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Added by the giraffe on 10 Jan 2014 05:14
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Movies the giraffe watched in 2014: Jan. & Feb.

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Decade: Rating: List Type:
The breakdown: 20 movies watched, 12 in January, 8 in February - 8 via Netflix instant, 5 on DVD, and 7 in the theatre; of those 13 were first views, 7 were re-watches, and they came from the following decades: 40s, 60s, 80s, 90s, 00s, and 2010s.

I've had a lot of personal stuff to deal with starting off this year, so I haven't spent as much time watching movies as I'd like to. Most of my movie watching has been done in chunks, whether at a theatre or at home, and for the near future it looks like that'll continue to be the best way for me to watch them.

I'm pretty pleased that I was able to catch up on some Oscar-nominated films, and in all I made it to Alamo Drafthouse on 5 separate occasions which is pretty sweet. Were it not for other factors I likely would've made it more often than I did since they've screened a bunch of films I WANTED to see, but simply couldn't due to other obligations & whatnot. Still, of those 5 trips only one wound up being not really worth it for me so that's great too.

I haven't kept up much with the content that's left Netflix these past two months, though I did catch a couple films I'd really wanted to see before they disappeared. Mostly I've watched films I'd meant to watch but hadn't got around to yet, and that's paid off pretty well. So maybe I should keep doing that & just let the whims of Netflix slide on by me.

Best new-to-me film for January: The Apartment / Her (tie)
Best new-to-me film for February: Casablanca
Best hidden gem: Frances Ha
Worst film: My Neighbour Totoro
People who added this item 479 Average listal rating (336 ratings) 7.7 IMDB Rating 7.5
Frances Ha (2013)
First viewing - Jan. 7th

So after several months of seeing nothing but praise for this film I decided I'd better check it out. And, yeah, it's good. I didn't think it quite crossed my line into greatness territory, but I liked the characters & the story too, minimal as it is (though I suppose that's to be expected from Baumbach). And I liked it well enough I'd be willing to watch it again at some point. I just didn't fall in love with it.

Currently streaming on Netflix
the giraffe's rating:
Re-watch - Jan. 11th

The kiddo wanted to watch a movie on this particular afternoon, and at the time I had no plans of seeing a movie any time soon. Originally I was going to introduce her to E.T., but it was a beautiful day outside & thus I opted for a shorter film & went with this one. Now, she used to be obsessed with Pee-wee's Playhouse, but I can't recall the last time she watched it & so I wasn't sure how well she'd enjoy this one (especially since she typically doesn't get much into live-action movies so far).

Well, I'm proud to say that she liked it so much she watched it again the next morning when she woke up. The first time through she got scared by the scene where Pee-wee & Francis are fighting in the bathtub/pool, and Large Marge made her laugh. That seems backwards to me, especially given how many people I know who were scarred by Large Marge in childhood. But hey, I'm just glad she loved it & now we have a non-animated film other than Elf that she digs.

As for me, well, I think my rating says enough.

Just a thought: I still wish I could have a house like Pee-wee's, or at least his breakfast set-up. Though I'd make some adjustments to some of the functionality, especially the pancake flipper.
the giraffe's rating:
People who added this item 318 Average listal rating (189 ratings) 8.1 IMDB Rating 8.2
First viewing - Jan. 16th/17th

Drafthouse Films was the distributor for this documentary, so I've seen much discussion of it over the past year. Then it earned an Oscar nom for best doc & got added to Netflix instant, so I figured I'd sit down with it immediately. And it was well worth watching, though not a film that I'd want to watch again thanks largely to the subject matter. I've definitely never seen a documentary approach its subject in this manner, so big points for that. It's all fascinating, but also immensely depressing and infuriating. I should probably rate it higher than I am, but 7/10 is as high as I'm willing to go.

Currently streaming on Netflix
the giraffe's rating:
People who added this item 1213 Average listal rating (765 ratings) 8.3 IMDB Rating 8.3
The Apartment (1960)
First viewing - Jan. 20th/21st

For the past few years I've heard & seen a lot about how Great The Apartment is, so with my growing appreciation of Billy Wilder it was only a matter of time before I watched it. And this is one of those rare occasions where a film lives up to its hype. I can't think of a single issue I had with it, and at the end I was left with that magical feeling that only 10/10 films tend to give me. I look forward to adding this to my collection & revisiting it many more times.

Just a thought: When it ended, I was awake enough I could have watched something else. Only trouble is my options were limited for watching something that wouldn't suck by comparison. So I decided I was done with the TV for the night.

Currently streaming on Netflix
the giraffe's rating:
People who added this item 1916 Average listal rating (1311 ratings) 6.7 IMDB Rating 7.1
Spaceballs (1987)
Re-watch - Jan. 26th

After watching two award-nominated films in the same day, I really wanted to watch something that would be consistently funny. So, rather than gamble on something I haven't seen before, I chose Spaceballs since I knew it'd deliver and I haven't watched it in several years. And deliver it did. Best of all, I caught the handful of jokes I used to miss before. Sure, the acting could be better at times, but overall I'm usually too busy laughing & enjoying this film to care. And I still remember most of the best lines. Good way to end a night.

Currently streaming on Netflix
the giraffe's rating:
People who added this item 9297 Average listal rating (6832 ratings) 8.3 IMDB Rating 8.8
Fight Club (1999)
Re-watch - Feb. 23rd

Been itching to revisit this one lately, and I still love absolutely everything about it.

Just a thought: You'd think the way this film ends would make subsequent viewings less worthwhile, but in my book knowing what's really going on here makes the film all the more entertaining.
the giraffe's rating:
People who added this item 643 Average listal rating (452 ratings) 6.8 IMDB Rating 6.8
Re-watch - Feb. 24th

Watched to mark the passing of Harold Ramis, one of my favorite film writers & directors, and an actor I liked well enough too. I guess I could have watched Ghostbusters, but it had been longer since I'd watched this one, plus he has more of a prominent role here. I still love this movie & it makes me laugh frequently throughout its run-time. So many memorable moments are captured here, and this time I took a shot at the "Extended Edition" which was still good but really the extra scenes were fine left on the cutting-room floor (even if they DO manage to fill in some story gaps along the way).

Thanks for all the laughs & entertainment, Harold Ramis. I'll be sure to pass along my love for your work to my kid(s).
the giraffe's rating:
People who added this item 3819 Average listal rating (2535 ratings) 7.3 IMDB Rating 7.6
Mulan (1998)
Re-watch - Feb. 26th

Watched this one with the kiddo. The night before she clicked on a YouTube video for the song "I'll Make a Man Out of You" & it convinced her to watch it, something I hadn't been able to do in all the other times I had suggested we watch it. And she enjoyed it, just as I'd suspected she would.

As for me, well, I've always enjoyed Mulan despite the fact it never crosses the line into greatness. It's all been done before, which is the main strike against it, but I like Mulan as a character (even if she's not very original) and Mushu gets the best lines & keeps me laughing (I used to argue Eddie Murphy should stick to animation between this and Shrek, until the latter spawned a string of ever-worsening sequels he couldn't save). Overall it's solidly entertaining despite the fact it's formulaic, and so I'm always willing to sit down with it again.
the giraffe's rating:
People who added this item 7613 Average listal rating (5465 ratings) 6.5 IMDB Rating 6.6
Re-watch - Feb. 28th

My wife & I have now read Charlie & the Chocolate Factory to our daughter 3 or 4 times. In fact, I recently finished the book with her & the next night she asked to read it again. So, since she loves it so much & has had a good track record of enjoying Burton's films so far, I asked her if she'd like to watch this movie & she enthusiastically agreed. And aside from a couple moments of "I don't like this movie" she mostly enjoyed it.

I still prefer it over the previous film adaptation because it gets the majority of the book's details right. The addition of Wonka's back story is unnecessary really, but adds a layer of depth to his character & thus isn't too objectionable. And while I like Depp well enough in the role, there's no denying Wilder played it even better. I personally love some of the little touches throughout the film like watching Wonka hack his way through the jungle & try out exotic flavors, or the singing introduction he gets coupled with the new room addition later on. So yeah, I still really enjoy this one & will no doubt see more of it in the near future as my daughter revisits it.

Just a thought: In the book, Wonka has a beard. Why doesn't he have one in either film adaptation?
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Big screen attractions

Films I caught in the theatre
People who added this item 1271 Average listal rating (859 ratings) 6.8 IMDB Rating 7.2
First viewing - Jan. 11th

As fate would have it, a couple hours after I watched Pee-wee's Big Adventure with my daughter I was given a free pass to go out for the night. So I chose to make it a night at Drafthouse, starting with this film, and thus wound up having an unintentional Amy Adams double feature. Not at all a complaint, mind you.

American Hustle is solidly entertaining from start to finish. The cast is stellar all around, the script is smart enough to keep you guessing where you'll wind up, and it balances its comedic and dramatic moments very well. It clearly owes a lot to Scorsese, as the frequent voice-over work kept recalling Casino to my mind. Like that movie, said narration technique wore out its welcome with me at times, and probably is the main thing that kept this from crossing the line into greatness for me. That said, I'd watch it again down the road. I just don't know that it'd earn a home in my collection. Definitely worth watching though.
the giraffe's rating:
People who added this item 1696 Average listal rating (1156 ratings) 7.7 IMDB Rating 8
Her (2013)
First viewing - Jan. 11th

Her, on the other hand, will most likely find a home in my collection. There were moments throughout that not only rang true but I feel like I've lived through, conversation pieces I've been in, thoughts I've had, and so on. I was very charmed by the entire movie, and the excellent performances only served to reinforce that. The only thing missing here is that magic feeling that I get from a 10/10 film, but I wouldn't be surprised if I eventually get that feeling from it down the road. I'm so glad I took the opportunity to go out & see it, and I look forward to watching it again.
the giraffe's rating:
People who added this item 2295 Average listal rating (1370 ratings) 7.8 IMDB Rating 7.9
Brazil (1985)
Re-watch - Jan. 18th

No way in hell was I going to miss a chance to catch a screening of Brazil at Alamo Drafthouse. And aside from my disappointment that the 35mm copy they screened wasn't as pristine as one would hope for (some sound issues here & there were especially irksome) it was well worth the price of admission. Plus I got a free Brazil pin, so that's neat.

I still love this movie.
the giraffe's rating:
People who added this item 1558 Average listal rating (995 ratings) 8 IMDB Rating 8.1
First viewing - Jan. 26th

Got another day pass to do whatever I wanted, so I took off to Drafthouse for the day yet again. I started with this one which is very powerful & boasts several excellent performances, especially Chiwetel Ejiofor. It's an unflinchingly brutal depiction of slavery, the complete opposite of Django Unchained, which means it's not easy to watch nor the sort of film you'd want to watch too many times (in fact, once is probably enough for me). All that said, it didn't quite cross the line into greatness for me though I can see how it would for others.
the giraffe's rating:
People who added this item 558 Average listal rating (375 ratings) 7.8 IMDB Rating 7.7
Nebraska (2013)
First viewing - Jan. 26th

After the mostly dark subject matter of 12 Years a Slave, it was good to sit down with a far more comedic film. I've got to say though that I find this one a bit overrated, and didn't like it nearly as well as Payne's other films I've seen. The performances are solid (sorry, I didn't find Dern's performance to be that exceptional) and the characters are fairly memorable. As someone who has family in Nebraska & thus has been there, I CAN say the depiction of life there was pretty much on the nose, and the story was entertaining enough. The problem is the long stretches where nothing much goes on, especially the scenic shots which might have been more impressive had the film been in color, but in black & white they weren't much to look at for my money. June Squibb's character was by far my favorite, no doubt thanks to her getting most of the best lines. The only thing that saved it from being a 6/10 for me was the ending, which worked for me despite the fact it was partly predictable. Sorry, Oscar, but no way is this one of the best films of the year.
the giraffe's rating:
People who added this item 2859 Average listal rating (1811 ratings) 8.1 IMDB Rating 8.2
First viewing - Feb. 2nd

I've heard so much praise for this one over the years, that when the opportunity popped up to catch it on the big screen I figured I should buy a ticket & finally take the ride. And other than the fact I can now say I've seen it, I can't say it was really worth the time/money/effort. I give Totoro points for memorable visuals, originality, and being solidly put together. The animation is good, but considering Akira came out the same year & far surpasses its efforts, I can't say I was overly impressed. The main problem is that I never cared about any of the characters or the story, and thus mostly sat there watching it but not much entertained. Like Ponyo I found it cutesy to the point of being obnoxious, and halfway through it as my interest continued to wane I wished I'd watched it when I was still a child instead of now in my 30s. Of course I never even heard of Totoro until I was an adult, so I guess that wouldn't have been possible. So yeah, I guess I'm glad I watched it finally just to see what it's about, but my time would've been better spent sleeping in.

Just a thought: Who the hell goes to a hospital long-term for a cold??? And why does the mom never look sick at all?
the giraffe's rating:
People who added this item 3358 Average listal rating (2054 ratings) 8.2 IMDB Rating 8.5
First viewing - Feb. 16th

Yeah yeah yeah, I know, I should have seen this one already. I'd actually planned to watch it in December, but I asked my dad if I could borrow his copy & it turned out he lost it (which annoys me a little aside from throwing off my plans since A: it's his favorite movie ever, and B: I bought it for him). But then the opportunity came up to watch it on the big screen for the first time (thank you, Drafthouse), so I decided I'd better catch it if I could.

And this time I felt Casablanca had a reputation that's well-earned. It took a little bit to really pull me in, but once it did I highly enjoyed it & can easily see why it gets so much praise. I'll gladly throw my name into the long list of people who love this movie, and will be adding it to my collection soon enough. It didn't quite give me that 10/10 feeling when it ended, but perhaps it'll work its way up there with subsequent viewings. (I guess I could say more, but do I really need to? Either you've already read it or you've thought it yourself.)

Just a thought: As many iconic & quotable lines as this movie spawned I'm a little surprised Drafthouse didn't do any quote-along screenings for Casablanca. Some of those quotes I knew were from this movie, but a few lines I'd heard I didn't realize were from here before. Yay knowledge!
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Netflix exorcisms

Films I caught before they left Netflix Instant
First viewing - Jan. 24th

I was curious to check this one out since I enjoyed the two theatrically-released Hellboy films, and since it just fit into the time I had between getting the kiddo to sleep & having to work on this particular night I figured I'd give it a chance. And it was OK I guess. There are some very entertaining moments sprinkled throughout its run-time, but overall I was only mildly entertained. The animation is OK, but not exceptional, the story is decent, but predictable, and the character investment is pretty much nil. Clearly they expect those who watch this to already be familiar with the characters, which only works if that's the case. Obviously I AM familiar with the characters, but assuming that of your audience is lazy filmmaking in my book. So yeah, not a bad way to pass an hour and 15 but I can think of far better options.

Just a thought: Bonus points for the story being inspired by Elizabeth Bathory. Don't see that often.
the giraffe's rating:
People who added this item 858 Average listal rating (500 ratings) 7.2 IMDB Rating 7.2
First viewing - Jan. 25th/26th

Hey, now I've doubled the number of films I've seen that start with the letter Q. Cool. The cast here is excellent, the story is entertaining, and yet I was never as deeply engaged by the whole thing as I'd hoped for. Some aspects were predictable, which also didn't help. So it wound up being worth watching once, but I couldn't help feeling at the end that I could also have skipped it for something better. Ah well.
the giraffe's rating:
People who added this item 492 Average listal rating (279 ratings) 7.8 IMDB Rating 7.5
First viewing - Feb. 23rd

I had this day to myself & hadn't watched movies in a while so I figured I'd spend the day playing catch up a bit. This one wasn't on my radar until I saw Drafthouse's Alamo 100 list on which this one appears, and with it leaving March 1st I figured I'd give it a look. Not sure whether it was my mood or the film itself, but I didn't care much for it honestly. There's a message at the start about the film winning awards for breaking new ground for comedies, and while I can see why it would have earned it at the time for me it was too in-your-face with its quirkiness. At times it felt like watching a small child you barely know showing off, begging for love & attention, which made it a bit grating to get through. I guess I can respect the technique behind the film, and it had moments that were amusing, but overall when it ended I wished Netflix had an "I'm indifferent" choice for rating films (and not for the first time either).

Just a thought: Would I like this any better if I'd seen any of Godard's other films first?
the giraffe's rating:
People who added this item 1335 Average listal rating (765 ratings) 7.5 IMDB Rating 7.4
First viewing - Feb. 23rd

Ended my movie run for the day with this film which I'd long wanted to watch & thus had no intention of letting it slip away from me. I vaguely recall seeing posters & ads & whatnot when it came out, but was too young to see it at the time & then gradually forgot about it. Then I kept seeing praise for it around here over the years I've been on the site, so I made mental notes to check it out.

And what a ride this one is. If you're patient like me & can roll with a movie no matter what it throws at you, then you'll be very much rewarded along the way. It's not an easy film to digest the first time through, as it challenges your expectations of films. About halfway into it (basically when he wakes up from his ice bath) I decided I couldn't trust ANYTHING that had happened to be true & kept that in mind the rest of the movie. And it served me well. If you haven't seen this one you really need to check it out, and I'm reluctant to say much more & spoil something for someone. I thought it was great & will likely revisit it again some time.
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Off to a very slow start this year, hence this list covering two months instead of the usual one. It's entirely possible that my next installment will be the same way, but right now it's too early to tell. I almost held this off for another month, but then I figured it was good enough to release at the end of February/beginning of March. So here's what I've watched so far in 2014, for whatever it's worth.

And yes, I am still around. Just not like I used to be, but hopefully that'll change eventually.

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