2010 100+ Films Challenge
This post has become a bit unwieldy, so I have moved it to its own page. Go here for a more recently updated list.
While I am updating my challenge status, it occurs to me that I should set myself a watching challenge as well as a couple of reading ones. This is a personal challenge, intended to help me keep track of what I watch and keep on top of my Netflix/Zip.ca accounts as well as my 1001 Movies to See Before I Die project, but if any would like to join me, come on down. The more the merrier.
My goals in this challenge: to watch at least 100 films (not including television series) in 2010. That's what, about 2 a week? Not as rampant a pace as during the heyday of my 1001 Movies project (aka grad school), when I was often watching two films a day, but considerably more realistic.
Here how my progress stands to date (Original post was Jan. 9, 2010):
[Films from my 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die Project are in bold]
Week 1 (January 1-7)
1) Vicky Christina Barcelona, dir. Woody Allen (USA/Spain, 2008) **
Week 2 (January 8-14)
2) If..., dir. Lindsay Anderson (UK, 1968) ***1/2
3) Cat Dancers, dir. Harris Fishman (USA, 2008) ***
[In Treatment Season 1]
Week 3 (January 15-21)
None! (For shame...)
Week 4 (January 22-28)
4) Kinsey, dir. Bill Condon (USA, 2004) **1/2
Week 5 (January 29-February 4)
5) The Warrior, dir. Asif Kapadia (UK/India, 2001) ***1/2
6) Spartacus, dir. Stanley Kubrick (USA, 1960) ***1/2
[True Blood Season 1]
Week 6 (February 5-11)
None! (Deepening shame...)
Week 7 (February 12-18)
None! (Into the abyss of regret...)
Week 8 (February 19-25)
7) Goin' Down the Road, dir. Donald Shebib (Canada, 1970) **
8) Shoot the Piano Player, dir. François Truffaut (France, 1960) ***1/2
9) Inglourious Basterds, dir. Quentin Tarantino (USA, 2009) ***1/2
Week 9 (February 26-March 4)
10) Street Fight, dir. Marshall Curry (USA, 2005) ***1/2
11) Little Dieter Needs to Fly, dir. Werner Herzog (This is when national categorization becomes muddled. Um. OK: USA/Germany, 1997) ***
12) The Hurt Locker, dir. Kathryn Bigelow (USA, 2008) ***
13) Avatar, dir. James Cameron (USA, 2009) ***
Week 10 (March 5-March 11)
14) Shakespeare in Love, dir. John Madden (USA, 1998) ****1/2
Week 11 (March 12-18)
15) Rescue Dawn, dir. Werner Herzog (Germany/USA, 2006) **1/2
16) Mondo Cane, dir. Paolo Cavara, Gualtiero Jacopetti, and Franco Prosperi(Italy, 1962) ***1/2
Week 12 (March 19-25)
17) New Moon, dir. Chris Weitz (USA, 2009) **1/2
Week 13 (March 26- April 1)
18) Fantastic Mr. Fox, dir. Wes Anderson (USA/UK, 2009) ****
19) Molière, dir. Laurent Tirard (France, 2007) **1/2
Week 14 (April 2-April 8)
20) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, dir. David Fincher (USA, 2008) ***
21) If..., dir. Lindsay Anderson (UK, 1968) ****
22) Into the Wild, dir. Sean Penn (USA, 2007) ***1/2
Week 15 (April 9-15)
23) Seven Up!, dir. Paul Almond (UK, 1964) ***1/2
24) Seven plus Seven, dir. Michael Apted (UK, 1970) ***1/2
25) Aparajito, dir. Satyajit Ray (India, 1956) ****
26) Jules et Jim, dir. François Truffaut (France, 1962) ****
27) Sunshine Cleaning, dir. Christine Jeffs (USA, 2008) ***
Week 16 (April 16-22)
28) Surrogates, dir. Jonathan Mostow (USA, 2009) **
29) Up in the Air, dir. Jason Reitman (USA, 2009) ****
30) Precious, dir. Lee Daniels (USA, 2009) ***
31) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, dir. David Yates (USA/UK, 2009) ***1/2
32) A collection of 2009/10 Oscar-nominated shorts, including Logorama (France, dir. François Alaux and Hervé de Crécy), French Roast (France, dir. Fabrice O. Joubert), and Miracle Fish (Australia, dir. Luke Doolan)
Week 17 (April 23-29)
33) Pather Panchali, dir. Satyajit Ray (India, 1955) ****
Week 18 (April 30-May 6)
None! (But let it be said that I did see lots of plays in these filmless weeks in London....)
Week 19 (May 7-13)
None!
Week 20 (May 14-20)
None!
Week 21 (May 21-27)
34) Shutter Island, dir. Martin Scorsese (USA, 2009) ***
35) The Last Station, dir. Michael Hoffman (USA/Germany, 2009) ***1/2
36) Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, dir. Nick Park and Steve Box (UK, 2005) ****
Week 22 (May 28-June 3)
37) Iron Man, dir. Jon Favreau (USA, 2008) **
38) District 9, dir. Neill Blomkamp (South Africa, 2009) ****
Week 23 (June 4-10)
39) Up, dir. Pete Docter (USA, 2009) ****
Week 24 (June 11-17)
40) The Raiders of the Lost Ark, dir. Steven Spielberg (USA, 1981) ***
41) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, dir. Steven Spielberg (USA, 1984) **
Week 25 (June 18-24)
42) Cleo de 5 à 7 / Cleo from 5 to 7, dir. Agnès Varda (France, 1961) ****
43) Ponyo, dir. Hayao Miyazaki (Japan, 2008) **
(Running 7 films behind schedule)
While I am updating my challenge status, it occurs to me that I should set myself a watching challenge as well as a couple of reading ones. This is a personal challenge, intended to help me keep track of what I watch and keep on top of my Netflix/Zip.ca accounts as well as my 1001 Movies to See Before I Die project, but if any would like to join me, come on down. The more the merrier.
My goals in this challenge: to watch at least 100 films (not including television series) in 2010. That's what, about 2 a week? Not as rampant a pace as during the heyday of my 1001 Movies project (aka grad school), when I was often watching two films a day, but considerably more realistic.
Here how my progress stands to date (Original post was Jan. 9, 2010):
[Films from my 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die Project are in bold]
Week 1 (January 1-7)
1) Vicky Christina Barcelona, dir. Woody Allen (USA/Spain, 2008) **
Week 2 (January 8-14)
2) If..., dir. Lindsay Anderson (UK, 1968) ***1/2
3) Cat Dancers, dir. Harris Fishman (USA, 2008) ***
[In Treatment Season 1]
Week 3 (January 15-21)
None! (For shame...)
Week 4 (January 22-28)
4) Kinsey, dir. Bill Condon (USA, 2004) **1/2
Week 5 (January 29-February 4)
5) The Warrior, dir. Asif Kapadia (UK/India, 2001) ***1/2
6) Spartacus, dir. Stanley Kubrick (USA, 1960) ***1/2
[True Blood Season 1]
Week 6 (February 5-11)
None! (Deepening shame...)
Week 7 (February 12-18)
None! (Into the abyss of regret...)
Week 8 (February 19-25)
7) Goin' Down the Road, dir. Donald Shebib (Canada, 1970) **
8) Shoot the Piano Player, dir. François Truffaut (France, 1960) ***1/2
9) Inglourious Basterds, dir. Quentin Tarantino (USA, 2009) ***1/2
Week 9 (February 26-March 4)
10) Street Fight, dir. Marshall Curry (USA, 2005) ***1/2
11) Little Dieter Needs to Fly, dir. Werner Herzog (This is when national categorization becomes muddled. Um. OK: USA/Germany, 1997) ***
12) The Hurt Locker, dir. Kathryn Bigelow (USA, 2008) ***
13) Avatar, dir. James Cameron (USA, 2009) ***
Week 10 (March 5-March 11)
14) Shakespeare in Love, dir. John Madden (USA, 1998) ****1/2
Week 11 (March 12-18)
15) Rescue Dawn, dir. Werner Herzog (Germany/USA, 2006) **1/2
16) Mondo Cane, dir. Paolo Cavara, Gualtiero Jacopetti, and Franco Prosperi(Italy, 1962) ***1/2
Week 12 (March 19-25)
17) New Moon, dir. Chris Weitz (USA, 2009) **1/2
Week 13 (March 26- April 1)
18) Fantastic Mr. Fox, dir. Wes Anderson (USA/UK, 2009) ****
19) Molière, dir. Laurent Tirard (France, 2007) **1/2
Week 14 (April 2-April 8)
20) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, dir. David Fincher (USA, 2008) ***
21) If..., dir. Lindsay Anderson (UK, 1968) ****
22) Into the Wild, dir. Sean Penn (USA, 2007) ***1/2
Week 15 (April 9-15)
23) Seven Up!, dir. Paul Almond (UK, 1964) ***1/2
24) Seven plus Seven, dir. Michael Apted (UK, 1970) ***1/2
25) Aparajito, dir. Satyajit Ray (India, 1956) ****
26) Jules et Jim, dir. François Truffaut (France, 1962) ****
27) Sunshine Cleaning, dir. Christine Jeffs (USA, 2008) ***
Week 16 (April 16-22)
28) Surrogates, dir. Jonathan Mostow (USA, 2009) **
29) Up in the Air, dir. Jason Reitman (USA, 2009) ****
30) Precious, dir. Lee Daniels (USA, 2009) ***
31) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, dir. David Yates (USA/UK, 2009) ***1/2
32) A collection of 2009/10 Oscar-nominated shorts, including Logorama (France, dir. François Alaux and Hervé de Crécy), French Roast (France, dir. Fabrice O. Joubert), and Miracle Fish (Australia, dir. Luke Doolan)
Week 17 (April 23-29)
33) Pather Panchali, dir. Satyajit Ray (India, 1955) ****
Week 18 (April 30-May 6)
None! (But let it be said that I did see lots of plays in these filmless weeks in London....)
Week 19 (May 7-13)
None!
Week 20 (May 14-20)
None!
Week 21 (May 21-27)
34) Shutter Island, dir. Martin Scorsese (USA, 2009) ***
35) The Last Station, dir. Michael Hoffman (USA/Germany, 2009) ***1/2
36) Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, dir. Nick Park and Steve Box (UK, 2005) ****
Week 22 (May 28-June 3)
37) Iron Man, dir. Jon Favreau (USA, 2008) **
38) District 9, dir. Neill Blomkamp (South Africa, 2009) ****
Week 23 (June 4-10)
39) Up, dir. Pete Docter (USA, 2009) ****
Week 24 (June 11-17)
40) The Raiders of the Lost Ark, dir. Steven Spielberg (USA, 1981) ***
41) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, dir. Steven Spielberg (USA, 1984) **
Week 25 (June 18-24)
42) Cleo de 5 à 7 / Cleo from 5 to 7, dir. Agnès Varda (France, 1961) ****
43) Ponyo, dir. Hayao Miyazaki (Japan, 2008) **
(Running 7 films behind schedule)
This post has become a bit unwieldy, so I have moved it to its own page. Go here for a more recently updated list.