In the spotlight: April

Jane Wants a Boyfriend
I thought the romance was excellent and very real. Also, I like that style of storytelling when you start in the middle and end in the middle; without really "solving" anything. They go on with their lives, you go on with yours..

The Choice
I had the best time watching this with my sister Julia, even though neither of us liked it very much. We felt that the second half of the movie was very VERY slow and being cut off from the characters, by letting the time pass in the form of several montages, didn't help at all. Julia even went so far as to say that she had warmer feelings for Gabby's wind chime than she had for Gabby herself (I agree - she really wasn't that easy to empathize with). 

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Paranormal elements, a little slow motion and very aesthetically pleasing shots made for a great watch! Sure, it moved a little quickly but overall it had very few of the plot holes that I've come to associate with these types of movies. (Just one thing though: "Only the living can kill the dead" - Really? Why? That made less than NO sense)

Grand Budapest Hotel
I just.. am in love with this film. I'd forgotten how funny I find it. One of my favorite scenes is the long argument outside the prison! <3 

Double Indemnity
Almost didn't make it through, after stopping halfway, but I'm glad I did. This was such a simple story and yet so fascinating. I think it was the dialog that did it - I've never heard anything like it.

Went to a flee market today. 

In the spotlight: March

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - part 2
I love all the Hunger Games movies with a passion, because 1. I'm a big sister to four younger siblings. I'm very close with all of them (my mom was a stay-at-home mom, so neither of us went to kindergarten) and I'm 11 years older than Julia (my youngest sister), which means I've wiped her butt/dressed her etc. countless times when she was little. It's sort of in the job description, as the oldest, to take care of the younger ones.. What I'm trying to say is that I would sacrifice myself in a heartbeat for any of them - like Katniss. 2. I'm very scared of dying and these movies toy with the idea that we're all going to die one day, regardless of whether we're ready or not. The fact that not even kids are excluded really drives that home for me and 3. I love the romance, the cast and the acting!

Ambition for: April

Since I've had no motivation to watch any movies whatsoever lately, I'm pretty sure this will be another month of failing miserably..

* New Girl - I'm stuck on season 1 and haven't made any progress in a while. Time to rectify that?
* Despicable me 1 and/or 2
* Daybreakers? Still haven't watched this, but found it on Netflix today.
* Dredd - I watched about half of this in the cinema once and I'd like to finish it.
* Arrow - Still stuck on season three, episode 18 (or something). Oliver's just so annoyingly bossy.. 
* Grand Budapest Hotel - Feels like a spring movie to me.  
* World War Z? Watched this around this time last year, which is why I might want to rewatch it in April.

In the spotlight: February

Flipped
Extremely comforting to watch and a great book-to-movie adaptation. It's very much like that light-in-a-bottle-thing that Frodo gets from Galadriel: "A light [...] in dark places, when all other lights go out.".

Derek
Much, much more moving than I'd ever imagined! I cried during nearly every episode; regardless of the season. And I laughed too (am quite easily disturbed by other humor than physical i.e I usually take jokes more seriously than necessary), which surprised me.  

Inception
Mystery-wise I liked Shutter Island more, but the action was great in this one! For some reason though, Leonardo DiCaprio reminded me of Jack Dawson the entire time.. (also: Eames! <3)

Keith 
I sort of wish that I'd discovered this movie when I was like 13-14. I would have swooned and watched it on repeat for days! It would have affected me the same way Titanic did back in the days, I'm sure.. (i.e a lot! (the fact that I'll never be that young and impressionable again makes me feel old.. *sadfacé*))

In the spotlight: January

January is always a weird month for me. Christmas is over, which means there's really nothing to distract me from the fact that a) we get four hours of daylight per day b) it's always -30 degrees Celsius for several days straight and c) I've got zero energy to do anything remotely productive. This, however, usually means that I watch a lot of (good) movies. Last year I discovered Warrior in January. This year, I discovered these:

The Revenant
My mind has been blown. This was so good! The first Oscar nominated movie in a long time that's become a favorite of mine. Watched it by myself on the 31st and will make my family watch it with me again this weekend. Am repeatedly rewatching the trailer too, in anticipation.  

Charade
It succeeded in keeping me on edge all the way through. Mainly because it was almost impossible to work out who did what and why.

Arrow
The first season (my favorite so far) is like a mix between Revenge and Batman and I'm v. excited to see what will happen next. Sure, some things are cheesy (like the fact that no one works out that Oliver Queen is Arrow?! Come on, all that makes them different is a slim eye mask..) but I love the acting and the characters (Felicity).

Home
I really loved it because of the fact that it was made purely for a very young audience; the aliens turned different colors to match their emotions, rapid movements were reflected on their skin as patterns and Oh had this adorable way of talking (easier to understand than Yoda and much funnier).

This picture is from early April 2015. I was rewatching The Usual Suspects and loving it. Look at how light it is outside! All I need is this light. 

In the spotlight: November

Guardians of the Galaxy 
I don't know why, but this time I fell in love! Either something happened to me during this year, to make me see it in a different light OR I was just high on life in November (i.e on top of my school work). Whatever the reason, it has overshadowed many of the movies I've watched this year!

Also: it has finally snowed!

In the spotlight: October

Feeling very pumped to watch a lot of movies in the beginning of October, I hadn't expected to watch even less than I did in September. But I did. And there are a lot of reasons for that: 1. I've been absolutely overwhelmed with school due to bad planning/underestimating how long an assignment will take 2. I helped my parents clean out their garage for two days straight, then followed that up with spending time with my sister when my niece got sick (and her boyfriend had to work) at the same time as I helped my youngest sister Julia study for the Swedish equivalent to the SATs; högskoleprovet. 3. Since I study from home, I've had a hard time figuring out how to divide my time. Being in an office makes it seem more official, even though I'm doing the same work in my apartment. 4. I installed Township on my phone. I'm on level 33. Enough said.   

Here are my two favorites this month:

ParaNorman
This really impressed me. The story was very gripping but had it not been animated as beautifully as it was, it wouldn't have been nearly as impactful! I may have cried a little in the end (i.e a lot)/nearly broken one of my sister's fingers from squeezing them too hard. Needless to say, it makes for an excellent movie to watch during Halloween.

Hotel Transylvania
Speaking of Halloween - this was as close as I got to it. I spent that entire weekend writing a 5000 word exam for my first course. I'm not really a big fan of Halloween though, so I'm not complaining! This was nowhere near as good or as original as ParaNorman, but very very entertaining instead. It succeed in taking my mind off the Swedish health care politics for a while..

In the spotlight: September

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
I've seen this before, several times (I'm not ashamed to say that I saw it five times in the cinema), but I'd forgotten how entertaining it is! Watching it, for me, is like having a cup of coffee.

Southpaw
The performances in this was just amazing! I'm seriously blown away.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame
This is seriously the best animated Disney movie, in my opinion, next to Bambi. It's gripping, with a seriously creepy villain. It's funny and entertaining with well executed action scenes. The songs are spaced out perfectly and the ending is not cheesy at all (big plus!). Need I say more? <3


I was also able to check these off from my challenging 2015 list this month:

A popular director's first movie: Strictly Ballroom
Four movies in a day: Glada hälsningar från Missångerträsk, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Home on the Ranch, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
A movie from you childhood: Anastasia

In the spotlight: August

First, I turned 31 and due to the stress of having to finish my summer course (the gods of Olympus) I couldn't really enjoy it. Upon completion I was left semi-scarred and stressed out (almost to the point of twitching every time I heard the word "Aphrodite" (still do)). Then, I got in some weird downsizing mood and did nothing but clean out stuff and watch movies until I was hit with the mother of all movie hangovers (i.e I wanted to watch everything/nothing, all at the same time). Finally, at the end of the month, everything turned around when I learned that I'd been accepted into university! Yaay! (also, credit goes to Inside Out, for bringing me out of my movie slump)

Inside out
This was amazing. Amazingly amazing. I'm gonna watch it in the cinema again on Saturday.    

Schindler's List
I felt the tears building up like a wave until I was struck with an explosive cry-attack that left even me stunned. You know, the kind where you have to laugh at yourself because you're crying/howling for 10 minutes?

The Age of Adaline
Oh, Blake Lively. How you impress me! <3

The Man from U.N.C.L.E
This was surprisingly good! The story itself wasn't really my cup of tea but the way it was shot/the humor/the acting really made up for it.


I was also able to check these off from my challenging 2015 list this month:

A movie with a one-word title: Avatar
A movie longer than 3 hours: Schindler's List 
A mystery or a thriller: Skyfall

In the spotlight: July

Elementary
I've been reluctant to finish the third season because I didn't like the way it seemed to be headed but after about the 12th episode or so, it turned around (for the better) and I just flew through the rest of it. I then started watching season one again, which is the best season in my opinion (I've already watched it once this year, in March). What I love most about this show is how intensely Jonny Lee Miller's Sherlock feels things. He's not some emotionless sociopath or a trickster that never seems to be affected by the things that happen. No, his feelings are raw and real and that makes it easy to understand why he turned to drugs in the first place; his mind is as much of a burden as it is a gift.

The Heat 
Dear Melissa McCarthy, 

I'm more and more blown away by you with every movie I watch.

Best Wishes,
Elin

Terminator Genisys
For me, this was all about Sarah Connor. I didn't like her that much before - either she was the epitome of helplessness or over-the-top angry and unreasonable. Emilia Clarke's Sarah on the other hand is tough and self-sufficient but also caring and reachable.

A Knight's Tale
The pacing is great, you really want to poke the villain in the eye yet it's not depressing and dark - what more can you ask for? 

Roman Holiday
Oh, this was excellent! Extremely frustrating for me to watch, but excellent.


I was also able to check these off from my challenging 2015 list this month:

A movie that scares you: Event Horizon
A movie set in the future: Terminator Genisys
A movie that made you cry hard: The Green Mile
A movie with a number in the title: Third Star
A book-to-movie adaptation: Luftslottet som sprängdes
A movie set in a foreign country: Roman Holiday

In the spotlight: June

Body of Proof
Halfway through season 2 at the moment. I love it because it's almost impossible to guess which of the presented characters are the culprit! Plus, even though the expert is very good at being an expert.. she's never alone in solving the crimes (unlike the experts in Unforgettable or The Mentalist for example)!

The Terminator
Both 1 and 2 are so very well paced. And they have great entertainment value! I felt such joy when I watched them.

The Big Bang Theory 
I normally always watch this before bed (and have it on in the background while I sleep) but recently I've slept without it and properly watched full episodes instead. That's reminded me of the fact that it's probably my favorite show ever. 

Bambi
I just want to step into the movie and pet Bambi. Not creepily or anything, just casually stroll by and then attack him: *pet* *pet* *petpetpetpetpetpetpetpetpetpet*!


I was also able to check these off from my challenging 2015 list this month:

A movie you've started but never finished: Django Unchained 
A movie at the bottom of your "to be watched"-list: Taken
A movie with nonhuman characters: The Wolverine
A trilogy: The Terminator Saga (1-4) 
A funny movie: Spy

In the spotlight: May

I only managed to watch 1,5 of my planned movies this month (Transformers 4 + a little bit of L.A Confidential (decided to not finish it)). I watched a lot of other stuff though - these are my favorites:

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
I will always love these movies. I can't wait for the third in the series! Had a sort of "watch-it-on-repeat"-phase early in the month and just watched it everyday for a week. 

Cinderella
The rest of the month I've had this on repeat, whilst embroidering. I'm seriously in love with this movie! (my review)

Unforgettable
This is really not a very good series at times; it's inconsistent about what story to tell and we loose important side characters without so much as a goodbye. I'm in love with Poppy Montgomery and Dylan Walsh however and that's why I'm on season two right now. 

The Best of Me
It's bad and cheesy but sort of sweet at the same time. The only reason it's on this list though is because I watched it with my mom and my sister Sara - which seldom happens (Sara being home at the same time as my mom's able to stay awake for an entire movie, that is). 


And my non-movie favorite: 

* My niece Sigrid! She was born on the 12th of May and is just the cutest baby I've ever seen.

These reindeer were also a lovely addition to my month. They hung out on a field close to where I worked for a week. 

In the spotlight: April

I watched about 50% of the movies I had planned to in April. For that, I blame Kevin Spacey!
Here are my favorites this month, in no particular order:

* The Usual Suspects
Love, love, love. Love, love, love. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! (it's eeeeeeeaaaaasy)

* Shutter Island
Don't watch this, unless you're prepared to have someone physically restrain you (so you won't fast forward to see how it ends)..

* The DUFF
If I had a spirit animal - it would be Bianca. Seriously, I'm just one "lucky party shirt" away from being her.

* Pay It Forward
I love it for the acting. 

* World War Z
This is the perfect zombie movie for me; not too scary, not a lot of jump scares and the search for a solution. It soothes my nervous heart! 


And my non-movie favorite:

* My sister is due on May 5th. So anything involving that! I couldn't be more excited!! (I feel like adding an additional 1000 exclamation marks at the end of that sentence, but I don't want to seem crazier than I already do..) <3

In the spotlight: March

Although we didn't make time to watch any classics in March, Julia, Sara and I still watched movies together (a LOT of Disney). Here are my favorites (in no particular order):

1. Cinderella (2015)
I loved this. I can see why people may think it's too sickly sweet, but it was just the right kind of sweet for me! 

2. Anastasia
This used to scare the crap out of me, but now it's become a real favorite. Rasputin's such an overreacting drama queen that it's hard to take him seriously anymore (not gonna lie - the green monsterghostcreatures that help Rasputin still makes me uncomfortable though)!

3. Elementary
I was on a roll this month (I very much prefer movies to TV shows) and watched season two, then re-watched season one and started season three. It's not my favorite adaptation, but my favorite Sherlock. 
 
4. Red dragon
I think that Silence of the Lambs is a superior movie and infinitely more scary than this sequel, but I prefer to watch this one. I really do!   

In the (bad) spotlight: February

February was (unintentionally) "bad movie month" for me. Here are my least favorite ones, IN order:

1. Dracula untold 
I can't even describe how excited I was to watch this movie! I knew it would be bad, from watching the trailer, but I thought it would be "slow-motion-fighting-with-explosions-and-one-liners"-bad. The
kind of bad that I love, because it's a total escape from reality. Imagine my disappointment when the movie was taken more seriously on the surface, than I had though (i.e no explosions) but instead was full of plot holes, horrible female characters and the worst ending I've seen in a long time. An ending that had nothing to do with the Dracula you'd come to know throughout the movie. Can I rate it in sad faces? It gets 5!

2. Left behind
This is a movie where NOTHING happens. Very. Slowly. The trailer tries to make it look like it's filled with action, but it's not. Also, it really angers me when a story centers around a religion, in order to scare the viewer into thinking a certain way. 5 sad faces! 

3. The taking of Pelham 123
The ending was too quick - especially with that build-up! And Denzel Washington turned out to be more human than hero. It made me want to poke him very hard in the eyeballs! 3 sad faces.

In the spotlight: January

I said I wanted January to be a Joel Edgerton-month, but I think that'll be a project that I'll work on as I feel like it again (I blame Open window - I couldn't watch anymore intense movies after that). Here are the ones I liked the best this month, IN order:

Warrior
I can't BELIEVE I haven't watched this before! My sister kept nagging me about it, but it was only after I watched Exodus that I felt like seeing more of Joel Edgerton. And I'll never regret it. This was so good. SO GOOD!

Open window
I felt myself getting really tense while watching it, but I just couldn't press pause. Kept me up all night (I couldn't fall asleep until 11 am the next day)!

Prisoners
Kept me guessing the entire time! Such great acting too.

In the spotlight: December

I watched some Christmas-y things in December (How the Grinch Stole Christmas) and some non-Christmas-y things (the last Hobbit movie). I liked them well enough, but not as much as I loved these three:

1. Exodus: Gods and Kings
The acting! Without Christian Bale, the Jewish people's fight for survival wouldn't have felt as desperate and without Joel Edgerton, Ramses could have been an ordinary portrayal of an ordinary villain. I was most impressed with Joel Edgerton actually, because I already knew that Christian Bale is a fantastic actor (I'd only seen Joel Edgerton as Gawain in King Arthur before).

2. Sound of music
This was the first year I really appreciated the story rather than the music.

3. Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast

Sticking to our tradition, my sister Sara and I ate some food and then watched the latest one in the cinema. 

In the spotlight: November

I watched more new-to-me movies than I have in months. I didn't watch one of them over and over either, which happens to me more frequently than might be healthy (hellooo Singin' in the rain). These are the ones I liked the best, in no particular order:

1. Winged Migration
A documentary about the lives of migrating birds.

2. A Good Day to Die Hard
The fifth movie in the Die Hard-series, I've only seen number four before.

3. Pompeii 
Another Gladiator but with a really laughable villain.

4. Guardians of the Galaxy
Avengers plus antiheroes minus supernatural powers.

5. The Bone Collector 
Like a long Criminal Minds-episode with a hasty ending.

6. Perception, season 1
Has a more complex, vulnerable "The Mentalist"-hero.