Movies Seen In 2014

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-
44. The Help: A
45. From Paris w/Love: B
46. Guardians of the Galaxy: A-
47. Wreck It Ralph: A

48. Land of the Lost: C-
49. Expendables 3: B-
50. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: B
51. Never Let Me Go: D
52. Ghostbusters 30th Anniversary viewing: A

Never Let Me Go: I found this "sci-fi" tale to be very dull. It's based on a novel where the concept is essentially that science has figured out how to keep us alive well past the age of 100. In order to do so humanity has instituted "organ farms" for lack of a better term. "Crops" of kids are grown up w/ the sole purpose to be living tissue batteries for the chosen/elite of society. The film doesn't state how kids end up at these "boarding schools" that I recall. If it did it wasn't clear to me. There is rumors among those living there that you can get a "deferment" and be allowed to opt out of the donor program if you prove you can be of worth to society but late in the film it's revealed that's just a myth.

I suspect this film is playing on the caste system and/or slavery that mankind has done to each other throughout the millennia. That is where is commentary lies. That everyone is deserving of a chance to be the best they can be. That the circumstances of your birth should not be a hinderance.

I get that, if my takeaway is right, it's just that I found the story, the characters, the acting the "sci-fi"(cause it feels like Downton Abby's 2nd cousin vs futuristic) and direction to be listless for me.

Ghostbusters: I normally wouldn't add this to my list cause my list contains new to me films or rewatches for first time in 10 years but I'm making an exception. Good time. Wish it had been a cleaned up print but the atmosphere was great and my girlfriend hadn't seen it since she was a teenager so watching her respond to material like new was fun as well!

 

96. Leprechaun: Origins 1/2
97. Guardians of the Galaxy ★★★ 1/2
98. Frank ★★
99. Palo Alto ★★ 1/2
100. The Pact ★ 1/2

 

2014 summer movies seen in viewing order… (12 Movies)

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (3D) (✩✩✩½)
Godzilla (✩✩✩✩)
X-Men: Days of Future Past (✩✩✩✩)
Edge of Tomorrow (3D) (✩✩✩✩½)
22 Jump Street (✩✩✩✩)
Transformers: Age of Extinction (3D) (✩✩✩½)
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (3D) (✩✩✩✩)
Hercules (✩✩✩½)
Lucy (✩✩✩✩)
Guardians of the Galaxy (3D) (✩✩✩✩½)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (3D) (✩✩✩½)
The Expendables 3 (✩✩½)

In 2D: 6
In 3D: 6

 

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)
61. Paper Moon (A)
62. Guardians of the Galaxy (A)
63. Lucy (C+)
64. Raising Arizona (B+)
65. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (A-)
66. Looper (A+)
67. Footloose (B+)
68. Lola (B+)
69. Bay of Angels (B)
70. The Fisher King (C+)
71. Boyhood (A)
72. Oliver Twist (A-)
73. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (A+)
74. Bernie (B+)
75. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (C+)
76. Life Itself (A)
77. Being John Malkovich (A+)
78. The Young Girls of Rochefort (A)
79. Wadjda (A+)

80. Donkey Skin (C+)

The fifth of six films in the Criterion Jacques Demy collection, and the weakest of the five. The film is an adaptation of a Charles Perrault fairy tale, but given that it involves a king deciding that he wants to marry his daughter, I can see why Walt Disney left this one alone. The film is a pretty obvious homage to Jean Cocteau (including casting Jean Marais as the king), but I don't think this really works, for reasons that are both aesthetic and inherent in the source material. "Donkeyskin", from what I've read of it, isn't a terribly strong source story (it ends up being a discount version of Cinderella, but with a much more warped premise that drains the story of its relatablility). Moreover, Demy approaches the story from what he explains as a child's perspective, which deprives it of what could have been the most compelling element (the horror aspect of the father's designs). Catherine Deneuve as the princess is nice to look at, but there's not much for her to work with here.

Cinema: 32
DVD/Blu-Ray: 25 (+1)
Streaming Service: 23

 

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)
61. Paper Moon (A)
62. Guardians of the Galaxy (A)
63. Lucy (C+)
64. Raising Arizona (B+)
65. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (A-)
66. Looper (A+)
67. Footloose (B+)
68. Lola (B+)
69. Bay of Angels (B)
70. The Fisher King (C+)
71. Boyhood (A)
72. Oliver Twist (A-)
73. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (A+)
74. Bernie (B+)
75. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (C+)
76. Life Itself (A)
77. Being John Malkovich (A+)
78. The Young Girls of Rochefort (A)
79. Wadjda (A+) 80. Donkey Skin (C+)

81. Une chambre en ville (A+)

You can tell this one is obscure because its title isn't translated into English, unlike all the others. After following Demy's film career in a more or less linear manner for the 1960s (apart from skipping over a film called Model Shop between The Young Girls of Rochefort and Donkey Skin), the Criterion collection vaults a full decade into the future, over several films, to this operatic musical set in a 1955 metalworker strike. As the booklet suggests, the film is one of Demy's best, and if it's not as well-known as his major 60s musicals, that's a shame. It's a truly fascinating product, a very serious musical, and grittier than the previous ones (this one has bloody violence and full-frontal nudity). Unlike the other musicals, this one isn't scored by Michel Legrand, which is a definite change of pace; the new composer does a great job, though the range of motifs for the various characters is eclectic to the point of being distracting in one or two places. I've provisionally ranked this first among Demy's filmography, but I think I need to rewatch this and Umbrellas to really sort that out.

82. The Lady Eve (A)

I rewatched this last night because it's The Dissolve's movie of the week, and it's been a while since I've seen it. When I watched Preston Sturges' filmography a few years ago this probably ranked as my second- or -third-favourite (one of the three films of his that I consider in the top tier, alongside The Palm Beach Story and Sullivan's Travels). It's a fascinating film, structurally; the opening segment almost feels like the climax of another movie in its own right, before switching locations and the debut of the titular "Lady Eve". Barbara Stanwyck, who is now mainly remembered for Double Indemnity, is terrific as the lead, and in contrast to her most famous role she's a ton of fun. Sturges tends to be at his weakest with me when he's relying on pratfalls and other physical humour, which is minimized here.

Cinema: 32
DVD/Blu-Ray: 27 (+2)
Streaming Service: 23

 

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-
44. The Help: A
45. From Paris w/Love: B
46. Guardians of the Galaxy: A-
47. Wreck It Ralph: A
48. Land of the Lost: C-

49. Expendables 3: B-
50. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: B
51. Never Let Me Go: D
52. Ghostbusters 30th Anniversary viewing: A
53. Yes Man: B+

The Jim Carrey w/Zooey Deschanel(sp) comedy from a few years back. With the director landing the Ant-Man film that is now shooting it felt like a good time to watch this film.

I found it to be a good film. I really think it was lots of fun and blended the zaniness aspect of just saying YES to everything with the eventual outcome that could have at a few levels.

More importantly I found the manner in which sequences were shot and framed to be easy to follow. I think that Ant-Man is in solid hands.

 

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)
61. Paper Moon (A)
62. Guardians of the Galaxy (A)
63. Lucy (C+)
64. Raising Arizona (B+)
65. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (A-)
66. Looper (A+)
67. Footloose (B+)
68. Lola (B+)
69. Bay of Angels (B)
70. The Fisher King (C+)
71. Boyhood (A)
72. Oliver Twist (A-)
73. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (A+)
74. Bernie (B+)
75. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (C+)
76. Life Itself (A)
77. Being John Malkovich (A+)
78. The Young Girls of Rochefort (A)
79. Wadjda (A+)
80. Donkey Skin (C+)
81. Une chambre en ville (A+)
82. The Lady Eve (A)

83. The Earrings of Madame de... (A)

Continuing my unplanned French film viewing project after finishing up with Jacques Demy, this 1953 melodrama from director Max Ophuls, of whom Demy was a huge fan (including dedicating his first film, Lola, to him) -- he also cast this movie's star, Danielle Darrieux, in two of his films in supporting roles. Set in an indeterminate period in the late 19th/early 20th centuries in Paris amidst the aristocracy, the titular Madame de... is the wife of a general (Charles Boyer, who I remember from Gaslight), and who sells the titular earrings to pay off some debts, and lies that they were missing. The earrings change hands a few times before reentering her life in the possession of the Baron Donati (Italian director Vittorio De Sica). This film reminds me a lot of Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, albeit with an intentionally much more shallow main character (Darrieux is superb at balancing the largely superficial pursuits of Louise and her gradual development of a much deeper emotional attachment. Ophuls' camerawork is the second star the proceedings, moving with amazing fluidity, and generating a couple of really beautiful images (Louise tearing up an unsent letter and throwing it out a train window, where a pan shows it mixing/turning into snowflakes as the weather changes; a dance montage that also made me think of Anna Karenina, or, rather, the Joe Wright film version).

I don't know whether it will be the next film I watch or not, but I'll be looking into another French director in the near future, Truffaut's Jules and Jim.

Cinema: 32
DVD/Blu-Ray: 27
Streaming Service: 24 (+1)

 

The Giver (B).

She caught my eye.

I said "Wow".

I said 'Whooooizzthat?"

Taylor fricking Swift.

Nice start. Nonesense end.

Better than Divergence.

Felt like a rerun of Logan's Run.

 

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)
61. Paper Moon (A)
62. Guardians of the Galaxy (A)
63. Lucy (C+)
64. Raising Arizona (B+)
65. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (A-)
66. Looper (A+)
67. Footloose (B+)
68. Lola (B+)
69. Bay of Angels (B)
70. The Fisher King (C+)
71. Boyhood (A)
72. Oliver Twist (A-)
73. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (A+)
74. Bernie (B+)
75. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (C+)
76. Life Itself (A)
77. Being John Malkovich (A+)
78. The Young Girls of Rochefort (A)
79. Wadjda (A+)
80. Donkey Skin (C+)
81. Une chambre en ville (A+)
82. The Lady Eve (A) 83. The Earrings of Madame de... (A)

84. Jules and Jim (A-)

In contrast to Madame de..., I had most definitely heard of this movie before on many occasions, though as I sat down to watch it I realized I really didn't know anything more about it than the title and that it's one of Truffaut's famous works. As sometimes happens when watching an old, influential movie, the biggest thing that jumped out at me when watching this was the obvious stylistic influence it's had on subsequent films (in this case, I especially thought of Amelie and the entire oeuvre of Wes Anderson). I'll probably need to watch this again to really settle how I think about it (a number of Catherine's actions feel kind of jarring, tonally, though it's kind of funny how what superficially looks like a typical quirky female romantic lead is revealed to actually be violently unstable and dangerous).

Cinema: 33 (+1)
DVD/Blu-Ray: 27
Streaming Service: 24

 

I recently saw the Daniel Radcliffe/Zoe Kazan romantic comedy The F Word (released in the U.S. and U.K. under the title What If), which I highly recommend. Not claiming it's some groundbreaking work of staggering genius, but it's a genuinely smart, funny, and engaging look at the line between friendship and love, and how we navigate those boundaries. Radcliffe and Kazan have amazing chemistry together, and Zoe Kazan is easily my new celebrity crush. And not once did I look at Radcliffe and think of him as Harry Potter!

 

^ If you like Kazan, check out Ruby Sparks and The Pretty One if you haven't already.

 

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-
28) The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty - A-
29) Escape Plan - A-
30) Hotel Transylvania - B+
31) Little Black Book - C-

I have to stop getting sucked into these romantic comedies.

The late Brittany Murphy was alright, but what is the antagonist's motivation? To get ratings on TV as she's bringing down everyone around her? I know you need that scene with Murphy figuring out that she is not the woman for her boyfriend, but it was stupid getting there.

 

^ I only watched it for Josie Maran.

 

Thanks! I saw Ruby Sparks when it first came out, and liked her a lot in it, though it was The F Word that cemented my celebrity crush on her. I'll have to check out The Pretty One.

She's also the female lead in Joss Whedon's film In Your Eyes, and she's just as wonderful there.

 

^ I'll have to check that out.

Spoiler: The Complete List

January

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

February

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

March

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

April

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

May

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

June

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

July

72. I Think I Do (✩✩)
73. The Wedding Date (✩✩✩½)
74. Breathe In (✩✩✩½)
75. Premature (✩✩✩✩)
76. Somewhere (✩✩✩✩)
77. The Councelor (✩✩✩)
78. Flakes (✩✩✩½)
79. The New Year (✩✩✩✩)
80. Dead Man Down (✩✩✩½)
81. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (3D) (✩✩✩✩)
82. Safe House (✩✩✩)
83. Fun with Dick and Jane (✩✩✩)
84. About Sunny (✩✩✩✩)
85. Heaven Is for Real (✩✩✩)
86. Not Another Happy Ending (✩✩✩)
87. Colombiana (✩✩✩½)
88. Hercules (✩✩✩½)
89. Lucy (✩✩✩✩)
90. Transcendence (✩✩✩✩)
91. Ruby Sparks (✩✩✩✩)
92. The Pretty One (✩✩✩½)
93. Some Girl(s) (✩✩½)
94. Fruitvale Station (✩✩✩✩)
95. Guardians of the Galaxy (3D) (✩✩✩✩½)

August

96. Sharknado (✩✩✩½)
97. Sharknado 2: The Second One (✩✩✩✩)
98. Rubberneck (✩✩✩)
99. Need for Speed (✩✩✩)
100. Grand Piano (✩✩✩✩)
101. Haywire (✩✩✩)
102. Magic Mike (✩✩✩)
103. My Life Without Me (✩✩✩½)
104. In the Blood (✩✩✩½)
105. Best Man Down (✩✩✩✩)
106. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (3D) (✩✩✩½)
107. Turtle Power: The Definitive History of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (✩✩✩½)
108. Monte Carlo (✩✩½)
109. The Expendables 3 (✩✩½)
110. Beastly (✩✩½)

September

111. The Fault in Our Stars (✩✩½)

Selected Reviews…

99. Need for Speed (✩✩✩) - Based on the video game and starring Aaron Paul. I saw an interview where he said that they wanted this to have a real story and become one of the great car movies like Vanishing Point or Bullitt. You can see some of that attempt but they don't get there. Not enough charisma from the players involved. The best thing about the movie was Imogen Poots. Yow!

100. Grand Piano (✩✩✩✩) - Elijah Wood plays a concert pianist who finds himself forced to play perfectly (for reasons which will become clear) or his wife in the audience will be shot. He and the assassin communicate through an earpiece that he was given. The movie doesn't sound like much but it's actually a pretty good film. It's a lot like Phone Booth.

101. Haywire (✩✩✩) - Stars Gina Carano as a government-hired mercenary who's been betrayed and finds herself on the run. Directed by Steven Soderbergh. It has an impressive cast that includes Michael Douglas, Channing Tatum, Antonio Banderas, Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender and Bill Paxton but the story is a little convoluted and the cinematography lacks color. Carano is absolutely fantastic though and I almost wish she was playing Wonder Woman.

102. Magic Mike (✩✩✩) - Finally saw this. Also Directed by Steven Soderburgh and based on Channing Tatum's time as a male stripper. I was expecting a summer blockbuster-style comedy but surprisingly, it was a more serious film.

103. My Life Without Me (✩✩✩½) - Sarah Polley plays a young woman who has a husband and a daughter and lives in a trailer. Then she finds out that she's going to die from cancer, so she makes a bucket list. Scott Speedman also stars. It's a pretty engaging independent film. Not too artsy.

104. In the Blood (✩✩✩½) - An attempt to make Gina Carano an action star and it's not a bad effort. She plays a woman who just got married and has to rescue her husband who's been kidnapped on the Caribbean island they were honeymooning on. Danny Trejo and Treat Williams are also in it.

105. Best Man Down (✩✩✩✩) - Tyler Labine plays a drinking wild man who is the best man at his friend's wedding. Then he ruins the big day by dying the night before. Over the course of the movie, his friend (played by Justin Long) and his new wife learn more about their best man. It's got some interesting twists. The title has a double meaning and you'll find out what I'm talking about if you watch the movie. It's not bad actually.

111. The Fault in Our Stars (✩✩✩½) - I was looking forward to seeing this movie for a few months now. I enjoyed it and it's always nice to see Shailene Woodley's star rise, but I was still a bit underwhelmed. This is because I just finished watching the first 10 episodes of Chasing Life, which is a show about a 24-year old woman with cancer and I kind of liked that a bit more.

 

August Rundown (15 Movies)

5 Stars
None

4½ Stars
None

4 Stars
Best Man Down
Grand Piano
Sharknado 2: The Second One

3½ Stars
In the Blood
My Life Without Me
Sharknado
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (3D)
Turtle Power: The Definitive History of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

3 Stars
Haywire
Magic Mike
Need for Speed
Rubberneck

2½ Stars
Beastly
Monte Carlo
The Expendables 3

2 Stars
None

1½ Stars
None

1 Star
None

½ Star
None

0 Stars
None

 

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)
61. Paper Moon (A)
62. Guardians of the Galaxy (A)
63. Lucy (C+)
64. Raising Arizona (B+)
65. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (A-)
66. Looper (A+)
67. Footloose (B+)
68. Lola (B+)
69. Bay of Angels (B)
70. The Fisher King (C+)
71. Boyhood (A)
72. Oliver Twist (A-)
73. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (A+)
74. Bernie (B+)
75. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (C+)
76. Life Itself (A)
77. Being John Malkovich (A+)
78. The Young Girls of Rochefort (A)
79. Wadjda (A+)
80. Donkey Skin (C+)
81. Une chambre en ville (A+)
82. The Lady Eve (A)
83. The Earrings of Madame de... (A)
84. Jules and Jim (A-)

85. The Hunt for Red October (A-)

I previously saw this back in the 1990s on either cable or VHS rental, so this is my first viewing of it on widescreen (though the Blu-ray's sound mix is a bit off in places, making the dialogue hard to hear). Alec Baldwin remains the best Jack Ryan by far, the only actor who played the character as basically ordinary (the director actually talks about this on the commentary track), whereas subsequent versions make him more and more of a conventional action hero. Though in some ways I think the film series was a bit handicapped by the fact that the most compelling character in both the novel and film is Ramius, who isn't in the sequels (I suspect a studio these days would demand that Ramius be brought back). The submarine sequences are pretty effective, still, with some obviously fake bits here and there.

86. Young and Beautiful (B-)

I recall watching Francois Ozon's Swimming Pool some years ago; this is the second film of his I've seen, which is a pretty obvious riff on Belle de jour. Our protagonist loses her virginity on her 17th birthday, and finds the experience unsatisfactory, and so she decides to become a prostitute for...some reason. Ennui, I guess, which has become a major characterization crutch in art films. When the police get involved there's some perfunctory acknowledgement that prostitution is dangerous for many people, even if this isn't reflected in the main character's experience at all. The movie is very well-acted and I guess on a technical level the writing is fine, but I really couldn't escape the vague feeling that this has no actual relation to an actual woman's experience. My main point of interest was the quasi-incestuous interactions between the protagonist and her barely-pubescent brother, who is show watching her through binoculars while she sunbathes topless and peering into her room while she masturbates. This never goes anywhere, so I have no idea whether the director thinks this is normal behaviour or is just dysfunction thrown in for colour.

Cinema: 34 (+1)
DVD/Blu-Ray: 27
Streaming Service: 25 (+1)

 

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)
Anohana-The Flower We Saw That Day: The Movie (8)
Black Rain (7)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (9)
Columbiana (7)
Divergent (7)
Dragonball Z: Battle of the Gods (7)
Edge of Tomorrow (10)
The Expendables 3 (8)
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)
Guardians of the Galaxy (8)
Heat (1995) (8)
Hercules (2014) (7)
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (9)
Kick Ass 2 (8)
Lone Survivor (8)
Lucy (9)
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)
Mr. Popper's Penguins (7)
Need for Speed (8)
Non-Stop (10)
The November Man (7)
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)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) (7)
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:
John Q (9)

Running Total: 59

 

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)
61. Paper Moon (A)
62. Guardians of the Galaxy (A)
63. Lucy (C+)
64. Raising Arizona (B+)
65. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (A-)
66. Looper (A+)
67. Footloose (B+)
68. Lola (B+)
69. Bay of Angels (B)
70. The Fisher King (C+)
71. Boyhood (A)
72. Oliver Twist (A-)
73. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (A+)
74. Bernie (B+)
75. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (C+)
76. Life Itself (A)
77. Being John Malkovich (A+)
78. The Young Girls of Rochefort (A)
79. Wadjda (A+)
80. Donkey Skin (C+)
81. Une chambre en ville (A+)
82. The Lady Eve (A)
83. The Earrings of Madame de... (A)
84. Jules and Jim (A-)
85. The Hunt for Red October (A-)
86. Young and Beautiful (B-)

87. Hoop Dreams (A+)

Having watched Steve James' Life Itself last month, I decided to make time to watch this three-hour documentary that is widely acclaimed as one of the best documentaries in the last generation. And, indeed, it's quite an impressive piece of work (it's amazing, in a way, that they could even get the financial support to do a project this long-term; adding everything up this took like eight years to make). It's quite a fascinating portrait of a particular socio-economic group in the US, and the ways the system of competitive school sports (something that really has no equivalent in my own Prince Edward Island school experience; the widespread existence of private schools is likewise outside that). The scope can lead to the film feeling a bit choppy, as huge changes in the lives of the characters just drop in seemingly out of nowhere, but I imagine trying to condense five years or so, even into three hours, makes it hard to avoid that. I felt considerable frustration with the subjects much of the time, particularly when Gates is on the verge of losing his hard-won athletic scholarship because after five tries he still can't get the bare minimum of academic qualification necessary.

Cinema: 34
DVD/Blu-Ray: 27
Streaming Service: 26 (+1)

 

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-
44. The Help: A
45. From Paris w/Love: B
46. Guardians of the Galaxy: A-
47. Wreck It Ralph: A
48. Land of the Lost: C-

49. Expendables 3: B-
50. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: B
51. Never Let Me Go: D
52. Ghostbusters 30th Anniversary viewing: A
53. Yes Man: B+
54. The Joneses: B

David Duchovney, Demi Moore, Amber Heard w/Gary Cole and Lauren Hutton is a film about a seemingly "perfect" family that has it all. They move into an affluent suburb, have all the best stuff...and that is the point. They are really a constructed family unit of 4 that works for a 'lifestyle agency' that outfits them w/sponsors up and coming product lines. Their job is to promote 'x' products in plain sight without appearing as such. It's promotion by cool. It's associating their "perfect" life with the products they have. So you too need to get 'x' products.

I found the concept of the film to be intriguing. It's a bit hard for me to decide if the acting was flat or if that was intended, cause if it was, well done. A group of essential strangers with little lead time is 'cast' and has to pretend they are a family. In the film you can tell they aren't entirely sure how to handle some "improv" moments, which I'm sure was intentional. Anyway, I think it was intentional so the acting works for me.

While the inner message is seemingly clear about Western Culture(if may not be exclusive to that) and the "he who dies with the most toys wins" schtick is bad for some...of not most when it results in depression and eventual tragic results.