. Sense and Sensibility (A+)
56. The Birds (B+)

57. Populaire (B+)

When I was studying in England last summer I repeatedly walked past posters for this movie on the wall of a London cinema, and thought it was visually striking, but I never had time to see it while there (when in London, do stuff you can't do anywhere else). Slightly over a year later, I made the time to watch it on Netflix, having noticed it was available.

Populaire is a retro 50s-style romantic comedy (apart from a sex scene that frankly seems a bit out of place, it could easily have been made in that decade) about a young secretary (Deborah Francois) who, despite being terrible at most secretarial functions, is hired because her boss (Romain Duris, the white, French Alexander Siddig) witnesses her astonishing speed at typing (even using the "hunt and peck" method that she self-taught) and believes she has what it takes to become the global speed-typing champion (which in the world of this movie is a competitive sport watched with the fervour of the World Cup).

The two leads are both charming, though I think Duris' character is somewhat inconsistently written (they push his less sympathetic behaviours a bit farther than I think is probably advisable in what is ultimately a romantic comedy). The other main reason to see the movie is the superb production aesthetic, which is bold and colourful in a way that movies today generally aren't (I suspect that the director watched a lot of Jacques Demy, though his most famous works were in the 60s).

58. Tracks (B)

Australian film about Robyn Davidson, who spent seven months in 1977 walking across Australia accompanied by three camels and her dog. Well, not quite alone, as she's intermittently accompanied by a National Geographic photographer whose presence irritates her (despite the fact that they're the ones financing her trip), and also for a stretch by an Australian Aboriginal elder who she can barely speak with. Mia Wasikowska does well in the lead part. The sort of movie worth watching once, but probably of little interest to revisit.

Cinema: 27 (+1)
DVD: 14
Computer: 17 (+1)

 

Sorry, that's Trieste Kelly-Dunn.

 

1) Wargames - B+
2) Play The Game - B
3) Battle Los Angeles - B+
4) Despicable Me 2 - B
5) Minority Report - C-
6) District 9 - B+
7) How Do You Know? - F
8) Walk The Line - A-
9) The Butler - A+
10) Captain Phillips - B
11) Sky High - C+
12) Draft Day - B-
13) Nuremberg - B
14) Love & Other Drugs - D
15) We Were Soldiers - B+
16) A Walk To Remember - D+
17) Gridiron Gang - C
18) 42 - B
19) The Monuments Men - A-
20) The Rebound - D-
21) Saving Mister Banks - A-
22) Last Vegas - D+
23) Jack Ryan - Shadow Recruit - B-
24) Maleficent - D
25) Now And Then - C
26) Machete - B
27) 3 Days To Kill - B-

You really do need three days to kill because this movie feels about that long. I really enjoyed Costner in the scenes where he is torturing or about to torture someone and his daughter calls and his on-going banter with the Muslim owner of the driving company that takes the villain around. He even stands up in the scenes where he is trying to re-connect with his daughter.

Where it falls apart is in it's believability. A miracle drug that helps hold off cancer? The fact that he flips the villain's henchman in front of a subway car in front of everyone and there is no one out looking for him afterward? Costner is just too rigid and too "old" to be convincing that he is actually an active agent before cancer fells him.

 

I haven't been to the movies yet this year. That must be some kind of record for me.

 

Planes: Fire & Rescue - Movie Theater - Took the boys to see the newest release in the Cars universe. Before I review, I want to back up a little bit. I love the movie Cars and so do the boys. They love Cars 2 and Planes as well, they are 5 and 4 years old, what can you really expect. Like I said, I love Cars. I love the sweet, simple tale of finding yourself. Thought it look amazing and was lots of fun. While never the most complex, with real simply story telling, it did it well. Then we were hit with Cars 2 and Planes, one worse then the other. While the kids liked them, I did not. I didn't like the direction that Cars 2 took and Planes was a rehash of both Cars and Cars 2 and didn't even do that well. So I wasn't really expecting much when we went to watch Planes: Fire & Rescue. I was so wrong, it is simply the best of all the movies in the Cars universe.

While I love Cars, Planes: Fire and Rescue is a better movie. It has more heart, real stakes and feels like a complete movie. If you liked Cars, I would highly recommend giving this movie a chance. My boys were enthralled by this movie, they proclaimed it their favorite movie after it was over. I asked even better then Cars and they both answered with a resounding yes.

 

Spoiler: Full 2014 List

20th Century Boys 1: Beginning of the End (9)
20th Century Boys 2: The Last Hope (9)
20th Century Boys 3: Redemption (9)
300: Rise of an Empire (10)
The Amazing Spider-man 2 (7)
Black Rain (7)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (9)
Columbiana (7)
Divergent (7)
Edge of Tomorrow (10)
Fairy Tail The Movie: The Phoenix Priestess (8)
Garden of Sinners: Blessings for the Future (9)
Garden of Sinners: Blessing for the Future-Extra Chorus (9)
Godzilla (2014) (9)
The Grand Budapest Hotel (9)
Heat (1995) (8)
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (9)
Kick Ass 2 (8)
Lone Survivor (8)
Lupin the 3rd: Bye Bye Liberty (7)
Lupin the 3rd: The Hemingway Papers (7)
Lupin the 3rd VS Detective Konan: The Movie (8)
Mass Effect: Paragon Lost (7)
Mission Impossible II (8)
Mission Impossible III (8)
Monuments Men (8)
Need for Speed (8)
Non-Stop (10)
The Odessa File (1974) (10)
Oldboy (2013) (9)
Pack Up Your Troubles (7)
Patema Inverted (Sakasama no Patema) (9)
The Raid: Redemption (8)
Red Dawn (2012) (5)
Robocop (2014) (8)
The Rover (5)
Short Peace: Possessions (9)
Short Peace: Combustion (7)
Short Peace: Gambo (8)
Short Peace: A Farewell to Weapons (9)
Snowpiercer (6)
Stargate SG1: Children of the Gods (8)
Tales From Earthsea (5)
Transformers 4: Age of Extinction (8)
Walking Tall: Lone Justice (6)
White House Down (7)
The Wind Rises (7)
Wolf Children (8)
X-Men: Days of Future Past (9)

Recently Seen:
Lucy (9)

Running Total: 50

 

Safety Not Guaranteed - Netflix on Apple TV - So as a Lemming, I finally signed up for the fad that is Netflix. We want to catch up on Once Upon a Time, it's not available thru Amazon Prime. Plus the next season of How To Train Your Dragon tv show is going to air on Netflix, also all the Marvel EU stuff thats going to Netflix, especially the DareDevil series that I can't wait to see. I can't wait to see Vincent D'Onofrio as Kingpin, he's one of my favorite actors... but I digress.

I've wanted to see Safety Not Guaranteed since it first was announced. Just sounded like my kind of movie, I saw the trailer for it a few years back but outside knowing the basics about it, I kinda went in fresh. I wasn't really expecting the movie that I watched, I thought it was going to be a little bit more serious, but I loved it. It has easily became one of my favorite films. I feel like I need to watch it again and soon. How they weaved the different stories together was masterful, I was equally engaged in the time travel story of Kenneth as I was with Jeff's attempt to hook back up with Bridget. This movie is actually a romantic comedy disguised as a time travel movie and it really works. I was a bit surprised by the ending, I was sure it would leave us guessing. While it kind of did, with more what happen after. I was surprised to see they actually showed the time travel. Now we don't have any answers, either with the time travel aspect or how things settled out with Jeff and Bridget. This is one of those movies you wish there was more of.

 

Spoiler: Movies Seen January, February, March, April, May & June

The Devil's Double - Netflix Instant
MST3K: Future War - Netflix Instant
Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay - Netflix Instant
Stephen King's Graveyard Shift - Netflix Instant
Charge - Netflix Instant
The Eiger Sanction - Netflix Instant
MST3K: Laserblast - Netflix Instant
The Joneses - Netflix Instant
The Reich Underground - Netflix Instant
In the Loop - Netflix Instant
The Other Man - Netflix Instant
Our Nixon - Netflix Instant
Broadcast News - Netflix Instant
MST3K: Final Justice - Netflix Instant
The Blob (1958) - HuluPlus
American Breakdown - HuluPlus
Spy Kids 3: Game Over - Netflix Instant
The Beast with a Million Eyes - Netflix Instant
Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959) - Netflix Instant
Escape from Alcatraz - Netflix Insant
River of No Return - Netflix Instant
The Apartment - Netflix Instant
Rewind This! - HuluPlus
Ping Pong - Netflix Instant
Schooled: The Price of College Sports - Netflix Instant
Bronies - Netflix Instant
Le Lac Des Zombies (aka Zombie Lake) - Netflix Instant
Cockneys vs Zombies - Netflix Instant
Humanoids from the Deep (aka Monster) - Netflix Instant
The Haunting in Connecticut - Netflix Instant
The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia - Netflix Instant
Giorgio Moroder Presents Metropolis (1984) - Netflix Instant
Dinosaur Island - Netflix Instant
Age of Dinosaurs - Netflix Instant
The Dinosaur Project - Netflix Instant
Baby Boom - Netflix Instant
Blindsided - Netflix Instant
Hobo with a Shotgun - Netflix Instant
Stranded - Netflix Instant
MST3K: The Phantom Planet - Netflix Instant
Looney Tunes: Back in Action - DVD
The Crow: Wicked Prayer - Showtime Extreme
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home - Starz Kids & Family
Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit - HBO on Demand
Bullet to the Head - Cinemax on Demand
Howard the Duck - HBO Family
Battlefield Earth - HBO on Demand
Me, Myself & Irene - HBO on Demand
Bad Milo! - Netflix Instant
The Final Cut - Netflix Instant
Starship Troopers: Invasion - Netflix Instant
P!nk: The Truth About Love Tour - Netflix Instant
Saving Mr. Banks - DVD
Avengers Confidential: Black Widow / Punisher - DVD
Suddenly - Netflix Instant
Captain America: The Winter Soldier 2D - theater
Turbulance - HBO
Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor - BBC America
Fearless- Cinemax
Blly Crystal: 700 Sundays - HBO
Jay Mohr: Funny for a Girl - Showtime
Assault on Precinct 13 (2005) - Cinemax
The Natural - MoviePlex
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie - Cinemax
She's the Man - HBO
Godzilla vs Destroyah (1995) - Movieplex
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 3D - Alamo Drafthouse
Justice League: War - DVD
Son of Batman - DVD
Prisoners - HBO
A Day at the Races - free admission
The Lego Movie 2D - discount theater
Non-Stop - discount theater
Godzilla 2D (2014) - free admission
The Grand Budapest Hotel - free admission
Neighbors - free admission
X-Men: Days of Future Past 2D - free admission
Million Dollar Arm - free admission
Grudge Match - DVD
The Monuments Men - DVD
3 Days to Kill - DVD
Maleficent 2D - matinee
The Family - Netflix Instant
Romancing the Stone - Netflix Instant
The Jewel of the Nile- Netflix Instant
The Sklar Brothers: What Are We Talking About? - Netflix Instant
Robocop (2014) - DVD
Lone Survivor - DVD
Knights of Badassdom - DVD
Frozen - DVD
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs - DVD
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 - Netflix Instant
A Million Ways to Die in the West - free admission
Wolverine: Weapon X - Tomorrow Dies Today - DVD
Dumb and Dumber: Unrated Edition - DVD
Maria Bamford: The Special Special Special! - Netflix Instant
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit - DVD
Escape from Tomorrow - Netflix Instant
22 Jump Street - theater
Edge of Tomorrow 2D - theater
Harlem Nights - Netflix Instant

JLA Adventures: Trapped in Time - DVD
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa .5 - Netflix Instant
The Raid 2 - DVD
The Wolf of Wall Street - DVD
Homefront - Netflix Instant
Out of the Furnace - Netflix Instant
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes 2D - theater
Stan Lee's Mighty 7 - DVD
Hot Coffee - Netflix Instant
Transformers: Age of Extinction 2D - theater
Odd Thomas - Netflix Instant
Bad Words - DVD
300: Rise of an Empire - DVD
Her - DVD

Watched the 300 sequel the other night. I thought it was alright. And I liked that it was set before, durin' & after the events of the first movie. Guess it may have been more awesome to see the sea battles on a theater screen, I dunno...

Followed that with Her a couple of nights ago. Fuckin' creepy movie...everything about Joaquin Phoenix's character is creepy, from the mustache to his job & everything in between. Nice to hear what Scarlett Johannson would sound like when she orgasms, though. That was a nice one.

Still, a fuckin' creepy movie all around.

I still have a rented copy of Under the Skin to watch, and I have a plan to see something this weekend.

 

Spoiler: The rest of my list.

1. Philomena (B+)
2. Blue Is The Warmest Colour (A)
3. Her (A+)
4. Bicycle Thieves (B)
5. Frances Ha (B+)
6. Inside Llewyn Davis (A)
7. American Hustle (B+)
8. East of Eden (C+)
9. The Hunt (A-)
10. Amadeus (A+)
11. The LEGO Movie (A-)
12. Nebraska (B+)
13. Short Term 12 (A)
14. The Square (B+)
15. The Act of Killing (A)
16. Metropolitan (B)
17. Almost Famous (A+)
18. The Ice Storm (C+)
19. 300: Rise of an Empire (B)
20. The Great Beauty (B+)
21. Network (A+)
22. The Palm Beach Story (A+)
23. The Past (B+)
24. The Royal Tenenbaums (B+)
25. The Grand Budapest Hotel (A-)
26. Room 237 (B-)
27. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (A+)
28. Noah (B+)
29. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (A)
30. Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor (D)
31. Fantastic Mr. Fox (B+)
32. Independence Day (A)
33. Sherlock, Jr. (B+)
34. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (B)
35. Godzilla (B+)
36. Anna Karenina (B+)
37. X-Men: Days of Future Past (A)
38. Pride & Prejudice (A+)
39. The Perks of Being A Wallflower (A-)
40. Tess (B+)
41. Belle (B+)
42. Barton Fink (B+)
43. Miller's Crossing (A+)
44. Punch-Drunk Love (B-)
45. The General (A)
46. Ida (B+)
47. How To Train Your Dragon 2 (B+)
48. Jane Eyre (B+)
49. The Fault in Our Stars (A-)
50. Star Trek Into Darkness (B-)
51. 22 Jump Street (A-)
52. Chef (B+)
53. Begin Again (A)
54. The Immigrant (A+)
55. Sense and Sensibility (A+)
56. The Birds (B+)
57. Populaire (B+)
58. Tracks (B)

59. Fish Tank (A-)

England is inhabited by three types of people. Two of these groups commonly represented in media are plucky boy wizards having adventures at magic boarding schools and posh aristocrats in whose clipped accents the audiences luxuriate. Then there's the third England, an impoverished hellhole full of people with unpleasant accents who dwell in squalor on council estates. Harry Brown, released in 2009 alongside this film, suggested that what this England needed most was an oldster with a gun ready to exterminate the wayward youth.

Fish Tank, by comparison, is a miserabilist kitchen sink drama about Mia, 15-year-old girl living on a council estate with her mother (who was seemingly a teen mom and spends her time partying and drinking, and doesn't do any actual parenting, as far as I can tell) and a younger sister with an incredibly foul mouth. Her mother's latest beau turns out to be Michael Fassbender, and what ensues is to an extent predictable, though the fallout rather less so. Mia feels like a very real character, thanks to the work by Katie Jarvis (an actual girl raised in poverty on a council estate, who hasn't worked since this per the IMDb). Fassbender does well with a tricky part, as he plays a character the audience will be tempted to read as completely dishonest and predatory, but he suggests that while at least some of that is true, he has some nicer qualities as well.

Cinema: 27
DVD: 14
Computer: 18 (+1)

 

Spoiler: The rest of my list.

1. Philomena (B+)
2. Blue Is The Warmest Colour (A)
3. Her (A+)
4. Bicycle Thieves (B)
5. Frances Ha (B+)
6. Inside Llewyn Davis (A)
7. American Hustle (B+)
8. East of Eden (C+)
9. The Hunt (A-)
10. Amadeus (A+)
11. The LEGO Movie (A-)
12. Nebraska (B+)
13. Short Term 12 (A)
14. The Square (B+)
15. The Act of Killing (A)
16. Metropolitan (B)
17. Almost Famous (A+)
18. The Ice Storm (C+)
19. 300: Rise of an Empire (B)
20. The Great Beauty (B+)
21. Network (A+)
22. The Palm Beach Story (A+)
23. The Past (B+)
24. The Royal Tenenbaums (B+)
25. The Grand Budapest Hotel (A-)
26. Room 237 (B-)
27. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (A+)
28. Noah (B+)
29. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (A)
30. Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor (D)
31. Fantastic Mr. Fox (B+)
32. Independence Day (A)
33. Sherlock, Jr. (B+)
34. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (B)
35. Godzilla (B+)
36. Anna Karenina (B+)
37. X-Men: Days of Future Past (A)
38. Pride & Prejudice (A+)
39. The Perks of Being A Wallflower (A-)
40. Tess (B+)
41. Belle (B+)
42. Barton Fink (B+)
43. Miller's Crossing (A+)
44. Punch-Drunk Love (B-)
45. The General (A)
46. Ida (B+)
47. How To Train Your Dragon 2 (B+)
48. Jane Eyre (B+)
49. The Fault in Our Stars (A-)
50. Star Trek Into Darkness (B-)
51. 22 Jump Street (A-)
52. Chef (B+)
53. Begin Again (A)
54. The Immigrant (A+)
55. Sense and Sensibility (A+)
56. The Birds (B+)
57. Populaire (B+)
58. Tracks (B)
59. Fish Tank (A-)

60. Malena (B)

Giuseppe Tornatore's 2000 Italian film is, like his highly-acclaimed Cinema Paradiso, a period Italian movie where the power of cinema plays a role (in this case, in the form of a teenage boy's fantasies of the title character). Malena is the wife of an absent Italian army officer, living in a Sicilian town where her phenomenal beauty makes her the object of lust of virtually every man and boy in town, and the object of scorn and suspicion of virtually every woman in town. Her walking through the town square is such an event that every eye follows her. Malena is played by Monica Bellucci, so this is at least plausible. The movie is a weird blend of really over-the-top slapstick (particularly the kid's parents) and, as it goes on, some really sobering stuff regarding how the town treats Malena. Bellucci has hardly any dialogue, and acts more like a character in a silent movie, viewed from a distance by the boy, placing the audience as observers to her life as she struggles to get by.

Cinema: 27
DVD: 14
Computer: 19 (+1)