Perks and Penguins Films 1/50 and 2/50

Film 1/50: The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
This movie should have been nominated instead of Les Misérables for best picture. That's not to say that it should have won, necessarily, but it was a far better production than Les Misérables.

There. I said it.

Hermione Granger was good. Percy Jackson was better. Ezra Miller was phenomenal. A combination of fabulous performances plus a sad but interesting story, Perks was a solid film. I haven't read the novel, but it's certainly being added to my "to read" list now.

Film 2/50: Penguin Pool Murder (1932)
With a title like that, you would stop and watch a few minutes, too. Right?

I didn't think it (especially after the first few moments gave off the impression that this would be an amazingly boring film), but this movie was hysterical to watch. A hijinx-filled romp around an aquarium. The characters are absurd. The plot even more so. But every moment is worth the laughs. And there are many.

Billed as a comedy/mystery, the Penguin Pool Murder delivers on both. Whether the laughs I had at its expense were intended on the part of the filmmakers, that is debatable. But if I ever see it's on again or for sale on DVD, I'll be sure to watch it again. I suggest you give it a shot, too.

And never trust a penguin-enthusiast.

Fifty-Fifty 2014

Since I failed MISERABLY this past year (heck, I didn't even make 50 new movies!), I figured...sign me up again! Third time's the charm, right? Wish me luck!

Happy New Year!

My Reichenbach Theory

As 2013 winds down and the BBC taunts us with teaser trailers for the third season of Sherlock, I thought I'd post my theory on how (or more so, why) Sherlock came to survive his fall. If you have not been watching this show, I strongly suggest that you immediately stop reading this post and get to Netflix or the BBC site and watch the six 90-minute episodes.

Now.

This very second.

Last chance.

Okay, then. On with my theory...

Snowmageddon (2011)

I don't know how I've went two years without coming across this movie. It has all the things that draw me to a SyFy movie. Except sharks. Sharks would have made this movie EPIC.

Allow me to break it down for you...

Fifty-Fifty 2013...

42/50 Films :: 08/50 Books

List as of 20 December 2013...

• F1. Les Misérables (2012)
• F2. Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
• F3. Argo (2012)
• F4. Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001)
• F5. Striking Distance (1993)
• F6. Men in Black 3 (2012)
• F7. Flight (2012)
• B1.* 11/22/63 by Stephen King
• F8. Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)
• F9. Lincoln (2012)
• F10. People Like Us (2012)

Sharknado (2013)

Pretty sure this movie was the result of some SyFy intern saying, "You know that saying 'when pigs fly'? What if it were sharks instead?"

I know I'm a bit late to the game with this review, but anyone who has read my Shark Night review knows that I love me a good shark movie. And the bad shark movies, too. This made-for-SyFy original is no exception to the rule.

As I gather from the Twitterverse (#sharknado), most of 'Merica has already seen this film. But if you haven't had the pleasure, allow me to tell you why you should.

Dan Brown's Inferno a.k.a. The DaVinci Code 4

Instead of reading any more Dan Brown books, I'm just going to complete the following "Mad Lib" with my sister. Feel free to play along.

UNTITLED DAN BROWN BOOK MAD LIB

1) a number ______
2) month that has at least 28 days __________________
3) adverb that denotes stress ____________________
4) pick a European city...any European city _______________________
5) title given to a respected educator or professional _________________
6) first name ______________________________
7) pretentious last name (bonus points if synonym for "Brown") _________________________________________________________
8) prestigious museum or institute located in city chosen for #4 _________________________________________________________
9) famous work of an artistic or religious nature _____________________
10) any old secret organization or cult you feel like picking on this week _________________________________________________________

Four Movies and a Book (2012) Films 71-74 and Book 15/50

Because I hate leaving things unfinished...here are the extremely abridged reviews for the remaining films and book that I watched/read in 2012.

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
I love Denis Leary. Even if he isn't allowed to swear up a blue streak.

2013: The Challenge

I am determined to succeed this year.

That being said, I am off to a VERY slow start.

Happy New Year!

End of Year Review

And so concludes 2012. Final tally:
74* movies
21** books

That's 95/100 in my mind.

And I did manage to earn a second Master's degree this year, so I think that should count for something. Let's count it as 5 books and call it even.

So I didn't do 50/50. But that's okay! Because now it gives me something to strive for in 2013, right?