I just reviewed my list looking for items I can start or do now and so many of them require quite a bit of money. With Jeremy still not bringing in an income, I can't put a date on some of the more expensive trips. I guess I could start planning the trips and hammer out some of the details and then when we have the money we are good to go. OK, I will chew on that one.
For now I am going to pull out a mostly free item on the list. I've see the movies in bold. And the nominees are...
Bridge of Spies The Revenant Mad Max: Fury Road Spotlight The Big Short Room Brooklyn The Martian
12/27/16 A revenant is someone who returns. Of course I looked it during the movie, maybe even during a particularly violent scene, which may have helped me make it through the movie. I find it interesting that the word can be found in dictionary.com, but still has a squiggly red line under it indicating a spelling error. And, yes, I did make sure I was spelling it correctly. The movie was actually good and I lived it, which surprises me quite a bit. It was violent for sure, but the story line was interesting. I think it is comical that I didn't even notice the whole one shot cinematography thing at all. Jeremy mentioned it after the movie, I'm assuming in order to have an intelligent conversation about the artistic significance of the work and it subsequent impact of American film, while I just sat there with a puzzled look until it dawned on me what he was talking about. "You mean you didn't notice?"...was the obvious next question and I had to admit, that no, I actually had not paid the slightest bit of attention to the academy award winning camera shots. I was too busy looking up the filming location and the former credits of the major actors in the film on IMDB. I was able to wow everyone with the information about the movie set moving from Canada to Argentina or was is Peru? I can't remember now, but it was impressive. I did not intend to watch this movie, but I am glad I did. Now I will have to watch the other four before the new nominees come out in February. There is not much time. Need to get cracking.
1/31/17 I have no idea if this is supposed to be a yearly goal or just a single year goal. The nominees for 2017 are already out. Seems like this year's list is more to my liking than last year's.
2/5/17 Yesterday I noticed Netflix was featuring The Big Short and even though I had decided to just move on to this year's list of nominees, I couldn't pass that up. Way too convenient. And this time I am glad I did, because it was a very good movie. Loved the way they inserted different celebrities to dumb down the explanations for us. I actually needed that. Acting was great even though Christian Bale was in it and I really dislike him. Loved him in Little Women and everything after that is just annoying. Good actor, just annoying. OK I just looked to see if any of the other nominees from last year were on Netflix and first one I put in comes up. Spotlight it is folks.
2/6/17 Room was a great movie too. None of these movies have been light, I will say that, but they have been thought provoking, inspiring and moving. Surely Room was based in part on the life of Elizabeth, oh what's her name? Smart, Elizabeth Smart. Room is also one of the books I am supposed to read. I'm sure it will be a similar experience of not wanting to read it, but being glad I did in the end. The movie makes me wonder what I would do in a similar situation. Would I eventually give up on escape? It was her son that inspired her to push to escape. He prompted her desperation. It was alright for her to be stuck in the shack, but it became increasingly clear, that it was not ok for him. Her motherly instincts kicked in. Great story.
12/11/18 And finally I watched Mad Max. I have drug my feet so long on this one. I was on the plane from Seattle to Baltimore and I am a captive for 5 hours. I usually try to fit in a couple of flicks I don’t think Jeremy would watch with me, but this time I thought I would be productive and watch one of my best movie nominees if I could find one. Wouldn’t you know the first one I saw was Mad Max and as shocking as it may seem, I actually liked it. I didn’t think I would be able to follow the plot and it would just be totally weird. It was totally weird but I was sharp enough to figure out what was going on. Actually seemed a bit simplistic plot-wise. However, the costumes was so creative that I couldn’t help not falling asleep. Maybe there will be another nominee I can watch on the flight home tomorrow..
2017 Best Picture Nominees La La Land Manchester by the Sea The Arrival Fences Hell or High Water Hidden Figures Moonlight Hacksaw Ridge Lion
2/25/17 I decided to let the boys watch a rated R movie tonight. Hacksaw Ridge was well worth it. It was heroic and yes it was bloody and disgusting, but it was also redeeming and a great example of human courage and moral conviction. I even heard David tell his dad he cried during the movie. I teared up as well. Kudos to you Mel Gibson. You are a man of questionable morals and choices, but you have put out some epic films.
Not sure when I watched Lion, but what an amazing movie. It was based on a true story of a little boy who fell asleep on an empty train in India and was stuck for several days before it stopped. When he got off nobody would help him because he wasn't even saying the name of his little village correctly and NOBODY cared about all the little children running around with NOTHING. If there was a little kid here running around screaming for his mom there would be a host of mother hens descend upon said child and the police would be called and a national campaign would go out. There are so many unattended children there that people just ignore them. They have too many things to think about to take care of their own families and no room for any others. It was heart wrenching. What was amazing was the boy was adopted by a family in Tasmania and grew up there in a loving home. However, when he grew up he was so plagued by the brief memories of home that he began to search. I was thanks to google earth that he finally found the village and his family who had never moved. Of course in the end, they showed the real people involved and I love that. It so drives home the story and it's impact.
I just have Mad Max left from 2016 and about 6 left from 2017. It doesn't look like I talked about Hidden Figures anywhere yet and that was a great movie too. Any movie that highlights how people overcome discrimination and press through something difficult in order to reach a goal hit me in my sweet spot. Again, based on a true story and that makes it even better.
3/24/18 I actually watched this last weekend with the family, but I crossed The Arrival off the list. It was good, but I thought it was a wee bit slow. I am not going to worry about watching the others from last year. I'm going to go ahead and put up the nominees for this year and if I get around to watching, then I get around to it.
11/16/18 Fences was well worth the time, but it was not a feel good movie. From the first scenes I felt like I was watching a play because of the way they seemed to be monologuing quite a bit and low and behold at the end of the movie I see it is based on a play by fill in the blank. The movie made me want to hold on to David for dear life. It reminded me that we all just do the best we can with the skills and resources God has given us. We don’t always do the right thing, make the right choices, say the right words. But we love to the fullest, we give what we have to give, we share ourselves. I guess that is a good movie then.
1/11/19 Manchester By the Sea was definitely sad but it was actually good. Again, another movie I didn’t want to watch, but turned out good…people dealing with tragedy the best way they know how. I have had so little tragedy in my life. Very thankful.
2/6/19 Well Moonlight was not what I expected at all. It was good and again would never have chosen it on my own. I have watched and read several things lately that have opened my eyes to how other people live, namely people of color. Seeing how people get blocked into a way of being and find it almost impossible to move away even if they knew it was an option. Lots of good food for thought.
1/3/2020 Finally finished the 2017 movies. I had quite a bit of time over Christmas Break because I refused to turn on my computer for work and decided it was time to tackle some of these. Enjoyed La La Land. Was impressed with the talent of the actors I didn’t know could sing and dance. Didn’t much care for the ending, but good over all. Hell or High Water was a bit ugh for most of the movie and then at least got interesting right at the end. Could definitely have lived a whole life without being deprived if I didn’t watch these two, but box checked.
2018 Best Picture Nominees Lady Bird Call Me By Your Name The Post Phantom Thread Dunkirk Get Out Darkest Hour The Shape of Water Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
I have no idea what date it was, but Jeremy and I actually went to see The Shape of Water. I think if we had known it was a contender for Best Picture we probably wouldn't have gone to see it. I think we watched two movies that day. Can't remember the other one, but I definitely remember The Shape of Water because it was WEIRD. The main character has sex with a water creature/man thing. I would like to see The Darkest Hour and Dunkirk. Not sure about the others.
Got to see The Post and Dunkirk while on flights to and from Baltimore. I think I could have watched Three Billboards too, but never got around to it. I liked The Post better than Dunkirk, but both were actually a bit slow. Maybe that is a requirement for a nominated film.
11/3/18 Popped a bag of popcorn and watched Lady Bird tonight. Jeremy would have HATED this movie, but I loved it. Ended a bit abruptly, but I laughed out loud several times. Acting was amazing. I totally could relate to the mom and I hated that. Glad Prime had this one. Just checked and Prime also has Manchester By the Sea, Moonlight and Fences. I looked at Redbox not long ago and it had several of the others. If I watch all of those I will have all of 2016 finished and only have La La Land and Hell or High Water for 2017, which is great because I had all but given up on this challenge. Now that I say challenge it sounds a wee bit funny. This is not challenging at all, but what else do I call it? A task? A thing? An item? None of those sound right. I’ll think on it.
12/16/18 I am feeling the need to finish as many of these as possible before they announce the new Oscar Contenders and my list is even longer. Maybe I can watch several over Christmas break. I watched Three Billboards while on the plane from Baltimore to home. It was was better than I thought it would be. I keep saying that about these movies. Not one of them has been a stinker. So I guess I should just learn a lesson here that just because something doesn’t look interesting to me, doesn’t mean it won’t be good. I tend to stay away from what I perceive a sad movies or too introspective and many of these fit that bill quite easily, but when I watch them I find myself moved or impressed by some aspect of the film making. In essence I am entertained. This can’t always work. It certainly doesn’t with books. I try all kinds of things that other people say are amazing and decide I could have lived without listening.
1/6/2020 Finished this year’s nominees in a binge. Darkest Hour was great, but I love stories about Winston Churchill who was such a colorful character. I kept looking at Gary Oldham and being amazed that it was him playing Churchill. Amazing. Jeremy watched Get Out with me and it was creepy, but I really liked it. Was surprised a scary or suspenseful movie was a nominee but then understood why. It had quite a lot of racial themes in it. Phantom Thread was marginally interesting, but I really couldn’t be bothered to care about the main character and his weird relationship with his dead mother and then then end was just way strange. And finally, Call Me By Your Name was just amazingly uncomfortable. Can not imagine seeing this in a theater. Felt like I was watching porn with a serious plot line to go with it. Had to fast forward through quite a bit of it. Glad that is over.
2019 Best Picture Nominees - Bohemian Rhapsody BlacKkKlansman Star Is Born Black Panther Green Book Crazy Rich Asians The Favourite Vice
1/11/19 I am going with the Golden Globe nominees this year. Oscar nominees aren’t out yet, but I think these are usually a little bit more real people oriented. I’m going to try to watch all the other movies from previous years before I start on this year’s.
2/5/19 Watched Crazy Rich Asians on the plane to and from San Antonio and thought it was good, but nowhere near best picture worthy. Maybe I’m getting snooty and think all best pictures need to be meaningful. This one was just good fun.
1/8/2020 Trying to finish these off before the next round of nominees come out in the next couple of weeks. So let’s start with all the movies I have watched on a plane…Bohemian Rhapsody, Star Is Born, Green Book, Crazy Rich Asians, and The Favourite. Not sure why Crazy Rich Asians was a nominee. It was good but just a regular romcom. Star Is Born was impressive on the talent and enjoyed it. Same with Bohemian Rhapsody…great story, inspiring and sad. Really enjoyed Green Book. So difficult to watch how African Americans were treated and makes me think about my own biases. The Favourite was visually pleasing and appalling at the same time.
I just finished Vice and did enjoy that one. Really makes you think about how our leaders lead us and what their motives are. It also gives a glimpse into how the media is used to sway our opinions. Feel dirty. Just have BlacKkKlansman to go.
2020 Best Picture Nominees - 1917 Ford v Ferrari The Irishman JoJo Rabbit Joker Little Women Parasite Marriage Story Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
11/30/2020 Wow! I thought I was totally going to be way behind on this one, but it looks like I have actually watched most of the nominees from this year. So one to go from last year and then three from this year. I can totally do that before next year’s nominees come out on January 13. Now the only one I am looking forward to watching is Little Women. I bet I can get mom to watch that one with me.
2021 Best Picture Nominees - Sound of Metal Mank Minari Promising Young Woman The Father Nomadland Judas and the Black Messiah The Trial of the Chicago 7