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[kswiston]

I still have 2.5 movies to go. I will get through them for the sake of not blowing a year's worth of progress, but I have had no desire to watch films this month. I should finish off my book challenge with either 54 or 55 books completed. I finished the Rithmatist recently and am about half way through a shorter non-fiction title.

I am not sure that I will be taking the 2015 challenge. I am proud of the fact that I was able to (or will be able to) finish the challenge this year, but I had to severely limit the length of most of my books (with a few exceptions) to do so.

 

[bggrthnjsus]

finally finished - updated my original post

57/50 books, 51/50 movies, 252/250 albums

some standouts:

books (not all 2014):
to rise again at a decent hour - joshua ferris (2014)
if on a winter’s night a traveler - italo calvino (1979)
and the mountains echoed - khaled hosseini (2013)
what we talk about when we talk about love - raymond carver (1981)
white noise - don delilo (1985)

honorable mentions: bartkira vol 1-2 - various (2014) (not listed in my original post), annihilation - jeff vandermeer (2014) (too bad the rest of the trilogy sucks), we are all completely beside ourselves - karen joy fowler (2014)

movies:
guardians of the galaxy
interstellar
the lego movie
edge of tomorrow
under the skin
(i guess i really liked a lot of sci fi this year?)

albums:
run the jewels - run the jewels 2
jessie ware - tough love
st. vincent - st. vincent
cloud nothings - here and nowhere else
fka twigs - lp1

honorable mentions: tony molina - dissed and dismissed, d’angelo - black messiah, tswift - 1989, serengeti - kenny dennis iii

tracks:
jai paul - jasmine (demo)
taylor swift - style
fka x inc. - fka x inc.
rick ross, jay z - the devil is a lie
run the jewels - close your eyes (and count to fuck)

 

[Tragicomedy]

Do you use a script or do you do it all by hand?

I'm not savvy in terms of html or programming, so it was 90% manual. I tallied all the update numbers by hand and used Excel formulas for the monthly totals and top 20 of each category.

My original plan (and the one I still think we should do) was to make the Google Excel spreadsheet public and have everyone update their totals once per month. That would have made the monthly updates a 15 minute breeze, but there was a bit of pushback from people who didn't want to do that.

If there's an easy script solution, all the better.

 

[Jintor]

Might halve my book reading goal next year and try and focus more on movies - I was going okay but moving to another country killed my desire to watch movies entirely. I literally watched no movies from August until December 25th.

Of course, it could be just that I don't like to watch movies.

 

[Tragicomedy]

Of course, it could be just that I don't like to watch movies.

I think that might have something to do with it. I don't watch much TV, and when I do I usually prefer a good show over a movie. I feel like on average over the past decade, TV has surpassed movies in terms of story and quality.

The way I finished the movies this year was to just ignore critics and buzz and watch literally whatever looked interesting. The result was I watched some amazing stuff and some complete garbage.

What do you do with your free time? Read? Game?

 

[You Are Viewtiful]

Can't wait to try this out next year

 

[Guamu]

Can't wait to try this out next year

Protip: start your first book right now.

 

[Jintor]

I think that might have something to do with it. I don't watch much TV, and when I do I usually prefer a good show over a movie. I feel like on average over the past decade, TV has surpassed movies in terms of story and quality.

The way I finished the movies this year was to just ignore critics and buzz and watch literally whatever looked interesting. The result was I watched some amazing stuff and some complete garbage.

What do you do with your free time? Read? Game?

Atm: reading, gaming, drawing, writing. I've talked about it before, but I find it difficult to partition off time to watch a movie when I could be watching more bite-sized stuff instead, I think.

 

[Krauser Kat]

i am 28 books into my 50 books this year (june to june) i have run into a small roadblock unfortunately. i found a book i wanted to read but now i cant find it anymore. the cover was yellowish with a child/younger looking male with goggles and a smaller semi auto handgun i think there is a dragon head facing the other direction faintly in the background. does this ring a bell to anyone else. thanks if anyone can point me in the right direction.

 

[Tragicomedy]

Atm: reading, gaming, drawing, writing. I've talked about it before, but I find it difficult to partition off time to watch a movie when I could be watching more bite-sized stuff instead, I think.

Makes sense. Outside of the 5-6 times we went to the movies this year, which was a new record since my son came along, we never finish a movie in one sitting. I can make it up to an hour before I cry uncle and quit watching for the night. The wife and I resume the next night.

It sounds dumb, but you don't even need to average a movie a week so it works out.

 

[Kunan]

Well I didn't manage to do it this year, but I'd like to give it another go for 2015! The past few weeks I've started reading a ton and watching a few films, so I say the 2015 marathon is a go!

 

[You Are Viewtiful]

Protip: start your first book right now.

I am reading 6 books at the same time atm xD

 

[Necrovex]

Protip: start your first book right now.

I'm already working on my second book for 2015.

I'm going to be boned on the movie side, since I'll be living in Africa! Access to movies will be a shit ton harder without a constant, stable source to the internet (Goodbye Netflix)!

Two hours doesn't sound so bad. I'm down.

Everyone better just be ready for a lot of purple on the graphs.

I'm just expecting you to link us to read books about the American Criminal Justice system in your update posts.

 

[Pau]

Heck yeah! We'll be 4/4 on new thread ownership. I'm looking forward to seeing how you class up the joint. Purple sounds good.

When I get home from this holiday trip, I'll send you my primitive Google docs spreadsheet and master post. Use them, don't, whatever. The ball is in your court!

Thanks! I'll try to figure out if there's a more efficient way of doing it, but chances are I'll just continue as is.

I'm just expecting you to link us to read books about the American Criminal Justice system in your update posts.

I don't even read that much on the topic.

 

[Ashes]

Thanks! I'll try to figure out if there's a more efficient way of doing it, but chances are I'll just continue as is.


I don't even read that much on the topic.

Do encourage the use of the shorthand format:

Ashes - xx/50 books | xx/50 movies

You will save yourself so much grief.

 

[Enco]

That's a really great idea. But instead of one, I'd say top three books/movies - because at least in my case it's way too difficult to choose only one.

Sounds good. More choice for others to start from!

The second option with people listing their three favorite books and movies would be a lot easier. I really dig the idea. We implemented something similar where people listed their favorite every month, but few of us stuck with it. An annual "best of" sounds great.

Yea I don't think everyone will do it but even if 10 or so did, we would have 30+ recommendations in each category.

As for processing the information, what about some sort of Google Spreadsheet or form or something. Or finding a script to count things up. Nothing too complicated else people won't take part but something that'll be a bit more automated.

 

[thomaser]

16/50 books - 0/50 movies

Books:
1 - Pratchett, Terry: Snuff
2 - Lampedusa, Tomasi di: The Leopard
3 - Kahneman, Daniel: Thinking, Fast and Slow
4 - Wilde, Oscar: Complete Plays (in Complete Works of Oscar Wilde)
5 - Forsyth, Mark: The Etymologicon
6 - Camus, Albert: The Plague
7 - Wilde, Oscar: Complete Poems (in Complete Works of Oscar Wilde)
8 - Hayder, Mo: Tokyo
9 - Wilde, Oscar: Essays, Selected Joutnalism, Lectures and Letters (in Complete Works of Oscar Wilde)
10 - Díaz, Junot: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
11 - Pushkin, Alexander: The Collected Stories
12 - Sorensen, Herb: Inside the Mind of the Shopper - The Science of Retailing
13 - Eco, Umberto: The Prague Cemetary
14 - Niffenegger, Audrey: The Time-Traveler's Wife
15 - Kabicek, Skandfer, Agdestein: Krüger & Krogh - Brennpunkt Oslo no.1
16 - Burroughs, William S.: Naked Lunch
----
17 - Burns, Charles: Black Hole (reading)

Will go for 17. No point in reaching for more.

 

[X-Frame]

I blame Destiny for latching onto my addictive tendencies and knocked me right off this challenge.

I am cashing in on the books over 500 pages to bring me closer to 50 books and that puts me at 42 (30 without the boost).

Movies are also only at 29 but really I did this to increase my reading. 30 books (or 42) is better than the 5 in 2013, which I am proud of. I plan on joining the 2015 thread as well!

 

[Cyan]

I don't even read that much on the topic.

If you say so Mumei.

 

[Necrovex]

If you say so Mumei.

His influence is too strong on our young minds.

 

[Enco]

My top 3 movies:
1. Interstellar
2. Her
3. The Grand Budapest Hotel

Edge of Tomorrow, Gone Girl and The Raid 2 were also absolutely amazing.

3 books I'll think of later.

edit: just noticed I've hit 500 movies on ICheckMovies. Nice!

 

[Narag]

Hmm, really am going down to the wire with this.

 

[Pau]

If you say so Mumei.

I will take that as a compliment.

 

[Frustrated_Grunt]

Might do this in 2015 to get me to read more books. Can barely get through one every few months.

 

[Duo014]

srry bout the long post, just typed everything in from the diary.

docus 3
love and engineering
food inc
bag it

movies 80
Alles is liefde
epic
21
superbad
madagascar 2
made in dagenham
steel magnolia's
Robin hood disney
Harry Potter Azkaban
district 9
jane eyre
prisoners
catch me if you can
benjamin button
hercules disneys
the notebook
valentine's day
the life of betty page
the debt
frozen
saving mr banks
wolf on wallstreet
cloudy with a chance of meatballs 2
about time
truman show
blackadder back & forth
the producers
ocean's eleven
brave
the pianist
her
cabin in the woods
delivery man
12 years a slave
broken circle breakdown
ender's game
from up to poppy hill
godfather 3
thor dark world
summer wars
secret life of bees
grand budapest hotel
x-men days of future past
lego movie
moon
the help
roujin Z
rise of the planet of the apes
ATM
the iron lady
dawn of the planet of the apes
this is the end
cap amerika 2expendables 3
guardians galaxy
dead poet society
troll hunter
driving miss daisy
shawshank redemption
the invention of lying
the reader
baby's day out
le 12 travaux d asterix
21 jump street
22 jump street
just friends
pandorum
edge of tomorrow
how to train your dragon 2
let me in
enemy at the gates
jersey boys
sex tape
chef
hobbit 2
hobbit 3
interstellar
maleficint
fargo

series 6
derek
ouer zoo
house of cards
sherlock
downton abbey
gundam build fighters

games 52
mega man 5 nes
shovel knight
sunset overdrive
halo
halo 2
halo 3
shadows of mordor
Return to castle wolfenstein
noah's ark nes
the flintstones nes
turtles 3 nes
vvvvvv
mega man battle network
kid icarus 3ds
heartstone
titanfall
mariokart 8
super mario bros 2 jap
nes remix 2
metroid fusion
mega man v gb
mega man x2
peggle 2
super mario bros 2
dota 2
mario land
tearaway
beyond two souls
soul sacrifice
dangan rompa
spelunky
the walking dead season 1
surgeon sim.
demon souls
castlevania nes
ninja gaiden nes
metroid nes
dark souls 2
minecraft
kirby's adventure nes
super metroid
south park stick of truth
strider
guacamelee
chip n dale 2 nes
little nemo dream master nes
megan man 6 nes
newzealand story nes
van helsing
game dev story
hyrule warriors
alien isolation

books 23
ender's game
ender's shadow
ready player one
harry potter 1
harry potter 2
harry potter 3
harry potter 4
harry potter 5
harry potter 6
harry potter 7
kafka on the shore
apollo's song
atomcat
1q84
unico
tunnel the monstrows follows of the country undergound
batman hush
dororo
the legend of the strongest man
artemis fowl
artemis fowl 2
artemis fowl 3
black jack

theatre 3
guga
monthy python live
video games live level 3

 

[Pau]

Might do this in 2015 to get me to read more books. Can barely get through one every few months.

Do it! Reading is very much a habit. You'll find that you can read quite a lot even if you're only reading 20 pages a day or so before bedtime!

 

[Tragicomedy]

As for processing the information, what about some sort of Google Spreadsheet or form or something. Or finding a script to count things up. Nothing too complicated else people won't take part but something that'll be a bit more automated.

Why whatever do you mean?

This is how I've been doing it, but I'm certain there is a more efficient way. I was hoping everyone would hop onto this once per month and update their numbers...

 

[Cyan]

I mean, I think the script I put together for NaNo could probably handle it with some tweaking. It's just a question of parsing the numbers right, which was always the hard part for me. (I'm a total amateur at this stuff)

 

[Wensih]

Well I got through 100 movies (and counting). 2 books. .

Books:
1. Roitt's Essential Immunology by Peter J. Delves
2. Ecological Speciation by Patrik Nosil

Movies:
1. American Hustle
2. Only God Forgives
3. Upstream Color
4. HeavyMetal
5. Black Fish
6. Pi
7. Ameile
8. The Green Butchers
9. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
10. The Road
11. Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels
12. Her
13. Rare Exports
14. Cutie and the Boxer
15. Rugratz: Go Wild
16. Bert Wonderstone
17. Argo
18. Taxi Driver
19. 2001: A Space Odyssey
20. Clockwork Orange
21. The Shining
22. Raging Bull
23. Holy Mountain
24. Dog Day Afternoon
25. Thor 2: Dark World
26. Amazing Spider-Man 2
27. Godzilla
28. Dredd
29. X-Men: Days of Future Past
30. Prisoners
31. Secret Life of Walter Mitty
32. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
33. Snowpiercer
34. A Prophet
35. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
36. Tiny: A Story About Living Small
37. Terms and Conditions May Apply
38. Food Inc.
39. Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa
40. Journey to the West
41. Particle Fever
42. Sympathy for Mr. Vengance
43. Sympathy for Lady Vengance
44. Texas Chain Saw Massacre (2010)
45. You're Next
46. Ghost Chile
47. Nymphomanic Vol. 1
48. Five Easy Pieces
49. Grave Encounters
50. Machete Kills
51. Donnie Darko
52. Gaurdians of the Galaxy
53. Nymphomanic Vol. 2
54. Cape Fear
55. Vampire's Kiss
56. Mad Max
57. Ichi the Killer
58. Klown
59. The birdcage
60. Blue Ruin
61. Waking Life
62. The Painting
63. Good Morning, Vietnam
64. Apocolypse Now
65. Dallas Buyer's Club
66. The Toxic Avenger
67. The Graduate
68. Klitchko
69. Iron Sky
70. Hellraiser
71. Sound of Noise
72. Blancacanieves
73. Bronson
74. The Rabbi's Cat
75. Four Rooms
76. Following
77. The Final Member
78. Bird People of China
79. Wild Strawberries
80. Paprika
81. Adrift in Tokyo
82. The Double
83. Nightcrawler
84. Gone Girl
85. Interstellar
86. Dumb and Dumber To
87. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay -- Part 1
88. Blue Valentine
89. The One I Love
90. Annie Hall
91. Burt's Buzz
92. Good Will Hunting
93. A Company Man
94. Submarine
95. The God Father
96. Springbreakers
97. The Spectacular Now
98. Alien
99. Godzilla Raids Again
100. Rodan

Favorite theatrical release: Nightcrawler

I also did the 52 game challenge in the game forums.

 

[Enco]

Why whatever do you mean?

This is how I've been doing it, but I'm certain there is a more efficient way. I was hoping everyone would hop onto this once per month and update their numbers...

Neat.

I'd be happy to edit it whenever I update. Seems like a good idea.

 

[thomaser]

17/50 books - 0/50 movies

Books:
1 - Pratchett, Terry: Snuff
2 - Lampedusa, Tomasi di: The Leopard
3 - Kahneman, Daniel: Thinking, Fast and Slow
4 - Wilde, Oscar: Complete Plays (in Complete Works of Oscar Wilde)
5 - Forsyth, Mark: The Etymologicon
6 - Camus, Albert: The Plague
7 - Wilde, Oscar: Complete Poems (in Complete Works of Oscar Wilde)
8 - Hayder, Mo: Tokyo
9 - Wilde, Oscar: Essays, Selected Joutnalism, Lectures and Letters (in Complete Works of Oscar Wilde)
10 - Díaz, Junot: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
11 - Pushkin, Alexander: The Collected Stories
12 - Sorensen, Herb: Inside the Mind of the Shopper - The Science of Retailing
13 - Eco, Umberto: The Prague Cemetary
14 - Niffenegger, Audrey: The Time-Traveler's Wife
15 - Kabicek, Skandfer, Agdestein: Krüger & Krogh - Brennpunkt Oslo no.1
16 - Burroughs, William S.: Naked Lunch
17 - Burns, Charles: Black Hole

That's it. Might read a shorty story or two the next days, or maybe some of Shakespeare's sonnets.

 

[Nymerio]

I haven't updated my post in ages, but I won't be managing to get to 50 anyway. There just weren't that many books this year that hooked me like last year. Don't even get me started on movies, I guess I'm just not a movie person. I even got netflix because I thought that would move me to watch something but there just aren't any movies that interest me. Even if I found a movie, usually I'd just end up reading a book instead. Books just do more for me than movies.

Nymerio - 46/50 Books | 07/50 Movies​

Books

• The Eye of the World (Robert Jordan)
• The Great Hunt (Robert Jordan)
• The Dragon Reborn (Robert Jordan)
• The Shadow Rising (Robert Jordan)
• The Fires of Heaven (Robert Jordan)
• And Then There Were None (Agatha Christie)
• Shift (Hugh Howey)
• Leviathan Wakes (James S.A. Corey)
• Assassin's Apprentice (Robin Hobb)
• Royal Assassin (Robin Hobb)
• Assassin's Quest (Robin Hobb)
• The Ocean at the End of the Lane (Neil Gaiman)
• Fool's Errand (Robin Hobb)
• Golden Fool (Robin Hobb)
• Fool's Fate (Robin Hobb)
• Dust (Hugh Howey)
• The Stress of Her Regard (Tim Powers)
• The Twelve (Justin Cronin)
• Caliban's War (James S.A. Corey)
• The Tyranny of the Night (Glen Cook)
• Range of Ghosts (Elizabeth Bear)
• Monster Hunter International (Larry Correia)
• Under the Skin (Michel Faber)
• Abaddon's Gate (James S.A. Corey)
• Promise of Blood (Brian McClellan)
• Skin Game (Jim Butcher)
• Ordinary Grace (William Kent Krueger)
• The Golem and the Jinni (Helene Wecker)
• The Humans (Matt Haig)
• Blood Song (Anthony Ryan)
• The Republic of Thieves (Scott Lynch)
• Revelation Space (Alastair Reynolds)
• Under the Dome (Stephen King)
• Words of Radiance (Brandon Sanderson)
• Annihilation (Jeff Vandermeer)
• Authority (Jeff Vandermeer)
• Acceptance (Jeff (Vandermeer)
• Jack of Ravens (Mark Chadbourn)
• The Burning Man (Mark Chadbourn)
• Destroyer of Worlds (Mark Chadbourn)
• The Thief (Megan Whalen Turner)
• The Queen of Attolia (Megan Whalen Turner)
• The King of Attolia (Megan Whalen Turner)
• A Conspirace of Kings (Megan Whalen Turner)
• Sand (Hugh Howey)
• The Bloody Red Baron (Kim Newman)

Movies

• The World's End
• Life is Beautiful
• This is the End
• Despicable Me
• Despicable Me 2
• The Conjuring
• The Purge
• Free to Play

 

[kinoki]

This is it then. The last update of the year. Looking forward to a new year and new books & movies. Planning on making a best of-post but Christmas has left me weary. Gratz to everyone who has done their best.​

kinoki - 65/50 Books | 99/50 Movies ​

Movies​

• The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - Extended Edition (2014, dir. Peter Jackson) - ★★★★ - The extended editions are fun since there are so many small nuances that appear. One nuance that didn't need to appear is the extra two hour walk through Mirkwood, however.
• The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies (2014, dir. Peter Jackson) - ★★★★ - I like it. The action flows from scene to scene and there's just enough urgency to pull the movie along. It's not overly long and it get its job done. It's a lot of fun to watch.
• The Lego Movie (2014, dir. Phil Lord, Christopher Miller) - ★★★ - I'd love for this to be stupid but it really isn't. The third act is almost genius in the execution.
• Monsters University (2013, dir. Dan Scanlon) - ★★ - There really isn't any point to this movie. The best thing I can say is that it's inoffensive. It's so uneventful and uninspired. It's a shame that Pixar needs to do movies like this to keep the treadmill going. I want them making new and interesting ideas.

 

[Empty]

Well I got through 100 movies (and counting). 2 books. .


I also did the 52 game challenge in the game forums.

i don't really know how to balance playing games and reading books. for me it's basically one or the other. they're both too big a time investment, whereas watching a film is easy and i have zero problem.

like since i've done this challenge i've read 50+ books in 2013 and 2014, but the number of games i've played thoroughly has cratered. this year i beat nine games and a bunch were short indies or mobiles, pretty much the same last year. i can barely fill a gaf game of the year ballot. before i did this challenge, i'd play a ton of games (maybe not quite 52 as that's fucking impressive, but a lot) and read about seven or eight books a year.

maybe i should not do it this next year and focus more on balance. i'd also like to try and read more longer books which i find way too hard with the pressure of trying to get to fifty.

 

[Wensih]

i don't really know how to balance playing games and reading books. for me it's basically one or the other. they're both too big a time investment, whereas watching a film is easy and i have zero problem.

like since i've done this challenge i've read 50+ books in 2013 and 2014, but the number of games i've played thoroughly has cratered. this year i beat nine games and a bunch were short indies or mobiles, pretty much the same last year. i can barely fill a gaf game of the year ballot. before i did this challenge, i'd play a ton of games (maybe not quite 52 as that's fucking impressive, but a lot) and read about seven or eight books a year.

maybe i should not do it this next year and focus more on balance. i'd also like to try and read more longer books which i find way too hard with the pressure of trying to get to fifty.

I finished the 52 game challenge, but I couldn't fill out a GAF GotY ballot either, most of my games were neat little flash experiences, Ludum Dare challenges, or older games that weren't released in this year.

I think, hopefully, what has been holding back my reading isn't videogames but school. I don't get to read much studying for Immunology, Prokaryotic, Chemistry, and Anatomy exams.

 

[TestMonkey]

Update (Final): TestMonkey - 75/50 Books | 75/50 Movies

Books

• Foundations of California Criminal Law by Paul Azevedo and Bent Neck
• Tao Te Ching by Lao-tzu translated by Stephen Mitchell
• Damned by Chuck Palahniuk
• The Lifecycle of Software Objects by Ted Chiang
• Awakening: An Introduction to the History of Eastern Thought by Patrick Bresnan
• Sacré Bleu: A Comedy d'Art by Christopher Moore
• Soul Music by Terry Pratchett

Movies

• Heavenly Sword
• Bill Burr: I'm Sorry You Feel That Way
• Summer Wars
• Iron Man & Captain America: Heroes United
• Unbroken
• Brave
• Breaking The Taboo

Got to 75 so I'm gonna call it a year. Will post my favorites later.

 

[kinoki]

Update (Final): TestMonkey - 75/50 Books | 75/50 Movies

Got to 75 so I'm gonna call it a year. Will post my favorites later.

The discipline needed. How do you cull the urge to just binge watching movies? Or is that non-existant in other people than me?

 

[Pau]

The discipline needed. How do you cull the urge to just binge watching movies? Or is that non-existant in other people than me?

My urge is to binge read books. But it's a rather anti-social activity so I can't do it often. Lately I've been binging movies to finish the challenge, and my boyfriend (who is more of a movie lover than I am) is getting worn out by it.

 

[kinoki]

My urge is to binge read books. But it's a rather anti-social activity so I can't do it often. Lately I've been binging movies to finish the challenge, and my boyfriend (who is more of a movie lover than I am) is getting worn out by it.

There's nothing like wasting a sunday watching 5 movies in a row.

 

[Forsaken82]

Forsaken82 – 7/50 Books | 85/50 Movies

I don't see myself reading or watching anything new before the end of the year so im just gonna throw my final update up now...

Not as much reading as I wanted to do (i basically stopped reading about two months ago unfortunately cause of work) overall i read more pages this year than I did last year though (last year I read 12 books, 7 of which were 150 pages or less (including the 5 wool books as there own) this year I read Sand Omnibus and counted it as just one book along with the other books I read so I think I definitely improved in that regards)

Definitely a decline in films... it is hard to find new films to watch when you have watched pretty much everything as it comes out. I can't compete with the people who never watched movies as much 10-20 years ago... Limiting yourself to 90% of the shit that comes out today makes it so much harder!


Books:

7. The Strain: Book 1

Movies:
53. Getaway
54. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
55. The Amazing Spiderman 2
56. Guardians of the Galaxy
57. The Raid 2
58. Brick Mansions
59. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1
60. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 2
61. Starship Troopers: Invasion
62. Draft Day
63. Neighbors
64. Open Grave
65. Million ways to Die in the West
66. Edge of Tomorrow
67. Transformers: Age of Extinction
68. Gone Girl
69. 22 Jump Street
70. The Purge: Anarchy
71. Deliver Us From Evil
72. Expendables 3
73. Hercules
74. Maleficent
75. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
76. Horns
77. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
78. The Salvation
79. VHS: Viral
80. Predestination
81. Tusk
82. As Above, So Below
83. Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
84. The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies
85. The Maze Runner

 

[Cyan]

Cyan - 77/50 books | 50/50 movies

And we're done. Told y'all to have faith.

Man. This last month was brutal.

All right, since it's over, let me call out a few highlights.

Books
-The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks
-Maus by Art Spiegelman
-The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes
-The Riddle-Master of Hed by Patricia McKillip
-Sandman by Neil Gaiman
-Nausicaa by Hayao Miyazaki
-The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
-Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

Banks can be tough to read, but the Player was fun to read about. Maus, Sandman, and Nausicaa are all amazing and classic graphic novels, if all for different reasons. Riddle-Master was a blast and beautifully written (hi Gotchaye!). The War of Art was an inspiration, and Meditations inspired contemplation. The Making of the Atomic Bomb was a goddamn doorstop, but what a story. Tons more great stuff, but I don't want to be here all night.

Movies
-Her
-The Third Man
-Interstellar
-La Jetée
-Jaws
-Collateral
-Rocky

Her and Interstellar were both brilliant examples of modern science fiction done right, showing that you don't need to be a remake, reboot, or franchise to come up with a must-watch movie in the genre. The Third Man is a goddamn classic, Orson Welles kills it, the music is great and the whole thing is intense. Jaws and Rocky are just solid, straightforward, well-made movies of the kind you don't see enough of anymore. Just damn fine storytelling. Collateral is a tight, taut thriller that rides on Cruise's charming sociopathy and Foxx's charming naivete.

La Jetée is just crazy.

 

[Guamu]

Done with the books.

But I have 5 movies to go in two days and work stuff won't leave me alone.

>_<

 

[Tragicomedy]

Not as much reading as I wanted to do (i basically stopped reading about two months ago unfortunately cause of work) overall i read more pages this year than I did last year though (last year I read 12 books, 7 of which were 150 pages or less (including the 5 wool books as there own) this year I read Sand Omnibus and counted it as just one book along with the other books I read so I think I definitely improved in that regards)

Congrats! The numbers might be a little fudged, but you definitely read more this year than the last, even with the two month break at the end. I hope you're back again next year.

Cyan - 77/50 books | 50/50 movies

And we're done. Told y'all to have faith.

Movies
-Jaws
-Rocky

I knew you'd make it. You don't want us to perceive you as the weak link in the mod chain for this thread.

Jaws and Rocky for the first time?!? I'm jealous, especially of your virgin eyes taking in the glory that is Rocky. That's my wife's favorite movie of all time, because she's a damn cool woman. It's such a great story, so well-paced, and with such likable characters.

And I don't care what anyone says, you definitely need to watch the rest of the series for next year. My less-than-definitive rankings:

Rocky > Rocky IV > Rocky II > Rocky Balboa > Rocky V >>>>>>> Rocky III

There's a spin-off about Apollo Creed's grandson coached by Rocky coming out in the future...

Done with the books.

But I have 5 movies to go in two days and work stuff won't leave me alone.

>_<

Five movies? You're going to let five movies stand in the way of completing your New Year's resolution? What? Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!

Start with Animal House, then watch four random movies back-to-back-to-back-to-back. You've got this!

 

[Ashes]

Cyan - 77/50 books | 50/50 movies

Congrats red wizard. You done good like.

 

[lastflowers]

Cyan - 77/50 books | 50/50 movies

Banks can be tough to read, but the Player was fun to read about. Maus, Sandman, and Nausicaa are all amazing and classic graphic novels, if all for different reasons. Riddle-Master was a blast and beautifully written (hi Gotchaye!). The War of Art was an inspiration, and Meditations inspired contemplation. The Making of the Atomic Bomb was a goddamn doorstop, but what a story. Tons more great stuff, but I don't want to be here all night.

Congrats. I didn't realize Nausicaa was a graphic novel. My family had a miyazaki Christmas, watching Kiki's, Mononoke, and Wind Rises each night (with A Modern Man thrown in there). I've never seen Nausica, though I bought the recent Blu-ray release, and this might be the motivation to go and watch it.

 

[A Human Becoming]

Shouldn't the 2015 challenge thread be posted by now?

 

[Necrovex]

Shouldn't the 2015 challenge thread be posted by now?

We still have a day left before the end of the year. :-D

 

[A Human Becoming]

We still have a day left before the end of the year. :-D

It was posted on Christmas last year.

 

[Verdre]

It was posted on Christmas last year.

Thread is switching hands. Give it some time

 

[Necrovex]

Thread is switching hands. Give it some time

Too late. Time for a coup. Viva revolution!