The Month that was- January

        What the fuck? How is a whole month over?! I'm still scratching a "5" over  the"4" every time I write the date. And this month has basically been me catching up on more 2014 films so even cinematically, I have not moved on. Um, it was an okay month. I managed to watch 26 movies in spite of having annoying exams. I seriously cannot wait for the day I take my last exam ever. I've been doing this for too fucking long! Time is a weird concept.


Firsts:

1) Love is Strange- It was sweet. I was perhaps less impressed than everyone else because its basic plot is the same as this very popular (and v.v.v.v.v. melodramatic) Bollywood film and I had sort of seen it before.
2) Selma- Fantastic, powerful, important and interesting.
3) Birdman- Awesomesauce. Edward Norton, you beauty.
4) Into the Woods- It was good-ish. Loved Emily Blunt.
5) The Imitation Game- Becomes worse and worse in retrospect. Oscar bait 101.
6) Unbroken- This on the other hand, I actually liked. Not only because Jack O'Connell (though that was obviously a major factor) but because I thought it wasn't as emotionally manipulative as I had expected a film like this to be. Looked gorgeous too.
7) Inherent Vice- I saw this on the day my exams ended i.e. height of my sleep-deprivation so it felt like I had been watching it for 5 hours. Plus it was annoyingly confusing.
8) American Sniper- I didn't think much about it, positive or negative, but now, post-Oscar nominations, I hate it. 
9) A Most Violent Year- It was a bit too slow for my taste but Jessica Chastain was glorious.
10) Dear White People- Biting as hell but also with an emotional side I didn't see coming. Great!
11) Wild- Didn't expect to like it as much as I did. Powerful performances, amazing soundtrack.
12) Still Alice- I didn't really care for it.
13) Paddington- My first 2015 film! It was adorable.
14) Rashomon- Well, let's just say the rest of the blind spots this year will really have try and usurp it as my favourite.
15) Incendies- WOWZA!!! Mind = blown.
16) Finding Vivian Maier- Beautiful. I loved it.
17) Citizenfour- It was really good and thrilling. Snowden is hot #onetrackmind
18) Top Five- So good! It was very funny and clever.
19) Laggies- Awwwww it made me happy. Modern day Keira > period Keira. Also, Sam Rockwell is hot too #onetrackmind


Rewatched:

1) Guardians of the Galaxy- First film of 2015! We are Groot, you guys.
2) Whiplash- Ugh this film is soooooooooooo fucking amazing!
3) Starred Up- I watched it with subtitles this time and it went from #56 on my year's rankings to #25. 
4) Locke- I love this film and Tom Hardy in it. He makes concrete sound riveting.
5) The Babadook- Wrote a review on this in my paper in which they asked for a film that explores a parent-child relationship. Quite proud of that one.
6) The Double- Still amazing and stunning.
7) Snowpiercer- Brilliant. I love it.


TV shows:

1) Transparent, season 1- I really liked it. The characters are kind of assholes, but they're also deeply human. I want to marry Gaby Hoffmann.
2) American Horror Story: Freakshow- I quite liked this season. The main players were kind of the most boring part of it. I was so much more interested in the stories of the other "freaks" and it made me really care for them. Also, Twisty friggin haunted my nightmares. a) Favourite episode- both parts of "Edward Mordrake". I loved the music, the backstories, the horror, the look, Wes Bentley, the passing of the baton of being the psycho on the show from Twisty to Dandy- all of it. b) MPV- Finn Wittrock's Dandy Mott. He's my favourite AHS character of all time. I had expected him to be a minor character so it was surprising to see him as the main antagonist of the season but god, he owned every minute of it. As Desiree puts it, he's a motion picture dreamboat who ends up being the biggest and the best freak of them all. c) Favourite quote- "One door closes, another opens. And this body is America, strong, violent and full of limitless potential. My arms will hold them down when they struggle. My legs will run them down when they flee. I will be the U.S. Steel of murder. My body holds a heart that cannot love. When Dora died, she looked right into my eyes, and I felt nothing. The clown was put on earth to show me the way. To introduce me to the sweet language of murder. But I am no clown. I am perfection. I am greatness. I am the future, and the future starts tonight."- Dandy "That Boy Is A Star" Mott


Books:

1) Under the Skin by Michel Faber- It's been so long since I read a book not connected to my syllabus in any way and this was a great way to start. It was really interesting and very little like the movie which made me appreciate both it and the movie more.
2) Dark Places by Gillian Flynn- So, well, dark. Not as good as Gone Girl but still a one-sit read.
3) The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith- I had the same problem with this as I had with The Cuckoo's Calling and that was after so much build-up, the resolution is far too quick and short.


Final tally:
                                        Firsts- 19                                                     Rewatched- 7
                                                                         Total- 26


        And now on to the month of Oscars and lists. I have started making them and the TV one should drop shortly. Stay tuned :D