The Sixteenth Annual May Make-Your-Own Challenge
May 1-31, 2025

The list thread is now active.

I's time, once again, to take a look at your dusty, unopened box sets, your unwatched stacks of Blu-rays, DVDs, HD-DVDs, LDs, VHS or Beta tapes, your DVR, your Netflix queue, etc., etc., and decide what you think you should spend 31 days watching. Now's your chance to finally watch all the stuff that didn't fit, or that you just didn't get around to, during the other Challenges.

Since you choose your own Challenge theme, you make the rules.

There are however a few guidelines which everyone should follow.

Challenge Guidelines:

The Challenge runs from May 1 through May 31.

Sure, you can do your May MYOC in September if you want, but the list thread will only be stickied during May, so if you want anyone else to see what you're up to, please try to do it near those dates.

Please state your challenge theme and your challenge goal and rules (if any) at the top of your list(s) in the list thread so others can tell what you're doing.

Please don't duplicate an existing "Official" DVD Talk Challenge.

This guideline is mainly here so we don't subtract from participation in any of the other Challenges, and to encourage participants to focus on genres not already covered by a Challenge, but since everyone's "need to watch" list is different, and you're able to watch stuff that qualifies for one or more of the other Challenges during every other Challenge, you're free to narrow the focus of one of the broader "Official" Challenges.

For example; Say you only collect horror, then you could make your Challenge to watch just horror films, or just horror TV shows, or just zombie films, etc. Or if you have lots of unwatched Sci-Fi, then your MYOC could be just watch Sci-Fi movies, or watch Star Trek shows, or watch TOS, etc.

Here's Trevor's handy-dandy list of Challenges from his "Official" DVDTalk Challenges Compendium thread:


DVDTalk Challenge Schedule

Month	Month-long Challenge	Partial Month Challenge
January	TV	Holiday ends on the 1st; varying Academy Award
February	Musical/Romance/Music	varying Academy Award
March	Action/Adventure/Crime	varying Academy Award
April	Drive-In/Exploitation/B-Movie	none
May	Make-Your-Own	none
June	Historical Appreciation	none
July	Sci-Fi/Fantasy	none
August	Animation	none
September	Arthouse/Indy	none
October	Horror	none
November	Comedy	Holiday starts week of Thanksgiving
December	Holiday	none

Since we already have Monthly "Unwatched Media Pile" Threads, please do not use that as a theme.

During past MYOCs, people weren't happy with this being used as a theme, and I tend to agree that it is a little lazy. So how about giving a little thought to the theme and coming up with something a little more creative, please?

Check out the previous challenge threads for ideas:
2010 discussion thread.
2010 list thread.
2011 discussion thread.
2011 list thread.
2012 discussion thread.
2012 list thread.
2013 discussion thread.
2013 list thread.
2014 discussion thread.
2014 list thread.
2015 discussion thread.
2015 list thread.
2016 discussion thread.
2016 list thread.
2017 discussion thread.
2017 list thread.
2018 discussion thread.
2018 list thread.
2019 discussion thread.
2019 list thread.
2020 discussion thread.
2020 list thread.
2021 discussion thread.
2021 list thread.
2022 discussion thread.
2022 list thread.
2023 discussion thread.
2023 list thread.
2024 discussion thread.
2024 list thread.

Great, thanks for hosting again!

If I did a box set/multipack challenge, would that be frowned upon? Does that hit too close to the unwatched thread?

No, it narrows it down. Just don't use the word "unwatched" in your theme title.

I think I shall continue my Rotary Phone, Coffee & Vinyl challenge since we've been calling those out all year long anyway. Maybe I'll add wine to the list.

Took off last year, but I'm ready to delve into some international (non-US) and LGBTQ+ movies this month!

Just watched Benedetta (2021, France) and XXY (2007, Aregentina, Spain) on MUBI (It's the last day of my 3 months for $1 subscription). Both were pretty good and would fit your criteria if you haven't seen them yet.

Thanks for the recommendations. I've seen Benedetta but not XXY. I'll check it out!

Decided that I'm in. Planning a Documentary and Star Wars Challenge. Might start this evening after Svengoolie.

Not sure if your criteria includes Canadian documentary short films, but if so, I just watched this...

Thanks for the suggestion! Canadian movies and shorts definitely fit my criteria. I watched XXY on Mubi, and I'm glad that you suggested it. I've had it on my list of movies to check out for years. The acting is spectacular, especially from Richardo Darin, Ines Efron, and Martin Piroyansky. Alex is full of teenaged angst and confusion who also shows signs of arrested development. While being intersex is a major part of the story, the character felt more expansive than just that identity. Really great movie.

Glad you liked it. I totally agree. It was on my "to see" list for a very long time too. But I've got another one for you! I don't know if you can find it but I just watched Disco's Revenge (2024) (on Crave up here in Canada). It was amazing to see how the disco era was intertwined with the LGBTQ+ underground movement. Fascinating

I’m taking the easy way out and doing Hallmark because I have a ton of backlog and am also introducing the wife to the Signed Sealed Delivered series.

Sorry I forgot to request a sticky for the list thread. I just submitted it as we still have some time left.

I know this is always a quiet challenge month because we are all doing our own thing but I just want to say that I am having a great time! I've seen so many great Canadian films, from JUST the last year or two, that I would not have bothered with otherwise! Thanks to you all for keeping this challenge going! I missed a couple years when I was doing festival previewing and really regretted not being able to participate. Every year I do, having the options to pick my own theme and spend a month focusing on what I want (or need) to watch is a great thing and I will continue to try and support MMYOC for as long is it runs!

That's great! I agree that some themes aren't as conducive to discussion unless they're Star Trek, but the challenge is still worth it if people are watching and enjoying.

I have to wrap it up a day early, but it's been another great challenge. Got in a lot of first time views, as well as a chance to revisit some personal favorites.

I miss this challenge. I only participated in the first three. I wish I weren't so busy in May.
Regardless, I think I'm gonna give it another go in 2026.