the slow dance of the infinite stars

156. Gosford Park (2001)-Very Agatha Christie, Maggie Smith was great as usual.

157. Paranoid Park (2007)-Odd, I liked it though because the mystery is revealed in such a non-traditional format. The pacing felt very spaced out and almost dream like at times which was unique. I really liked how it moved back and forth within the time line without being jarring. I think the main kid (Gabe Nevins) gave a great performance.

158. The Adventures of Tintin (2011)-This was really well done, I love how it harkened to the whole Indiana Jones formula. I thought it was really gorgeous visually, many shots, especially of the landscapes, looked picture perfect and realistic. I think that it did a great job of getting past the uncanny valley creepiness of the technology.

159. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011)-This was really great, I don’t know if I’ve been biased by my Fincher goggles but I really enjoyed it and felt it was a great interpretation of the source material. That said, it did have it’s issues and while Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig delivered with her performances I don’t feel like the screenplay did justice to the nuanced relationship Mikael and Lisbeth share in the novel. I have to watch it again to get a better gauge on the screenplay as a whole but I think they chose the important portions to keep from the novel fairly well and the change of the ending was understandable.

160. Moneyball (2011)-I don’t even like baseball and I enjoyed this movie, mostly because of Brad Pitt’s great performance. I’m not usually into sports films in general but this one was decent because it looked at aspects of the sport that I had never really considered.

The End! This is as far as I made it this year unfortunately, I’ll have to try again next year for 365!

150. Immortals (2011)-This had such potential with the concept and the mythology available to work with but it totally missed the mark. I really loved The Fall which was also directed by Tarsem Singh and I wish he would do more things like that instead of horribly scripted wannabe blockbusters like this. It was just super disappointing, even so the cinematography was decent.

151. The Muppets (2011)-In a word: muppetational! Jason Segel preserved the spirit of the Muppets just like I knew he would. I saw it twice in the theater because it was just that great. The soundtrack also rocks!

152. The Ides of March (2011)-Ryan Gosling is the best in everything, this was actually a great film though I’m not usually into the whole political thriller genre. 

153. Hugo (2011)-This was just a really magical ode to film, I really loved it and I felt the 3D was well utilized.

154. The Final Destination (2009)-Disgusting pool scene a la Haunted, not as good as the other sequels. Lead actor was blander than usual.

155. We Need To Talk About Kevin (2011)-A really devastating film, Tilda Swinton’s performance was heartbreaking and discomforting. Ezra Miller was a terrifying sociopath. I’d like to read the book after seeing this.

144. The Boondock Saints (1999)-Great, violent and hilarious, I can see why it’s sort of become a cult classic. Willem Dafoe was the best.

145. Casino Royale (2006)-Really great, I’m glad Daniel Craig is warming to me because he actually gives his own really cool take on James Bond.

146. Quantum of Solace (2008)-Not as good as Casino Royale what with the writers strike hoopla, but still okay.

147. The Number 23 (2007)-Jim Carrey porn thriller pushed on me by a friend’s recommendation, it was awkward. Logan Lerman’s hair was also ridiculous.

148. Breaking Dawn (2011)-Wow, it was a new level of awful. Not even enjoyable for the hilarity of it, unfortunately.

149. Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)-Really excellent, eerie and ambiguous. Elizabeth Olsen is really quite talented in her understated and emotionally devastating performance.

138. Midnight in Paris (2011)-Dreamy and filled with humor, I’m not the biggest Woody Allen fan but it charmed me. Owen Wilson is the perfect guy to deliver his writing.

139. 50/50 (2011)-Great, heartfelt and genuinely touching as opposed to the usually saccharine accounts of illness. I’m glad that Will Reiser got to tell his story. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is such a great actor, I really hope he wins the Golden Globe for this.

140. Nightmare Alley (1947)-Watched this in my film class, a very dark and ominous piece of film noir. It was like a long form episode of The Twilight Zone. I liked it while watching it but it was a bit forgettable.

141. The Mist (2007)-Holy fuck the ending, that’s all I can really say. Also, I enjoyed that a whole bunch of The Walking Dead cast was in this.

142. Crazy Heart (2009)-Jeff Bridges was excellent, I can see why he won the Oscar for it, aside from it being long overdue. I didn’t necessarily think I would like it going in but I was pleasantly surprised.

143. Rear Window (1954)-Another masterpiece from Hitchcock, Jimmy Stewart is the best.

132. Kissing Jessica Stein (2001)-The ending was a bit unsatisfying, but Jessica Stein was the most adorable and insecure human ever.

133. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)-The first movie screened in my film class. It was a bit difficult for me to get into a silent film but I can see why this is considered a classic. The overall scope of the narrative and the level of production design really helped to draw me in more, I love how abstract the sets were.

134. Metropolis (1927)-I’d been meaning to see this for quite some time but could never quite get past the silent film aspect of it, but I wish I had seen it sooner because the story and the visuals are so excellent that I honestly didn’t notice the lack of verbal dialogue. I was actually impressed that the visual style was so sophisticated so early in filmmaking.

135-Cabaret (1972)-Interesting to watch after seeing both the play and Christopher and His Kind, I really enjoyed it.

136-Melancholia (2011)-Gorgeous and concerning, I love how everything built up til the very end, almost in a dreamlike manner. Also how you’re placed in medias res into the opening scenes not knowing what’s going on. Kirsten Dunst gave a really impressive performance.

137. Scarface (1932)-I watched this in my film history class and I thought it was alright. I just can’t seem to warm up to the gangster genre.

126. Red State (2011)-Interesting twist for the horror genre because it does draw so much on the truly terrifying beliefs of the Westboro Baptist Church, while they might not go as far as the cult in the film Red State makes one consider how much of a potential for violence there is in the intense fanaticism religion can inspire. While the concept was a bit better than the execution was, I’m still a Kevin Smith fan, and all of the acting was spot on.

127. The Education of Charlie Banks (2007)-Odd little film, I saw it because Jesse was in it and in my first attempt wound up switching it off. Jesse was fine in it, as was Jason Ritter, but the narrative just didn’t hold me. I think my problem is Fred Durst, which is unfortunate because Fincher tried to mentor him apparently. Oh well, at least he found Jesse for TSN through Durst’s recommendation.

128. Contagion (2011)-The most terrifying/hilarious movie of the year. Gwyneth Paltrow’s death scene for all the awards. I’ve also coined the term ‘contagion’ instead of saying contaminate/cough on me, as in ‘Don’t contagion me bro!’

129. James Dean (2001)-James Franco just seemed to get James Dean really well and he did a great job with the role, it was a pretty standard biopic other than that and overall it wasn’t half bad for a telefilm.

130. Valhalla Rising (2009)-This was bizarre, I went in understanding it was an art film and all and despite the fact that it is visually entrancing I can’t help but feel I didn’t get it. I saw it the day before I saw Drive and prepared myself for 2 hours of Ryan Gosling not talking and being strange, which is about what I got.

131. Drive (2011)-As I said, 2 hours of gorgeous but silent Ryan Gosling, but not in a bad way. I feel like I understood this a heck of a lot more than I did Valhalla Rising. I love that it really served as an anti-thesis for the common action movie despite it’s marketing and that in a way it transcended the genres people have tried to put it in. It’s iconic and intense, filled with pop overtures which flesh out the lack of dialog. I think it’s one of those movies that will surely be looked back upon and has the potential to be a pop culture mainstay in years to come.

117. The Help (2011)-Emma Stone was good in this but I have to say the whole plot of the film is a bit contrived and kind of racist, I mean, I know what it’s trying to do, trying to look at race relations in a historical perspective by showing how horrible it was but the fact that a white girl is apparently the key to solving everyone’s problems is just uncomfortable to me. Not saying that the film was bad, just that it’s not necessarily my cup of tea. That said, the film was still funny and I thought it was okay overall.

118. And Then There Were None (1945)-I love Agatha Christie’s intrigues and I had been meaning to see this for quite some time, classic mystery film that everyone should see.

119. Fright Night (2011)-Awesome, it has both David Tennant in leather pants, Colin Farrell being a boss vampire, and Anton Yelchin being cute as ever (I went a bit teen zine for a second there, ahem). Aside from having all of the attractive people it was actually really funny as well and I think it was actually an improvement on the majorly outdated original.

120. The American Nightmare (2000)-A Documentary with some really interesting historical reflections relating to horror and the social commentary present in many of the genre’s classics.

121. Nightmares in Red, White and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film (2009)-Another horror documentary, I liked how it went to present day.

122. Afterschool (2008)-This was a really weird and film that was slightly uncomfortable to watch, but in an extremely intriguing way. I liked the cinematography and Ezra Miller is a really great actor for what he brings to a role that has such little dialogue. I would really like to watch it again.

123. This Film is Not Yet Rated (2006)-Great look at the inner workings of the ratings system.

124. Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985) -Demon. Parakeets. That is all.

125. The Secret of My Success (1987)-The eighties were such a simpler time, when all you needed to work up the corporate ladder was to be Michael J. Fox.

365 Movies for 2011 Challenge-Movie #116: Friends With Benefits (2011) Rating: 3/5

I think it was a cute movie, and it was a million times better than No Strings Attached. I don’t care what anyone says I will always love Justin Timberlake. Mila Kunis is hilarious and they were totally adorable together in this. Woody Harrelson and Patricia Clarkson were pretty great as well.

365 Movies for 2011 Challenge-Movie #111: Valley of the Dolls (1967) Rating: 3/5

A great campy classic, so melodramatic and colorful. I liked it a lot more than I expected to.

365 Movies, 101-110 (aka more examples of my random taste in film):

101. Roger Dodger (2002)-4/5—Jesse Eisenberg’s dumb teenage face for all the awards.

102. There’s Something Wrong With Aunt Diane (2011)-3/5—Super depressing but a well done documentary.

103. Cowboys and Aliens (2011)-3/5—I thought it was okay, not as good as I hoped it would be though.

104. Mirrormask (2005)-4/5—I love Neil Gaiman’s brain.

105. Whip It (2009)-3/5—A really fun movie, I love Ellen Page and I thought Drew Barrymore’s first turn as a director was pretty impressive.

106. Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)-1/5—I watched this because of my burgeoning interest in Rooney Mara, christ, going from this to performing Sorkin’s dialog must have been like a godsend for her after this. Poor Kyle Gallner was trapped in it too.

107. Cinema Verite (2011)-3/5—I really liked this, it makes me want to watch the real series.

108. 30 Minutes or Less (2011)-3/5—I love Jesse and Aziz and they’re hilarious together.

109. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)-3/5—Better than I expected, it actually was pretty compelling overall and I was pretty amused by Tom Felton being in it.

110. Cropsey (2009)-3/5—Documentary about urban legends and the weird mythology that is often rooted in true crimes, explores the whole Cropsey legend and goes through the linked cases. I felt like the ending of it was a little abrupt, and that they could have built up certain details a bit better but overall it was still really interesting.

365 Movies for 2011 Challenge-Movie #100: Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011) Rating: 4/5

This was really cute, not nearly enough Emma Stone though.

91. The Usual Suspects (1995)-4/5—Excellent movie, even though I knew the ending prior to viewing, Kevin Spacey is my favorite.

92. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)-4/5—Epic, a really good finale to the series. It’s so weird that they’re over though, I don’t think it will sink in until I see the actors in other movies.

93. The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)-3/5—Eh i was McConaughey’d. Also, I realized how much I want to punch Ryan Phillippe whenever I see him.

94. Drive Angry (2011)-0.5/5—So bad. Let me die. Amber Heard is pretty though.

95. Captain America (2011)-4/5—Chris Evans is perfect for the role, I love how well they are tying the Avengers universe together.

96. Black Death (2010)-2/5—Poor Sean Bean.

97. The Conspirator (2010)-3/5—I liked this more than I thought I would, I’m glad James McAvoy lured me in.

98. The Midnight Meat Train (2008)-2/5—Laughing forever at Bradley Cooper’s career choices.

99. Independence Day (1996)-3/5—Didn’t live up to the hype, but taking into consideration the fact that I saw it 10 years late it was pretty decent. I miss 90’s blockbusters and Will Smith.

365 Movies for 2011 Challenge-Movie #90: The Game (1997) Rating: 4/5

A really great psychological thriller, my love for David Fincher is pretty much ceaseless though, so I might be a bit biased.

365 Movies for 2011 Challenge-Movie #89: Source Code (2011) Rating: 3/5

This was a decent film but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t expecting better coming from Duncan Jones. Though the whole concept was pretty intriguing, I couldn’t help but think of Déjà Vu, a 2006 Denzel Washington film which features a pretty similar plot.