123 Movies for 2023!

[CaptHayfever]

98) The Marvels - A-. I was charmed the whole way though; I would adopt Iman Vellani if she needed new parents.
99) 13 Going on 30 - C. Jennifer Garner seems to be playing a 7-year-old rather than a 13-year-old. Mark Ruffalo is good. Judy Greer is underused.

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

[Bomby]

Films I've seen already are in italics.

🟣 - I liked it
- I kind of liked it
🟢 - Mid
🟡 - Not bad, but not for me
- I disliked it

1. The Fabelmans (Steven Spielberg, 2022) 🟣
2. The Raid (Gareth Evans, 2011) 🟢
3. Stray Dog (Akira Kurosawa, 1949) 🟣
4. Everything Everywhere All At Once (Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan, 2022) 🟣
5. tick, tick... Boom! (Lin-Manuel Miranda, 2021) 🟡
6. Hamilton (Lin-Manuel Miranda, 2020) 🟢
7. Licorice Pizza (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2021) 🟣
8. Police Story 2 (Jackie Chan, 1988) 🟣
9. Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (Stephan Elliott, 1994) 🟣
10. Blade Runner: Black Out 2022 (Shinichiro Watanabe, 2019)
11. The Wife (Björn Runge, 2017) 🟢
12. Chungking Express (Wong Kar-Wai, 1994) 🟣
13. Collateral (Michael Mann, 2004) 🟣
14. Kite (Yasuomi Umetsu, 1998) 🟣
15. Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One (Christopher McQuarrie, 2023) 🟣
16. The Outfit (Graham Moore, 2022) 🟣
17. Evangelion 1.11: You Are (Not) Alone (Hideaki Anno, 2007)
18. Evangelion 2.22: You Can (Not) Advance (Hideaki Anno, 2009) 🟣
19. Evangelion 3.33: You Can (Not) Redo (Hideaki Anno, 2012)
20. Evangelion 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon a Time (Hideaki Anno, 2020) 🟣
21. The End of Evangelion (Hideaki Anno, 1997) 🟣
22. The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Michael Jelenic and Aaron Horvath, 2023) 🟢
23. Made in Hong Kong (Fruit Chan, 1997) 🟣
24. The Curse of Kazuo Umezu (Naoko Omi, 1990) 🟢
25. All the Crows in the World (Tang Yi, 2021) 🟣
26. I Called Him Morgan (Kasper Collin, 2016)
27. In the Mood for Love (Wong Kar-Wai, 2000) 🟣
28. Running Out of Time (Johnnie To, 1999) 🟣
29. Starship Troopers (Paul Verhoeven, 1997)
30. Candyman (Bernard Rose, 1992) 🟢
31. Rush Hour (Brett Ratner, 1998) 🟣
32. Rush Hour 2 (Brett Ratner, 2001) 🟣
33. Miao Miao (Cheng Hsiao-Tse, 2008) 🟣
34. One-tenth of a Millimeter Apart (Wong Kar-wai, 2021) 🟣
35. Lust, Caution (Ang Lee, 2007) 🟣

Counting Korean films separately since I'm working on a project:
1. Decision to Leave (Park Chan-wook, 2002) 🟣
2. 301,302 (Park Cheol-su, 1995) 🟡
3. Special Delivery (Park Dae-min, 2022) 🟢
4. 20th Century Girl (Bang Woo-ri, 2022) 🟣
5. Exit (Lee Sang-geun, 2019) 🟣
6. Kim Ji-young, Born 1982 (Kim Do-young, 2019) 🟢
7. The Power of Kangwon Province (Hong Sangsoo, 1998) 🟣
8. Confidential Assignment (Kim Sung-hoon, 2017)
9. The Flower in Hell (Shin Sang-ok, 1958) 🟣
10. Little Forest (Yim Soon-rye, 2018) 🟣
11. Right Now, Wrong Then (Hong Sangsoo, 2015) 🟣
12. Mist (Kim Soo-yong, 1967) 🟣
13. The Aimless Bullet (Yu Hyun-mok, 1961) 🟣
14. The Advocate: A Missing Body (Huh Jong-ho, 2015) 🟢
15. Monster (Hwang In-ho, 2014) 🟢
16. The March of Fools (Ha Gil-jong, 1975) 🟢
17. Burning (Lee Chang-dong, 2018) 🟣
18. The Village of Mist (Im Kwon-taek, 1983) 🟣
19. Ieoh Island (Kim Ki-young, 1977) 🟣
20. Woman of Fire (Kim Ki-young, 1971)
21. Insect Woman (Kim Ki-young, 1972) 🟣
22. Night Journey (Kim Soo-yong, 1977) 🟣
23. Confession of an Actress (Kim Soo-yong, 1967) 🟡
24. Late Autumn (Kim Tae-yong, 2010) 🟣
25. Paju (Park Chan-ok, 2009) 🟣
26. Train to Busan (Yeon Sang-ho, 2016) 🟣
27. Influenza (Bong Joon-ho, 2004) 🟣
28. Peppermint Candy (Lee Chang-dong, 1999) 🟣
29. Miracle: Letters to the President (Lee Jang-hoon, 2021) 🟣
30. Jagko (Im Kwon-taek, 1980) 🟣
31. Ticket (Im Kwon-taek, 1986)
32. Mandala (Im Kwon-taek, 1981) 🟣
33. The Seaside Village (Kim Soo-yong, 1985) 🟣
34. The Coachman (Kang Dae-jin, 1961) 🟣
35. Silenced (Hwang Dong-hyuk, 2011) 🟣
36. A Monstrous Corpse (Kang Beom-gu, 1981)
37. Kill Boksoon (Byun Sung-hyun, 2023)
38. Beasts that Cling to Straw (Kim Yong-hoon, 2020) 🟣
39. A Man and a Woman (Lee Yoon-ki, 2016)

I'm happy to say that I liked most of the movies I've watched this year, though much of that has to do with the fact that I was seeking out well-regarded films.

Total: 74
Previously seen: 13

[I REALLY HATE POKEMON!]

I watched Attack on Titan Final Chapters Special 2, which is essentially movie length. I had spoiled myself on the ending through the manga, and not much changed (none for the better either). I still consider it an unsatisfying ending but it's an entertaining watch regardless.

I hope a sequel is planned, it left the door open for one.

[Booyakasha]

^Man, I haven't seen 'Stray Dog' in ages. Good flick.

[CaptHayfever]

100) One Christmas Eve - D. Absolute shambles of a story.

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

[Booyakasha]

I watched 'Money Plane'.

...it sure was 'Money Plane', say that for it.

[Deku Tree]

I watched 'No Hard Feelings'. Not a bad job delivering on the premise, but I don't know that it's something I'd go so far as to recommend.

[Bomby]

Persona: Sulli (Netflix original that comprises two separate films)
* 4: Clean Island (Kim Ji-hye and Hwang Soo-ah, 2023)
* Dear Jinri (Jung Yoon-suk, 2023) 🟣

Dear Jinri is an Errol Morris-style interview documentary with singer and actress Choi Jinri, better known by her stage name Sulli, who committed suicide four years ago. The interview was right before her death, so it's almost eerily like it's her ghost talking. One of the best things about the documentary is how the director lets camera linger on her unedited as she carefully considers how she answers each question.

Korean celebrities - women in particular - who don't conform to their country's extremely strict expectations are often relentlessly cyberbullied, and Sulli is the most famous example to the point; western media outlets who would generally never cover Korean entertainment reported on her death. There was an immense public outpouring of grief after she died, but by the next spring the internet was back to their usual business. I'd like to think that this film will force the netizens who dogpile celebrities (or non-celebrities for that matter) to re-examine themselves and the effects of their behavior, but it will only be temporary.

But anyway, excellent documentary. I hope a lot of people watch this.

----

Korean films: 42
Total films: 76
Previously seen: 13

[I REALLY HATE POKEMON!]

I never heard of her, sounds like it might be an interesting documentary. At a glance it seems she began as a child actress, it seems pretty common for that to go awry. Sometimes I think Britney Spears seems to show some possible warning signs.

[Booyakasha]

Rifftrax put 'Rifftrax Live! Manos the Hands of Fate' on YouTube for free. It's a pretty good show--------'Manos' itself is still inept and unpleasant, but the Rifftrax riff is all-different from the old MST3K take, plus they stuck on a couple shorts for added fun, so hey.

[CaptHayfever]

101) Moon Zero Two - D+. Decent idea.
102) Violent Night - B+
103) Jack Frost (1998) - C+. A little on the nose, & Keaton's voice work is weirdly dull.

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

[Booyakasha]

9. Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (Stephan Elliott, 1994) 🟣

Hmmmm! Say, if you liked 'Priscilla', you might like 'Welcome to Woop Woop', Elliott's next movie. It's similarly a super-weird comedy set in the merry old land of Auz-------------American conman on the run gets kidnapped by a looney Aussie gal and winds up stranded in this weird pseudo-cult town in the Outback. I don't know if there's any legitimate ways to watch it, but there's some decent-quality rips on YouTube.

[CaptHayfever]

104) Elf - A-
105) Carbon Dating (2023) - B+. Good acting, plot, & world-building. Lazy dialogue drags it down a bit.

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

[Deku Tree]

The wife and I have been playing a lot of Baldur's Gate 3, and I'd heard good things, so we watched the Dungeons and Dragons movie the other night. I had been skeptical, as that sort of movie can be pretty bad, but I ended up liking it well enough. Pretty funny at times.

[Booyakasha]

^Is that the new one, the 'Honor Among Thieves' one? I hear it's pretty good biz.

[Deku Tree]

That's the one. Really solid movie. Worth the watch, but I probably wouldn't rewatch it on my own.

[Booyakasha]

Glad they decided to punch up a bit------------‐----did you ever see the 2000 iteration, with Jeremy Irons and Marlon Wayans and all? It wasn't great.

I feel like people forgot you could make a swords-and-sorcery flick that wasn't just sillier than all get-out sometime between the release of 'Willow' and LotR.

[Deku Tree]

I saw The Marvels yesterday and I liked it. Some pretty slick fight choreography. I think Brie Larson gives a more authentic performance in this one than in Captain Marvel, and I liked the dynamic between the three title characters.

I sort of feel like Nick Fury was played in a way that ignored all the self-doubt from Secret Wars, but I didn't miss it.

[Deku Tree]

Glad they decided to punch up a bit------------‐----did you ever see the 2000 iteration, with Jeremy Irons and Marlon Wayans and all? It wasn't great.

I didn't even remember hearing about that one. I'm curious though, I really like Jeremy Irons.

[Booyakasha]

He's the big villain wizard, and he goes way, way over-the-top. It's entertaining, say that for it. A lot of people mock it, but as good an actor as he is, it's fun to see him just cut loose and bark at the moon a bit.