YOUR year of living OCD - Page 3

Latest batch:

93. Machete - It was fun in parts, but this shtick is over. Unless they do Black Dynamite II.
94. Edge of Darkness - Wanted to like it. Gibson got old. Appreciated the straightforward direction; the script is a mess.
95. Lethal Weapon 2 - Re-watch. I don't really love anything but the toilet scene.
96. Death Wish V - I have to say what kills the last two Death Wish films for me is Paul Kersey's one-man war against the Mob. I liked the series more when he was killing street thug minorities.
97. Harry Brown – I like seeing old men kill thugs, apparently.
98. The Silent Scream – The Unseen did it better.
99. Psycho III - Re-watch. Silly and fun and lit like Creepshow. Perkins is figuring out how to enjoy his own legacy.
100. Jackass 3D - loved it. Want to see it again.
101. Land of the Lost - ridiculous.
102. Machete Maidens Unleashed - Not as celebratory/revelatory as Not Quite Hollywood, but I'll be adding some Jack Hill/Pam Grier movies to the queue.

Latest ten:

I re-watched An American Werewolf in London recently too, and yeah I never really noticed just how brutal and violent that whole Picadilly Circus scene is. That whole set piece is fast and chaotic and feels really real, and that's why it works.

Jesus, if I started listing TV I think it would just depress me...

Well, here's the thing about me and television: I haven't watched/don't watch very much of it. In fact, I have started forcing myself this past month to finally watch those television series that people have recommended to me over the years. As a lifelong horror fan, "The Walking Dead" was an obvious exception though. No way I was waiting to check that out.

In general though, my television stays off until I have a movie, or the occasional NFL/NBA match-up that I can't resist.

Moved

Latest batch:

114. Batman: Under The Red Hood - The kind of grim n gritty Batman film fanboys want, and the reason for an embarrassing "animation for grownups" Netflix tag. Entertaining enough.
115. Justice League: The New Frontier - more bloody superheroes.
116. Adventureland - Re-watch. I've warmed to it quite a bit, just lack empathy for Eisenberg as a lead.
117. Superman: Doomsday - They made something watchable out of that bullshit comic "event"!
118. Ghost Town - Better than The Invention of Lying, but I laughed most during the outtakes.
119. Due Date - Not without its moments. More moments than movie, alas.
120. Predators - Junky fun.
121. Giallo - False advertising.
122. Dances With Wolves - long, self-satisfied. Nice work by Semler.
123. Valhalla Rising - Quiet and unsettling. Not what I expected.

70 minute bedtime stories on Netflix Instant while I'm traveling.

Jesus. I'm up to 85 (not counting rewatches or the halfway-paid-attention-to stuff on TCM when I'm at the office, though I should probably let myself add KILLER MCCOY since I caught about 90% of it), and reeeeally hoping to hit that century mark by the year's end.

I remember it all too well. Which is why I didn't revisit the bet this year, which was a tremendous idea as my theatrical experiences, so far, stop at 4. Sigh.

Well...5. I DID see Scott Pilgrim twice theatrically.

Sometimes living OCD is cheaper and better served by Netflix Instant!

Nah, that's a copout considering I DO have a dollar house. Sigh.

*applause*

A holiday spurt is putting me in the 130s for the year. Hoping to hit the theater once more before Jan 1.

I like that you knocked out Hotel For Dogs 4 slots above Metropolis.

380-390: ALL THE AIR BUD MOVIES

Wow, that's alot of Graboid potential.

These aren't in any order but for my 2010 movies I saw for the first time:

1) The Maltese Falcon - Amazing, Bogart is such a great jerk/hero
2) The Big Sleep - Loved it, Dialogue was killer
3) Dial M For Murder - liked it a lot, but thought they maybe stuck to the play format more than was needed
4) The Postman Always Rings Twice - was ok, probably suffered from me watching the previous 4 entries right before it.
5) Deathtrap - Had a lot of fun with it on first watch, lost a bit the second time, but I love the dynamic between Reeves and Caine
6) Across The Pacific - Went in expecting Maltese Falcon 2 which was a mistake, Bogart with a chaingun is still awesome though
7) Cat On a Hot Tin Roof - Liked this a lot, sucker for that accent, taught me a new word: Mendacity
8) Mr. Roberts - Loved the core cast, but all the supporting players were pretty bad
9) Enter The Dragon - Very cool, Lee has a style all his own
10) Inception - dug it on first view but wasn't blown away until I started reading people theories on it.
11) Moon - Love, Rockwell does an amazing job carrying a whole movie by himself.
12) Kick Ass - Enjoyed, one of the rare times I liked Cage, and of course Hit Girl
13) Up In The Air - thought the more cynical take on romantic comedy was weirdly refreshing
14) Where The Wild Things Are - I liked it, but thought it could have met the mainstream halfway a little without losing much
15) Toy Story 3 - Saw this to cheer myself up after getting rejected and then that ending haha
16) Up - Sweetest goddamn thing ever
17) The Expendables - loved the last act but felt like I was just waiting the whole first 2 acts to get there, trying too hard to be cool made the whole thing seemed forced.
18) Scott Pilgrim vs The World - Loved it more than any other movie released this year, the thing is pure energy.
19) The Dirty Dozen - Fun, but I'll say, for a noted badass there's a little diva bitchiness in Marvin's performance when he's being a smartass.
20) Shutter Island - Trailer lead me astray, went in expecting a horror movie and got a mystery movie, should give it another chance cos I felt like I was waiting for that horror movie to show up
21) Salt - Dug this more than I thought I would. Kinda cool having a female action star without having to make a big deal out of it
22) Repo Men - Liked moments of it but drags like fuck
23) The Road - Liked more than I was expecting, but felt that got so lost in it's own bleakness that there were some scenes that should have popped but didn't
24) Predators - Gimicky but fun, Brody surprised
25) Paranormal Activity - when it worked it really worked, but my suspension of disbelief could cover a demon but not the way Micah reacted to it, pulled me out of the movie every time he'd up his stupidity
26) The Losers - felt basically the same as I did for The Expendables, tried to hard to be slick and cool, came off forced.
27) The Men Who Stare At Goats - wanted to like it but came off as Coen lite without as much point or humour, was kinda just two guys wandering around bumping into weirdo's, the end
28) Mary and Max - Loved this, competes with Up for sweetest thing ever, but it goes to some dark places to get there.
29) Law Abiding Citizen - Ending and eugenics aside I really liked this, Dug the way you start out on Butlers side and end up on Foxx's
30) Iron Man 2 - liked it but suffered from 2 villains who plot and scheme instead of do, made no sense for Rourke to be that kind of bad guy
31) Hot Tub Time Machine - I laughed a lot
32) Mean Girls - Was really cool
33) Get Him To The Greek - Liked bits and combs but a lot of nothing in between
34) The Edge Of Darkness - DUMB
35) Day Breakers - Pretty cool, and I'm so sick of vampires
36) Crazy Heart - Really like it, Bridges is phenomenal.
37) Clash Of The Titans (Remake) - Supporting cast are all shit, dialogue terrible. Hated
38) The A-Team - Infectious ridiculousness To me this is what Losers and Expendables should have been
39) Boy - Funny and with a bit more of an emotional core than I expected.
40) Book of Eli - Was entertained enough but ultimately forgettable
41) Green Zone - Liked it, but it's no...
42) The Hurt Locker - Tense funny and strangely captivating, I say strangely because I'm not exactly sure what make it work so well
43) The Informant - Love the playful weird side of Damon, giggled while shaking my head a lot
44) G.I Joe - Was ok, didn't love or hate it.
45) Transformers 2 - Not sure what anyone involved was trying to do
46) Sherlock Holmes - Loved the leads chemistry, Never felt like a mystery was being solved though
47) Surrogates - I watched this but I don't feel like it demanded my attention cos I remember fuck all of it.
48) Public Enemies - Neat enough
49) Adventureland - Dug it, kinda thought Hader and Wiig stole it
50) The Big Lebowski - Greatness, Love the way the Coens populate a whole world with weirdos and a weird story and make it seem like a breeze
51) Black Dynamite - Really funny for the first half, then the joke starts wearing a little thin, still good though
52) Barbarella - Jane Fonda was Hot, this movie was weird.
53) Scarfies - Pretty cool thriller/comedy felt a little on the rails though.
54) The Bounty Hunter - FUCK, worst movie I saw all year, hands down
55) The Fantastic Mr. Fox - Quirky charmer
56) The Wolfman - Too much man, not enough wolf
57) X-Men Origins: Wolverine - too much man, not enough Wolv
58) 2012 - takes 15 minutes too long to get going, but once it does it was dumb but fun
59) Sympathy for Lady Vengeance - I liked it, not sure what else to say
60) The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi - when it was on i loved it, but a lot of stuff in between that could have been funner
61) The Invention of Lying - Felt like Gervais wanted to make a movie discrediting religion but didn't have nearly enough material for 90 minutes, also needed more jokes, and for the Garner Romance to make sense.
62) Alien Nation - Liked it
63) Funny People - could have added more funny without losing any story, and I always find it hard to route for people cheating.
64) Knowing - I don't
65) Piranha 3D - was in totally the wrong mood for this, thought it was ok Ending very anti-climactic
66) The General - Enjoyed it for the stunts but not a lot else so could have done with more stunts, but in it's historical context great.
67) Machete - Fun want an un-rated cut though
68) The Slammin' Salmon - cute little movie, enjoyed it, but not one of Broken Lizards best
69) Resident Evil: Afterlife - got dragged to this, hated it
70) Ong Bak 2 - Too much yap not enough slap, ending sucked
71) High Plains Drifter - Clint Eastwood treats dickwad towns people like crap for a whole movie and it's great
72) The Town - Really intense, Loving Afleck the Director
73) The Warriors - Was cool
74) Ghoulies - Loved the puppets and cheese, where was the boobies and gore though?
75) The Magnificent 7 - Great Dialogue and leading men, fun to realise how many subsequent movies lifted from it
76) Forbidden Planet - Awesome, Monster of Id hates your sexism and he'll eat you until you're rid of it
77) Blacula - glad I saw it
78) Space Probe Taurus - not very good
79) The Dunwich horror - Not very good
80) Easy Rider - Was a pleasent enough watch, I think I liked it more from a historical point of view than an entertainment one
81) Serpico - Good old school switching between Charismatic and crazy/intense Pacino performance

Last batch:

124. The Social Network - Quality abounds.
125. Anvil! The Story of Anvil - Re-watch. I cried again.
126. Psycho - Re-watch. The blu is like seeing it for the first time. As immediate as a 50 year-old movie can get.
127. A Christmas Story - Re-watch. Still makes me laugh.
128. Scrooged - Re-watch. Still makes me cry.
129. Predator - Re-watch. A classic. Sort of the perfect slasher film.
130. The Bird With The Crystal Plumage - The giallo blueprint! How'd this guy make Giallo?
131. The Fifth Cord - Franco Nero giallo. His eyes belonged in silents.
132. Tron - Can't say it made me want to run out to see the sequel.
133. True Grit - A perfect entertainment.

And that's my 2010. Goal for next year: more first-time viewings.

Gonna be a long post, so apologies ahead of time, but, My Year in Film:

Rashomon - My first Kurosawa! Amazing. Tied for favorite (so-far)
Ikiru - My second (and also tied for favorite) Kurosawa!
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance - Good, but something about it didn't grab me
Oldboy - Lived up to the hype and more.
Lady Vengeance - My favorite of the trilogy. Beautiful in every way.
Avatar - Pretty pictures. Would have liked it better as a silent film.
World's Greatest Dad - Really good. Williams killed it.
Big Fan - Okay. Remember being slightly let down by it. Patton was great.
The Goonies - Nope, had never seen it. It was...cute.
Them! - Fantastic. Everything a monster movie should be.
M - my first Lang. And it blew me away.
High & Low - Really liked it, but something about it didn't GRAB me.
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? - Amazing.
The Third Man - Loved it, have seen it a few times since.
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? - I recommend it to EVERYONE now.
Hounddog - Pretty awful, but Fanning really knocked it outta the park
From Beyond - Teenage me HATES that I only just now saw this
Bunny Lake is Missing - Solid little thriller with a wonderful twist
The Big Lebowski - Really, really good. Not my favorite from the Coens.
Scanners - Decent. Middle-to-lower-tier Cronenberg.
Antichrist - Have seen it 3 or 4 times and still can't nail it all down. Love it.
Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story - LOVE. The all-Barbie cast is brilliant.
Across the Universe - Gutsy. Ambitious. A failure on every level.
Laura - Great. Made me love Gene Tierney
Teeth - Cute little horror movie about a killer vagina.
Akeelah and the Bee - Not as sappy as I had imagined. Enjoyed it.
Law Abiding Citizen - Started out GREAT, got boring.
The Princess & The Frog - Looked amazing but kinda lacking.
It Might Get Loud - Reinforced my love for White and indifference for U2.
Thirst - Keeps me invested in vampires as a genre.
The Vanishing - Amazing on every level.
Paranormal Activity - Really effective with a bullshit ending.
Trick r' Treat - A metric fuckton of superfun. I didn't even mean to rhyme.
Bad Biology - A new favorite to spring on unsuspecting people.
Bad Lieutenant: POCNO - Cage outcrazies every insane thing in this movie.
Bronson - Pretty good movie but Hardy killed it.
Matinee - LOVED IT. Goodman was aces.
Die Hard - Yes, I only first saw it this year. I adore it.
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs - Really good, surprisingly.
Toy Story 3 - Had some amazing moments, overall a letdown.
Black Dynamite - As good as everyone says, maybe better.
Pierrot Le Fou - Oh, hi Jean-Luc Godard, turns out I LOVE YOU.
Whip It - A little slack but good overall.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - I liked it. A lot, even. Wanted to love it.
Pulse - Creepy and effective!
Sick Nurses - Awful Thai Horror!
Mary & Max - So good! Another one that's become a recommendation.
London - Privileged White People Yelling at Each Other: The Movie.
Suspiria - Beautiful and horrible and amazing.
Inception - Captured my imagination like no other movie in recent memory.
A Town Called Panic - Raw, unfiltered fun. Also the kid's first foreign-language film!
A Serious Man - My favorite Coens? Maybe. Maaaybe. Fucking amazing.
Zombieland - Better than I expected it to be, oddly enough. Love the cast.
The Hills Run Red - Pretty damned effective for cheap DTV Horror.
The Haunting in Connecticut - Nice visuals. Overall bore.
Die Hard 2 - Good!
Die Hard 3 - So weird but so good.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World - I love it, the kid loves it. We're big, big fans.
A Perfect Getaway - Really tense with a good twist and payoff
Vampyr - Interesting but a little tough to get fully invested into.
The Warriors - Lived up to all the hype. Pissed it took me so long.
Fargo - I lied. THIS is my favorite Coens.
Into the Wild - Really good, but kinda felt a teency bit hollow.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Cuter than I had expected.
Blood Simple - Interesting. Good. Didn't just love it whole-heartedly.
The Man Who Wasn't There - Can't say I LOVED it, but it certainly grabbed me.
The Brothers Bloom - Amazing. Superb. Rian Johnson is the real deal.
Lars and The Real Girl - Okay, I suppose. Kinda of a train-wreck, but a sweet one.
The Painted Veil - Decent. Bloated, kinda heavy-handed.
The City of the Living Dead - Sticky and amazing.
Eyes Without a Face - Loved it! The first French Horror Film. Great effects.
Blacula - Better than its reputation. An actual well-made, solid film.
Metropolis - Blew me away.
Tropic Thunder - Much better than I had anticipated. Everyone was stellar.
Don't Look Now - Surreal and fantastic. That ending. Jesus.
Babies - It's a movie about babies. It can't help but be adorable.
North by Northwest - Stellar. Delightful. Superb. I adore it.
Rolling Thunder - DEVANE! So great.
The Manitou - INSANITY. I love it with all of me.
The Human Centipede - Not as bad as you've heard, but fuck me that last shot.
It Happened One Night - Really sweet. What modern romantic comedies should try to be.
Barton Fink - Blew me away. John fucking Goodman.
Opera - Kind of a disappointment, but great gore.
The Big Sleep - SO great. Humphrey Bogart kills it.
Fantastic Mr. Fox - Fantastic (hurhurhur). Seriously - incredible.
Cronos - A little light but really good. Great spin on a vampire tale.
Cropsey - Interesting but ultimately no payoff.
The Trial - Second Welles of the year. Dense and weird but engaging.
Exit Through the Gift Shop - Kinda revelatory. Really loved it.
Knife in the Water - Kinda wobbly but really tense.
Peeping Tom - Not what I expected! Really loved it.
A Woman is A Woman - Just perfect.
How to Train Your Dragon - Bravo, Dreamworks. REALLY good movie.
Paths of Glory - Blew me away (and was my first Criterion Blu Ray!)
Diabolique - Tense, engaging and and ending that made me cringe.
F for Fake - Really interesting. Great companion piece for Gift Shop.
Black Swan - Horrible and beautiful and amazing. Natalie fucking Portman.
White Heat - Delightful! James Cagney is the best.
Mother - Much more dramatic than I expected - less scary. Ended up kinda sad.
Bandslam - Kid picked it, caught me off guard with how much I liked it.

And that's my 2010, sans re-watched and the stuff I half-watched on TCM at the office. Goal for Next Year: More trips to the theater, as I only made it out 5 times this year.

My final tally was 390 for the year, by far the most I've watched in a single year.

This looked like fun last year, so I'm going to join in.

Saw in Theaters
Saw at Home
Have seen before
Have not seen before

1. Talk Radio (1988) - I think this movie exists solely because Oliver Stone wanted to see how many double-focus (split-focus?) shots he could clumsily shove into a single movie. B-
2. Hard Eight (1996) - What do you call a thriller without tension? Hard Eight. It's exceedingly well put together (like all of Anderson's films) and has a compelling central relationship, but it takes FOREVER to get there, and doesn't do enough with it. B-

Final tally:

Total # of movies: 453
Individual movies: 434
Previously unseen: 365
Movies seen in theaters: 72
Movies from 2010: 107

HERE COMES A NEW CHALLENGER

Seen it
Never seen it


1. Gran Turino - Walks a thin line between being really sweet/poignant/entertaining, and being Ol' Dirty Harry: The Cartoon. Still liked it, though.

Might I suggest we move 2011 to a new thread?

Everything new for the year:

Agora - I agree with Kate, this flick had a lot of terrific stuff going on.
Best Worst Movie - I felt bad for laughing after a while.
Black Swan - Appreciate more than like. But Portman gives it everything.
Centurion - Blood blood blood plot blood.
Cyrus - So close. But Jonah Hill had the most to prove and he proved it.
Easy A - How to let your casting director win your movie for you.
Fair Game - Sharp and clear, though it does ironically end up spinning the story to focus on Plame and Wilson's personal lives.
George A. Romero’s Survival of the Dead - Worth it for the banshee imagery.
Ghost Writer - Dry, professional, ultimately toothless.
The Good, the Bad, and the Weird - Terrifically inventive visuals, convoluted plot, not a lot of emotional content to latch onto.
Green Zone - Anger and accuracy, uncomfortably couched as an action picture.
Hot Tub Time Machine - If John Cusack could have mustered the energy to be funny, this would have been a perfect night out. Corddry is a revelation.
How To Train Your Dragon (3D) - Maybe the best surprise of the year.
I Am Love - Gorgeous visuals, great use of music, blah plot.
Inception - See above, actually.
Iron Man 2 - Essentially a metaphor for Favreau & co struggling to defend their surprise success against corporate domination.
It’s Kind of a Funny Story - If you can guarantee me a girl like that in the mental ward, sure, sign me up.
Jackass 3D - Guy in the next row: "Man, fuck Avatar."
Kick-Ass - Truth in advertising.
The Kids Are All Right - If you can guarantee me a flexbian like Julianne Moore, sure, sign me up.
Let Me In - We'll always have Sweden.
The Losers - Truth in advertising again. But Chris Evans gets to wear a "humping AT-ATs" T-shirt and Jason Patric is having a ball.
MacGruber - One good joke, but OK it was a pretty good one.
Machete - The long, long, trailer.
Monsters - Atmospheric and underrated.
The Other Guys - "Aim for the bushes!"
Piranha 3D - 100% guilty pleasure, with the awful fake 3D just adding to it.
Resident Evil: Afterlife (3D) - What's the plural of Jovovich anyway? Best-shot genuine 3D film of the year.
Salt - Yeah, dressing Jolie as a man for the entire third act was someone's great idea.
Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World - Time will tell.
The Social Network Whether or not the Zuckerberg character is an accurate representation of the real guy, I know people exactly like that.
Splice - Yeah, they went there.
Tangled - Didn't need to be a musical.
Terribly Happy - The hero make one bad decision after another, but you can't see any other way things could have gone. Inexorable.
The Town - If only he'd faded out before the Beard of Sincerity.
A Town Called Panic - I want a giant waffle dispenser.
Toy Story 3 - Where's your Kid now?
Tron: Legacy - a bloody mess.
True Grit - See, Coens? That wasn't so hard. You don't have to be post-ironic about everything.
The Warrior’s Way - Cowboys and ninjas. And circus people. And greenscreen. What could go wrong? A lot, actually.
Winter’s Bone - Bracing realism and sickening dread. Let's give the little lady a great big hand.

Tati makes the rules, I guess. He's got the 2010 OCD Championship Belt.

Come on, Justin, let's pull up stakes and head out.

BUT WE JUST GOT HERwell, fuck it.

I kind of beat you in terms of total movies. You did watch more movies that you'd never seen than I did, though.

Damn, I used to be so good about both seeing and tracking movies. Maybe if I start tracking this year, I'll see more.

I've been looking around, and want to do this in 2011, but I still can't find the actual rules, or how you do this. I'm rather confused by all this. Anyone mind breaking it down real quick?

Oh, that's actually pretty cool. I'll do that for sure.

Complete list for 2010, Part 1:

1. Hearts of the West (1975; Howard Zieff)
2. Massacre Time (1966; Lucio Fulci)
3. Looking for Mr. Perfect (2003; Ringo Lam)
4. One on Top of the Other (1969; Lucio Fulci)*
5. The Beyond (1981; Lucio Fulci)*
6. Black Cat II (1992; Stephen Shin)
7. A Chinese Ghost Story II (1990; Ching Siu-tung)
8. City of the Living Dead (1980; Lucio Fulci)*
9. Beyond the Darkness (1979; Joe D'Amato)*
10. Aenigma (1987; Lucio Fulci)
11. The Maniacs (1964; Lucio Fulci)
12. Touch of Death (1988; Lucio Fulci)
13. The Psychic (1977; Lucio Fulci)*
14. The Centerfold Girls (1974; John Peyser)
15. House of Clocks (1989; Lucio Fulci)
16. They All Laughed (1981; Peter Bogdanovich)*
17. Call Northside 777 (1948; Henry Hathaway)
18. The Brides of Fu Manchu (1965; Don Sharp)
19. Breaking In (1989; Bill Forsyth)
20. The New York Ripper (1982; Lucio Fulci)*
21. Fat City (1972; John Huston)
22. The Shadow (1994; Russell Mulcahy)*
23. Wheels on Meals (1984; Sammo Hung)*
24. Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983; Nagisa Oshima)*
25. Dragons Forever (1988; Sammo Hung)*
26. Pocket Money (1972; Stuart Rosenberg)
27. King Boxer (1972; Chang-hwa Jeong)
28. The Spiritual Boxer (1975; Lau Kar Leung)
29. Challenge of the Masters (1976; Lau Kar Leung)
30. Executioners from Shaolin (1977; Lau Kar Leung)
31. Shaolin Mantis (1978; Lau Kar Leung)
32. Heroes of the East (1979; Lau Kar Leung)
33. Poor Pretty Eddie (1975; Richard Robinson)
34. Split Image (1982; Ted Kotcheff)
35. Winners and Sinners (1983; Sammo Hung)
36. My Lucky Stars (1985; Sammo Hung)*
37. Panic (1982; Tonino Ricci)*
38. Witches' Mountain (1972; Raúl Artigot)
39. Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars (1985; Sammo Hung)
40. Brooklyn's Finest (2010; Antoine Fuqua)
41. An Enemy of the People (1978; George Schaefer)
42. Golden Queens Commando (1982; Chu Yen-ping)
43. When Taekwondo Strikes (1973; Feng Huang)
44. The Most Dangerous Game (1932; Irving Pichel & Ernest B. Schoedsack)
45. Superdad (1973; Vincent McEveety)
46. The Conversation (1974; Francis Ford Coppola)*
47. Le notti bianche (1957; Luchino Visconti)
48. Lady Whirlwind (1972; Feng Huang)
49. Blood Money/The Stranger and the Gunfighter (1974; Antonio Margheriti)
50. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009; Wes Anderson)*
51. Carnival of Souls (1962; Herk Harvey)
52. The Streetfighter's Last Revenge (1974; Shigehiro Ozawa)
53. Stop (1970; Bill Gunn)
54. What's Up, Doc? (1972; Peter Bogdanovich)*
55. Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster (1966; Jun Fukuda)*
56. Sherlock Holmes (2009; Guy Ritchie)*
57. Five Star Final (1931; Mervyn LeRoy)
58. The Front Page (1931; Lewis Milestone)
59. Broken Oath (1977; Chang-hwa Jeong)
60. Private Eye (2009; Park Dae-min)
61. Come Drink with Me (1966; King Hu)*
62. While the City Sleeps (1956; Fritz Lang)
63. Return to the 36th Chamber (1980; Lau Kar Leung)
64. Fantasy Mission Force (1982; Chu Yen-ping)
65. Cat vs. Rat (1982; Lau Kar Leung)
66. Martial Club (1981; Lau Kar Leung)
67. The Driver (1978; Walter Hill)*
68. The Emperor and the Assassin (1998; Chen Kaige)
69. My Young Auntie (1981; Lau Kar Leung)
70. Time Slip/G.I. Samurai (1979; Kôsei Saitô)
71. Iron Man 2 (2010; Jon Favreau)
72. Ninja Assassin (2009; James McTeigue)
73. Gorgeous (1999; Vincent Kok)*
74. The Transporter (2002; Corey Yuen)
75. China 9 Liberty 37 (1978; Monte Hellman)
76. Stoner (1974; Feng Huang)
77. The Getaway (1972; Sam Peckinpah)*
78. McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971; Robert Altman)
79. Ride the High Country (1962; Sam Peckinpah)*
80. Beach of the War Gods (1973; Wang Yu)
81. Noises Off! (1992; Peter Bogdanovich)*
82. The One-Armed Boxer (1971; Wang Yu)
83. Master of the Flying Guillotine (1975; Wang Yu)
84. The Slammin' Salmon (2009; Kevin Heffernan)
85. Black Angel (1946; Roy William Neill)
86. Doberman Cop (1977; Kinji Fukasaku)
87. The Important Thing is to Love (1975; Andrzej Zulawski)*
88. This Man Must Die (1969; Claude Chabrol)*
89. So Close (2002; Corey Yuen)
90. Hercules and the Captive Women (1961; Vittorio Cottafavi)*
91. North by Northwest (1959; Alfred Hitchcock)*
92. Nada (1974; Claude Chabrol)*
93. His Girl Friday (1940; Howard Hawks)*
94. A Touch of Zen (1969; King Hu)
95. The Rules of the Game (1939; Jean Renoir)
96. The House of the Devil (2009; Ti West)
97. Choose Me (1984; Alan Rudolph)
98. Wedding in Blood (1973; Claude Chabrol)
99. Just Before Nightfall (1971; Claude Chabrol)
100. Revolver (1973; Sergio Sollima)

Part 2:

101. The Ambassador (1984; J. Lee Thompson)
102. The Shaggy D.A. (1976; Robert Stevenson)*
103. The Fate of Lee Khan (1973; King Hu)
104. What Have You Done to Solange? (1972; Massimo Dallamano)
105. Dance of Death (1976; Chi-hwa Chen)
106. The Tournament (1974; Feng Huang)
107. All Night Long (1981; Jean-Claude Tramont)
108. Wing Chun (1994; Yuen Woo-ping)
109. The Killer Meteors (1976; Lo Wei)
110. Hapkido (1972; Feng Huang)
111. Surrogates (2009; Jonathan Mostow)
112. Stray Dog (1949; Akira Kurosawa)
113. Gone Baby Gone (2007; Ben Affleck)
114. Little Big Soldier (2010; Sheng Ding)
115. Where Eagles Dare (1968; Brian G. Hutton)*
116. Cash on Demand (1961; Quentin Lawrence)
117. The Killer Inside Me (2010; Michael Winterbottom)
118. Inception (2010; Christopher Nolan)
119. Event Horizon (1997; Paul W.S. Anderson)
120. Resident Evil (2002; Paul W.S. Anderson)
121. Bullet in the Head (1990; John Woo)*
122. Crank (2006; Mark Neveldine/Brian Taylor)
123. The One-Armed Swordsman (1967; Chang Cheh)*
124. Return of the One-Armed Swordsman (1969; Chang Cheh)
125. First Love: The Litter on the Breeze (1997; Eric Kot)
126. Godzilla Raids Again (1955; Motoyoshi Oda)
127. Crank: High Voltage (2009; Mark Neveldine/Brian Taylor)
128. Cold Sweat (1970; Terence Young)
129. The Beast and the Magic Sword (1983; Jacinto Molina)
130. The Salute of the Jugger (1989; David Webb Peoples)
131. Wedlock (1991; Lewis Teague)
132. Twentieth Century (1934; Howard Hawks)
133. Master of the World (1961; William Whitney)*
134. Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman (1971; Kimiyoshi Yasuda)*
135. The Lords of Flatbush (1974; Martin Davidson & Stephen Verona)
136. Operation Petticoat (1959; Blake Edwards)
137. Death Rite (1976; Claude Chabrol)
138. The Expendables (2010; Sylvester Stallone)
139. Running Out of Time (1999; Johnnie To)
140. Big Guns (1973; Duccio Tessari)
141. None But the Brave/Kung Fu Girl (1973; Lo Wei)
142. The Invincible Eight (1971; Lo Wei)
143. Hannie Caulder (1971; Burt Kennedy)
144. Golden Swallow (1968; Chang Cheh)*
145. Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972; Robert Fuest)*
146. Pulp (1972; Mike Hodges)*
147. Death Wish 3 (1985; Michael Winner)*
148. Back Alley Princess (1973; Lo Wei)
149. Seven Thieves (1960; Henry Hathaway)
150. Red Sorghum (1987; Zhang Yimou)*
151. The January Man (1989; Pat O' Connor)
152. Deadly China Doll (1973; Feng Huang)
153. The American (2010; Anton Corbijn)
154. Dragon Fist (1979; Lo Wei)
155. A Woman, A Gun and A Noodle Shop/A Simple Noodle Story (2009; Zhang Yimou)
156. Shaolin Wooden Men (1976; Lo Wei)
157. Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982; Tommy Lee Wallace)
158. Fingers (1978; James Toback)*
159. Prince of the City (1981; Sidney Lumet)
160. You Only Live Once (1937; Fritz Lang)
161. The Leopard Man (1943; Jacques Tourneur)*
162. Hatari! (1962; Howard Hawks)*
163. Rumble in the Bronx (1995; Stanley Tong)*
164. Police Story 4: First Strike (1996; Stanley Tong)*
165. Cut and Run (1985; Ruggero Deodato)
166. The Amityville Horror (1979; Stuart Rosenberg)
167. Le orme/Footprints (1975; Luigi Bazzoni)
168. Galaxy of Terror (1981; Bruce D. Clark)
169. The Town (2010; Ben Affleck)
170. The Face of Fu Manchu (1965; Don Sharp)
171. Critters (1986; Stephen Herek)
172. Up in the Air (2009; Jason Reitman)*
173. Tell No One (2006; Guillaume Canet)
174. The Terror (1963; Roger Corman et al.)
175. C.H.U.D. (1984; Douglas Cheek)
176. Mutant (1982; Allan Holzman)
177. Scream and Scream Again (1970; Gordon Hessler)*
178. Star 80 (1983; Bob Fosse)
179. The Car (1977; Elliot Silverstein)
180. House (1986; Steve Miner)
181. Pink Force Commando (1982; Chu Yen-ping)
182. The Myth (2005; Stanley Tong)
183. Hellraiser (1987; Clive Barker)
184. Teen Lust (1979; James Hong)
185. The Hand of Death/Countdown to Kung Fu (1976; John Woo)
186. Count Yorga, Vampire (1970; Bob Kelljan)
187. Snake & Crane Arts of Shaolin (1978; Chi Hwa-chen)
188. The Return of Count Yorga (1971; Bob Kelljan)
189. No Mercy (1986; Richard Pearce)
190. Dead and Buried (1981; Gary Sherman)
191. In Search of Dracula (1975; Calvin Floyd)
192. Think Fast, Mr. Moto (1937; Norman Foster)
193. The Color of Lies (1999; Claude Chabrol)
194. Alias Betty (2001; Claude Miller)
195. Vault of Horror (1973; Roy Ward Baker)*
196. 28 Days Later (2002; Danny Boyle)
197. Le beau Serge (1958; Claude Chabrol)
198. The World's Greatest Sinner (1962; Timothy Carey)
199. Les cousins (1959; Claude Chabrol)
200. Bulldog Drummond (1929; F. Richard Jones)

Part 3:

201. La cérémonie (1995; Claude Chabrol)
202. Kill Baby Kill! (1966; Mario Bava)*
203. The Flower of Evil (2003; Claude Chabrol)
204. Virus (1980; Kinji Fukasaku)
205. Sister Streetfighter: Fifth Level Fist (1976; Shigehiro Ozawa)
206. Psycho III (1986; Anthony Perkins)
207. Scarface (1932; Howard Hawks)*
208. Mad Love (1935; Karl Freund)
209. The Mad Magician (1954; John Brahm)
210. The Devil-Doll (1936; Tod Browning)
211. Chungking Express (1994; Wong Kar-wai)*
212. Count Dracula (1970; Jesus Franco)*
213. Cuadecuc vampir (1970; Pere Portabella)
214. Samurai Reincarnation (1981; Kinji Fukasaku)
215. Under the Hawthorn Tree (2010; Zhang Yimou)
216. The Ghost Writer (2010; Roman Polanski)
217. Deadhead Miles (1972; Vernon Zimmerman)*
218. Megamind (2010; Tom McGrath)
219. Repo Man (1984; Alex Cox)
220. Reign of Assassins (2010; Su Chao-pin & John Woo)
221. Le combat dans l'île (1962; Alain Cavalier)
222. Morning Glory (2010; Roger Michell)
223. Death Smiles on a Murderer (1973; Aristide Massaccesi)*
224. The Offence (1973; Sidney Lumet)
225. The Keep (1983; Michael Mann)
226. Frozen (2010; Adam Green)
227. Busting (1974; Peter Hyams)
228. Takeshis' (2005; Takeshi Kitano)
229. Armour of God (1987; Jackie Chan)*
230. Svengali (1931; Archie Mayo)
231. The Wild, Wild Planet (1965; Antonio Margheriti)
232. The Terminal Man (1974; Mike Hodges)
233. The Informant! (2009; Steven Soderbergh)
234. Tron: Legacy (2010; Joseph Kosinski)
235. Counsellor at Law (1933; William Wyler)
236. True Grit (2010; Joel Coen & Ethan Coen)
237. It Happened One Night (1934; Frank Capra)
238. Flash Gordon (1980; Mike Hodges)
239. Rome Like Chicago/Bandits in Rome (1968; Alberto de Martino)
240. Gold of the Seven Saints (1961; Gordon Douglas)
241. The Green Slime (1968; Kinji Fukasaku)
242. Love & Money (1982; James Toback)
243. Pursuit (1972; Michael Crichton)*
244. Glory to the Filmmaker! (2007; Takeshi Kitano)

Count me in.

 

First viewing

Theatrical viewing

Re-watch

TV

 

January 4, 2011

#1: Absolute Power (Eastwood, 1997) - A decent potboiler that got shit on in the script stage, but Eastwood's directorial eye is dead on and the turns from Clint and Gene Hackman are top notch. The opening scene where Hackman tries to rape Jan from The Office is disturbing in that context but so terribly clumsy. Anti-climactic as well, but it's decent.

 

January 5, 2011

#2: Black Rain (R. Scott, 1989) - Still my favorite of Ridley's work outside of Alien and Blade Runner, a visually breathtaking and thrillingly brutal cop thriller. Michael Douglas is fantastic, and it's got the best karaoke scenes this side of Lost in Translation.

I. Miami Vice: Baby Blues (Attias, 1986) - Painfully bland episode of an awesome show at the top of its game.

II. Deadwood: Requiem for a Gleet (Taylor, 2005) - Just when you thought Doc draining Swearengen's kidney stones in the last episode was the worst thing ever, turns out it isn't. More of Mr. Wu's hilarious broken English. "SWAYJUN! KOKSUKKAH! SAHFRUHSISKO KOKSUKKAH!"

 

January 6, 2011

#3: Black Sunday (Frankenheimer, 1977) - Convicting, ballsy action-thriller at the end of the disaster era and on the cusp of the golden age of action movies, deftly made by Frankenheimer with a notably disturbing turn from Bruce Dern and Robert Shaw at the top of his swag game. Many spectacular action sequences here, and the gritty realism it's crafted with only makes the film more relevant in the post-9/11 world.

III. Miami Vice: Streetwise (Walton, 1986) - Stylish as hell episode with early turns from Wesley Snipes as a psycho pimp and Bill Paxton as a deeply flawed cop.

IV. Deadwood: Complications       (Fienberg, 2005) - Can't believe I didn't start watching this sooner.

 

 

January 7, 2011

V. Miami Vice: Forgive Us Our Debts (Eliasberg, 1986) - Atypical for Miami Vice, the second episode after Shadow in the Dark in season three to borrow heavily from the cops-and-robbers morality issues that have become so prominent in his films. Less based around action and more around a social message, it delivers and the ending's payoff is only heightened by the use of Peter Gabriel's "We Do What You're Told."

VI. Deadwood: Something Very Expensive (Shill, 2005) - Wire and Dexter vet Steve Shill returns behind the camera for this episode, where all the principles are in fine form: Bullock threatening a horse-fucker, Powers Boothe chewing scenery, and Al's recovery spelling the return to greatness for Ian McShane's performance. Possibly the best Swearengen/Mr. Wu meeting yet.

 

January 8, 2011

JACK SHIT

 

January 9, 2011

V/VI. Miami Vice: Down for the Count (Compton, 1987) - a dark, game-changing two-parter of the show, with some of the best music utilization (namely Steve Winwood's "There's a River" at the end of part one and Billy Idol's "Don't Need a Gun" in the second part) and featuring a memorable villain turn from Pepe Serna and nice supporting work from Randall "Tex" Cobb and Chris Elliott.

#4: Eye for an Eye (Schlesinger, 1996) - Death Wish for the more liberal Clinton era, a standard revenge story well made by John Schlesinger about the new complications and resources of vigilante justice. Despite the third act's glaring hiccup and Sally Field's miscasting, the creepiness of Kiefer Sutherland's baddie and reliable turns from Ed Harris, Keith David, Joe Mantegna, and Philip Baker Hall anchor it.

 

January 10, 2011

#5: Twins (Reitman, 1988) - a lighthearted, fun blockbuster, one of the few blanks I still had among what Schwarzenegger films I've seen. Danny DeVito is at the top of his game, and I could seriously listen to the former Governor of California sing "Yakety Yak" for an eternity.

VII. Miami Vice: Cuba Libre (Vogel, 1987) - Snore. A lazy excuse to get Crockett and Tubbs involved with contemporary Cuban politics and conspiracies. They're vice cops, not feds. It works in Smuggler's Blues when it's the heroin that leads them to South America, but it doesn't work when government conspiracies are being dealt with.

Edited by HunterTarantino - 1/10/11 at 10:28pm

 

12/1 - Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (2010) (DVD) *** If DC Entertainment can keep these animated features at this high level of quality, then I'll be on board for each one. 12/2 - Friday the 13th Part 3 (1982) (DVD) *** Regarding the hammock scene, I never really noticed exactly where the blood was dripping from until now. 12/3 - Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979) (BD) **** "I only use it on special equations." - Riff Randell, activist, songwriter, dancer, Ramones historian, and newest member of Agent Z's Crush Hall of Fame. 12/5 - The 39 Steps (1935) (DVD) **** "There are 20 million women in this island and I get to be chained to you." Zone 39 (1996) (DVD) **1/2 12/6 - The Walking Dead - "TS-19" (2010) (HDTV-rip) * Makes you want to drink in the shower. 12/9 - Paranormal Activity 2 (2010) (Howell Theater Smithfield, NC) *** The manner in which this prequel/sequel ties together with the events of the first film is rather ingenious and makes for a compelling storyline on its own. Unfortunately, in the process of explaining away all the loose ends of the first film, and stripping away the mystery in the process, the creepiness and dread of the threat is severely diminished. "And All Through the House" (Tales from the Crypt movie segment) (1972) (DVD) **** "Seasons of Belief" (Tales from the Darkside) (1986) (TV-rip) **** "Monster songs never rhyme!" "The Stalls of Barchester" (1971) (DVD) ** Emphasis on "Stalls", as this BBC tv adaptation of a M.R. James' work plods along to the finish. There's a compelling ghost story here in the source material, but not in the monotone, listless fashion in which it is conveyed. 12/17 - Chucky Lou: The Story of a Woodchuck (1948) (Englewood Theater Englewood, OH) ** An educational nature short, detailing the humans' capturing and nurturing of a seemingly already healthy woodchuck, Chucky Lou, "rehabilitating" him into an overweight, bloated, sad, imprisoned creature, reduced to wearing dresses for kids' tea parties. "Stoned" (ABC Afterschool Special) (1980) (Englewood Theater Englewood, OH) *** "Cause grass helps you see things clearer." Scott Baio's finest hour. Seriously. "Two Seconds to Late" (?) (Englewood Theater Englewood, OH) * Amateur crime/underworld/Tarantino-ripoff. Thankfully short, along with apparently being produced and only shown locally...and hopefully staying that way. Cool as Ice (1991) (Englewood Theater Englewood, OH) *** "Chillin' wit Kat. You know, that chick who drives the horse." 12/18 - Black Devil Doll from Hell (1984) (Englewood Theater Englewood, OH) * Sexually-repressed, god-fearing, church mouse Helen Black's life is about to be forever changed when she unknowingly picks up a sexually deviant, demonic black puppet from the local thrift store. Director Chester Novell Turner's ultra-cheap, ultra-amateur video effort has to be seen to be believed, although I wouldn't wish said chore on my worst enemy. The minimalist Casio synth score wouldn't even make a decent ringtone. Rubber's Lover (1996) (Englewood Theater Englewood, OH) *** Needs more Japanese people screaming and over-emoting, please. The B&W cinematography is gorgeous though. Doggy Poo! (2003) (Englewood Theater Englewood, OH) *** South Korean claymation epic about a pile of dog f*c*s trying to find its purpose in life. If one can get past the premise, this is a surprisingly well-done children's film about contributing to a society and having a place in the workings of the universe. Stop laughing. The Geek (1971) (Englewood Theater Englewood, OH) * Six explorers, looking about as packed and as prepared for a trip to the local Krispy Kreme rather than for the deep wilderness, are on the hunt for the elusive "Geek", or Sasquatch, in this lame, softcore Bigfoot rape flick. Lots and lots and lots of scenes of people walking, occasionally having bad wilderness/tent sex, ending with Bigfoot (read: some tall guy with a greasepainted face wearing a fur coat) "raping" two of the not-so-struggling women. Roll credits. Sigh. Aphrodisiac!: The Sexual Secret of Marijuana (1971) (Englewood Theater Englewood, OH) ** Road of Death (1973) (Englewood Theater Englewood, OH) *1/2 There's padding and filler to get a film's run time up enough for distribution, and then there's Road of Death, a biker exploitation flick with a flat tire, where even the most mundane, non-impactful scenes are drawn out to the extreme. We are given laborious motorcycle riding scenes (recycled at various points too), a dying character hilariously flashing back to earlier scenes, and the pivotal, intense scene of a guy making sandwiches for a picnic. Recommended only for fans (i.e. family and friends) of The Joe Banana Thing band, who are featured in the film, ad nauseam. 12/19 - Tron Legacy (IMAX 3-D) (2010) (The Greene 14 Beavercreek, OH) **1/2 Rich visuals, bankrupt script. Why is a world that is so ripe with promise reduced to hosting bar fights and tired chase scenes? 12/22 - Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) (DVD) *** "There's always people who love you, that will kiss and hug you...and it's always Christmas, on the warm side of the door...." 12/23 - Silent Night, Bloody Night (1974) (VHS) *** Atmospheric, brooding slasher which had me slightly confused by its numerous subplots and minor characters flashing in and out of the story....along with the overly-dark VHS copy I watched, where I struggled to make out the action in several scenes. Looking forward to seeing this again when I can, well, actually see it. Christmas Evil (1980) (DVD) **** Mentally troubled toymaker, Harry, is obsessing on all things Santa, from spying on the good and naughty activities of the local neighborhood children, to keeping a mental checklist of the nasty adults who have shortchanged him, and the spirit of Christmas, as well. Gripping yuletide tale is hard to categorize at times, as it comes in equal parts of black comedy, slasher, with shades of Taxi Driver mixed in as well. The ending scene is pitch-perfect. Highly recommended. Santa's Slay (2005) (DVD) *** "Why, I'm just trying to spread a little yuletide fear!" Santa Claws (1996) (DVD) * In some alternate universe, where justice is truly served, Debbie Rochon is accepting an Oscar, and Meryl Streep is starring in tripe like Santa Claws, where she is half-naked, running from a psycho in a black spraypainted Santa suit, who is brandishing a garden weasel. 12/24 - Black Christmas (2006) (HD-DVD) *** As restrained and as reserved as the original was, is as over the top and gratuitous as this remake is. I handled all it threw my way, but the Christmas "cookies" scene was pushing it. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) (laserdisc) **** "There's children throwing snowballs / instead of throwing heads / they're busy building toys / and absolutely no one's dead!" 12/25 - Elf (2003) (BD) **** "I just like to smile. Smiling's my favorite." A Christmas Story (1983) (BD) **** Be sure to drink your Ovaltine. A Christmas Carol (1971) (TV-rip) **** Oscar-winning animated short of the classic tale, employing the voice talent of Alastair Sim as Scrooge once again. Great, atmospheric animation, but the story feels a tad rushed in spots. The Twilight Zone S02E47 "The Night of the Meek" (1960) (DVD) **** Doctor Who "A Christmas Carol" (2010) (HDTV-rip) **** This is Doctor Who done crazily right, combining A Christmas Carol with Jaws. Bonus checks forwarded to Moffat and company for having Amy Pond back in her kissogram policewoman outfit. 12/26 - The Thing (1982) (HD-DVD) **** "Why don't we just wait here for a little while... see what happens..." The Shining (1980) (HD-DVD) **** "Wendy, you've got a big surprise coming to you. You're not going anywhere." Ratings: **** = Excellent *** = Good ** = Fair * = Poor All titles in bold represent first-time viewings.
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I'm currently living in Kuwait. Got a job here for 6 months. This is what I've seen during my time.

 

RANGO

PAUL

SUCKER PUNCH

EL TOPO

LIMITLESS

SOURCE CODE

ANIMA MUNDI

I SAW THE DEVIL