A little over two years ago I accomplished one of the greatest creative feats of my young life: for my 2019 New Year’s resolution, I watched 50 films I hadn’t seen in the first 50 days of the new year.
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Why you might ask? Because not every New Year’s resolution has to be about healthy habits or being better organized. Sometimes to stay motivated in other parts of your life, you need a couple of fun goals that challenge you to expand your creativity or explore the extent of a hobby. Taking inspiration then from Artober and National Novel Writing Month, at the end of 2018 I decided to give myself a mega movie lover’s challenge for 2019: watch 50 films I hadn’t seen in the first 50 days of the new year. And I did!
It was a long and laborious but enjoyable task, revolving mostly around time management and lots of nights munching on popcorn in front of my TV. I dedicated at minimum one and a half to two hours every day for movie watching, though many of the films were actually closer to two and a half hours long, while a few were over three! Moneywise, thanks to a few streaming services and several rentals through my local library, I only paid for a video rental or movie ticket a handful of times.
On January 1, 2019, I kicked off my challenge with one of the classic black and white old Hollywood films, Casablanca. From there until late February 2019, I watched a wide variety of films ranging from newer Pixar movies Coco and Incredibles 2, to musicals Oklahoma! and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, to horror flicks The Sixth Sense and Psycho, to starting and completing the 9 hours' total runtime that is The Godfather Trilogy. It was a fascinating, entertaining experience, and one that renewed my lifelong love for movies.
Since then, I still try my best to watch a few new movies every few weeks. I have an ever-growing must watch movies list, and I enjoy the challenge of seeking out cinema yet unwatched by me, which is difficult since I majored in film in college and grew up in a family that watched movies every Sunday night during Netflix's DVD rental heyday. However if there's one thing my movie challenge has taught me, it's that there's always another movie to see, and entertainment is everywhere you look.
The 50 Films
See the list below for the 50 films I watched during my 2019 resolution and my brief thoughts on each. My absolute favorite films from my challenge are marked in red. Please note, this list contains some spoilers.
1. Casablanca (1942)
Beautiful, dramatic, and understandably a classic for all the right reasons.
2. The Truman Show (1998)
I just don't understand the hype about this film. It's good and has a unique premise executed extremely well, but still left me feeling not quite satisfied.
3. Good Will Hunting (1997)
Hard to put into words other than excellent, inspiring, and uplifting.
4. Coco (2017)
Colorful, fun, and entertaining. Also minus a couple of tear-jerking moments, Mamá Coco might just be the cutest animated old lady ever.
5. The Graduate (1967)
Surprisingly more artistic than I initially thought it would be. I had heard going in that the soundtrack was great (and it was), but some of the shots and cinematography are just beautiful and definitely underrated.
6. The Godfather (1972)
Ah, one of the first great gangster films. It’s fitting that a lot of the lighting is dark to match the subject matter.
7. The Sixth Sense (1999)
Creepy creepy creepy. But still really good. Also Bruce Willis' hair looks great (especially compared to film #9 Pulp Fiction).
8. Interstellar (2014)
As far as recent space movies go, it's much better than Gravity (2013), though maybe tied with The Martian (2015)? All three have their separate strengths and distinctions, though since Interstellar and The Martian both have Jessica Chastain, they're automatically the better two of the three films. I do forget that Matt Damon also starred in both Interstellar and The Martian, but it's understandable as his role in Interstellar was pretty awful and forgettable.
9. Pulp Fiction (1994)
Dark and weird but in an addictively entertaining way. Also, while I understand it was the 90s, nobody has good hair in this movie. Harvey Keitel is the one exception.
10. Charade (1963)
Fun and thrilling, though I would hardly call it "the best Hitchcock movie that Hitchcock never made." Sorry, but it just doesn't have the same level of style and craft to be compared to the Master of Suspense. Also, while Cary Grant successfully plays the charming male lead at almost 60, the quarter of a century age gap between he and Audrey Hepburn is still a bit uncomfortable.
11. Downsizing (2017)
Great premise, disappointing execution. So much more could have been done with the sets and props, and above all else, the plot itself, which is great in the first act and then deviates into a completely different, dull film in the second.
12. The Big Lebowski (1998)
Enjoyably weird and funny with all the right eccentric-ness. Rugs and bowling will never be looked at the same again.
13. The Third Man (1949)
Far more thrilling than Charade (film #10). A good old-fashioned noir, and an excellent performance by Orson Welles.
14. Saturday Night Fever (1977)
So much more than just a dance movie. The social commentary, the struggles of working-class youth. There's a lot of harsh realities in this film, and like John Travolta's character, disco dance moves, flashy outfits, and tunes can't distract us completely from these problems.
15. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Russell Crowe is an acting genius playing an actual genius. Bravo.
16. Jersey Boys (2014)
The Four Seasons' origin story/Broadway-show-turned-film is fantastic, and while a few historical inaccuracies are present, they help serve the overall narrative for a sweeping symphony of an experience.
16.5 Stagecoach (1939)
This is labeled film #16.5 because I had actually seen it once before many years ago, but didn't realize this until about halfway through the film. Oops! Oh well, it's still a solid western, and it's always a treat to see John Wayne in one of his earlier Hollywood roles.
17. Heathers (1989)
While labeled as a dark comedy, the humor is too sickeningly dark for my taste, and has not aged well at all when considering the rise of teen suicide, eating disorders, and school shootings. The only enjoyable things about this film are the wardrobe and hair and makeup departments.
18. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
Eh, it's ok. I liked the initial premise but it just wasn’t that great in execution. Definitely low on the list of Jurassic Park films from best to worst.
19. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
Returning to Middle-earth after 9 long years, it's a charming start to The Lord of the Rings prequel trilogy. The dwarves and their various hairstyles are all fun, though remembering their names was challenging. This guide helped me keep all the new bearded faces straight.
20. No Country for Old Men (2007)
Javier Bardem's character will forever be one of the darkest screen villains of all time, and the 1980s-set western is rife with suspense. Josh Brolin's fate near the end of the film however, is just poorly done, and the film's overall plot and pacing suffer from it.
21. Serendipity (2001)
Ah, love and destiny. And a real life ice cream parlor that's now on my list of cinema-inspired travel destinations. The first romcom on this list, Serendipity is hilariously parodied later in film #47 Isn’t It Romantic. As an early 2000s romcom classic, the film has just the right blend of charm and fluff, and it's also delightful to see Kate Beckinsale in her pre-Underworld years.
22. The Birds (1963)
Oof. To stay the tension build up in this film is a slow burn would be an understatement. The initial seagull attack seems to take forever to get to, and the tension is nothing compared to some of Hitchcock's better works. On the bright side, no one can pull off a fur coat and green suit like Tippi Hedren.
23. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell are an amazing duo, and the film has many standout moments and musical numbers besides the famous “Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend.” The macho men athletics display in “Ain't There Anyone Here for Love” is especially entertaining.
24. Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)
Minus a few details and plot points, it's hard to see this film as anything other than a gender-reversed remake of Pretty in Pink (1986). At least the characters feel refreshingly different enough.
25. TRON (1982)
Even today a lot of the technology references are a bit hard to understand, however it's still admirable for its groundbreaking CGI work.
26. Deliverance (1972)
A powerfully successful nature thriller. As a result, I’m never taking a canoe trip in the wilderness EVER, and likewise, I'm going to be paranoid when camping for a good long time.
27. Harold and Maude (1971)
I'm willing to overlook the age gap here mostly because the film does a fantastic job of balancing light and darkness, humor and sadness, and most importantly, life and death. Tonally, there's an overall sadness accompanied by an overall hopefulness, true to the film and also to life itself.
28. Cleopatra (1963)
Absolutely fantastic. It may be over three hours long, but Elizabeth Taylor's eye makeup and costuming alone make it all worth it.
29. Cool Hand Luke (1967)
In Serendipity (film #21), John Cusack's character states Cool Hand Luke is his favorite film. The film definitely has its moments, but in the overall prison/prisoner film genre, I have to say I prefer The Shawshank Redemption (1994).
30. The Artist (2011)
A beautiful, breathtaking homage to old Hollywood, and an all-around lovely film.
31. American Graffiti (1973)
The film feels almost like a documentary of sorts, but in a fun way. It's an all-American time capsule that includes some slight screen time by a young, pre-Star Wars Harrison Ford.
32. Loving Vincent (2017)
The plot isn't exactly riveting but the oil painted animation is gorgeous.
33. Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979)
A good laugh, especially at the Latin graffiti grammar lesson bit, but Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) is better.
34. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Visually impressive, but other than that it's an over-hyped and over-abstract snooze fest that feels 2001 hours long.
35. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Funny, entertaining, and weird. I see the cult appeal but can't say I'd ever participate in the culture.
36. Lost in Translation (2003)
Intriguing at times, overrated at others. Gross when considering Scarlett Johansson was only 17 at the time and Bill Murray was 30+ years her senior.
37. Psycho (1960)
Perfectly shot, perfectly scored, and perfectly terrifying.
38. The Red Balloon (1956, known in French as Le Ballon Rouge)
Whimsical, wonderful, and the shortest film during my challenge at just 34 minutes long.
39. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Brutally realistic and horrific, this film pays respect to the honest, cruel realities of war.
40. Incredibles 2 (2018)
A long-awaited yet thankfully fun and well-done sequel. And Jack-Jack gets some much-deserved additional screen time.
41. Oklahoma! (1955)
Lovely as any musical from the Rodgers and Hammerstein repertoire. The ballet dream sequence however is a bit much.
42. Memento (2000)
Disturbing at times but impressively structured. One of the great puzzle films for good reason.
43. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
Excellent, as is anything adapted from Tennessee Williams' work. And regardless of Vivien Leigh's character's vanity in the film, she looks just as elegant and timeless here as she did in Gone with the Wind (1939) twelve years prior.
44. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
A highly skilled juggling of storylines between young Vito and present day Michael Corleone in this sequel/prequel. And putting the Corleones' mafia connections briefly aside for a moment, it's impressive to consider how young Vito accomplished the American dream, albeit through bloody and illegal, dishonest means. He eventually worked his way up from renting a small neighborhood flat to owning the grand Corleone home where his daughter's extravagant wedding was held in the first film. Mafia don or not, that's a hard working family man.
45. Kim Possible (2019)
While it had good intentions, it didn't need to be made and just couldn't live up to the perfection of the original TV series and films.
46. Isn’t It Romantic (2019)
I love a good parody film, and one that makes fun of multiple films and tropes from the romcom genre while still telling a fresh story is applause worthy and delightful to watch again and again.
47. The Godfather: Part III (1990)
Sofia Coppola isn't the worst actress I've ever seen, but the overall quality of the film as a whole doesn't set her or anyone else up for much success.
48. The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015)
A bright and heartfelt dive into the lives of the elderly. With no knowledge prior to the film, I selected it for viewing primarily based on its long and flowery title. Imagine my awkwardness when I learned I was actually watching the sequel to one The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011). Oops! I still haven't seen the original film, but the sequel was good as far as I could tell, especially when not knowing any previous plot points.
49. A Room with a View (1985)
Beautiful, romantic, and just a pure pleasure to watch and experience.
50. Metropolis (1927)
Ironically enough, the last film on my list was also the oldest. As one of the earlier big budget science fiction films, it's admirably ambitious and just downright impressive when it comes to scope and scale.
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