Due to this blog, over the last 5 years, I've had so many great experiences and made so many great friends--and even met some of them in person! In order...
Rachel Thuro (and Brad) - Just as fun to hang out with as she is to podcast with--and she's so far my first and only person to face-to-face podcast with!
Jess Rogers - I can safely say this was the most nervous I was meeting somebody (and although we didn't eventually work out, I don't regret it for a second).
Dylan Fields (and Susannah/Alexandra) - It was an epic of epic days as we traversed the Riverwalk of San Antonio. Oh, and there was some extensive Vlog filming, as well.
Tom Clift - Really cool guy, and it was a pleasure to hang out with him for the day talking movies and being bombarded by the homeless.
James Blake Ewing - I assure you, he's not a robot! And I'm glad I got to find that out personally.
But anyway, as the 5-year anniversary came closer and my life started altering, I started thinking...
I've had 5 years on the blog. I had 5 seasons of The Vlog. There have been 5 seasons of The Demented Podcast. I'm finishing the 50/50 List. There were (or will be) 50 video game movie articles. (And if you don't count that, I'm sure I've eaten a $5 footlong at some point.)
In just a couple months, I'll be moving to the other side of the planet to teach in South Korea. And, frankly, I'll be too busy to keep up my blog. So I figured I might as well go out while I'm on top. That being said, I'm officially announcing that at the end of this year, after I finish the 50/50 List and the video game movies list, I'll make at least one last post and close down the blog. The timing just feels right, especially since I'll be moving to Korea for at least a year. (Note: I won't just be disappearing. Steve and I are still going to attempt DemPod--part of that hiatus was to figure out if we could get it to work out while I'm over there. But it won't be until at least March or April or so.)
So for this post, to wrap things up here (despite the fact I'm gonna still post for the rest of the month), I'm gonna give you 5 Top 5 lists about the blog. The first four lists are going to involve films I've reviewed on the site--so they aren't just films I've seen, but specifically films I've seen and reviewed in some capacity on the blog over the last 5 years. Also, I am not counting any films watched for podcasts or on Man, I Love Films. They had to be written reviews for this blog. The last Top list is my Top 5 favorite posts that I've done... which is pretty self-explanatory. So here you go!
Top 5 Dullest Films Reviewed
This is a list of the most boring films I've had to sit through--and, oddly, only 2 of them were actually viewed specifically for the blog. I'm not saying these are all bad films. They're just ones I found the most painfully boring to sit through.
5) Casino
I had to watch it for my 60/60 List last year. I watched at least half of it while Facebook chatting with Steve Honeywell because I was so painfully bored with it.
I had to watch it for my 60/60 List last year. I watched at least half of it while Facebook chatting with Steve Honeywell because I was so painfully bored with it.
4) Funny Games U.S.
I actually recently watched the original... which I strangely kinda liked. But this one is just bad. And it's bad because it's missing that certain something that made the original a little more captivating.
I actually recently watched the original... which I strangely kinda liked. But this one is just bad. And it's bad because it's missing that certain something that made the original a little more captivating.
3) Nobody Knows
A 2-hour long Japanese drama (and true story) about a mom who leaves her young children alone in an apartment to fend for themselves for months on end. It's really depressing and unbelievably slow. It's a really good movie, but I don't think I could sit through it again.
A 2-hour long Japanese drama (and true story) about a mom who leaves her young children alone in an apartment to fend for themselves for months on end. It's really depressing and unbelievably slow. It's a really good movie, but I don't think I could sit through it again.
2) Gosford Park
Ugh.
Ugh.
1) 2001: A Space Odyssey
Y'all knew this was coming. This was my most controversial post... probably ever. I reviewed this for my 60/60 List last year, and it led to quite a few arguments and one major falling out. But I still stand by my opinions--eff this movie (except the HAL9000 part. That was fine.)
Y'all knew this was coming. This was my most controversial post... probably ever. I reviewed this for my 60/60 List last year, and it led to quite a few arguments and one major falling out. But I still stand by my opinions--eff this movie (except the HAL9000 part. That was fine.)
Top 5 Weirdest Movies Reviewed
This was easily the hardest list to put together. I've apparently seen a LOT of really freakin' weird movies. Seriously. I tried to narrow this down to 5 from like 15 or 20 and was really struggling to do so. I think I finally managed to do it, though. Here's the Top 5 Weirdest. (And I mean weirdest. When the likes of Visitor Q, I'm a Cyborg But That's OK, Rubber, and Southland Tales don't make the list…)
5) Feast 3: The Happy Finish
Let me share a paragraph from my review on how the movie ends: "So the three, including Clu Gulager's character Bartender (who is at least in his 80s), walk out into the street. So then out of nowhere, Bartender is like 'We need to repopulate the Earth! We need to do it now!' and he rips off his shirt. But then a giant robot leg comes out of nowhere and steps on the other two survivors, crushing them. Bartender walks away, and a Mexican mariachi dressed like Elvis walks on screen and serenades the audience during the credits by summarizing the last 3 movies."
Let me share a paragraph from my review on how the movie ends: "So the three, including Clu Gulager's character Bartender (who is at least in his 80s), walk out into the street. So then out of nowhere, Bartender is like 'We need to repopulate the Earth! We need to do it now!' and he rips off his shirt. But then a giant robot leg comes out of nowhere and steps on the other two survivors, crushing them. Bartender walks away, and a Mexican mariachi dressed like Elvis walks on screen and serenades the audience during the credits by summarizing the last 3 movies."
4) Eraserhead
It's David Lynch. It had to be on this list by default.
It's David Lynch. It had to be on this list by default.
3) Super Mario Bros.: Peach-Hime Kyushutsu Dai Sakusen
Seriously. This little animated feature was BIZARRE. I mean, when you think of how a Mario movie would logistically work and how strange that would actually be... multiple that by 10 and you'll get this film.
Seriously. This little animated feature was BIZARRE. I mean, when you think of how a Mario movie would logistically work and how strange that would actually be... multiple that by 10 and you'll get this film.
2) The Happiness of the Katakuris
I remember basically nothing about this film except that it's directed by Miike and that it almost melted my brain from its bizarreness when I watched it. It's a dark comedy musical about a family that kills... or something.
I remember basically nothing about this film except that it's directed by Miike and that it almost melted my brain from its bizarreness when I watched it. It's a dark comedy musical about a family that kills... or something.
1) Hausu
It's freakin' Hausu. It's like the ultimate Japanese weird-awesome movie. The weirdness level is off the charts, and the majority of the film makes no sense... but it's still so damn entertaining.
Too bad I'm not counting podcast reviews, or else Catwoman would be on this list. This was also a tricky one to narrow down. As most of you know, I've watch a lot of shit films over the years. So finding the worst 5 was hard. I had to narrow the field somehow, so I decided to automatically cut the "so bad its good" films like Troll 2, The Room, and Shark Attack 3. From there, I basically narrowed it down to the films that gave me the strongest emotional reactions. And here is that list.
It's freakin' Hausu. It's like the ultimate Japanese weird-awesome movie. The weirdness level is off the charts, and the majority of the film makes no sense... but it's still so damn entertaining.
Top 5 Best Movies Reviewed
This isn't necessarily my Top Rated films (at least at the time that I rated them). These are the films that, for one reason or another, I watched specifically for this blog that I found had the best mix of quality and entertainment. In my book, these are five damn near perfect films (mostly classics) due to that fine mix. And yes, I reviewed all of them for either the 60/60 or 50/50.
5) North by Northwest
This was my favorite from Hitchcock Month, and I pretty much went straight out and bought it right after seeing it (still haven't re-watched it yet, but... soon).
5) North by Northwest
This was my favorite from Hitchcock Month, and I pretty much went straight out and bought it right after seeing it (still haven't re-watched it yet, but... soon).
4) Naked
A flawless performance by David Thewlis with such philosophical, stream-of-consciousness dialogue. It's darkly comic, and I was floored after it ended.
A flawless performance by David Thewlis with such philosophical, stream-of-consciousness dialogue. It's darkly comic, and I was floored after it ended.
3) Double Indemnity
This became an instant favorite classic after I viewed it. I'll buy it eventually. Such a perfect mix of acting talent, writing talent, directing talent... all of the above and more.
This became an instant favorite classic after I viewed it. I'll buy it eventually. Such a perfect mix of acting talent, writing talent, directing talent... all of the above and more.
2) A Clockwork Orange
I constantly go back and forth in my mind on which Kubrick film I prefer more--this or The Shining. But I think the mix of colorful yet strange visuals and cinematography, classical music, and a fantastic lead performance continues to put this one over the top. I love this movie.
I constantly go back and forth in my mind on which Kubrick film I prefer more--this or The Shining. But I think the mix of colorful yet strange visuals and cinematography, classical music, and a fantastic lead performance continues to put this one over the top. I love this movie.
1) Seven Samurai
I haven't watched it since my initial viewing last year, but I still maintain that, despite its long running time, this is one of the (if not the) greatest movie ever made. Drama, action, romance, comedy... this movie has it all, and it has it with masterful directing and visuals, as well as a cast that can pull off the perfect performances needed.
I haven't watched it since my initial viewing last year, but I still maintain that, despite its long running time, this is one of the (if not the) greatest movie ever made. Drama, action, romance, comedy... this movie has it all, and it has it with masterful directing and visuals, as well as a cast that can pull off the perfect performances needed.
Top 5 Worst Movies Reviewed
Too bad I'm not counting podcast reviews, or else Catwoman would be on this list. This was also a tricky one to narrow down. As most of you know, I've watch a lot of shit films over the years. So finding the worst 5 was hard. I had to narrow the field somehow, so I decided to automatically cut the "so bad its good" films like Troll 2, The Room, and Shark Attack 3. From there, I basically narrowed it down to the films that gave me the strongest emotional reactions. And here is that list.
5) The Spirit
A friend actually forced me to see this in theater with her, despite my warnings. There were only about 3 other people in the theater with us. About 5 minutes in, we turned to each other and said "This is the worst movie I've ever seen." From that point on, we MST3K'd this bad boy, and I'm pretty sure the other patrons enjoyed our version much more.
A friend actually forced me to see this in theater with her, despite my warnings. There were only about 3 other people in the theater with us. About 5 minutes in, we turned to each other and said "This is the worst movie I've ever seen." From that point on, we MST3K'd this bad boy, and I'm pretty sure the other patrons enjoyed our version much more.
4) The Last Airbender
What a disgrace to what is such an amazingly fantastic television show. It would have been difficult to screw this up any more than it did. Of course, it would be possible to do it. Because then you'd have...
What a disgrace to what is such an amazingly fantastic television show. It would have been difficult to screw this up any more than it did. Of course, it would be possible to do it. Because then you'd have...
3) Dragonball Evolution
Talk about ignoring source material. This film is so atrocious as both a film and an adaptation (and it's even worse as an adaptation). This film makes want to send a thank you card to Shyamalan for sticking as close as he did to the source material for Last Airbender (and if you've seen both the show and the film, you know how not true that is). Such a disgrace to the Dragonball franchise.
Talk about ignoring source material. This film is so atrocious as both a film and an adaptation (and it's even worse as an adaptation). This film makes want to send a thank you card to Shyamalan for sticking as close as he did to the source material for Last Airbender (and if you've seen both the show and the film, you know how not true that is). Such a disgrace to the Dragonball franchise.
1) Salo, Or The 120 Days of Sodom
Again, you had to see this coming. This movie is like my nemesis. And this is coming from a guy who has seen A Serbian Film. I will never watch this again. Hopefully.
Again, you had to see this coming. This movie is like my nemesis. And this is coming from a guy who has seen A Serbian Film. I will never watch this again. Hopefully.
Top 5 Favorite Posts
Finally, here are my favorite posts that I've done over the last 5 years. This one, actually, wasn't that hard to narrow down. I knew my #1 and had a couple ideas for others. Otherwise, I just went through all my posts looking for anything that jumped out at my memory. And this is what I came up with. And I will also link to all of these particular ones.
Runner-Up: Thoughts On The 28 ______ Later Movies
I wasn't going to do runners-up, but this one has a reason. This is kind of the post that started the "war." It really started on the second ever episode of the LAMBcast (Your Face is a Zombie Movie!), but here, before all that, I felt the need to explain in detail my feelings one why they aren't zombies.
5) 10 Possible Movie Character Spin-Offs
This was a popular post. It's really dated now, but for the time, I thought it was pretty fun.
4) Hollywood Darwinism: What Makes An Adaptation Good?
An exhaustive article that I think only one person read (or at least commented on). I really, really like this post as it goes into detail of what I think makes a film adaptation (whether from a book or TV show or whatever else) work or not work.
This was a popular post. It's really dated now, but for the time, I thought it was pretty fun.
4) Hollywood Darwinism: What Makes An Adaptation Good?
An exhaustive article that I think only one person read (or at least commented on). I really, really like this post as it goes into detail of what I think makes a film adaptation (whether from a book or TV show or whatever else) work or not work.
3) A Serbian Review
Jason Soto and I did a Joint review for A Serbian Film where we both watched it and compiled all of our thoughts into a very fun and talky review style that I think turned out very well.
Jason Soto and I did a Joint review for A Serbian Film where we both watched it and compiled all of our thoughts into a very fun and talky review style that I think turned out very well.
2) TIE: Top 10 Worst Things About Harry Potter 1-5 AND The Exhaustive List Of The Harry Potter Books Versus The Films
OK, yeah, it's a tie. But it's practically the same post... sort of. The first is a Top 10 list where I go into extreme details for why certain things in the first 5 films don't work (Spoiler alert: Most of them lead back to Alfonso Cuaron). The second one details the first 6 films and what does and does not work between the translation from book to screen.
OK, yeah, it's a tie. But it's practically the same post... sort of. The first is a Top 10 list where I go into extreme details for why certain things in the first 5 films don't work (Spoiler alert: Most of them lead back to Alfonso Cuaron). The second one details the first 6 films and what does and does not work between the translation from book to screen.
1) Troll 2 (Faux-Critique)
My favorite post ever is easily my positive review/snob critique of Troll 2, which was a response to some haters who thought I wasn't going in depth enough with my reviews or giving films the time and consideration they deserve. So that's exactly what I gave them... in a very tongue-in-cheek fashion.
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Anyway, thanks to everybody for following along for 5 years! Stick around for the rest of the month! There's still more reviews to come, and at least one final post at the end of the year before closing up shop. I hope y'all have enjoyed my blog as much as I've enjoyed being here with all of you.
My favorite post ever is easily my positive review/snob critique of Troll 2, which was a response to some haters who thought I wasn't going in depth enough with my reviews or giving films the time and consideration they deserve. So that's exactly what I gave them... in a very tongue-in-cheek fashion.
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Anyway, thanks to everybody for following along for 5 years! Stick around for the rest of the month! There's still more reviews to come, and at least one final post at the end of the year before closing up shop. I hope y'all have enjoyed my blog as much as I've enjoyed being here with all of you.
Well done on the five years, Nick! You're too much awesomeness. I'll be sad to see the blog go when the time comes, but it is awesome that you're going to South Korea! Plus, this was a fun way to look back at the five years. I do love that Troll 2 review, even though I still haven't seen the film.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Stevee! And you totally need to see Troll 2! You'll never look at popcorn the same way ever again.
DeleteAww man, this is kind of sad but then you really re going out on a high, so well done. And all the best with South Korea!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nikhat!
DeleteDude, I'm totally gonna miss you when you away to Korea. But you did have a nice run there and it's better to go out on top, huh?
ReplyDeleteGood luck with everything you do man!
-Jason
Hopefully I'll be able to talk to you still while I'm in Korea, though I know the timing difference will be tricky.
DeleteSouth Korea is lucky that we're friends with it, otherwise I'd be pretty pissed at it right now. This is some crappy news, though I'm curious to see what this "one final post" is all about.
ReplyDeleteWell done, Nick. I'll still look forward to the return of DemPod as well as the eventual Vlog movie. :D
Also...Casino. You suck. That movie's awesome (though I didn't love it my first time, either).
In regards to the "one final post," just some year-end wrap-ups and other misc things. :P
DeleteAnd that Vlog movie shall one day happen...
Bummed to hear you're ending the site. Always liked reading what you had to say/podcasting with you countless times. Hopefully, I'll at least get to do the latter some time in the future.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your time in Korea. Hope you have a blast living in a new place.
You are awesomesauce, James. You're the most pretentious film blogger that I actually like. :P (Or something like that.)
DeleteAnd we definitely need to have you on DemPod again.
Nick, I'm sad that the blog is ending, but it's totally understandable given the big move overseas. It's been awesome to get to chat on the LAMBcasts and DemPods during the past few years. I'm still hoping we can do the Ultimate Battle Royale in the future too.
ReplyDeleteThe Last Airbender is just so terrible. Thanks for that one, by the way. It was worth it to check out the TV series, though. Casino is okay for me. It starts off strong, has a weak middle with the painful Sharon Stone character, but finishes well.
Good luck with the move and everything!
You're welcome for Airbender (both the show and the film, seriously and ironically... in that order). :P
DeleteAnd here's to hoping we can get the Ultimate BR done in the near future, too!
Wow, this is huge news. Not exactly what I wanted to hear though. Totally understandable with your new journey you are undertaking. Been a pleasure reading you over these years, and I am sure you will still have your views on things out there somehow - glad to get to you know you, and I guess I pretty much need to thank you for getting me into the movie blog - and the Lamb.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with everything.
Thanks, Keith! Glad I could bring somebody into the blog-o-sphere, as well. Now if I could only get you over your bizarre aversion to anything that looks like it could be horror. :P
DeleteSorry to see you go, Nick, but you've had a glorious run. Congrats and best wishes on your move.
ReplyDeletePS. I'm with Dylan. Casino is awesome! :P
Thanks, Kai! And maybe some day I'll rewatch Casino.
DeleteWell that sucks.
ReplyDeleteNot your post or the milestone or your lists, but the end of R2D2. Congrats on a great run, you will be missed. Have a great time in Korea and enjoy practicing your karate in the snow, just like the Koreans do in "Best of the Best."
I will be practicing karate in the snow and thinking of you, Nolahn.
DeleteGot to say I'm not super surprised considering the Korea trip but I'm sure its not the last we see from you and look from the bright side of things with you living in Korea maybe that Super Battle Royale Qualifier maybe can work out better (you'll practically be on the same timezone as Stevee and I could stand getting up a little earlier or staying up for the occasion hahah) for me!
ReplyDeleteHaha... maybe so, Joel... maybe so.
DeleteI'm simply dreadful at these things, but congrats on 5 years, it's been fabulous getting to know you, and good luck in Korea!
ReplyDelete(You probably can't tell, but there is genuine emotion there.)
Haha, that's OK, Rachel. Thanks!
Delete