The Month that was May

          Sorry for being so late again, guys. This month has been a hectic/anxiety-inducing/avoiding any type of work kind of month so far. I've finally chosen where I'm going to do my masters. It's in a place called Noida which is near New Delhi. I'll be living on my own for the first time in my life- it's really exciting and scary. I don't know what's going to happen to the blog when college starts. We'll see when the time comes, I guess.

          Anyway, May was a fairly good month in terms of movies and books. Not *as* much TV because I took a vow to give it up for two weeks if my flight from Delhi which was experiencing loads of turbulence would stop shaking so fucking much... and it did. Honestly though, I just wanted to see if I could do it. The number of TV shows below appears large but they were shows I was following weekly. No binging apart from Mad Men. This gave me time to read more, although I hardly read anymore so it's still not that much. Also, I caught up on some older movies that I had been meaning to watch for a long time but had been putting off to watch more recent stuff/TV.

Firsts:

1) While We're Young- It was funny but it's probably my least favourite Noah Baumbach film I saw.
2) Wake Up Sid- It's been on my watchlist for the longest time. I quite liked it. Konkana Sen Sharma is so pretty.
3) Ex Machina- It's my favourite film of the year so far. It's really smart, and the kind whose brilliance dawns on you after you think about it. I loved its gender commentary and subversion. It's gorgeous to look at and fantastically acted and goddamn, that dancing scene!
4) Piku- It was very sweet although I did think that constipation as a theme was pretty weird. Irrfan Khan is so attractive.
5) Slow West- I liked it although I think you need to be familiar with/actually like the western genre to understand what it does differently, and I don't qualify for either of that so I don't really get the acclaim apart from how stunning it looked. Plus, Fassy in long-johns *adds infinite points to rating*
6) Mad Max: Fury Road- Excellent. Amazing. Gorgeous. Everything everyone said about it was spot on. Second favourite of the year currently.
7) Girlhood- Joining the ranks of all the people who said this is better than Boyhood. I especially loved the "Diamonds" scene (and I've been listening to that song non-stop ever since).
8) Fire- Super late blind spot. Pretty good, weird tantric porn music in the sex scenes notwithstanding, of course.
9) All That Jazz- Blind spot- Quite brilliant, especially Roy Schneider's performance.
10) The Age of Adaline- I watched it for the insanely hot Michiel Huisman and in that regard, I wasn't disappointed. Everything else in the movie is meh.
11) The Verdict- I read "Making Movies" so I thought I should watch a Sidney Lumet film after that.
12) Million Dollar Baby- I really expected to hate it but it was fine. I really did not like the score though.
13) Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!- Stockholm syndrome brought to you by Technicolor! I liked it :P
14) A Prophet- After Jacques Audiard won the Palme d'Or for Dheepan, I had to check this out and lo and behold, I absolutely LOVED it! So, so good.
15) Spartacus- It was good but god, it went on forever.
16) Safe- Getting ready for Carol. It was terrifying and incredible.
17) Tomorrowland- Don't get the hate for it. I thought it was lovely and uplifting and beautiful to look at.
18) Alphaville- The story was interesting but god, the voice of Alpha 60 was painful.
19) Cat on a Hot Tin Roof- I really thought I had watched it but apparently not. I was surprised at how sexy it was. I prefer the play slightly more but good lord, how attractive were Liz Taylor and Paul Newman?!
20) Killer's Kiss- So I thought that I have finally finished Kubrick's filmography with this but turns out there's another feature he made before it. Anyhoo, I quite liked it. The acting wasn't the greatest but it was shot really well and the kisses were indeed great.
21) Results- It started out well but I think it lost its way in the middle. Guy Pearce is so fit in it.
22) Kramer vs Kramer- I'm also consciously trying to slowly make my way through the Best Picture Oscar winners. I thought this was great and very affecting.
23) La Jetée- Fantastic. Never seen anything like it but I absolutely loved it.
24) Much Ado About Nothing- Very fun especially because of Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson. Although, dafuq Keanu Reeves?


Rewatched:

1) Black Swan- My friend went a little nuts over Vincent Cassel and that rubbed off on me so I *obviously* had to rewatch this.

2) The Avengers: Age of Ultron- Better the second time 'round imo. The excitement has settled down and one can focus on the script better.

3) Kingsman: The Secret Service- Fun! Fun! Fun!

4) Spring Breakers- I made my Lambcast debut! Woo hoo! Love this film.

5) The Usual Suspects- I'm also trying to rewatch old favourites that I've only watched once. The movie is as excellent as I remember.

TV shows: (skipping quotes because of the number of shows)

1)Parks and Recreation, season 7- Like the fucking idiot I am, I forgot to include this in my last monthly round-up. I love this show, forever and always. It was an excellent season with beautiful and hilarious episodes and great acting all around. I can't choose an MVP because all these characters were so special. My favourite episode, if I had to choose one, was probably "Ron and Leslie" because I loved the emphasis on the friendship of these two wonderful characters.

2) Mad Men, season 6 and 7- AAAAAA I finished watching the episodes just in time! I saw the last two episodes ever of this show with everyone else and it was awesome. I just wish I had started the show sooner. Again, it's difficult to choose a favourite season 7 episode because of the way I watched the show but it's probably "The Strategy" because of the Don and Peggy dance. Uhh MVP is hrd as well. I love Peggy, Sally, Roger, Joan and Meredith but everyone's acting is excellent. I suppose Jon Hamm, Elizabeth Moss and January Jones gave my favourite performances over all.

3) Brooklyn Nine-Nine, season 2- It had a lot of breaks so I am not sure whether this season was better than the last but I loved it all the same. a) Favourite episode- One image from this season that has forever been burned in my mind in the room with all the dolls. So I guess "The Road Trip" wins this title. I liked Sophia. b) MVP- Everyone in the main cast is great but I'm going to choose Kyra Sedgwick's Madeline Wunch. She's such a worthy opponent to Captain Holt.

4) Outlander, season 1- I LOVE this show. It's become one of my favourite shows of all time already. I love the characters and the central love story and how the female lead is placed up and centre of it all. a) Favourite episode- Well, "The Wedding" topped my favourite episodes list of last year. It's still probably my favourite but one also has to mention the most brutal episode of television I have ever seen, the season finale "To Ransom A Man's Soul" which is the flip side to "The Wedding" in regards to the way sex and intimacy is dealt in both. b) MVP- Both Sam Heughan and Tobias Menzies are excellent but Caitriona Balfe's Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser is the show's heart and soul. Even in the last two episodes where the men have more memorable scenes, Balfe manages to equal them through her own subtlety.

5) Jane the Virgin, season 1- This has become one of my favourite shows of all time as well. I can't choose a favourite episode. I know I chose the first one in my year-end list but that's only because it needed to be represented. Every episode is great in its own way. I love all the actors, the Latin Lover Narrator, the visuals, the music, the telenovela elements mixed with the real emotional relationships in the show- ugh, everything is beautiful. Though I must give a special shout out to Jamie Camil who plays Rogelio, a character that would have been a caricature in lesser hands, and Anthony Mendez whose Latin Lover Narrator is a character in his own rights, the show would be nothing without the absolutely lovely and luminescent Gina Rodriguez. Her comic timing is matched by her ability to find new emotional depths in the crazy life that her character leads, and her chemistry with each and every actor on the show is top-notch. She can and she did, you guys.

6) The Flash, season 1- Heyyy this was fun! I don't love it as much as Agent Carter or Daredevil but I like the actors and the characters and the visuals are pretty good too. a) Favourite episode- "Out of Time". Just like, SO much happens! It's probably the most excited I was all season. b) MVP- Grant Gustin's Barry Allen is adorable but I have a soft spot for Tom Cavanagh's Harrison Wells. He's so deliciously evil. Love supervillains.

7) New Girl, season 4- This was a weird but a pretty good season. I liked that everyone was friends this season again. Much like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, this had wayyy too many breaks for me to judge it properly. a) Favourite episode- "Clean Break". It's a great episode but it would be here on the basis of that proposal alone. DAWWWW! b) MVP- I think this was a pretty good season for Damon Wayans' Coach. He will be missed.

Books:

1) Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides- I thought the ending was rushed but I loved everything else about it. It's so fantastically written.

2) Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn- Ooo this one was scary. I love the way Flynn's mind works. Also, I don't know how she imagines such awful women but it's fascinating.

3) Making Movies by Sidney Lumet- I have had this book for about two years now and I was done with hating myself for not reading it already. It's really good and informative and I have a lot of stuff underlined for hopefully the future.

4) Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams- I was getting desperate to catch up on my Goodreads Reading Challenge (which is only 30. Please don't judge) so I decided to read the thinnest books I own. I know it's a play but I own it as a book so... :P I really liked it.

5) The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde- Trivial but so much fun!

6) Incest by Marquis de Sade- It was intriguing but I could have done without all the judgment throughout the book. Let me judge on my own! I know incest is bad ffs!

Final tally:

                                                          Firsts- 83                                                Rewatched-: 36

                                                                                          Total- 119        

      And that's it. No promises for what's to come this month :(

The Months that were February, March and April

          Welcome to another unnecessarily massive post because I was too lazy/busy with stupid exams to do one each month! All I want to say is that I watched an obscene amount of TV for someone giving her final college exams.


Firsts:

1) Beyond the Lights- I really liked it. It could've been totally cliched but it felt very raw and real.

2) The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him- God, James McAvoy is so underrated.
3) The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Her- The best one and I really liked this order.
4) The Voices- It's kind of quirky but then it gets too depressing. Ryan Reynools is really good.
5) Chariots of Fire- I liked it a lot, surprisingly. I'm not one for sports movies generally.
6) Ordinary People- I really liked it although it's annoying that Timothy Hutton got an Oscar for this role and Logan Lerman got nothing whatsoever for Perks of Being a Wallflower.
7) Bananas- Super fun.
8) The Liability- Watched it for Jack O'Connell. It was pretty okay.
9) Roy- Worst 2015 movie so far.
10) Spanking the Monkey- Cannot believe that David O'Russell made this. Loved it.
11) A Matter of Life and Death- This was my February Blind spot which I didn't write on... yet. I loved it.
12) In the Heat of the Night- I don't think it's aged very well even though its message still applies, sadly.
13) Fifty Shades of Grey- Unintentionally hilarious. Johnson's pretty decent.
14) 3 Women- I didn't know this was going to be so surreal.
15) Wild Tales- Awesome. Best kind of humour ever.
16) Kingsman: The Secret Service- So much fun! The weird princess bit at the end notwithstanding, it's my favourite 2015 film so far.
17) Ugly- So unnecessarily bleak.
18) Charade- Fun!
19) Zero Motivation- I loved it. More films like this, please.
20) The United States of Leland- It was kind of terrible. Not all Gosling movies are good :/
21) The DUFF- I liked it a lot. Mae Whitman rules!
22) Romy and Michele's High School Reunion- I don't know why it took me so long to watch it. It's fucking brilliant!
23) All Good Things- All the talk about The Jinx got me to check it out. Both the Gos and Kirsten Dunst were v. good.
24) Focus- The leads were great. The film, not so much.
25) Cinderella- Absolutely lovely.
26) Thirteen- Wowsers, that was dark.
27) A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night- It got a bit slow in parts but I really liked it. Totes dressing up as the Girl at some costume party.
28) Office Space- Meh.
29) Dum Laga Ke Haisha- A really sweet and simple Bollywood film.
30) Mad Max- It's like a lame origin story.
31) Mad Max: Road Warrior- THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! SO GOOOOD!
32) The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover- I don't know why but I thought this was going to be a "light" comedy. Yikes!
33) Step Brothers- Laughed a lot.
34) It Follows- It wasn't that scary. I actually went with my dad and he fell asleep during the movie and he hated it. I liked it, especially the music and the way it's shot.
35) Fast and Furious 7- It's fun as long as no one talks.
36) A History of Violence- I've watched it in parts but never completely. Really good.
37) O Brother Where Art Thou?- I'm not the biggest fan of country music so that got a bit annoying but I liked it.
38) The Avengers: Age of Ultron- First day, first show! I was going to review it as soon as I came back home but my brother forbade me till he had watched it and now I kinda don't want to anymore... I still might but in short, I liked it a lot but it had issues.
39) Adult Beginners- I thought it was like a lesser The Skeleton Twins.
40) Lost River- Weird as fuck but not completely terrible. Never going to forget Ben Mendehlson dancing ever.

Rewatched:

1) Stoker- Margaret went Goode crazy and so I had to rewatch this *fans herself*
2) Run Lola Run- For our 90s episode. Still one of the craziest, coolest films I have ever seen.
3) La Haine- 90s episode. Cute, adorable Nino Quincampoix from Amelie made this. Like WOAH!!
4) Can’t Hardly Wait- 90s episode. Fun!
5) Election- Tracy Flick is such a fascinating character. I kinda hate her but I also have mad respect for how passionate she is.
6) Casablanca- Valentine's Day tradition.
7) Bridget Jones’ Diary- Ditto.
8) Chungking Express- New addition to Valentine's Day tradition.
9) The Breakfast Club- For it's 30th anniversary. I'm so scared that one day I will start identifying with Vernon :/
10) Kill Bill vol. 1- It's been too long since I had watched this. I should make a Withrow-esque "__ Things I Love About Kill Bill that No One Talks About" list because god, I adore this film.
11) Kill Bill vol. 2- Same.
12) Captain America: First Avenger- After watching Agent Carter, I got really thirsty for my favourite Avenger (if we don't count Peggy Carter herself)
13) The Avengers- See.
14) Captain America: Winter Soldier- Seeeeee.
15) Drive- It's been forever since I watched this too. I think it's kind of a perfect movie.
16) Zoolander- After the Zoolander 2 announcement, this had to be revisited.
17) Selma- Amazing
18) Star Wars episode IV: A New Hope- I think a huge reason why I can't ever love Star Wars (or the original movies at least) is because Luke bores the living shit out of me.
19) Star Wars episode V: Return of the Jedi- I kind of really like Lando.
20) Mommy- I cried so much this time. It broke me all over again.
21) The Heartbeats- There is maybe too much slo-mo but who cares if it all looks so gorgeous?
22) I Killed My Mother- Anne Dorval is aging like fine wine, isn't she?
23) Scott Pilgrim vs the World- Another one I hadn't watched in forever. I will never get bored of this film
24) (500) Days of Summer- Is the ending a happy one? Like really?

TV shows: (I'm skipping favourite quotes because there are so many)

1) Mad Men, seasons 1-6- I started watching this the day before my exams started because, duh. It's fantastic, of course. I am sorry that I waited so long to start it.

2) Buffy the Vampire Slayer, season 6 and 7- These aren't the greatest seasons but I love this show so much. For one thing, it has one of the best episodes of all time, "Once More With Feeling".

3) Grantchester, series 1- Anna lured me in by sending me links of the hot James Norton. He plays a priest in this show. What priest looks like that? (he's the one in the 2nd pic on the 1st row).

4) Daredevil, season 1- Really, really good. I especially loved the fight scenes (the hallway fight, amirite?) and the way the hero and the villain are so similar. a) Favourite episode: "Speak of the Devil". I liked how much we could feel Matt's mortality in this. Also, the two meetings between Matt and Fisk were both brilliantly handled. b) MVP- Though both Charlie Cox and Vincent d'Onofrio are excellent, I have a soft spot for Rosario Dawson's Claire. I wish we had more of her (one of the biggest flaws of the show for me).

5) The Mindy Project, seasons 1-3- They cancelled it, those assholes! Anyways, I really enjoyed it. An Indian woman who eats a lot and has a thing for hot, white guys and romcoms? It sure does sound familiar... Also, Chris Messina dancing is my sexual orientation from now on.

6) Agent Carter, season 1- SO FUCKING AWESOMESAUCE! I love it. I love the setting, the action, the banter and of course Peggy. Peggy is the badass goddess of my dreams. a) Favourite episode: "A Sin to Err" because we finally get Peggy showing those misogynistic assholes in SSR what a badass goddess she is. b) MVP: I loved James D'Arcy's Jarvis but this show belongs to Hayley Atwell's Peggy. She was already one of my favourite parts of Captain America: The First Avenger and in this show, she balances the action, the comedy and the emotions equally well.

7) Inside Amy Schumer, season 1 and 2- This show is the bestest thing ever and Amy Schumer is my god.

8) Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, season 1- Really really fun. "Pinot Noir" is actually my ringtone. a) Favourite episode: "Kimmy Goes to Court" simply because who would have thought that *that* person is the father. b) MVP: As enjoyable as Titus Burgess and Jane Krakowski are, Ellie Kemper's Kimmy is my favourite. Her optimism is infectious even though my cheeks hurt just looking at her smiling so much.

9) Pushing Daisies, season 1- I suddenly had the urge to rewatch it. Watching season 2 is too painful because of how the show just ended after that :'(

10) The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst- After seeing the way people were losing their shit over this on social media, I had to check it out. That ending, man. WOW!

11) Broad City, Season 2- The show that is my life. Season 2 was actually better than 1. How did they do that? a) Favourite episode: "Knockoffs". We meet Ilana's mom, go underground designer knockoff bags shopping with them, deal with loss of a loved one, finally have Abbi and Jeremy go on a date, have Abbi and Jeremy do "pegging", see two people have a serious conversation about relationships while one of them has a dildo strapped on to their crotch the entire time- all of this in like a half-hour episode. It's incredible. b) MVP: I can't choose between Ilana and Abbi so this one is for Paul Downs' complete devotion to both Trey and his porn star alter ego Kirk Steele.

12) Fresh of the Boat, season 1- This is such a fun show too. I especially like the 90s aspects of it. And how totally adorbs Evan is. a) Favourite episode: "Very Superstitious" Jessica is my favourite part of the show so seeing her go nuts over the number 4 is hilarious. Also the freak out Louis has after removing his jade locket. b) MVP: Constance Wu is killing it as Jessica. I can watch her all day.

13) Better Call Saul, season 1- I have a weird feeling I might end up loving this more than Breaking Bad. Mostly because I feel so much worse for poor Saul/Jimmy. Really excellent show in its own right. a) Favourite episode: "Pimento" because of that long time coming confrontation between Jimmy and Chuck. Heartbreaking stuff. b) MVP: In Breaking Bad, I always thought of Saul Goodman as someone really sleazy but now I just feel the pathos of the character which is so beautifully brought out by Bob Odenkirk. He's doing truly wonderful work.

Books:

1) Tampa by Alissa Nuting- Oh this book is so filthy but so fun! I enjoyed it to bits. It's a blast being in the head of someone so heinous.

2) The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes- Ironically, it's the ending I didn't like. Really beautifully written otherwise.


Final tally: 
                                                   Firsts- 59                                    Rewatched- 31
                                                                             Total- 90

Here's hoping I'm better this month onwards.

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

The Month that was December and the Year that was 2014

       Okay so half of January is over and everyone has already forgotten 2014 but I need to close the book on it in this blog. SO HERE WE ARE! I'm sorry guys, I had exams + had to recuperate from those exams. Life of an Indian student and all, ya know? But better late than never and this post is fucking late already.

         First up, December! I watched quite a few movies in December. I just really wanted to end up with a final tally of 300 movies watched over the year and I did that :) Yayy!

Firsts:

1) Bird People- What a stupid movie. Would have definitely walked out of it if I had managed to catch it in the film festival.
2) Mr. Turner- This was my first Mike Leigh film ever (and yes, I do know I suck at being a cinephile) and I really liked it. It was very beautiful and Timothy Spall was excellent.
3) I Origins- I liked it up to a point but then I found the big climax really strange and it didn't really recover for me. I love Michael Pitt though.
4) The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, part 1- I really liked it. Natalie Dormer!
5) Nightcrawler- Oof this was dirty and I loved it so! Amazing performance by Jake Gyllenhaal. Didn't expect to laugh as much as I did.
6) The Skeleton Twins- Aww this was lovely. I adore films about funny, sad, fucked up people. I'm still listening to "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" btw.
7) Palo Alto- I couldn't care less about what was happening in this film. Emma Roberts was good though.
8) The Theory of Everything- I was surprised at how much I liked it. It was mostly because of how heartbreakingly good Felicity Jones is in this film. For me, the film was all about her character and her love story.
9) The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them- I liked it but it had potential to be even better, which is why I *really* need to watch the Her and His versions.
10) The Way He Looks- Awwwwwww so cute!!
11) The Trip to Italy- It was more of the same thing as the first The Trip movie but god, Italy is gorgeous!
12) The Tale of Princess Kaguya- Very beautiful and sad.
13) St. Vincent- I didn't really care for it. Seemed manipulative and kind of bland.
14) Horrible Bosses 2- The shit I watch for Chris Pine. To be fair, I did like the first one but this one was terrible.
15) PK- SO GOOD! I loved it. Tackles important issues with a great deal of heart and humour.
16) A Star is Born- My last Blind Spot entry of 2014. I had problems with it but Judy Garland made them go away.
17) A Field in England- Easily one of the trippiest films I have ever seen. Still not sure what to make of it. Looked stunning though.
18) Pride- AWWWWWWWWWWWW!! But it wasn't just cute and happy but also heartfelt and human and sad and lovely and it's the best "based on a true story" film of the year by a mile.
19) '71- Pretty fantastic. Loved the way it was shot. Jack O'Connell was amazeballs too, obviously.
20) The Interview- My Christmas movie, duhhhsssss. It started out really funny but it kind of sags towards the end. Still, I had a blast.
21) Land Ho- I really liked it. It was like a less intellectual and more heartfelt version of The Trip. Gave me hope, it did.
22) The Book of Life- How can someone that looks so good be so meh?
23) This is Where I Leave You- It was okay but I thought it would never end.
24) Foxcatcher- Becomes better and better the more I think about it, but I did have to be really patient while watching it. Excellent, surprising performances.
25) Clouds of Sils Maria- It was v. different than what I had thought it would. Really interesting and engaging still.
26) Force Majeure- My last movie of 2014 and what a bang (pun intended) to go out with. Loved it. Never ever ever ever ever ever have I laughed so much at someone crying.


Rewatched:

1) Dev D- For our Bollywood podcast. Never noticed that it was Nawazuddin Siddiqui singing "Emosanal Atyachar"
2) Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge- Bollywood podcast. Best Bollywood movie ever.
3) Lagaan- Bollywood podcast. I always forget how good it is. Bloody long though.
4) Calvary- Still one of the best films from 2014.
5) God Help the Girl- I'm still listening to "I'll Have To Dance With Cassie".
6) How to Train Your Dragon 2- I loved it even more this time. Hiccup is a hottie.
7) My Fair Lady- I kept falling asleep while studying Pygmalion so I HAD to put this on. You know, for studying purposes. Obviously. Totes.

TV shows:

1) The Fall, series 2- Oh what a wonderful, twisted show. I never know what to expect even though I keep thinking that I've finally got it figured out. This series ended in a most tantalizing way and I really hope there is more. a) Favourite episode: "In Summation". Just the interrogation scene alone secured it this spot. b) MVP- Cannot possibly choose between Jamie Dornan's Paul Spector and Gillian Anderson's Stella Gibson. They're both incredible in this show.
2) Selfie (RIP)- I'm still so sad that this show was cancelled. It had sooooo much potential! It was wacky but cute. I really enjoyed it, especially Karen Gillan's and John Cho's natural chemistry. a) Favourite episode- "Imperfect Harmony" Never expected an episode like this. Funny and heartbreaking. b) MVP- I love Cho's Henry but Gillan's Eliza really owned this show. She was so funny and brave and ditzy and I loved her accent.

Note: I couldn't find favourite quotes for The Fall and couldn't decide on any for Selfie (RIP) though I must mention the genius in coming up with something like "The Urineversity of Southern Bladderfornia".

Final Tally of 2014:

Firsts: 232

Rewatched: 71

Total: 303

Number of Television Show Seasons Watched: 30 (from 24 shows)

         Now for all of 2014: I think it was mostly a meh-bordering-on-shitty year. But yes, film-wise, it was excellent. I watched more movies than I did in 2013. I took part in the Blind spot series even though I wasn't the best at it. I didn't really review anything apart from these films but I hope to change that this year.
I will soon start my "Best of 2014" lists but here are my 10 best first watches among films not from 2014, in order of preference:

Full Metal Jacket

Judgment at Nuremberg (Blind spot)

Gangs of Wasseypur

The Killing

Teeth

The Secret in their Eyes

Blue Velvet (Blind spot)

Cabaret

Blow Out

Stranger than Fiction

        As far as the TV shows are concerned, this was a great year too. I started Buffy (and I will finish it soon, I promise!) and was blown away by its awesomosity. True Blood came to an end and I was with it all the way, unfortunately. New shows like Broad City, The Fall, Jane the Virgin, Fargo and Selfie (RIP) were some of my favourites of the year. I will do a post on these shows soon because I do watch A LOT of TV now.

          Uh, musically, I was kind of a cave person most of the year unless you count soundtracks. There were some really amazing soundtracks this year which I'm still listening to tbh. Still, I need to be more musically aware in 2015. #MidJanuaryNewYearResolution

         And that's it, I think. Here's to 2015, fo' realz!

The Month that was- November

         It's December again -.- Another goddamn year wasted. November wasn't though, at least movie-wise, what with the film festival and Noirvember going on. It's a good thing that I managed to watch as many movies as I did (41 in all) because my exams start in January and I *really* need to study :/

Firsts:

1) Solaris- This put me to sleep... thrice :/

2) Anari- It was really touching. "Kisi Ki Muskurahaton Pe Ho Nisar" is a great song.

3) Two Days, One Night- I loved it so much. I love films that celebrate little victories. The subject matter of this may seem trivial but it *is* important to the characters in the film and it does justice to that, and to them. Marion Cotillard was really fantastic too.

4) Blazing Saddles- So funny. Also, I could have never, ever, ever, ever, ever, EVER expected that climax ever. Woahhh.

5) The Lady from Shanghai- Noirvember! I really liked it for most of it but that last 8 minutes or so is fucking insane! WOOOOOAAHHHH!! Also, I heart all of Rita Hayworth's costumes in this.

6) Laura- Noirvember!! I loved it. Yes, it was campy and a bit ridiculous but so much fun!
7) The Big Heat- Noirvember!!! This was a really genius film. You think it is one thing but it ends up being about something else entirely.
8) Big Hero 6- So much fun with a great warmth in it. And it was gorgeous too! I want a Baymax. I also want the older brother who's totes giving Hiccup a run for his money for the Hottest Animated Character of the Year Award.
9) The Killing- Noirvember!!!! It starts out a bit slow and confusing but my mouth literally fell open twice towards the end and not that many movies manage to do that anymore. Excellent!
10) Charlie's Country- Eye-opening but still very slow.
11) Geronimo- My least favourite film of KIFF. What a hot mess.
12) These Are the Rules- One of the most surprisingly good films we saw at KIFF. Incredible handling of death.
13) Pasolini- Eh. Pretty forgettable in spite of super uncomfortable sex scenes.
14) The Search- I was very emotionally invested in this. I liked it quite a bit.
15) Ciudad Delirio- SO cute! Yaay for random salsa romcoms mid-super serious film festivals!
16) Interstellar- I liked it but it's already kind of gone from my head. I remember being annoyed at the end because to me it made no sense. Yeahh.
17) Kaafiron Ki Namaz- Weird, funny, outrageous and super-theatrical. Liked it more than I had expected to.
18) Refugiado- I like simple, effective stories and this was one. The kid in this was very cute too.
19) Omar- The movie where I found my next dream husband. Adam Bakri, you beauty. Also, it was a really good film. 
20) The Two Faces of January- So straightforward and kind of bland. Did anyone else think that Oscar Isaac looked a bit like young Al Pacino in this?
21) The Guest- I loved it. Twisted and fun and hot, mostly because of Dan Stevens. Who knew Matthew Crawley had this in him? And what a soundtrack!
22) Mommy- It literally gave me all of the feels, so much so that I didn't know how to react after it was over. Amazing. One of my favourites of the year.
23) John Wick- This film is a blast. The action scenes were fucking awesome and I loved how the whole crime syndicate was like a dysfunctional family.
24) The Elephant Song- I thought it was trying to be smarter than it was. Dolan was good.
25) Whiplash- What a film. What an experience. Energizes every atom in your body. Love love love!!
26) The Thin Blue Line- So important and still kind of shocking.
27) Breathe In- I liked the performances and the music a lot. Guy Pearce is one hot fucker.
28) 3-Iron- Really weird but I liked it a lot. So romantic though it gets a tad too creepy at one point *shifts uncomfortably*.
29) Waltz with Bashir- Definitely worth the hype. That last part just pierces through you.
30) What We Do in the Shadows- SOOO funny! AND clever. 2014: the year vampires became awesome again.
31) Magic in the Moonlight- Charming but forgettable. Some lines were really lovely though, as was Emma Stone.
32) Gun Crazy- Noirvember!!!!! I really liked this one too. Peggy Cummins was excellent and John Dall was really handsome.
33) Kiss Me Deadly- Noirvember!!!!!! This was probably my least favourite of the noirs I saw. I thought it dragged a bit. The ending was something though.


Rewatched:

1) Gone Girl- In India this time. They censored "cunt" and "pussy" but left "cum-on-me tits" in there. I don't understand.
2) Out of Sight- For our Neo-Noirvember (!!!!!!!) episode. I was probably asexual when I first saw it because how the fuck did my ovaries not explode then? Anyways, they're gone now, all thanks to Clooney in the fucking bathtub.
3) Lolita- First film of KIFF. I forgot how excellent Shelley Winters was in this.
4) 2001: A Space Odyssey- Honestly, the whole fest would have been worth it just to see this on a big screen. Gorgeosity itself.
5) Nymphomaniac vol. 1- With added uncensored stuff. I still love this film. It makes me laugh. Bite me.
6) Dr. Strangelove- Is there anything funnier than listening to General Ripper talk about bodily fluids?
7) Obvious Child- For our podcast. I seriously love this film to bits. More films like this, please and thank you.

8) Guardians of the Galaxy- Watched it as soon as the DVD arrived. It's brilliant and I don't care if you agree or not *finger on the throat means death*.


TV shows:

Doctor Who, series 8- An excellent, excellent series and great work from Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman. I have a post on this half-ready and I will finish it very soon.


Final tally:
                                            Firsts- 206                                            Rewatched- 64
                                                                         Total- 270


            That's all for now. I will definitely post some stuff in December + this blog turns 5 if you can believe it. How time flies etc. Bye!

The Month that was- October

       October was vacation month and I mostly just lazed around doing nothing. Good times. I also saw 23 movies. I had intended to watch lots of horror movies but that kind of failed. I also started Twin Peaks but then realized that I need to reduce TV watching until probably after I get accepted somewhere for masters. And I read some books for college for once. Yeah, my life is a real ball of fun at the moment. Anyways, here's everything I saw and read.

Firsts:

1) Haider- I really liked it. It's a bold, ambitious, gorgeous film. There are things in this film I had never expected a Bollywood film to have. And seriously guys, watch it for Tabu's performance!
2) Horns- Utter crap. Even DanRad's complete devotion to his performance could not save it.
3) Gone Girl- I loved it though not as much as the book but OH MY GOD ROSAMUND PIKE IS EVERYTHING!!!
4) The Innocents- What a creeptastic film! Stunning, disturbing and it gets under your skin.
5) Teeth- Went into it thinking I'd hate it but it's kind of one of my favourite first watches of the year. Hilarious, crazy, brave, clever and brilliant! I loved it.
6) White Bird in a Blizzard- It's been a while since I saw a film completely ruined by its ending. I like it more in retrospect but gosh, was that ending trashy or was that ending trashy?! Eva Green is a goddess though and the soundtrack is amazing too.
7) Stranger By the Lake- This was a cool, sexy, creepy film. I really liked it. Also, penises everywhere! 
8) The First Time- Aww this was cute. My sexual orientation continues to be Dylan O'Brien's arms.
9) Listen Up Philip- This film gave me a headache. I thought the performances were excellent but I really found the film tedious, bordering on insufferable. Not my thing.
10) Gloria- Oh this was lovely. Made me really happy.
11) The Boxtrolls- It was very sweet and funny. Laika's efforts are inspiring.
12) Show Me Love- It was a bit like Blue is the Warmest Colour: The Early Years. I thought it was cute.
13) The Babadook- My Halloween night film. I thought it was excellent. I love horror movies that are grounded in something real and one in which we care about the characters. The performances were great too and Babadook's voice is still ringing in my ears. *shudders*


Rewatched:

1) The Game- For the Fincher episode. It's a good thriller but I found it kind of pointless and full of #RichPeopleProblems this time.
2) Panic Room- Podcast. I still find the premise terrifying.
3) Zodiac- Podcast. Best. Casting. Ever.
4) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button- Podcast. Rewatched it for the first time ever and I still don't understand why Fincher made this. It's so cheesy! At least it looks pretty.
5) The Social Network- Podcast. Still fucking perfect.
6) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo- Podcast. Give us the sequels, please!!!!! I love this film.
7) Gone Girl- Yeah I saw it again even though it was censored but OH MY GOD ROSAMUND PIKE YOU GUYS!!!!!!!!!
8) Withnail and I- I don't think I appreciated it enough the first time I saw it. It's fantastic.
9) Guardians of the Galaxy- My in-flight film. Still my #2 film of the year.
10) We Are the Best!- Still my #1 film of the year. It's so cute :D


Books:

1) The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain- I feel like I'm about a decade too old to enjoy this. How did Tom not get killed?
2) The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway- Eugh! It was so boring.
3) The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy- It was good albeit a bit too contrived at times.
4) Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell- To balance out all the smart shit I had been reading. It was cute although the novel in this reads like bad fanfiction of Harry Potter and that was really annoying.


Final tally:
                                    Firsts: 173                                                 Rewatched: 56
                                                                    Total- 229


Um, yeah. I guess there is a Doctor Who post coming and *maybe* some reviews. HOW THE FUCK IS IT NOVEMBER ALREADY??!!! 

The Month that was- September

         Helloo people! September hasn't been a very great month for movies although I did watch two excellent new TV shows. There hasn't been much blogging either (I totally skipped writing my Blind spot review even though I had watched the film). I'm just not very inspired to write currently (this post is more than a week late...). I have far too much reading to do. Final year of college, you guys. I hope you all understand :S


Firsts:

1) Edge of Tomorrow- Heyyy this was so much fun! I should put a poster of Emily Blunt's "guns" in my room to inspire me to work out.
2) God Help the Girl- Aww so cute. Though the film did feel like an extended music video at times, I thought it was nice enough and gosh, I LOVE the costumes in this film!!
3) Night Moves- I liked it more in retrospect. It was v.v.v.v. slow while I was watching it.
4) Begin Again- I thought it was v. sweet and it made me feel happy.
5) Greenberg- I really liked it. It would have been pretty bleak were it not for the poignant performances by Ben Stiller and Greta Gerwig.
6) Beau Travail- It's like watching a performance art piece mixed with some sort of Greek drama, yes? I was quite blown away.
7) The Class- I thought it was brilliant! Funny, raw, affecting, tragic and so real.
8) Maps to the Stars- Make no mistake, this is a batshit crazy film, but oh my god I was entertained! Especially because of Julianne Moore. She just gave it her all!
9) Great Expectations (1946)- This was for a class presentation. It was alright.
10) The Rover- It was much more engaging than I had expected it to be. The story sort of falters and is a bit confused, but really good performances. I did not think Robert Pattinson had this in him.
11) Obvious Child- Oh I loved it. A smart, modern, and v. human romantic comedy. There's nothing better in the world.
12) Aguirre: The Wrath of God- This was my Blind spot entry. I will probably write a mini review of it with October's entry. I liked it but it was v. strange which made it even harder for lazy me to put a review out.
13) A Vow to Cherish- Don't worry if you've never heard of it. No one has. This was a movie shown to my year in the Value Education class we all have to attend. All I want to say about it that I gave it a -1 out of 10 rating. Yeahhhh... I mean, has a movie ever made you contemplate committing suicide/murder? Who knew that was even possible? Aaaarrrggghhhhh!!!!!!!!
14) The Maze Runner- I actually liked it and not just because they made Dylan O'Brien wear really tight t-shirts (although that *did* help. 4 for you, Costume Department! You go Costume Department!). I was engaged from beginning to end and I was not expecting that at all.
15) The Adventures of Huck Finn- College made us watch this too. I swear to god, everyone in the audience was sooooooooo entertained and found it hilarious, EXCEPT me. I still don't have any clue why the fuck were they laughing so much! Some people even cried. This one made me contemplate whether I am in fact dead inside. But no. It was just such a stupid film, with some of the most jarring background score I have ever heard in my life + Elijah Wood was an even bigger pain in the ass in this than he was as Frodo. Who knew THAT was even possible? Gaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!
16) What If?- Thankfully, I had this to wash the awful taste of dear ol' Huck from my mouth. I loved it! It was so sweet and smart and everyone was adorbs in it. Ily DanRad. Also Harry Potter > Frodo.
17) The Commitments- I thought this film was fantastic! It was v. funny and god, I loved the music! I've been listening to it ever since.
18) Alien 3- For the upcoming podcast episode. It was better than I had expected actually, mostly because my expectations were so low. The last act was mostly awful though.
19) Lilting- The performances were lovely but I found the story lacking. Andrew Leung is a beautiful man.


Rewatched:

1) The Lunchbox- It was my in-flight movie. I still love it loads.
2) The Maze Runner- It was my brother's birthday and he wanted to watch it, so I went. Less impressive second time 'round but that's maybe because I saw it twice too soon?
3) Se7en- For the upcoming episode. It's a perfect film.


TV shows:

1) Broad City, season 1- LOVE. I love this show so much already! It's soooooooooooooo funny! Just amazeballs.
2) In the Flesh, series 1 and 2- LOVE. It's such an affecting show. I am usually not that huge a fan of zombies but my god, the way they have used zombies to show things like alienation, discrimination, extremism etc., I am so impressed! Can't wait for series 3!
3) Teen Wolf, season 4- What an uneven season. I hope this whole season was like a glitch because I don't know if I will continue with Teen Wolf with another hot mess like this. Even Dylan O'Brien and his arms could not save it. a) Favourite episode: "The Benefactor" because of how cool it was to see the world through our resident banshee, Lydia's eyes. b) MVP- Melissa Ponzio's Mama McCall. In a show about teenage supernatural creatures, it's the human adults which stand out the most. Notice a major flaw here, Teen Wolf? c) Favourite quote- I just love listening to the two Stilinskis converse.

Sheriff: "I want you to be honest with me. Totally and completely honest. Have you been time traveling?" 

Stiles: "Hang on, what?"

Sheriff: "Because if time traveling is real, I'm done, I'm out. You're going to be driving me to Eichen House."

Scott: "We found him like that."

Sheriff: "Where? Swimming in the fountain of youth?!"

Stiles: "No. We found him buried in a tomb of wolfsbane in an Aztec temple in Mexico underneath a church in the middle of a town that was destroyed by an earthquake."

3) Masters of Sex, season 2- I really loved this season. The first was more about the study, which was fun, but this one was about the relationships that have been affected by it. Sure it took some time to find its footing but I guess that's closer to what happened in reality. There is such tremendous acting that is going on in this show and it also looks incredible. a) Favourite episode- "Fight" which was one of the finest hours of television I have watched this year. The limited setting that lets our two leads truly explore each other, mind and body and broken past and everything else in between. Amazing. b) MVP- Just about every actor in this show finds ways to break my heart (special mention to Julianne Nicholson) but Lizzy Caplan just continues to astonish by her acting skills. I think she's phenomenal. c) Favourite quote- Just so inspiring.

Libby: "Maybe that’s the key, to let go of some ideal. To live the life that you have, not the life that you thought you would have. To finally just accept what is."

Final tally:

                                                Firsts: 160                                  Rewatched: 46

                                                                        Total- 206
 

         Um, yeah so that's it. No promises on what to expect in October or really, the rest of this year. It just is what it is.

The Months that were May, June, July and August

       Hello again peoples! Seeing how I haven't blogged in about three months and I haven't blogged properly in like forever, a post of this size was obviously on its way. Um, due to my never-ending exams and my laptop breaking, I have not been the tidiest in keeping track of all the movies and TV shows I have watched these past four months so in this post I'm just going to list down all the stuff that I've watched that I remember about and as for the things that have slipped out of my teeny tiny brain, well, sucks for them. They must not have been that good to begin with *tosses hair back sassily*

Firsts:

1) The Double- So weird and cool. My favourite looking movie of the year so far.

2) Not Another Happy Ending- Super cliched and not all that great. Karen Gillan is adorbs though.

3) The Amazing Spider-Man 2- My god, this list is old! Anyways, I actually somewhat liked this one. They fixed a lot of problems from the first movie and Emma Stone is just such a treasure.

4) The Host (2006)- For the podcast's Monster Movies episode. Loved it.

5) The Blob- For the podcast. Hello there, Steve McQueen.

6) Cat People- Podcast. I was a little bored but it was a pretty cool movie.

7) Tom at the Farm- The least Xavier Dolan-y of all the Xavier Dolan movies I have seen but that's not a bad thing. This dude is such a genius with atmosphere and music, it's insane. Really interesting and creepy.

8) The Secret in their Eyes- Kind of fantastic. Wonder how the remake will fare.

9) Godzilla- The people sucked but that's alright because the monsters were awesome! Such a cool concept with the slow reveal and the atmospheric tone.

10) X-Men: Days of Future Past- I loved it! I was so pleasantly surprised at how cleverly they handled so many friggin' characters. Plus, Quicksilver!!

11) Do the Right Thing- Loud but powerful.

12) Non-Stop- So stupid. So, so, sooo stoopid!

13) Wet Hot American Summer- Speaking of, dafuq was this? Why is it so famous? And bahahahaha Bradley Cooper :')

14) Oculus- It started out well but god, that ending was depressing. Also, way too convoluted.

15) The Grand Budapest Hotel- First Wes Anderson movie in theatres! It's so pretty and delightful. It was also the first Wes Anderson film I cried in. I hope Ralph Fiennes gets an Oscar nomination for it.

16) M- Blindspot for June. I really liked it. 

17) Ping Pong Summer- I thought it was adorbs. 80s might really be my decade.

18) A Million Ways to Die in the West- I liked it. It was exactly the kind of stupid humour I needed during my exams, although I will say that there were a little too many poop and fart jokes.

19) The Wind Rises- So beautiful. I shall miss Studio Ghibli movies.

20) The Raid 2: Berandal- The second half of the film is absolutely brilliant but the first movie is still better.

21) Neighbours- SO funny! Bless Rose Byrne.

22) Happy Christmas- It was very simple and sweet. Nothing amazing but it puts you in a nice mood.

23) They Came Together- It was perhaps trying to be too clever but I did like it, mostly because of Amy Poehler and Paul Rudd.

24) Chef- Do not watch it on an empty stomach! It was a feel good and a feel hungry movie.

25) We Are the Best!- My favourite movie of the year so far and one that might actually remain at the top spot at the end of the year. So cute and funny and endearing and awesome! #hatesports4eva

26) Cliffhanger- For our Dumb Action Movies episode, and it was indeed v. dumb and v. actiony.

27) The Fault in Our Stars- The first half was so funny but it kind of falters from then on. Shailene Woodley, Nat Wolff and Laura Dern were perfect but Ansel Elgort's face just annoys me to no end.

28) Locke- SO GOOD! Very unexpectedly engaging and thought-provoking. I need Tom Hardy to read out all my books for ever.

29) Calvary- Absolutely loved this one too. I love the McDonagh brothers' humour and this film is no different. It's very dark and it tackles some huge religion problems but my god, it delivers! The cast is amazing too.

30) Animal Kingdom- I don't know what I was expecting but this certainly wasn't it. I liked the film more on retrospect than while watching it.
31) Another Earth- Kinda on the same boat with this one. The opening is damn cool and god, I love Brit Marling's voice.
32) Life Itself- So. Much. Crying. Really beautiful movie.
33) Life After Beth- My least-liked movie of the year yet. Dane DeHaan plays an asshole who remains an asshole till the end. Not good.

34) Ida- Even though this film was about 80 minutes, it went on for forever! I did appreciate it though. It looked stunning as well.

35) 22 Jump Street- Hilarious. That ending alone was worth the ticket price.

36) Lucy- I wish its tagline read "Drugs Make You Smart!" because that's what the film showed. It was unintentionally hilarious and super trippy.

37) Guardians Of The Galaxy- Fuckloads of fun and such great characters and oh so pretty and colourful. More of this kind of movies, please.

38) Belle- I liked the movie quite a bit. Gugu Mbatha-Raw is stunning

39) Happy Together- I watched it on occasion of Wong Kar-Wai's birthday who has really become one of my most favourite filmmakers. I did not expect this film from him or Tony Leung at all and I was really pleasantly surprised. Gorgeous as always.

40) Blue Ruin- It was a bit slow for my taste. I feel like I needed to be in a different state of mind to truly appreciate this. I wasn't :/

41) Under the Skin- For the podcast. I thought I would hate it but I kinda loved it. So weird and unforgettable. ScarJo and the score were the stars.

42) Dawn of the Planet of the Apes- I thought it was excellent. The story, the cinematography and the effects were amazing, and of course, Andy Serkis is a god.

43) Starred Up- So raw and unflinching. Great performances by Jack O'Connell and Ben Mendelsohn 

44) The Immigrant- Again, not the film I was expecting. It was kind of a dirty movie but in a beautiful garb. One of the best last shots I have ever seen.

45) Camp Takota- So I went a bit Youtube crazy in the last couple of months and this has three of my favourite Youtubers. In that sense, it is good. Otherwise, it's a bit cliched and some parts were a tad cringeworthy.

46) Sightseers- In preparation for Ben Wheatley's Doctor Who debut. I wasn't able to see more of his stuff but I really liked this one. So funny and dark. My kind of humour :)

47) Frank- Incredibly original and sweet and sad. Maggie Gyllenhaal for all the awards!

48) Boyhood- So difficult to judge something like this in normal movie terms. I just hope Linklater has more ideas like this up his sleeve.

49) To Have and Have Not- RIP Lauren Bacall. What a legend. Gorgeous.
50) Good Morning, Vietnam- For our Robin Williams tribute episode. Quite fun but half of the pop culture references went over my head, soz :/
51) The Fisher King- Podcast. I was v. pleasantly surprised with this one. Quite magical in its own way.
52) Maleficent- It was a bit bleh but I did love it every time Angelina Jolie smiled and all of her scenes with baby Aurora.
53) Easy Rider- Blind spot for July. This one was a struggle to get through.
54) The One I Love- Really amazing for 3/4ths of its running time and then it goes too science-fiction-y and I found that pretty unnecessary.
55) Grand Hotel- Blind spot for August. It was good and Joan Crawford is the one I love.

Rewatched:

1) Mean Girls- I think this was for Mean Girls Day. Or not. As if I need a reason to rewatch this masterpiece.

2) Edward Scissorhands- You had so much promise, Johnny Depp! WHY?!!!!!!

3) Thirst- For the Matineecast. I got to be less tense and enjoy it more this time 'round.

4) Sid and Nancy- For the Matineecast as well. God, Sid and Nancy were young :S

5) Only Lovers Left Alive- The Matineecast yet again. Still fucking cool.

6) Pride & Prejudice- I may love it more than the text. A brilliant romcom.

7) The Lego Movie- It was my in-flight movie. Still fucking awesome.

8) Sense and Sensibility- I was in an Austen kinda mood.

9) Clueless- Like I said.

10) Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels- I forgot how brilliant this film was. That score alone is to die for.
11) X-Men: DoFP- McBender 2 times :D
12) True Lies- For the Dumb Action movie episode. This one was my choice. Man, that Jamie Lee Curtis-machine gun scene is still genius!
13) Air Force One- Podcast. Harrison Ford in this is my favourite movie president :P
14) The Grand Budapest Hotel- Yep, I loved it alright.
15) Queen- It was coming on TV. Still one of the best films of the year.
16) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 1- I seriously love this installment. My second favourite of the Potter films. So stunning.
17) The Lego Movie- I bought the DVD. It's just soooooo awesome, ya know?
18) Fight Club- For my birthday, as I wrote here.
19) Dead Poets Society- Podcast. This is a great movie. That's all.


TV Shows-

1) The Fall, season 1- Jamie Dornan, you gorgeous fucker. As if I don't doubt my mental stability enough, here we have ANOTHER super hot serial killer! Although, props to the show because he's matched by an equally adept and very refreshingly unusual "good guy" played by the amazing Gillian Anderson. I really liked the show even though it disturbed me in many ways. I even rewatched it but only the Dornan-Anderson bits. Can't wait for season 2.
2) Buffy the Vampire Slayer, seasons 3-5- Season 3 and 5 *might* be my favourites, mostly because of the villains and I do mean Faith for the former. Season 4 was a bit meh, thanks to Riley and the worst villain ever, Adam (ew). There were some pretty incredible episodes. "The Body" is easily one of the best hours of television I have ever seen. I love this show and I kind of took a break from it mid-6th season because I was getting too obsessed but I'll restart v. soon.
3) Fargo, season 1- Holy shit, this show is brilliant! I love it to bits. So funny and dark and just surprising at so many levels. Just look at the character of Lorne Malvo who is completely and deliciously unpredictable. Billy Bob Thornton has done a fantastic job with him, and same goes for other actors in it like Martin Freeman who REALLY surprised me with how wormy (that's the only word I can think of to describe Lester) he can be, Allison Tolman who gave us a true TV hero after what seems like forever and Bob Odenkirk who's so lovely.
4) Game of Thrones, season 4- Again, WOW this post is late! Remember when this happened? I liked this season. For what feels like the first time ever, more evil-er characters died including the spawn of the devil himself. Hurrah! a) Favourite episode- "Mockingbird" 'cuz not only did it have one of the best scenes in the whole series between Oberyn and Tyrion, it also had hot Daario stripping while Khaleesi sips wine and watches the beautiful, beautiful show. #PoorJorah b) MVP- As much as I have enjoyed watching Sophie Turner turn Sansa into a true player and Jack Gleeson create a character who embodies hate itself, this season belonged to Pedro Pascal's Oberyn Martell. The Red Viper himself, he's sexy, sassy, complex, heroic and hilarious, and Pascal just acted the hell out of this part. So good. c) Favourite quote- This one is for Sati. I don't remember it in the show itself but reading it now, I quite like the idea it embodies.

Stannis: "I will not become a page in someone else's history book."

5) Veep, season 3- Starting this show has been one of my smartest decisions this year. Loved this season. I love where they're taking it and I love everyone in it and I love all the insults! FUCKING BLESS THIS SHOW! a) Favourite episode- "Debate" for Selena's haircut, Dan's transformation and "holes". b) MVP- I have a soft spot for Timothy Simons' Jonah. He's such a stubborn loser. Him reading Dan's medical chart is one of the funniest scenes of the season. c) Favourite quote- This show has too many amazing quotes but I laughed the hardest at this.

Mike: "Siri, why does God allow suffering?"

6) The Originals, season 1- Wayyy better than The Vampire Diaries although it does meander quite a bit. I quite enjoy all the politics and backstabbing in this. a) Favourite episode- "From a Cradle to a Grave" because it had all the best elements of Julie Plec's twisty plots but with a very lovely emotional core. b) MVP- Joseph Morgan's Klaus is still a very complicated character and I've been a fan of his since TVD. (no quotes for this one, soz.)

7) Orange is the New Black, season 2- I feel that this season went into more conventional directions and wasn't as mindblowing as the first. Still, it is one of the best shows on TV right now and I love it. a) Favourite episode- "A Whole Another Hole" if for nothing else other than Morello's heartbreaking backstory. But it also has the "hole" situation, Big Boo and Nicky trying to fuck Soso and Poussey and Taystee being lovely. b) MVP- I'm going to say it here and now: no TV performance (and maybe in movies as well) I'm going to see this year is going to beat Lorraine Toussaint's as the diabolical and endlessly fascinating Vee. She OWNED the screen every time she was there. If she was in Game of Thrones, she would be sitting on that Iron Throne. So much control but gosh, it is terrifying! c) Favourite quote- This quote is hilarious and also comments on women's issues with this world, which is what the show gets so right most of the time.

Piper: "He's a hitman? Oh, I thought he was a rapist. I'm so relieved."

8) True Blood, season 7- And that's the way this show ended, not with a bang but with a gooey fucking mess. Aww man, this has been a difficult show to stay faithful to. Thank god for characters like Jessica, Lafayette, Jason and of course, Pam and Eric. a) Favourite episode- "Death is Not the End" for 80s and 90s Eric and Pam. If only the whole show was about them. b) MVP- Fuck this, I'm going to choose Tara Buck's Ginger. Bless her screaming and her wanting to bang Eric from the moment she first saw him to her actually banging Eric which reminded me of why I never gave up on True Blood because what other show can show a scene like that? Beautiful. You go, Ginger! c) Favourite quote- I'm allowed two because we'll never get this chance again.

Pam: "It's like being kicked in the cooch by a wallaby isn't it?" 

Just because of the imagination put into this.

Ginger: "Eric Northman is nothing if he is not pure fucking sex on a throne."

'Cuz #FACT

Final tally:

                                                                    Firsts- 141                           Rewatched- 43

                                                                                          Total-184

          Phew, it's over! We got through this together, you guys! I don't know what is going to happen in September. I really want to write some posts but final year is hectic as hell and I can't make any promises right now.