3w54v

um i think they need the key

he forrest gumped them outta there

i cross roads all the time, how come i never see clint eastwood

damn, this shit's whack

they really hit that Ctrl+C Ctrl+V

this predator looks like mark henry

it's been a while since robert zemeckis cooked

what are we, some kind of fantastic four?

people today would tell boo radley to touch grass

she gotta brace herself for the most brutal "I told you so" after getting back

the eHarmony hotlines always go above and beyond

more like 1200 angry people

i love how crocs are part of the prison uniform

i recommend watching this on mute

Ana De Armas has a face card more lethal than john wick himself

This review may contain spoilers.

talk about killing the competition

fairly certain i saw the exact same dress going for 17 quid on shein

being the worst person in the world seems to run in the family

mama a boy in front of you

This review may contain spoilers.

ohana means screw you sis, I'm going to college

that's kobe bryan cranston

mosquitoes inadvertently saved humanity

thought that was callux for an embarrassingly long time

when it comes to "Firework" by Katy Perry, nothing is beating Madagascar

clearly he's unABEL to act

louis vuitton🤘

may i suggest a dna test

watched this on a thursday, feeling like a real rebel

all that effort just to be sheriff

can we talk about the karate and kung fu state of the world right now

wasn't even that nice a polo tee

Mission Impossible AI: Manipulates global events to control the world
Our AI: Tralalero Tralala

y'all don't know about the MRI butt plug incident

we got drew barrymored

just use wikihow instead

chicken joe is wiz khalifa, convince me otherwise

some people never shut up about real estate

that's not hiccup that's burp

good to know vibranium arms are dishwasher safe

not brighter days inc. casually destroying core memories when joy and sadness risked literal death trying to save them

someone tell daffy duck about OF, he'll make a killing there

finally, a film that captures the unspeakable horror of tap water

ts ain't even karate

tfw a paper cut ruins your life

their band makes my ears bleed

and they told me crab sticks were artificial meat

i believe harry and sally have their answer

i didn't know that i was starving till i tasted you

the last time i was this horrified by minecraft content was when dream did his face reveal

i am very slightly pissed he missed half the words tossing the paint

all feature length films seen from 1st january 2025 to 31st december 2025

RATING SYSTEM EDITION 4.0 (SINCE 1 JAN 2025)

OVERALL ___/15

PLOT

___/2 originality or concept
___/1 structure or flow
___/1 themes or messages or x-factor
___/1 climax or ending

EXECUTION

___/2 cinematography
___/1 clarity
___/1 character
___/1 impactful scenes
(optional: plot hole or unnecessary scene or inconsistent quality or problematic deduction)

PERSONAL ENJOYMENT

___/5 engagement

comments:

FOR EASY COPY & PASTE

OVERALL /15

PLOT
/2 originality or concept
/1 structure or flow
/1 themes or messages or x-factor
/1 climax or ending

EXECUTION
/2 cinematography
/1 clarity
/1 character
/1 impactful scenes

PERSONAL ENJOYMENT
/5 engagement

comments:

1. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

   OVERALL 15/15

   PLOT
   2/2 originality or concept
   1/1 structure
   1/1 themes or messages or x-factor
   1/1 climax or ending

   EXECUTION
   2/2 cinematography
   1/1 clarity
   1/1 character
   1/1 impactful scenes

   PERSONAL ENJOYMENT
   5/5 engagement

   comments:
   this is the perfect satire
   it shits on the nuclear war and calls it out for what it truly is - a joke
   wittily paired with it's sexual innuendos, the arms race is likened to a bunch of idiots comparing eggplant sizes and stupidly building bigger better bombs to feed their egos and get an edge in this deadly game of one-up
   the phallic imagery of these dumbass men aroused by war is what exactly led to such destruction and results not quite as humourous as the factors that caused it
   ex nazi dr strangelove being revitalised by the war and standing up, fueled by the strength of hitlers agenda finally attained, major kong with that massive bomb between his legs and climaxing when the doomsday device reaches it's inevitable activation, limp cigars turning stiff at the mention of destruction
   peter sellers that chameleon of a man masterfully played three different characters undetected and to perfection
   after multiple shots, finally one of kubrick's has struck a chord with me and struck me hard it has
   dr strangelove highlights the absurdity of war amongst a myriad of war movies so hard-stuck on emphasizing it's ominous and depressing undertones and honestly, a parody done right may actually be more effective in conveying anti-war sentiments than any historical drama could ever dream of, as proven so marvelously by this 1964 masterpiece

2. The Shop Around the Corner

   OVERALL 14.5/15

   PLOT
   2/2 originality or concept
   1/1 structure or flow
   0.5/1 themes or messages or x-factor
   1/1 climax or ending

   EXECUTION
   2/2 cinematography
   1/1 clarity
   1/1 character
   1/1 impactful scenes

   PERSONAL ENJOYMENT
   5/5 engagement

   comments:
   this movie is so cute for the first time in my life i felt so bad for someone that got fired it felt worse than a breakup
   for some reason even though the girl is kinda annoying at times i also feel so sorry for her getting stood up and her getting excited about the mystery pen pal
   although the ending was a lil bit unrealistic since i would expect any normal person to get a heart attack or at least be kinda turned off but okay i guess it's still sweet
   I like how i gave a shit about all the characters and even though there were quite a few, each one of them had their own unique personalities that were pretty well developed considering their limited screentime (except the other two women)
   as far as rom coms go, this is a worthy contender for top spot, just that the couple in it happened one night had better chemistry
   james stewart is my favourite old actor now confirm

3. Dial M for Murder

   OVERALL 14.5/15

   PLOT
   2/2 originality or concept
   1/1 structure or flow
   1/1 themes or messages or x-factor
   1/1 climax or ending

   EXECUTION
   2/2 cinematography
   1/1 clarity
   1/1 character
   1/1 impactful scenes

   PERSONAL ENJOYMENT
   4.5/5 engagement

   comments:
   can't believe how much i forgot but the story is way more elaborate than i
   insane hitchcock squeezed out two of his best movies (rear window) in the same year
   I don't think i can write to this level of complexity because there's so much going on and that makes for a really fine line between genius and hella incoherent but this guy manages to pull it off
   i did get a lot of inspiration though and i really need to stretch my dialogue if i wanna even come close to hitting feature length

4. Ne Zha 2

   OVERALL 14/15

   PLOT
   2/2 originality or concept
   1/1 structure or flow
   0.5/1 themes or messages or x-factor
   1/1 climax or ending

   EXECUTION
   2/2 cinematography
   1/1 clarity
   1/1 character
   1/1 impactful scenes

   PERSONAL ENJOYMENT
   4.5/5 engagement

   comments:
   my expectations were extremely high so it's probably maybe a tad bit unfair that it didn't quite hit that mark
   but that isn't to say that this was anything less than deserving of the highest grossing animated film of all time
   yes there are better animated movies like klaus and mary and max and whatnot but this just feels grand and deserving of those big numbers
   it's definitely more deserving than inside out 2 (which was really good too) but infinitely more than the lion king (2019) and frozen 2
   is it better than the first? maybe ever so slightly
   although me and stref seem to be struggling with this decision more so than others since people are don't seem to like the first much
   the animation looks hella good and I'd say this is china's answer to across the spiderverse
   but atsv still is better, although it does come really close
   how atsv earned lesser money than like all the minion movies I'll never understand
   but i think this movie could've been a bit clearer in the portraying the motives of megamind
   did not see that plot twist coming and he's definitely a memorable villain but i still don't exactly understand what it is he wants, nor do i understand how the whole dragon dungeon prison system operates
   definitely due for a rewatch
   like the first, a lot of the humour shouldn't work but it absolutely does
   i see so many of the jokes coming but for some reason, they put a subtle twist on it that it somehow becomes hilarious
   i don't know how but it's voodoo magic
   I know for sure if they had done it even slightly differently it would've been minion and sonic level humour
   i think it really boils down to the delivery
   comedy gold paintbrush man
   but the tonal shift after the first half was insane and i think rather fitting even though i would've loved for some more laughs
   super excited to see the jing gu bang and can't wait for sun wukong to show up
   not sure if the monkey king movie is canon though
   the inclusion of the two sidekicks for megamind was super dope though and im so glad they each had their time to shine
   the arrow shit was damn cool and the wings woman too
   girl dragon bad

   stref:
   about as good as the first one
   he unleashed so much what more do you want
   in fact i think there's too much fighting
   they were fighting for the whole last hour
   my only complaint is that the story could be a bit clearer

5. Ne Zha

   OVERALL 14/15

   PLOT
   2/2 originality or concept
   1/1 structure
   0.5/1 themes or messages or x-factor
   1/1 climax or ending

   EXECUTION
   2/2 cinematography
   1/1 clarity
   1/1 character
   1/1 impactful scenes

   PERSONAL ENJOYMENT
   4.5/5 engagement

   comments:
   are you kidding me this was an absolute banger
   visually so stunning
   the animation is on another level
   I love mythological movies like hercules because there's something i find really cool about all the lore
   finally we getting some spotlight on chinese mythology that isn't sun wu kong
   but at the same time it's a wonderful tale about fate about nature vs nuture and whether monsters are born or bred
   what i love especially is how the true villain is the world
   how prejudices and the harsh society shapes and influences an individual
   they went all out in that final battle and it was so damn sick
   might almost be on par with spiderverse
   however i wished they had done some parts better
   like explain the motives of shen gongbao better
   would've really liked to know more about his story but i guess there's only so much you can fit in a movie
   fatty paintbrush man was so funny and it goes to show that with well timed comedy, even the most basic of visual gags can be extremely hilarious
   but i liked how he wasn't two dimensionally just the comic relief and had an actual important role in the movie as the mentor
   as for his origins, i was a little bit disappointed when i found out the whole demon pill thing wasn't canon but then after digging a bit deeper, there's apparently many variations to the story so imma close one eye
   don't understand why the big heaven fella dude didnt destroy the demon pill there and then
   and why he didn't safe keep them himself
   there's one scene where it was the second time nezha stabbed the dragon prince but he did the same mistake of stabbing his dragon scale armour and did no damage which i thought was quite stupid
   also doesn't make sense for shen gongbao to simply give away the demon pill after successfully stealing them both
   I guess it's these really minor issues i have with the movie that just prys it away from a perfect score
   at the same time i guess I gotta leave some room for the likely masterpiece part 2 is gonna be

6. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

   OVERALL 14/15

   PLOT
   2/2 originality or concept
   1/1 structure or flow
   1/1 themes or messages or x-factor
   1/1 climax or ending

   EXECUTION
   2/2 cinematography
   1/1 clarity
   1/1 character
   0.5/1 impactful scenes

   PERSONAL ENJOYMENT
   4.5/5 engagement

   comments:

7. High and Low

   OVERALL 14/15

   PLOT
   2/2 originality or concept
   1/1 structure
   1/1 themes or messages or x-factor
   1/1 climax or ending

   EXECUTION
   2/2 cinematography
   1/1 clarity
   1/1 character
   0.5/1 impactful scenes

   PERSONAL ENJOYMENT
   4.5/5 engagement

   comments:
   seemed like one of those films you'd expect to have a big mind blowing plot twist to wrap it all up but i guess i was wrong?
   going in, i was pretty certain my inexplicable prejudice against japanese movies was going to shroud my appreciation for this but thankfully, u quite enjoyed myself
   is it deserving of 4.6? i wouldn't say so
   4.3 maybe, 4.4 possibly too but 4.6? that's a stretch
   drags just a teeny bit towards the end
   there's a decently long sequence in a bar dancing and then he spends a tad bit long wandering around dope alley only to have a climax that doesn't feel satisfying enough
   like the police just pops up from behind a door and that's how it all goes down nah
   at least the ending was okay because there's something so oxymoronic about that triviality and profoundness of his motive being the view of his rich ass
   also that kid gave me a heart attack wandering off and disappearing again

8. Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair

   OVERALL 13.5/15

   PLOT
   2/2 originality or concept
   1/1 structure
   0/1 themes or messages or x-factor
   1/1 climax or ending

   EXECUTION
   2/2 cinematography
   1/1 clarity
   1/1 character
   1/1 impactful scenes

   PERSONAL ENJOYMENT
   4.5/5 engagement

   comments:
   BECAUSE ITS SO MUCH FUN JAN GET IT
   watching it as tarantino intended
   now i don't know if it's because i paid more attention on this rewatch, or the glorious 4 hour cut just hits harder or peak isn't yapping about shit choreography but i definitely enjoyed it more than i the first time
   the battle in the house of blue leaves now being in colour and not watered down to black and white due to excessive blood just sells the violence in such a magnificent way
   probably the best cinematography of any action movie there is
   there was also that pulp fiction reference i didn't catch previously (that would be about square)
   no wonder stref didn't understand much because there really is quite a fair bit of japanese here
   okay so it's not explicitly stated in the film but hattori hates bill because he trained him but he used his skills for evil
   soundtrack slaps especially the western music
   the score for the slow motion walk for o ren ishii basically invented pop culture and it's called battle without honour or humility
   there are just a few things I've got issues with though
   like the brides insane plot armour
   there are numerous occasions when she simply should've died
   like how does one survive a headshot with no brain damage and why did budd give her the flashlight
   somewhere along the halfway point it dawned on me just how much I had forgotten
   which gave me the opportunity to re experience the superman monologue in all of its glory
   and that goldfish scene was pretty good too
   i didn't the way the dialogue flowed in that scene and the whole teaching B.B about life and death and praising her for the kill is him grooming her to become an assassin from a young age
   also realised that the reason why B.B seems unaffected by so much traumatic shit like her mother being in a coma and suddenly coming back, guns and blood and violence, unaffected about her father's death, was probably because he conditioned her to see death as a trivial matter
   the training scene for pai mei definitely heavily inspired kung fu panda because there's that shot for shot silhouette training mirroring thing going on
   and the deadly viper assassination squad being somewhat reminiscent of the furious five and of course the most obvious one being the wushi finger hold and the five point palm exploding heart technique
   or oogway does do that finger immobilizer thing to tai lung once
   i wished they gave the sword fights more time to shine though
   a lot of the opponents die so fast i sort of wanna relish longer in a rally of sorts but they all crumble to the ground after like 30 seconds of slashing
   structurally, the movie makes sense with it's non-linear storytelling but towards the back it gets a bit fuzzy when exactly that particular sequence is happening icl
   peak complained a shit ton about the goofiness of the fight style but I'll say that it was at its goofiest during the pai mei training so to rebutt his criticisms, I'm gonna say it's to depict her amateur skills at that moment and also if we look at IP man, those chinese fight styles are really quite goofy even when done masterfully so...

9. A Real Pain

   OVERALL 13.5/15

   PLOT
   2/2 originality or concept
   1/1 structure
   0.5/1 themes or messages or x-factor
   1/1 climax or ending

   EXECUTION
   2/2 cinematography
   1/1 clarity
   1/1 character
   0.5/1 impactful scenes

   PERSONAL ENJOYMENT
   4.5/5 engagement

   comments:
   that's best ing actor oscar winner kieran culkin to you
   but that's also (minimally) best original screenplay nominee jesse eisenberg to you
   because he really conjured up what probably is one of the best characters in all of cinema
   he's hilarious at the start with his brutal honesty and lack of filter but the way we gradually stop laughing as we see the real pain he deals with is such genius in writing
   our struggles as human beings aren't always seen on surface level
   just because some guy is constantly smiling and making jokes and seemingly alright on the outside, doesn't mean there isn't anything wrong internally
   they each have their struggles and one creative decision that i found really striking was the absence of arc in either characters
   they both sort of go full circle and end up where they were at the beginning - depressed as hell
   and that kinda underlines the message that life's pain sometimes just doesn't go away and things will never return to that same state of happiness and perfection it used to be

10. Better Man

    OVERALL 13.5/15

    PLOT
    1.5/2 originality or concept
    1/1 structure
    0.5/1 themes or messages or x-factor
    1/1 climax or ending

    EXECUTION
    2/2 cinematography
    1/1 clarity
    1/1 character
    1/1 impactful scenes

    PERSONAL ENJOYMENT
    4.5/5 engagement

    comments:
    hell yea this fella obviously knows how to make a musical
    when I first saw the trailer in cinema, I'll be really honest, i had barely any interest whatsoever
    i thought the title was really boring and biopics have never really looked interesting to me (procrastinating bohemian rhapsody and rocketman and elvis)
    but i should've known better because i really really enjoyed this
    the monkey gimmick i thought was illogical and tacky but it does its job in setting itself apart from all the other dull ass biopics out there
    maybe it's because of all the cinematography youtube videos I've been watching but the lighting and camera work here were stellar too
    that one take rock dj sequence was indeed great as were she's the one
    I thought never heard of robbie williams before but turns out i just didn't know it was robbie williams behind all those old hits
    there was probably only one or two songs i was hearing for the first time and even those sounded great
    my "my way" bias pushing through and although I felt they could've potentially gone even more all out on the finale, that isn't to discredit how hard they went on all the musical numbers preceding it
    my only issue is that his struggles aren't made clear enough to us
    his dad leaves abruptly, he starts doing drugs rather abruptly too and he just started dissing his gf out of nowhere
    it's difficult to connect with him as a character if we don't have a clear enough view of his problems, which ultimately ends up harming the eventually redemption
    but still it's execution powers through and his sassy, sarcastic, egoistic yet lovable character proves that even the weak storytelling isn't enough to drag it sufficiently down
    this was pure vibes and id rewatch this soon

...plus 111 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

QUICK EASY RULES:
31 Feel-Good Films

Six Countries
Belgium: Ernest & Celestine (2012)
Canada: Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person (2023)
Brazil: s Ha (2012)
: Man on the Moon (1999)
Japan: Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)
UK: Pride and Prejudice (2005)

Eight Decades
2020s: Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic the Hedgehog
2010s: Klaus, Little Italy, I, Tonya, Swiss Army Man, Focus, Tangerine, Ernest & Celestine, The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!, Crazy, Stupid, Love.
2000s: Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The Holiday, Zathura: A Space Adventure, Pride & Prejudice, The Notebook, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
1990s: Man on the Moon, Girl, Interrupted, The Muppet Christmas Carol
1980s: Ferris Bueller's Day Off
1970s: Paper Moon
1960s: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, Charade, The Apartment
1950s: Roman Holiday
1940s: It's a Wonderful Life
1930s: It Happened One Night
1920s: Sherlock Jr.

ALL of the films from a comedy trilogy: Sonic The Hedgehog Trilogy

One Audrey Hepburn film: Roman Holiday, Charade

One film by Frank Capra: It's a Wonderful Life, It Happened One Night

Three Christmas films: Klaus, It's a Wonderful Life, The Muppet Christmas Carol, The Holiday, Tangerine, The Apartment

One film set on an island: Swiss Army Man, Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Three films with the actors smiling in the poster: Almost all of them, really

Two Animated films (No Big Studios): Ernest & Celestine, The Muppet Christmas Carol, Klaus, The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!

Two films about animals: Ernest & Celestine, Sonic the Hedgehog

One Satirical/Parody film: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!

Two films from your birth year: Pride & Prejudice, Zathura: A Space Adventure

Two films about going on vacation: Roman Holiday, The Holiday

One Musical: The Muppet Christmas Carol

One film under 90 minutes: Ernest & Celestine, The Muppet Christmas Carol, Sherlock Jr., Tangerine, The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!

One of your Top 4s: Klaus

Three films watched with family/friends: It Happened One Night, The Muppet Christmas Carol, Zathura: A Space Adventure, It's a Wonderful Life, Klaus

What is Laxember?
I'd refer to it as Hooptober's long lost brother.
Here's how I came up with it. Hooptober challenges us to watch 31 horror movies in October and that kind of left me all stressed out after completing it the past few years. I thought it would be nice to have that tension released and so, came the birth of Laxember.

- Laxember challenges you to watch 31 feel good films in December, sort of as a recovery from the scares of Hooptober.
- I will review every single one of my Laxember movies and tag them "laxemberone" and I encourage all of you to me and do the same!
- If you are ing me in this adventure, drop the link to your list in the comments so that we can all share the joy of this year end!

Relaxers on board:
Leah | alex | BenJarmin21

That's all for the rules. Happy relaxing!

Thoughts:
- I have officially completed the Laxember 1 challenge as of 02/01/2025 (21/02/2025)
- Notably more enjoyable than Hooptober but naturally since I chose the rules myself and the whole point of this was to have a good time
- Unfortunately, I did not manage to complete this on time but shush it's my challenge
- Bunch of bangers here actually and more 15/15s than i expected
- Let's take a look at some stats to see if I had a better or worse time overall

Unforeseen Banger (5)
- Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
- The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!
- Forgetting Sarah Marshall
- Ferris Bueller's Day Off
- The Apartment

Pleasantly Surprised (2)
- It Happened One Night
- Crazy, Stupid, Love

Expected (12)
- The Muppet Christmas Carol
- Sonic the Hedgehog 1
- Sonic the Hedgehog 2
- Tangerine
- Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person
- Klaus
- I, Tonya
- Swiss Army Man
- Zathura: A Space Adventure
- The Notebook
- How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
- It's a Wonderful Life

Slightly Disappointed (11)
- Ernest & Celestine
- Paper Moon
- Roman Holiday
- Focus
- The Holiday
- Pride & Prejudice
- Man on the Moon
- Girl, Interrupted
- Charade
- Sherlock Jr.
- Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Absolute Bummer (1)
- Little Italy

Overall:
Slightly surprised at how many 4.5 and 5 stars I've given out but hey i had one hell of a time
Average Rating = 11.46/15
Average Stars = 4 ⭐

• The Apartment

  OVERALL 15/15

• Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

  OVERALL 15/15

• Klaus

  OVERALL 15/15

• Ferris Bueller's Day Off

  OVERALL 15/15

• It Happened One Night

  OVERALL 14/15

• The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!

  OVERALL 13.5/15

• It's a Wonderful Life

  OVERALL 13.5/15

• Crazy, Stupid, Love.

  OVERALL 13.5/15

• Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person

  OVERALL 13.5/15

• Forgetting Sarah Marshall

  OVERALL 13/15

...plus 21 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
• The Hateful Eight
• Django Unchained
• Inglourious Basterds
• Death Proof
• Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair
• Kill Bill: Vol. 2
• Kill Bill: Vol. 1
• Jackie Brown
• Pulp Fiction

...plus 486 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

black poster scheme

• Child's Play
• The Blair Witch Project
• Terrifier
• The Evil Dead
• The Babadook
• Friday the 13th
• Final Destination
• Saw
• Cure
• Sinister

...plus 21 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

( the Laxember challenge too!)
QUICK EASY RULES:
31 Horror Films

Six Countries
: Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992)
Argentina: When Evil Lurks (2023)
: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
Australia: Late Night with the Devil (2023)
Sweden: Let the Right One In (2008)
Austria: Funny Games (1997)

Eight Decades
2020s: When Evil Lurks, Late Night with the Devil, Scream VI, Bones and All, Scream
2010s: Tumbbad, Scream 4
2000s: Let the Right One In, The Mist, Planet Terror, Scream 3
1990s: Kaun?, Scream 2, Funny Games, Scream, Death Becomes Her, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
1980s: Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, Hellraiser, Phenomena, Silent Night, Deadly Night
1970s: Piranha, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Deep Red, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The Exorcist, Don't Look Now, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage
1960s: Rosemary's Baby
1920s: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

ALL of the films from a horror franchise with at least 4 entries: SCREAM FRANCHISE

One film by Wes Craven: Scream, Scream 2, Scream 3, Scream 4

One film caused by/worsened by weather: The Mist, Tumbbad, Kaun?

One film starring a Black Woman: Bones and All

One Donald Sutherland Film: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Don't Look Now

Three films from New World Pictures: Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, Hellraiser, Piranha

Two Indian films: Tumbbad, Kaun?

Four Italian films: Deep Red, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, Phenomena, Bones and All

Two Horror Comedies: The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, Death Becomes Her

Two films made primarily or entirely in Texas: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Planet Terror

One film that exists in at least two available cuts: The Exorcist

A Robert Wiene film: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

A Michele Soavi Film: Phenomena

A film from 2011: Scream 4

A film from 1984: Silent Night, Deadly Night

One Tobe Hooper film: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

Thoughts:
- I have officially completed the Hooptober 11 challenge as of 30/10/2024
- Man, it's been such a journey and I definitely got exposed to a lot of different types of horror, a lot of which I would never have willingly watched on my own accord
- There's been a couple of real stinkers but there's also been a bunch that genuinely surprised me especially the Hindi ones
- Do I regret taking up this challenge?
- Although I did have to sit through some rather painful rubbish I did not enjoy in the slightest, I'm glad I experienced it which is essentially the whole point of this event
- Let's take a look at some stats to see if I had a better or worse time overall

Unforeseen Banger (3)
- Kaun?
- Tumbbad
- Scream 2

Pleasantly Surprised (5)
- Bones and All
- The Bird with the Crystal Plumage
- The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
- Late Night with the Devil
- Scream (1996)

Expected (10)
- Rosemary's Baby
- The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
- Silent Night, Deadly Night
- Piranha
- Hellraiser
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- Scream (2022)
- Scream VI
- Scream 3
- Scream 4

Slightly Disappointed (9)
- Death Becomes Her
- Deep Red
- Let the Right One In
- Funny Games
- The Mist
- Elvira: Mistress of the Dark
- Don't Look Now
- Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
- When Evil Lurks

Absolute Bummer (4)
- The Exorcist
- The Rocky Horror Picture Show
- Planet Terror
- Phenomena

Overall:
Sort of expected outcome, leaning a bit towards slightly disappointed
Average Rating = 9.4/15
Average Stars = 3 ⭐

• Scream

  OVERALL 14.5/15
  Country: USA
  Language: English
  Decade: 1990s
  Wes Craven Film
  Horror Franchise

• Late Night with the Devil

  OVERALL 13.5/15
  Country: Australia, United Arab Emirates, USA
  Language: English
  Decade: 2020s

• Tumbbad

  OVERALL 13.5/15
  Country: India, Sweden
  Language: Hindi
  Decade: 2010s

• Scream 2

  OVERALL 13.5/15
  Country: USA
  Language: English
  Decade: 1990s
  Wes Craven Film
  Horror Franchise

• Kaun?

  OVERALL 13.5/15
  Country: India
  Language: Hindi
  Decade: 1990s

• Bones and All

  OVERALL 12.5/15
  Country: Italy, USA
  Language: English
  Decade: 2020s
  Black Woman Star

• Scream 4

  OVERALL 12/15
  Country: USA
  Language: English
  Decade: 2000s
  Wes Craven Film
  Horror Franchise
  2011 Film

• Rosemary's Baby

  OVERALL 12/15
  Country: USA
  Language: English
  Decade: 1960s

• Scream VI

  OVERALL 11.5/15
  Country: USA
  Language: English
  Decade: 2020s
  Horror Franchise

• The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

  OVERALL 11.5/15
  Country: USA
  Language: English
  Decade: 1970s
  Primarily Made In Texas
  Tobe Hooper Film

...plus 21 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

all feature length films seen from 1st january 2024 to 31st december 2024

(RE)REREVAMPED RATING SYSTEM (SINCE 10 MAY 2024 / 7 JUL 2024)

OVERALL ___/15

PLOT

___/3 originality or concept
___/1 themes or messages or x-factor
___/1 ending or resolution

EXECUTION

___/2 cinematography
___/1 clarity
___/1 character
___/1 impactful scenes
(optional: plot hole or unnecessary scene or inconsistent quality deduction or problematic)

PERSONAL ENJOYMENT

___/5 engagement

REVAMPED RATING SYSTEM (SINCE 24 NOV 2023)

OVERALL ___/15

PLOT

___/3 originality or concept
___/1 themes or messages
___/1 ending or resolution

EXECUTION

___/1 character
___/1 clarity
___/1 cinematography
___/1 impactful scenes
___/1 no plot holes or unnecessary scenes

PERSONAL ENJOYMENT

___/5 engagement

OLD RATING SYSTEM (4 OCT 2021 - 24 NOV 2023)

overall ___/15

__/5 plot
__/1 characters
__/1 clarity
__/1 cinematography
__/1 impactful scenes
__/1 no plot holes or unnecessary scenes
__/5 personal enjoyment or engagement

FOR EASY COPY & PASTE

OVERALL /15

PLOT
/3 originality or concept
/1 themes or messages or x-factor
/1 ending or resolution

EXECUTION
/2 cinematography
/1 clarity
/1 character
/1 impactful scenes

PERSONAL ENJOYMENT
/5 engagement

comments:

1. How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies

   OVERALL 15/15 REWATCH

   PLOT
   3/3 originality or concept
   1/1 themes or messages or x-factor
   1/1 ending or resolution

   EXECUTION
   2/2 cinematography
   1/1 clarity
   1/1 character
   1/1 impactful scenes

   PERSONAL ENJOYMENT
   5/5 engagement

   comments:
   I. BLOODY. DELETED. MY. COMMENTS. AGAINNNNNN.
   anyway i rewatched this with stref and the second time hit me harder than i expected
   i would've thought that knowing what will happen would somehow diminish the emotional impact or at least build up some sort of immunity but i was so wrong
   I liked all the callbacks and little details going full circle like her saving the pomegranate for him and him wearing the shirt she bought to his funeral and him scattering the petals randomly so she'd haunt him and unbuttoning the last button

   oh shit okay okay i managed to retrieve half of my comments:
   this makes the farewell look like what tick tick boom is to lala land
   a more intricate plot with family greed and selfishness in addition to character growth, relationship development, and grief multiplied by 10000
   did not expect this to hit this hard
   i like how there was many circle backs
   save the pomegranate for him, buy her a house, youre my number 1, scattering rose petals, singing lullaby, unbutton the last button and a bunch of others
   dumbz was crying for 90mins straight
   after the movie some dude saw his face in the mirror and went my face so red fuckk

   dumbz:
   too sad for review

   stref:
   liked the acting
   doesn't know why he didn't cry
   relatable characters that are very realistic

2. Klaus

   OVERALL 15/15

   PLOT
   3/3 originality or concept
   1/1 themes or messages or x-factor
   1/1 ending or resolution

   EXECUTION
   2/2 cinematography
   1/1 clarity
   1/1 character
   1/1 impactful scenes

   PERSONAL ENJOYMENT
   5/5 engagement

   comments:
   customary christmas watch, although I think it's beginning to come to a point where I've got almost the whole thing memorized and the dilution effect has started to come into play so i better starve myself on this for the christmasses to come
   also I'm finding out that people don't like invisible???
   am I missing something? i love it and everytime i hear the song even not during the movie i get chills

3. Mary and Max

   OVERALL 15/15

   PLOT
   3/3 originality or concept
   1/1 themes or messages or x-factor
   1/1 ending or resolution

   EXECUTION
   2/2 cinematography
   1/1 clarity
   1/1 character
   1/1 impactful scenes

   PERSONAL ENJOYMENT
   5/5 engagement

   comments:
   i accidentally deleted all my comments on this I'm so upset
   but it was something along the lines of it being better on rewatch
   watched this with stref too, unfortunately can't what he said
   something like this is so depressing
   each time i think it's gonna get better, it gets worse instead

4. Jojo Rabbit

   OVERALL 15/15

   PLOT
   3/3 originality or concept
   1/1 themes or messages
   1/1 ending or resolution

   EXECUTION
   1/1 character
   1/1 clarity
   1/1 cinematography
   1/1 impactful scenes
   1/1 no plot holes or unnecessary scenes

   PERSONAL ENJOYMENT
   5/5 engagement

   comments:
   just as wonderful if not even better than what i ed
   the sad scenes seemed to hit harder this time it's crazy how good taika is at nailing such heartfelt sequences

   dumbz:
   ppl bullshitting and being butthurt, i think it's fine
   I can't speak for them but i thought they would be making more fun of the Jews
   but i feel like this is exactly the mentality that was being spread and that was nice
   there was a lot of parallels of what actually happened
   funny take
   liked the side romance not really romance
   sadness when mother died
   overall nice movie, better than expected
   quite cute
   14/15
   makes me feel smart, like a feel good movie but not in the conventional way
   and i like when the historical movies line with the actual facts and there are a lot of niche inside jokes that actually happened which is like easter eggs so it's nice to watch and be like hey! that did happen
   -1 because it's not minions
   just kidding, because i wasn't mind blown like across the spiderverse

5. Pulp Fiction

   OVERALL 15/15

   PLOT
   3/3 originality or concept
   1/1 themes or messages
   1/1 ending or resolution

   EXECUTION
   1/1 character
   1/1 clarity
   1/1 cinematography
   1/1 impactful scenes
   1/1 no plot holes or unnecessary scenes

   PERSONAL ENJOYMENT
   5/5 engagement

   comments:
   DAMN THIS SHIT HITS SO DIFFERENT ON REWATCH
   undoubtedly, i was not old enough to appreciate the goodness of this film that is driven through it's heavenly dialogue
   every sentence uttered here is like scripture it's crazy how much of a genius tarantino is and it's almost a staple in every one of his films to have a sick ass monologue like the skull in django or the john the hangman ruth in the hateful eight and even the superman speech in kill bill vol. 2
   over here the ezekiel 25:17 verse was first mentioned before a killing but when finally mentioned once again, a life was spared
   jules' character development is apparent and his struggles in understanding the verse reflect his change and growth
   the speech also reflects each main character in the film, tying together what seems like 3 completely distinct and separated stories, driving home the theme of a pulp magazine and intertwining these stories as a magazine would
   I'm so glad i didn't skip on this rewatch
   I could listen to samuel l jackson say a bunch of rubbish all day
   also i can't put my finger on it but there's something about quentin tarantino's acting that is so ridiculously and low-key bad it's actually extremely comedic i don't know if i love it or hate it

6. Django Unchained

   OVERALL 15/15

   PLOT
   3/3 originality or concept
   1/1 themes or messages
   1/1 ending or resolution

   EXECUTION
   1/1 character
   1/1 clarity
   1/1 cinematography
   1/1 impactful scenes
   1/1 no plot holes or unnecessary scenes

   PERSONAL ENJOYMENT
   5/5 engagement

   comments:
   cinematography and soundtrack was fantastic
   beautifully shot coupled with amazing scores what a banger
   tarantinos cameo was hilariously goofy i genuinely can't tell if he is just a shit actor or it's just because i recognised his toad-lookin ass

7. La La Land

   OVERALL 15/15

   PLOT
   3/3 originality or concept
   1/1 themes or messages
   1/1 ending or resolution

   EXECUTION
   1/1 character
   1/1 clarity
   1/1 cinematography
   1/1 impactful scenes
   1/1 no plot holes or unnecessary scenes

   PERSONAL ENJOYMENT
   5/5 engagement

   comments:
   might be the best cinematography I've ever seen ever
   what an ending i am absolutely shattered and broken
   exceeded expectations

8. The Apartment

   OVERALL 15/15

   PLOT
   3/3 originality or concept
   1/1 themes or messages or x-factor
   1/1 ending or resolution

   EXECUTION
   2/2 cinematography
   1/1 clarity
   1/1 character
   1/1 impactful scenes

   PERSONAL ENJOYMENT
   5/5 engagement

   comments:
   proof that you don't need an outlandish plot to make a good movie
   just a room and keys and drama
   it's funny, it's sad, it's love, it's cute, it's everything at all the right times
   give jack lemmon that oscar because his acting was phenomenal
   he's got that quirk in his every movement that just makes him such an entertaining watch
   the dialogue is once again so damn mesmerising and of course this is by the same guy that did double indemnity so now I can't wait to get to sunset boulevard

9. Witness for the Prosecution

   OVERALL 15/15

   PLOT
   3/3 originality or concept
   1/1 themes or messages or x-factor
   1/1 ending or resolution

   EXECUTION
   2/2 cinematography
   1/1 clarity
   1/1 character
   1/1 impactful scenes

   PERSONAL ENJOYMENT
   5/5 engagement

   comments:
   WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW
   BILLY BLOODY WILDER YOU MAD LAD
   nah cinema has peaked and it happened 70 years ago
   the plot twist nah this movie invented plot twists
   and it is just so gripping throughout
   i thought anatomy of a murder was the best courtroom drama nah after this it pales in comparison
   who knew a bunch of men arguing could be so entertaining
   it's electric really bloody hell
   I take back everything i said about lawyers being boring maybe i should've chosen to study law
   and the complexity of the story being conveyed with such simplicity, truly such a feat
   not once was i confused about the occurrences
   seriously this shit deserves so much more attention
   not sure why sunset boulevard is more critically acclaimed than this and the apartment but keep this up with some like it hot and alfred might lose a spot to this guy
   also this is my 366th film and I have officially watched more movies than there are days this year and I'm so glad i got to end it off with this banger

10. Ferris Bueller's Day Off

    OVERALL 15/15

    PLOT
    3/3 originality or concept
    1/1 themes or messages or x-factor
    1/1 ending or resolution

    EXECUTION
    2/2 cinematography
    1/1 clarity
    1/1 character
    1/1 impactful scenes

    PERSONAL ENJOYMENT
    5/5 engagement

    comments:
    i genuinely think i pissed myself laughing
    john hughes has solidified himself as the best comedy director in my books because between the breakfast club and this, that's 2 for 2 insanely well-written, well-timed, well-acted comedy gold
    can't wait to watch planes, trains and automobiles now
    but beneath all the jokes, ferris bueller's day off still sends strong messages and lessons on how to lead your life
    one of them being, screw the rules
    life is bounded by too many restrictions for you to properly enjoy it
    just live it the way you want because ultimately, it's your own life you're leading and nobody should get a say more than you do
    and this struck a personal chord with me as it reminded me of all the dumb shit i too was doing in school
    next, we learn not to worry about anyone else but ourselves
    ferris' sister spends the whole movie holding a grudge against his brother and you can clearly tell she's stressing out over things that isn't even her problem
    in the end she winds up not giving a shit about him and is evidently happier
    whether someone is skipping school or not is their own problem, and the underlying message here is to just do your own thing because torturing yourself just to get someone to face the music isn't worth it
    life moves pretty fast. if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it
    once again, a reminder to slow down and enjoy the things that happen and to seize the day
    and on top of everything, of course ferris' confidence and ability to face his problems head first is to be ired
    there's this stark contrast between cameron and ferris where cameron is clearly more afraid of living and scared of the consequences
    by the end of the film, we come to realise that the movie is really actually about cameron and his growth out of that stage of being too scared by the pressures his father had placed on him
    there's a point where he breaks down and the smile on my face just slowly fades away
    and it is definitely cathartic to see him finally break free of that metaphorical prison his unhealthy upbringing had put him in
    other than all these, the character performances have to be applauded
    every one of the actors are just naturally funny and none of the jokes feel forced or oversold
    i do have some minor bones to pick with it like all the near misses where he definitely should've gotten caught but didn't due to movie magic
    but I guess those were done deliberately for that phineas and ferb effect so I'm gonna close one eye
    my other tiny issue is the dynamic between sloan and cameron
    there's some tension there i felt should've been way more platonic
    there was definitely no need to include that "did you see me change out of the swimsuit shit" like what was that for
    but comparing it to the screw up in ending for the breakfast club, I'll take this as a dub
    OH and i forgot to mention that the end credit scene was referenced in deadpool and i only found out now

...plus 374 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Categories:

1. Random Letter Generator (Google random letter generator and generate a letter from A to Z. Watch a film noir starting with that letter, ignoring a, an, the, or foreign-language equivalents.)

2. Featuring a MacGuffin

3. Featuring "one last job"

4. Sci fi noir

5. Asian noir (set in Asia, featuring Asian characters, or made in Asia)

6. Latin noir (set in Latin America, featuring Latinx characters, or made in Latin America)

7. A noir from a country that isn't yet green on your Letterboxd map

8. Eddie Muller's 25 Noirs That Will Stand the Test of Time

9. Paste Magazine's 100 Best Film Noirs of All Time

10. 50 International Film Noir Classics that Everyone Should See

11. Oscar-nominated noir

12. Oscar-winning noir

13. Directed by Fritz Lang

14. Directed by Robert Siodmak

15. Starring Robert Mitchum

16. Starring Joan Bennett

17. Written by or based on work by Raymond Chandler

18. Written by or based on work by Cornell Woolrich

19. Written by or based on work by a woman

20. Studio: Warner Bros.

21. Studio: Paramount

22. Studio: Universal International Pictures

23. Costumes by Edith Head

24. Cinematography by James Wong Howe

25. With "Big" in the title

26. With "Confidential" in the title

27. With a one-word title

28. Watch a pre-1960 film in color, or a post-1960 film in black and white

29. Adapted to radio

30. Any film noir on your watchlist

Don't like a category? Do Prompt 30 as many times as you like.

Notes:
- I just got back from Hooptober kinda exhausted I can't lie and then I found out about Noirvember because Letterboxd posted a few under-the-radar Noirvember recommendations
- Did a little digging and I found these set of rules for this year's The Big Noirvember
- Originally, I wasn't too keen on taking up this challenge because I kinda already had my fill of challenges in October and not to mention the need to start the Laxember challenge on 15th November
- But I chanced upon the last rule that mentions "any film noir in watchlist" counting as a category fulfilled and with unlimited entries too so I decided to give this a shot
- Naturally, I abused this little boon in fine print and took the opportunity to cram in as many Hitchcock films as I could, simultaneously aiding me in getting through his filmography
- At the same time though, I did manage to find a bunch of film noirs that genuinely caught my interest and wouldn't mind watching at all
- Just a slight observation but the average rating for my Noirvember list is drastically higher than my Hooptober one so hopefully I have an easier time completing this
- Also, chances of me finishing this before December is closed to none...with sailing and all, my schedule is packed and plus, I already lost 4 days since I only discovered this on 5th November
- To put things into perspective, I had 45 days for Hooptober, and I didn't have to simultaneously do another challenge which isn't the case for this month's dual feat (Noirvember x Laxember)
- So, even though I'm aware the rules specifically said "no cheating wise guy", spare me a little comion and give me till the end of the year for this, would ya?

• Batman
• Strangers on a Train
• Rebecca
• Notorious
• To Catch a Thief
• Shadow of a Doubt
• The 39 Steps
• The Man Who Knew Too Much
• Sunset Boulevard
• M

...plus 20 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

all feature length films seen from 19th september 2023 to 31st december 2023

REVAMPED RATING SYSTEM (SINCE 24 NOV 2023)

OVERALL ___/15

PLOT

___/3 originality or concept
___/1 themes or messages
___/1 ending or resolution

EXECUTION

___/1 character
___/1 clarity
___/1 cinematography
___/1 impactful scenes
___/1 no plot holes or unnecessary scenes

PERSONAL ENJOYMENT

___/5 engagement

OLD RATING SYSTEM (4 OCT 2021 - 24 NOV 2023)

overall ___/15

__/5 plot
__/1 characters
__/1 clarity
__/1 cinematography
__/1 impactful scenes
__/1 no plot holes or unnecessary scenes
__/5 personal enjoyment or engagement

FOR EASY COPY & PASTE

OVERALL /15

PLOT
/3 originality or concept
/1 themes or messages
/1 ending or resolution

EXECUTION
/1 character
/1 clarity
/1 cinematography
/1 impactful scenes
/1 no plot holes or unnecessary scenes

PERSONAL ENJOYMENT
/5 engagement

• Do the Right Thing

  4/15

  2/5 plot
  0.5/1 characters
  0/1 clarity
  0/1 cinematography
  0/1 impactful scenes
  0/1 no plot holes or unnecessary scenes
  1.5/5 personal enjoyment or engagement

• Dallas Buyers Club

  11/15
  
  3.5/5 plot
  1/1 characters
  1/1 clarity
  1/1 cinematography 
  0/1 impactful scenes
  1/1 no plot holes or unnecessary scenes
  3.5/5 personal enjoyment or engagement 

• Mary and Max

  15/15
  
  5/5 plot
  1/1 characters
  1/1 clarity
  1/1 cinematography 
  1/1 impactful scenes
  1/1 no plot holes or unnecessary scenes
  5/5 personal enjoyment or engagement 

• Elemental

  8/15
  
  3/5 plot
  0.5/1 characters
  1/1 clarity
  1/1 cinematography 
  0/1 impactful scenes
  0/1 no plot holes or unnecessary scenes
  3/5 personal enjoyment or engagement 

• ParaNorman

  9.5/15
  
  3/5 plot
  0.5/1 characters
  1/1 clarity
  0.5/1 cinematography 
  0/1 impactful scenes
  1/1 no plot holes or unnecessary scenes
  3.5/5 personal enjoyment or engagement 

• Pearl

  12/15
  
  3.5/5 plot
  1/1 characters
  1/1 clarity
  1/1 cinematography 
  1/1 impactful scenes
  1/1 no plot holes or unnecessary scenes
  3.5/5 personal enjoyment or engagement 

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

  12/15
  
  3.5/5 plot
  1/1 characters
  1/1 clarity
  1/1 cinematography 
  0.5/1 impactful scenes
  1/1 no plot holes or unnecessary scenes
  4.5/5 personal enjoyment or engagement 

• The Witch

  0.5/15
  
  0.5/5 plot
  0/1 characters
  0/1 clarity
  0/1 cinematography 
  0/1 impactful scenes
  0/1 no plot holes or unnecessary scenes
  0/5 personal enjoyment or engagement 

• Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

  9/15
  
  3/5 plot
  1/1 characters
  0.5/1 clarity
  1/1 cinematography 
  0/1 impactful scenes
  0.5/1 no plot holes or unnecessary scenes
  3/5 personal enjoyment or engagement 

• Good Will Hunting

  13/15
  
  4.5/5 plot
  1/1 characters
  1/1 clarity
  1/1 cinematography 
  1/1 impactful scenes
  1/1 no plot holes or unnecessary scenes
  3.5/5 personal enjoyment or engagement 

...plus 79 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Get Out
2. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
3. Mary and Max
4. 12 Years a Slave
5. Prisoners
6. The Holdovers
7. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
8. Jojo Rabbit
9. Dead Poets Society
10. Before Sunrise

...plus 139 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

i hate you mater

• Geri's Game
• Partly Cloudy
• Lifted
• Jack-Jack Attack
• Bao
• Your Friend the Rat
• Auntie Edna
• One Man Band
• Burrow
• Boundin'

...plus 53 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.