+ + +
2 0 1 2
F I L M
* rewatch
1. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (cheating and including this on the list whatever i do what I want); ★★★☆☆½ • I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED EVERY SECOND OF THIS MOVIE. FUN POPCORN FLICK, shit blew up, Lea Seydoux was A+, etc., etc.
2. A Dangerous Method; ★★☆☆☆½ • god this was boring as fuck. Viggo was gr8 tho.
3. Friends With Benefits; ★☆☆☆☆½ • lit-er-ally the most insufferable movie ever basically. the one star is for Woody Harrelson's existence.
4. Drive*; ★★★★☆½ • parts of this movie were sublimely perfect for me omg also that soundtrackkkkkk love.
5. Arthur; ★★☆☆☆ • This was dumb, but shockingly amusingly so (in some parts).
6. Red Riding Hood; ☆☆☆☆☆½
7. The Philadelphia Story*; ★★★★☆½
8. Dream House; ☆☆☆☆☆
9. Endeavour; ★★★☆☆
10. Heaven Help Us; ★★☆☆☆½ • lol 80s movies
11. The Special Relationship; ★★★☆☆
12. The Eagle; ★★☆☆☆½ • Channing Tatum, just, why, these stars are for Jamie Bell's yoga pants.
13. Another Happy Day; ★★★★☆ • Man, I love movies about family dysfunction + weddings, and the performances in this were just gr8.
14. Smash His Camera; ★★★☆☆
15. Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory; ★★★☆☆½
16. Woman of the Year; ★★★☆☆½
17. Paradise Lost; ★★★★☆
18. Paradise Lost 2; ★★★☆☆½
19. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011); ★☆☆☆☆½ • blech
20. The Innkeepers; ★★☆☆☆
21. Beware the Gonzo; ★★★☆☆½
22. Bringing Up Baby; ★★★☆☆
23. Beginners; ★★★★☆
24. The Descendants; ★★★☆☆½
25. Moneyball; ★★★★☆
26. The Last Rites of Ransom Pride; ★☆☆☆☆½
27. Good Neighbors; ★★☆☆☆
28. Morning Glory; ★☆☆☆☆ • this movie made me realize how little i care for Rachel McAdams as an actress lol
29. Shame; ★★★☆☆ • largely undecided how i feel about this movie, tho Fassbender and Mulligan were gr8, as was the score
30. Lake Mungo; ★★☆☆☆
31. In Time; ★★☆☆☆½
32. Session 9; ★★★☆☆
33. The Loving Story; ★★★★☆
34. The Artist; ★★☆☆☆ • I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE HYPE AT ALL!!!!! idk I was just borderline irrationally irritated by this entire movie, lol
35. Take Shelter; ★★★★☆ • Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain were bonkers good in this, and I think I loved that ending?
36. In the Loop; ★★★☆☆½
37. The Romantics; ★☆☆☆☆½ • only worthwhile part was when Adam Brody and Malin Whatsherface hooked up in the attic, lbr
38. Game Change; ★★★☆☆ • Spot-on performances but I feel like if you paid a fraction of attention to the news in 2008 you already saw this movie; that said, Woody Harrelson was gr89
39. The Awakening; ★★★☆☆½ • Loved everything but the ~twist ending kinda killed it for me
40. Adventureland*; ★★★☆☆
41. Fargo; ★★★★☆½ • Coen Bros stan, no apologies
42. Your Highness; ☆☆☆☆☆
43. Hanna; ★★★☆☆½
44. Young Adult; ★★★☆☆ • I wanted to like this more than I did, idk, too much secondhand embarrassment on my part
45. Goon; ★★★★☆ • I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS MOVIE OK
46. The Hunger Games; ★★★☆☆½ • I liked it better than the book, but idk how telling that statement is haha; WOODY HARRELSON IS STILL THE BEST, Lenny Kravitz was also fab, but the ending of this was a hot ol' mess
47. Kicking and Screaming; ★★★★☆ • The Noah Baumbach film, not the Will Ferrell one lol
48. Party Girl; ★★★☆☆½
49. The House of the Devil; ★★★☆☆
50. Meek's Cutoff; ★★★★☆½ • Absolutely loved this film, especially the end
51. A Good Old Fashion Orgy; ★★☆☆☆½ • IDK why this dumb movie endeared itself to me as much as it did
52. New Year's Eve; ☆☆☆☆☆ • I can't
53. 21 Jump Street; ★★★★☆ • Loved this ridiculous movie
54. Ides of March; ★★★☆☆
55. Hot Rod; ★★★☆☆
56. Mission Impossible 3; ★★☆☆☆ • I now want a movie about spy!Billy Crudup and spy!Keri Russell; don't question it -- the heart wants what the heart wants
57. Fast Five
58. Cabin In The Woods; ★★★★☆
59. The Avengers; ★★★☆☆½
60. You Instead; ★★★★☆
61. Hugo; ★★★★☆
62. Alien*; ★★★★★
63. What's Your Number; ★★☆☆☆
64. My Life Without Me; ★★★☆☆½ • Sarah Polley is just phenom, love her
65. Margot At The Wedding; ★★★☆☆
66. Magic Mike; ★★★★☆ • I LOVED THIS MOVIE, IDEC.
67. Lockout; ★★★★★ • FOR GUY PEARCE, SPACE ACTION HERO. IDK HOW TO RATE THE REST OF THIS.
68. The Ward; ☆☆☆☆☆
69. The Fall; ★★★★☆ • Visually stunning and I found it super affecting by the end.
70. Daybreakers; ★★☆☆☆ • Vampires, whatever.
71. Bless The Child; ★☆☆☆☆ • Why do I watch these things
72. Grave Encounters; ★☆☆☆☆½
73. Love and Other Disasters; ★☆☆☆☆½
74. Shark Night; ★☆☆☆☆ • so many bad movies, so little time
75. The Amazing Spider-Man; ★★★☆☆½
76. The Piano Teacher; ★★★☆☆½
77. For Lovers Only; ★★☆☆☆½
78. What Happens In Vegas . . .; ★☆☆☆☆½
79. Newlyweds; ★★☆☆☆½
80. Heartburn; ★★☆☆☆
81. Bill Cunningham New York; ★★★★☆ • Loved this; great and fascinating documentary
82. Fragments; ★☆☆☆☆ • The things I watch for you, Guy Pearce . . .
83. The Dark Knight Rises; ★★★☆☆½ • Imperfect conclusion to a pretty gr8 trilogy; probably my favorite superhero movie I saw this year
84. V/H/S; ☆☆☆☆☆ • Abysmally bad, my god
85. Bachelorette; ★★★☆☆ • Would have loved this movie had they cut the entire Adam Scott character/storyline; enjoyed the rest of it, even if the conclusion was a little too neat/easy
86. Into The Abyss; ★★★★☆
87. Celeste and Jesse Forever; ★★★★☆ • LOVED. objectively probably not perfect, but i loved every minute of this movie; Rashida and Andy were SO GOOD.
88. Albatross; ★★☆☆☆½
89. Another Earth; ★☆☆☆☆ • hated these characters so much, my god
90. L!fe Happens; ★★☆☆☆½
91. The Hi-Lo Country; ★★☆☆☆
92. Lawless; ★★★☆☆½ • Could have used more in terms of plot and ending, but the performances were super good
93. Lola Versus; ★★★☆☆
94. The Off Hours; ★★☆☆☆½ • Slow and uneventful, but really enjoyed Scoot McNairy's performance.
95. What To Expect When You're Expecting; ☆☆☆☆☆½ • that half star is for the tragedy that is Chris Rock's career
96. Argo; ★★★★☆½ • Probably my favorite movie I saw in theaters this year; not perfect, sure, but greatly enjoyable and A+ acting
97. Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World; ★☆☆☆☆ • DESPISED.
98. The Haunting; ★★☆☆☆½ • Would have enjoyed more with a different lead character and actress, but the use of black and white was gr8
99. Cowboys and Aliens; ★☆☆☆☆ • Why do I do these things to myself
100. Excision; ★★★☆☆ • Totally surprised by everything about this movie lol and that end fucked with my head for a good long while after
101. The Wild Hunt; ★★★☆☆½ • Crazy corn, dude! Medieval times gone nuclear! Another ending that fucked me up!
102. Surveillance; ★★☆☆☆½ • A different cast and different/better pacing and this movie could have been amazing
103. Moonrise Kingdom; ★★★★☆ • CHARMED!
104. Sound of My Voice; ☆☆☆☆☆½ • Fucking Brit Marling lol hated this movie so much
105. The Master; ★★★★☆ • INCREDIBLE performances; not wholly sold on the story or what the point of any of it was
106. Before The Devil Knows You're Dead; ★★★★☆
107. The Missing Person; ★★★☆☆½ • Great little slice of neo-noir, and Michael Shannon is fantastic
108. Red Lights; ★☆☆☆☆ • There was not one thing I liked about this short of the actors involved
109. Rise of the Planet of the Apes; ★★☆☆☆ • lol
110. Damsels in Distress; ★★★☆☆ • Totally won over by Greta Gerwig
111. Absentia; ★★★☆☆ • Surprisingly scary and enjoyable super low-budget horror film, tho the acting was pretty shaky lol
112. W.E.; ★★☆☆☆½ • Melodrama at its best and worst lol
113. 200 Cigarettes*; ★★★☆☆½ • Love this movie
114. Bronson; ★★★★☆ •JESUS CHRIST LOL
115. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close; ☆☆☆☆☆ • This movie can blow me
116. La Belle Personne; ★★☆☆☆ • I hated every character in this movie
117. Charade; ★★★☆☆
118. Our Idiot Brother; ★★☆☆☆½ • I don't remember a think about this movie but I guess it was inoffensively entertaining?
119. How To Steal A Million; ★★★★☆½ • LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS.
120. Haywire; ★★★☆☆½ • Greatly enjoyed this despite what critics lead me to believe!
121. A Night In The Woods; ★☆☆☆☆ • That one star is for how attractive I found Scoot McNairy
122. The Tunnel; ★★☆☆☆ • Eh, at times scary Australian found-footage horror film; loved the format as a fake documentary tho
123. Tanner Hall; ★★★☆☆ • Liked this far more than I expected; for once I really liked Rooney Mara!
124. Heartbeats; ★★★★☆ • SO GOOD; already want to rewatch
125. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut; ★★★★☆ • shut up omg
126. Snow White and the Huntsman; ★★☆☆☆½ • The version of this that exists in my brain is infinitely more entertaining lol
127. Silent House; ★☆☆☆☆ • Blergh
128. Prometheus; ★★★☆☆ • Liked it more than I thought I would based on everyone else's reviews, but something was still missing from it
129. Paranormal Activity 4; ★☆☆☆☆ • lol
130. Rust and Bone; ★★★★☆ • the performances and cinematography were AMAZING; Marion Cotillard was just incredible
131. Cheerful Weather for the Wedding; ★★★☆☆
132. A Royal Affair; ★★★☆☆½ • beautiful film though at times slow; the lead actress was fantastic
133. For a Good Time Call . . . ; ★★★☆☆½ • ADORED THIS. charming and funny though imperfect I didn't even care haha
134. Beasts of the Southern Wild; ★★★★☆½ • absolutely loved it; the scene at the catfish shack is one of my favorite scenes I have ever seen
135. The Campaign; ★★☆☆☆ • eh, could have been so much better
136. Oslo, August 31st; ★★★★☆
137. Pitch Perfect; ★★☆☆☆
138. Looper; ★★★☆☆½ • idk maybe 4 stars? I loooooved everything building up to the climax, but the climax felt rushed/unearned to me? idk, on the fence lol
139. Killing Them Softly; ★★★☆☆ • The template for a great movie is buried in this one; a stellar first half followed by a blah second, tho I loved a lot of the dialogue
140. Union Square; ★★★☆☆ • A surprising gem of a film that I didn't expect to enjoy as much as I did; Mira Sorvino is so good in this, and I love a good story about sisters
141. Monogamy; ★★☆☆☆ • A waste of Rashida Jones and Chris Messina
142. Safety Not Guaranteed; ★★☆☆☆½ • I enjoyed the set-up more than I did the follow-through
143. Ted; ★☆☆☆☆½ • idk what I expected
144. This Is 40; ★★★☆☆½ • A very long meandering film that is never really resolved, but that said so much of the movie felt real and genuine that I didn't mind the pace or length
B O O K S
* re-read
1. Eutopia: A Novel of Terrible Optimism - David Nickle; ★★☆☆☆½
2. In the Garden of Beasts - Erik Larson; ★★★☆☆½
3. A Brief History of Montmaray - Michelle Cooper; ★★★☆☆½
4. The FitzOsbournes in Exile - Michelle Cooper; ★★★☆☆½ • KINDA OBSESSED WITH THIS SERIES OK. NEED THE NEXT BOOK!!!!!
5. Sharp Teeth - Toby Barlow; in progress
6. Personal History - Katharine Graham; in progress
7. Shatter Me - Tahereh Mafi; ★☆☆☆☆ • I feel like I am being generous here with that one star lol. This was . . . not good. First-person present tense? Written with such overwrought phrases as "His body presses closer and I realize I'm paying attention to nothing but the dandelions blowing wishes in my lungs"?? Like wat. Purple prose that's purple enough to make Prince set fire to the rain (also 97% of this read like bad fanfic). Nice premise tho, what with the whole dystopian X-Men rip-off lol.
8. Before I Go To Sleep - S.J. Watson; ★★☆☆☆ • Eh, guessed the end after the first, like, 15 pages lol.
9. Looking for Alaska - John Green; ★★★☆☆ • Charming enough
10. The Fault in Our Stars - John Green; ★★★☆☆ • Ditto
11. White Horses - Alice Hoffman; ★★☆☆☆½ • Really enjoyed the beginning of this and loved the setting, but by the end I wanted to wring the main character by her neck
12. The Likeness - Tana French; ★★★☆☆½ • Unsure how I feel about the conclusion, but wow I really loved the main character and the whole ~mystery built was great
13. The Principles of Uncertainty - Maira Kalman; ★★★★★ • LOVE LOVE LOVE HER STUFF.
14. And the Pursuit of Happiness - Maira Kalman; ★★★★★
15. Deathless - Catherynne M. Valente; ★★★★☆½ • Fantastic prose, and ahhhh, Russians and the Soviet Union and fairytales! Loved this
16. Can You Keep A Secret? - Sophie Kinsella; ★★★☆☆ • Charming! tho obnoxious ending!
17. Remember Me - Sophie Kinsella; ★★☆☆☆ • Ugh. idk, annoyed by everyone in this book
18. I've Got Your Number - Sophie Kinsella; ★★★☆☆ • Probably the most I have ever enjoyed a Kinsella book? not sure if that's saying a lot?
19. Maybe This Time - Jennifer Crusie; ★★☆☆☆ • Ghost story romance! lol this was dumb and I was entertained but then suddenly some supernatural realness was happening and I was not there for that tbh
20. The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern; ★★★☆☆ • There were parts of this I really enjoyed, namely the setting and most of the secondary characters, but I had such a problem with the main ~star-crossed lovers story lol
21. Lightning Field - Dana Spiotta • Great prose, great style, very Didion
22. The FitzOsbournes at War - Michelle Cooper; ★★★☆☆½
23. The Overnight Socialite - Bridie Clark; ★★☆☆☆ • Ugh IDK why I kept reading this lol these characters were the worst
24. Play It As It Lays - Joan Didion*; ★★★★★ • A L W A Y S , ugh still so good on the millionth reread
25. In The Woods - Tana French; ★★☆☆☆ • There are no words for how disappointed I was with the end of this book. No. Words.
26. Dark Places, Gillian Flynn; ★★★☆☆½ • Wonderful atmosphere and I liked the main character, but I guessed the conclusion way too early on and was more or less unsatisfied with the end.
27. Savages, Don Winslow; ★★★☆☆½ • Loved the style of this, tho the end ultimately left me cold
28. The Darlings, Cristina Alger; ★★★☆☆ • eh underwhelming; the characters were pretty flat, though I enjoyed how the first half read like a soapy Hamptons-y take on Too Big To Fail
29. The Expats, Chris Pavone; ★★★☆☆½ • really really enjoyed reading this, but about 2/3 through it just got tedious, redundant, too difficult to suspend disbelief that the main character was ex-CIA, and too neat of an ending
30. Misconception, Ryan Boudinot; ★★★☆☆ • Loved the format of this -- the unreliability of memory, etc. -- but the story being told did nothing for me.
31. Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live, Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller; ★★★★★ • L O V E D ; only complaint was that it was published in like 2003 lol so there wasn't any fun dirt on more recent years.
32. The Sisters Brothers, Patrick DeWitt; ★★★★☆ • Westerns!!!!
33. The Art of Fielding, Chris Harbach; in progress, tho I may have given up?
34. House of Dead Trees, Rob Redux; ★☆☆☆☆ • such a dumb fucking book
35. A Rage To Live, John O'Hara; in progress
36. The Imperfectionists; Tom Rachman; ★★☆☆☆½ • The premise behind this was great, but I sort of hated how every single story was terribly dramatic (and at times Lifetime channel levels of wannabe depressing); idk, disappointing
37. The Fixer-Upper, Mary Kay Andrews; ★★☆☆☆ • The protagonist in this was such a damn fool half the time I could not abide; gr8 setting tho, love me some southern stories
38. Family Album, Penelope Lively; ★★☆☆☆½ • I love me a story of family dysfunction, but idk, this family and its ~problems struck me as terribly banal?
39. Sharp Objects, Gillian Flynn; ★★★☆☆ • Really enjoyed the first 2/3 of this, but then it went super off the rails for me by the end; like the author's voice a lot tho
40. Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn; ★★☆☆☆ • Hated the characters in this, HATED THEM, and by the end I was just rooting for their demise
41. Where We Belong, Emily Giffin; ★☆☆☆☆½ • Terrible lol I can't believe I read the whole thing bleh
42. Heartsick, Chelsea Cain; ★★★☆☆ • This entire series is ridiculous, but I enjoyed this one a lot, if only for the set-up of the whole ~scarred detective/serial killer relationship lol lol
43. Sweetheart, Chelsea Cain; ★★☆☆☆
44. Evil At Heart, Chelsea Cain; ★★☆☆☆½
45. The Night Season, Chelsea Cain; ★☆☆☆☆½ • The killer's weapon of choice was an octopus he threw at people need I say more
46. Kill You Twice, Chelsea Cain; ★★☆☆☆½ • This could have been way more awesome than it was! Disappoint!
47. That Old Cape Magic, Richard Russo; in progress
48. Broken Harbor, Tana French; ★★★★☆
49. Gods Behaving Badly, Marie Phillips; ★★☆☆☆½ • Cute, but I wish more had done with the conceit that the gods were living in an old house in London lol
50. We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Shirley Jackson; ★★★☆☆½
51. Syndrome E, Franck Thilliez; ☆☆☆☆☆½ • I'm not sure if something vital was lost in translation, but god this was just terrible.
52. I Was Told There'd Be Cake, Sloane Crosley; ★★★☆☆½ • Some really great, really hilarious essays mixed with some so-so ones.
53. 11/22/63, Stephen King; ★★☆☆☆ • all-around disappointment; a 700 page novel about a lame love story between schoolteachers with maybe 100 pages of time travel business haha
54. Look at Me, Jennifer Egan; ★★★★☆
T E L E V I S I O N
1. Great Expectations (2012); ★★★☆☆½
2. Modern Family - Season Three; ★★★☆☆
3. Happy Endings - Season Two; ★★★★☆
4. Suburgatory - Season One; ★★★☆☆
5. Lost Girl - Season One; ★★★☆☆
6. Breaking Bad - Season One; ★★★★☆½
7. Parks and Recreation - Season Four; ★★★☆☆½
8. New Girl - Season One; ★★★★☆½
9. Raising Hope - Season Two; ★★★☆☆
10. Southland - Season Four; ★★★★☆½
11. Justified - Season Three; in progress
12. Smash - Season One; ★★☆☆☆
13. Prime Suspect - Season One; ★★★★★ • I CAN'T TALK ABOUT THIS SERIES OBJECTIVELY SO I JUST GAVE IT ALL THE STARS. good night sweet prince ;_____;
14. Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior - Season One; ★★★☆☆
15. Portlandia - Season One; ★★★★☆
16. Cougar Town - Season Three; ★★★☆☆½
17. The X-Files - Entire Series*; ★★★★☆
18. The Wire - Season Two; in progress
19. Bob's Burgers - Seasons One, Two; ★★★★★
20. Breaking Bad - Seasons Two, Three; ★★★★★
21. Saturday Night Live - Season 37; ★★★★☆ • Any judgment passed about this show is probably biased when it comes to me, but Kristen Wiig's send-off episode was especially gr89
22. Game of Thrones - Season Two; ★★★★☆ • Really, truly, loved some stuff -- namely everything about Theon's arc and the Blackwater episode -- but really, truly, hated other stuff -- namely everything Dany and "Talisa" lol
23. Girls - Season One; ★★★★☆ • I really came to like this show? The episodes following and including "The Return" I really enjoyed.
24. Veep - Season One; ★★★★☆
25. Hatfields and McCoys; ★★☆☆☆½ • Watched it for the hot menfolk, not ashamed.
26. Breaking Bad - Season Four; ★★★★★ • Perfection.
27. True Blood - Whatever Season This Is; ★★☆☆☆½
28. The Newsroom - Season One; ★★☆☆☆
29. Breaking Bad - Season Five; ★★★★★
30. New Girl - Season Two
31. The Mindy Project - Season One
32. 30 Rock - THE FINAL SEASON
33. Parks and Recreation - Season Five
34. American Horror Story - Season Two
35. Homeland - Season One; ★★★★☆ • Solid show, great performances, mediocre plot.
36. Homeland - Season Two
37. Boardwalk Empire - Season Three
38. Bob's Burgers - Season Two
39. Elementary - Season One
F I L M
* rewatch
1. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (cheating and including this on the list whatever i do what I want); ★★★☆☆½ • I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED EVERY SECOND OF THIS MOVIE. FUN POPCORN FLICK, shit blew up, Lea Seydoux was A+, etc., etc.
2. A Dangerous Method; ★★☆☆☆½ • god this was boring as fuck. Viggo was gr8 tho.
3. Friends With Benefits; ★☆☆☆☆½ • lit-er-ally the most insufferable movie ever basically. the one star is for Woody Harrelson's existence.
4. Drive*; ★★★★☆½ • parts of this movie were sublimely perfect for me omg also that soundtrackkkkkk love.
5. Arthur; ★★☆☆☆ • This was dumb, but shockingly amusingly so (in some parts).
6. Red Riding Hood; ☆☆☆☆☆½
7. The Philadelphia Story*; ★★★★☆½
8. Dream House; ☆☆☆☆☆
9. Endeavour; ★★★☆☆
10. Heaven Help Us; ★★☆☆☆½ • lol 80s movies
11. The Special Relationship; ★★★☆☆
12. The Eagle; ★★☆☆☆½ • Channing Tatum, just, why, these stars are for Jamie Bell's yoga pants.
13. Another Happy Day; ★★★★☆ • Man, I love movies about family dysfunction + weddings, and the performances in this were just gr8.
14. Smash His Camera; ★★★☆☆
15. Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory; ★★★☆☆½
16. Woman of the Year; ★★★☆☆½
17. Paradise Lost; ★★★★☆
18. Paradise Lost 2; ★★★☆☆½
19. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011); ★☆☆☆☆½ • blech
20. The Innkeepers; ★★☆☆☆
21. Beware the Gonzo; ★★★☆☆½
22. Bringing Up Baby; ★★★☆☆
23. Beginners; ★★★★☆
24. The Descendants; ★★★☆☆½
25. Moneyball; ★★★★☆
26. The Last Rites of Ransom Pride; ★☆☆☆☆½
27. Good Neighbors; ★★☆☆☆
28. Morning Glory; ★☆☆☆☆ • this movie made me realize how little i care for Rachel McAdams as an actress lol
29. Shame; ★★★☆☆ • largely undecided how i feel about this movie, tho Fassbender and Mulligan were gr8, as was the score
30. Lake Mungo; ★★☆☆☆
31. In Time; ★★☆☆☆½
32. Session 9; ★★★☆☆
33. The Loving Story; ★★★★☆
34. The Artist; ★★☆☆☆ • I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE HYPE AT ALL!!!!! idk I was just borderline irrationally irritated by this entire movie, lol
35. Take Shelter; ★★★★☆ • Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain were bonkers good in this, and I think I loved that ending?
36. In the Loop; ★★★☆☆½
37. The Romantics; ★☆☆☆☆½ • only worthwhile part was when Adam Brody and Malin Whatsherface hooked up in the attic, lbr
38. Game Change; ★★★☆☆ • Spot-on performances but I feel like if you paid a fraction of attention to the news in 2008 you already saw this movie; that said, Woody Harrelson was gr89
39. The Awakening; ★★★☆☆½ • Loved everything but the ~twist ending kinda killed it for me
40. Adventureland*; ★★★☆☆
41. Fargo; ★★★★☆½ • Coen Bros stan, no apologies
42. Your Highness; ☆☆☆☆☆
43. Hanna; ★★★☆☆½
44. Young Adult; ★★★☆☆ • I wanted to like this more than I did, idk, too much secondhand embarrassment on my part
45. Goon; ★★★★☆ • I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS MOVIE OK
46. The Hunger Games; ★★★☆☆½ • I liked it better than the book, but idk how telling that statement is haha; WOODY HARRELSON IS STILL THE BEST, Lenny Kravitz was also fab, but the ending of this was a hot ol' mess
47. Kicking and Screaming; ★★★★☆ • The Noah Baumbach film, not the Will Ferrell one lol
48. Party Girl; ★★★☆☆½
49. The House of the Devil; ★★★☆☆
50. Meek's Cutoff; ★★★★☆½ • Absolutely loved this film, especially the end
51. A Good Old Fashion Orgy; ★★☆☆☆½ • IDK why this dumb movie endeared itself to me as much as it did
52. New Year's Eve; ☆☆☆☆☆ • I can't
53. 21 Jump Street; ★★★★☆ • Loved this ridiculous movie
54. Ides of March; ★★★☆☆
55. Hot Rod; ★★★☆☆
56. Mission Impossible 3; ★★☆☆☆ • I now want a movie about spy!Billy Crudup and spy!Keri Russell; don't question it -- the heart wants what the heart wants
57. Fast Five
58. Cabin In The Woods; ★★★★☆
59. The Avengers; ★★★☆☆½
60. You Instead; ★★★★☆
61. Hugo; ★★★★☆
62. Alien*; ★★★★★
63. What's Your Number; ★★☆☆☆
64. My Life Without Me; ★★★☆☆½ • Sarah Polley is just phenom, love her
65. Margot At The Wedding; ★★★☆☆
66. Magic Mike; ★★★★☆ • I LOVED THIS MOVIE, IDEC.
67. Lockout; ★★★★★ • FOR GUY PEARCE, SPACE ACTION HERO. IDK HOW TO RATE THE REST OF THIS.
68. The Ward; ☆☆☆☆☆
69. The Fall; ★★★★☆ • Visually stunning and I found it super affecting by the end.
70. Daybreakers; ★★☆☆☆ • Vampires, whatever.
71. Bless The Child; ★☆☆☆☆ • Why do I watch these things
72. Grave Encounters; ★☆☆☆☆½
73. Love and Other Disasters; ★☆☆☆☆½
74. Shark Night; ★☆☆☆☆ • so many bad movies, so little time
75. The Amazing Spider-Man; ★★★☆☆½
76. The Piano Teacher; ★★★☆☆½
77. For Lovers Only; ★★☆☆☆½
78. What Happens In Vegas . . .; ★☆☆☆☆½
79. Newlyweds; ★★☆☆☆½
80. Heartburn; ★★☆☆☆
81. Bill Cunningham New York; ★★★★☆ • Loved this; great and fascinating documentary
82. Fragments; ★☆☆☆☆ • The things I watch for you, Guy Pearce . . .
83. The Dark Knight Rises; ★★★☆☆½ • Imperfect conclusion to a pretty gr8 trilogy; probably my favorite superhero movie I saw this year
84. V/H/S; ☆☆☆☆☆ • Abysmally bad, my god
85. Bachelorette; ★★★☆☆ • Would have loved this movie had they cut the entire Adam Scott character/storyline; enjoyed the rest of it, even if the conclusion was a little too neat/easy
86. Into The Abyss; ★★★★☆
87. Celeste and Jesse Forever; ★★★★☆ • LOVED. objectively probably not perfect, but i loved every minute of this movie; Rashida and Andy were SO GOOD.
88. Albatross; ★★☆☆☆½
89. Another Earth; ★☆☆☆☆ • hated these characters so much, my god
90. L!fe Happens; ★★☆☆☆½
91. The Hi-Lo Country; ★★☆☆☆
92. Lawless; ★★★☆☆½ • Could have used more in terms of plot and ending, but the performances were super good
93. Lola Versus; ★★★☆☆
94. The Off Hours; ★★☆☆☆½ • Slow and uneventful, but really enjoyed Scoot McNairy's performance.
95. What To Expect When You're Expecting; ☆☆☆☆☆½ • that half star is for the tragedy that is Chris Rock's career
96. Argo; ★★★★☆½ • Probably my favorite movie I saw in theaters this year; not perfect, sure, but greatly enjoyable and A+ acting
97. Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World; ★☆☆☆☆ • DESPISED.
98. The Haunting; ★★☆☆☆½ • Would have enjoyed more with a different lead character and actress, but the use of black and white was gr8
99. Cowboys and Aliens; ★☆☆☆☆ • Why do I do these things to myself
100. Excision; ★★★☆☆ • Totally surprised by everything about this movie lol and that end fucked with my head for a good long while after
101. The Wild Hunt; ★★★☆☆½ • Crazy corn, dude! Medieval times gone nuclear! Another ending that fucked me up!
102. Surveillance; ★★☆☆☆½ • A different cast and different/better pacing and this movie could have been amazing
103. Moonrise Kingdom; ★★★★☆ • CHARMED!
104. Sound of My Voice; ☆☆☆☆☆½ • Fucking Brit Marling lol hated this movie so much
105. The Master; ★★★★☆ • INCREDIBLE performances; not wholly sold on the story or what the point of any of it was
106. Before The Devil Knows You're Dead; ★★★★☆
107. The Missing Person; ★★★☆☆½ • Great little slice of neo-noir, and Michael Shannon is fantastic
108. Red Lights; ★☆☆☆☆ • There was not one thing I liked about this short of the actors involved
109. Rise of the Planet of the Apes; ★★☆☆☆ • lol
110. Damsels in Distress; ★★★☆☆ • Totally won over by Greta Gerwig
111. Absentia; ★★★☆☆ • Surprisingly scary and enjoyable super low-budget horror film, tho the acting was pretty shaky lol
112. W.E.; ★★☆☆☆½ • Melodrama at its best and worst lol
113. 200 Cigarettes*; ★★★☆☆½ • Love this movie
114. Bronson; ★★★★☆ •JESUS CHRIST LOL
115. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close; ☆☆☆☆☆ • This movie can blow me
116. La Belle Personne; ★★☆☆☆ • I hated every character in this movie
117. Charade; ★★★☆☆
118. Our Idiot Brother; ★★☆☆☆½ • I don't remember a think about this movie but I guess it was inoffensively entertaining?
119. How To Steal A Million; ★★★★☆½ • LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS.
120. Haywire; ★★★☆☆½ • Greatly enjoyed this despite what critics lead me to believe!
121. A Night In The Woods; ★☆☆☆☆ • That one star is for how attractive I found Scoot McNairy
122. The Tunnel; ★★☆☆☆ • Eh, at times scary Australian found-footage horror film; loved the format as a fake documentary tho
123. Tanner Hall; ★★★☆☆ • Liked this far more than I expected; for once I really liked Rooney Mara!
124. Heartbeats; ★★★★☆ • SO GOOD; already want to rewatch
125. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut; ★★★★☆ • shut up omg
126. Snow White and the Huntsman; ★★☆☆☆½ • The version of this that exists in my brain is infinitely more entertaining lol
127. Silent House; ★☆☆☆☆ • Blergh
128. Prometheus; ★★★☆☆ • Liked it more than I thought I would based on everyone else's reviews, but something was still missing from it
129. Paranormal Activity 4; ★☆☆☆☆ • lol
130. Rust and Bone; ★★★★☆ • the performances and cinematography were AMAZING; Marion Cotillard was just incredible
131. Cheerful Weather for the Wedding; ★★★☆☆
132. A Royal Affair; ★★★☆☆½ • beautiful film though at times slow; the lead actress was fantastic
133. For a Good Time Call . . . ; ★★★☆☆½ • ADORED THIS. charming and funny though imperfect I didn't even care haha
134. Beasts of the Southern Wild; ★★★★☆½ • absolutely loved it; the scene at the catfish shack is one of my favorite scenes I have ever seen
135. The Campaign; ★★☆☆☆ • eh, could have been so much better
136. Oslo, August 31st; ★★★★☆
137. Pitch Perfect; ★★☆☆☆
138. Looper; ★★★☆☆½ • idk maybe 4 stars? I loooooved everything building up to the climax, but the climax felt rushed/unearned to me? idk, on the fence lol
139. Killing Them Softly; ★★★☆☆ • The template for a great movie is buried in this one; a stellar first half followed by a blah second, tho I loved a lot of the dialogue
140. Union Square; ★★★☆☆ • A surprising gem of a film that I didn't expect to enjoy as much as I did; Mira Sorvino is so good in this, and I love a good story about sisters
141. Monogamy; ★★☆☆☆ • A waste of Rashida Jones and Chris Messina
142. Safety Not Guaranteed; ★★☆☆☆½ • I enjoyed the set-up more than I did the follow-through
143. Ted; ★☆☆☆☆½ • idk what I expected
144. This Is 40; ★★★☆☆½ • A very long meandering film that is never really resolved, but that said so much of the movie felt real and genuine that I didn't mind the pace or length
B O O K S
* re-read
1. Eutopia: A Novel of Terrible Optimism - David Nickle; ★★☆☆☆½
2. In the Garden of Beasts - Erik Larson; ★★★☆☆½
3. A Brief History of Montmaray - Michelle Cooper; ★★★☆☆½
4. The FitzOsbournes in Exile - Michelle Cooper; ★★★☆☆½ • KINDA OBSESSED WITH THIS SERIES OK. NEED THE NEXT BOOK!!!!!
5. Sharp Teeth - Toby Barlow; in progress
6. Personal History - Katharine Graham; in progress
7. Shatter Me - Tahereh Mafi; ★☆☆☆☆ • I feel like I am being generous here with that one star lol. This was . . . not good. First-person present tense? Written with such overwrought phrases as "His body presses closer and I realize I'm paying attention to nothing but the dandelions blowing wishes in my lungs"?? Like wat. Purple prose that's purple enough to make Prince set fire to the rain (also 97% of this read like bad fanfic). Nice premise tho, what with the whole dystopian X-Men rip-off lol.
8. Before I Go To Sleep - S.J. Watson; ★★☆☆☆ • Eh, guessed the end after the first, like, 15 pages lol.
9. Looking for Alaska - John Green; ★★★☆☆ • Charming enough
10. The Fault in Our Stars - John Green; ★★★☆☆ • Ditto
11. White Horses - Alice Hoffman; ★★☆☆☆½ • Really enjoyed the beginning of this and loved the setting, but by the end I wanted to wring the main character by her neck
12. The Likeness - Tana French; ★★★☆☆½ • Unsure how I feel about the conclusion, but wow I really loved the main character and the whole ~mystery built was great
13. The Principles of Uncertainty - Maira Kalman; ★★★★★ • LOVE LOVE LOVE HER STUFF.
14. And the Pursuit of Happiness - Maira Kalman; ★★★★★
15. Deathless - Catherynne M. Valente; ★★★★☆½ • Fantastic prose, and ahhhh, Russians and the Soviet Union and fairytales! Loved this
16. Can You Keep A Secret? - Sophie Kinsella; ★★★☆☆ • Charming! tho obnoxious ending!
17. Remember Me - Sophie Kinsella; ★★☆☆☆ • Ugh. idk, annoyed by everyone in this book
18. I've Got Your Number - Sophie Kinsella; ★★★☆☆ • Probably the most I have ever enjoyed a Kinsella book? not sure if that's saying a lot?
19. Maybe This Time - Jennifer Crusie; ★★☆☆☆ • Ghost story romance! lol this was dumb and I was entertained but then suddenly some supernatural realness was happening and I was not there for that tbh
20. The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern; ★★★☆☆ • There were parts of this I really enjoyed, namely the setting and most of the secondary characters, but I had such a problem with the main ~star-crossed lovers story lol
21. Lightning Field - Dana Spiotta • Great prose, great style, very Didion
22. The FitzOsbournes at War - Michelle Cooper; ★★★☆☆½
23. The Overnight Socialite - Bridie Clark; ★★☆☆☆ • Ugh IDK why I kept reading this lol these characters were the worst
24. Play It As It Lays - Joan Didion*; ★★★★★ • A L W A Y S , ugh still so good on the millionth reread
25. In The Woods - Tana French; ★★☆☆☆ • There are no words for how disappointed I was with the end of this book. No. Words.
26. Dark Places, Gillian Flynn; ★★★☆☆½ • Wonderful atmosphere and I liked the main character, but I guessed the conclusion way too early on and was more or less unsatisfied with the end.
27. Savages, Don Winslow; ★★★☆☆½ • Loved the style of this, tho the end ultimately left me cold
28. The Darlings, Cristina Alger; ★★★☆☆ • eh underwhelming; the characters were pretty flat, though I enjoyed how the first half read like a soapy Hamptons-y take on Too Big To Fail
29. The Expats, Chris Pavone; ★★★☆☆½ • really really enjoyed reading this, but about 2/3 through it just got tedious, redundant, too difficult to suspend disbelief that the main character was ex-CIA, and too neat of an ending
30. Misconception, Ryan Boudinot; ★★★☆☆ • Loved the format of this -- the unreliability of memory, etc. -- but the story being told did nothing for me.
31. Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live, Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller; ★★★★★ • L O V E D ; only complaint was that it was published in like 2003 lol so there wasn't any fun dirt on more recent years.
32. The Sisters Brothers, Patrick DeWitt; ★★★★☆ • Westerns!!!!
33. The Art of Fielding, Chris Harbach; in progress, tho I may have given up?
34. House of Dead Trees, Rob Redux; ★☆☆☆☆ • such a dumb fucking book
35. A Rage To Live, John O'Hara; in progress
36. The Imperfectionists; Tom Rachman; ★★☆☆☆½ • The premise behind this was great, but I sort of hated how every single story was terribly dramatic (and at times Lifetime channel levels of wannabe depressing); idk, disappointing
37. The Fixer-Upper, Mary Kay Andrews; ★★☆☆☆ • The protagonist in this was such a damn fool half the time I could not abide; gr8 setting tho, love me some southern stories
38. Family Album, Penelope Lively; ★★☆☆☆½ • I love me a story of family dysfunction, but idk, this family and its ~problems struck me as terribly banal?
39. Sharp Objects, Gillian Flynn; ★★★☆☆ • Really enjoyed the first 2/3 of this, but then it went super off the rails for me by the end; like the author's voice a lot tho
40. Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn; ★★☆☆☆ • Hated the characters in this, HATED THEM, and by the end I was just rooting for their demise
41. Where We Belong, Emily Giffin; ★☆☆☆☆½ • Terrible lol I can't believe I read the whole thing bleh
42. Heartsick, Chelsea Cain; ★★★☆☆ • This entire series is ridiculous, but I enjoyed this one a lot, if only for the set-up of the whole ~scarred detective/serial killer relationship lol lol
43. Sweetheart, Chelsea Cain; ★★☆☆☆
44. Evil At Heart, Chelsea Cain; ★★☆☆☆½
45. The Night Season, Chelsea Cain; ★☆☆☆☆½ • The killer's weapon of choice was an octopus he threw at people need I say more
46. Kill You Twice, Chelsea Cain; ★★☆☆☆½ • This could have been way more awesome than it was! Disappoint!
47. That Old Cape Magic, Richard Russo; in progress
48. Broken Harbor, Tana French; ★★★★☆
49. Gods Behaving Badly, Marie Phillips; ★★☆☆☆½ • Cute, but I wish more had done with the conceit that the gods were living in an old house in London lol
50. We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Shirley Jackson; ★★★☆☆½
51. Syndrome E, Franck Thilliez; ☆☆☆☆☆½ • I'm not sure if something vital was lost in translation, but god this was just terrible.
52. I Was Told There'd Be Cake, Sloane Crosley; ★★★☆☆½ • Some really great, really hilarious essays mixed with some so-so ones.
53. 11/22/63, Stephen King; ★★☆☆☆ • all-around disappointment; a 700 page novel about a lame love story between schoolteachers with maybe 100 pages of time travel business haha
54. Look at Me, Jennifer Egan; ★★★★☆
T E L E V I S I O N
1. Great Expectations (2012); ★★★☆☆½
2. Modern Family - Season Three; ★★★☆☆
3. Happy Endings - Season Two; ★★★★☆
4. Suburgatory - Season One; ★★★☆☆
5. Lost Girl - Season One; ★★★☆☆
6. Breaking Bad - Season One; ★★★★☆½
7. Parks and Recreation - Season Four; ★★★☆☆½
8. New Girl - Season One; ★★★★☆½
9. Raising Hope - Season Two; ★★★☆☆
10. Southland - Season Four; ★★★★☆½
11. Justified - Season Three; in progress
12. Smash - Season One; ★★☆☆☆
13. Prime Suspect - Season One; ★★★★★ • I CAN'T TALK ABOUT THIS SERIES OBJECTIVELY SO I JUST GAVE IT ALL THE STARS. good night sweet prince ;_____;
14. Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior - Season One; ★★★☆☆
15. Portlandia - Season One; ★★★★☆
16. Cougar Town - Season Three; ★★★☆☆½
17. The X-Files - Entire Series*; ★★★★☆
18. The Wire - Season Two; in progress
19. Bob's Burgers - Seasons One, Two; ★★★★★
20. Breaking Bad - Seasons Two, Three; ★★★★★
21. Saturday Night Live - Season 37; ★★★★☆ • Any judgment passed about this show is probably biased when it comes to me, but Kristen Wiig's send-off episode was especially gr89
22. Game of Thrones - Season Two; ★★★★☆ • Really, truly, loved some stuff -- namely everything about Theon's arc and the Blackwater episode -- but really, truly, hated other stuff -- namely everything Dany and "Talisa" lol
23. Girls - Season One; ★★★★☆ • I really came to like this show? The episodes following and including "The Return" I really enjoyed.
24. Veep - Season One; ★★★★☆
25. Hatfields and McCoys; ★★☆☆☆½ • Watched it for the hot menfolk, not ashamed.
26. Breaking Bad - Season Four; ★★★★★ • Perfection.
27. True Blood - Whatever Season This Is; ★★☆☆☆½
28. The Newsroom - Season One; ★★☆☆☆
29. Breaking Bad - Season Five; ★★★★★
30. New Girl - Season Two
31. The Mindy Project - Season One
32. 30 Rock - THE FINAL SEASON
33. Parks and Recreation - Season Five
34. American Horror Story - Season Two
35. Homeland - Season One; ★★★★☆ • Solid show, great performances, mediocre plot.
36. Homeland - Season Two
37. Boardwalk Empire - Season Three
38. Bob's Burgers - Season Two
39. Elementary - Season One