The Month that was- April

      April was a pretty slow month. My vacations/study leave started so I've been lazing around. I did watch 23 movies and finally started watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer which is already among my top 10 shows of all time.

Firsts:

1) Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues- Not remotely as funny as the first one but some cool ideas at its centre. Some of the cameos were beautiful though.
2) Captain America: The Winter Soldier- Absolute love! Such a smart movie but still loads of fun. I really think Captain America might be my favourite avenger. Listen to more of my thoughts here.
3) Birth- Quite beautiful and interesting. Really good performance by Nicole Kidman.
4) Stranger than Fiction- I absolutely adored it. So sweet and smart and funny and sad.
5) Noah- Surprisingly liked it loads. Entertaining, gorgeous, thought-invoking and most importantly, Russell Crowe didn't make me want to puke.
6) Warrior- Pretty good, especially acting-wise.
7) My Blueberry Nights- Blehhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
8) Ram Leela- In-flight movie. Not half-bad although it goes on for too long.
9) What's Your Number?- It is amazing how much I can like a movie if it has Chris Evans stripping in it.
10) Love and Death- It was kinda funny but it just got too much.
11) Cabaret- Awesome.
12) Enemy- What a mindfuck that was. One of the most atmospheric movies I have seen.
13) Robocop- My little brother made me watch this and it was soooo mental and soooo fun.
14) Judgement at Nuremberg- I was incredibly impressed and moved. Definitely among the most important films that I have ever seen.
15) In Your Eyes- This is such a Bollywood movie if you think about it. I liked it.
16) That Awkward Moment- Pretty boring but man, Miles Teller has like crazy charisma!
17) Clue- Brilliance itself. I loved it.
18) Hallam Foe- As much as I love Jamie Bell, this was one weird film.
19) The Killers- Really interesting and engaging. Ava Gardner was so gorgeous!


Rewatched:

1) This is Spinal Tap- I'm trying to educate my brother. He liked it but not so much :/
2) Monty Python and the Holy Grail- He loved this one. Yay!
3) Sex, Lies and Videotape- Still the sexiest movie I have ever seen.
4) Monsoon Wedding- This film rules! It has my favourite cinematic wedding proposal of all time.


TV shows:

1) Parks and Recreation, season 6- I think the season started somewhat weak but it got really strong by the end. I will miss Chris forever. a) Favourite episode- "Moving Up". There's a reason why people thought it was the series finale. They got all the old and new favourites and had a blast. But having watched it, I really hope they continue the series for several more seasons. b) MVP- Chris Pratt as Andy Dwyer and Adam Scott as Ben Wyatt. Even though Pratt wasn't there for a major part of the season, his full-blown return reminded me why he's so awesome and hilarious. And Scott's drunk Ben is the best. c) Favourite quotes- Ron: "Dear frozen yogurt, you are the celery of desserts. Be ice cream or be nothing."
2) Buffy the Vampire Slayer, seasons 1 and 2- Such an awesome show! It is smart, it actually tackles teenage problems and all the characters are excellent and I really like the action too. 
3) Veep, seasons 1 and 2- So funny! Man I love Julia-Louis Dreyfus. Oh and also Jonah/Jonad.


Books:

1) The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith- I really liked it. The ending was a bit slapdash but I liked how detailed the investigation was and also the characters, especially Cormoran Strike.
2) The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick- Seriously the most beautiful book I own.


Final tally:
                                      Firsts- 86                                           Rewatched- 24
                                                                  Total- 110


I have to start studying in May. I'm not sure how much I will blog since all my plans fail. Lessee and may the force be with you.

The Months that were- February and March

           Okay so I am officially Mrs. Lazypants who did not post her end-of-the-month post for February out of sheer laziness. I'm sorry! To make up, I will do a big post for both February and March (yaay more effort for me). I actually watched and *gasp* read a lot in the last couple of months so here we go.

Firsts:
(February)

1) Afternoon Delight- Squandered potential.
2) The East- Pretty engaging plot but it kind of gets a bit bleh towards the end.
3) Capote- Saw it after PSH's death. I must watch/rewatch all of his films by the end of this year.
4) Last Night- For the podcast. Best Keira Knightley performance by a mile.
5) Before the Devil Knows You're Dead- I really liked it though some of the parallels between PSH's character in it and his death were depressing.
6) Pather Panchali- Saw it in class. Pretty good in spite of being too slow in parts.
7) Nebraska- Loved it completely. I found it incredibly human and touching and funny.
8) Philomena- Quite good too. One of those tales that sound so unbelievable but work because they are (apparently) true.
9) The Lego Movie- I'm sorry that I'm about to do this but EVERYTHING IS AWESOME! Loved the hell out of it. So clever, so fun.
10) Only Lovers Left Alive- Pretty cute and a nice addition to the vampire lore since it's about what happens after you have had those murderous cravings. Loved Tilda and Hiddles and ALL the literature references (pretty sure 80% of those would've gone over my head 2 years back).
11) Aparajito- My least favourite among the films of the Apu Tilogy but works because of Karuna Banerjee.
12) Highway- Randip Hooda officially made truck drivers look hot in this but man, Alia Bhatt is annoying. And the ending sucked!
13) Apur Sansar- My favourite out of the trilogy because of the setting and the focus on Apu.

(March)

14) Kill Your Darlings- It was decent enough with incredible chemistry between DanRad and Dane DeHaan. Some unfortunate soundtrack choices though.
15) Nymphomaniac vol 1- Easily the most entertaining Lars von Trier movie that I have seen. Liked it loads.
16) Nymphomaniac vol 2- And of course things then had to go v.v.v.v. dark. Not as good as the first but I did like Joe's story overall.
17) Queen- Absolutely adorable and funny and inspiring. More movies like this, Bollywood. Please!!
18) Thumbsucker- The main guy reminds me a great deal of Jesse Eisenberg. That's all. Meh movie.
19) Midnight Cowboy- I don't know what I was expecting but it was certainly not this. Loved it and the performances.
20) Full Metal Jacket- Officially my favourite war movie. Just brilliant. I so want to learn that opening monologue by Hartman.
21) Legend of the Guardians- Only Zack Snyder would have animated owls fighting with animated bats in slo-mo. Not cool, man.
22) High School Musical- After avoiding this film for 8 years, I had to give in and watch it for the podcast. Everyone just looked so stupid!
23) Life is Beautiful- I loved it. I cried and laughed a lot.
24) Girls Just Want to Have Fun- Silly but fun. Needed more Helen Hunt.
25) Fracture- Aww the Gos was so young in this. Still hot though. Good movie too.
26) The Thomas Crown Affair- Almost a little too style over substance but god that chess scene was hot! Also gave me my new banner.
27) This Is England '86- Hilarious in some parts and brutal in others. One very unique and unforgettable coming of age tale.
28) The Long, Hot Summer- Paul Newman *fans herself*
29) 300: Rise of an Empire- It was okay-ish. Eva Green was fun and Jack O'Connell was the right kind of eye candy.
30) Macbeth- The Polanski version. Saw it in class. I'm so bored of this story already.
31) Blue Velvet- I was scared going in but I shockingly loved it.
32) Drugstore Cowboy- I liked how raw it was but it did very little for me otherwise.
33) Muppets Most Wanted- Fun fun fun! Danny Trejo and Ray Liotta ftw.
34) Snowpiercer- Pretty fantastic. Great concept, themes and production design. Good acting overall too, especially from Chris Evans and a wonderfully crooked Tilda Swinton.
35) Top Gun- Turns out I've never watched this properly, and with good reason. What a bore.
36+37) Gangs of Wasseypur parts 1 and 2- Clubbing them together because I saw them together minus 40 minutes at the end of the 2nd one which I saw the next day. As a result, they're one big movie for me, and I liked them sooo much! Best way I can describe it is that it's Scorsesian/Godfather-esque with an Indian masala twist.
38) Belle de Jour- For the podcast. Sexy, weird and Catherine Deneuve is a goddess.
39) Blow Out- Excellent! So thrilling and so dark, but in a good way.
40) Dom Hemingway- I was perhaps expecting too much so I was a tad disappointed but I still enjoyed the hell out of it.
41) American Gigolo- As hot as Richard Gere and his clothes were, I found the movie quite dull.


Rewatched:
(February)

1) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo- I still adore this film. I really wish the sequels get made with the same team.
2) Blue is the Warmest Colour- As mesmerising and devastating as the first time.
3) Harold and Maude- For the podcast. This movie makes me happy.
4) Bright Star- I was okay with it the first time I saw it but this time 'round it just shattered my heart. So beautiful.
5) Bridget Jones' Diary- Valentine's Day tradition.
6) Casablanca- Ditto.
7) Mud- I maintain that Tye Sheridan's performance is one of the absolute bests of last year.

(March)

8) Rebel Without a Cause- For the podcast. I could see the flaws in it more clearly this time, since I'm not a teenager with a lot of feels anymore or whatever but it's still fascinating.
9) American Psycho- A friend of mine saw it for the first time and started gushing over it so *obviously* I had to keep her company. This movie is hilarious.
10) A Streetcar Named Desire- Marlon Brando *fans herself more*. Total fucking asshole in this but holy moly, so hot!
11) Reality Bites- All I could think of was that I had seen it first when I was about 12 and did I even get any of it then? Also, come back Winona!
12) Fargo- Like Bright Star, I wasn't in love with it the first time I saw it but I was totally blown away on this rewatch. *in Marge Gunderson's accent* Yeah? Yeahhhh!
13) Bachelorette- I read one line of dialogue from this somewhere and then I just HAD to rewatch it. I adore this film and I don't care who knows.
14) L.A. Confidential- I forgot how clever this film is. Not one frame is wasted. Also the only film in which I can bear Russell Crowe.
15) The Talented Mr. Ripley- Saw it after ages and remembered why it was in my original top 100 list. Great movie, great performances.


TV shows

1) True Detective, season 1- I was as amazed and hooked as everyone else. Cinematic and dark as hell, it was incredibly engaging and had some amazeballs performances. I must say though, as much as I liked the finale, I just thought the show had a bigger scope which it didn't deliver on completely. Still, a nearly masterful series. a) Favourite episode- A tie between "Who Goes There" and "The Secret Fate of All Life". The former because those 6 minutes and the latter because of the way it subverted all expectations. b) MVP- Silly question. Matthew McConaughey gave a better performance but Marty Hart was made to be played by Woody Harrelson. Both. c) Favourite quotes-

Marty: "You're like the Michael Jordan of being a son of a bitch." HILARIOUS!

Rust: "Once there was only dark. If you ask me, the light's winning." Simple and inspiring.

2) Girls, season 3- It was a very uneven season for me and I might not watch season 4. One huge reason is how much the writers themselves seem to hate Hannah. I don't know how to feel about her anymore. And if I have to listen to Marnie sing one more time, I am going to break something! a) Favourite episode- "Beach House" Shoshanna had a fabulous breakdown and there was a choreographed dance number. I HAD to love it. b) MVP- Zosia Mamet's Shoshanna and Andrew Rannells' Elijah. The former because she really is the heart of the show for me even though she is grossly overlooked and the latter because he makes me laugh in all his episodes. That photograph at the end :') c) Favourite quotes- 

Soshanna: "Thank you, it's really helpful to know you were a fuck-up too." The story of Girls.

3) Teen Wolf, season 3B- This was a dark season (was it a season? Er...). I love Dylan O'Brien and everything but I wish they'd just let him be cute and awkward Stiles again. I also really appreciated the introduction of Japanese mythology in this. Usually, these supernatural shows stay so geographically constricted. a) Favourite episode- "Insatiable" Exciting and shocking. RIP Allison Argent. b) MVP- Can I just give this to the Oni? Agreed, they didn't really have to act but they were so cool! Shoutouts also to Sheriff Stiles, played by Lynden Ashby and the police officer with the pretty eyes (I can't be bothered to find out his or his character's name). c) Favourite quote-

Stiles: "Everyone wants you, you’re like the hot girl that every guy wants.”

Scott: "I'm the hot girl? I'm the hot girl."

Isaac: "Yes you are."

I don't think I need to explain this one.

4) Brooklyn Nine-Nine, season 1- Heyyy this was so much fun! I really appreciate how it avoids all sorts of cliches. a) Favourite episode- "The Bet" made me laugh a lot but at the same time "Charges and Specs" took some really intelligent decisions for where the show is going to go from here. b) MVP- Andy Samberg's Jake Peralta is so silly and hilarious and his perfect antagonist Andrew Braugher's Captain Holt is fantastic too. I love both of them equally. c) Favourite quotes- 

Holt: "I think I am...getting a text message. Bloop! There it is." This has to be watched to be appreciated.

Books:

1) Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling- Aww this was cute. I am actually pretty stoked about the upcoming trilogy. Some of these creatures sound super cool.

2) The Sandman Collection (all except Fables and Reflections) by Neil Gaiman- I'm completely hooked on these series. So smart and imaginative and some of the concepts are incredible. The only flaw I can think of is that it's like HBO- too many unnecessary boobs.

3) The Sandman: The Dream Hunters by Neil Gaiman/Yoshitaka Amano- Oh this was just so beautiful to look at. Very simple but powerful story too.

4) Death: The Time of Your Life by Neil Gaiman- I was a little disappointed. I thought it would be more rock'n'roll.

5) Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn- I thought this was fantastic. Loved the themes at play, the language and the Dunnes! Crazy mofos! Can't wait for the movie.

6) Four Major Plays by Henrik Ibsen- I was hooked. Such fascinating characters. Loved A Doll's House and Ghosts. The Master Builder was a bit cray cray though.

7) Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller- Amazing. I really want to see it performed on stage.

Final tally:

                                        Firsts: 67                                         Rewatched: 20

                                                                   Total- 87

         And that's it. I *might* be starting a new series of posts in April so there's that. Also it's my vacations and therefore I don't know how much I will blog. We'll see.

The Month that was- January

I'm sorry for the delay, guys! February has been off to a rocky start. I caught up on a lot of 2013 releases in January. There are still some left which I will hopefully be done with by March. I saw 31 movies in all and a number of television shows including one about a certain British detective.


Firsts:

1) 12 Years A Slave- I appreciated it though like all Steve McQueen movies, it left me a bit cold. Fassy's performance keeps getting better and better in my eyes.
2) The Grandmaster- Gorgeous but a bit all over the place. Felt much longer than it was.
3) About Time- In spite of the science being flawed, the film was lovely, touching, very funny and excellently acted.
4) Blue Jasmine- Cate deserves that Oscar SOOO effing much. I loved the movie too.
5) Short Term 12- This film is just so well-balanced. It could have been such a sentimental mess, but instead it gives a very honest portrayal of troubled children. Fantastic performances by everyone, especially John Gallagher Jr. and Brie Larson.
6) Ain't Them Bodies Saints- I got really bored in this, mostly because I couldn't understand anything Casey Affleck was saying. Still, quite a gorgeous film and Ben Foster was great.
7) The Secret Life of Walter Mitty- Sweet and heartwarming.
8) The Wolf of Wall Street- One of the best cinematic experiences of my life, or more specifically, the Lemmons scene. This was the slightly censored version.
9) Dallas Buyers Club- Watching this on the same day I saw WoWS was perhaps not the best idea. I still liked it loads.
10) Pain and Gain- It becomes a bit too much but I appreciate Michael Bay for attempting a film like this. I found the first half really funny.
11) Her- Absolutely wonderful. One of the best love stories ever. Joaquin Phoenix probably has my favourite cinematic face.
12) August: Osage County- Liked it quite a bit. Sometimes, batshit crazy stuff is fun. Loved Julia Roberts, Chris Cooper and Benedict Cumberbatch. Also, I might have started properly drooling when the latter sings.
13) Enough Said- So human and lovely. Excellent, heartfelt, honest performances.
14) Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit- SO SLOW! I get what kind of vibe they were going for, but the only thing that kept me awake in the first half was Chris Pine's fine ass in a hot suit. I'm just telling it as it is, ja feel?
15) All is Lost- I was a wee bored in the beginning but it is actually a very engaging movie about survival. Beautifully shot and scored too.
16) The Act of Killing- People can be such horrible beings. This film angered me, but wow, it's one of the most powerful pieces of cinematic art I have ever seen.
17) Ernest et Celestine- So adorable! Stunning animation too and a really sweet story at its heart. As much as I love Frozen, I will not mind this winning the Oscar if it comes to that.
18) 20 Feet from Stardom- Gahhh I wish I could sing! So inspiring and touching. Loved it.
19) Cutie and the Boxer- I really liked this one too. The portrayal of the relationship between love and art is an excellent subject to make a documentary on.
20) Filth- I thought it could have been a more coherent film but I didn't mind it, despite its surprisingly depressing side.
21) The Croods- Did not expect it to be so much fun.
22) Inside Llewyn Davis- This too was depressing but I liked it. Also, I'm obsessed with "Please Mr. Kennedy".
23) The Counselor- It was just so boring. People were just talking at you. I actually started experimenting with nail art while watching this, I was *that* uninterested. It probably has my favourite death scene from last year though.
24) Fruitvale Station- I am a bit undecided on this one. I wish they would have done somethings differently but I still liked it loads. Michael B. Jordan and Octavia Spencer were brilliant.
25) Pee-Wee's Big Adventure- I decided to take a break from 2013 films and finally finish watching Tim Burton's filmography. I kind of liked it. Pee-Wee just annoyed me too much.
26) Rebecca- Uneven but beautiful.


Rewatched:

1) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of Lost Ark- What better way to ring in the new year than with young Harrison Ford at his hottest?
2) The World's End- I love this film more and more everytime I watch it. Same goes for Simon Pegg's performance.
3) Beautiful Creatures- This film makes me happy.
4) The Wolf of Wall Street- The fully uncensored version. I really love this film.
5) Little Rascals- BEST. MOVIE. EVER.


TV shows:

1) Sherlock, series 3- I *almost* don't mind waiting for another two years for series 4 if it is anything as good as series 3. The growth of Sherlock from series to series is so subtle but absolutely brilliant to witness. I love all the actors and writers and directors and seriously, this show needs some awards. a) Favourite episode- As enjoyable as "The Sign of Three" was, I'll have to go with "His Last Vow". It was dark, emotional, cinematic and had a helluva ending. b) MVP- No fucking chance I can choose just one person. Soz. I love all of them. c) Favourite quote- I loved Sherlock's best man speech but I'm going to go with John's "Am I pretty lady?" FEED THE FANDOMS, MOFFAT!

2) Sleepy Hollow, season 1- Who knew this show would be so much fun? From Tom Mison's confused and gentlemanly Ichabod to Nicole Beharie's kickass Abbie to John Cho just being creepy, I really enjoyed the first season and am waiting for the next one eagerly. a) Favourite episode- "The Indispensable Man/Bad Blood". The double episode season finale is already one of the best of the year. The twists kept coming. b) MVP- I'll have to go with Mison's Ichabod Crane. It's not easy to make a character previously played by Johnny Depp completely your own, but Mison is really great in this role. I am half-and-half about his clothes though. He should change them occasionally, maybe? c) Favourite quote- 

"I don't understand your obsession with my finery. Demons threaten our very existence with the promise of Apocalypse...God's wounds! One sign of the impending Apocalypse is surely skinny jeans." 

Love Ichabod's constant struggle with the 21st century.

3) American Horror Story: Coven- I don't remember if I've ever seen a show with so much potential go to shit so quickly. I'm really disappointed with this season. I thought it would be my favourite. All the actresses were so great but the writing and the crazy, confused plots just let everyone down. a) Favourite episode- "Burn, Witch. Burn!" It was such a cinematic episode, from the zombies to the disco-themed witch-burning. b) MVP- Fiona, Madison, Marie, Delphine and Queenie were all great but my heart belongs to the one and only Myrtle Snow played by the show's regular scene-stealer, Frances Conroy. The big hair, the fashion sense, the air of sophistication and the inspired use of melon baller- LOVE! c) Favourite quote- One thing I will give this season is that everyone had amazing lines. Some of my favourites:

Fiona: [to Cordelia] "Don't make me drop a house on you."

Delphine: "Lieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssss."

Queenie: "Madison Montgomery is a stone-cold bitch who loves hard drinking, big dicks and trouble. If she's dead, it's probably 'cause she got wasted and offered the Grim Reaper a hand job or something."

Cordelia: [to Myrtle] "Any last words?"

Myrtle: "Only one... BALENCIAGA!"

Final tally:

                                            Firsts- 26                                               Rewatched- 5

                                                                              Total- 31

I will post my "best of" lists this month :) Stay tuned.

The Month that was December and the Year that was 2013

       Yes, I know it's been a week since the new year and 2013 is officially the old year and no one cares about it anymore, but I had two freaking exams to give in the middle and a day to recover from them, and so here I am! Hellooooo people! How is 2014 going so far?

        The new year brings with it the new film year and the new blogging year. But before that, I need to close up shop on 2013. I watched 292 films throughout the year, which *is* a massive drop from last year's 439, but I feel okay with because I did want to relax a bit. Also, there were the neverending exams and all the television stuff. Seriously, I watched a lot of TV last year.

        But first, December. I really have like no memory of December except that I decorated a Christmas tree with pictures of hot actors and that Matt Smith left Doctor Who *sniff*. And apparently I watched very few movies. Anyways, these are the films and TV shows I watched:-


Firsts:

1) Frozen- Dawww. This film is so funny and cute and lovely and heartwarming. The characters were great, the story at the centre was excellent, the humour was superb and it all looked soooo pretty. Oh and "Let It Go" was my December anthem.
2) The Hobbit: the Desolation of Smaug- I swear to god, if HFR becomes a regular thing, I'll have to stop going to the theatres. It literally makes me want to claw my eyes out. And this film was pretty disappointing on the whole. All I wanted was to see Smaug, who *was* excellent by the way, but by the time we got to him, I was just sooooo bored and sleepy! That whole love triangle was completely unnecessary, as much as I enjoyed seeing sassy and oh so graceful Legolas back.
3) The Spectacular Now- I know a lot of people like this film but I wasn't very into it. Mostly because I hated the main character. Since it is a realistic portrayal, I have to say that I have never been particularly fond of people like Sutter and so I just couldn't give two shits about him. Shailene Woodley is amazing in it though.
4) Saving Mr. Banks- I thought it was a very sweet film, exceptionally well-casted and I do love Emma Thompson so much.
5) Lee Daniels' The Butler- This film was a hot mess. Like I cared for it and at the same time thought it was a bit cray cray. Doesn't deserve any awards attention it is getting though. SO SORRY, OPRAH!!
6) Dhoom 3- In spite of all the stupidity and terrible CGI and plot-holes and literally everyone in it except Aamir Khan who were all silly and annoying, I had fun. And sometimes, that is enough. I do wish the money spent on making "Malang" could have been used on producing an indie film instead though.
7) American Hustle- I liked it... but this too was crazy... in a good way... I think... Anyways, I had too much fun with Bradley Cooper's and Jennifer Lawrence's characters.


Rewatched:

1) Home Alone 2: Lost in New York- For our holiday podcast. Man, this film is brutal.
2) Chungking Express- I effing love this film.
3) Brief Encounter- Ditto.
4) In the Mood for Love- It's literally like Chungking Express meets Brief Encounter if you think about it.
5) Stories We Tell- Yep, still my favourite. People can be so wonderful.
6) Dead Poets Society- My little brother was in town for holidays and so as usual, I decided to educate him a little bit.
7) Across the Universe- Saw it after soooo long. I still think it's brilliant and now, so does my brother. And I totes know what you'll are thinking- coolest sister ever, amirite?
8) The Heat- Second funniest film of the year. Melissa McCarthy needs some awards for this.
9) Snatch- Guess what I decided to watch on Christmas to improve my mood after Doctor Who?
10) Gravity- I cried so much this time 'round.


TV shows:

1) Masters of Sex, season 1- I think this show has the potential to be pretty great. True, I don't watch Mad Men and so maybe I'm a tad extra impressed, but I do love the way the show portrays gender roles, love and sex, taboos and experiments. It's not something grand but so basic that it makes for compelling television. And the acting obviously is just superb all across the board. a) Favourite episode- There are quite a few which really impressed me but I choose "Brave New World" because I like the changes in everyone's characters, and of course, Margaret Scully is magnificent in this. b) MVP- As amazing as I think Michael Sheen's acting is, it's between Lizzy Caplan's Virginia Johnson and Allison Janney's Margaret Scully for me. For Virginia, all you have to do is watch the ending of "Thank You for Coming". I think it says a lot about her character and what makes her so multi-faceted. Margaret on the other hand is one of the most heartbreaking characters I have ever seen in a show and Janney's doing such a wonderful job with her. c) Favourite quote- "My clitoris beat my vagina?" Jane's so cute. I laughed for ten minutes after she said that.
2) Orphan Black, season 1- Oh this show is captivating. I marathoned it without even realising how many episodes there are or wanting to know anything about anything because I was having so much fun and I was just so hooked! Tatiana Maslany is a revelation and this is one smart, sexy show.
3) Sherlock, series 1- In preparation for the already awesome series 3. Unfortunately I couldn't finish watching series 2 in time, but I predict we'll have A LOT of time to do multiple Sherlock marathons.


Final 2013 statistics:

First watches- 203
Rewatched films- 87
Shorts- 2
Total- 292

Number of Television series/seasons watched- 37 (between 27 shows)


       So as you can see, a good year for TV watching. And I thought it was a pretty fantastic year in television too. Between Breaking Bad coming to an end and all those Doctor Who specials, I was all set. My favourite new shows were Orange is the New Black, Orphan Black, Hannibal and The Originals. Among the returning series, Breaking Bad, Luther, American Horror Story: Asylum and of course Doctor Who were the best. And from the older shows that I watched for the first time , the Brits take the cake with The Mighty Boosh, The Hour and The Thick of It (need to finish that).

        In films, I did see some amazing ones. I'm still making my way through 2013 films but I am in complete agreement with everyone calling it an exceptional year of cinema. I did not think so up until August, with disappointments like Only God Forgives and Star Trek Into Darkness, but then the film gods corrected that because I watched Mud and Stories We Tell back to back and was totally mesmerised. My top 10 non-2013 first watches were:

Chungking Express

Brief Encounter

Dev D.

La haine

The American

Leaving Las Vegas

Eyes Without A Face

Witness for Prosecution

Sympathy for Lady Vengeance

Sleuth

(Listen to our New Year episode for more on my top 4)

      Entering rather unchartered territory for this blog, music-wise, 2013 was the year I decided that I like female lead singers more than male ones. I was pretty obsessed with bands like Savages, Wolf Alice, Deap Vally, Haim, Daughter and *of course* Yeah Yeah Yeahs throughout the year. I don't know what that implies. If I had to pick a favourite album though, it would have to be Arctic Monkey's AHMAZING AM. One of the best things I have ever read is the following, from its NME review-

"And the lyrics… oh, maaaan. At times they sound like they were written by a man with a burning hard-on who wants – or rather needs – to savagely fuck your body, mind and soul."

*swoons* Alex Turner, marry me!

       My other favourite albums were Peace's In Love, Arcade Fire's Reflektor, Daft Punk's Random Access Memories and Beyonce's Beyonce. As for favourite movie soundtrack, I am a happy Bollywood child still listening to the songs from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani.


      So that's it. I have to achieve a lot of things in 2014 so once again, I'm not going to make any film-related resolutions except the Blindspot series. I want to try and watch more Indian films too, so hopefully I can tackle that.

       Oh and this was my 500th post, you guyz! Yes, I know that's dismal and most of you do that much every month, but there you go. #suckyblogger4eva #keepinitreal #peaceout

The Month that was- November

Hii guys! It's December, which is bloody mental. It's still April in my head. Anyways, November was a pretty great month, movie-wise. I had my first proper film festival experience and even though I kind of felt like a zombie for a week after that, I can't wait to do it again. YAAY MOVIES!


Firsts:

1) Captain Phillips- Really thrilling. Loved the performances and the direction. My brother loved it too.
2) Frances Ha- Loveliness itself. Greta Gerwig is my queen.
3) The To-Do List- So uneven. I liked some of the ideas in place, but not the movie so much.
4) Thor: The Dark World- Loki is the best! I thought it was really fun and sooo pretty!
5) The Maltese Falcon- Noirvember! Quite liked it, though not one of those classics that really blows you away.
6) Blancanieves- First movie of KIFF. So stunning and smart and, god, Maribel Verdu is ab fab!
7) Don Jon- Really confident debut by JGL. I thought it was really funny, had quite an interesting concept in place and Scarlett Johansson was just amazeballs.
8) Of Good Report- One of the biggest duds at KIFF for me. It was just boring and creepy.
9) Elmer Gantry- For Burt Lancaster's centennial. I thought it was a very interesting film and Lancaster was indeed very good. It was a very loud performance which is something I haven't seen from Lancaster.
10) Night Train to Lisbon- My least favourite film from KIFF. I just thought it was painfully mediocre, especially considering the talent involved.
11) The Future- I quite liked this one. The actress's age kind of shocked me, but both her and Rutger Hauer were very good. Another unique story.
12) The Artist & Model- It was very beautiful to look at. The story was simple but touching.
13) Rock Ba-Casba- One of the movies I just randomly watched, and liked a lot. It was a pretty good story about young Israeli soldiers stationed at the Gaza Strip during the 80s. Also, it did help that there were a bunch of hot guys in uniform in this. I *was* getting slightly bored with all the naked women in all the films so far.
14) Bastards- My worst movie experience during KIFF, which did colour my perspective on the film.
15) Lessons in Forgetting- One of the only Indian films I saw at KIFF. It was quite crude, but it raised some important questions about Indian society.
16) Jealousy- I thought it was an alright movie, but my god, Louis Garrel's face in black and white is something to be worshiped. Well, it should be worshiped eitherways, but it is beautifuler in black and white :P
17) The Past- Another great human drama by Asghar Farhadi. I love the way he fuses other genres, a suspense thriller in this case, in his tales about people who make very human mistakes and their repercussions, especially on children, which just breaks my heart.
18) Ko: Yad- An Assamese film. I thought it was very sentimental and therefore not very good.
19) Pieta- My first Kim Ki-duk film, who is apparently huge in Calcutta. Brutal, affecting, and my god, the main theme of this film is something I did not expect. My admiration for it keeps growing. Must watch more movies by this director.
20) Blue is the Warmest Colour- Absolute love. Favourite movie of KIFF and I adored Adele Exarchopouls and Lea Seydoux.
21) Winter of Discontent- I watched it after Blue and I was totally dazed throughout it. Apparently it *was* quite good.
22) Paradise: Hope- I liked how still the movie was. A very unique perspective shown.
23) The Deep- I fell asleep for about 20 minutes in this film, which is something I regret because I did like whatever I saw. Mette compares it with Gravity, so there you go.
24) Papilio Buddha- I respect this film for just existing and raising the issues it does and showing them so unflinchingly. Also, one of the most well-shot Indian films I have ever seen. Just beautiful to look at.
25) Paradise: Faith- One of my favourites at the film festival. It reminded me of films by Michael Haneke and Yorgos Lanthimos- unsettling in the best way.
26) Touch of the Light- So happy and pretty. Would make the most joyful of double features with The Intouchables.
27) The Great Beauty- Gorgeous to look at, but just empty at its core. The first 20-30 minutes of the movie were like an assault on my senses.
28) Young and Beautiful- Last film of KIFF. Marine Vacth is so unfairly sublime. Just want to stare at her forever. I liked the movie too.
29) An Adventure in Space and Time- TV movie about the origins of Doctor Who. I thought it was very well-made and acted and Matt Smith's face brings me immense joy.
30) Cool Hand Luke- Speaking of sublime, Paul Newman was such a god. Every time he smiled, my insides melted. A very good film overall, though I think I am getting a bit wary of films about defiant men, I don't know why.
31) The Shop Around the Corner- James Stewart is so adorbs. This film was very sweet.
32) The Hunger Games: Catching Fire- One of the best sequels of our time, yes? I loved how well-paced the film was. And Jena Malone of course.


Rewatched:

1) Sweet Smell of Success- Noirvermber again. Loved it so much more this time. The dialogue is to die for.
2) Sabrina- One of my favourite movie experiences at KIFF. People kept breaking out in applause.
3) The Apartment- Just the fact that I saw this on big screen fills me up with joy. Perfect film is perfect.
4) Gone with the Wind- For Vivien Leigh's centennial. like it so much more now. They censored all the kisses in this though, which was a bit strange and frankly inexplicable on their part. I did see *everything* else in all other movies.
5) Sunset Blvd.- Best of Noirvember? Yep. Did not notice how hot William Holden looked in it the first time 'round.
6) Frances Ha- If my life was a black and white film, I would totally wear white-rimmed glasses. The cinematography is so great in this.
7) The Nightmare Before Christmas- Where has this Tim Burton gone?


TV shows:

All my plans of rewatching Nu Who crashed and burned.
The Escape Artist- Really quite thrilling and unsettling. Loved the actors, especially David Tennant. Please watch it!


Final tally:
                               Firsts- 196             Rewatched- 77             Shorts- 2
                                                                 Total- 275


End of year time! I do have things planned for the blog, but I don't want to jinx it.

The Month that was- October

How is it November? I don't understand! Time has gone wibbly wobbly if you ask me. I have spent my holidays doing nothing whatsoever. I did finally surpass the one movie a day average for this month though (34 films in all), so yaay!

Firsts:

1) Little Children- Saw it on Kate the great's birthday. I really liked it. Patrick Wilson is hot.

2) Frost/Nixon- I thought it was great. I love Michael Sheen.

3) Bright Young Things- This has a crazy cast. It was a little too frenzied and the emotional side of the story got lost somewhere in that.
4) Alps- Not as brilliant as Dogtooth but still very interesting ideas in place. Gorgeous ending.
5) The Way Way Back- Aww, this was sweet. Sam Rockwell is awesomesauce.
6) Go Goa Gone- In-flight movie. Harmless fun.
7) En Kort En Lang- This would have been such a Bollywood film if we took the gay angle out of the mix. Very sweet and Mads Mikkelsen is just adorbs in it.
8) The Grey- Sooooo good! Was not expecting that at all. Scary and profound.
9) The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones- A.W.F.U.L.
10) The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou- I liked it but it's one of the lesser Wes Anderson films for me.
11) Gravity- Phenomenal, obviously.
12) Airplane!- The puns just kept coming, didn't they? The flamboyant air traffic controller is my hero.
13) The Intouchables- This film was like sunshine. So happy.
14) Eyes Without a Face- I thought it was very tragic and beautiful.
15) The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford- I liked it but god, it was long! Casey Affleck and Roger Deakins were the best things about it of course.
16) A Man Escaped- Kind of brilliant, no?
17) Wadjda- I really hope to write a post on this soon. I absolutely loved it.
18) A Woman Under the Influence- It got quite scary at times but excellent acting by the leads.
19) Something in the Air- It was pretty but bland.
20) The American- Stunning. A perfect film.
21) Deliverance- I *get* the whole deal now.
22) Leaving Las Vegas- So sad but beautiful at the same time, and amazing performances by Nicolas Cage and Elizabeth Shue.
23) Night of the Living Dead- I was really bored at first but it does get very thrilling later. I must say that I was not expecting a black man to be the hero, and it was a welcome surprise.
24) Dawn of the Dead- Fantastic. I didn't realise that I had seen the remake earlier but I liked this one much much more.
25) Hocus Pocus- This was fun. Gotta love cult favourites.


Rewatched:

1) The Social Network- I had to watch this after getting the best director prize at my college's drama competition. Fincher is god, after all.
2) The World's End- With my little brother this time.
3) Silver Linings Playbook- This film makes me happy.
4) This is the End- Again, with my brother. I have a bad/good feeling its ending will top my list of favourite scenes of the year.
5) Children of Men- Had to watch it after Gravity. It's still one of the most powerful movies I have ever seen.
6) Stoker- I have an urge to rewatch it everytime I listen to its score. Which is like everyday.
7) The Darjeeling Limited- I had apparently forgotten some of it. The rewatch has confirmed that it's my third favourite Wes Anderson film after Rushmore and Moonrise Kingdom. 
8) The Rock- I had not seen it in 7 or 8 years. I forgot how funny it was.
9) Starter for 10- Again, the cast is mental. Benedict Cumberbatch being a college loser is HILARIOUS!


Books:

The Prince- It was... interesting. I don't really know what to say. It's a bit awful but kind of brilliant at the same time.

Final tally:
                                  Firsts- 164                        Rewatched- 70                         Shorts- 2
                                                                              Total- 236


So in spite of my amazement, November is here and with it, the Kolkata Film Festival and finally, the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary special!!!!! Geronimo!

The Month that was- September

     So September was something of a blur. The neverending exams finally ended, I started second year of college, I met Kalki Koechlin (!) and presently I feel like I've aged 30 years because of the drama competition. I had intended to watch a lot of movies but I could only manage 26 movies this month.

Firsts:

1) Kick-Ass 2- Rubbish. I really loved the first one but this one was dumb. Also, puke humour is not, like never ever, appreciated.

2) World War Z- I liked it a lot. The action was good, Brad Pitt was a decent protagonist, and the zombies genuinely scared me because I can't handle things suddenly jumping at me.

3) The Bling Ring- I discussed it on the last Across the Universe Podcast episode. LOVE Emma Watson.

4) The World's End- Not as great as the first two but still a solid ending to the Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy.

5) The Kings of Summer- Even though it wasn't perfect, I enjoyed it a lot. It kind of made me want to be a boy.

6) A Royal Affair- Heartbroken thanks to Mads.

7) White House Down- Definitely the funnest stupid movie I've seen all year.

8) Camille- So Baz Luhrmann was definitely inspired by this when he was making Moulin Rouge!, yes? Anyways, really liked it and gosh, Robert Taylor was a hottie!

9) This is the End- Hilarious. Best ending of the year by a mile and a half.

10) Rush- Enjoyed it a lot. Daniel Bruhl was awesomesauce.

11) Days of Being Wild- I suddenly needed to watch some Wong kar-Wai. Maggie Cheung is so gorgeous.

12) Fallen Angels- Like I said. Definitely the most visual of the Wong kar-Wai's movies I've seen so far but a tad too frenzied.

13) Much Ado About Nothing- I thought it was excellent, and very pretty too.

14) The Lunchbox- One of the best films of the year and also among the finest Indian films I have ever seen. Just great.

15) Sleeper- The first of Woody's early comedies for me. So unexpected and awesome.

16) Prisoners- Very intriguing and engaging. Fine performances all around with Gyllenhaal taking the cake.

Rewatches:

1) The Shawshank Redemption- My go-to soul upliftment movie.

2) Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day- Remember how I went cray cray for this and British Lee Pace last month? Well, a friend gifted the film to me after all that and then I made a class full of males-deprived girls watch it because I'm evil like that :D

3) Shaun of the Dead- One of the best movies ever, imo.

4) Hot Fuzz- One of the best sequels ever, imo.

5) Fish Tank- I realised that Fassy in this is probably my favourite cinematic asshole.

6) The Bling Ring- Had much more fun the second time. 

7) The World's End- Ditto. You start noticing all the Edgar Wright-ian details.

8) Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani- Another birthday gift! Ranbir Kapoor's sex eyes in this are deadly.

9) 2001: A Space Odyssey- I would love to watch a behind-the-scenes special on this. A visual marvel.

10) Blade Runner- Apparently Rick Deckard was a replicant? Whaaaaaat?!! Harrison Ford is totes my ultimate cinematic hunk.

TV Shows:

Breaking Bad, season 5- What can I say that hasn't already been said? I bade goodbye in my own little way to one of the greatest shows of our time. It's been quite a journey and I am glad it ended so satisfyingly. I will just mention that "Ozymandias" is among the best hours of television I have ever watched and I don't really know how to choose an MVP or a favourite quote, so I'm going to go with Jesse Pinkman's bitchin', "YEAH, BITCH!!! MAGNETS!!"

Books:

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone- I forgot just how funny Fred and George are.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets- And Oliver Wood is awesome. His utter devotion to Quidditch is inspiring.

Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban- Reading this one after 10 years or something. The whole ending is much scarier in the book than in the movie.

Final tally:
                            Firsts- 139                       Rewatched- 61                      Shorts- 2
                                                                       Total- 202


October is here and my holidays are coming! I will try to watch a few horror movies but I am going in full Doctor Who-mode in preparation for the 50th Anniversary next month.

The Month that was- August

        Hellooooo everyone! My exams are finally over!! I can feel life rushing back. And I can blog now! About what I don't know yet, but I'll come up with something. Don't you worry. I managed 20 movies in August so I'm happy about that.

Firsts:

1) In the Loop- After the announcement of Peter Capaldi as the new Doctor, I had to see him action. The movie was good and he was awesome!

2) The Paperboy- Not half-bad. Kidman was on fire and I appreciated all the objectification of Zac Efron.

3) Chennai Express- Bollywood excrement. How could you, Shahrukh?!

4) The Heat- I thought it was really funny and both Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock rocked!

5) Byzantium- Some really interesting ideas in place and occasionally breathtaking visuals.

6) 40 Year Old Virgin- It was fun but I think it's a little over-hyped.

7) The Conjuring- Good, simple, effective horror film with characters one could care about.

8) The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl- The extent to which I can procrastinate is mind-blowing. So bad. So, so, soooooooooo baaaaaaaaaaad.

9) Now You See Me- Enjoyable and incredibly dumb. I wish someone would make a proper good film starring Mark Ruffalo, Jesse Eisenberg and the lovely Melanie Laurent instead.

10) We are the Millers- Harmless fun.

11) Madras Cafe- Pretty good although the acting left much to be desired and the ending was terrible.

12) Prince Avalanche- Really liked it and Paul Rudd is amazing.

13) Mud- Loved it. The story, the themes, the look, the acting, especially that of Tye Sheridan. A really good movie.

14) Amores Perros- It had been on my watchlist since forever. I liked it a lot but I could not look at a dog for the next two days. And I don't even like dogs.

15) Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan- Really awesome and awful at the same time. I dug it.

16) Stories We Tell- I have decided to consider this a 2013 movie and good luck to any other films this year who think they're going to replace it as my number 1 of the year. It was just *that* fantastic. Blown away completely.

Rewatched:

1) Beautiful Creatures- What can I say? I really enjoyed this film.

2) Ghost World- I had not watched it in AGES. Enid Coleslaw is such a role model and I love Seymour always.

3) Legally Blonde- I needed inspiration to keep studying. Elle Woods provided it to me. On this watch I discovered that a Coppola directed her Harvard admissions video. Like, wow.

4) Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day- I'm just a masochist. How else would you explain watching the British Lee Pace scenes over and over again?

TV shows:

1) True Blood, season 6- This show is so stupid but I just can't let go. I mean people get their blood vacuumed out of their bodies and there is fairy vagina-light sex and Alexander Skarsgard just sunbathing naked on top of snowclad mountains and so on. This season was actually a vast improvement from the last one but then it all had to go to shit in the finale. I *did* skip all the werewolf and Sam parts though so there may be something to that. I really hope season 7 is the last one. a) Favourite episodes- It will have to be between "At Last" and "Fuck the Pain Away" because Eric, Jason and Sarah Newlin were all in top form and it felt like old True Blood again. b) MVP- I'm going to go with Anna Camp's Sarah Newlin who had some of the greatest lines and scenes of the series. c) Favourite death- I figured True Blood too needs this category. Season 5's 'Death By Fly' and season 3's Russel Edgington's "We will eat you after we eat your children." are my absolute favourites. This season though, Sarah Newlin killing the Tru Blood lady with her own fancy stilettos takes the cake. And the fact that she prays after that is the awesome icing. 4) Favourite quotes-

Eric: "When you dream of me, dream of nice things."

Sarah Newlin: "I truly believe God wants me to fuck you."

Willa: "Is this going to hurt?"

Eric: "Not the way I do it."

No need of explanations, really.

2) Teen Wolf, season 3- This show is fun, okay! There was a lot more action this time 'round but it still manages to get a lot of laughs. a) Favourite episode- "Alpha Pact". It was really action-packed plus Stiles and Lydia finally kissed so yaay! b) MVP- As much as I love Stiles, and I really really do, I think Holland Roden's Lydia rocked this season. She's kind of inspirational. Also, she's a banshee. c) Favourite quote- This entire exchange had me in stitches.

Stiles: "Missing and presumed dead, Scott, because he was probably a virgin. You know who else is a virgin? Me. I'm a virgin, okay? You know what that means? It means my lack of sexual experience is now literally a threat to my life, okay. I need to have sex. Like right now. Someone needs to have sex with me like today. Like someone needs to sex me right now!"

Danny: "Alright I'll do it."

Stiles: "Woah! What?"

Danny: "Come over to my place at 9. Plan on staying the night. I like to cuddle."

Stiles: "That is so sweet. Are you kidding?"

Danny: "Yes. I'm kidding."

Stiles: "You don't toy with a guys emotions like that, Danny. It's not attractive, alright?"

3) Luther, series 3- Oh it was sooooooooooo good. Creepy, exciting, emotional- just great. And this probably had my favourite series finale of the year, barring Doctor Who of course. Alice Morgan 4eva!
4) Thick of It, series 1 and 2- Really funny though I wish I cared about politics more. A lot of the things go over my head.
5) Southcliffe- It wad going really great but I felt that the last episode kind of fizzled out the intrigue and made it too dramatic.

Final tally:
                          Firsts- 123                            Rewatched- 51                        Shorts- 2
                                                                          Total- 176

        So my plans for September are to watch as many movies as I can. And maybe join zumba classes 'cuz I like the word "zumba". Also, Breaking Bad series finale!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ZOMG GUYS, I CANNOT WAIT!