Track the Films You Watch (2005)

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy - Extended Edition

As much as I love these films, I can say that the chances of me ever sitting through all three in one day again are very very slim. It was fun to see the whole story at once, but what a long day.

Oy, I'll be 38.

Always wanted to see The Fallen Idol; did you catch this on TCM or VHS? A Criterion DVD would indeed be nice.

I've seen Kurosawa's The Lower Depths and thought it was pretty slow, but that was long ago when I was just starting to explore foreign films. I have the Criterion DVD but haven't gotten around to watching it yet.

Actually I can't add, I took quarter century and 12 and somehow came up with 27. I'm a mere 32, so my initial impression was correct. However I always thought Steve and I were around the same age, or that he was even a bit younger.

Apparently snow and sleet do keep the postal workers of Duluth from their appointed rounds. We didn't get a mail delivery today so no AvP. I may go to the theater tomorrow night and try and see Bad Education and something else.

Well, hell, I can't add either. I'm 38 now so I'll be 39 this year. Let's see: born 1966, this is 2005, yep, 39.

Trying to decide what to watch next but I'm halfway through the latest books from Richard Dawkins and Haruki Murakami...

Steve,

Fallen Idol was a VHS from Home Vision, hence the hope for a Criterion DVD.



First time viewings in Red
Out of

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004) (8/10)
What’s not to like in a Pre-WWII retro-sci-fi adventure tale that has everything from giant marauding robots, dirigibles docking to the Empire State building, a flying aircraft carrier right out of Nick Fury Agt of Shield to a visit to Monster Isle. The story & characterizations are a bit lightweight and it does have some plot holes you could drive a bus through, but the production design & imagination are all top-notch, not to mention the oodles of fun references to classic films.

I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead (2003) (6/10)
Clive Owen stars as a burnt out former gangster returning to London for a little revenge for a wrong done to his family. Directed by Mike Hodges, this is very similar in story to his brilliant British gangster classic Get Carter.

Spider (2002) (5/10)
Ralph Fiennes stars in this disturbing tale of a psychotic reliving his childhood. Another disappointment from David Cronenberg who (aside from the mildly interesting eXistenz) has really slipped compared to his body of work in the 80’s.

Welcome to Mooseport (2004) (4/10)
Gene Hackman stars as the ex-president & Ray Romano is the man running against him for the position of mayor in the small hick town of Mooseport. Is it just me or has Hollywood forgotten how to make good comedies?

Newest additions to my list.

24/01: Ultimo Mondo Cannibale (1977)
25/01: The Killing Machine (1975)
26/01: Jail Bait (1954)
26/01: Short: The Charge of the Light Brigade (1912)
26/01: The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968)
27/01: Fanfan la Tulipe (1952)
28/01: Short: Futurama S01E02: Episode Two, The Series Has Landed
28/01: Short: Futurama S01E03: I, Roommate
28/01: Short: Futurama S01E04: Love's Labours Lost in Space
28/01: Bob le Flambeur (1955)
28/01: Lust for a Vampire (1971)


A good week. No unpleasant surprises. Best movies of this week were Bob le Flambeur (Criterion DVD) and Charge of the Light Brigade (bfi DVD). I also found some time to start viewing all my Futurama DVDs...

Billy Liar (1963) - One of John Schlesinger's early film about a hopeless dreamer who hides in his fantasies and lies his way from one situation to another. In one of her first films, Julie Christie's character tries to help Billy make the break from his small town. A break that Billy himself has been scuttling. As his lies start crumbling down around him (like the walls of the buildings in his town being demolished), will Billy finally make the break to the big city (London in this case)? An important component to enjoying this film is whether or not you can sympathize with Billy - a lying lazy dreamer. Fortunately, I found myself being able to...

The Third Man (1949) - What a stunning film. Some of the best cinematography I've seen - shadows everywhere, skewed angles, the wets streets of Vienna. Oh yeah, and the story is pretty dammed good too. I was hooked from the initial voice over straight through. Though I didn't much care for Joseph Cotten in Citizen Kane, he's very good here surrounded by great acting on all sides. Classic.

Hey, Michael - I'm glad you enjoyed WESTWORLD (1973). As you know, it's always been one of my all-time personal favorite films. Can you elaborate on what you thought of it?

I liked Spider. I had to really think about it for awhile to fully get it.

Out of 4 s

Ikiru
Yojimbo
American Splendor
The Core

In the past week, I had my first viewings of any movies by Yasujiro Ozu, from the local library's DVD collection. A combo review for the first ones I saw, two versions of the same story:

Floating Weeds (1959)
A Story of Floating Weeds(1934)
I had heard about Ozu's status as one of the great directors, and one who had a singularly personal style, so this one-two punch from Criterion was an excellent introduction to his work. I watched the '59 version first. The minimalist camera style--no fades, zooms, wipes, tracking shots, or anything except straight-on static shots--takes a bit of getting used to, maybe a little more so with this later version of the story because there's a lot of cutting. Not for long, though, since the beauty of the composition of practically every shot draws most of your attention. The simplicity of the story is somewhat deceptive, since Ozu focuses more on the characters than on plot development (though there is plenty of it, certainly in the second half of the film), and the end result is very moving. The colors in almost every scene are striking, very bright and intense.

The original silent version, from '34, is about half an hour shorter, so the story moves along at a brisker pace. Some of the outdoor scenes in this one were really breathtaking, even more so than in the '59 version. Another strength of this version is the actor playing the son, who also played the scheming troupe member in the later version. He was much better than the rather wooden actor who played the son in the '59 version (Donald Richie admits this in the liner notes, and in defense of Ozu, he points out that the young guy in the '59 film was the son of a highly placed studio exec), not to mention more handsome, which made the main plot a bit stronger. All the other main actors, in both versions, were great. There are a handful of tracking shots in this version, but the style that's so apparent in the later film is already quite visible in this one.

The commentaries from Donald Richie and Roger Ebert were great, providing lots of interesting background on Ozu's themes and stylistic techniques, as well as his life and career.

Then it was onto...

Tokyo Story (1953)
A very beautiful film with probably even more subtle undertones than Floating Weeds, since this one focuses entirely on one family. The story moves to a pretty dramatic development in the last third of the movie, which is perhaps one of the reasons why this one stands out for many critics and filmmakers (it was in the Top 10 of the most recent Sight and Sound poll, #5 if I remember right). I was a little confused for a while about who was in the family and who was an in-law, since the subtitles translated everything as "father" or "mother" whenever anyone addressed the old parents (maybe this is an element of Japanese culture that I wasn't aware of). But that was all resolved at one point or another for all the characters involved. The overall effect for me was similar to the two Floating Weeds films: gorgeous compositions all over the place, almost a story told in a series of still photographs, but also with very effective performances from all the leads.

I haven't listened to the commentary on this one yet, but watching the 2-hour doc from the early '80s on Ozu's life and career, I wasn't the least bit surprised to hear several stories from actors who worked with him about how exacting he was in what he wanted them to do, sometimes going through dozens of takes to get precisely what he wanted. Even before I got to any of the supplements on these DVDs, I figured that he must have been extremely precise with his direction of the actors (and the rest of the crew as well) because of the overwhelming emphasis he placed on static compositions. I imagine he was quite difficult to work with for some people, but Ebert told an anecdote in his commentary (on the '59 Floating Weeds) that after Ozu did take after take of the scene in the rain between the troupe leader and his mistress, the two actors were very worn out from the rough conditions, so he gave them two days off. Another common theme through the commentaries and the doc was with lots of cast and crew members who didn't quite understand why they were being asked to do what they were doing, why Ozu was so particular about this or that detail, or why they were playing some scenes with what seemed to be almost no emotional inflections. But, in every case, when they saw the final result, they understood everything.

Needless to say, I'm definitely going to seek out other Ozu films to see. There are two other Criterion DVDs, Good Morning and Early Summer, so I'll try to track those down. And there have been/are film retrospectives in Seattle and Chicago, so I definitely hope they make their way to the Washington DC area at some point.

First time viewings in Red
Out of



King Solomon’s Mines (1950) (7/10)
The most famous of this oft filmed tale is this Technicolor adventure. Stewart Granger is the best Allan Quartermain but as a film I do prefer the ’37 version slightly over this one.

The Bridge (1959) (6/10)
German schoolboys are drafted into defending a bridge in the last days of WWII. This is a decent ultra low-budget anti-war film.

The House on 92nd Street (1945) (6/10)
WWII spy yarn that utilizes the docu-drama approach that became popular in the late 40’s / early 50’s & is a style I just don’t care for. A good story nonetheless.

Ballad of Narayama (1983) (2/10)
Ugly & vulgar remake of the classic Japanese film about a village where it’s elders are abandoned to death on a mountainside when they reach the age of 70. Shohei Imamura goes way overboard in his depiction of the brutality of village life in 19th century Japan with excessive scenes of sexual intercourse with humans, animals, insects & a little bestiality thrown in for good measure as a man makes it with his dog. Lovely. My advise - Watch the original instead.

The Bridge is another one I'm interested in seeing. I take it these are library tapes? Must be nice - my local library's collection is pretty much all J6P-type flicks with a smattering of classics that I've already seen.

Well, I'm off to watch my just-arrived R2 DVD of Werner Herzog's Where the Green Ants Dream.

All except for King Solomons Mines, which was a DVD through Netflix. I admit I'm fortunate that my local Libraries stock a fair supply of foreign & classic films.

Someday I'll take the plunge & go multi-regional. The only thing I'm worried about is that when titles get released in Region 1 that I'll end up double-dipping (which I already do too much of as is).

Multi-region is sweet! I bought a Malata from Buy.com for $80.00. Most of the non-R1 titles I have aren't available here yet, but are of good enough quality that I doubt I'd double-dip on them if and when they are released to R1. And I don't see a R1 DVD of WTGAD happening anytime soon.

Well once the studio's start focusing their love & attention on HD-DVD & Blue-ray releases I'd suspect that many of the more obscure catalog titles I'm still waiting for will fall by the wayside. Hmmmm.

Not to mention the lack of faith I have in certain studios ([ahem]Universal) in regards to their choice of titles and slipshod OAR support.

Can't you tell I'm already starting to talk myself into it?

01/25/05

Saw (2004)

A serial killer has a unique idea that he should teach people the value of life so instead of killing them, he forces them to kill someone else or risk being killed themselves. The brilliant opening and ending is mixed with a rather mediocre middle. The film is good enough to get a minor recommendation due in large part to the excellent performance by Cary Elwes.

01/26/05

Notebook, The (2004)

Brilliant love story about a poor boy and a rich girl who separate for three years only to be reunited through fate. This is without a doubt one of the most touching, emotional and heartwarming love stories I’ve ever seen and I might even go as far as to say this is the greatest love story. The performances are wonderful and the innocence that the film has is something quite remarkable. A beautiful film all around.

Hard Day’s Night, A (1964)

A day in the life of The Beatles features some brilliant music but the British humor doesn’t always work. Some of the jokes, like Lennon in the bathtub, are very funny but other fall flat on their face. The stuff with McCartney’s grandfather doesn’t work but there’s always the music.

01/27/05

Anacondas (2004)

Silly sequel has a new group of scientists looking for a blood orchid, which could be the medical breakthrough but a snake orgy is taking place in the same jungle. I’m terrified of snakes so I always get some added scares from films like this. I loved the original but this one here isn’t that good due to some horrid CGI effects as well as the stereotype characters.

01/28/05

Chain Gang, The (1930) C+

Mickey Mouse is a member of a chain gang who escapes prison and ends up meeting Pluto in his first film. A pretty boring short with some bad music numbers and only a few laughs. The early look of Pluto is also quite strange.

01/29/05

Angels With Dirty Faces (1938)

Wonderful tale of two childhood friends who took different paths as adults. One friend (James Cagney) became a gangster while the other became a priest (Pat O’Brien). This is a wonderful little film that packs lots of action, comedy as well as emotions. Cagney is brilliant as the street tough gangster and he’s equally matched by the underrated O’Brien. Even The Dead End Kids and Humphrey Bogart do very good work. The ending is rightfully so one of the greatest in film history. As for the debate:
Warning Spoiler! Click to show

Porky and Daffy (1938) A

Boxing manager Porky gets his client Daffy a fight with the champ. A very funny short has some wonderful moments inside the ring and the start is also funny as Porky must find a way to wake Daffy.

Out Where the Stars Begin (1938) B

Charming short about a manic director (a spoof of Michael Curtiz) trying to pull off a musical with a newcomer. The best part of the short is the tour of Warner studios as well as various stars, including Pat O’Brien showing up for work.

Hard Guy, The (1930) A+

Excellent short set in the Depression era about a father (Spencer Tracy) who’s desperate for work due to his ill daughter. A very early performance from Tracy is certainly the highlight in this stage like film. It’s quite remarkable how intense and commanding he is in one of his first roles.

Lady Play Your Mandolin (1930) B-

Cute musical number has some fine animation.

01/30/05

Little Caesar (1930)

Rise and fall story of Rico “Little Caesar” Bandello (Edward G. Robinson) who comes out of the gutters to be the top gangster in Chicago. I find the film a little too slow in spots but there’s no denying the power of Robinson in his breakthrough performance.

Eyes Have It, The (1931) B

Edgar Bergen and his wooden partner Charlie McCarthy star in this short. Charlie is skipping school because he claims his eyes are bad so he goes to the doctor played by Edgar. This was my first time seeing the two and they were pretty funny with some of the jokes.

Smile, Darn Ya, Smile (1931) B

Early MM short has some delightful songs and the train ride is pretty fun as well.

Public Enemy, The (1931)

James Cagney stars as a guy who grew up poor but quickly works his way up the criminal ladder. This is the film that made Cagney a star and it’s very realistic look at gangsters really sets it apart from other films. Cagney does a brilliant job as does Jean Harlow in her supporting role. Wonderful action plus some nice laughs makes this an all-time classic.

Westworld (1973)

Extremely fun, if not overly bright, sci-fi film about an amusement park that recreates the Old West with robots. Richard Benjamin and James Brolin are guests at Westworld and are constantly battling a gunslinger (Yul Brynner) but soon the robots start acting up. The film doesn’t have too many brains but it’s still a lot of fun. There’s some nice comedy and the western bits work remarkably well. The only gripe I had with the film is that Benjamin and Brolin should have switched roles since I found Brolin a lot more entertaining.

Phollastía (1987)

Spanish director Jess Franco’s hardcore spoof of “Dynasty” is a bigger letdown from his previous spoof of Falcon Crest. Here it’s nothing but hardcore sex and missing is the humor of the previous film. The other one at least had some good camerawork but this one here is a major dud with the exception of Daniel White’s score. Lina Romay once again appears.

01/31/05

Wild Man Blues (1997)

Interesting documentary about Woody Allen’s 1996 European Jazz tour, which takes a look at his music as well as his person life. I enjoyed the music quite a bit but the highlight here is clearly seeing Woody in his personal life. There’s some very funny moments, which seems like you’re actually watching an Allen film.

On Ice (1935) B+

All-star Disney short has Donald teasing Pluto in order to get him on the ice. Minnie, Mickey and Goofy also appear in this charming film that has the right mix of action and laughs.

I fully expect DVD to be looked back upon with awe and envy in a few years when the film buffs are fighting with the newly minted widescreen tv buffs over whether or not all films should fill their screen. And I expect tilt and scan of 1.33:1 to be the biggest problem of all.

Summarizing my list

January 2005:

Films watched: 60

: 38
: 22

1930s: 2
1940s: 12
1950s: 4
1960s: 4
1970s: 8
1980s: 4
1990s: 12
2000s: 14

Where the Green Ants Dream (1984)

Viewed 1/31/2005

Werner Herzog film about an Australian geologist torn between the interests of the mining company he works for and the aboriginal tribe whose land is being defiled. Too obvious, languid and episodic for some, but I find it beguiling and haunting.

out of


Lemora: A Child's Tale of the Supernatural (1973)

Viewed 1/31/2005 (first viewing)

Phantasmagoric horror film about a young girl's stygian journey in search of her errant father. The influences here range from Lovecraft to Wells to The Night of the Hunter. An odd, European-flavored gem from the seventies.

out of

[c]January Recap[/c]

Ratings:

= a great film

= a very good film

= a good film

= a bit above average, but doesn't quite make the cut

= an average film

= a poor film, but with a redeeming quality or two

= a poor film

= a very poor film

Bomb = an awful film with no redeeming qualities


Note: some ratings have been upgraded or downgraded.

First viewings are bolded.


Au Hasard Balthazar ***1/2
The Battle of Algiers ****
Big Deal on Madonna Street ***1/2
The Black Pirate ***
Casque D'Or ****
Code 46 *** (downgraded from ***1/2)
Collateral ***
Cul-De-Sac ***
Dead and Buried ***
Forgotten Silver ***1/2
God is on the Air ***
Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. ***
Gunga Din ****
Holy Mountain ***
International House ***1/2
Intimate Strangers ***
The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977) ***
It's a Gift *** (downgraded from ***1/2)
It's All True ***
I Vitelloni ***1/2
Landscape After Battle ***
Lemora: A Child's Tale of the Supernatural ***
Little Caesar ***1/2
The Lost Weekend ***1/2
The Monster That Challenged the World ***
Open Water ***
Ordet **** (upgraded from ***1/2)
The Penalty ***
The Public Enemy ***1/2 (downgraded from ****)
Random Harvest ***1/2
The Roaring Twenties ***1/2
September 11 ***1/2 (downgraded from ****)
Silver City ***1/2
The Small Back Room ***1/2
The Tin Star ***
Touchez Pas Au Grisbi ****
The Virgin Spring ***
Where the Green Ants Dream ***
Wild at Heart ***
Wuthering Heights (1939) ****
The Yakuza Papers: Deadly Fight in Hiroshima ***
The Yakuza Papers: Proxy War ***
Zombie **1/2


Total films viewed: 43

New views: 28

Which films on your list were first time discoveries George?

I'll assume all of the of course.

First time viewings in Red
Out of


Scarecrow (1973) (7/10)
Very good overlooked 70’s road picture as Gene Hackman & Al Pacino star as a couple of drifters en route from California to the Midwest. Very similar in spirit to Midnight Cowboy.

Stalingrad (1993) (7/10)
This is a gut-wrenching war-is-hell picture from the producers of Das Boot & follows a group of 6 German soldiers through the Battle of Stalingrad. Almost has the same plotline as All Quiet on the Western Front.

I don't really keep track of that. Most of the thumbs down, of course, though I do occassionally revisit a film I don't like that I haven't seen for a long, long time (or watch such a film that my wife likes).

Some of the thumbs up were also first time viewings, such as Sanjuro and Grosse Pointe Blank, but many were revisiting great films in my dvd collection.

Lana's Rain (2004)

Viewed 2/1/2005 (first viewing)

During the Balkan wars of the nineties a young woman loses her family and searches out her only surviving relative: her long-lost brother who, unbeknownst to her, is a gangster on the run. The two travel to America where the brother resumes his crooked ways, even going so far as to force his sister into prostitution. Eventually though, she tires of the evil lout and plots revenge. This tough crime drama is a commendable first effort by director Michael Ojeda. Star Oksana Orlenko makes the movie with her sympathetic performance in the lead role.

out of


The Story of the Weeping Camel (2003)

Viewed 2/1/2005 (first viewing)

A family of nomads living in the Gobi Desert faces a crisis when one of their birthing camels rejects its colt after a difficult delivery. The two youngest sons then journey to the nearest town to seek the services of a musician who can soothe the camel's savage breast and reconcile it with its offspring. Good family fare, though I suspect only the most patient and inquisitive kids will sit still for it. Released under the banner of National Geographic's World Films.

out of

(edited)

[c]JANUARY RECAP[/c]

First time viewings are in bold.

* to ****

001) 01-01-05 Rocky (1976) ****
002) 01-02-05 The Sunshine Boys (1975) ***
003) 01-03-05 Orca (1977) **1/2
004) 01-04-05 Duel (1971) ***1/2
005) 01-05-05 The War of the Worlds (1953) ***
006) 01-06-05 Miracle on 34th Street (1947) ***
007) 01-09-05 Key Largo (1948) **
008) 01-16-05 12 Angry Men (1957) ***1/2
009) 01-23-05 Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) ***1/2
010) 01-26-05 Nighthawks (1981) ***1/2

1940's - 2
1950's - 2
1970's - 4
1980's - 2

Mean Creek (2004)

Viewed 2/1/2005 (first viewing)

A group of friends plot revenge on the bully who's been terrorizing one of their number, but unfortunately their plans go awry and end in tragedy. Brings to mind Stand By Me and George Washington, and just as good as those films.

out of


Doppelganger (2004)

Viewed 2/1/2005 (first viewing)

This supernatural thriller from Kiyoshi Kurosawa avoids the pitfalls that other recent Japanese horror flicks have stumbled into. A scientist meets his doppelganger who represents his darker side and who insinuates himself into the scientist's life. Horror buffs expecting blood and gore will likely be disappointed with the stately pace and ambiguities of the film. Reminded me a of a good Brian DePalma flick, but with actual subtext.

out of

January Recap

First time viewings in BOLD

Film Total: 31


01/03/05
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004, Adam McKay) B
01/04/05
Garden State (2004, Zach Braff) C-
Baran (2001, Majid Majidi) B+
01/05/05-01/06/05
Faithless (2000, Liv Ullmann) A-
01/07/05
The Twilight Samurai (2002, Yoji Yamada) B+
Time Of The Wolf (2003, Michael Haneke) B+
International House (1933, A. Edward Sutherland) B
01/08/05
No Such Thing (2001, Hal Hartley) B
01/09/05
Closer (2004, Mike Nichols) B
Finding Neverland (2004, Marc Forster) B+
Code 46 (2004, Michael Winterbottom) B
01/11/05
It's A Gift (1934, Norman Z. Mcleod) B-
The Bank Dick (1940, Edward Cline) A
01/12/05
Youth Of The Beast (1934, Seijun Suzuki) A-
01/14/05
Fighting Elegy (1966, Seijun Suzuki) A
01/15/05
Troy (2004, Wolfgang Petersen) B
01/16/05
House Of Flying Daggers (2004, Zhang Yimou) B+
The Woodsman (2004, Nicole Kassell) B-
01/17/05
Lola Montes (1955, Max Ophuls) C+
01/20/05
The Forgotten (2004, Joseph Ruben) B
01/21/05
Casque D'Or (1952, Jacques Becker) A
The King Is Alive (2000, Kristrian Levering) A-
01/23/05
Rosenstrasse (2003, Margarethe Von Trotta) A
01/24/05
My Little Chickadee (1940, Edward Kline) A-
01/25/05
Sonatine (1993, Takeshi Kitano) A
01/27/05
Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle (2004, Danny Leiner) B-
01/28/05
Sky Captain And The World Of Tomorrow (2004, Kerry Conran) B
Since Otar Left (2003, Julie Bertucelli) B+
01/29/05
Zatoichi (2003, Takeshi Kitano) B+
01/31/05
Bad Education (2004, Pedro Almodovar) A-
The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004, Wes Anderson) B

Hey everyone! I reached my goal of watching at least one movie a day, every day for the month of January... and I actually went a tad bit overboard! The total was 39 movies for 31 days, you can view the link here.

Favorite Films of January:

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy 4.5/5 / B+(01-01-05) (2nd)
Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams 4/5 / B(01-03-05)(1st)
Harold & Kumar go to White Castle 5/5 / A (01-05-05) (2nd)
Wall Street 5/5 / A (01-06-05) (1st)
Lemony Snicket's: A Series of Unfortunate Events 5/5 / A (01-09-05) (1st)
Uncle Buck 5/5 / A (01-09-05) (5th+)
Aviator, The 5/5 / A+ (01-15-05) (1st)
Bowling for Columbine 5/5 / A (01-16-05) (4th+)
Groundhog Day 5/5 / A (01-18-05) (3rd+)
Sicilian, The 4/5 (01-21-05) (1st)
Bedknobs and Broomsticks 5/5 / A (3rd+)
Coach Carter (01-23-05) 4.5/5 B+ (1st)
House of Flying Daggers (01-23-05) 5/5 / A+ (1st)
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (01-24-05?) 5/5 / A (3rd+)
Lemon Sky 4.5/5 B+ (01-24-05) (1st)
The Phantom of the Opera 5/5 / A (01-26-05) (1st)
Stand By Me 5/5 / A (01-29-05) (3rd+)
Forsaken, The 3.5/5 C+ (01-30-05) (1st)

I guess I just like just about everything.

Ryan

This looks like an interesting thread, I would like to join in, even though I’m a little late getting started. I really like Joe Karlosi’s format, and I hope he doesn’t mind if I use it.

Ratings Guide (no half-star increments used):
**** (An Exceptional Film; Outstanding)
*** (A Good Film; A Must-See)
** (A Decent Film; Worth Watching)
* (A Poor Film; May Have Redeeming Feature)
BOMB (A Worthless Film)

Media Guide
(DVD-MC) – DVD From My DVD Collection
(DVD-NF) – DVD Rental From NetFlix
(DVD-OT) - DVD Other

First viewings are in Bold.

001) 01-28-05 Sky Captain and The World of Tomorrow (2004) *** (DVD-MC)
002) 01-29-05 Little Black Book (2004) *** (DVD-NF)
003) 01-30-05 The Chronicles of Riddick (2004) * (DVD-NF)

004) 02-05-05 Raiders of the Lost Ark (1980) **** (DVD-MC)
005) 02-05-05 Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) **** (DVD-MC)
006) 02-08-05 Alien vs Predator (2004) ** (DVD-NF)
007) 02-11-05 Night of the Living Dead (1990) **** (DVD-MC)
008) 02-12-05 Open Range (2003) *** (DVD-OT)
009) 02-13-05 Dawn of the Dead (1978) **** (DVD-MC)
010) 02-13-05 Day of the Dead (1985) **** (DVD-MC)

Here's a recap of what I watched in January:
01/02:
DRACULA(1979)***
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA(original 1925 cut)***1/2
WHITE ZOMBIE(1932)-***1/2
01/03:
THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN(1957)**1/2
HORROR OF DRACULA(1958)***
01/04:
THE AWFUL TRUTH(1937)****
01/07:
VAMPYR(1931)****
01/09:
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA(2004-theatrical showing)****
01/10:
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK(1980)****
01/18:
WAR OF THE WORLDS(1953)****
01/19:
RETURN OF THE JEDI(1983)****
01/20:
ELEKTRA(2005)**
THE AVIATOR(2004)***1/2
01/22:
ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET THE KILLER(1949)***
01/24:
BATMAN(1966)***
01/27:
THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY(1945)****
01/28:
SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW(2004)***1/2
CATWOMAN(2004)*1/2
01/29:
HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN(2004)****
MILLION DOLLAR BABY(2004-Theatrical Showing)**

I put down the 1925 PHANTOM as a first viewing because I've never seen that particular cut of the Chaney film before. I've seen the 1929 re-edit many times.
My movie watching is definitely down from last year at this time. I need to catch up!