bond_girl

• In 2017, I read a pathetic ~9500 pages in 31 books and watched ~210 movies and seasons of TV shows. My scrapbook was HERE.
• I finished these movie-a-week and sci-fi & fantasy challenges.

.01
challenges

• I was given this 52 Essential Movies book for Christmas and I'm excited to start the big classics watch.

• Last year,

peripety gave me this stunning 100 Essential Novels poster. Hoping to scratch off some titles instead of always reaching for my comfort zone of mysteries and history/biographies. Also, I have too many unread books on my shelves -- that's a good NY resolution!

.02
books, completed

JANUARY

1. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

♥ (Folio Society | 140p. | Eng | new to me)
2. On Writing: A Memoir Of The Craft by Stephen King

(paperback | 288p. | Eng | new to me)
3. The Official Preppy Handbook by Lisa Birnbach -

(paperback | 224p. | Eng | new to me)

FEBRUARY

4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

♥ (Folio Society | 335p. | Eng | re-read)
5. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

(audiobook | 422p. | Eng | new to me)
6. The Secret History by Donna Tartt

♥ (paperback | 576p. | Eng | re-read) (one of my top favorite books of all times)
7. The Little Friend by Donna Tartt

(paperback | 640p. | Eng | re-read) (a gorgeous read with zero closure)
8. Princess Pamela's Soul Food Cookbook by Pamela Strobel

(hardcover | 240p. | Eng | new to me)
9. Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton

♥ (hardcover | 272p. | Eng | new to me) (how the world goes out not with a bang, but with a whisper)

MARCH

10. The Martian by Andy Weir

♥ --- (audiobook | 384p. | Eng | first time listening! fab voice actor!)
11. Provenance by Ann Leckie

(hardcover | 448p. | Eng | new to me) (a cozy space opera mystery: loved the worldbuilding; was intensely bored by all characters but the aliens and the one Raadchai)
12. Obama: An Intimate Portrait by Peter Souza

♥ (hardcover | 352p. | Eng | new to me) (quality nostalgia)
13. Gift From The Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh

♥ (hardcover | 130p. | Eng | will forever reread)
14. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

(audiobook | 544p. | Eng | new to me) (fictional lives/relationships isn't my usual reading genre, but I couldn't let go of this story - the movie is a huge disappointment after the book)
15. Ancillary Justice by Anne Leckie

♥ (paperback | 384p. | Eng | reread) (I wildly adore the first half of this trilogy: Breq/Seivarden + Anaander Mianaai)
16. Artemis by Andy Weir

(hardcover | 320p. | Eng | new to me) (it was more convincing when I decided Jazz was a guy who dated guys)

APRIL

17. Dune by Frank Herbert --- (hardcover | +576p. | Eng | new to me) ()
18. 11/22/63 by Stephen King

(audiobook | 880p. | Eng | new to me) (great and ambitious storytelling, impressively researched)
19. A Higher Loyalty by James Comey

(hardcover | 312p. | Eng | new to me) (without taking sides, he's a very enjoyable writer! good atmospherics, interesting first-hand witness insights)

MAY

20. All the Presidents' Gardens: Madison’s Cabbages to Kennedy’s Roses―How the White House Grounds Have Grown with America by Marta McDowell --- (hardcover | 336p. | Eng | new to me) (a solid history of the White House gardens)
21. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

(audiobook | 339p. | Eng | new to me) (this was amazingly told and it made me excited about the history of the Dominican Republic, but too violent, macho, and sad for me to love)
22. I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara

♥♥♥ (hardcover | 328p. | Eng | new to me) (I devoured it in two days; beyond true crime; what a writer!)
23. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

(audiobook | 400p. | Eng | new to me) (torn about this one: a fun quest, but lots of missed opportunities + characters' motivations are VERY simple + some sexism + idk I feel like suburbia-sheltered 14-year-old boys are the target audience here)

JUNE

24. A Truth Universally Acknowledged by Susannah Carson

(hardcover | 295p. | Eng | new to me) (an excellent collection of essays from great writers on why we read Jane Austen)
25. The Alienist by Caleb Carr

(audiobook | 512p. | Eng | new to me) (different in tone from the TV show, with the focus on the mystery rather than the characters)
26. Longbourn by Jo Baker

(audiobook | 352p. | Eng | new to me) (wow, why was this written?! it's so infinitely miserable and full of 21-century POVs; basically, an un-fun issuefic masquerading as the downstairs of Pride and Prejudice's upstairs)
27. Bossypants by Tina Fey

♥ (audiobook | 272p. | Eng | new to me) (THE BEST! v. funny)
28. The Lying Game by Ruth Ware

(hardcover | 370p. | Eng | new to me) (unsatisfying + unlikable characters + but good seaside athmosphere)
29. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

♥♥♥ (audiobook | 771p. | Eng | reread) (every time, this book feels like coming home; I don't even know, I love this infinitely)
30. Something Old, Something New by Tamar Adler

♥♥♥ (hardcover | 252p. | Eng | new to me) (another lover of old cookbooks! excellent writing style)

JULY

31. The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantin

(hardcover | 370p. | Eng | new to me) (intriguing premise and a [STUNNING
ART DECO COVER], wooden execution and unbelievable characters; half of the book is padded with brand names)
32. Social Creature by Tara Isabelle Burton

(hardcover | 273p. | Eng | new to me) (derivative from The Talented Mr. Ripley AND Trap for Cinderalla - this is BEYOND pastiche, imo - why don't people pick up these much superior originals instead?!)
33. Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman

(hardcover | 464p. | Eng | new to me) (the main character is too stupid to live, but somehow, she does)
34. A Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn

(audiobook | 608p. | Eng | new to me) (another book "inspired" by a classic - this is a Rear Window meets Girl on the Train - I CAN'T ANYMORE WITH THIS SUMMER'S BESTSELLERS)
35. My Twenty-Five Years in Provence by Peter Mayle

(hardcover | +179p. | Eng | new to me) (I just love his books about the part of France I know well - his humor and his detail that puts me instantly on a Provencal country road - it's not ~deep, but happy and pleasant)
36. Braving the Wildnerness by Brene Brown

(hardcover | 163p. | Eng | new to me) (kumbaya bs)
37. Inspector Gamache #1: Still Life by Louise Penny

♥ (paperback | 312p. | Eng | new to me) (what a great little crime mystery)
38. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

♥ (audiobook | 464p. | Eng | new to me) (superbly read!)
39. Lord of the Rings #1 | The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

♥ (audiobook | 432p. | Eng | new to me) (so far, so good - somehow, I'm now a hobbit superfan?!)
40. Ruth Galloway #1: The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths

♥ (hardcover | 303p. | Eng | new to me) (new favorite murder mystery series!)

AUGUST

41. The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

♥ (hardcover | 224p. | Eng | reread) (what a stunning start to a writing career!)
42. Ruth Galloway #2: The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths

(hardcover | 327p. | Eng | new to me) (not as impressive as the first book: a bit repetitive)
43. The Anastasia Syndrome & Other Stories by Mary Higgins Clark

(hardcover | 308p. | Eng | new to me) (i can't stand surprise!supernatural twists in crime mysteries)
44. Inspector Gamache #2: A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny

(paperback | 50/320p. | Eng | new to me) (too heavyhanded about body image issues, weight, and all the surrounding isms + characters more cartoonish than in Still LIfe)
45. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

(hardcover | 50/400p. | Eng | new to me) (had to give it back to the library, but the detail was delicious - will pick it up again)
46. Lord of the Rings #2 | The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien

(audiobook | 416p. | Eng | new to me) (if not for the hobbits and Faramir, this would have lost me)
47. Lord of the Rings #3 | The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

(audiobook | 432p. | Eng | new to me) (loved this)
48. The Outsider by Stephen King

(hardcover | 576p. | Eng | new to me) (good King stuff)

SEPTEMBER

49. Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Hearthbreak in the Stacks by Annie Spence

♥ (hardcover | 241p. | Eng | new to me) (like meeting a new best friend)
50. War on Peace: The End of Diplomacy and the Decline of American Influence by Ronan Farrow

(hardcover | 100/432p. | Eng | new to me) (in the end, I don't think I'm quite THIS interested in our foreign policy)
51. I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara

♥♥♥ (audiobook | 328p. | Eng | reread) (possibly a book of the year for me, so captivating and atmospheric)
52. The President Is Missing by James Patterson & Bill Clinton

(audiobook | +528p. | Eng | new to me) ()
53. Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris

(hardcover | 10/176p. | Eng | new to me) (unbelievably mean and ableist; I almost hurled it into the wall after the first few pages; I judge everyone who likes David Sedaris)
54. The Breakers by Marcia Muller

(hardcover | 50/272p. | Eng | new to me) (couldn't keep my interest)

DECEMBER (I can't believe I didn't open a book for months!)

55. Moominpappa at Sea by Tove Jansson

♥ (hardcover | 220p. | Eng | re-read) (the darkest of all Moomin books - one of my faves)
56. Fence Vol. 1 by C.S. Pacat & others

(paperback | 26p. | Eng | new to me) (the art is gorgeous, but the story is a little thin so far - I ship Harvard/Aiden more than anyone else in there)
57. Ruth Galloway #3: The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths

(hardcover| 353p. | Eng | new to me) (my Ruth/Nelson shipping has intensified! a lovely setting and a fascinating historical subject for the crime mystery bit)
58. Flavia de Luce #6: The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley

♥ (hardcover| 338p. | Eng | new to me) (it broke the series' formula in the best way - and I will so miss Buckshaw!)
59. Elevation by Stephen King

(hardcover| 146p. | Eng | new to me) (i)
60. Whiskey in a Teacup by Reese Witherspoon

(hardcover| 304p. | Eng | new to me) (all teacup, no whiskey; doesn't come across as genuine; I expected A LOT more from Reese as I usually like her)
61. Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie

(paperback | 249p. | Eng | new to me) (too convoluted)
62. The Lost World by Michael Crichton

(paperback | 342p. | Eng | new to me) (great Jurassic Park 'verse plot, basic writing style)

- A tour de force - or - this book got to me on a very personal level.

- Great read, recommending it.

- I liked it enough to complete.

- Lost my interest half-way.

- Hate-read parts of it.
♥ - Faves.

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books, wishlist

• Peri's SCI-FI and FANTASY recs | P.D. James | Agatha Christie | Terry Pratchett | Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce series | Louise Penny's Armand Gamache series: HERE
• various lists
• armchair-travel UNESCO's World Heritage Sites

BROUGHT HOME:
• 52 Must-See Movies and Why They Matter (TCM)
• Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee (couldn't resist!)
• Small Gods by Terry Pratchett (a gorgeous Folio Society edition)
• Emma (Penguin Threads) by Jane Austen (another one I couldn't resist!)
• Georgia O'Keeffe and the Calla Lily in American Art (horticulture meets art; got at an O'Keeffe exhibit at Crystal Bridges)

• always addicted to The New York Times + The New Yorker:

.04
movies & tv, completed

JANUARY [ongoing TV: The Amazing Race, American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace, Doctor Who, The Good Place, The Last Man On Earth, The X-Files, 9-1-1]

• Victoria and Abdul (2017)

(both wonderful and enraging)
• Murder By Numbers (2002)

(loved Sandra Bullock's character!)
• The Loch | Loch Ness (TV mini-series | 2017)

(scenery+plot twists)
• Logan Lucky (2017)

♥ ("how the other half steals" - ensemble fun!)
• The Fall (TV | S3 | 2016)

♥ (dark and beautiful, surprised me a few times!)
• Kingsman 2: The Golden Circle (2017)

(underwhelming, but loved Poppy and Elton John)
• The Pulitzer At 100 (documentary | 2016)

(so many interesting interviews!)
• Logan (2017)

♥ (wow, so many feels! excellent in every way)
• The Dark Tower (2017)

(a wasted opportunity, though Idris Elba ♥)
• The Beguiled (1971)

(everyone is awful and I feel slightly fucked-up by this; Southern Gothic)
• Beautiful Girls (1996)

(a romantic movie for men only - can't believe this gets highly recced like some deep truths were revealed! lol, no)
• The Cheshire Murders (2013 | HBO)

(a devastating doc about a home invasion murder; also questions capital punishment)
• 41 (2012 | HBO)

(about GHWB; a comfort reminder of better-days, honorable Republicans)
• Peaky Blinders (TV | S2 | 2014)

(Cillian Murphy and Helen McCrory, omg; excellent aesthetics)
• Dunkirk (2017)

(lacked a human element, but had fantastic war cinematography)
• Jackie (2017)

♥(i LOVE this movie, a rewatch)
• The Kennedys: After Camelot (2017)

(what garbage)
• Snatched (2017)

(love Amy Schumer!)
• A Quiet Passion (2017)

(too theatrical for me)
• The Lost City of Z (2017)

♥ (looove this; a rewatch)
• Contagion (2011)

♥ (elegantly realistic; fun to watch while sick)
• Flatliners (2017)

(loved Ellen Page and Diego Luna! the rest was too CW)
• Flatliners (1990)

♥ (original and spooky in the best way!)

FEBRUARY [ongoing TV: The Amazing Race, American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace, The Good Place, The X-Files, 9-1-1]

• Mosaic (HBO | 2017 | mini-series)

(perfectly executed, but I didn't get excited enough to love it)
• The Mountain Between Us (2017)

(two favorite actors in a crap movie)
• Crooked House (2017)

♥ (a nearly perfect adaption of a favorite by Christie)
• The Thin Man (1934)

(loved their unconditional relationship and banter <3)
• Goodbye Christopher Robin (2017)

♥ (a darker view on the Hundred Acre Wood)
• Masada (1981 | mini-series)

(a gem: politics and warfare in classical antiquity)
• The Americans (TV | S3 + S4)

♥ (excellent drama about spies, families, and shades of grey)
• The Martian (2015)

♥ (never tire of it!)

MARCH [ongoing TV: The X-Files, 9-1-1]

• The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

♥♥♥ (a masterpiece, both of horror and feminism; I really enjoyed Clarice)
• Night of the Living Dead (1968)

(jfc, this was like watching a brilliant nightmare)
• Eclipse Over America (PBS | 2018)

• Girls' Trip (2017)

(it was ok, but I got bored with it)
• The AristoCats (1970)

(so charming, so very French)
• Walking Out (2017)

(it just didn't work for me at all)
• Battle of the Sexes (2017)

(i expected something less twee)
• Professor Marston and the Wonder Women (2017)

♥ (not even into any of this except WW, but I loved it)
• The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo (2016)

♥♥♥ (excellent, hilarious, smart)
• Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

(Tom Holland, what an adorable nerd)
• Call Me By Your Name (2017)

♥♥♥ (a dream of a movie)
• Top of the Lake (2013)

(the scenery + women characters)
• I, Tonya (2017)

(loved the breaking of the fourth wall)
• Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

(devastating; about people trying to do their best; some of the best Ghibli animations ever)
• Darkest Hour (2017)

(Oldman is unexpectedly good here! also, super informative)
• Secrets of the Forbidden City (PBS | 2017)

(love this series!)
• The Help (2011)

(wow, what a let-down after the book)
• Downsizing (2017)

(interesting ideas, didn't quite gel)
• The X-Files (109, 110, 111, 112, 113)

♥♥♥ (needed my fix)

APRIL [ongoing TV: The Walking Dead, The X-Files]

• Lady Bird (2017)

(idk, I liked the 2nd half but otherwise too episodic)
• The Age of Innocence (1993)

♥♥♥ (period movie poooorn, and for once, a happy ending for the ~fallen woman)
• The Shape of Water (2017)

()
• Reds (1981)

(an outsider's look at the Russian revolution)
• Thor Ragnarok (2017)

(a great, fun MCU movie!)
• Justice League (2017)

(I can't with Affleck and Cavill, this current casting sucks all the joy out of DC for me)
• Pet Sematary (1989)

(the acting could be better, but classic King thrills ♥)
• Belle (2013)

(this was lovely!)
• Pride and Prejudice (1995)

♥♥♥ (otherwise known as the One True P&P adaptation: fight me! Keira Nightley's version is ok, but it's not close to the book)
• Ghost World (2001)

♥ (what a joy; a better teenage girl movie than Ladybird)
• Suburbicon (2017)

(couldn't get into it; dropped it)
• Proud Mary (2017)

(watched it for the wonderful Taraji P. Hensen and the 70s aesthetics, but the movie itself is average)
• Phantom Thread (2017)

♥ (wow wow wow, what a Shakespearean feast of a movie)
• The Post (2017) <

♥ (so enjoyable and well-acted; can't resist a newspaper/news movie)
• The Americans (TV | S5)

(fantastic as ever)
• Greatest Showman (2017)

(a musical? with a total absence of character backgrounds, motivations, growth? no, thank you)

MAY [ongoing TV: The Alienist, The Americans, Elementary, The Expanse, Westworld]

• State of Play (2009)

(i love an investigative reporter movie om nom nom)
• Emma (1996)

(Gwyneth is perfect in this)
• Black Panther (2018)

(an excellent MCU )
• Sense and Sensibility (1995)

(the chemistry between Hugh Grant and Emma Thompson just wasn't there, but Kate Winslet was super)
• Emma (TV | BBC | 2009)

♥♥♥ (HEAVEN, I'm telling you, it's perfect in every way!)
• Annihilation (2018)

(Cardboard characters, paint-by-numbers first contact sorta plot. Pretty graphics and good soundtrack. I rather hated it, tbqh.)

JUNE [ongoing TV: Elementary, The Expanse, Killing Eve, Westworld]

• While You Were Sleeping (1995)

♥♥♥ (comfort rewatch of a fave romcom)
• Pride and Prejudice (1940)

(silly, but so much fun! Elizabeth is perfectly cast and just wonderful; deviates hugely from the book)
• Emma (1972 | TV)

(too stage-y and not particularly good)
• The 15:17 to Paris (2018)

(this validates my visceral loathing for Eastwood-made movies: these men were HEROES and he wasted their moment by this utterly crappy movie; the train action scene was excellent though and I appreciated that the real people were cast instead of actors)
• Game Night (2018)

(funneh enough)
• War Games (1983)

♥ (#formative - I still love it to bits)
• Pride and Prejudice (2005)

(the worst P&P adaptation I've seen, fight me)
• Sense and Sensibility (2008)

(I liked, but not loved it)
• The Death of Stalin (2017)

♥ (excellent and timely satire)
• Sense and Sensibility (1981)

(painful)
• Clueless (1995)

(still love it; 'I have direction... Yeah, towards the mall!')
• Justice League (2017)

(zzzzz, watched for Diana only | Ben Affleck as Batman is a CRIME)
• King of Jazz (1930)

(some numbers were out of this world amazing, but the lack of diversity is conspicuous)

JULY [ongoing TV: Elementary, Sharp Objects, cable news from hell]

• Silence (2016)

♥ (a gorgeous movie, probably more interesting to those concerned with matters of faith - but I enjoyed the hell of it anyway, minus the violent bits)
• The Moonstone (2016 | BBC)

(it's an ok adaption of the mother of a British detective novel)
• 2 Days in Paris (2007)

(everything about the French is x1000 real and hilarious)
• Framed for Murder (Hallmark | 2017)

(inoffensive, but exhaustingly "light" - AND NOBODY WAS GETTING FRAMED FOR THAT MURDER UNTIL THE VERY END, WHY IS THIS EVEN A TITLE)

AUGUST [ongoing TV: Elementary, Sharp Objects, cable news from hell]

• Poirot 3x01: The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1990 | TV | Agatha Christie)

♥ (what a start to a career for Christie + Poirot/Hastings game is strong here!)
• Beirut (2018)

(a breathless thriller, very well done and acted)
• Ready Player One (2018)

(okay I guess, but why literally rewrite the entire quest - (the book quest is excellent)?! almost no resemblance to the book)
• Murder on the Orient Express (1974)

(not my fave Poirot at all, but the rest is good)
• Borg vs. McEnroe (2018)

()
• Alien #4: Alien Resurrection (1997)

(interesting premise, but cheapened by execution. worth watching only for Ripley/Call ♥, Dan Hedaya's General Perez antics, and Ron Perlman's underwater shoot-out)
• Brideshead Revisited (2008)

♥♥♥ (I love this book/adaptations a huge lot; perfect casting of the three mains, but minor characters aren't always shining; #formative)
• The Bill Murray Experience (2018)

(what the hell did I almost watch?! STALKING PEOPLE IS A NO)

SEPTEMBER [ongoing TV: Elementary, Game of Thrones rewatch]

• Gravity Falls (2012 | S1, S2)

♥♥♥ (so much fun! Twin Peaks meets The X-Files meets Disney Channel)
• The Thing (2011 remake)

(a serviceable if soulless remake, but I wish we saw less of The Thing)
• Ghost Ship (2002)

(the good kind of scary that I can handle; will join my Halloween rotation; I love anything that happens on a ship, om nom nom)
• Christine (1983)

(never met a Carpenter movie I didn't enjoy)
• Secrets of the Dead: Hannibal in the Alps (2018 | PBS)

(okay, but a bit skimpy on detail)
• A Wrinkle in Time (2018)

(I couldn't struggle thru this even for Chris Pine and everyone else I love; so over the top and awkward)
• Pacific Rim Uprising (2018)

(it started out ok, but got back to a two-dimensional action flick after Mako's death early on)
• The Mystery of the Jurassic (2018 | BBC)

(interesting, but these always end abruptly)
• Spinning Man (2018)

(a solid little thriller with solid actors; thumbs up!)
• Red Sparrow (2018)

(i expected this to be garbage, and it WAS male-gazey, but I loved JLaw in this + gorgeous sets and fashion)
• Ocean's 8 (2018)

♥ (so much fun! Anne Hathaway's character is my fave)
• Maigret series with Rowan Atkinson (2017 | TV)

♥ (EXCELLENT and with the right atmosphere for the books, om nom nom)
• Mother's Day (2010)

(had high hopes for this, but it took itself too seriously for a B-movie; what a mess + gets the prize for the dumbest ending twist EVER)
• In Darkness (2018)

(I love Nat Dormer and she's beautiful here, but this had script problems)
• Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

(found a Carpenter movie I hated)
• In The Dark (2017 | TV mini-series | BBC)

(quality stuff, with a female lead you want to fight for)
• The Thing (1982)

♥♥♥ (scared the crap out of me in the best way; LOVE THIS: perfect soundtrack, perfect horror movie)
• Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)

(a masterpiece; i usually don't go for straight-up action with barely sketched characters, but this was incredibly gripping and effective)
• Stranger Things (2016 | S1)

♥ (not fannish about this, but it's fantastic so far)

OCTOBER [ongoing TV: Doctor Who, Game of Thrones rewatch, The Good Place]

• Sneaky Pete (2015 | S1)

♥ (a quality show about a small-time con artist - obv, with a heart of gold)
• Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

(apart from Lando, it didn't leave an impression)
• Bridesmaids (2001)

(never gets old! esp. Melissa McCarthy and the cop boyfriend)
• Adrift (2018)

(this was so boring, I'd rather watch paint dry)
• The 'Burbs (1989)

(an underrated 80s gem of a Halloween movie)
• Virus (1999)

(what garbage, not even a B-movie)
• Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)

(sequels are the worst, but i love me some dinosaurs)
• Life of the Party (2018)

(light but charming)
• The Outsiders (1983)

(there's something lifeless about it, even though many actors went on to become stars)
• Scoop (2006)

(not a masterpiece, but I love ScarJo in her non-glam roles)
• Shallow Grave (1994)

♥ (wow wow wow, as visceral as it gets)
• Risky Business (1983)

(Tom Cruise's character looks and feels too much like young Brett Kavanaugh, so this was an insta DO NOT WANT for me)
• A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

(didn't age well, imo - and wasn't very good to start with)
• Midsomer Murders (1997 | S1, S2, S3, S4)

(cozy country murders sans Miss Marple; great and snarky detective/sidekick dynamics)
• To Rome with Love (2012)

(did nothing for me)
• The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)

(Mia Farrow's casting just didn't work)
• Murder She Wrote (708, 709 Ballad for a Blue Lady ♥) (xxxx)

()

NOVEMBER [ongoing TV: Doctor Who, The Good Place]

• Alien 3 | theatrical cut (1992)

(but apparently there's a better cut out there)
• I Think We're Alone Now (2018)

♥♥♥ (i know its story is weak ,but i adore the mood and the chemistry)
• The Master (2012)

(an excellent movie, but I found Joaquin Phoenix's character genuinely disturbing)
• Hurt Locker (2009)

(liked it a lot the second time around)
• Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

(fun, fun, fun)
• Insomnia (2002)

♥ (a perfect thriller: cinematography, acting, pace)
• Kiss the Girls (1997)

(brought nothing new to the genre, except Morgan Freeman being great as usual)
• The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)

(didn't feel the chemistry between the leads)
• Deadpool 2 (2018)

(I never quite get Deadpool, but it was fun)
• The Firm (1993)

(quality thriller, will always rewatch)
• In the Valley of Elah (2007)

♥ (one of the best and realistic reflections on the price of war that I have seen - an amazing movie)
• Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

♥ (Kathryn Bigelow is becoming a huge fave!)
• Beetlejuice (1988)

♥♥♥ (Halloween perfection!)
• Incredibles 2 (2018)

(a smart take on the genre)
• BlacKkKlansman (2018)

♥ (wow so fresh, definitely Oscar material)
• Da Vinci Code (2006)

(blergh, why do I do this to myself just bc I want to see the touristy sights like Rosslyn)
• The Secret in Their Eyes (2009)

(an unforgettable movie, one of my absolute favorites)
• Twelve (2010)

(if not for the total dreamboat Chace Crawford, it'd have gotten less stars)
• Zama (2018)

(I tried, I really did... it bored me out of my mind)

DECEMBER [ongoing TV: Doctor Who, The Good Place - can't get interested in any new shows this season! not for the lack of trying - started Nightflyers idk]

• My Man Godfrey (1936)

(what a visually beautiful movie in black and white; didn't really care for the plot)
• Wolverine (2013)

(as much as I loved Logan, this one's like pulling teeth)
• Night on Earth (1991)

♥♥♥ (one of the best things I've watched this year! the charm of the mundane interactions)
• Withnail and I (1987)

♥♥♥ (OH. MY. GOD. WHAT A MASTERPIECE.)
• National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)

• State of Play (TV | 2003)

♥ (newspaper investigation + crime mystery + politics: the Brits really know how to do great TV!)
• No Country for Old Men (2007)

♥ (what do you say when you meet with the devil?)
• Terminator Salvation (2009)

(I forgot what a disaster this was: thumbs down!)
• Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

♥ (keysmash! I can't ever get enough of Studio Ghibli)
• Midsomer Murders (1997 | TV | S5, S6, S7, S8, S9)

♥ (cozy country murders sans Miss Marple; great and snarky detective/sidekick dynamics)
• Jonathan Creek (1997 | TV | S2)

♥♥♥ (forever, best in show)
• Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018)

(NEEDED MORE CHER!!! I love the first movie, but this was an uninspired re-tread)
• Hot Fuzz (2007)

(my least fave of the Three Flavors Cornetto trilogy, but still great)
• Elf (2003

(it's funny but I just don't get why it has such a cult following)
• Detroit (2017)

(well made, but somehow not very deep? it's mostly people beating people up without any backstory)
• Another Earth (2011)

(I hated the camerawork so much that I couldn't take in the movie)
• Leviathan (2014)

♥ (gorgeous and authentic, I wish more contemporary Russian cinema was like this)
• Agatha Christie's Tommy& Tuppence: The Secret Adversary (1983 | TV)

(the best T&T mini-series!)
• Rare Exports: A Christmas Story (2010)

♥ (one of my darker Christmas staples: deserves to be a cult movie!)
• A Kind of Murder (2016)

(watched for some stunning winter-in-the-big-city cinematography; but this is a crap movie and Biel is a terrible actress)
• Inception (2010)

♥ (always wanted to rewatch this mindfuck)

- A tour de force - or - this movie/show got to me on a very personal level.

- Great stuff, recommending it.

- Good stuff, I liked it enough to complete.

- Lost my interest half-way.

- Hate-watched parts of it.
♥ - Faves.