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What I Watched in… March 2017

logannewposter

Favorite of the Month: Logan (2017)

In the interest of full disclosure (and to generate a little content here) I thought I’d present a regular tally of what movies I managed to see in the previous month. Some of them I’ve written or talked about, most of them I haven’t. This list includes movies I saw for the first time, movies I’ve seen a thousand times, movies I saw in the theater, movies I watched at home, direct-to-DVD, made-for-TV and anything else that qualifies as a movie. I also choose my favorite of the month among those movies I saw for the first time, marked in red. Feel free to discuss or ask about any of them!

  1. John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017), A-
  2. Logan (2017), A
  3. Into the Woods (Broadway Cast, 1991), A
  4. Anomalisa (2015), B
  5. My Sucky Teen Romance (2011), B
  6. Volunteers (1985), B
  7. Werewolf of London (1935), C
  8. Quiz Show (1994), A-
  9. Lifeforce (1985), C-
  10. Honor and Glory (1993), D-; RiffTrax Riff, B
  11. The Magic Sword (1962), C+; MST3K Riff, B+
  12. Gamera (1965), B-; MST3K Riff, A
  13. Phantom of the Opera (1943), C+
  14. Newsies (1992), B+
  15. Up (2009), A+
  16. Moana (2016), A-
  17. Hobgoblins (1988), F; MST3K Riff, A-
  18. Jodorowsky’s Dune (2013), B+
  19. The Uninvited (1944), B
  20. Into the Woods (2014), B+
  21. Kubo and the Two Strings (2016), A-
  22. Nintendo Quest (2015), B-
  23. Dune (1984), D+
  24. Dracula (1931), B+
  25. Retro Puppet Master (1999), D-; RiffTrax Riff, B
  26. Zombie Nightmare (19870, D; MST3K Riff, A
  27. 50 Years of Star Trek (2016), B-
  28. Innerspace (1987), B
  29. Marooned (aka Space Travelers, 1969), D; MST3K Riff, B-
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Looking ahead to 2017…

We’ve got 12 months of movies ahead of us. Now that we’ve looked back at 2016, let’s see what’s coming out this year that’s got me excited…

  • The LEGO Batman Movie (Feb. 10). The first LEGO Movie was one of the most unexpected gems of the last few years. The trailers for this first spinoff look to be unfettered fun.
  • John Wick Chapter 2 (Feb. 10). Another unexpected hit was the first John Wick movie. I can’t wait for the sequel.
  • Logan (March 3). Hugh Jackman’s final turn as Wolverine looks like it’s going to be a much darker, more intense take on the character than we’ve seen before.
  • Kong: Skull Island (March 10). With Legendary planning an MCU-style connection between this and their Godzilla franchise, I’m really looking forward to the new take on King Kong.
  • Beauty and the Beast (March 17). Disney’s rash of live-action remakes of their classic animated films has been hit or miss for me, but Emma Watson as Belle is perfect casting. I’ve got high hopes for this one.
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (May 5). After a thrilling, joyful first film, I’m hoping director James Gunn can do the same with this one.
  • Wonder Woman (June 2). It’s almost a crime that it’s taken this long for there to be a live-action Wonder Woman movie. Gal Gadot stole every scene of Batman V Superman, and I can’t wait to see this one.
  • The Mummy (June 9). Universal is hoping to revive its classic monster franchise with (again) an MCU-style shared universe. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it works.
  • Spider-Man: Homecoming (July 7). Marvel and Sony coming to an agreement for Spider-Man is the best thing that could have happened for the character. Tom Holland rocked in Captain America: Civil War, and I’m hoping for more of that in this film.
  • War For the Planet of the Apes (July 14). The first two films in the new Apes franchise were phenomenal — deep, thoughtful films with mesmerizing performances. I feel very good about this next one.
  • Dunkirk (July 21). Christopher Nolan doing a World War I epic. How can you not be excited?
  • The Dark Tower (July 28). Stephen King’s self-proclaimed “Magnum Opus” is a work that has a need personal meaning for me. I want this movie to be great. The casting is spot-on, although the information that’s come out so far leaves me wondering exactly what angle they’re intending to take on the material.
  • It (Sept. 8). Another Stephen King adaptation. Although not as personal to me, it’s still a great book that had an okay TV adaptation. Can any film truly capture the novel?
  • Thor: Ragnarok (Nov. 3). Although the Thor movies gave the MCU its most charismatic villain, they aren’t quite as memorable as the rest of the franchise. This time out, having Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk and Benedict Cumberbatch’s Dr. Strange along for the ride may finally give us a great Thor movie.
  • Justice League (Nov. 17). I’ve been waiting for this movie since I was a kid, and the promotional materials have looked fantastic. I can’t wait.
  • Star Wars Episode VIII (Dec. 15). Little independent movie. You probably haven’t heard of it.

What I Watched In… July 2015

Hector and the Search For Happiness

Favorite of the Month: Hector and the Search For Happiness

In the interest of full disclosure (and to generate a little content here) I thought I’d present a regular tally of what movies I managed to see in the previous month. Some of them I’ve written or talked about, most of them I haven’t. This list includes movies I saw for the first time, movies I’ve seen a thousand times, movies I saw in the theater, movies I watched at home, direct-to-DVD, made-for-TV and anything else that qualifies as a movie. I also choose my favorite of the month among those movies I saw for the first time, marked in red. Feel free to discuss or ask about any of them!

1. Man on Wire (2008) B-
2. Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923), C+
3. Destroy All Monsters (1968), B+
4. Psycho II (1983), D; RiffTrax Riff, B+
5. Parts: The Clonus Horror (1979), F; MST3K Riff, B+
6. Orca: The Killer Whale (1977), D
7. Captain America (1990), D
8. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) A
9. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), A+
10. Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964), B
11. Advantageous (2015), B+
12. Changing Lanes (2002), B
13. WarGames (1983) B+
14. Lost in La Mancha (2002), B+
15. The Projected Man (1966), F; MST3K Riff, B+
16. John Wick (2014) A-
17. Night of the Lepus (1972), F; RiffTrax Riff, B
18. Little Shop of Horrors (1960), D; RiffTrax Riff, A-
19. Comic Store Heroes (2012), D
20. X-Men: First Class (2014), A
21. Back to the Future (1985), A
22. Back to the Future Part II (1989), B+
23. Back to the Future Part III (1990), B
24. Conan the Barbarian (1982), B-
25. In Search of General Tso (2014), B
26. Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014), C-
27. Pacific Rim (2013), A
28. The Queen of Versailles (2012), B+
29. Hector and the Search For Happiness (2014), A
30. Ant-Man (2015), B+
31. Creep (2014), B-
32. Timeline (2003), C+
33. Hatchet II (2010), B+
34. Hatchet III (2013), B-
35. This Film is Not Yet Rated (2006), A
36. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), A
37. Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley’s Island of Dr. Moreau (2014), B
38. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), D
39. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971), A+
40. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006), B+
41. Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No (2015), C-
42. Mission: Impossible (1996), B-
43. The Warriors (1979), B+
44. Mission: Impossible II (2000), B
45. The Death of “Superman Lives”: What Happened? (2015), B-
46. Wet Hot American Summer (2001), B-
47. Driving Miss Daisy (1989), A
48. Teacher of the Year (2015), A-
49. The Houses October Built (2014), B-
50. These Final Hours (2013), B
51. The 39 Steps (1935), A