11th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge List Thread: June 30-Aug. 1st **List Thread**
06-28-18, 11:57 AM
#26
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Re: The 11th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challene List Thread
Gobear's 11th Annual Sci-Fi/ Fantasy Challenge
First-Time Viewing: 1 | Blu-Ray: 0 | DVD: 0 | TV: 0 | Streaming 1 |Theatre:0 |Commentaries Listened To: 0
First-Time Viewing: 1 | Blu-Ray: 0 | DVD: 0 | TV: 0 | Streaming 1 |Theatre:0 |Commentaries Listened To: 0
Spoiler:
July 1
1. The Last Jedi. (2017)-Streaming--
I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, and I don't understand why the fanboys are whining about it. Luke gets a good ending to his story, the bad guys get theirs, and we are ready for the next film.
July 6
2. The Green Slime (1968)-TV--
This movie is so completely hokey, yet really enjoyable, and it has the greatest sci-fi theme song ever.
3. Satellite in the Sky (1956)-TV--
A beautifully made film, but the plot about testing a new kind of nuke in outer space is tedious
4. From the Earth to the Moon (1958)-TV--
Joseph Cotten and George Sanders play rival industrialists who plot the first voyage to the moon.
5. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)-Theater--
Enjoyable but forgettable sequel. Chris Pratt keeps his shirt on, sadly.
July 7
6. Sorry to Bother You. (2018)-Theater--
SavageAF satire on race and consumerism.
7. Antman and The Wasp. (2018)-Theater--
Michael Peña is the highlight of this sequel. Sequels often fail to live up to the original film, but this was really good, also, thanks to Thanos, now we have a cliffhanger! Bonus, shirtless Paul Rudd!
July 8
8. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2018)-TV-- Instead of a board game, this version of Jumanji is a video game that absorbs 4 teenagers. This was a lot more fun that I thought it would be.
9. Barbarella (1968)-TV--I think you can get a contact LSD high just from watching this flick.
July 10
10. The Truman Show (1998)-TV--Twenty years on, the "life as a reality show" concept has been stretched further than we ever thought possible.
July 15
11. Gattaca (1997)-TV--A beautiful film about one man struggling to achieve his dream of space flight despite being at the bottom of a genetic caste system.
12. John Carpenter's Village of the Damned (1995)-TV--None of the changes that Carpenter made from the 1960 original improve anything except for the shootout between the cops and the army.
July 20
13. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)-Streaming--
Typical Luc Besson--spectacular visuals in service of a hack story accompanied by bad acting. Still a fun watch.
July 21
14. The Lawnmower Man (1992)-TV--Hard to believe those crude graphics were state-of-the-art in 1992.
July 10
15. The War of the Worlds (2005)-DVD--Spielberg's remake is almost a classic. The movie begins like gangbusters, but it peters out toward the end.
July 22
16. Invaders From Mars (1986)-TV--Where the 1953 is an anti-Communist fable, this is more of a candy-colored kid's nightmare. Not a great movie, but enormously fun to watch.
July 26
17. Back to the Future (1985)-TV--I know exactly what I'd tell my younger self in 1985.
July 27
18. Extinction. (2016)-Streaming--
This plays like an extended "Outer Limits" episode. I don't want to say anything to spoil this, but it has one of the oldest cliches in science fiction as a plot point. OTOH, I really enjoy Michael Peña.
19. Liar, Liar. (1996)-TV--Remember when Jim Carrey was funny? His talent for physical comedy is on maximum effort as a lawyer forced by his son's magic wish to tell the truth for a full day.
20. The Thing. (1982)-TV--This movie still works all these years later. Easily my favorite Kurt Russell movie.
July 28
21. Yellow Submarine. (1968)-TV--Psychedelic animation which has nothing to do with The Beatles apart from using their songs and a short scene tacked on to the end. The Beatles are voiced by actors.
July 29
22. Stargate. (1994)-TV--Terrific action flick based on the Von Daniken "ancient astronauts" nonsense.
23. Ghosts of Mars. (2001)-TV--Not as terrible as its reputation, but wow, Ice Cube is a bad actor.
July 30
24. Upgrade. (2018)-Streaming--
A man paralyzed after his wife's murder gets an AI implant to help him walk. Shenanigans ensue. Has nobody ever heard of the 3 Laws of Robotics?
July 31
25. The Incredibles 2. (2018)-Theatrical--
Not quite as awesome as the first film, but this sequel was really good, and the bits with Edna Mode and JackJack were hilarious.
Last edited by Gobear; 06-29-19 at 08:23 PM.
06-28-18, 02:00 PM
#27
Re: The 11th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challene List Thread
Title in BLACK = From my personal DVD / Blu Ray collection.
Title in RED = Seen on Youtube.
Title in DARK RED = Seen on Netflix.
Title in PURPLE = Seen in movie theater during current theatrical run.
Title in GREEN = Seen on regular TV broadcast.
* = First time view
1. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) What a classic! This was my first time seeing it on DVD, I had previously only seen it on TV during regular broadcasts. Still hold up very well as an adventure film and the visuals are as exciting as they were in 1954. There is no better Nemo than James Mason who totally owns the role.
July 2
2. The Making of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea* Not a featurette but a full-length documentary on the making of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea 1 hour and 27 minutes of behind the scenes stuff.
July 3
3. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1997) TV Mini-series part 1
4. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1997) TV Mini-series part 2 An adaptation that perhaps drags a bit, it is still very enjoyable. Michael Cain is Nemo but good as he is, he's no James Mason. The addition of a female character (the lovely Mia Sara as Nemo's daughter Mara) gives the movie more emotional range. Glad to have this DVD.
July 4
5. Mystery on Monster Island* (2005) Even though the full title is Jules Verne's Mystery on Monster Island, don't be fooled as this has NOTHING to do with Verne's novel. Also don't be fooled by the credits which say "Peter Cushing and Terence Stamp in..." because both actors only appear at the beginning and end of the film for all of five minutes! The story is so idiotic that one wonders if they were intentionally making a comedy instead of an adventure movie.
July 5
6. Mysterious Island (2005) TV Mini-series part 1
7. Mysterious Island (2005) TV Mini-series part 2 At a total runtime of three hours this mini-series could have been more exciting as a two-hour movie, but still there's a lot to enjoy in this Hallmark movie adaptation. Patrick Stewart is the reclusive Captain Nemo who hasn't given up his dream of improving humanity. The movie mainly centers around a group of survivors from a crashed ballon who end up on Nemo's island only to face giant monsters and pirates.
July 6
8. Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959)
9. Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008)
10. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea* (1997) Made for TV movie. Note: This is NOT the mini-series released in the same year which I saw on July 3.
July 7
11. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea* (2004) Animated kid-friendly version of the tale that throws in a teenage girl to make it more appealing.
12. The Amazing Captain Nemo AKA The Return of Captain Nemo* (1978) Made for TV movie that feels like three episodes of a TV series spliced together. Captain Nemo returns to the modern world after being in suspended animation and is recruited by the US Government to fight the evil genius Dr. Cunningham (played with delight by Burgess Meredith). Jose Ferrer plays the Captain with a suave elegance as he once again helms the Nautilus. Cheaply made but very entertaining.
12.5 The Undersea Adventures of Captain Nemo* (1975) 45 minutes worth of cartoons.
13. Voyage Au Centre de la Terre* (2001) French language animated adaptation. 47 minutes.
July 8
14. Ant-Man and the Wasp* (2018) Who knew C-List heroes like Ant-Man and The Wasp could have their own movie and have it be very entertaining to boot. one of the better Marvel films. Recommended.
15. The Neptune Factor (1973) Some have called this movie "The Boredom Factor" because of its slow pace. And yes it does move slowly but the hook here is the suspense generated as the small submarine, The Neptune, tries to rescue some scientists who are stranded on the ocean floor. Once there they encounter giant creatures (in fact, just tropical fish filmed close-up, an effect that is laughable nowadays). But any movie with Yvette Mimieux and Ernest Borgnine is worth watching, cheesy effects be damned!
16. Forbidden Planet (1956) What can one say? An all-time classic that holds up incredibly well today. Great effects and a solid story that is true SF, not just space opera.
July 9
17. Doomsday Machine* (1972) An SF movie that tries to overcome its low budget limitations by injecting some real drama into the story.
18. Hangar 18* (1980)
19. Superboy, S3* (1991) Episodes: Jackson and Hyde / Mine Games / Wish for Armageddon / Standoff
July 10
20. The Invisible Boy (1957)
21. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964)
July 11
22. Watch the Skies!: Science Fiction, the 1950s and Us* (2005) / The Real History of Science Fiction (2014) Episode: Time
23. Fantastic Voyage (1966) Seen with commentary
July 12
24. Lost in Space*, S1 (2018) Episodes: Impact / Diamonds in the sky
25. Lost in Space*, S1 (2018) Episodes: Infestation / The Robinsons were here
July 13
26. Lost in Space*, S1 (2018) Episodes: Transmission / Eulogy
27. Lost in Space*, S1 (2018) Episodes: Pressurized / Trajectory
July 14
28. Lost in Space*, S1 (2018) Episodes: Resurrection / Danger, Will Robinson
29. The Titan* (2018)
July 15
30. Game of Thrones*, S7 (2017) Episodes: The Queen's justice / The Spoils of War
31. Game of Thrones*, S7 (2017) Episodes: Eastwatch / Beyond the wall
July 16
32. Game of Thrones*, S7 (2017) Episode: The Dragon and the Wolf 1 hour and 20 min episode so I'm counting it as one entry.
July 17
33. Westworld, S1 (2016) Episodes: Trompe l'oeil / Trace decay
34. Westworld, S1 (2016) Episodes: The well-tempered clavier / The bicameral mind
July 18
35. Westworld*, S2 (2018) Episodes: Journey into night / Reunion
36. Westworld*, S2 (2018) Episodes: Virtu e fortuna / The riddle of the Sphinx
July 19
37. Westworld*, S2 (2018) Episodes: Akane no man / Phase space
38. Westworld*, S2 (2018) Episodes: Les Ecorchés / Kiksuya
July 20
39. Westworld*, S2 (2018) Episodes: Vanishing point / The Passenger
July 21
40. The Island (2005)
July 22
41. Village of the Damned (1995)
July 23 - Both of these movies seen during a bus trip on the bus' on-board streaming service.
42. Arrival (2016)
43. Life (2017)
July 24
44. The Dark Tower (2017)
July 25
45. The Fifth Element (1997)
July 26
46. Lucy (2014)
July 27
47. H.R. Pufnstuff* (1969)
July 28
48. Firestarter 2: Rekindled* (2002) TV mini series part 1
49. Firestarter 2: Rekindled* (2002) TV mini series part 2
July 29
50. Ghost in the Shell (2017)
Final Tally
First-time views: 26
Views from my personal collection: 22
Youtube: 7
Netflix: 7
Regular TV broadcast: 12
"In-flight movie" in a bus: 2
Title in RED = Seen on Youtube.
Title in DARK RED = Seen on Netflix.
Title in PURPLE = Seen in movie theater during current theatrical run.
Title in GREEN = Seen on regular TV broadcast.
* = First time view
Part 1: JULES VERNE MOVIE MARATHON
July 11. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) What a classic! This was my first time seeing it on DVD, I had previously only seen it on TV during regular broadcasts. Still hold up very well as an adventure film and the visuals are as exciting as they were in 1954. There is no better Nemo than James Mason who totally owns the role.
July 2
2. The Making of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea* Not a featurette but a full-length documentary on the making of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea 1 hour and 27 minutes of behind the scenes stuff.
July 3
3. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1997) TV Mini-series part 1
4. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1997) TV Mini-series part 2 An adaptation that perhaps drags a bit, it is still very enjoyable. Michael Cain is Nemo but good as he is, he's no James Mason. The addition of a female character (the lovely Mia Sara as Nemo's daughter Mara) gives the movie more emotional range. Glad to have this DVD.
July 4
5. Mystery on Monster Island* (2005) Even though the full title is Jules Verne's Mystery on Monster Island, don't be fooled as this has NOTHING to do with Verne's novel. Also don't be fooled by the credits which say "Peter Cushing and Terence Stamp in..." because both actors only appear at the beginning and end of the film for all of five minutes! The story is so idiotic that one wonders if they were intentionally making a comedy instead of an adventure movie.
July 5
6. Mysterious Island (2005) TV Mini-series part 1
7. Mysterious Island (2005) TV Mini-series part 2 At a total runtime of three hours this mini-series could have been more exciting as a two-hour movie, but still there's a lot to enjoy in this Hallmark movie adaptation. Patrick Stewart is the reclusive Captain Nemo who hasn't given up his dream of improving humanity. The movie mainly centers around a group of survivors from a crashed ballon who end up on Nemo's island only to face giant monsters and pirates.
July 6
8. Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959)
9. Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008)
10. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea* (1997) Made for TV movie. Note: This is NOT the mini-series released in the same year which I saw on July 3.
July 7
11. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea* (2004) Animated kid-friendly version of the tale that throws in a teenage girl to make it more appealing.
12. The Amazing Captain Nemo AKA The Return of Captain Nemo* (1978) Made for TV movie that feels like three episodes of a TV series spliced together. Captain Nemo returns to the modern world after being in suspended animation and is recruited by the US Government to fight the evil genius Dr. Cunningham (played with delight by Burgess Meredith). Jose Ferrer plays the Captain with a suave elegance as he once again helms the Nautilus. Cheaply made but very entertaining.
12.5 The Undersea Adventures of Captain Nemo* (1975) 45 minutes worth of cartoons.
13. Voyage Au Centre de la Terre* (2001) French language animated adaptation. 47 minutes.
Jules Verne Marathon ends. We now return to our regularly scheduled Science Fiction Challenge.
July 8
14. Ant-Man and the Wasp* (2018) Who knew C-List heroes like Ant-Man and The Wasp could have their own movie and have it be very entertaining to boot. one of the better Marvel films. Recommended.
15. The Neptune Factor (1973) Some have called this movie "The Boredom Factor" because of its slow pace. And yes it does move slowly but the hook here is the suspense generated as the small submarine, The Neptune, tries to rescue some scientists who are stranded on the ocean floor. Once there they encounter giant creatures (in fact, just tropical fish filmed close-up, an effect that is laughable nowadays). But any movie with Yvette Mimieux and Ernest Borgnine is worth watching, cheesy effects be damned!
16. Forbidden Planet (1956) What can one say? An all-time classic that holds up incredibly well today. Great effects and a solid story that is true SF, not just space opera.
July 9
17. Doomsday Machine* (1972) An SF movie that tries to overcome its low budget limitations by injecting some real drama into the story.
18. Hangar 18* (1980)
19. Superboy, S3* (1991) Episodes: Jackson and Hyde / Mine Games / Wish for Armageddon / Standoff
July 10
20. The Invisible Boy (1957)
21. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964)
July 11
22. Watch the Skies!: Science Fiction, the 1950s and Us* (2005) / The Real History of Science Fiction (2014) Episode: Time
23. Fantastic Voyage (1966) Seen with commentary
July 12
24. Lost in Space*, S1 (2018) Episodes: Impact / Diamonds in the sky
25. Lost in Space*, S1 (2018) Episodes: Infestation / The Robinsons were here
July 13
26. Lost in Space*, S1 (2018) Episodes: Transmission / Eulogy
27. Lost in Space*, S1 (2018) Episodes: Pressurized / Trajectory
July 14
28. Lost in Space*, S1 (2018) Episodes: Resurrection / Danger, Will Robinson
29. The Titan* (2018)
July 15
30. Game of Thrones*, S7 (2017) Episodes: The Queen's justice / The Spoils of War
31. Game of Thrones*, S7 (2017) Episodes: Eastwatch / Beyond the wall
July 16
32. Game of Thrones*, S7 (2017) Episode: The Dragon and the Wolf 1 hour and 20 min episode so I'm counting it as one entry.
July 17
33. Westworld, S1 (2016) Episodes: Trompe l'oeil / Trace decay
34. Westworld, S1 (2016) Episodes: The well-tempered clavier / The bicameral mind
July 18
35. Westworld*, S2 (2018) Episodes: Journey into night / Reunion
36. Westworld*, S2 (2018) Episodes: Virtu e fortuna / The riddle of the Sphinx
July 19
37. Westworld*, S2 (2018) Episodes: Akane no man / Phase space
38. Westworld*, S2 (2018) Episodes: Les Ecorchés / Kiksuya
July 20
39. Westworld*, S2 (2018) Episodes: Vanishing point / The Passenger
July 21
40. The Island (2005)
July 22
41. Village of the Damned (1995)
July 23 - Both of these movies seen during a bus trip on the bus' on-board streaming service.
42. Arrival (2016)
43. Life (2017)
July 24
44. The Dark Tower (2017)
July 25
45. The Fifth Element (1997)
July 26
46. Lucy (2014)
July 27
47. H.R. Pufnstuff* (1969)
July 28
48. Firestarter 2: Rekindled* (2002) TV mini series part 1
49. Firestarter 2: Rekindled* (2002) TV mini series part 2
July 29
50. Ghost in the Shell (2017)
Final Tally
First-time views: 26
Views from my personal collection: 22
Youtube: 7
Netflix: 7
Regular TV broadcast: 12
"In-flight movie" in a bus: 2
Spoiler:
Last edited by pagefrance; 08-02-18 at 02:02 AM. Reason: List update
06-28-18, 07:04 PM
#28
Re: The 11th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challene List Thread
2014: 79
2015: 102
2016: 65
2017: 76
June 30 Dusk
1. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) Theater ☼ ★★★★☆
July 1
2. Ash vs Evil Dead S03E05 "Baby Proof" FMovies ☼
3. Ash vs Evil Dead S03E06 "Tales from the Rift" FMovies ☼
4. Ash vs Evil Dead S03E07 "Twist and Shout" FMovies ☼
5. Ash vs Evil Dead S03E08 "Rifting Apart" FMovies ☼
6. Ash vs Evil Dead S03E09 "Judgement Day" FMovies ☼
July 2
7. Ash vs Evil Dead S03E10 "The Mettle of Man" FMovies ☼
8. Almost Human S01E02 "Skin" FMovies ☼
July 3
9. Person of Interest S01E01 "Pilot" Netflix ☼
10. Incredibles 2 (2018) Theater ☼ ★★★★☆
11. Future Man S01E02 "Herpe: Fully Loaded" Hulu ☼
12. Future Man S01E03 "A Riphole in Time" Hulu ☼
13. Future Man S01E04 "A Fuel's Errand" Hulu ☼
14. Future Man S01E05 "Justice Desserts" Hulu ☼
15. Future Man S01E06 "A Blowjob Before Dying" Hulu ☼
16. Future Man S01E07 "Pandora's Mailbox" Hulu ☼
17. Future Man S01E08 "Girth, Wind & Fire" Hulu ☼
18. Future Man S01E09 "Operation: Fatal Attraction" Hulu ☼
19. Future Man S01E10 "Operation: Natal Attraction" Hulu ☼
July 4
20. Future Man S01E11 "Beyond the Truffledome" Hulu ☼
21. Future Man S01E12 "Prelude to an Apocalypse" Hulu ☼
22. Future Man S01E13 "A Date with Destiny" Hulu ☼
July 5
23. iZombie S04E05 "Goon Struck" Netflix ☼
24. iZombie S04E06 "My Really Fair Lady" Netflix ☼
25. iZombie S04E07 "Don't Hate the Player, Hate the Brain" Netflix ☼
26. iZombie S04E08 "Chivalry is Dead" Netflix ☼
27. iZombie S04E09 "Mac-Liv-Moore" Netflix ☼
28. iZombie S04E10 "Yipee Ki Brain, Motherscratcher" Netflix ☼
29. iZombie S04E11 "Insane in the Germ Brain" Netflix ☼
30. iZombie S04E12 "You've Got to Hide Your Liv Away" Netflix ☼
31. The First Purge (2018) Theater ☼ ★★★★☆
July 6
32. iZombie S04E13 "And He Shall Be a Good Man" Netflix ☼
33. Red Dwarf S01E01 "The End" DailyMotion ☼
34. Fear the Walking Dead S04E02 "Another Day in the Diamond" FMovies ☼
July 9
35. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) Theater ☼ ★★★★★
July 10
36. Preacher S01E01 "Pilot" Hulu ☼
37. Reign of Fire (2002) FMovies ☼ ★★☆☆☆
July 11
38. Stranger Things S02E03 "Chapter Three: The Pollywog" Netflix ☼
39. Almost Human S01E03 "Are You Receiving?" FMovies ☼
40. Rick and Morty S01E07 "Raising Gazorpazorp" Hulu ☼
41. Almost Human S01E04 "The Bends" FMovies ☼
July 12
42. Altered Carbon S01E02 "Fallen Angel" Netflix ☼
43. Da Vinci's Demons S01E01 "The Hanged Man" FMovies ☼
44. Tremors II: Aftershocks (1996) BluRay ★★★★★
July 13
45. Jessica Jones S01E01 "AKA Ladies Night" Netflix ☼
46. Reign S01E01 "Pilot" Netflix ☼
47. The Punisher S01E01 "3AM" Netflix ☼
48. Mystery Science Theater 3000 S01E01 "The Crawling Eye" YouTube ☼
July 14
49. BrainDead S01E05 "Back to Work: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Congress and How It Gets Things Done (and Often Doesn't)" Prime ☼
50. Ghosted S01E14 "Unbelievable" FMovies ☼
July 15
51. Legion S01E01 "Chapter 1" Hulu ☼
52. The Man From Earth (2007) Prime ☼ ★★★★☆
July 16
53. BrainDead S01E06 "Past as Prologue: Notes Toward a Post-Reagan Theory of Party Alliance, Tribalist, and Loyalty" Prime ☼
54. BrainDead S01E07 "The Power of Euphemism: How Torture Became a Matter of Debate in American Politics" Prime ☼
55. BrainDead S01E08 "The Path to War (1): The Gathering Political Storm" Prime ☼
56. BrainDead S01E09 "Taking on Water: How Leaks in D.C. are Discovered and Patched" Prime ☼
57. BrainDead S01E10 "The Path to War (2): The Impact of Propaganda on Congressional War Votes" Prime ☼
July 17
58. BrainDead S01E11 "Six Points on the New Congressional Budget: The False Dichotomy of Austerity vs. Expansionary Policies" Prime ☼
59. BrainDead S01E12 "Talking Points Toward a Wholistic View of Activism in Government: Can the Top Rebel?" Prime ☼
60. Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018) Theater ☼ ★★★★★
61. BrainDead S01E13 "The End of All We Hold Dear: What Happens when Democracies Fail: A Brief Synopsis" Prime ☼
62. Rampage (2018) FMovies ☼ ★★★★★
63. Ghosted S01E15 "The Airplane" FMovies ☼
July 18
64. Shadowhunters S03E02 "The Powers That Be" Hulu ☼
65. Final Destination 2 (2003) BluRay ★★★★★
66. Shadowhunters S03E03 "What Lies Beneath" Hulu ☼
July 19
67. Shadowhunters S03E04 "Thy Soul Instructed" Hulu ☼
68. Shadowhunters S03E05 "Stronger Than Heaven" Hulu ☼
69. Shadowhunters S03E06 "A Window Into an Empty Room" Hulu ☼
70. Shadowhunters S03E07 "Salt in the Wound" Hulu ☼
July 20
71. Shadowhunters S03E08 "A Heart of Darkness" Hulu ☼
72. Shadowhunters S03E09 "Familia Ante Omnia" Hulu ☼
73. Shadowhunters S03E10 "Erchomai" Hulu ☼
74. Marvel's Inhumans S01E04 "Make Way for... Medusa" FMovies ☼
75. The Good Witch (2008) FMovies ☼ ★★★★☆
76. The Good Witch's Garden (2009) FMovies ☼ ★★★★☆
July 21
77. The Good Witch's Family (2011) FMovies ☼ ★★★★☆
78. Stranger Things S02E04 "Chapter Four: Will the Wise" Netflix ☼
79. Stranger Things S02E05 "Chapter Five: Dig Dug" Netflix ☼
July 22
80. Stranger Things S02E06 "Chapter Six: The Spy" Netflix ☼
81. Stranger Things S02E07 "Chapter Seven: The Lost Sister" Netflix ☼
82. The Good Witch's Charm (2012) FMovies ☼ ★★★★☆
83. The Good Witch's Destiny (2013) FMovies ☼ ★★★★☆
84. The Good Witch's Wonder (2014) FMovies ☼ ★★★★★
85. Good Witch S01E01 "Starting Over… Again" Netflix ☼
July 23
86. Grimm S01E01 "Pilot" Prime ☼
87. Marvel's Inhumans S01E05 "Something Inhuman This Way Comes" FMovies ☼
88. Ghosted S01E16 "Hello Boys" FMovies ☼
89. Stranger Things S02E08 "Chapter Eight: The Mind Flayer" Netflix ☼
July 24
90. Stranger Things S02E09 "Chapter Nine: The Gate" Netflix ☼
91. The 4400 S01E04 "Trial by Fire" Netflix
92. Marvel's Inhumans S01E06 "The Gentleman's Name is Gorgon" FMovies ☼
93. Marvel's Inhumans S01E07 "Havoc in the Hidden Land" FMovies ☼
94. Marvel's Inhumans S01E08 "... And Finally: Black Bolt" FMovies ☼
95. Bloodsucking Bastards (2015) FMovies ★★★★★
July 25
96. Dark Shadows S01E01 "Pilot" Dailymotion ☼
97. Merlin S01E01 "The Dragon's Call" Netflix ☼
98. Final Destination 3 (2006) FMovies ★★★★★
99. Life on Mars S01E01 "Series 1, Episode 1" Dailymotion ☼
July 26
100. Once Upon a Time S04E05 "Breaking Glass" Netflix ☼
101. Real Genius (1985) Netflix ☼ ★★★★☆
July 27
102. Wonderfalls S01E01 "Wax Lion" YouTube ☼
July 28
103. Reign S01E02 "Snakes in the Garden" Netflix ☼
104. Reign S01E03 "Kissed" Netflix ☼
105. Reign S01E04 "Hearts and Minds" Netflix ☼
July 29
106. Mystery Science Theater 3000 S01E02 "The Robot vs. the Aztec Mummy" Netflix ☼
107. Grimm S01E02 "Bears Will Be Bears" Prime ☼
108. Person of Interest S01E02 "Ghosts" Netflix ☼
July 30
109. Castle Rock S01E01 "Severance" Hulu ☼
110. Dark Shadows S01E02 "DS-2" Prime ☼
111. Dark Shadows S01E03 "DS-3" Prime ☼
112. Dark Shadows S01E04 "DS-4" Prime ☼
113. Dark Shadows S01E05 "DS-5" Prime ☼
July 31
114. Dark Shadows S01E06 "DS-6" Prime ☼
115. Dark Shadows S01E07 "DS-7" Prime ☼
116. Dark Shadows S01E08 "DS-8" Prime ☼
117. Dark Shadows S01E09 "DS-9" Prime ☼
118. Dark Shadows S01E10 "DS-10" Prime ☼
119. Teen Titans Go! To the Movies (2018) Theater ☼ ★★☆☆☆
120. Dark Shadows S01E11 "DS-11" Prime ☼
121. Dark Shadows S01E12 "DS-12" Prime ☼
122. Dark Shadows S01E13 "DS-13" Prime ☼
123. Person of Interest S01E03 "Mission Creep" Netflix ☼
August 1 before dawn
124. Merlin S01E02 "Valiant" Netflix ☼
125. Grimm S01E03 "Beeware" Prime ☼
Template
2015: 102
2016: 65
2017: 76
BLU: 2 | DVD: 0 | Netflix/Amazon/Hulu : 83 | Free Streaming: 34 | DVR/VOD: 0 | Theater: 6
June 30 Dusk
1. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) Theater ☼ ★★★★☆
July 1
2. Ash vs Evil Dead S03E05 "Baby Proof" FMovies ☼
3. Ash vs Evil Dead S03E06 "Tales from the Rift" FMovies ☼
4. Ash vs Evil Dead S03E07 "Twist and Shout" FMovies ☼
5. Ash vs Evil Dead S03E08 "Rifting Apart" FMovies ☼
6. Ash vs Evil Dead S03E09 "Judgement Day" FMovies ☼
July 2
7. Ash vs Evil Dead S03E10 "The Mettle of Man" FMovies ☼
8. Almost Human S01E02 "Skin" FMovies ☼
July 3
9. Person of Interest S01E01 "Pilot" Netflix ☼
10. Incredibles 2 (2018) Theater ☼ ★★★★☆
11. Future Man S01E02 "Herpe: Fully Loaded" Hulu ☼
12. Future Man S01E03 "A Riphole in Time" Hulu ☼
13. Future Man S01E04 "A Fuel's Errand" Hulu ☼
14. Future Man S01E05 "Justice Desserts" Hulu ☼
15. Future Man S01E06 "A Blowjob Before Dying" Hulu ☼
16. Future Man S01E07 "Pandora's Mailbox" Hulu ☼
17. Future Man S01E08 "Girth, Wind & Fire" Hulu ☼
18. Future Man S01E09 "Operation: Fatal Attraction" Hulu ☼
19. Future Man S01E10 "Operation: Natal Attraction" Hulu ☼
July 4
20. Future Man S01E11 "Beyond the Truffledome" Hulu ☼
21. Future Man S01E12 "Prelude to an Apocalypse" Hulu ☼
22. Future Man S01E13 "A Date with Destiny" Hulu ☼
July 5
23. iZombie S04E05 "Goon Struck" Netflix ☼
24. iZombie S04E06 "My Really Fair Lady" Netflix ☼
25. iZombie S04E07 "Don't Hate the Player, Hate the Brain" Netflix ☼
26. iZombie S04E08 "Chivalry is Dead" Netflix ☼
27. iZombie S04E09 "Mac-Liv-Moore" Netflix ☼
28. iZombie S04E10 "Yipee Ki Brain, Motherscratcher" Netflix ☼
29. iZombie S04E11 "Insane in the Germ Brain" Netflix ☼
30. iZombie S04E12 "You've Got to Hide Your Liv Away" Netflix ☼
31. The First Purge (2018) Theater ☼ ★★★★☆
July 6
32. iZombie S04E13 "And He Shall Be a Good Man" Netflix ☼
33. Red Dwarf S01E01 "The End" DailyMotion ☼
34. Fear the Walking Dead S04E02 "Another Day in the Diamond" FMovies ☼
July 9
35. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) Theater ☼ ★★★★★
July 10
36. Preacher S01E01 "Pilot" Hulu ☼
37. Reign of Fire (2002) FMovies ☼ ★★☆☆☆
July 11
38. Stranger Things S02E03 "Chapter Three: The Pollywog" Netflix ☼
39. Almost Human S01E03 "Are You Receiving?" FMovies ☼
40. Rick and Morty S01E07 "Raising Gazorpazorp" Hulu ☼
41. Almost Human S01E04 "The Bends" FMovies ☼
July 12
42. Altered Carbon S01E02 "Fallen Angel" Netflix ☼
43. Da Vinci's Demons S01E01 "The Hanged Man" FMovies ☼
44. Tremors II: Aftershocks (1996) BluRay ★★★★★
July 13
45. Jessica Jones S01E01 "AKA Ladies Night" Netflix ☼
46. Reign S01E01 "Pilot" Netflix ☼
47. The Punisher S01E01 "3AM" Netflix ☼
48. Mystery Science Theater 3000 S01E01 "The Crawling Eye" YouTube ☼
July 14
49. BrainDead S01E05 "Back to Work: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Congress and How It Gets Things Done (and Often Doesn't)" Prime ☼
50. Ghosted S01E14 "Unbelievable" FMovies ☼
July 15
51. Legion S01E01 "Chapter 1" Hulu ☼
52. The Man From Earth (2007) Prime ☼ ★★★★☆
July 16
53. BrainDead S01E06 "Past as Prologue: Notes Toward a Post-Reagan Theory of Party Alliance, Tribalist, and Loyalty" Prime ☼
54. BrainDead S01E07 "The Power of Euphemism: How Torture Became a Matter of Debate in American Politics" Prime ☼
55. BrainDead S01E08 "The Path to War (1): The Gathering Political Storm" Prime ☼
56. BrainDead S01E09 "Taking on Water: How Leaks in D.C. are Discovered and Patched" Prime ☼
57. BrainDead S01E10 "The Path to War (2): The Impact of Propaganda on Congressional War Votes" Prime ☼
July 17
58. BrainDead S01E11 "Six Points on the New Congressional Budget: The False Dichotomy of Austerity vs. Expansionary Policies" Prime ☼
59. BrainDead S01E12 "Talking Points Toward a Wholistic View of Activism in Government: Can the Top Rebel?" Prime ☼
60. Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018) Theater ☼ ★★★★★
61. BrainDead S01E13 "The End of All We Hold Dear: What Happens when Democracies Fail: A Brief Synopsis" Prime ☼
62. Rampage (2018) FMovies ☼ ★★★★★
63. Ghosted S01E15 "The Airplane" FMovies ☼
July 18
64. Shadowhunters S03E02 "The Powers That Be" Hulu ☼
65. Final Destination 2 (2003) BluRay ★★★★★
66. Shadowhunters S03E03 "What Lies Beneath" Hulu ☼
July 19
67. Shadowhunters S03E04 "Thy Soul Instructed" Hulu ☼
68. Shadowhunters S03E05 "Stronger Than Heaven" Hulu ☼
69. Shadowhunters S03E06 "A Window Into an Empty Room" Hulu ☼
70. Shadowhunters S03E07 "Salt in the Wound" Hulu ☼
July 20
71. Shadowhunters S03E08 "A Heart of Darkness" Hulu ☼
72. Shadowhunters S03E09 "Familia Ante Omnia" Hulu ☼
73. Shadowhunters S03E10 "Erchomai" Hulu ☼
74. Marvel's Inhumans S01E04 "Make Way for... Medusa" FMovies ☼
75. The Good Witch (2008) FMovies ☼ ★★★★☆
76. The Good Witch's Garden (2009) FMovies ☼ ★★★★☆
July 21
77. The Good Witch's Family (2011) FMovies ☼ ★★★★☆
78. Stranger Things S02E04 "Chapter Four: Will the Wise" Netflix ☼
79. Stranger Things S02E05 "Chapter Five: Dig Dug" Netflix ☼
July 22
80. Stranger Things S02E06 "Chapter Six: The Spy" Netflix ☼
81. Stranger Things S02E07 "Chapter Seven: The Lost Sister" Netflix ☼
82. The Good Witch's Charm (2012) FMovies ☼ ★★★★☆
83. The Good Witch's Destiny (2013) FMovies ☼ ★★★★☆
84. The Good Witch's Wonder (2014) FMovies ☼ ★★★★★
85. Good Witch S01E01 "Starting Over… Again" Netflix ☼
July 23
86. Grimm S01E01 "Pilot" Prime ☼
87. Marvel's Inhumans S01E05 "Something Inhuman This Way Comes" FMovies ☼
88. Ghosted S01E16 "Hello Boys" FMovies ☼
89. Stranger Things S02E08 "Chapter Eight: The Mind Flayer" Netflix ☼
July 24
90. Stranger Things S02E09 "Chapter Nine: The Gate" Netflix ☼
91. The 4400 S01E04 "Trial by Fire" Netflix
92. Marvel's Inhumans S01E06 "The Gentleman's Name is Gorgon" FMovies ☼
93. Marvel's Inhumans S01E07 "Havoc in the Hidden Land" FMovies ☼
94. Marvel's Inhumans S01E08 "... And Finally: Black Bolt" FMovies ☼
95. Bloodsucking Bastards (2015) FMovies ★★★★★
July 25
96. Dark Shadows S01E01 "Pilot" Dailymotion ☼
97. Merlin S01E01 "The Dragon's Call" Netflix ☼
98. Final Destination 3 (2006) FMovies ★★★★★
99. Life on Mars S01E01 "Series 1, Episode 1" Dailymotion ☼
July 26
100. Once Upon a Time S04E05 "Breaking Glass" Netflix ☼
101. Real Genius (1985) Netflix ☼ ★★★★☆
July 27
102. Wonderfalls S01E01 "Wax Lion" YouTube ☼
July 28
103. Reign S01E02 "Snakes in the Garden" Netflix ☼
104. Reign S01E03 "Kissed" Netflix ☼
105. Reign S01E04 "Hearts and Minds" Netflix ☼
July 29
106. Mystery Science Theater 3000 S01E02 "The Robot vs. the Aztec Mummy" Netflix ☼
107. Grimm S01E02 "Bears Will Be Bears" Prime ☼
108. Person of Interest S01E02 "Ghosts" Netflix ☼
July 30
109. Castle Rock S01E01 "Severance" Hulu ☼
110. Dark Shadows S01E02 "DS-2" Prime ☼
111. Dark Shadows S01E03 "DS-3" Prime ☼
112. Dark Shadows S01E04 "DS-4" Prime ☼
113. Dark Shadows S01E05 "DS-5" Prime ☼
July 31
114. Dark Shadows S01E06 "DS-6" Prime ☼
115. Dark Shadows S01E07 "DS-7" Prime ☼
116. Dark Shadows S01E08 "DS-8" Prime ☼
117. Dark Shadows S01E09 "DS-9" Prime ☼
118. Dark Shadows S01E10 "DS-10" Prime ☼
119. Teen Titans Go! To the Movies (2018) Theater ☼ ★★☆☆☆
120. Dark Shadows S01E11 "DS-11" Prime ☼
121. Dark Shadows S01E12 "DS-12" Prime ☼
122. Dark Shadows S01E13 "DS-13" Prime ☼
123. Person of Interest S01E03 "Mission Creep" Netflix ☼
August 1 before dawn
124. Merlin S01E02 "Valiant" Netflix ☼
125. Grimm S01E03 "Beeware" Prime ☼
Template
Spoiler:
Last edited by PCBreakdown; 08-01-18 at 12:53 AM.
06-28-18, 10:58 PM
#29
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: 11th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge List Thread: June 30-Aug. 1st **List Thread*
July 5
1. Ant-Man and the Wasp
1. Ant-Man and the Wasp
Last edited by Ginwen; 07-11-18 at 11:11 PM.
06-30-18, 08:28 AM
#30
Senior Member
Re: 11th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge List Thread: June 30-Aug. 1st **List Thread*
here
First Time Viewing ****
Total viewings -64 1st time watch - 39 Blu Ray- 33 DVD- 6 Other- 25
July 1st
1. First Men in the Moon (1964) 7/10. A bit slow going the first hour, but the Harryhausen effects in last third of the film are worth the wait. Indicator Blu Ray ****
2. Jason and the Argonauts (1963) 8/10. What can be said that hasn't already about this classic film. The skeleton fight scene is movie magic. Indicator Blu Ray.
3. Mysterious Island (1961) 7/10.For some reason I only recently got around to watching this classic Ray Harryhausen film. Very entertaining adventure film with great special effects as expected from Ray H.
Indicator Blu Ray.****
4. Radius (2017) 4/10. Silly premise about a guy that discovers people die within 50 feet of him. DVD.****
5. Massacre at Dinosaur Valley (1985) 7.5/10. Cannibal film without alot of the gore from the earlier films. I honestly wasn't sure what it was about at first. I guess this one will be my wild card. Recommended ! Blu Ray 88 films ****
July 2nd
6. Star Trek season 1 episode 25-The Devil in the Dark (1967) 7/10. creeping terror carpet rocks terrorize Kirk and Spock. Great fun. Netflix streaming.
7. Iron Fist Season 1 Episode 1 (2017) 6/10. Danny Rand comes back after 15 years with super powers. Netflix streaming ****
8. Back to the Future (1985) 8/10.. Listened to the director q&a commentary track. Blu ray.
July 3rd
9. Back to the Future 2 (1989) 8/10.Listened to the director q&a commentary track. Blu ray.
10.Iron Fist Season 1 Episode 2 (2017) 6/10.[/U][/B] Danny Rand fights to regain his family business. Netflix streaming ****
11. Cyborg 2087 (1966) 6/10michael rennie plays a android from the future (typecasting from Day the Earth Stood Still). Cheap, but entertaining. Kino Blu Ray.****
July 4th
12. Star Trek season 1 episode 26 Errand of Mercy (1967) 9/10. One of my favorite episodes and first time we get to see the klingons. Netflix.
13. Guyver (1991) 4/10. Apparently inspired by Japanese Anime and Manga, this film is a over the top kaiju creature martial arts mashup.
not my cup of tea. Arrow Blu Ray ****
14. Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970) 4/10. Computers control the US and Soviet Nuclear Arsenal, but don't seem to know what a gin and tonic is or what a bed is for. This film gets alot of praise for it's intelligence and thought provoking story, but i was unimpressed. Shout Blue Ray ****
15. Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941) 6/10 Serial 1 -6. Captain Marvel origin and battle with The Scorpion. Kino Blu Ray. ****
16.Iron Fist Season 1 Episode 3 (2017) 6/10.Danny Rand fights to regain his family business and retains a lawyer to fight. Netflix streaming ****
17.Star Trek season 1 episode 27 The Alternative Factor 6/10. Kirk encounters Lazarus and a parallel universe. Netflix.
18. Independence Day - Resurgence (2016) 6/10. Basically same plot as first film with a alot of cgi and one liners thrown in. Showtime. ****
July 5th
19. Batman: The Killing Joke (2016) 5/10. Animated film about Batman and the Joker. One time watch. Showtime ****
20.Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941) 6/10 Serial 7-13. Captain battle with The Scorpion ends. Kino Blu Ray. ****
21.Star Trek season 1 episode 28. The City on the Edge of Forever 5/10. Bones jumps thru a time portal that lands him just prior to WWII. Netflix.
22. Iron Fist Episode 4 (2017) 6/10. Danny is back in the rand company taking on the illuminati. Netflix. ****
23. Battle Royale (2000) 7/10. 9th graders are sent to a remote island and have to kill each other to survive. Blu Ray.
24. Inception (2010) 7/10. Heist operator that uses the mind and dreams to commit crime.An impressive film with a very complex premise. I need to rewatch it. Blu Ray ****
25. Europa Report (2013) 6/10.A manned trip to Jupiter turns tragic in this entertaining found footage film. But, like most found footage, the build up is better than the payoff ending. Netflix ****
July 6th - 8th
no watches
July 9th
26. The Projected Man (1966) 6/10.Scream Factory released a 2 k scan of this rare british sci-fi horror movie. Standard " experiment gone wrong turns scientist into a monster " stuff, but I am a sucker for these films. I grew up on them. Blu Ray ****
July 10th
27. Iron Fist - episode 5 6/10. Iron fist is now back in the company and majority owner. He is finding the company has some ethics issues. netflix ****
July 11th No Watches
July 12th
28. Class of 1999 (1990) 7/10.wildly entertaining film about high school thugs battling cyborg teachers. Blu Ray ****
29.Virtual Revolution (2016) 7.5/10.A pleasant surprise. Morality tale about the dangers of spending one's life online. Heavy Blade Runner inspiration. DVD ****
30.A*P*E (1976) 5/10.Beyond silly. Redefines the "man in suit" concept. Hilariously bad.vBlu Ray ****
July 13th
31. The Shape of Water (2017) 8/10. A beautiful film that is typical of Toro. Merits multiple watches. DVD ****
32. Iron Fist - episode 6 6/10.Danny Rand discovers his company has a dark secret. Netlflix ****
33.Iron Fist - episode 7 6/10.Danny Rand battles a group called the hand. Netlflix ****
July 14th
34. Iron Fist - episode 8 6/10.Danny Rand gets sideways with his board of directors. Netflix ****
35. Sea of Monsters (2013) 5/10. CGI shit show. BLu Ray ****
36.Iron Fist - episode 9 6/10. Danny gets deeper into The Hand operation. Netflix ****
37.Iron Fist - episode 10 6/10.more battles with The Hand. Netflix ****
38. The Twilight People (1972) 6/10.Bat shit (literally) crazy philippines sci fy horror. John Ashley stalks the jungles in search of mutant people. Essentially an Island of Dr Moreau tale. Blu Ray ****
July 15th
39. Batman Begins (2005) 8/10.Entertaining, gritty and not over done with special affects. Batman Begins is a great beginning! Blu Ray.
40.The Dark Knight Rises (2012) 7/10.Interesting story, great characters, special effects were excellent. My only complaint is that at 2 hours and 45 minutes the movie is just too long. Blu Ray.
41.A*P*E (1976) 5/10.Beyond silly. Redefines the "man in suit" concept. Hilariously bad. Listened to the Commentary track. Blu Ray
July 16th
42. Back to the Future III (1990) 7/10. Listened to the commentary Q&A track. Blu Ray.
July 17th
43.Iron Fist - episode 11 6/10. The Hand has friends close to Danny. Netflix ****
44. The Swamp Thing (1990) season 2 episodes 1-3. 5/10. mildly entertaining because the acting is so bad and the plot so thin. Shout DVD. ****
45. Back to the Future (1985) 8/10. Listened to the commentary track. Blu ray.
July 18th
46.Iron Fist - episode 12 6/10.Danny conquers the hand. Netflix ****
47.Iron Fist - episode 13 6/10.Season finale. Danny and Ward team up. Netflix ****
48.The Swamp Thing (1990) season 2 episodes 4-6. 5/10.[/U][/B] mildly entertaining because the acting is so bad and the plot is so thin. Shout DVD. ****
July 19-20 - no watches
July 21st
49. Prey (1977) 7/10.A low budget " Man who fell to Earth" but with the sleaze and gore elements greatly enhanced. The film also plays loose and fast with sexuality. Interesting film. Blu Ray ****
50. Resident Evil (2002) 5/10.The CGI, bland characters and overly long run time make this a chore for me. Blu Ray.
51. The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973) 7/10.A classic that seems to never get old for me, although I think it could have been even better with about 10 minutes trimming. Iconic stop motion animation and a compelling story. Blu Ray.
52. The Amazing Spider Man (2012) 7/10.This version spends alot more time on backstory and character development and leaves the action for last 45 minutes. I think it did this successfully. Yes its a reboot, yes, its long and yes, lots of CGI. I still think it works. Blu Ray
53.Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell (2018) 7/10. I like all the Tremors films and i am not ashamed to admit it. This one has plenty of one liners and action to satisfy fans of the franchise.
July 22nd
54. Resident Evil Apocalypse (2004) 5/10.CGI action fest continuation of the first film. Blu Ray.
55. Ghostbusters (1984) 10/10.I saw this in the theater. It probably has been that long since i rewatched it. I honestly can't find a single flaw with this film. Every character is engaging and the story just breezily moves along. Blu Ray.
56. Ghostbusters 2 (1989) 7/10.This film doesn't capture the magic of the first film, but is still entertaining. Blu Ray.
57. The Bubble (1966) 5/10.The first 20 minutes set up was great. A couple flying through a storm land in a strange town where the inhabitants are all zombie like. Unfortunately the story drags and goes no where after. Blu Ray ****
July 23rd
58. Robocroc (2013) 2/10.A SYFY stinker that gets progressively worse as it goes along. Terrible CGI and b grade acting. Dee Wallace sleepwalks through it. SYFY Channel. ****
59. Luke Cage (2016) Season 1 Episode 1. 5/10. Luke Cage returns from prison. Netflix ****
60. Luke Cage (2016) Season 1 Episode 2. 5/10. Luke Cage tangles with harlem gangsters. Netflix ****
July 24th
61. Luke Cage (2016) Season 1 Episode 3. 5/10. Luke Cage loses someone close to him and challenges cottonmouth. Netflix ****
July 28th
62. This is the End (2013) 6/10.Seth Rogen /Franco comedy vehicle. It is an entertaining watch, but i don't think the comedy holds up to multiple viewings. Blu Ray
July 29th
63. Have Rocket, Will Travel (1959) 5/10.I have fond memories of watching this on TV as a kid in the 70s. Unfortunately, watching it now it is a pretty tired Stooges vehicle. Dvd
64. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) 10/10.A perfect film in my opinion. Funny, captivating with great, unforgettable performances. Blu Ray
Checklist
First Time Viewing ****
Total viewings -64 1st time watch - 39 Blu Ray- 33 DVD- 6 Other- 25
July 1st
1. First Men in the Moon (1964) 7/10. A bit slow going the first hour, but the Harryhausen effects in last third of the film are worth the wait. Indicator Blu Ray ****
2. Jason and the Argonauts (1963) 8/10. What can be said that hasn't already about this classic film. The skeleton fight scene is movie magic. Indicator Blu Ray.
3. Mysterious Island (1961) 7/10.For some reason I only recently got around to watching this classic Ray Harryhausen film. Very entertaining adventure film with great special effects as expected from Ray H.
Indicator Blu Ray.****
4. Radius (2017) 4/10. Silly premise about a guy that discovers people die within 50 feet of him. DVD.****
5. Massacre at Dinosaur Valley (1985) 7.5/10. Cannibal film without alot of the gore from the earlier films. I honestly wasn't sure what it was about at first. I guess this one will be my wild card. Recommended ! Blu Ray 88 films ****
July 2nd
6. Star Trek season 1 episode 25-The Devil in the Dark (1967) 7/10. creeping terror carpet rocks terrorize Kirk and Spock. Great fun. Netflix streaming.
7. Iron Fist Season 1 Episode 1 (2017) 6/10. Danny Rand comes back after 15 years with super powers. Netflix streaming ****
8. Back to the Future (1985) 8/10.. Listened to the director q&a commentary track. Blu ray.
July 3rd
9. Back to the Future 2 (1989) 8/10.Listened to the director q&a commentary track. Blu ray.
10.Iron Fist Season 1 Episode 2 (2017) 6/10.[/U][/B] Danny Rand fights to regain his family business. Netflix streaming ****
11. Cyborg 2087 (1966) 6/10michael rennie plays a android from the future (typecasting from Day the Earth Stood Still). Cheap, but entertaining. Kino Blu Ray.****
July 4th
12. Star Trek season 1 episode 26 Errand of Mercy (1967) 9/10. One of my favorite episodes and first time we get to see the klingons. Netflix.
13. Guyver (1991) 4/10. Apparently inspired by Japanese Anime and Manga, this film is a over the top kaiju creature martial arts mashup.
not my cup of tea. Arrow Blu Ray ****
14. Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970) 4/10. Computers control the US and Soviet Nuclear Arsenal, but don't seem to know what a gin and tonic is or what a bed is for. This film gets alot of praise for it's intelligence and thought provoking story, but i was unimpressed. Shout Blue Ray ****
15. Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941) 6/10 Serial 1 -6. Captain Marvel origin and battle with The Scorpion. Kino Blu Ray. ****
16.Iron Fist Season 1 Episode 3 (2017) 6/10.Danny Rand fights to regain his family business and retains a lawyer to fight. Netflix streaming ****
17.Star Trek season 1 episode 27 The Alternative Factor 6/10. Kirk encounters Lazarus and a parallel universe. Netflix.
18. Independence Day - Resurgence (2016) 6/10. Basically same plot as first film with a alot of cgi and one liners thrown in. Showtime. ****
July 5th
19. Batman: The Killing Joke (2016) 5/10. Animated film about Batman and the Joker. One time watch. Showtime ****
20.Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941) 6/10 Serial 7-13. Captain battle with The Scorpion ends. Kino Blu Ray. ****
21.Star Trek season 1 episode 28. The City on the Edge of Forever 5/10. Bones jumps thru a time portal that lands him just prior to WWII. Netflix.
22. Iron Fist Episode 4 (2017) 6/10. Danny is back in the rand company taking on the illuminati. Netflix. ****
23. Battle Royale (2000) 7/10. 9th graders are sent to a remote island and have to kill each other to survive. Blu Ray.
24. Inception (2010) 7/10. Heist operator that uses the mind and dreams to commit crime.An impressive film with a very complex premise. I need to rewatch it. Blu Ray ****
25. Europa Report (2013) 6/10.A manned trip to Jupiter turns tragic in this entertaining found footage film. But, like most found footage, the build up is better than the payoff ending. Netflix ****
July 6th - 8th
no watches
July 9th
26. The Projected Man (1966) 6/10.Scream Factory released a 2 k scan of this rare british sci-fi horror movie. Standard " experiment gone wrong turns scientist into a monster " stuff, but I am a sucker for these films. I grew up on them. Blu Ray ****
July 10th
27. Iron Fist - episode 5 6/10. Iron fist is now back in the company and majority owner. He is finding the company has some ethics issues. netflix ****
July 11th No Watches
July 12th
28. Class of 1999 (1990) 7/10.wildly entertaining film about high school thugs battling cyborg teachers. Blu Ray ****
29.Virtual Revolution (2016) 7.5/10.A pleasant surprise. Morality tale about the dangers of spending one's life online. Heavy Blade Runner inspiration. DVD ****
30.A*P*E (1976) 5/10.Beyond silly. Redefines the "man in suit" concept. Hilariously bad.vBlu Ray ****
July 13th
31. The Shape of Water (2017) 8/10. A beautiful film that is typical of Toro. Merits multiple watches. DVD ****
32. Iron Fist - episode 6 6/10.Danny Rand discovers his company has a dark secret. Netlflix ****
33.Iron Fist - episode 7 6/10.Danny Rand battles a group called the hand. Netlflix ****
July 14th
34. Iron Fist - episode 8 6/10.Danny Rand gets sideways with his board of directors. Netflix ****
35. Sea of Monsters (2013) 5/10. CGI shit show. BLu Ray ****
36.Iron Fist - episode 9 6/10. Danny gets deeper into The Hand operation. Netflix ****
37.Iron Fist - episode 10 6/10.more battles with The Hand. Netflix ****
38. The Twilight People (1972) 6/10.Bat shit (literally) crazy philippines sci fy horror. John Ashley stalks the jungles in search of mutant people. Essentially an Island of Dr Moreau tale. Blu Ray ****
July 15th
39. Batman Begins (2005) 8/10.Entertaining, gritty and not over done with special affects. Batman Begins is a great beginning! Blu Ray.
40.The Dark Knight Rises (2012) 7/10.Interesting story, great characters, special effects were excellent. My only complaint is that at 2 hours and 45 minutes the movie is just too long. Blu Ray.
41.A*P*E (1976) 5/10.Beyond silly. Redefines the "man in suit" concept. Hilariously bad. Listened to the Commentary track. Blu Ray
July 16th
42. Back to the Future III (1990) 7/10. Listened to the commentary Q&A track. Blu Ray.
July 17th
43.Iron Fist - episode 11 6/10. The Hand has friends close to Danny. Netflix ****
44. The Swamp Thing (1990) season 2 episodes 1-3. 5/10. mildly entertaining because the acting is so bad and the plot so thin. Shout DVD. ****
45. Back to the Future (1985) 8/10. Listened to the commentary track. Blu ray.
July 18th
46.Iron Fist - episode 12 6/10.Danny conquers the hand. Netflix ****
47.Iron Fist - episode 13 6/10.Season finale. Danny and Ward team up. Netflix ****
48.The Swamp Thing (1990) season 2 episodes 4-6. 5/10.[/U][/B] mildly entertaining because the acting is so bad and the plot is so thin. Shout DVD. ****
July 19-20 - no watches
July 21st
49. Prey (1977) 7/10.A low budget " Man who fell to Earth" but with the sleaze and gore elements greatly enhanced. The film also plays loose and fast with sexuality. Interesting film. Blu Ray ****
50. Resident Evil (2002) 5/10.The CGI, bland characters and overly long run time make this a chore for me. Blu Ray.
51. The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973) 7/10.A classic that seems to never get old for me, although I think it could have been even better with about 10 minutes trimming. Iconic stop motion animation and a compelling story. Blu Ray.
52. The Amazing Spider Man (2012) 7/10.This version spends alot more time on backstory and character development and leaves the action for last 45 minutes. I think it did this successfully. Yes its a reboot, yes, its long and yes, lots of CGI. I still think it works. Blu Ray
53.Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell (2018) 7/10. I like all the Tremors films and i am not ashamed to admit it. This one has plenty of one liners and action to satisfy fans of the franchise.
July 22nd
54. Resident Evil Apocalypse (2004) 5/10.CGI action fest continuation of the first film. Blu Ray.
55. Ghostbusters (1984) 10/10.I saw this in the theater. It probably has been that long since i rewatched it. I honestly can't find a single flaw with this film. Every character is engaging and the story just breezily moves along. Blu Ray.
56. Ghostbusters 2 (1989) 7/10.This film doesn't capture the magic of the first film, but is still entertaining. Blu Ray.
57. The Bubble (1966) 5/10.The first 20 minutes set up was great. A couple flying through a storm land in a strange town where the inhabitants are all zombie like. Unfortunately the story drags and goes no where after. Blu Ray ****
July 23rd
58. Robocroc (2013) 2/10.A SYFY stinker that gets progressively worse as it goes along. Terrible CGI and b grade acting. Dee Wallace sleepwalks through it. SYFY Channel. ****
59. Luke Cage (2016) Season 1 Episode 1. 5/10. Luke Cage returns from prison. Netflix ****
60. Luke Cage (2016) Season 1 Episode 2. 5/10. Luke Cage tangles with harlem gangsters. Netflix ****
July 24th
61. Luke Cage (2016) Season 1 Episode 3. 5/10. Luke Cage loses someone close to him and challenges cottonmouth. Netflix ****
July 28th
62. This is the End (2013) 6/10.Seth Rogen /Franco comedy vehicle. It is an entertaining watch, but i don't think the comedy holds up to multiple viewings. Blu Ray
July 29th
63. Have Rocket, Will Travel (1959) 5/10.I have fond memories of watching this on TV as a kid in the 70s. Unfortunately, watching it now it is a pretty tired Stooges vehicle. Dvd
64. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) 10/10.A perfect film in my opinion. Funny, captivating with great, unforgettable performances. Blu Ray
Checklist
Spoiler:
Last edited by numbercrunch; 08-01-18 at 06:58 PM.
06-30-18, 08:42 AM
#31
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: 11th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge List Thread: June 30-Aug. 1st **List Thread*
1. Goosebumps (2015)*
2. Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005)*
3. Supergirl, 3x3: Far from the Tree (2017)*
4. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., 5x15: Rise and Shine (2018)*
5. Ghost Whisperer, 2x8: The Night We Met (2006)*
6. Jumanji (1995)
7. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
8. Luke Cage, 2x5: All Souled Out (2018)*
9. Bright (2017)*
10. Cloak & Dagger, 1x3: Stained Glass (2018)*
11. The X-Files, 11x4: The Lost Art of Forehead Sweat (2018)*
12. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 2x5: Reptile Boy (1997)
13. Wynonna Earp, 2x1: Steel Bars and Stone Walls (2017)*
14. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
15. Luke Cage, 2x6: The Basement (2018)*
16. Luke Cage, 2x7: On and On (2018)*
17. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
18. Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)
19. Jurassic Park (1993)
20. The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
21. Jurassic Park III (2001)
22. Jurassic World (2015)
23. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
24. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)*
25. Supergirl, 3x4: The Faithful (2017)*
26. Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone (2001)
27. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
28. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
29. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
30. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
31. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
32. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
33. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
34. Ready Player One (2018)
35. Rampage (2018)
36. Arrival (2016)*
37. Donnie Darko (2001)
38. Supergirl, 3x5: Damage (2017)*
39. A Quiet Place (2018)
40. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012)
41. The 5th Wave (2016)*
42. Supergirl, 3x6: Midvale (2017)*
43. The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai (1984)*
44. Ghost Whisperer, 2x9: The Curse of the Ninth (2006)*
45. Early Edition, 1x13: Mob Wife (1997)*
46. The Smurfs, 1x4: The Magical Meanie/Sorceror Smurf (1981)
47. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 3x29: Blast from the Past (1989)
48. Short Circuit (1986)
49. Back to the Future (1985)
50. Back to the Future Part II (1989)
51. Back to the Future Part III (1990)
52. Supergirl, 3x7: Wake Up (2017)*
53. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., 3x16: Inside Voices (2018)*
54. Annihilation (2018)*
55. V, 1x1: Pilot (2009)*
56. V, 1x2: There Is No Normal Anymore (2009)*
57. Predator (1987)
58. Predator 2 (1990)
59. AVP: Alien Vs. Predator (2004)
60. The X-Files, 11x5: Ghouli (2018)*
61. The X-Files, 11x6: Kitten (2018)*
62. The X-Files, 11x7: Rm9sbG93ZXJz (2018)*
63. The X-Files, 11x8: Familiar (2018)*
64. The X-Files, 11x9: Nothing Lasts Forever (2018)*
65. The X-Files, 11x10: My Struggle IV (2018)*
66. Lucifer, 2x3: Sin-Eater (2016)*
67. Sleepy Hollow, 3x8: Norvus Ordo Seclorum (2015)*
68. Supernatural, 1x1: Pilot (2005)
69. Supernatural, 1x2: Wendigo (2005)
70. V, 1x3: A Bright New Day (2009)*
71. V, 1x4: It's Only the Beginning (2009)*
72. Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
73. Supernatural, 1x3: Dead in the Water (2005)
74. Supernatural, 1x4: Phantom Traveler (2005)
75. Supernatural, 1x5: Bloody Mary (2005)
76. Predators (2010)
77. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 2x6: Halloween (1997)
78. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 2x7: Lie to Me (1997)
79. Lucifer, 2x4: Lady Parts (2016)*
80. Ghost Whisperer, 2x10: Giving Up the Ghost (2006)*
81. Prometheus (2012)*
82. Supergirl, 3x8: Crisis on Earth-X, Part 1 (2017)
83. Arrow, 6x8: Crisis on Earth-X, Part 2 (2017)
84. The Flash, 4x8: Crisis on Earth-X, Part 3 (2017)
85. Legends of Tomorow, 3x8: Crisis on Earth-X (2017)
86. Alien: Covenant (2017)*
87. Luke Cage, 2x8: If It Ain't Rough, It Ain't Right (2018)*
88. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 2x8: The Dark Age (1997)
89. Ladyhawke (1985)
90. Vampire Academy (2014)*
91. Early Edition, 1x14: The Wall (1997)*
92. Early Edition, 1x15: The Wall (1997)*
93. V, 1x5: Weclome to the War (2005)*
94. Supernatural, 1x7: Hook Man (2005)
95. Passengers (2016)*
96. Alien (1979)
97. Ghostbusters (1984)
98. Supernatural, 1x8: Bugs (2005)
99. Supernatural, 1x9: Home (2005)
100. Supernatural, 1x10: Asylum (2005)
101. Supernatural, 1x11: Scarecrow (2006)
102. Supernatural, 1x12: Faith (2006)
103. Ghostbusters II (1989)
104. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 2x9: Whats My Line?: Part 1 (1997)
105. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 2x10: What's My Line?: Part 2 (1997)
106. Ghost Whisperer, 2x11: Cat's Claw (2006)*
107. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 2x11: Ted (1997)
108. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 2x12: Bad Eggs (1998)
109. Supernatural, 1x13: Route 666 (2006)
110. Supernatural, 1x14: Nightmare (2006)
111. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 2x13: Surprise (1998)
112. Supernatural, 1x15: The Benders (2006)
113. Grimm, 1x1: Pilot (2011)
114. Doctor Who, 8x8: Mummy on the Orient Express (2014)*
115. Supernatural, 1x16: Shadow (2006)
116. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 2x14: Innocence (1998)
117. Supernatural, 1x17: Hell House (2006)
118. Grimm, 1x2: Bears Will be Bears (2011)
119. Castle Rock, 1x1: Severance (2018)*
120. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 2x15: Phases (1998)
121. Supernatural, 1x18: Something Wicked (2006)
122. Supernatural, 1x19: Provenance (2006)
123. Supernatural, 1x20: Dead Man's Blood (2006)
124. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
125. Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
126. Supernatural, 1x21: Salvation (2006)
127. Supernatural, 1x22: Devil's Trap (2006)
128. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 2x16: Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered (1998)
129. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 2x17: Passion (1998)
130. Castle Rock, 1x2: Habeas Corpus (2018)*
131. Grimm, 1x3: BeeWare (2011)
132. Supernatural, 2x1: In My Time of Dying (2006)
133. Supernatural, 2x2: Everybody Loves a Clown (2006)
134. Witches of East End, 1x2: Marilyn Fenwick, R.I.P. (2013)*
135. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 2x18: Killed By Death (1998)
136. Grimm, 1x4: Lonelyhearts (2011)
137. Supernatural, 2x3: Bloodlust (2006)
138. Supernatural, 2x4: Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things (2006)
139. Teen Wolf, 1x1: Wolf Moon (2011)
140. Highlander: The Raven, 1x16: The Frame (1999)*
141. Highlander: The Raven, 1x17: Love & Death (1999)*
142. Teen Wolf, 1x2: Second Chance at First Line (2011)
143. Highlander: The Raven, 1x18: Thick As Thieves (1999)*
144. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 2x19: I Only Have Eyes For You (1998)
145. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 2x20: Go Fish (1998)
146. Supernatural, 2x5: Simon Said (2006)
147. Supernatural, 2x6: No Exit (2006)
148. Grimm, 1x5: Danse Macabre (2011)
Last edited by MysterioMan007; 07-29-18 at 02:22 PM.
07-01-18, 10:37 AM
#32
Member
Re: 11th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge List Thread: June 30-Aug. 1st **List Thread*
My sixth Sci-Fi Challenge
*= first time watching
Possible List:
Between - Check Out ✓
The Handmaid's Tale - Season Two
Timeless - Season Two
July 4
1. The Handmaid's Tale - Ep. 1.1 "Offred"
2. The Handmaid's Tale - Ep. 1.2 "Birth Day"
3. The Handmaid's Tale - Ep. 1.3 "Late"
4. The Handmaid's Tale - Ep. 1.4 "Nolite Te Bastardes Carborundorum"
5. The Handmaid's Tale - Ep. 1.5 "Faithful"
6. The Handmaid's Tale - Ep. 1.6 "A Woman's Place"
July 14
7. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
July 16
8. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
July 18
9. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
July 19
10. Between - Ep. 1.1 "School's Out"*
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
July 20
12. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
July 22
13. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
14. Between - Ep. 1.2 "Who's the Boss"*
July 23
15. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
16. Between - Ep. 1.3 "Crossing Lines"*
17. Between - Ep. 1.4 "Love Hurts"*
July 24
18. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
July 25
19. Between - Ep. 1.5 "End of the Rope"*
20. Between - Ep. 1.6 "War"*
July 31
21. Supernatural - Ep. 1.1 "Pilot"
*= first time watching
Possible List:
The Handmaid's Tale - Season Two
Timeless - Season Two
July 4
1. The Handmaid's Tale - Ep. 1.1 "Offred"
2. The Handmaid's Tale - Ep. 1.2 "Birth Day"
3. The Handmaid's Tale - Ep. 1.3 "Late"
4. The Handmaid's Tale - Ep. 1.4 "Nolite Te Bastardes Carborundorum"
5. The Handmaid's Tale - Ep. 1.5 "Faithful"
6. The Handmaid's Tale - Ep. 1.6 "A Woman's Place"
July 14
7. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
July 16
8. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
July 18
9. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
July 19
10. Between - Ep. 1.1 "School's Out"*
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
July 20
12. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
July 22
13. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
14. Between - Ep. 1.2 "Who's the Boss"*
July 23
15. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
16. Between - Ep. 1.3 "Crossing Lines"*
17. Between - Ep. 1.4 "Love Hurts"*
July 24
18. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
July 25
19. Between - Ep. 1.5 "End of the Rope"*
20. Between - Ep. 1.6 "War"*
July 31
21. Supernatural - Ep. 1.1 "Pilot"
Last edited by JennandTheCats; 07-31-18 at 04:58 PM.
07-01-18, 06:17 PM
#33
Re: 11th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge List Thread: June 30-Aug. 1st **List Thread*
Brainee's 2018 DVDTalk Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge List
Previous challenge totals:
2009: 76
2010-2015: Abducted by aliens?
2016: 33.5
2017: 66.5
Goal: 50
Total: 73
First Time Views: 66
☼ = first time viewing
Movies rated out of 5 stars (*****) based solely on my personal enjoyment.
June 30th (Dusk)
1. ☼ Happy Death Day (2017): I figure the "Groundhog Day" aspect of this qualifies it as Wildcard #1. ***1/2
2. ☼ Westworld (2018): "Virtù e Fortuna", "The Riddle of the Sphinx".
July 1st
3. ☼ Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018): I found this ok, but underwhelming. A classic example of a sequel being made simply for more money, rather than a worthwhile story that needed to be told. ***
4. ☼ Annihilation (2018): It's easy to understand why many didn't like this (and looking at the negative reviews on imdb makes me alternate between amusement and depression). I thought this did a good job of capturing the atmosphere of the book, even while jettisoning much of the story and complexity. ****
5. ☼ Westworld (2018): "Akane no Mai", "Phase Space"
July 2nd
6. ☼ Early Man (2018): Easily the least of all the Aardman movies I've seen. Very generic and predictable. **1/2
7. ☼ Supergirl (2016): Season 2 "Medusa"; The Flash (2016), Arrow (2016), Legends of Tomorrow (2016): "Invasion"
July 4th
8. ☼ Deadpool 2 (2018): A very fun time at the movies. I imagine the in-jokes and 4th wall breaking would get old at a point (and they did for my brother who gave this
). But they didn't for me yet! ****
9. ☼ Westworld (2018): Season 2 "Les Écorchés" and "Kiksuya"
July 5th
10. ☼ Incredibles 2 (2018): Enjoyable, if nowhere near as good as the first one. The good points were really good, but there seemed to be a lot of slow stretches. Jack Jack stole every scene he was in
***1/2
11. ☼ The Endless (2017): Having seen the filmmakers' other two movies, especially Resolution, let me know what I was into here. ****
12. ☼ Tarzan (1999): Netflix is allowing me to fill in my Disney gaps (I'd also recently seen Mulan, Hercules, and Pocahontas for the first time). The quality is still there, if not at the level of their earlier classics. Like Eddie Murphy, I find Rosie O'Donnell annoying and distracting in animated movies (where you're always aware that it's her and not the character she's playing). Phil Collins contributes some solid songs, but I'm not sure how well his style fits into a Tarzan movie. ***1/2
July 6th
13. ☼ Arrow: S05E09, S05E10
14. ☼ A Quiet Place (2018): Nothing groundbreaking, but a lean story and a good central idea for a monster makes for entertaining viewing. A rare movie that had me wanting more ... I'd welcome a sequel if we learned more about what happened with the invasion of these creatures. ****
July 7th
15. ☼ Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018): As was the case with the first Ant-Man movie, I liked that this doesn't have some angst-ridden epic story. Just a good fun movie. ****
16. ☼ Arrow: S05E11, S05E12
July 9th
17. ☼ Thelma (2017): Really well done ... beautifully shot and carefully paced, but not boring. I've read some comparisons to Carrie but that's really setting people up for the wrong kind of movie. There are some creepy intense moments, but this isn't a horror movie. ****1/2
July 10th
18. ☼ Mom and Dad (2017): Since this involves an apocalyptic plague (where parents want to kill their children), I think this can count as Wildcard #2 Nothing too deep here (as you'd expect from the writer/director of Crank). Selma Blair's looking really good in her mid 40's, and who doesn't enjoy watching Nicholas Cage lose his shit? ***
19.5. ☼ Westworld (2018): S02E09 and S02E10. The last episode was feature length, and I'm counting it as such. Not sure I'll be back for the third season. While this show is well done, I don't particularly enjoy watching it. I was hoping an entire season of the full-blown robot revolt would be more interesting than it turned out to be. I'm not sure where season 3 can go without completely ditching the premise of a "Westworld". Unless there's a ton of flashbacks (which sadly will likely be the case). For the second season as a whole, based on my entertainment value, I'd have to give this **1/2
July 11th
20. ☼ Arrow: S05E13
21. ☼ Mary and the Witch's Flower (2017): Made by many of the folks behind Studio Ghibli. Even if it doesn't have the magic of Miyazaki, this is a good movie that's beautifully animated. ****
July 12th
22. ☼ One Punch Man (2015): S01E10-12; ☼ Dark Shadows (1969): E752
July 13th
23. ☼ Psychokinesis (2018): From the director of Train to Busan (but with a completely different tone). Not particularly original, but I enjoyed it as some light weight entertainment. ***1/2
July 14th
24. ☼ Arrow: S05E14, S05E15
25. ☼ What Happened to Monday (2017): Noomi Rapace times 7! I saw the "twist" coming from a mile away, but still enjoyed this. Fast paced and has some interesting ideas (even if they weren't particularly developed). The main character must've had one hell of a good job to support 7 with one paycheck! ***1/2
July 15th
26. ☼ Arrow: S05E16, S05E17
27. ☼ The Survivalist (2015): Minimalist and grim. Doesn't really tell a new post-apocalyptic story, but I found it compelling for it's running time. ***1/2
28. ☼ My Entire High School Sinking into the Sea (2016): Shocked this isn't listed as part fantasy anywhere (because it really should be). But it isn't so I guess I have to burn my Wildcard #3. The animation may take some getting used to (and I can imagine many people accustomed to Disney and Pixar style to completely write off this movie because of it). But it's oddly hypnotic and fits the weird surrealistic tone of the story quite well. ****
July 17th
29. ☼ Evils of the Night (1985): I'll give this one star for the good looking young women (most of whom get naked). And another star for all of the older character actors who showed up (including Tina Louise, Julie Newmar, and John Carradine). And ... that's about it! **
30. ☼ 2019: After the Fall of New York (1983): Holy crap, this is next year!!! Take a big part of Escape from New York, a little Mad Max, add in some lasers, cyborgs, apes, gore, blend them all together, and here's what you get! Very entertaining, for those up for this sort of thing. ***1/2
July 18th
31. ☼ ☼ Arrow: S05E18, S05E19
32. ☼ The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984): Not sure how I never got around to watching this until now. I was wondering how I missed it when it was released since I would normally be all over something like this. Looking at wikipedia, this was released at the same time as Ghostbusters, Star Trek III, and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Ouch, talk about your bad release timing! While I can understand how this has cult appeal, it only worked sporadically for me. Maybe being directed by a first-timer (working from his own script) hurt, especially in scenes that called for any kind of action and/or movement. This worked best for me when the wonderful cast had some dialog to chew on. ***
July 19th
33. ☼ I Kill Giants (2017): Not really a fantasy, but a movie about an adolescent escaping into a fantasy world to deal with real-life tragedy (like Bridge to Terabithia and A Monster Calls). And I knew that going in (unlike many angry reviewers on imdb). Even so, this didn't really connect with me until the last 20 minutes or so. The main character was so rude and obnoxious for much of this that it made watching this movie a cringe-y uncomfortable experience. ***
34. ☼ Doomwatch (1972): Man, people who went into this expecting some kind of horror movie (which the poster garishly promises) must have been pissed! Especially after the first third of the movie seems to be leading that way (eerily building up to a big revelation of something horrifying going on in this sleepy town ala Wicker Man and The Shadow Over Innsmouth). And then it turns into an ecological mystery/drama. And as such, it wasn't a bad movie. Apparently this was a spin-off of a tv series (though it's hard to imagine a successful series about a group responding to pollution emergencies). ***
35. ☼ Night of the Big Heat (1967): Also known by the more sensational title of Island of the Burning Damned. Another movie that I'm not sure how I missed it, being a sci-fi/horror with two of my favorites (Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing) and directed by one of Hammer's best (Terence Fisher). Disappointingly, the horror greats have only supporting roles (and Cushing's role is particularly minimal). This movie has a great build-up with a terrible conclusion. I'm not talking about the "reveal" of the monsters, which I knew was going to be underwhelming based on the year this was made (unless, for some reason, giant glowing fried eggs scares you). But more, I'm talking about the ending. Checking the running time while watching, I saw there were less than 2 minutes remaining and I was seriously worrying there was a problem with the version of the movie I was watching (and it would cut off before the ending). And then it just ends (with perhaps the most abrupt ending I've ever seen):
***
July 20th
36. ☼ Paddington 2 (2017): A cute sweet-natured movie, maintaining the quality of the first Paddington. ****
37. ☼ Ready Player One (2018): Like the book (which I loved), I'm the perfect target for this movie's nostalgia having grown up in the 80s. Having Ernest Cline on board as co-writer and producer must've helped a quality transition from book to movie (especially when it came to the entirely new challenges for the first two keys). ****
38. ☼ The Night is Short, Walk on Girl (2017): I didn't know much of this going in (I'm game for any well-received anime and it had a "fantasy" genre label on imdb). But I ended up loving this. It swept me away with it's magic and imagination. And as silly and weird as things could get, by the ending it snuck on me emotionally. ****1/2
July 21st
39. ☼ Nijiotoko (1949): To be honest, not a fantasy (or sci-fi) movie at all (despite having that genre listing on imdb). What it is is a pretty interesting gothic murder mystery from Japan very soon after WWII. The set-up is classic gothic: a creepy mansion, lots of thunderstorms, mysterious murders, a mad scientist, a weird family (all living in the same creepy mansion), and an old curse (about a demon that kills people by spitting rainbows out of its mouth!). I was wondering how a B&W movie can get away with having rainbows featured so prominently without be able to show them ... and wasn't let down when there were full-color animated rainbow sequences spliced in from time to time
***1/2
40. ☼ Angel's Egg (1985): I don't think I've seen this before. I don't have much of an idea about what I just saw, but I'll buy the idea that this is more of a work of animated avant-garde art than a story. As a work of art, it's certainly striking (and more than a little creepy). ****
41. It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955): It's been so long since I've seen this that the only thing that I remembered was the climactic San Francisco attack. I'll go out on a limb and proclaim this as the greatest giant octopus movie ever made! The structure is similar to other 50's giant monster movies, and this does better than most with its pacing. Of course, the star is Ray Harryhausen's great effects! One thing I didn't remember was the weird love triangle. I guess I have to give the movie some props for not doing the same love-at-first-sight side plot that most of these movies have for the leading man and woman. But it was hilariously sad how male scientist allowed himself to become instantly cuckolded when the hunky Navy guy moves in on his woman. ***1/2
42. ☼ Cold Skin (2017): Pretty interesting movie ... I liked how one imdb reviewer described this as a cross between Zulu and The Shape of Water. The setting (an isolated island near Antarctica during the outbreak of WWI) also makes this stand out. While it may come up a little short in what it was grasping for, I still thought this was good. Though I have a feeling not many casual viewers will like it (being too weird and pulpy for art-house fans, but too art-house for horror/sci-fi/fantasy fans). ***1/2
43 and 44. ☼ Fantaghirò 2 (1992): This counts as 2 since I believe it originally ran as 2 2-hour parts on Italian tv. Silly to be sure, but I can understand how some people (especially children) were originally enchanted by it. And it's not like American fantasy in the 90s on tv was so great. Don't expect any traces of director/producer Lamberto Bava's horror root in this (these movies are unabashedly romantic fantasy fairy stories). ***
July 22nd
45. ☼ Gorath (1962): So-so Ishirô Honda sci-fi/adventure. What do you do when a planetary body enters the solar system and is on a collision course with Earth? Do you try to blow up the object? Nah, too easy. Do you try to escape on a spaceship? That's for wimps! Instead, put a bunch of rockets on the South Pole and move the entire Earth!!! This was really slow going until the last 30 minutes, with lots of time spent on a romance (and subsequent amnesia), a couple of reconnaissance flights near Gorath, constructions scenes with extremely unconvincing models, and a bizarre musical number in a helicopter. The ending is really suspenseful, as disasters ravage the planet as Gorath approaches ... I wish more of the movie was like that. Oh ... a giant walrus monster stops by to say Hai **1/2
46. Atragon (1963): This was a bit better, being a colorful blend of spy movie, military drama, submarine thriller, invasion sci-fi, with a touch of kaiju. Yeah, Manda really got the shafted in this movie (but I was fine with the rest of the movie, I knew there wasn't going to be much Manda). ***1/2
July 23rd
47. ☼ Galaxy Express 999 (1979): If I saw this as a kid (the time when I was watching stuff like Star Blazers and Ultraman on tv) I'm sure this would've blown me away. Even now, this is really good, with enough ideas to fill an entire series (let alone a single movie). I know it probably won't be very good, but I'm curious to see the recent live-action remake (starring Chiaki Kuriyama). ****
48. ☼ JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable - Chapter 1 (2017): I haven't seen the manga, but I'm pretty much game for anything that Takashi Miike does. This was an entertaining 2 hours, and is on the commercial accessible side of the Miike filmography spectrum. "Chapter 1" is really right though, since this just seems to end partway through the story. ***1/2
49. ☼ The Exterminators of the Year 3000 (1983): Bargain basement Road Warrior rip-off, which I fully knew going in. What was disappointing though was how tame and lame the whole thing seemed to me. And what's with Crazy Bull (the laughably unthreatening main baddie) cursing everyone as "mother grabbers"? **
50. Invaders from Mars (1986): Even though most of his fame comes from Texas Chainsaw, Tobe Hooper has a surprisingly solid filmography (even if you give the credit for Poltergeist to Spielberg, which I don't think is fair). If anything, this movie provides more evidence of Hooper's creative hand in Poltergeist (since it has a lot of the same tone). This doesn't add as much to the original as other 50's sci-fi classics remade in the 80's (like The Thing, The Fly, and The Blob). But it's still a fun little movie. ***1/2
July 24th
51. ☼ Jupiter's Moon (2017): Well made, but it didn't seem like it took full advantage of the premise. Apparently, if you can levitate people will just fork over money. The immigration angle was more striking to me about the superpower fantasy aspect of the story (it's impossible to not see the comparisons between how Hungary portrays fleeing immigrants from Serbia and Syria, and what's in the news about the US these days). **1/2
52. ☼ Twelve Months of Summer (1988): This reminded me a bit of Annihilation. The premise is similar ... an unexplained event causes a region to have weird things going on inside (one of which is the continual summer weather that lends to the title). And a scientific group investigates, with the "explorers" not being fully clued into what their purpose is. This is very low-key and doesn't explain much by the end, but I still liked it. ***
53. ☼ On the Silver Globe (1988): I'm not a newcomer to Zulawski, and his attempt at a bizarre sci-fi epic sounded fascinating. Too bad I found this mostly excruciating to watch, almost bailing completely a couple of times. The incomplete nature of this didn't help (communist Polish government shut down production before shooting finished, and the gaps are filled in by narration of the screenplay), and it seemed like the biggest visual scenes were the ones that didn't get made. And this is so talky that having to follow with subtitles really hurts. Most of the dialog was hysterically given philosophical ramblings, which got old really quick. This is one of those movies where the synopsis sounded awesome, but the reality just wasn't anywhere near as interesting as I was hoping for. *1/2
54. ☼ Cherry 2000 (1987): One of those movies that I saw being shown on cable all the time in the 90s. But while I would catch snippets of it, I never sat through the whole thing. For a straight-to-video movie, this is solid entertainment (but I can see how this would've been a disaster for theatrical release). It's fun seeing Melanie Griffith in her prime, though she seems poorly cast as a tough-as-nails bounty hunter. ***
July 25th
55. ☼ Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters (2017): Despite so many Godzilla movies being made to date, I really liked how this movie presented things in a different way than all of the others (making it a hard sci-fi post-apocalyptic story set 20,000 years in the future). And this version of Godzilla is a truly formidable and terrifying one. I hope the next movie has a more satisfying conclusion though. ***1/2
56. ☼ Arrow: S05E20, S05E21
July 26th
57. ☼ Arrow: S05E22, S05E23. And that finishes the season. I wasn't really feeling it this season (or liking Prometheus as a "big bad"), and I'm on the fence about continuing. **1/2
58. ☼ The Good Place: S02E01 (double-length episode), S02E02, S02E03
July 27th
59. ☼ Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle (2018): Slower-moving than the last animated Godzilla feature. Some interesting things were introduced and/or hinted at: Mecha-Godzilla (kind of), a primitive tribe that I'm guessing worships Mothra, Ghidorah name dropping. But I don't think these movies work stand-alone, and it hurts having to wait another year for the story to creep forward a little bit more. **1/2
60. ☼ Black Mirror: S04E02, S04E03
61. ☼ The Good Place: S02E04, S02E05, S02E06, S02E07
July 28th
62. ☼ The Good Place: S02E08, S02E09, S02E10, S02E11
63. ☼ Black Mirror: S04E04, S04E05
64. Battle Beyond the Stars (1980): Oddly, this hasn't aged too badly. I think distance from Star Wars (which it was unfavorably compared to at release) helps to better appreciate it for what it is: silly, campy, low-budget, sci-fi fun. And there's a lot of interesting talent on both sides of the camera. ***
July 29th
65 and 66. ☼ Fantaghirò 3 (1993): About on a par with the others in this series. I did like how they did a sex change of the old "Sleeping Beauty" story (with the hunky King getting knocked by magic early on, and our title heroine needing to quest to save his butt). ***
67.5. ☼ Black Mirror: S04E01, S04E06. These were both 70-75 minutes, so counting them as a little more than the other episodes. This was another strong season (I think having so few episodes allows for the quality to stay high). I think my favorites were "USS Callister" and "Hang the DJ" (with "Arkangel" just a little behind). ****
68. ☼ To the Forest of Firefly Lights (2011): Beautifully done anime short feature. ****1/2
69. ☼ Brigadoon (1954): I'd seen the play (and was familiar with the music), but never the movie. I liked it (and I generally like old-fashioned Hollywood musicals), though I can completely see where the criticism comes from. This really would've benefited from some kind of location shooting (if not Scotland, then any reasonable convenient place that can fill in). The Scottish accents are silly, and this isn't as great of a dancing showcase for Gene Kelly as his best movies (like Singin' in the Rain and An American in Paris) were. Was Van Johnson's "Jeff" character as much of an asshole in the play as he was in this movie? ***1/2
July 30th
70. Forbidden World (1982): Cheesy, sexy, gooey, and gory. By no means a good movie ... but a very fun bad one. And the oddball music and editing give it an extra charm. Those are the best kinds of bad movies ... where you get the sense of people actually trying, and a little bit of love behind the production (which is certainly a trademark of many Roger Corman movies over the years). ***1/2
July 31st
71. ☼ The Good Place: S02E12; ☼ Dark Shadows (1969): E753-755.
72. Mighty Joe Young (1949): That's Mr. Joseph Young to you! Sucks that this apparently was a box office bomb in its time. There were plans for a sequel to be a cross-over with Tarzan (set completely in Africa), which sounds awesome! ****
73. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982): Even though it seems like its now cool to hate on this, I still love this movie (even though I find Henry Thomas' big emotional scenes near the end to be overwrought). *****
Previous challenge totals:
2009: 76
2010-2015: Abducted by aliens?
2016: 33.5
2017: 66.5
Goal: 50
Total: 73
First Time Views: 66
☼ = first time viewing
Movies rated out of 5 stars (*****) based solely on my personal enjoyment.
June 30th (Dusk)
1. ☼ Happy Death Day (2017): I figure the "Groundhog Day" aspect of this qualifies it as Wildcard #1. ***1/2
2. ☼ Westworld (2018): "Virtù e Fortuna", "The Riddle of the Sphinx".
July 1st
3. ☼ Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018): I found this ok, but underwhelming. A classic example of a sequel being made simply for more money, rather than a worthwhile story that needed to be told. ***
4. ☼ Annihilation (2018): It's easy to understand why many didn't like this (and looking at the negative reviews on imdb makes me alternate between amusement and depression). I thought this did a good job of capturing the atmosphere of the book, even while jettisoning much of the story and complexity. ****
5. ☼ Westworld (2018): "Akane no Mai", "Phase Space"
July 2nd
6. ☼ Early Man (2018): Easily the least of all the Aardman movies I've seen. Very generic and predictable. **1/2
7. ☼ Supergirl (2016): Season 2 "Medusa"; The Flash (2016), Arrow (2016), Legends of Tomorrow (2016): "Invasion"
July 4th
8. ☼ Deadpool 2 (2018): A very fun time at the movies. I imagine the in-jokes and 4th wall breaking would get old at a point (and they did for my brother who gave this
). But they didn't for me yet! ****9. ☼ Westworld (2018): Season 2 "Les Écorchés" and "Kiksuya"
July 5th
10. ☼ Incredibles 2 (2018): Enjoyable, if nowhere near as good as the first one. The good points were really good, but there seemed to be a lot of slow stretches. Jack Jack stole every scene he was in
***1/211. ☼ The Endless (2017): Having seen the filmmakers' other two movies, especially Resolution, let me know what I was into here. ****
12. ☼ Tarzan (1999): Netflix is allowing me to fill in my Disney gaps (I'd also recently seen Mulan, Hercules, and Pocahontas for the first time). The quality is still there, if not at the level of their earlier classics. Like Eddie Murphy, I find Rosie O'Donnell annoying and distracting in animated movies (where you're always aware that it's her and not the character she's playing). Phil Collins contributes some solid songs, but I'm not sure how well his style fits into a Tarzan movie. ***1/2
July 6th
13. ☼ Arrow: S05E09, S05E10
14. ☼ A Quiet Place (2018): Nothing groundbreaking, but a lean story and a good central idea for a monster makes for entertaining viewing. A rare movie that had me wanting more ... I'd welcome a sequel if we learned more about what happened with the invasion of these creatures. ****
July 7th
15. ☼ Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018): As was the case with the first Ant-Man movie, I liked that this doesn't have some angst-ridden epic story. Just a good fun movie. ****
16. ☼ Arrow: S05E11, S05E12
July 9th
17. ☼ Thelma (2017): Really well done ... beautifully shot and carefully paced, but not boring. I've read some comparisons to Carrie but that's really setting people up for the wrong kind of movie. There are some creepy intense moments, but this isn't a horror movie. ****1/2
July 10th
18. ☼ Mom and Dad (2017): Since this involves an apocalyptic plague (where parents want to kill their children), I think this can count as Wildcard #2 Nothing too deep here (as you'd expect from the writer/director of Crank). Selma Blair's looking really good in her mid 40's, and who doesn't enjoy watching Nicholas Cage lose his shit? ***
19.5. ☼ Westworld (2018): S02E09 and S02E10. The last episode was feature length, and I'm counting it as such. Not sure I'll be back for the third season. While this show is well done, I don't particularly enjoy watching it. I was hoping an entire season of the full-blown robot revolt would be more interesting than it turned out to be. I'm not sure where season 3 can go without completely ditching the premise of a "Westworld". Unless there's a ton of flashbacks (which sadly will likely be the case). For the second season as a whole, based on my entertainment value, I'd have to give this **1/2
July 11th
20. ☼ Arrow: S05E13
21. ☼ Mary and the Witch's Flower (2017): Made by many of the folks behind Studio Ghibli. Even if it doesn't have the magic of Miyazaki, this is a good movie that's beautifully animated. ****
July 12th
22. ☼ One Punch Man (2015): S01E10-12; ☼ Dark Shadows (1969): E752
July 13th
23. ☼ Psychokinesis (2018): From the director of Train to Busan (but with a completely different tone). Not particularly original, but I enjoyed it as some light weight entertainment. ***1/2
July 14th
24. ☼ Arrow: S05E14, S05E15
25. ☼ What Happened to Monday (2017): Noomi Rapace times 7! I saw the "twist" coming from a mile away, but still enjoyed this. Fast paced and has some interesting ideas (even if they weren't particularly developed). The main character must've had one hell of a good job to support 7 with one paycheck! ***1/2
July 15th
26. ☼ Arrow: S05E16, S05E17
27. ☼ The Survivalist (2015): Minimalist and grim. Doesn't really tell a new post-apocalyptic story, but I found it compelling for it's running time. ***1/2
28. ☼ My Entire High School Sinking into the Sea (2016): Shocked this isn't listed as part fantasy anywhere (because it really should be). But it isn't so I guess I have to burn my Wildcard #3. The animation may take some getting used to (and I can imagine many people accustomed to Disney and Pixar style to completely write off this movie because of it). But it's oddly hypnotic and fits the weird surrealistic tone of the story quite well. ****
July 17th
29. ☼ Evils of the Night (1985): I'll give this one star for the good looking young women (most of whom get naked). And another star for all of the older character actors who showed up (including Tina Louise, Julie Newmar, and John Carradine). And ... that's about it! **
30. ☼ 2019: After the Fall of New York (1983): Holy crap, this is next year!!! Take a big part of Escape from New York, a little Mad Max, add in some lasers, cyborgs, apes, gore, blend them all together, and here's what you get! Very entertaining, for those up for this sort of thing. ***1/2
July 18th
31. ☼ ☼ Arrow: S05E18, S05E19
32. ☼ The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984): Not sure how I never got around to watching this until now. I was wondering how I missed it when it was released since I would normally be all over something like this. Looking at wikipedia, this was released at the same time as Ghostbusters, Star Trek III, and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Ouch, talk about your bad release timing! While I can understand how this has cult appeal, it only worked sporadically for me. Maybe being directed by a first-timer (working from his own script) hurt, especially in scenes that called for any kind of action and/or movement. This worked best for me when the wonderful cast had some dialog to chew on. ***
July 19th
33. ☼ I Kill Giants (2017): Not really a fantasy, but a movie about an adolescent escaping into a fantasy world to deal with real-life tragedy (like Bridge to Terabithia and A Monster Calls). And I knew that going in (unlike many angry reviewers on imdb). Even so, this didn't really connect with me until the last 20 minutes or so. The main character was so rude and obnoxious for much of this that it made watching this movie a cringe-y uncomfortable experience. ***
34. ☼ Doomwatch (1972): Man, people who went into this expecting some kind of horror movie (which the poster garishly promises) must have been pissed! Especially after the first third of the movie seems to be leading that way (eerily building up to a big revelation of something horrifying going on in this sleepy town ala Wicker Man and The Shadow Over Innsmouth). And then it turns into an ecological mystery/drama. And as such, it wasn't a bad movie. Apparently this was a spin-off of a tv series (though it's hard to imagine a successful series about a group responding to pollution emergencies). ***
35. ☼ Night of the Big Heat (1967): Also known by the more sensational title of Island of the Burning Damned. Another movie that I'm not sure how I missed it, being a sci-fi/horror with two of my favorites (Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing) and directed by one of Hammer's best (Terence Fisher). Disappointingly, the horror greats have only supporting roles (and Cushing's role is particularly minimal). This movie has a great build-up with a terrible conclusion. I'm not talking about the "reveal" of the monsters, which I knew was going to be underwhelming based on the year this was made (unless, for some reason, giant glowing fried eggs scares you). But more, I'm talking about the ending. Checking the running time while watching, I saw there were less than 2 minutes remaining and I was seriously worrying there was a problem with the version of the movie I was watching (and it would cut off before the ending). And then it just ends (with perhaps the most abrupt ending I've ever seen):
Spoiler:
Yeah, it makes sense that rain would hurt the heat/energy monsters and the movie was foreshadowing it with thunder sounds. And this type of natural world deus ex machina ending had been used before in War of the Worlds (and would be used much later in Signs). But it was just done so quickly that it seemed awkward and made me laugh (almost like the production ran out of film and they had to wrap things up).
July 20th
36. ☼ Paddington 2 (2017): A cute sweet-natured movie, maintaining the quality of the first Paddington. ****
37. ☼ Ready Player One (2018): Like the book (which I loved), I'm the perfect target for this movie's nostalgia having grown up in the 80s. Having Ernest Cline on board as co-writer and producer must've helped a quality transition from book to movie (especially when it came to the entirely new challenges for the first two keys). ****
38. ☼ The Night is Short, Walk on Girl (2017): I didn't know much of this going in (I'm game for any well-received anime and it had a "fantasy" genre label on imdb). But I ended up loving this. It swept me away with it's magic and imagination. And as silly and weird as things could get, by the ending it snuck on me emotionally. ****1/2
July 21st
39. ☼ Nijiotoko (1949): To be honest, not a fantasy (or sci-fi) movie at all (despite having that genre listing on imdb). What it is is a pretty interesting gothic murder mystery from Japan very soon after WWII. The set-up is classic gothic: a creepy mansion, lots of thunderstorms, mysterious murders, a mad scientist, a weird family (all living in the same creepy mansion), and an old curse (about a demon that kills people by spitting rainbows out of its mouth!). I was wondering how a B&W movie can get away with having rainbows featured so prominently without be able to show them ... and wasn't let down when there were full-color animated rainbow sequences spliced in from time to time
***1/240. ☼ Angel's Egg (1985): I don't think I've seen this before. I don't have much of an idea about what I just saw, but I'll buy the idea that this is more of a work of animated avant-garde art than a story. As a work of art, it's certainly striking (and more than a little creepy). ****
41. It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955): It's been so long since I've seen this that the only thing that I remembered was the climactic San Francisco attack. I'll go out on a limb and proclaim this as the greatest giant octopus movie ever made! The structure is similar to other 50's giant monster movies, and this does better than most with its pacing. Of course, the star is Ray Harryhausen's great effects! One thing I didn't remember was the weird love triangle. I guess I have to give the movie some props for not doing the same love-at-first-sight side plot that most of these movies have for the leading man and woman. But it was hilariously sad how male scientist allowed himself to become instantly cuckolded when the hunky Navy guy moves in on his woman. ***1/2
42. ☼ Cold Skin (2017): Pretty interesting movie ... I liked how one imdb reviewer described this as a cross between Zulu and The Shape of Water. The setting (an isolated island near Antarctica during the outbreak of WWI) also makes this stand out. While it may come up a little short in what it was grasping for, I still thought this was good. Though I have a feeling not many casual viewers will like it (being too weird and pulpy for art-house fans, but too art-house for horror/sci-fi/fantasy fans). ***1/2
43 and 44. ☼ Fantaghirò 2 (1992): This counts as 2 since I believe it originally ran as 2 2-hour parts on Italian tv. Silly to be sure, but I can understand how some people (especially children) were originally enchanted by it. And it's not like American fantasy in the 90s on tv was so great. Don't expect any traces of director/producer Lamberto Bava's horror root in this (these movies are unabashedly romantic fantasy fairy stories). ***
July 22nd
45. ☼ Gorath (1962): So-so Ishirô Honda sci-fi/adventure. What do you do when a planetary body enters the solar system and is on a collision course with Earth? Do you try to blow up the object? Nah, too easy. Do you try to escape on a spaceship? That's for wimps! Instead, put a bunch of rockets on the South Pole and move the entire Earth!!! This was really slow going until the last 30 minutes, with lots of time spent on a romance (and subsequent amnesia), a couple of reconnaissance flights near Gorath, constructions scenes with extremely unconvincing models, and a bizarre musical number in a helicopter. The ending is really suspenseful, as disasters ravage the planet as Gorath approaches ... I wish more of the movie was like that. Oh ... a giant walrus monster stops by to say Hai
**1/246. Atragon (1963): This was a bit better, being a colorful blend of spy movie, military drama, submarine thriller, invasion sci-fi, with a touch of kaiju. Yeah, Manda really got the shafted in this movie (but I was fine with the rest of the movie, I knew there wasn't going to be much Manda). ***1/2
July 23rd
47. ☼ Galaxy Express 999 (1979): If I saw this as a kid (the time when I was watching stuff like Star Blazers and Ultraman on tv) I'm sure this would've blown me away. Even now, this is really good, with enough ideas to fill an entire series (let alone a single movie). I know it probably won't be very good, but I'm curious to see the recent live-action remake (starring Chiaki Kuriyama). ****
48. ☼ JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable - Chapter 1 (2017): I haven't seen the manga, but I'm pretty much game for anything that Takashi Miike does. This was an entertaining 2 hours, and is on the commercial accessible side of the Miike filmography spectrum. "Chapter 1" is really right though, since this just seems to end partway through the story. ***1/2
49. ☼ The Exterminators of the Year 3000 (1983): Bargain basement Road Warrior rip-off, which I fully knew going in. What was disappointing though was how tame and lame the whole thing seemed to me. And what's with Crazy Bull (the laughably unthreatening main baddie) cursing everyone as "mother grabbers"? **
50. Invaders from Mars (1986): Even though most of his fame comes from Texas Chainsaw, Tobe Hooper has a surprisingly solid filmography (even if you give the credit for Poltergeist to Spielberg, which I don't think is fair). If anything, this movie provides more evidence of Hooper's creative hand in Poltergeist (since it has a lot of the same tone). This doesn't add as much to the original as other 50's sci-fi classics remade in the 80's (like The Thing, The Fly, and The Blob). But it's still a fun little movie. ***1/2
July 24th
51. ☼ Jupiter's Moon (2017): Well made, but it didn't seem like it took full advantage of the premise. Apparently, if you can levitate people will just fork over money. The immigration angle was more striking to me about the superpower fantasy aspect of the story (it's impossible to not see the comparisons between how Hungary portrays fleeing immigrants from Serbia and Syria, and what's in the news about the US these days). **1/2
52. ☼ Twelve Months of Summer (1988): This reminded me a bit of Annihilation. The premise is similar ... an unexplained event causes a region to have weird things going on inside (one of which is the continual summer weather that lends to the title). And a scientific group investigates, with the "explorers" not being fully clued into what their purpose is. This is very low-key and doesn't explain much by the end, but I still liked it. ***
53. ☼ On the Silver Globe (1988): I'm not a newcomer to Zulawski, and his attempt at a bizarre sci-fi epic sounded fascinating. Too bad I found this mostly excruciating to watch, almost bailing completely a couple of times. The incomplete nature of this didn't help (communist Polish government shut down production before shooting finished, and the gaps are filled in by narration of the screenplay), and it seemed like the biggest visual scenes were the ones that didn't get made. And this is so talky that having to follow with subtitles really hurts. Most of the dialog was hysterically given philosophical ramblings, which got old really quick. This is one of those movies where the synopsis sounded awesome, but the reality just wasn't anywhere near as interesting as I was hoping for. *1/2
54. ☼ Cherry 2000 (1987): One of those movies that I saw being shown on cable all the time in the 90s. But while I would catch snippets of it, I never sat through the whole thing. For a straight-to-video movie, this is solid entertainment (but I can see how this would've been a disaster for theatrical release). It's fun seeing Melanie Griffith in her prime, though she seems poorly cast as a tough-as-nails bounty hunter. ***
July 25th
55. ☼ Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters (2017): Despite so many Godzilla movies being made to date, I really liked how this movie presented things in a different way than all of the others (making it a hard sci-fi post-apocalyptic story set 20,000 years in the future). And this version of Godzilla is a truly formidable and terrifying one. I hope the next movie has a more satisfying conclusion though. ***1/2
56. ☼ Arrow: S05E20, S05E21
July 26th
57. ☼ Arrow: S05E22, S05E23. And that finishes the season. I wasn't really feeling it this season (or liking Prometheus as a "big bad"), and I'm on the fence about continuing. **1/2
58. ☼ The Good Place: S02E01 (double-length episode), S02E02, S02E03
July 27th
59. ☼ Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle (2018): Slower-moving than the last animated Godzilla feature. Some interesting things were introduced and/or hinted at: Mecha-Godzilla (kind of), a primitive tribe that I'm guessing worships Mothra, Ghidorah name dropping. But I don't think these movies work stand-alone, and it hurts having to wait another year for the story to creep forward a little bit more. **1/2
60. ☼ Black Mirror: S04E02, S04E03
61. ☼ The Good Place: S02E04, S02E05, S02E06, S02E07
July 28th
62. ☼ The Good Place: S02E08, S02E09, S02E10, S02E11
63. ☼ Black Mirror: S04E04, S04E05
64. Battle Beyond the Stars (1980): Oddly, this hasn't aged too badly. I think distance from Star Wars (which it was unfavorably compared to at release) helps to better appreciate it for what it is: silly, campy, low-budget, sci-fi fun. And there's a lot of interesting talent on both sides of the camera. ***
July 29th
65 and 66. ☼ Fantaghirò 3 (1993): About on a par with the others in this series. I did like how they did a sex change of the old "Sleeping Beauty" story (with the hunky King getting knocked by magic early on, and our title heroine needing to quest to save his butt). ***
67.5. ☼ Black Mirror: S04E01, S04E06. These were both 70-75 minutes, so counting them as a little more than the other episodes. This was another strong season (I think having so few episodes allows for the quality to stay high). I think my favorites were "USS Callister" and "Hang the DJ" (with "Arkangel" just a little behind). ****
68. ☼ To the Forest of Firefly Lights (2011): Beautifully done anime short feature. ****1/2
69. ☼ Brigadoon (1954): I'd seen the play (and was familiar with the music), but never the movie. I liked it (and I generally like old-fashioned Hollywood musicals), though I can completely see where the criticism comes from. This really would've benefited from some kind of location shooting (if not Scotland, then any reasonable convenient place that can fill in). The Scottish accents are silly, and this isn't as great of a dancing showcase for Gene Kelly as his best movies (like Singin' in the Rain and An American in Paris) were. Was Van Johnson's "Jeff" character as much of an asshole in the play as he was in this movie? ***1/2
July 30th
70. Forbidden World (1982): Cheesy, sexy, gooey, and gory. By no means a good movie ... but a very fun bad one. And the oddball music and editing give it an extra charm. Those are the best kinds of bad movies ... where you get the sense of people actually trying, and a little bit of love behind the production (which is certainly a trademark of many Roger Corman movies over the years). ***1/2
July 31st
71. ☼ The Good Place: S02E12; ☼ Dark Shadows (1969): E753-755.
72. Mighty Joe Young (1949): That's Mr. Joseph Young to you! Sucks that this apparently was a box office bomb in its time. There were plans for a sequel to be a cross-over with Tarzan (set completely in Africa), which sounds awesome! ****
73. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982): Even though it seems like its now cool to hate on this, I still love this movie (even though I find Henry Thomas' big emotional scenes near the end to be overwrought). *****
Last edited by brainee; 07-31-18 at 11:19 PM.
07-03-18, 10:41 PM
#35
Member
Re: 11th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge List Thread: June 30-Aug. 1st **List Thread*
July 2
1) Jurassic Park (Bluray)
2) The Lost World: Jurassic Park (Bluray)
3) Jurassic World (Bluray)
July 3
4) Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (Theater)
5) Independence Day (Extended Cut) (Bluray)
July 4
6) Independence Day: Resurgence (Bluray)
July 5
7) The Day The Earth Stood Still (2008) (Bluray)
July 8
8) I, Robot (Bluray)
July 9
9) 12 Monkeys (Bluray)
- Black Mirror s4, ep4: "Hang the DJ" (Netflix) - Great SciFi series on Netflix. Well worth checking out
July 10
10) Ant-Man (Bluray)
July 11
11) Ant-Man and The Wasp (Theater)
July 12
12) Annihilation (Bluray)
- Black Mirror s4, ep5 "Metalhead" (Netflix)
July 14
13) The Final Countdown (Bluray)
14) A Quiet Place (Bluray)
July 15
15) Fantastic Voyage (bluray) - A Classic
July 17
16) Rampage (Bluray)
July 18
17) Robocop (2014) (Bluray) - Much better than I remembered.
July 22
18) War of the Worlds (2005) (Bluray)
- Black Mirror s4, ep6 "Black Museum" (Netflix)
July 23
19) Total Recall (2012) (Bluray)
July 29
20) Oblivion (Bluray)
21) Extinction (Netflix)
July 30
22) Ready Player One (Bluray)
1) Jurassic Park (Bluray)
2) The Lost World: Jurassic Park (Bluray)
3) Jurassic World (Bluray)
July 3
4) Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (Theater)
5) Independence Day (Extended Cut) (Bluray)
July 4
6) Independence Day: Resurgence (Bluray)
July 5
7) The Day The Earth Stood Still (2008) (Bluray)
July 8
8) I, Robot (Bluray)
July 9
9) 12 Monkeys (Bluray)
- Black Mirror s4, ep4: "Hang the DJ" (Netflix) - Great SciFi series on Netflix. Well worth checking out
July 10
10) Ant-Man (Bluray)
July 11
11) Ant-Man and The Wasp (Theater)
July 12
12) Annihilation (Bluray)
- Black Mirror s4, ep5 "Metalhead" (Netflix)
July 14
13) The Final Countdown (Bluray)
14) A Quiet Place (Bluray)
July 15
15) Fantastic Voyage (bluray) - A Classic
July 17
16) Rampage (Bluray)
July 18
17) Robocop (2014) (Bluray) - Much better than I remembered.
July 22
18) War of the Worlds (2005) (Bluray)
- Black Mirror s4, ep6 "Black Museum" (Netflix)
July 23
19) Total Recall (2012) (Bluray)
July 29
20) Oblivion (Bluray)
21) Extinction (Netflix)
July 30
22) Ready Player One (Bluray)
Last edited by SnapDawg; 07-31-18 at 12:50 AM.
07-07-18, 10:23 PM
#36
Moderator
Re: 11th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge List Thread: June 30-Aug. 1st **List Thread*
01. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle / July 5 ☼
02. 2001: A Space Odyssey [70mm] / July 6
03. A Dog's Purpose / July 6 ☼
04. Ant-Man and the Wasp / July 7 ☼
05. Incredibles 2 / July 8
06. James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction [episode: Time Travel] / July 9
07. Sorry to Bother You / July 17 ☼
08. Game of Thrones [Season 7, episode: "Dragonstone"] / July 23 ☼
09. Ancient Aliens [episode: Earth Station Egypt] / July 24 ☼
10. The Space Between Us / July 24 ☼
11. Game of Thrones [Season 7, episode: Stormborn / July 25 ☼
12. Game of Thrones [Season 7, episode: The Queen's Justice / July 26 ☼
13. James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction [episode: Intellectual Machines] / July 27 ☼
14. Annihilation [4K-Dolby Vision] / July 27 ☼
15. Game of Thrones [Season 7, episode: The Spoils of War / July 28 ☼
16. Game of Thrones [Season 7, episode: Eastwatch] / July 29 ☼
17. Pacific Rim: Uprising [3D] / July 29 ☼
18. Ancient Aliens [episode: The Island of Giants] / July 30☼
19. Game of Thrones [Season 7, episode: Beyond the Wall] / July 30 ☼
20. A Matter of Life and Death / July 30 ☼
21. Game of Thrones [Season 7, episode: The Dragon and the Wolf] / July 31 ☼
22. Interstellar [4K-Dolby Vision ☼] / July 31
☼ = first time viewing
02. 2001: A Space Odyssey [70mm] / July 6
03. A Dog's Purpose / July 6 ☼
04. Ant-Man and the Wasp / July 7 ☼
05. Incredibles 2 / July 8
06. James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction [episode: Time Travel] / July 9
07. Sorry to Bother You / July 17 ☼
08. Game of Thrones [Season 7, episode: "Dragonstone"] / July 23 ☼
09. Ancient Aliens [episode: Earth Station Egypt] / July 24 ☼
10. The Space Between Us / July 24 ☼
11. Game of Thrones [Season 7, episode: Stormborn / July 25 ☼
12. Game of Thrones [Season 7, episode: The Queen's Justice / July 26 ☼
13. James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction [episode: Intellectual Machines] / July 27 ☼
14. Annihilation [4K-Dolby Vision] / July 27 ☼
15. Game of Thrones [Season 7, episode: The Spoils of War / July 28 ☼
16. Game of Thrones [Season 7, episode: Eastwatch] / July 29 ☼
17. Pacific Rim: Uprising [3D] / July 29 ☼
18. Ancient Aliens [episode: The Island of Giants] / July 30☼
19. Game of Thrones [Season 7, episode: Beyond the Wall] / July 30 ☼
20. A Matter of Life and Death / July 30 ☼
21. Game of Thrones [Season 7, episode: The Dragon and the Wolf] / July 31 ☼
22. Interstellar [4K-Dolby Vision ☼] / July 31
☼ = first time viewing
Last edited by Giles; 08-01-18 at 07:59 PM.
07-14-18, 11:46 PM
#37
Re: 11th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge List Thread: June 30-Aug. 1st **List Thread*
2008: 21
2009: 4
2010: 64
2011: 27.5
2012: 28.5
2013: 23.5
2014: 13.5
2015: 17
2016: 15.5
2017: 20
Potential Movie/Work On TV List:
idk watch something at least
July 2nd
.5. Lost in Space S.1 "The Reluctant Stowaway"*
July 15th
1. The Handmaid's Tale S.1 "June"*
July 17th
1.5. The Last Man on Earth S.4 "Barbara Ann"*/"Cancun, Baby!"*
July 19th
2.5. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)
July 29th
3.5. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)*
Last edited by HyperWeather; 08-04-18 at 08:54 PM.
