(Almost done)
To recap, I’m aiming to watch 450 films by the end of the year but a minimum of 80% of that total has to be stuff which I have never seen before.
As expected, November saw a slight dip in the number of films watched (although still a respectable amount in the eyes of many) but still maintained an average of just over one per day.
The main reason for the dip was the previously mentioned holiday. It was nice to take a break and enjoy a bit of time off from watching. I only dipped back in once to watch Mission: Impossible while in Prague, solely to be able to say, “I was just there earlier today”.
That would have been it really had delays in the journey home not meant watching a succession of films not-of-my-choosing on a coach as it hurtled through snowy mainland Europe (Monster-In-Law and The Lake House not being my preferred viewing). Still, numbers is numbers and at least it got me back in the swing.
In all, not half bad taking into account the considerable block of days where I watched nothing.
So, here's where I stand at month 11's end:
November:
Total films watched: 33
First-time viewings: 28
Percentage of first-time viewings: 84.8%
Cumulative monthly total: 418
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 362
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 86.6%
Best Films: Another Year, The Magdalene Sisters, Black Death, Jackass 3D, Hollywoodland, Inside, Donkeys, Mission: Impossible
Worst Films: Skyline, Things To Do Before You’re 30, Quest For Fire, Wasted
November 2009 Comparison:
Total films watched: 38
First-time viewings: 30
Percentage of first-time viewings: 83.3%
Cumulative monthly total: 374
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 294
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 78.6%
The monthly total wasn’t as high as the comparable figure from 2009 but didn’t take our usual November jaunt last year and I seem to recall watching a lot of stuff on buses and streaming online those winter months.
Still, the overall figure is well above that of 2009 sailing past the 400 mark and, in fact, I had already surpassed last year’s final figure of 407 by November 15th this year.
New viewings remained high and it would take something shocking for me not to comfortably reach my target this year. I wouldn’t rule that out though.
Don’t want hubris to get the better of me so can’t afford to slack off now. With a number of films I want to see in the cinema before the end of the year, as well as my stockpile at home, I can hopefully take the few days Christmas holiday I have left to get a fair bit watched in a final push.
Thoughts now turn to next year’s challenge. I need to spice it up a bit but don’t want to just increase the target. I don’t think that would do anyone any favours.
Showing posts with label Challenge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Challenge. Show all posts
Wednesday, 8 December 2010
Thursday, 11 November 2010
2010 Challenge – Month 10 Stats
(Not long to go now)
To recap, I’m aiming to watch 450 films by the end of the year but a minimum of 80% of that total has to be stuff which I have never seen before.
The solid flow of film-watching continued into October, with the final total just a few less than September. Still, it’s a good five or six better than the monthly target I set myself. Again, there were very few days with no film-watching and then a fair few days of multiple viewings to compensate.
A trip down to the London Film Festival for a few days helped. While I didn’t see an outrageous amount while down there (seven in three days, as well as other events), it was three days off work with nothing on the agenda but film-watching so it certainly helped. Outside of that, the journey provided time to watch a few with no distractions. It definitely helped although didn’t quite reach EIFF levels.
It has left me in a good position for the last two months of the year, which I’ll need considering those months house both a holiday and the festive season.
With only 65 films left to reach the target, and still hovering safely above the 80% threshold of new films, I’m at the stage now where it would really take an absolute disaster for me not to make it. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen and also that this smugness doesn’t make a case for schadenfreude.
So, here's where I stand at month 10's end:
October:
Total films watched: 43
First-time viewings: 38
Percentage of first-time viewings: 88.4%
Cumulative monthly total: 385
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 334
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 86.8%
Best Films: NEDS, Black Swan, Busting, The Social Network, Back To The Future, Aguirre, The Wrath Of God, Let Me In, It’s Kind Of A Funny Story, Taking Off, Despicable Me, The Foot Fist Way
Worst Films: Burke & Hare, RED, Takers, One Last Chance, All I Want, Wind Chill, Dark Love
October 2009 Comparison:
Total films watched: 46
First-time viewings: 26
Percentage of first-time viewings: 56.5%
Cumulative monthly total: 336
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 264
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 78.6%
I notice that I didn’t actually manage to beat the equivalent monthly total from last year, but if memory serves I went on an all-out horror binge (and the watching of old favourites accounts for the shockingly low first-time viewing percentage).
I’m happy with the number of new things I saw at both the cinema and on DVD. The buying of multiple cheap DVDs has left me with a stockpile of stuff to see me through the year.
I can relax a bit but don’t want to take my eye off the ball too much, lest I underestimate how easy the final period of the year will be.
To recap, I’m aiming to watch 450 films by the end of the year but a minimum of 80% of that total has to be stuff which I have never seen before.
The solid flow of film-watching continued into October, with the final total just a few less than September. Still, it’s a good five or six better than the monthly target I set myself. Again, there were very few days with no film-watching and then a fair few days of multiple viewings to compensate.
A trip down to the London Film Festival for a few days helped. While I didn’t see an outrageous amount while down there (seven in three days, as well as other events), it was three days off work with nothing on the agenda but film-watching so it certainly helped. Outside of that, the journey provided time to watch a few with no distractions. It definitely helped although didn’t quite reach EIFF levels.
It has left me in a good position for the last two months of the year, which I’ll need considering those months house both a holiday and the festive season.
With only 65 films left to reach the target, and still hovering safely above the 80% threshold of new films, I’m at the stage now where it would really take an absolute disaster for me not to make it. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen and also that this smugness doesn’t make a case for schadenfreude.
So, here's where I stand at month 10's end:
October:
Total films watched: 43
First-time viewings: 38
Percentage of first-time viewings: 88.4%
Cumulative monthly total: 385
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 334
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 86.8%
Best Films: NEDS, Black Swan, Busting, The Social Network, Back To The Future, Aguirre, The Wrath Of God, Let Me In, It’s Kind Of A Funny Story, Taking Off, Despicable Me, The Foot Fist Way
Worst Films: Burke & Hare, RED, Takers, One Last Chance, All I Want, Wind Chill, Dark Love
October 2009 Comparison:
Total films watched: 46
First-time viewings: 26
Percentage of first-time viewings: 56.5%
Cumulative monthly total: 336
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 264
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 78.6%
I notice that I didn’t actually manage to beat the equivalent monthly total from last year, but if memory serves I went on an all-out horror binge (and the watching of old favourites accounts for the shockingly low first-time viewing percentage).
I’m happy with the number of new things I saw at both the cinema and on DVD. The buying of multiple cheap DVDs has left me with a stockpile of stuff to see me through the year.
I can relax a bit but don’t want to take my eye off the ball too much, lest I underestimate how easy the final period of the year will be.
Tuesday, 12 October 2010
2010 Challenge – Month 9 Stats
(I've committed to these updates now, and I need to see them though)
To recap, I’m aiming to watch 450 films by the end of the year but a minimum of 80% of that total has to be stuff which I have never seen before.
As predicted, with the onset of darker evenings and autumnal snugness, the watching of films has increased. I might be wrong but I'm pretty sure that this month's total of 45 is a record for a 'normal' month's film watching (i.e. outside of EIFF). It's certainly the best I've done in a while. There was scarcely a day where no film was watched and, indeed, many days involved more than one.
It may have been the perceived slackness of August's endeavours spurring me on, or it may have had more to do with the post-Fringe lack of money. It might just be that being a mere three short of my 300 target at the two-thirds point left me feeling this would be achievable.
The 45 this month should set me in good stead, leaving me ever-so-slightly ahead of target with just 108 to go in the final quarter of the year. That's means a breezy 36 films a month should see me through.
So, here's where I stand at month 9's end:
September:
Total films watched: 45
First-time viewings: 39
Percentage of first-time viewings: 86.7%
Cumulative monthly total: 342
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 296
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 86.5%
Best Films: Dogtooth, Enter The Void, The Other Guys, The Town, Cyrus, World’s Greatest Dad, The Scouting Book For Boys, The Hole, Irreversible, Se7en, Mother, Heartless, Small Faces, Calvaire, I Stand Alone
Worst Films: Bonded By Blood, Grown Ups, The Brown Bunny, The Final, French Film, The Loved Ones
September 2009 Comparison:
Total films watched: 36
First-time viewings: 27
Percentage of first-time viewings: 75.0%
Cumulative monthly total: 290
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 238
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 82.1%
The percentage of unseen films has held last month’s position, so that’s something. With A V+ box full of stuff, a stack of cheap DVDs from Fopp and a load of films I’m looking forward to out soon, I should be okay in terms of the ‘new’.
I can allow myself check out a few old favourites (particularly horrors) this month without jeopardising the total too much.
Things are looking positive for a relatively comfortable trot down the home straight. A holiday might be the only hurdle to overcome but I ain’t complaining. I’ll almost certainly have built up a bit of leeway to account for it anyway.
Aaaaand, relax.
To recap, I’m aiming to watch 450 films by the end of the year but a minimum of 80% of that total has to be stuff which I have never seen before.
As predicted, with the onset of darker evenings and autumnal snugness, the watching of films has increased. I might be wrong but I'm pretty sure that this month's total of 45 is a record for a 'normal' month's film watching (i.e. outside of EIFF). It's certainly the best I've done in a while. There was scarcely a day where no film was watched and, indeed, many days involved more than one.
It may have been the perceived slackness of August's endeavours spurring me on, or it may have had more to do with the post-Fringe lack of money. It might just be that being a mere three short of my 300 target at the two-thirds point left me feeling this would be achievable.
The 45 this month should set me in good stead, leaving me ever-so-slightly ahead of target with just 108 to go in the final quarter of the year. That's means a breezy 36 films a month should see me through.
So, here's where I stand at month 9's end:
September:
Total films watched: 45
First-time viewings: 39
Percentage of first-time viewings: 86.7%
Cumulative monthly total: 342
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 296
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 86.5%
Best Films: Dogtooth, Enter The Void, The Other Guys, The Town, Cyrus, World’s Greatest Dad, The Scouting Book For Boys, The Hole, Irreversible, Se7en, Mother, Heartless, Small Faces, Calvaire, I Stand Alone
Worst Films: Bonded By Blood, Grown Ups, The Brown Bunny, The Final, French Film, The Loved Ones
September 2009 Comparison:
Total films watched: 36
First-time viewings: 27
Percentage of first-time viewings: 75.0%
Cumulative monthly total: 290
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 238
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 82.1%
The percentage of unseen films has held last month’s position, so that’s something. With A V+ box full of stuff, a stack of cheap DVDs from Fopp and a load of films I’m looking forward to out soon, I should be okay in terms of the ‘new’.
I can allow myself check out a few old favourites (particularly horrors) this month without jeopardising the total too much.
Things are looking positive for a relatively comfortable trot down the home straight. A holiday might be the only hurdle to overcome but I ain’t complaining. I’ll almost certainly have built up a bit of leeway to account for it anyway.
Aaaaand, relax.
Friday, 10 September 2010
2010 Challenge - Month 8 Stats
(just about keeping up)
To recap, I’m aiming to watch 450 films by the end of the year but a minimum of 80% of that total has to be stuff which I have never seen before.
August is a typically busy month for me. The Fringe pretty much controls my life for the bulk of the month and, unlike EIFF, this isn’t time spent watching films. I saw a total of 28 shows throughout August and typically most of these excursions would involve a lengthy trip to make the most of the Festival licensing changes on either side of it.
That said, I’m pretty happy, albeit shocked, that I managed to keep the film viewing pretty high with an average of fractionally more than one film per day. It’s certainly higher than the viewing for the same period last year and just about getting me where I need to be.
So, here's where I stand at month 8's end:
August:
Total films watched: 32
First-time viewings: 23
Percentage of first-time viewings: 71.9%
Cumulative monthly total: 297
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 257
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 86.5%
Best Films: The Girl Who Played With Fire, Separado!, The Last Exorcism, This Is England, Ratatouille, The Lost Boys
Worst Films: Bigga Than Ben: A Russians' Guide To Ripping Off London, The Other Side Of The Bed, The Expendables, Lost Boys: The Tribe, Hideous Kinky
August 2009 Comparison:
Total films watched: 23
First-time viewings: 21
Percentage of first-time viewings: 91.3%
Cumulative monthly total: 254
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 211
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 83.1%
In terms of the grand scheme of things my overall total fell 3 short of the target of 300 for the first 2/3 of the year. It still means an achievable 39 or so films a month for the remainder of the year should do it.
These last two months I’ve fallen back on watching old stuff and the new viewing percentage is taking a tumble month upon month. I thought the relatively high percentage of the first half of the year would sustain but I really need to be more careful.
I’ll have to have a series look through the ‘unwatched’ pile of the DVD collection in coming months, rather than fall back on the safe, easy choices.
Still, hopes are high for keeping on track - especially now the fertile film watching ambience of the autumn/winter months is nigh.
To recap, I’m aiming to watch 450 films by the end of the year but a minimum of 80% of that total has to be stuff which I have never seen before.
August is a typically busy month for me. The Fringe pretty much controls my life for the bulk of the month and, unlike EIFF, this isn’t time spent watching films. I saw a total of 28 shows throughout August and typically most of these excursions would involve a lengthy trip to make the most of the Festival licensing changes on either side of it.
That said, I’m pretty happy, albeit shocked, that I managed to keep the film viewing pretty high with an average of fractionally more than one film per day. It’s certainly higher than the viewing for the same period last year and just about getting me where I need to be.
So, here's where I stand at month 8's end:
August:
Total films watched: 32
First-time viewings: 23
Percentage of first-time viewings: 71.9%
Cumulative monthly total: 297
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 257
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 86.5%
Best Films: The Girl Who Played With Fire, Separado!, The Last Exorcism, This Is England, Ratatouille, The Lost Boys
Worst Films: Bigga Than Ben: A Russians' Guide To Ripping Off London, The Other Side Of The Bed, The Expendables, Lost Boys: The Tribe, Hideous Kinky
August 2009 Comparison:
Total films watched: 23
First-time viewings: 21
Percentage of first-time viewings: 91.3%
Cumulative monthly total: 254
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 211
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 83.1%
In terms of the grand scheme of things my overall total fell 3 short of the target of 300 for the first 2/3 of the year. It still means an achievable 39 or so films a month for the remainder of the year should do it.
These last two months I’ve fallen back on watching old stuff and the new viewing percentage is taking a tumble month upon month. I thought the relatively high percentage of the first half of the year would sustain but I really need to be more careful.
I’ll have to have a series look through the ‘unwatched’ pile of the DVD collection in coming months, rather than fall back on the safe, easy choices.
Still, hopes are high for keeping on track - especially now the fertile film watching ambience of the autumn/winter months is nigh.
Thursday, 12 August 2010
2010 Challenge - Month 7 Stats
(momentum maintained)
To recap, I’m aiming to watch 450 films by the end of the year but a minimum of 80% of that total has to be stuff which I have never seen before.
After the abnormally engorged viewing of June and the buoyed notion that the target might be achievable, I entered July with similarly lofty hopes. I think I worked it out that I needed an average of 37.5 films a month for the remaining six months of the year in order to smash the 450 target.
Mindful of the fact that August, and therefore a packed Fringe schedule, was impending I tried to get as far beyond 37.5 as I could to cut myself some slack for the coming month. In the end 40 isn’t that much more but any slack I can cut myself for the one month of the year where other activities take precedence is a boon. I took a few days off from viewing at the start of July to recover from EIFF, so 40 is in effect the total for about 28 days, which ain’t bad.
So, here's where I stand at month 7's end:
July:
Total films watched: 40
First-time viewings: 29
Percentage of first-time viewings: 72.5%
Cumulative monthly total: 265
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 234
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 88.3%
Best Films: Red Road, Inception, Somers Town, GoodFellas, The Entity, Bring It On, Ravenous, To Kill A Mockingbird, Sweet Sixteen, The Karate Kid, The A-Team, Cloverfield, London To Brighton
Worst Films: Survival Of The Dead, Predator 2, The Collector, Wild Target
July 2009 Comparison:
Total films watched: 27
First-time viewings: 18
Percentage of first-time viewings: 66.6%
Cumulative monthly total: 231
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 190
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 82.3%
I fully expect August to be fairly lean in terms of what films I watch, so if I hit 37.5 (or even 35, taking into account the slack I bought myself from July) I’ll be happy and still on target. It doesn’t seem likely though.
Still, with autumn and winter approaching steadily I can ramp this up again.
The 80% target of first-time viewings took a bit of a dent in July with a lot of ‘comfort viewing’ of old familiars but it’s still safely over the threshold. In all honestly, I thought the overall percentage could cope with a bit more in terms of rewatches than it has (dropping as it did 3% or so for the sake of 11 films) but at least I know for coming months.
I can still do this but it’s going to require a plan of action for the remaining five months, as well as the hope that August doesn’t see too much of a drop.
To recap, I’m aiming to watch 450 films by the end of the year but a minimum of 80% of that total has to be stuff which I have never seen before.
After the abnormally engorged viewing of June and the buoyed notion that the target might be achievable, I entered July with similarly lofty hopes. I think I worked it out that I needed an average of 37.5 films a month for the remaining six months of the year in order to smash the 450 target.
Mindful of the fact that August, and therefore a packed Fringe schedule, was impending I tried to get as far beyond 37.5 as I could to cut myself some slack for the coming month. In the end 40 isn’t that much more but any slack I can cut myself for the one month of the year where other activities take precedence is a boon. I took a few days off from viewing at the start of July to recover from EIFF, so 40 is in effect the total for about 28 days, which ain’t bad.
So, here's where I stand at month 7's end:
July:
Total films watched: 40
First-time viewings: 29
Percentage of first-time viewings: 72.5%
Cumulative monthly total: 265
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 234
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 88.3%
Best Films: Red Road, Inception, Somers Town, GoodFellas, The Entity, Bring It On, Ravenous, To Kill A Mockingbird, Sweet Sixteen, The Karate Kid, The A-Team, Cloverfield, London To Brighton
Worst Films: Survival Of The Dead, Predator 2, The Collector, Wild Target
July 2009 Comparison:
Total films watched: 27
First-time viewings: 18
Percentage of first-time viewings: 66.6%
Cumulative monthly total: 231
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 190
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 82.3%
I fully expect August to be fairly lean in terms of what films I watch, so if I hit 37.5 (or even 35, taking into account the slack I bought myself from July) I’ll be happy and still on target. It doesn’t seem likely though.
Still, with autumn and winter approaching steadily I can ramp this up again.
The 80% target of first-time viewings took a bit of a dent in July with a lot of ‘comfort viewing’ of old familiars but it’s still safely over the threshold. In all honestly, I thought the overall percentage could cope with a bit more in terms of rewatches than it has (dropping as it did 3% or so for the sake of 11 films) but at least I know for coming months.
I can still do this but it’s going to require a plan of action for the remaining five months, as well as the hope that August doesn’t see too much of a drop.
Saturday, 3 July 2010
2010 Challenge – Month 6 Stats
(things are looking up)
To recap, I’m aiming to watch 450 films by the end of the year but a minimum of 80% of that total has to be stuff which I have never seen before.
June started fairly slowly with a struggle to make a film a day and numerous where I didn’t watch any. As predicted, the saving grace this month (and challenge entire?) was Edinburgh International Film Festival. I took the 10 day duration off work and, one day ‘off’ to see Paul McCartney aside, was doing an average of 4 or 5 films a day through a combination of press screenings, public screenings and watching in a basement film-watching battery farm.
So, here's where I stand at month 6's end:
June:
Total films watched: 57
First-time viewings: 51
Percentage of first-time viewings: 89.5%
Cumulative monthly total: 225
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 205
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 91.1%
Best Films: Toy Story 3, Donkeys, Outcast, The Secret In Their Eyes, Hallam Foe, Orphans, My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done, Get Him To The Greek, Chase The Slut, Boy, Nothing Personal, Heartbreaker, Winter’s Bone, Girl With Black Balloons, C'est Déjà L'été, The Robber, The House Of The Devil, The Big Sleep
Worst Films: Superhero Me, Ollie Kepler's Expanding Purple World, The Dry Land
June 2009 Comparison:
Total films watched: 44
First-time viewings: 43
Percentage of first-time viewings: 97.7%
Cumulative monthly total: 204
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 172
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 84.3%
So, 225! A symbolic figure! At the midpoint of the year I reached exactly the midpoint of my 450 target. This shows me that the challenge is very much still ‘on’.
Still, it’s equally as troubling as it is elating. This month’s figures were obviously artificially inflated as a result of EIFF. This makes me wonder whether reaching the same again for the second half of the year will be remotely possible. I’m banking on the fact that the colder climes of the later months will fuel much staring at screens – but then again, the second half contains the Edinburgh Fringe, which is notoriously (for me) a time when little watching gets done.
Hopes are high that I can pull this off. All it means is a couple of films most days and a few blowouts. We’ll see.
The 80% target of first-time viewings is looking pretty good too, also helped by EIFF. It should allow me a bit of lee-way as the year progresses. I’m impressed as it stands with only 20/225 being stuff I’ve seen before (one of those being Toy Story 3 for the second time in a day).
A reinvigoration has occurred and I’m now thinking it may just be possible to do this.
To recap, I’m aiming to watch 450 films by the end of the year but a minimum of 80% of that total has to be stuff which I have never seen before.
June started fairly slowly with a struggle to make a film a day and numerous where I didn’t watch any. As predicted, the saving grace this month (and challenge entire?) was Edinburgh International Film Festival. I took the 10 day duration off work and, one day ‘off’ to see Paul McCartney aside, was doing an average of 4 or 5 films a day through a combination of press screenings, public screenings and watching in a basement film-watching battery farm.
So, here's where I stand at month 6's end:
June:
Total films watched: 57
First-time viewings: 51
Percentage of first-time viewings: 89.5%
Cumulative monthly total: 225
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 205
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 91.1%
Best Films: Toy Story 3, Donkeys, Outcast, The Secret In Their Eyes, Hallam Foe, Orphans, My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done, Get Him To The Greek, Chase The Slut, Boy, Nothing Personal, Heartbreaker, Winter’s Bone, Girl With Black Balloons, C'est Déjà L'été, The Robber, The House Of The Devil, The Big Sleep
Worst Films: Superhero Me, Ollie Kepler's Expanding Purple World, The Dry Land
June 2009 Comparison:
Total films watched: 44
First-time viewings: 43
Percentage of first-time viewings: 97.7%
Cumulative monthly total: 204
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 172
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 84.3%
So, 225! A symbolic figure! At the midpoint of the year I reached exactly the midpoint of my 450 target. This shows me that the challenge is very much still ‘on’.
Still, it’s equally as troubling as it is elating. This month’s figures were obviously artificially inflated as a result of EIFF. This makes me wonder whether reaching the same again for the second half of the year will be remotely possible. I’m banking on the fact that the colder climes of the later months will fuel much staring at screens – but then again, the second half contains the Edinburgh Fringe, which is notoriously (for me) a time when little watching gets done.
Hopes are high that I can pull this off. All it means is a couple of films most days and a few blowouts. We’ll see.
The 80% target of first-time viewings is looking pretty good too, also helped by EIFF. It should allow me a bit of lee-way as the year progresses. I’m impressed as it stands with only 20/225 being stuff I’ve seen before (one of those being Toy Story 3 for the second time in a day).
A reinvigoration has occurred and I’m now thinking it may just be possible to do this.
Wednesday, 9 June 2010
2010 Challenge – Month 5 Stats
(this is starting to become really challenging)
To recap, I’m aiming to watch 450 films by the end of the year but a minimum of 80% of that total has to be stuff which I have never seen before.
Although now more firmly established www.reelscotland.com still continues to be where the bulk of my free time goes. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t have it any other way but it obviously eats into film-watching time though. Conducting interviews, transcribing interviews, editing interviews, reviewing and the like are (as anyone possessed with an ounce of smarts will obviously tell you) time consuming.
May was still peppered with a few days where I didn’t watch any films – either due to general tiredness or having something else to do.
So, here's where I stand at month 5's end:
May:
Total films watched: 37
First-time viewings: 34
Percentage of first-time viewings: 91.9%
Cumulative monthly total: 168
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 154
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 91.7%
Best Films: The Enigma Of Kaspar Hauser, The Sting, Four Lions, Annie Hall, Amsterdamned, The Hunger
Worst Films: Cop Out, The Bridge, American Cousins, It’s A Wonderful Afterlife
May 2009 Comparison:
Total films watched: 32
First-time viewings: 26
Percentage of first-time viewings: 81.3%
Cumulative monthly total: 160
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 129
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 80.6%
May was very nearly a total whitewash. I was heading for the lowest daily average so far this year were it not for a four-day, bank holiday weekend right at the end which allowed the time for a 14 film blow-out.
So, approaching halfway through the year and I’m slightly up on last year – but possibly not enough to reach the 43 extra films I’m aiming for.
Still, the fact I’ve only watched 14 films so far this year which I’ve seen before is impressive. It’s looking clear that my 80% target of seeing stuff I’ve never seen is achievable and will hopefully allow for some nostalgia-wallowing quick-fixes in the winter months.
Edinburgh International Film Festival is in mid-June so that will present a chance devote entire days to film-watching, with the wonderful nature of EIFF meaning this will all be new, or undiscovered, stuff. It will certainly boost this June to an unnaturally engorged state, but will do me favours later on.
May was a success. Just. June’s looking that way too, but I’m 57 films off hitting the midpoint target of 225…
To recap, I’m aiming to watch 450 films by the end of the year but a minimum of 80% of that total has to be stuff which I have never seen before.
Although now more firmly established www.reelscotland.com still continues to be where the bulk of my free time goes. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t have it any other way but it obviously eats into film-watching time though. Conducting interviews, transcribing interviews, editing interviews, reviewing and the like are (as anyone possessed with an ounce of smarts will obviously tell you) time consuming.
May was still peppered with a few days where I didn’t watch any films – either due to general tiredness or having something else to do.
So, here's where I stand at month 5's end:
May:
Total films watched: 37
First-time viewings: 34
Percentage of first-time viewings: 91.9%
Cumulative monthly total: 168
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 154
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 91.7%
Best Films: The Enigma Of Kaspar Hauser, The Sting, Four Lions, Annie Hall, Amsterdamned, The Hunger
Worst Films: Cop Out, The Bridge, American Cousins, It’s A Wonderful Afterlife
May 2009 Comparison:
Total films watched: 32
First-time viewings: 26
Percentage of first-time viewings: 81.3%
Cumulative monthly total: 160
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 129
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 80.6%
May was very nearly a total whitewash. I was heading for the lowest daily average so far this year were it not for a four-day, bank holiday weekend right at the end which allowed the time for a 14 film blow-out.
So, approaching halfway through the year and I’m slightly up on last year – but possibly not enough to reach the 43 extra films I’m aiming for.
Still, the fact I’ve only watched 14 films so far this year which I’ve seen before is impressive. It’s looking clear that my 80% target of seeing stuff I’ve never seen is achievable and will hopefully allow for some nostalgia-wallowing quick-fixes in the winter months.
Edinburgh International Film Festival is in mid-June so that will present a chance devote entire days to film-watching, with the wonderful nature of EIFF meaning this will all be new, or undiscovered, stuff. It will certainly boost this June to an unnaturally engorged state, but will do me favours later on.
May was a success. Just. June’s looking that way too, but I’m 57 films off hitting the midpoint target of 225…
Sunday, 2 May 2010
2010 Challenge – Month 4 Stats
(at what stage does this become obsessive-compulsive?)
To recap, I’m aiming to watch 450 films by the end of the year but a minimum of 80% of that total has to be stuff which I have never seen before.
Okay, so I’m no longer reviewing every film I watch. In theory, that should give me more time to actually watch films. Yeah? Not so.
As well as working, I’m now filling my evenings with a mixture of evening classes and writing for http://www.reelscotland.com/. There are a few reviews up on there but, as fun and rewarding as it is, it’s time consuming in terms of the background mechanics of the site.
If anything, since stopping reviewing everything my viewing has decreased. There was a sizeable few-day chunk of April where I didn’t watch any films and a spattering of days throughout where I saw nothing. As such, it’s the first month of 2010 thus far where I’m actually disappointed with the stats.
So, here's where I stand at month 4's end:
April:
Total films watched: 28
First-time viewings: 27
Percentage of first-time viewings: 96.4%
Cumulative monthly total: 131
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 120
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 91.6%
Best Films: The Cove, Cemetery Junction, The Ghost, Perrier’s Bounty, À Bout De Souffle, I Am Love
Worst Films: Bitch Slap, 2 Days In The Valley
April 2009 Comparison:
Total films watched: 33
First-time viewings: 24
Percentage of first-time viewings: 72.3%
Cumulative monthly total: 128
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 103
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 80.5%
So, a third of the way through the year now and this month my figure was a daily average of less than one film a day.
Not only that, despite a decent start to the year I’m now only three films ahead of my total of this time last year.
My first-watched figure remains impressively high. I’m barely rewatching anything. I’m very happy about this. As I’ve made clear from the start of this year’s challenge, I’m looking to see as much as possible and don’t see the point in my total being made up largely of stuff I’ve seen before.
So, I’m hoping things like the Edinburgh International Film Festival in June will allow me to bolster my figures, certainly in terms of seeing new films. I’m banking on that to save this year’s challenge. Outside of that, I’m falling back on the old mantra about upping my game. This time I mean it.
Colour me disappointed. April, you will not be forgotten; but you will not be mourned.
To recap, I’m aiming to watch 450 films by the end of the year but a minimum of 80% of that total has to be stuff which I have never seen before.
Okay, so I’m no longer reviewing every film I watch. In theory, that should give me more time to actually watch films. Yeah? Not so.
As well as working, I’m now filling my evenings with a mixture of evening classes and writing for http://www.reelscotland.com/. There are a few reviews up on there but, as fun and rewarding as it is, it’s time consuming in terms of the background mechanics of the site.
If anything, since stopping reviewing everything my viewing has decreased. There was a sizeable few-day chunk of April where I didn’t watch any films and a spattering of days throughout where I saw nothing. As such, it’s the first month of 2010 thus far where I’m actually disappointed with the stats.
So, here's where I stand at month 4's end:
April:
Total films watched: 28
First-time viewings: 27
Percentage of first-time viewings: 96.4%
Cumulative monthly total: 131
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 120
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 91.6%
Best Films: The Cove, Cemetery Junction, The Ghost, Perrier’s Bounty, À Bout De Souffle, I Am Love
Worst Films: Bitch Slap, 2 Days In The Valley
April 2009 Comparison:
Total films watched: 33
First-time viewings: 24
Percentage of first-time viewings: 72.3%
Cumulative monthly total: 128
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 103
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 80.5%
So, a third of the way through the year now and this month my figure was a daily average of less than one film a day.
Not only that, despite a decent start to the year I’m now only three films ahead of my total of this time last year.
My first-watched figure remains impressively high. I’m barely rewatching anything. I’m very happy about this. As I’ve made clear from the start of this year’s challenge, I’m looking to see as much as possible and don’t see the point in my total being made up largely of stuff I’ve seen before.
So, I’m hoping things like the Edinburgh International Film Festival in June will allow me to bolster my figures, certainly in terms of seeing new films. I’m banking on that to save this year’s challenge. Outside of that, I’m falling back on the old mantra about upping my game. This time I mean it.
Colour me disappointed. April, you will not be forgotten; but you will not be mourned.
Monday, 5 April 2010
2010 Challenge - Month 3 Stats
(I'm still persevering with this)
To recap, I’m aiming to watch 450 films by the end of the year but a minimum of 80% of that total has to be stuff which I have never seen before.
As the astute among you will no doubt realise, the reviewing of each film has certainly taken a backseat. That's partly due to the problems outlined last month but also due to more time being devoted to a new venture, which expands upon what was started here, www.reelscotland.com. Not only am I doing a bit of reviewing over there, but also expanding into features, guides and the odd interview.
None of this is to say the challenge has gone out of the window. It still very much remains. That said, not reviewing every film hasn't really improved the figures.
So, here's where I stand at month 3's end:
March:
Total films watched: 31
First-time viewings: 28
Percentage of first-time viewings: 90.3%
Cumulative monthly total: 103
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 93
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 90.3%
Best Films: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Je T'Aime Moi Non Plus, The White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights, Two-Lane Blacktop, Kick-Ass, Crazy Heart
Worst Films: From Paris With Love, The Room, Alice In Wonderland
March 2009 Comparison:
Total films watched: 26
First-time viewings: 24
Percentage of first-time viewings: 92.3%
Cumulative monthly total: 95
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 79
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 83.2%
Total 'new' films is still flying fairly high and the overall percentage has remained pretty consistent. With that, I'm pretty happy. I'm certainly a good few ahead of last year.
With a quarter of the year now gone, I'm 9½ films behind on a quarter of the target. That doesn't sound too bad at all. Pace needs picked up though!
Maybe the right balance can yet be struck.
To recap, I’m aiming to watch 450 films by the end of the year but a minimum of 80% of that total has to be stuff which I have never seen before.
As the astute among you will no doubt realise, the reviewing of each film has certainly taken a backseat. That's partly due to the problems outlined last month but also due to more time being devoted to a new venture, which expands upon what was started here, www.reelscotland.com. Not only am I doing a bit of reviewing over there, but also expanding into features, guides and the odd interview.
None of this is to say the challenge has gone out of the window. It still very much remains. That said, not reviewing every film hasn't really improved the figures.
So, here's where I stand at month 3's end:
March:
Total films watched: 31
First-time viewings: 28
Percentage of first-time viewings: 90.3%
Cumulative monthly total: 103
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 93
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 90.3%
Best Films: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Je T'Aime Moi Non Plus, The White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights, Two-Lane Blacktop, Kick-Ass, Crazy Heart
Worst Films: From Paris With Love, The Room, Alice In Wonderland
March 2009 Comparison:
Total films watched: 26
First-time viewings: 24
Percentage of first-time viewings: 92.3%
Cumulative monthly total: 95
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 79
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 83.2%
Total 'new' films is still flying fairly high and the overall percentage has remained pretty consistent. With that, I'm pretty happy. I'm certainly a good few ahead of last year.
With a quarter of the year now gone, I'm 9½ films behind on a quarter of the target. That doesn't sound too bad at all. Pace needs picked up though!
Maybe the right balance can yet be struck.
Monday, 1 March 2010
2010 Challenge – Month 2 Stats
(A nerdy deconstruction of potential pitfalls)
To recap, I’m aiming to watch 450 films by the end of the year but a minimum of 80% of that total has to be stuff which I have never seen before.
My focus is on watching a large amount but I’m still trying to engage with each film more by writing a review of them. This has posed a dilemma. The more time I spend watching the films, the less time there is to write about them. Perversely, the same is obviously true the other way; the more time I spend writing about the films, the less time there is to actually watch them. It would appear that being able to watch a lot and write a lot are pretty much mutually exclusive.
For the time being, I’m just about able to shoulder it but I may have to consider what takes priority in future months as the deadline looms.
So, here’s where I stand at the end of the second month:
February:
Total films watched: 31
First-time viewings: 29
Percentage of first-time viewings: 93.5%
Cumulative monthly total: 72
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 65
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 90.3%
Best Films: Whip It, Ponyo, Thirst, Jean De Florette, Manon Des Sources, [●REC]2
Worst Films: Lady In White, The Room
February 2009 Comparison:
Total films watched: 40
First-time viewings: 29
Percentage of first-time viewings: 72.5%
Cumulative monthly total: 69
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 55
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 79.7%
I’m in two minds about this month’s stats. On the one hand 31 films is still more than one-per-day on average. On the other hand it’s a bit of a drop from last month, even taking into account the whole ’28 days’ hindrance. It has been a fairly busy month with travelling through to Glasgow on a few occasions for The Glasgow Film Festival as well as appearing on the radio and numerous unrelated time-sapping pursuits.
It’s still slightly up on last year, but not by much. In saying that, the percentage ‘new’ figure is high and rising. In fact, apart from two viewings of The Room, I didn’t watch a single other film in February that I had seen before.
On an even more positive note, the standard for the month was impressively high. I saw far more great and good films than I did awful ones.
So, a few positives to be gained from this but, otherwise, I need to up my game.
Possibly, something’s got to give…
To recap, I’m aiming to watch 450 films by the end of the year but a minimum of 80% of that total has to be stuff which I have never seen before.
My focus is on watching a large amount but I’m still trying to engage with each film more by writing a review of them. This has posed a dilemma. The more time I spend watching the films, the less time there is to write about them. Perversely, the same is obviously true the other way; the more time I spend writing about the films, the less time there is to actually watch them. It would appear that being able to watch a lot and write a lot are pretty much mutually exclusive.
For the time being, I’m just about able to shoulder it but I may have to consider what takes priority in future months as the deadline looms.
So, here’s where I stand at the end of the second month:
February:
Total films watched: 31
First-time viewings: 29
Percentage of first-time viewings: 93.5%
Cumulative monthly total: 72
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 65
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 90.3%
Best Films: Whip It, Ponyo, Thirst, Jean De Florette, Manon Des Sources, [●REC]2
Worst Films: Lady In White, The Room
February 2009 Comparison:
Total films watched: 40
First-time viewings: 29
Percentage of first-time viewings: 72.5%
Cumulative monthly total: 69
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: 55
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: 79.7%
I’m in two minds about this month’s stats. On the one hand 31 films is still more than one-per-day on average. On the other hand it’s a bit of a drop from last month, even taking into account the whole ’28 days’ hindrance. It has been a fairly busy month with travelling through to Glasgow on a few occasions for The Glasgow Film Festival as well as appearing on the radio and numerous unrelated time-sapping pursuits.
It’s still slightly up on last year, but not by much. In saying that, the percentage ‘new’ figure is high and rising. In fact, apart from two viewings of The Room, I didn’t watch a single other film in February that I had seen before.
On an even more positive note, the standard for the month was impressively high. I saw far more great and good films than I did awful ones.
So, a few positives to be gained from this but, otherwise, I need to up my game.
Possibly, something’s got to give…
Monday, 1 February 2010
2010 Challenge – Month 1 Stats
(Contains an astounding level of nerdishness)
As laid out in this year’s challenge proposal, I’m focusing on watching films for the first time, as well as just sheer volume. I don’t see the value in this kind of challenge if you’re mainly going to watch the same films you’ve seen countless times prior. As such, I’m aiming for an 80% total of ‘new’ films for the year. This will hopefully encourage me to seek out more interesting stuff and further engage with the viewing experience. In light of this, I’m also trying to formulate my thoughts on each film and trot out a review, rather than just let it wash over me.
So, with that in mind, the facts and figures:
January:
Total films watched: 41
First-time viewings: 36
Percentage of first-time viewings: 87.8%
Cumulative monthly total: N/A
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: N/A
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: N/A
Best Films: The Road, Up In The Air, The Fisher King
Worst Films: All About Steve, Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
January 2009 Comparison:
Total films watched: 29
First-time viewings: 26
Percentage of first-time viewings: 89.7%
Cumulative monthly total: N/A
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: N/A
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: N/A
So, not bad. I’m up on last year at least – and by a pretty decent margin. It was a full week later by the time I’d reached 41 in ‘09. Only watching 5 films I’d seen before over the course of the month is promising and bodes well for the year.
Sure, I could be watching more but this is unforced, natural viewing. I’ve also had a pretty eventful, non film-centric month and (grumble) a full-time job to contend with, so I’m more than happy with these figures. Coupled with the fact that for the last week or so I’ve also been providing a review of each film, the total is looking pretty solid. This is just shy of 1/11th of the target of 450. If I keep this level up I could make it with a month to spare…
As laid out in this year’s challenge proposal, I’m focusing on watching films for the first time, as well as just sheer volume. I don’t see the value in this kind of challenge if you’re mainly going to watch the same films you’ve seen countless times prior. As such, I’m aiming for an 80% total of ‘new’ films for the year. This will hopefully encourage me to seek out more interesting stuff and further engage with the viewing experience. In light of this, I’m also trying to formulate my thoughts on each film and trot out a review, rather than just let it wash over me.
So, with that in mind, the facts and figures:
January:
Total films watched: 41
First-time viewings: 36
Percentage of first-time viewings: 87.8%
Cumulative monthly total: N/A
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: N/A
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: N/A
Best Films: The Road, Up In The Air, The Fisher King
Worst Films: All About Steve, Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
January 2009 Comparison:
Total films watched: 29
First-time viewings: 26
Percentage of first-time viewings: 89.7%
Cumulative monthly total: N/A
Cumulative monthly first-time viewings: N/A
Cumulative monthly percentage of first-time viewings: N/A
So, not bad. I’m up on last year at least – and by a pretty decent margin. It was a full week later by the time I’d reached 41 in ‘09. Only watching 5 films I’d seen before over the course of the month is promising and bodes well for the year.
Sure, I could be watching more but this is unforced, natural viewing. I’ve also had a pretty eventful, non film-centric month and (grumble) a full-time job to contend with, so I’m more than happy with these figures. Coupled with the fact that for the last week or so I’ve also been providing a review of each film, the total is looking pretty solid. This is just shy of 1/11th of the target of 450. If I keep this level up I could make it with a month to spare…
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
The 2010 Challenge Presents Itself?
After weeks of questioning and a distinct lack of an answer, I think I've finally hit upon this year's challenge.
This will likely be subject to change, or at least refinement, at some point throughout the year and, to be honest, it isn't particularly exciting. For all intents and purposes it's basically the same, albeit with the primary aim of topping the 407 of last year (with an unofficial eye on 450).
I never entirely felt like I was pushing myself last year and, as such, I need to spice things up a bit. While it's still pretty much about hitting big figures, the slight tweak to the format is borne of last year's statistical noodling. The new factor is that I need a hard-and-fast, solid, minimum of 80% of 'em to be first viewings (ie. films I've never seen before). So, less of falling back on the old reliables.
As ever, I'm still counting multiple viewings towards the overall total but, obviously, not all as first viewings.
Clear? Good. Any questions?
This will likely be subject to change, or at least refinement, at some point throughout the year and, to be honest, it isn't particularly exciting. For all intents and purposes it's basically the same, albeit with the primary aim of topping the 407 of last year (with an unofficial eye on 450).
I never entirely felt like I was pushing myself last year and, as such, I need to spice things up a bit. While it's still pretty much about hitting big figures, the slight tweak to the format is borne of last year's statistical noodling. The new factor is that I need a hard-and-fast, solid, minimum of 80% of 'em to be first viewings (ie. films I've never seen before). So, less of falling back on the old reliables.
As ever, I'm still counting multiple viewings towards the overall total but, obviously, not all as first viewings.
Clear? Good. Any questions?
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
Top Ten Films Of 2009
As I’ve trumpeted on about for some time now, I was aiming to view (at least) a total of 400 films this year. I broke through that and comfortably reached a final total of 407, which I think (although can’t say for certain) is the most I’ve ever watched in a year. Some have commented that this includes repeat viewings within the year as well as films I've seen before. This is true and it doesn’t really concern me. I was really just looking to record the amount I watched and a film watched is a film watched, whether or not I’ve seen it before. For the record 323/407 (practically 80%) were films I watched for the first time.
So, a bit of housekeeping first by way of a brief refresher of my self-imposed (and somewhat lax) rules. I’ve tightened them slightly this year as I’m now classing a ‘Film Of 2009’ as one on general release in that year. So, if I saw it at a film festival or preview and it wasn’t on general release in 2009, I can’t include it. However, if it was released in every other country across the globe in 2008 or earlier but didn’t hit the UK until 2009, I can still include it. This should go some way to redressing anomalies like ‘Let The Right One In’ and 'Slumdog Millionaire' appearing last year when few people here had heard of them - and subsequently being absent from this year’s list.
I’ve struggled more with this list than previous years but I can’t really fathom why. It generally seems to have been a pretty good year but one that, for some reason, doesn’t seem like it was. Although I’ve managed to compile this list, it doesn’t really seem there was a true standout film amongst them, which is why I’ve possibly wrestled with this more than other years.
Anyway, from 10 to 1:
10) Avatar - Every inch of me is telling me this shouldn’t make it to the top ten. There’s a lot ‘wrong’ with it from the hackneyed story to the cringeworthy scenes to the neon wonderland. I’m maybe even convincing myself as I write this that it doesn’t deserve a place but, against all my better judgement, it is going in – and that’s entirely down to the fact I was completely carried along with the film. 162 minutes flew by and I almost felt I had battled and flown and gasped a lungful of Pandoran air. I was willing to overlook a lot of the misgivings I felt afterwards because for the duration of the film I was gripped and gawping at the world in front of me with unblinkered awe. Do I think it’s the ‘game changer’ we were promised? No. Do I think this has proven that 3D can provide more than a cheap effect? Probably. Did I enjoy it? Yes.
9) Le Donk & Scor-Zay-Zee - No-one could accuse it of being epic at a mere 71 minutes but, in spite of its slightness, it manages to maintain a decent laugh ratio from the mostly-improvised script. This tale (actually, ‘tale’ is maybe overselling) of Paddy Considine’s roadie trying to get his protégé a support slot for the Arctic Monkeys is something I’ve been looking forward to for years since seeing the early Donk shorts and knowing this filmed way back in summer 2007. It’s great to see that Shane Meadows seems able to turn his hand to most things, all the more so seeing as this was filmed over just 5 days.
8) Star Trek - Having never been a big Trek fan or particularly well-versed in Starfleet lore (aside from the obvious elements of which everyone with even the most cursory awareness of pop culture must surely be aware), this served as a fine hors d’oeuvre to what I hope will be more adventures in this final frontier. All the cast seemed well suited to the roles, particularly the cocksure Jim Kirk and especially Karl Urban’s crotchety ‘Bones’. Was I the only one who thought that, despite not being accurate, there was a ring of authenticity to Simon Pegg’s turn of phrase as Scotty? I enjoyed it a lot; breezy, fun and exciting – probably the most overall satisfying blockbuster of the year.
7) A Serious Man - This is one which still has me stumped. Sure, I understood it but I’m equally sure I’d get even more from repeat viewings. The Coens show scant regard to goys with their immersive take on a Minnesotan Jewish community and a man struggling with the fact that he’s seemingly ‘doing nothing’. I’m a massive fan of the Coens and this is among their more personal films, closest in spirit to some of the tales from Ethan Coen’s 1998 book, Gates Of Eden. The ending is absolutely blinding.
6) Mesrine: Killer Instinct (L'instinct De Mort) - Vincent Cassel has long been a favourite actor of mine and it’s a joy to see him finally get a meaty role which depends upon him carrying the entire film. Biopics have never been my favourite genre but true-life criminals (Henry Hill, Chopper, Bronson) seem to be the one exception to this loathing, maybe because their lives seem so removed from anything approaching my concept of reality. This is an energetic rise through the ranks of France’s underworld of the 50s and 60s. Treating this as separate from Public Enemy No. 1, part one of the two was marginally the better film, dealing with Jacques Mesrine’s ascent before the inevitable fall and relative shoe-gazing of part two.
5) Fish Tank - I thought Red Road was great and I thought this was just as good. What, on paper, reads like a bog standard council estate drama is elevated by great direction, cinematography and performances from Katie Jarvis and Michael Fassbender. It really is hard to define but there’s an uplifting core among all the foreboding grime.
4) Inglourious Basterds - Tarantino completely wrong-footed me with this. For all the pre-release ‘QT does The Dirty Dozen’ hype and focus on Brad Pitt’s macho drawling mumble, it really was more talky than I expected – and all the better for it. I really shouldn’t be surprised at a dialogue-heavy film from him but it really shocked me how little action there was in what I assumed to be Tarantino's take on the action film. It does play out as more a series of vignettes than anything else, without even the interweaving narrative device he’s relied upon before. However, the scenes all have satisfying arcs within themselves and the tension is palpable. ‘La Louisiane’ stands as possibly the finest scene he’s ever done. All in all, I’d say it’s a bingo.
3) The Wrestler - Who’d have thought that Mickey Rourke would ever give a performance that actually touched on an emotional level? It really is a film based pretty much on performance alone and, much as it looks good and I admire him, I don’t see a lot of Darren Aronofsky in it. The tale of this ‘one trick pony’ seemed to allow Mickey to draw from his own time in the wilderness so that I was able to overcome some of the film’s clunkier shortcomings and really feel for this character.
2) The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band) - Certainly the best looking film of the year. The digital black & white cinematography lends an eerie contemplativeness to the measured way in which the film plays out. Set in 1913 rural Germany, the villagers of a baronial estate are plagued by mysterious tragedies but being a Michael Haneke film this isn’t the starting point for an investigative thriller. The performances are uniformly excellent and the evocation of a time and place I’m completely unfamiliar with is completely alien and austere. I’m still not sure I fully understand it but I’m looking forward to re-watching this and completely immersing myself in that community again.
1) In The Loop - Some may argue it’s not particularly cinematic but I watched this 5 times throughout the year at fairly regular intervals and I never began to grow weary. It does ramp things up a bit and the scope is certainly more grandiose than its televisual counterpart. Endlessly quotable and more-and-more rewarding with each viewing, it masterfully balances the profane outbursts of Malcolm Tucker with the pathos of Simon Foster stuck between trying to make a difference and crushing inevitability. I’ve not seen a more flat-out enjoyable film this year despite the harrowing feeling that it’s also depressingly accurate.
These are the next ten, in roughly ascending ranking order. The first two here were in strong contention for the top ten proper. Honourable Mentions: Doubt, Coraline, Anvil: The Story Of Anvil, Mesrine: Public Enemy No. 1, Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs, Moon, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Gran Torino, Drag Me To Hell, An Education, Antichrist
As it says on the tin, and in no particular order, Worst Films Of The Year: Lesbian Vampire Killers, Halloween II, Seven Pounds, Marley & Me, Fast & Furious, Tormented, Doghouse, Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen, The Time Traveler's Wife, I Love You Beth Cooper, Gamer, Couples Retreat, The Fourth Kind, Dead Man Running
A new category. In no danger of being in contention for ‘best of the year’ these were, despite expectations otherwise, pretty good. Biggest Surprises: Orphan, Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans, Last Chance Harvey, Adventureland, Julie & Julia, Triangle, Me And Orson Welles
These aren’t necessarily awful, or even bad, films but they certainly disappointed me on some level whether it be due to previous respect for the talent involved, a love of the source material or generally just not living up to the hype. I think most controversially, something I could never have contemplated has happened. The latest Pixar film was only my 4th (!) favourite animated film of the year. After a wondrous opening act, I just never bought why people were quite so enamoured with it – above even its other (in my opinion, far superior) stablemates. These are the Biggest Disappointments: The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, Public Enemies, The Invention Of Lying, Up, Watchmen, Terminator Salvation, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Brüno, Sherlock Holmes
In the interests of full disclosure, below is a link to the full list of the year's films with a rudimentary mark out of 5 for each. Feel free to take issue with anything contained within:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AvpfSrg_KXIndEtRZU9xODNOYTBvTWFMZnFKTW9KcUE&hl=en
So, a bit of housekeeping first by way of a brief refresher of my self-imposed (and somewhat lax) rules. I’ve tightened them slightly this year as I’m now classing a ‘Film Of 2009’ as one on general release in that year. So, if I saw it at a film festival or preview and it wasn’t on general release in 2009, I can’t include it. However, if it was released in every other country across the globe in 2008 or earlier but didn’t hit the UK until 2009, I can still include it. This should go some way to redressing anomalies like ‘Let The Right One In’ and 'Slumdog Millionaire' appearing last year when few people here had heard of them - and subsequently being absent from this year’s list.
I’ve struggled more with this list than previous years but I can’t really fathom why. It generally seems to have been a pretty good year but one that, for some reason, doesn’t seem like it was. Although I’ve managed to compile this list, it doesn’t really seem there was a true standout film amongst them, which is why I’ve possibly wrestled with this more than other years.
Anyway, from 10 to 1:
10) Avatar - Every inch of me is telling me this shouldn’t make it to the top ten. There’s a lot ‘wrong’ with it from the hackneyed story to the cringeworthy scenes to the neon wonderland. I’m maybe even convincing myself as I write this that it doesn’t deserve a place but, against all my better judgement, it is going in – and that’s entirely down to the fact I was completely carried along with the film. 162 minutes flew by and I almost felt I had battled and flown and gasped a lungful of Pandoran air. I was willing to overlook a lot of the misgivings I felt afterwards because for the duration of the film I was gripped and gawping at the world in front of me with unblinkered awe. Do I think it’s the ‘game changer’ we were promised? No. Do I think this has proven that 3D can provide more than a cheap effect? Probably. Did I enjoy it? Yes.
9) Le Donk & Scor-Zay-Zee - No-one could accuse it of being epic at a mere 71 minutes but, in spite of its slightness, it manages to maintain a decent laugh ratio from the mostly-improvised script. This tale (actually, ‘tale’ is maybe overselling) of Paddy Considine’s roadie trying to get his protégé a support slot for the Arctic Monkeys is something I’ve been looking forward to for years since seeing the early Donk shorts and knowing this filmed way back in summer 2007. It’s great to see that Shane Meadows seems able to turn his hand to most things, all the more so seeing as this was filmed over just 5 days.
8) Star Trek - Having never been a big Trek fan or particularly well-versed in Starfleet lore (aside from the obvious elements of which everyone with even the most cursory awareness of pop culture must surely be aware), this served as a fine hors d’oeuvre to what I hope will be more adventures in this final frontier. All the cast seemed well suited to the roles, particularly the cocksure Jim Kirk and especially Karl Urban’s crotchety ‘Bones’. Was I the only one who thought that, despite not being accurate, there was a ring of authenticity to Simon Pegg’s turn of phrase as Scotty? I enjoyed it a lot; breezy, fun and exciting – probably the most overall satisfying blockbuster of the year.
7) A Serious Man - This is one which still has me stumped. Sure, I understood it but I’m equally sure I’d get even more from repeat viewings. The Coens show scant regard to goys with their immersive take on a Minnesotan Jewish community and a man struggling with the fact that he’s seemingly ‘doing nothing’. I’m a massive fan of the Coens and this is among their more personal films, closest in spirit to some of the tales from Ethan Coen’s 1998 book, Gates Of Eden. The ending is absolutely blinding.
6) Mesrine: Killer Instinct (L'instinct De Mort) - Vincent Cassel has long been a favourite actor of mine and it’s a joy to see him finally get a meaty role which depends upon him carrying the entire film. Biopics have never been my favourite genre but true-life criminals (Henry Hill, Chopper, Bronson) seem to be the one exception to this loathing, maybe because their lives seem so removed from anything approaching my concept of reality. This is an energetic rise through the ranks of France’s underworld of the 50s and 60s. Treating this as separate from Public Enemy No. 1, part one of the two was marginally the better film, dealing with Jacques Mesrine’s ascent before the inevitable fall and relative shoe-gazing of part two.
5) Fish Tank - I thought Red Road was great and I thought this was just as good. What, on paper, reads like a bog standard council estate drama is elevated by great direction, cinematography and performances from Katie Jarvis and Michael Fassbender. It really is hard to define but there’s an uplifting core among all the foreboding grime.
4) Inglourious Basterds - Tarantino completely wrong-footed me with this. For all the pre-release ‘QT does The Dirty Dozen’ hype and focus on Brad Pitt’s macho drawling mumble, it really was more talky than I expected – and all the better for it. I really shouldn’t be surprised at a dialogue-heavy film from him but it really shocked me how little action there was in what I assumed to be Tarantino's take on the action film. It does play out as more a series of vignettes than anything else, without even the interweaving narrative device he’s relied upon before. However, the scenes all have satisfying arcs within themselves and the tension is palpable. ‘La Louisiane’ stands as possibly the finest scene he’s ever done. All in all, I’d say it’s a bingo.
3) The Wrestler - Who’d have thought that Mickey Rourke would ever give a performance that actually touched on an emotional level? It really is a film based pretty much on performance alone and, much as it looks good and I admire him, I don’t see a lot of Darren Aronofsky in it. The tale of this ‘one trick pony’ seemed to allow Mickey to draw from his own time in the wilderness so that I was able to overcome some of the film’s clunkier shortcomings and really feel for this character.
2) The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band) - Certainly the best looking film of the year. The digital black & white cinematography lends an eerie contemplativeness to the measured way in which the film plays out. Set in 1913 rural Germany, the villagers of a baronial estate are plagued by mysterious tragedies but being a Michael Haneke film this isn’t the starting point for an investigative thriller. The performances are uniformly excellent and the evocation of a time and place I’m completely unfamiliar with is completely alien and austere. I’m still not sure I fully understand it but I’m looking forward to re-watching this and completely immersing myself in that community again.
1) In The Loop - Some may argue it’s not particularly cinematic but I watched this 5 times throughout the year at fairly regular intervals and I never began to grow weary. It does ramp things up a bit and the scope is certainly more grandiose than its televisual counterpart. Endlessly quotable and more-and-more rewarding with each viewing, it masterfully balances the profane outbursts of Malcolm Tucker with the pathos of Simon Foster stuck between trying to make a difference and crushing inevitability. I’ve not seen a more flat-out enjoyable film this year despite the harrowing feeling that it’s also depressingly accurate.
These are the next ten, in roughly ascending ranking order. The first two here were in strong contention for the top ten proper. Honourable Mentions: Doubt, Coraline, Anvil: The Story Of Anvil, Mesrine: Public Enemy No. 1, Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs, Moon, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Gran Torino, Drag Me To Hell, An Education, Antichrist
As it says on the tin, and in no particular order, Worst Films Of The Year: Lesbian Vampire Killers, Halloween II, Seven Pounds, Marley & Me, Fast & Furious, Tormented, Doghouse, Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen, The Time Traveler's Wife, I Love You Beth Cooper, Gamer, Couples Retreat, The Fourth Kind, Dead Man Running
A new category. In no danger of being in contention for ‘best of the year’ these were, despite expectations otherwise, pretty good. Biggest Surprises: Orphan, Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans, Last Chance Harvey, Adventureland, Julie & Julia, Triangle, Me And Orson Welles
These aren’t necessarily awful, or even bad, films but they certainly disappointed me on some level whether it be due to previous respect for the talent involved, a love of the source material or generally just not living up to the hype. I think most controversially, something I could never have contemplated has happened. The latest Pixar film was only my 4th (!) favourite animated film of the year. After a wondrous opening act, I just never bought why people were quite so enamoured with it – above even its other (in my opinion, far superior) stablemates. These are the Biggest Disappointments: The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, Public Enemies, The Invention Of Lying, Up, Watchmen, Terminator Salvation, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Brüno, Sherlock Holmes
In the interests of full disclosure, below is a link to the full list of the year's films with a rudimentary mark out of 5 for each. Feel free to take issue with anything contained within:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AvpfSrg_KXIndEtRZU9xODNOYTBvTWFMZnFKTW9KcUE&hl=en
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