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Watched on Monday June 9, 2025.

Watched on Monday June 9, 2025.

Watched on Monday June 9, 2025.

Watched on Monday June 9, 2025.

Watched on Monday June 9, 2025.

Watched on Monday June 9, 2025.

Watched on Monday June 9, 2025.

Watched on Monday June 9, 2025.

Watched on Monday June 9, 2025.

Watched on Monday June 9, 2025.

Watched on Monday June 9, 2025.

Watched on Monday June 9, 2025.

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Watched on Sunday June 8, 2025.

Watched on Sunday June 8, 2025.

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Watched on Sunday June 8, 2025.

Watched on Sunday June 8, 2025.

Watched on Sunday June 8, 2025.

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Watched on Sunday June 8, 2025.

Watched on Sunday June 8, 2025.

Watched on Sunday June 8, 2025.

Watched on Sunday June 8, 2025.

Watched on Sunday June 8, 2025.

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Watched on Saturday June 7, 2025.

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Watched on Wednesday June 4, 2025.

Watched on Saturday May 31, 2025.

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Watched on Friday May 30, 2025.

Watched on Monday May 26, 2025.

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Watched on Sunday May 25, 2025.

Watched on Saturday May 24, 2025.

Watched on Friday May 23, 2025.

Watched on Tuesday May 20, 2025.

Watched on Tuesday May 20, 2025.

Watched on Monday May 19, 2025.

Watched on Friday May 16, 2025.

Watched on Saturday May 10, 2025.

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Watched on Saturday May 10, 2025.

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Watched on Thursday May 8, 2025.

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Watched on Thursday May 8, 2025.

This list is a record of what I watched in 2025.

• Poor Pierrot
• Saint Joan
• The Deserter and the Nomads
• Boomerang
• Twist
• Face Like a Frog
• Tommy
• Daybreak Express
• The Ballad of Rose Mae
• No Time for Comedy

...plus 366 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• 7th Heaven
• 8½
• 12 Angry Men
• 35 Shots of Rum
• The 400 Blows
• 2001: A Space Odyssey
• A Nos Amours
• The Abduction of the Sun and the Moon
• Adelheid
• After Hours

...plus 365 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

More than a decade ago, I began a challenge to watch every film in the Criterion Collection (more than 1,000 films). I recommend the challenge to anyone who is interesting in learning about film because Criterion has done the hard work of determining which films are worth your time.

This list includes all the films from the collection that I have seen so far—more than two-thirds of the collection—by spine number. My favorites in the collection are: Woman in the Dunes, The Cranes Are Flying, Pather Panchali, Kwaidan, 3 Women, Jeanne Dielman, 8-1/2, Fish Tank, The Fire Within, House of Games, Throne of Blood, Through a Glass Darkly, Vagabond, Mon Oncle, Grey Gardens, Brand Upon the Brain!, The Honeymoon Killers, The Night Porter, La Haine, Leon Morin, Priest, The Human Condition, and Alambrista.

For the full list of the Criterion Collection, visit Criterion.com.

• Grand Illusion

  Spine #1

• Seven Samurai

  Spine #2

• The Lady Vanishes

  Spine #3

• Amarcord

  Spine #4

• The 400 Blows

  Spine #5

• Beauty and the Beast

  Spine #6

• A Night to

  Spine #7

• The Killer

  Spine #8

• Hard Boiled

  Spine #9

• Walkabout

  Spine #10

...plus 938 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

I thought a way of finding good films that I haven't seen would be to look at Letterboxd s' favorite films. You only get to list four, so those films should be quality films. Right?

Here's how I chose the films: I randomly clicked to find a , and then I cursorily reviewed his or her top four favorite films. All the favorites that I found interesting got added to this list, which is another watchlist for me. It differs from the regular watchlist because it contains only films I haven't heard of or know anything about. After I watch the films, I'll make note of what I thought of them.

Is one of your favorite films on this list? If not, tell me which of your top four favorite films I should watch. Please exclude any film in the Criterion Collection, because I'm already working on that. If you are aware that any of the films listed here are disturbing in some way, please warn me.

What's up with people on Letterboxd who don't list four favorite films?

1. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

   WATCHED. I loved it. My review.

2. Mirror

   WATCHED. The Mirror is not so much a film as it is a beautiful cinematic diary. Unratable and difficult to recommend.

3. This Is England

   WATCHED. I LOVED it! My review.

4. The Child

   WATCHED. I LOVED it! My review.

5. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

   WATCHED. I liked it a lot. My review.

6. Infernal Affairs

   WATCHED. I really liked this film.

7. The Straight Story

   WATCHED. I liked it.

8. Let the Right One In

   WATCHED. I loved it. My review.

9. Take Shelter

   WATCHED. I liked it.

10. The Lives of Others

    WATCHED. I liked it. My review.

...plus 90 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

This list is a record of what I watched in 2024.

Each year, I aim to watch 500 films. Last year, my interest in film really dropped—mostly because I was working so much—and I didn't even watch half of that amount. This year, I'm not going to set a number goal.

• The Killer
• Petite Maman
• Ella Cinders
• Sticky Fingers
• Flaming Youth
• Pups Is Pups
• Quiz Lady
• In the Realms of the Unreal
• Steamboat Willie
• The Old Mill

...plus 563 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

I aim to watch 500 films each year. This list is a record of what I watched in 2023.

• The Endless Summer
• Our Lady of the Sphere
• Silver Dollar
• The Atomic Cafe
• MAID OF THE DEAD
• YANOYA
• Olympic Games on Dankichi Island
• YA-NE-SEN a Go Go
• On the way home
• Take One False Step

...plus 203 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

I aim to watch 500 films each year. This list is a record of what I watched in 2022.

• Chafed Elbows
• When the Cat Comes
• Fake Fruit Factory
• Werewolves Within
• Pierrette's Escapades
• Falling Leaves
• Fantasmagorie
• The Worst Person in the World
• Offering
• The Key

...plus 489 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

I aim to watch 500 films each year. This is a record of what I watched in 2021.

1. Harry and Tonto
2. One, Two, Three
3. The Producers
4. Born Yesterday
5. Lover Come Back
6. The Capital City: Washington, D.C.
7. A Criminal Is Born
8. Hollywood My Home Town
9. Red, White and Blue
10. Aliens

...plus 531 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

I normally get exposed to documentaries only at film festivals, which is a pity. If you know a great documentary, please make a recommendation in the comments.

• Grey Gardens
• News from Home
• Harlan County U.S.A.
• Fire at Sea
• Night and Fog
• Dont Look Back
• Gimme Danger
• Koyaanisqatsi
• Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
• New York Doll

...plus 58 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

According to IMDb, Ewan McGregor has appeared in 90 films. I aim to watch as many as possible. This list includes all of his films that I have seen so far.

• Big Fish
• Moulin Rouge!
• Trainspotting
• The Impossible
• Velvet Goldmine
• Haywire
• T2 Trainspotting
• August: Osage County
• Last Days in the Desert
• Beginners

...plus 29 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

I aim to watch 500 films each year. This is a record of what I watched in 2020.

1. Black Mother
2. Long Day's Journey into Night
3. Beanpole
4. Belmonte
5. Monos
6. Booksmart
7. Diane
8. Peterloo
9. Little Joe
10. Never Look Away

...plus 892 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

*Based on New York release

These films are what I enjoyed seeing the most in 2017.

1. The Killing of a Sacred Deer
2. Twin Peaks: The Return
3. The Square
4. Dunkirk
5. A Fantastic Woman
6. Loveless
7. A Ghost Story
8. Call Me by Your Name
9. The Florida Project
10. The Rider

...plus 34 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Cul-de-sac
2. Border Radio
3. The Ghost Writer
4. Brand Upon the Brain!
5. Crazed Fruit
6. The Horse's Mouth
7. Monsoon Wedding
8. Mala Noche
9. Léolo
10. For All Mankind

...plus 588 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

These films are the 2015 releases* that I enjoyed the most, ranked in order of preference.

*Based on New York release

1. Carol
2. Son of Saul
3. Steve Jobs
4. Entertainment
5. The Treasure
6. Queen of Earth
7. 45 Years
8. Mustang
9. Brooklyn
10. The Mend

...plus 37 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

*Based on New York release

These films are what I enjoyed seeing the most in 2019.

Honorable mentions: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Booksmart, One Child Nation, Midsommar, The Mountain

1. Uncut Gems
2. Transit
3. Apollo 11
4. Les Misérables
5. Parasite
6. Invisible Life
7. Beanpole
8. Her Smell
9. The Nightingale
10. First Cow

...plus 24 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

I aim to watch 500 films each year. This is a record of what I watched in 2019.

1. Quixote
2. Boomerang!
3. Patriotism
4. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
5. Free Solo
6. Green Book
7. First Man
8. Suspiria
9. Drive, He Said
10. Angel

...plus 320 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Recently, Spike Lee posted his Essential Film List that he has given to every NYU graduate film student for the last fifteen years. So far the best comment that I have read about the list comes from New York magazine, who said, "Most surprising, the list...lacks any films from acclaimed director Spike Lee."

• Bad Lieutenant
• Rashomon
• Yojimbo
• Ran
• Rear Window
• Vertigo
• North by Northwest
• Bonnie and Clyde
• The Conformist
• Last Tango in Paris

...plus 76 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

*Based on New York release

These films are what I enjoyed seeing the most in 2018.

1. First Reformed
2. BlacKkKlansman
3. Can You Ever Forgive Me?
4. Born Bone Born
5. Won't You Be My Neighbor?
6. Burning
7. Long Way Home
8. The Ciambra
9. Of Fathers and Sons
10. Border

...plus 33 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

I aim to watch 500 films each year. This is a record of what I watched in 2018.

1. Broken Blossoms
2. Fat City
3. Love Songs
4. Crimes of ion
5. The Defiant Ones
6. The Seventh Victim
7. Marjorie Prime
8. City That Never Sleeps
9. David and Lisa
10. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: One More Time with Feeling

...plus 614 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

*Based on New York release

These are the films that I enjoyed the most this year. I respond best to films that touch all bases—that is, films that are funny, warm, and contain a social message—and films with unusual stories or an unusual story-telling approach.

2016 was the year of breakout performances. Some favorites of mine were Lily Gladstone (Certain Women), Sasha Lane (American Honey), and Royalty Hightower (The Fits).

1. I, Daniel Blake
2. Paterson
3. Things to Come
4. Fire at Sea
5. Manchester by the Sea
6. American Honey
7. The Death of Louis XIV
8. Hunt for the Wilderpeople
9. The Whispering Star
10. Artist of Fasting

...plus 32 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

I am not going to pre-pick the films for this challenge. I want to be spontaneous and choose the films daily. This year, I am going to try to focus on films from Africa.

See Lise, keeper of the challenge, for info on March Around the World.

The Countries and Films:

1. Rwanda - 100 Days (Nick Hughes)
2. Senegal - The Pirogue (Moussa Touré)
3. Senegal - Touki Bouki (Djibril Diop Mambéty)
4. Ghana - Nakom (Kelly Daniela Norris, T.W. Pittman)
5. Ethiopia - Crumbs (Miguel Llansó)
6. Guinea-Bissau - The Battle of Tabato (João Viana)
7. South Korea - Claire’s Camera (Hong Sang-soo)
8. Mali - Yeelen (Souleymane Cissé)
9. New Zealand - The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey (Vincent Ward)
10. Mozambique - Nelio's Story (Solveig Nordlund)
11. Australia - Starstruck (Gillian Armstrong)
12. Iran - The Silence (Mohsen Makhmalbaf)
13. - Frantz (François Ozon)
14. Czechoslovakia - story or Birth of a Community (Věra Chytilová)
15. - Double Lover (François Ozon)
16. Burkina Faso - The Night of Truth (Fanta Régina Nacro)
17. Mali - Guimba the Tyrant (Cheick Oumar Sissoko)
18. Tanzania - The Boy from Geita (Vic Sarin)
19. South Africa - The Wound (John Trengove)
20. Zimbabwe - Flame (Ingrid Sinclair)
21. Mali - Taafe Fanga (Skirt Power) (Adama Drabo)
22. Australia - My Brilliant Career (Gillian Armstrong)
23. Italy - The Year of the Cannibals (Liliana Cavani)

1. 100 Days

   Rwanda

2. The Pirogue

   Senegal

3. Touki Bouki

   Senegal

4. Nakom

   Ghana

5. Crumbs

   Ethiopia

6. The Battle of Tabato

   Guinea-Bissau

7. Claire's Camera

   South Korea

8. Yeelen

   Mali

9. The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey

   New Zealand

10. Nelio's Story

    Mozambique

...plus 13 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

I aim to watch 500 films each year. This is a record of what I watched in 2017.

1. Nathalie Granger
2. High Plains Drifter
3. Goodbye, Dragon Inn
4. The Skywalk Is Gone
5. Tokyo!
6. To Have and Have Not
7. Son of Rambow
8. The Fury
9. Breaking the Waves
10. They Live

...plus 630 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Films I watched for the first time in 2017 that I rated 4-1/2 or 5 stars (new releases excluded)

• Breaking the Waves
• Letter from an Unknown Woman
• The Best Years of Our Lives
• The Emigrants
• All the President's Men
• The Deer Hunter
• The Day I Became a Woman
• Cyrano de Bergerac
• Happy-Go-Lucky
• Funeral Parade of Roses

...plus 19 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

*Based on New York release

My two favorite films, Holy Motors and Cosmopolis, are films that many people did not like. In both cases, I liked how the film challenged the viewer.

1. Holy Motors
2. Cosmopolis
3. Tabu
4. Lore
5. Killer Joe
6. Rust and Bone
7. Amour
8. Life of Pi
9. Like Someone in Love
10. Argo

...plus 14 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

I am not going to pre-pick the films for this challenge. I want to be spontaneous and choose the films daily.

See Lise, keeper of the challenge, for info on March Around the World.

The Countries and Films:

1. Australia - Head On (Ana Kokkinos)
2. Iceland - Of Horses and Men (Benedikt Erlingsson)
3. Japan - Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion (Shunya Ito)
4. Iran - Crimson Gold (Jafar Panahi)
5. Ireland - I Went Down (Paddy Breathnach)
6. Vietnam - The Scent of Green Papaya (Trần Anh Hùng)
7. South Korea - Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring (Kim Ki-duk)
8. West - Alice in the Cities (Wim Wenders)
9. Italy - Accattone (Pier Paolo Pasolini)
10. Sweden - The New Land (Jan Troell)
11. Guatemala - Ixcanul (Jayro Bustamante)
12. Denmark - Men & Chicken (Anders Thomas Jensen)
13. - Next Time I'll Aim for the Heart (Cédric Anger)
14. Norway - Troll Hunter (André Øvredal)
15. China - House of Flying Daggers (Zhang Yimou)
16. India - Thithi (Raam Reddy)
17. Argentina - Eva Doesn't Sleep (Pablo Agüero)
18. Canada - Shivers (David Cronenberg)
19. Philippines - Graceland (Ron Morales)
20. United Kingdom - Gandhi (Richard Attenborough)
21. Chile - The Maid (Sebastián Silva)
22. The Netherlands - Secrets of War (Dennis Bots)
23. Belgium - North Sea Texas (Bavo Defurne)
24. Israel - Sand Storm (Elite Zexer)
25. Ethiopia - Difret (Zeresenay Mehari)
26. Poland - A Short Film about Killing (Krzysztof Kieślowski)
27. Spain - Bad Education (Pedro Almodóvar)
28. Rwanda - The Pardon (Joel Karekezi)
29. Estonia - Tangerines (Zaza Urushadze)
30. Turkey - Vizontele (Yilmaz Erdogan)

1. Head On

   Country: Australia
   Languages: English and Greek

2. Of Horses and Men

   Country: Iceland
   Language: Icelandic

3. Female Prisoner Scorpion: #701

   Country: Japan
   Language: Japanese

4. Crimson Gold

   Country: Iran
   Language: Persian

5. I Went Down

   Country: Ireland
   Language: English

6. The Scent of Green Papaya

   Country: Vietnam
   Language: Vietnamese

7. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring

   Country: South Korea
   Language: Korean

8. Alice in the Cities

   Country: West
   Languages: German and English

9. Accattone

   Country: Italy
   Language: Italian

10. The New Land

    Country: Sweden
    Language: Swedish

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

Anthology Film Archives in NYC has a really interesting film series beginning this week--one of great films by filmmakers who only made a single film. Several of the films are already among my favorite films (The Night of the Hunter, Carnival of Souls, and The Honeymoon Killers), but others are ones that I have always wanted to see but have been unable to find in any format. I am really excited about seeing as many of these films as possible. A description of the series, titled One-Film Wonders, follows.

Most great filmmakers spend an entire career developing a signature style and coherent themes, experimenting and exploring and refining their craft over the course of several movies. But there is another brand of auteur, far more elusive and remarkable: the director who establishes a fully formed cinematic vision with their first full-length credit, only to never make another feature. The “One-Offs,” as Andrew Sarris labels them in a chapter of THE AMERICAN CINEMA. The One-Film Wonders.

Almost exclusively misunderstood or underappreciated in their time – by critics, the public, or both – these singular artists never assembled a full-blown oeuvre. Some gave up, disinterested in the process of directing or disillusioned by the hardships of the industry. Some moved on, finding success in another field. Some kept trying, struggling and failing to get a follow-up project off the ground. Some simply met a premature demise. No matter the story, a combination of circumstance and chance has unfairly relegated these directors’ achievements to the footnotes of film history.

-Anthology Film Archives, NYC

I would be interested in learning about other one-offs. If you know of one or have Sarris' book, please let me know.

1. Nothing Lasts Forever
2. Another Sky
3. Venom and Eternity
4. Borderline
5. Return to Oz
6. The World's Greatest Sinner
7. Electra Glide in Blue
8. The Night of the Hunter
9. Cold Turkey
10. Spring Night, Summer Night

...plus 15 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Films I watched for the first time in 2016 that I rated 4-1/2 or 5 stars (new releases excluded)

• Wanda
• The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant
• News from Home
• Sweet Movie
• The Mother and the Whore
• The Crucified Lovers
• Lolita
• Battleship Potemkin
• The Conformist
• The Face of Another

...plus 38 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

I aim to watch 500 films each year. This is a record of what I watched in 2016. I did the same in 2015 and 2014.

1. The Crucified Lovers
2. The Duke of Burgundy
3. Getting Acquainted
4. In the Park
5. By the Sea
6. The Pawnshop
7. Liverpool
8. The Voices
9. 8 Women
10. The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant

...plus 666 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Living in New York City, being a member of the Film Society of Lincoln Center, and working for the Tribeca Film Festival for many years have added up to many opportunities for me to meet great filmmakers. This is a list of whom I have met and under what circumstances. All of them were positive experiences. Click on the "Read Notes" icon to read my story about meeting each film maker.

• Lincoln

  I met Steven Spielberg after a special preview screening of Lincoln at the 2012 New York Film Festival. He did a q&a after the film, and when it was done, I simply walked up to the stage and shook his hand and chatted with him. Really nice guy.

• Holy Motors

  I met Leos Carax at the New York premiere of Holy Motors at Film Society of Lincoln Center. He did a q&a after the film, which really helped me to understand and love the film.

• Back to the Future

  I met Robert Zemeckis after a screening of and q&a about Flight at the 42nd Street Regal Cinema. It was a special event that the Museum of the Moving Image hosted. The event was originally planned as a special preview screening before the film's release, but the preview ended up being cancelled because of Hurricane Sandy. Denzel Washington was supposed to have attended that screening. He was unable to attend the rescheduled event that I attended.

• Mulholland Drive

  I met David Lynch outside Strand Bookstore in 2011. He was there to help Dr. Norman Rosenthal promote his book on transcendental meditation. Lynch talked in the same odd fashion he did as Gordon Cole inTwin Peaks. I expected him to be aloof, but he was quite warm and friendly.

• Carnal Knowledge

  I met Mike Nichols after a screening of Carnal Knowledge at Film Society of Lincoln Center. I attribute his film "Working Girls" to influencing my decision to move to New York City. He was very gentlemanly.

• Up in the Air

  I met Jason Reitman after a screening of Mike Nichols' film Carnal Knowledge at Film Society of Lincoln Center. Reitman interviewed Nichols about his career after the film. He was very relaxed and approachable.

• Clerks

  I met Kevin Smith at a film event for Film Society of Lincoln Center. He hosted a series about films that influenced him. The one that I attended was a screening of and q&a about Valley Girl, a favorite film of mine.

• The Blues Brothers

  I met John Landis at a special screening of The Blues Brothers at BAM in Brooklyn.

• Monsoon Wedding

  I met Mira Nair standing in line to buy tickets for the 2012 New York Film Festival.

• Sidewalks of New York

  I've met Edward Burns a number of times. He is closely associated with the Tribeca Film Festival, which I've worked with for 5 years.

...plus 11 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

I aim to watch 500 films each year. This is a record of what I watched in 2014.

1. The Brown Bunny
2. A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III
3. Marathon Man
4. Seconds
5. Fill the Void
6. Stardust Memories
7. John and Mary
8. The Devil's Backbone
9. Working Girl

   A rewatch

10. Rust and Bone

    A rewatch

...plus 548 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

I aim to watch 500 films each year. This is a record of what I watched in 2015. I did the same thing in 2014.

1. Rosetta
2. Gabrielle
3. Serial Mom
4. Life Is Sweet
5. The Secret World of Arrietty
6. Kiki's Delivery Service
7. Bad Words
8. The House Is Black
9. Reflections in a Golden Eye
10. How to Train Your Dragon 2

...plus 529 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

***All video clips contain spoilers.***

1. Dance scene in Ex Machina https://youtu.be/BxXlPULqYN0
Why Oscar Isaac is your crush
2. Elisabeth Moss' "You are why" scene in Queen of Earth https://youtu.be/vCJjTRjRwvw
Most dramatic scene and my favorite female lead performance of 2015
3. Opening scene of Sicario https://youtu.be/37K_bHu2NyA
Disturbingly gruesome--something that you cannot unsee
4. "Diamonds" scene in Girlhood https://youtu.be/NsBRg2fs_3U
Most joy-filled scene in a 2015 film
5. Leo vs the Bear in The Revenant https://youtu.be/V8S-wCAvMC8
Grippingly intense and horrific
6. Banquet scene in Macbeth https://youtu.be/gx2vkK_tX2k
Haunting
7. Salt in wound/final shootout scene in Slow West https://youtu.be/uY4NfJmli-g
Everybody loves a good gag
8. The Comedian blows raspberries/fart trophy scene in Entertainment https://youtu.be/8Sfv5nVNECQ
It goes on forever
9. The silk curtains scene in The Assassin https://youtu.be/x6O9R8OZyUk
Incredibly beautiful cinematography
10. Road fight scene in Wild Tales https://youtu.be/AvbdERYMlYs
Two terminators go after each other relentlessly
11. Opening scene in Tangerine https://youtu.be/vqsJq5qK3jE
Hilarious girl talk
12. Scene in which Danny explains his fitness goal to Trevor in Results https://youtu.be/keydcZN0nFg
Sublime humor in one of the most underrated films of 2015
13. The sex scene in Anomalisa
One of the most intimate sex scenes in film history
14. Chris Hemsworth's underwear scene in Vacation https://youtu.be/QISnfCs3eZ0
Funniest scene from a 2015 film
15. The Final Derriere sequence in The Forbidden Room https://youtu.be/8YQw6KLJGf8
Fetishes are fascinating
16. Ben Mendelsohn's dance scene in Lost River https://youtu.be/CHSNqABj5Ng
Ben's got moves
17. The guitar guy scene in Mad Max: Fury Road https://youtu.be/1DcqnkzGEFQ
Meme of the year

1. Ex Machina
2. Queen of Earth
3. Sicario
4. Girlhood
5. The Revenant
6. Macbeth
7. Slow West
8. Entertainment
9. The Assassin
10. Wild Tales

...plus 7 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

These films were my favorite 2014 releases.*

The four films listed last are films that I was not crazy about, but I loved the performances (from Brendan Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, Ralph Fiennes, and Joaquin Phoenix, respectively).

*Based on New York release

1. Foxcatcher
2. Frank
3. Goodbye to Language
4. Whiplash
5. Song of the Sea
6. Boyhood
7. Timbuktu
8. Jauja
9. Under the Skin
10. Gone Girl

...plus 40 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

*Based on New York release

I feel strongly about the ranking of the first ten films; all the other films could easily move around on the list.

1. Stray Dogs
2. Only Lovers Left Alive
3. Nebraska
4. Stoker
5. Fill the Void
6. 12 Years a Slave
7. Only God Forgives
8. A Field in England
9. Dallas Buyers Club
10. Inside Llewyn Davis

...plus 37 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

For the first time in my life, I have seen almost all of the films nominated for an Oscar in the given year. Subsequently, for the first time in my life, I feel that I am in a position to predict who will be awarded the Oscar.

Below I have listed who I predict will win the Oscar, who I believe is the contender, and who I would have voted for if I were an Academy member. I am not listing any shorts categories because the general public does not have many opportunities to see shorts. I enjoy shorts, but I only see them at film festivals.

BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Her
Nebraska
Philomena
12 Years a Slave
The Wolf of Wall Street

Have I seen all the films? Yes
I predict the Oscar will go to: 12 Years a Slave. I enjoyed the film and am an irer of Steve McQueen's work, so I will be pleased if it wins.
The contender is: Gravity
If I were an Academy member, I would have voted for: Nebraska. Its script, direction, cinematography, and performances are superb. It is the only film of the bunch in which those four areas are 100% solid for me.
WTF, Academy? I do not understand how Philomena got nominated. It was just an ok film. And my feelings on The Wolf of Wall Street are well known.

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Christian Bale, American Hustle
Bruce Dern, Nebraska
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street
Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club

Have I seen all the films? Yes
I predict the Oscar will go to: Matthew McConaughey
The contender is: Chiwetel Ejiofor. I will be pleased if Ejiofor wins. His performance is the only one of the bunch that brought me to tears. When Solomon tells his family, "I apologize for my appearance," I lost it.
If I were an Academy member, I would have voted for: Matthew McConaughey. It's a powerhouse performance.

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A ING ROLE
Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
Bradley Cooper, American Hustle
Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
Jonah Hill, The Wolf of Wall Street
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

Have I seen all the films? Yes
I predict the Oscar will go to: Jared Leto
The contender is: Michael Fassbender
If I were an Academy member, I would have voted for: Jared Leto. As much as I love Michael Fassbender, who is my favorite actor today, I believe Jared Leto deserves to win. An interesting fact about Leto's performance: Of all the nominees, he has the least amount of screen time (17 minutes). All of the other nominated performances are closer to 25-30 minutes.
WTF, Academy? Jonah Hill has no business being nominated for an Oscar. Ever.

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Amy Adams, American Hustle
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock, Gravity
Judi Dench, Philomena
Meryl Streep, August: Osage County

Have I seen all the films? Yes
I predict the Oscar will go to: Cate Blanchett
The contender is: Amy Adams
If I were an Academy member, I would have voted for: Cate Blanchett

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A ING ROLE
Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine
Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts, August: Osage County
June Squibb, Nebraska

Have I seen all the films? Yes
I predict the Oscar will go to: Lupita Nyong'o
The contender is: Jennifer Lawrence
If I were an Academy member, I would have voted for: Lupita Nyong'o

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM OF THE YEAR
The Croods
Despicable Me 2
Ernest & Celestine
Frozen
The Wind Rises

Have I seen all the films? Yes
I predict the Oscar will go to: Frozen
The contender is: The Wind Rises
If I were an Academy member, I would have voted for: Despicable Me 2

ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Grandmaster, Philippe Le Sourd
Gravity, Emmanuel Lubezki
Inside Llewyn Davis, Bruno Delbonnel
Nebraska, Phedon Papamichael
Prisoners, Roger A. Deakins

Have I seen all the films? Yes
I predict the Oscar will go to: Gravity
The contender is: Nebraska
If I were an Academy member, I would have voted for: Nebraska
WTF, Academy? The Academy forgot to acknowledge 12 Years a Slave, Sean Bobbitt. He is whom I would vote for. Incidentally, Bobbitt shot my favorite bit of camera work in a 2013 film--in a film that I did not particularly like. Bobbitt's work on the opening scene of The Place Beyond the Pines, where he follows Ryan Gosling into the motorcycle cage, is amazing.

ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN
American Hustle
The Grandmaster
The Great Gatsby
The Invisible Woman
12 Years a Slave

Have I seen all the films? Yes
I predict the Oscar will go to: The Great Gatsby
The contender is: 12 Years a Slave
If I were an Academy member, I would have voted for: 12 Years a Slave

ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING
American Hustle, David O. Russell
Gravity, Alfonso Cuarón
Nebraska, Alexander Payne
12 Years a Slave, Steve McQueen
The Wolf of Wall Street, Martin Scorsese

Have I seen all the films? Yes
I predict the Oscar will go to: Alfonso Cuarón
The contender is: Steve McQueen
If I were an Academy member, I would have voted for: Alexander Payne

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
The Act of Killing
Cutie and the Boxer
Dirty Wars
The Square
20 Feet from Stardom

Have I seen all the films? No. I have seen all of them except The Square.
I predict the Oscar will go to: The Act of Killing
The contender is: 20 Feet from Stardom
If I were an Academy member, I would have voted for: The Act of Killing

ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM EDITING
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
12 Years a Slave

Have I seen all the films? Yes
I predict the Oscar will go to: Gravity
The contender is: 12 Years a Slave
If I were an Academy member, I would have voted for: 12 Years a Slave

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
The Broken Circle Breakdown, Belgium
The Great Beauty, Italy
The Hunt, Denmark
The Missing Picture, Cambodia
Omar, Palestine

Have I seen all the films? Yes
I predict the Oscar will go to: The Great Beauty
The contender is: The Broken Circle Breakdown
If I were an Academy member, I would have voted for: The Hunt

ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Dallas Buyers Club
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa
The Lone Ranger

Have I seen all the films? Yes
I predict the Oscar will go to: Dallas Buyers Club
The contender is: Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa
If I were an Academy member, I would have voted for: Dallas Buyers Club
WTF, Academy? American Hustle deserved to be recognized for makeup and hairstyling. Think of Bale's combover, Cooper's perm. Genius work there. I think it is very odd that American Hustle was overlooked in this category, particularly when many critics called it a "hairdo movie."

ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES (ORIGINAL SCORE)
The Book Thief, John Williams
Gravity, Steven Price
Her, William Butler and Owen Pallett
Philomena, Alexandre Desplat
Saving Mr. Banks, Thomas Newman

Have I seen all the films? Yes
I predict the Oscar will go to: Gravity
The contender is: Her
If I were an Academy member, I would have voted for: Her

ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES (ORIGINAL SONG)
Happy, Despicable Me 2, Music and Lyric by Pharrell Williams
Let It Go, Frozen, Music and Lyric by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
The Moon Song, Her, Music by Karen O, Lyric by Karen O and Spike Jonze
Ordinary Love, Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom, Music by U2, Lyric by Bono

Have I seen all the films? Yes
I predict the Oscar will go to: Frozen
The contender is: Mandela
If I were an Academy member, I would have voted for: Mandela

ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION DESIGN
American Hustle
Gravity
The Great Gatsby
Her
12 Years a Slave

Have I seen all the films? Yes
I predict the Oscar will go to: The Great Gatsby
The contender is: 12 Years a Slave
If I were an Academy member, I would have voted for: 12 Years a Slave
WTF, Academy? Dallas Buyers Club deserved to be recognized for its production design. Think of the rodeo, Ron's trailer, the gay bar, the hotel room, the hospital, the club house. Amazing sets with a high amount of period detail.

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING
All Is Lost
Captain Phillips
Gravity
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Lone Survivor

Have I seen all the films? Yes
I predict the Oscar will go to: Gravity
The contender is: Captain Phillips
If I were an Academy member, I would have voted for: All Is Lost

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND MIXING
Captain Phillips
Gravity
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Inside Llewyn Davis
Lone Survivor

Have I seen all the films? Yes
I predict the Oscar will go to: Gravity
The contender is: Captain Phillips
If I were an Academy member, I would have voted for: Gravity

ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS
Gravity
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Iron Man 3
The Lone Ranger
Star Trek into Darkness

Have I seen all the films? Yes
I predict the Oscar will go to: Gravity. I think it's impossible for Gravity not to win.
The contender is: The Hobbit
If I were an Academy member, I would have voted for: Gravity

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Before Midnight, Written by Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke
Captain Phillips, Screenplay by Billy Ray
Philomena, Screenplay by Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope
12 Years a Slave, Screenplay by John Ridley
The Wolf of Wall Street, Screenplay by Terence Winter

Have I seen all the films? Yes
I predict the Oscar will go to: 12 Years a Slave
The contender is: Before Midnight
If I were an Academy member, I would have voted for: 12 Years a Slave

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
American Hustle, Written by Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell
Blue Jasmine, Written by Woody Allen
Dallas Buyers Club, Written by Craig Borten & Melisa Wallack
Her, Written by Spike Jonze
Nebraska, Written by Bob Nelson

Have I seen all the films? Yes
I predict the Oscar will go to: Her
The contender is: American Hustle
If I were an Academy member, I would have voted for: Nebraska

• American Hustle
• Captain Phillips
• Dallas Buyers Club
• Gravity
• Her
• Nebraska
• Philomena
• 12 Years a Slave
• The Wolf of Wall Street
• Blue Jasmine

...plus 32 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

5 films by Raúl Ruiz
5 films by Robert Bresson
5 Harry Potter films
5 sports-themed films (any suggestions to replacing films listed with others?)
5 film adaptations of a Shakespeare play
5 Studio Ghibli films
5 films by John Waters
5 indie films about women (suggested by Lise)
5 films by Werner Herzog (suggested by Garrison)
5 William Powell/Myrna Loy films (suggested by James)
5 Bollywood films (suggested by Rembrandt)
5 historical films by Roberto Rossellini (suggested by Sam)

I am stumped for other ideas. Please give me your suggestions.

1. Mysteries of Lisbon
2. Manoel’s Destinies
3. Genealogies of a Crime
4. Three Crowns of the Sailor
5. Dog's Dialogue
6. Diary of a Country Priest
7. Les Dames du bois de Boulogne
8. A Man Escaped
9. The Devil, Probably
10. The Trial of Joan of Arc

...plus 50 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

In September 2014, the Film Society of Lincoln Center hosted a retrospect on John Waters. In addition to showing his own films, Waters was invited to present films that he ires by other filmmakers.

"Here they are—eight extreme, astoundingly perverse, darkly funny, and, most importantly, supremely surprising films that turn me green with envy. Every day I feel inadequate thinking of these fanatically obsessive, ludicrously sexual, unfathomably criminal, melodramatically misguided cinematic gems. Why oh why can’t I make films like these—ones that jolted me out of all cinematic lethargy? Exploitation, art, horror? There’s no such thing as genre when you’ve slipped to the other side of cinema-sanity. See for yourself the movies that drove me beyond the pale of normal movie madness. Jealousy over other directors’ careers is a terrible thing to waste." —John Waters

*The notes with the film are Waters' comments.

1. Before I Forget

   This wonderfully depressing movie about an older HIV-positive man is brave, funny, gayly incorrect, and smart as a whip. The shitting-in-your-pants-when-you-try-to-go-out-cruising scene is one I will never be able to shake.

2. Crash

   A hilariously brilliant and erotic movie about car crashes and the sexual cultists who fetishize them.

3. Final Destination

   I’m a sucker for plane-crash scenes, and the opening of this “you can’t cheat death” nail-biter was so suspenseful and horrifying that it spawned four sequels (all good, too!). You’ll never tell anyone to “have a safe flight” again.

4. Killer Joe

   The best Russ Meyer film of the decade—only it’s directed by an 80-year-old William Friedkin, proving the adage “old chickens make good soup.” Gina Gershon, your performance here shocked me raw!

5. The Mother

   A recently widowed grandmother turns horny and has a secret affair with her daughter’s much younger, loutish boyfriend (played by pre-Bond Daniel Craig). Gerontophilia never seemed so exciting.

6. Night Games

   The Swedish art shocker that made board member Shirley Temple Black quit the San Francisco International Film Festival in protest over their refusal to pull it from the screening schedule.

7. Of Unknown Origin

   The best rat movie ever. Period. End of discussion.

8. Thérèse

   The insane life of nutcase Saint Theresa, told in a haunting, minimalist way. Yes, she was in love with Jesus—but does that make her a bad person? Catholic lunacy at its most disturbing.

How many have you seen?

Missing from TMDb: Rumstick Road

*Originally compiled by The Cinema Girl blog

• Aatsinki: The Story of Arctic Cowboys
• ABCs of Death 2
• Abuse of Weakness
• Advanced Style
• Afternoon of a Faun: Tanaquil Le Clercq
• There's Always Woodstock
• The Amazing Catfish
• The American Nurse
• American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs
• Anita

...plus 189 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.