December 2023 50 Movie Challenge

[october27]

December Theme: Make-Your-Own-Challenge (40 movies)
For December, just chill and organize your movies into categories of your choosing (be creative). The goal is 8 categories of 5 movies each but you can divide up your 40 movies however you want.

December Recommendations Category (optional): Movies that take place during winter or lesser known films (5 Movies)
As an example, the lesser known films can be straight to video or films that have found a second life on streaming services. In your initial tracking post, everyone list 5-10 winter or lesser known films that you think others may not have seen and may enjoy. Then for the ones you watch for this category, mention who recommended the film in your post.

December Featured Category (optional): Christmas/Holiday (5 movies)
Watch 5 holiday movies (Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Festivus/New Year).
___________________________________

The Usual Fine Print:

• 50 movies is the goal, but based on your own time and situation you can shoot for more or less, so we have different levels from Coal to Platinum:
  60 Movies - Platinum
  50 Movies - Gold
  40 Movies - Silver
  30 Movies - Bronze
  20 Movies - Copper
  10 Movies - Coal
  <10 Movies - Why are you on this site?
• If you're going to re-post your entire list every time, please hide it under spoiler tags.
• If you're going to post pictures for the films (poster art or Blu-ray covers, for example) please try not to use GIANT pictures, and if there are tons of them, again - please hide under spoilers.

[october27]

[Zodokai]

Kino Lorber Screeners:

1. Hive* ½
2. Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy*
3. Radical Wolfe*



IFC Screeners:




Neon Screeners:




Amazon/MGM Screeners:




Miscellaneous Screeners:

1. Irish Catholic*
2. Distant Tales*




TBD:




TBD:




TBD:




Christmas/Holiday:




Winter/Lesser Known Recommendations:





Total Movies: 5


A * indicates a first-time viewing.




Winter Recommendations:

[starryeyes]

I had chosen some movies for recommendations. Unfortunately 5 were chosen by other people. I picked out others , posted the list and it was lost in the
Ether. I don't know if I'll post again. Maybe when I'm less pissed.


Christmas Movies

1. Prancer: A Christmas Tale
2. The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
3. Violent Night (2022)
4. Elf (2003) 1/2
5. Four Christmases (2008)
6. The Holiday (2006) 1/2
7. Prancer (1989) 1/2
8. Love Actually (2003)
9. Serendipity (2001) 1/2
10. Home Alone (1990)
11. Fatman (2020)
12. Love the Coopers (2015)


Christmas Comedies

1. Christmas with the Kranks (2004)
2. Office Christmas Party (2016) 1/2
3. Deck the Halls (2006)
4. Fred Claus (2007) 1/2
5. Jingle all the Way (1996) BOMB
6. The Santa Clause (1994)
7. Christmas Vacation (1989)
8. Bad Santa (2003) 1/2
9. The Night Before (2015)


Christmas Classics

1. Holiday Affair (1949)
2. The Bishop's Wife (1947)
3. It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947) 1/2
4. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
5. The Nativity Story (2006)
6. White Christmas (1954)
7. A Christmas Carol (1951)
8. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)


Christmas Horror

1. Christmas Bloody Christmas (2022) 1/2
2. Black Christmas (1974)
3. Krampus Unleased (2016)
4. Better Watch Out (2016) 1/2
5. Jack Frost (1997) 1/2
6. Santa's Slay (2005)
7. Krampus (2015) 1/2


Crime

1. Guns, Girls and Gangsters (1959)
2. I Saw What You Did (1965)
3. Flag Day (2021)
4. The Girl Hunters (1963)
5. Fallen Angel (1945) 1/2


Horror

1. Castle of the Living Dead (1964)
2. Black Sunday (1960) 1/2
3. Barbarian (2022) 1/2
4. Insidious: The Red Door (2023) 1/2
5. Spawn (1997)
6. Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor


Science Fiction

1. The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961) 1/2
2. Knowing (2009)
3. The Colony (2021)
4. I'll Follow You Down (2013) 1/2
5. Left Behind (2014) 1/2


Thriller

1. The Ipcress File (1965)
2. John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) 1/2
3. Suddenly (1954) 1/2
4. The Guilty (2021) 1/2
5. Hunter Killer (2018) 1/2


Recommendations

1. Odd Man Out (1947)(october27)
2. The Lodge (2019)(Zodokai)
3. Silent Night Deadly Night 5 (1991)(filmbuffTX)
4. The Gold Rush (1925)(kingdoxie) 1/2
5. All That Heaven Allows (1955)(odguitar) 1/2




Total Watched = 62

[filmbuffTX]

Recently Watched


Recommendations
1. I'll Be Home for Christmas 3.5/5 (Al The Strange)
2. Silent Night, Deadly Night 4/5 (kingdoxie)

Christmas Staples
1. Christmas Vacation 5/5
2. Home Alone 5/5
3. Christmas in Connecticut 4/5
4. Prancer 4/5
5. It's a Wonderful Life 5/5

Saturday Morning Cartoons
1. Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas!
2. Halloween is Grinch Night
3. The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat
4. Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol 4/5
5. Cricket on the Hearth 3/5
6. A Charlie Brown Christmas 5/5
7. It's Christmastime again, Charlie brown 3/5
8. Flashbeagle 4/5
9. Garfield's Holiday Celebrations

Disappointing Rewatches
1. Deck the Halls 2/5
2. Bad Santa 2 3/5 (wasn't disappointing after all)
3. Prancer Returns 2.5/5

Musicals
1. White Christmas 5/5
2. Holiday Inn 4.5/5
3. Eight Crazy Nights 4/5

Comedy
1. The Night Before 3.5/5
2. Office Christmas Party 3.5/5
3. Bad Santa 4/5
4. Go 4/5
5. Jingle All The Way 4/5

Modern Holiday Classics
1. Love Actually 4.5/5
2. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York 4/5
3. Elf 4/5

Horror
1. All the Creatures Were Stirring* 2/5
2. Better Watch Out 4/5
3. Gremlins 5/5
4. Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman* 2.5/5

Period Films
1. Fanny and Alexander 5/5
2. Meet Me in St. Louis 5/5
3. Carol 4.5/5
4. 200 Cigarettes 3.5/5

2023 Catch Up
1. BS High*
2. Saltburn* 4/5
3. Maestro* 3.5/5

Christmas Stories
1. Silent Night (2021)* 3/5

Recommendations

[Show spoiler]

[odguitar]

Recently Watched

[Show spoiler]

Holiday Classics
1. Christmas in Connecticut 4/5
2. Miracle on 34th Street 5/5
3. It's a Wonderful Life 5/5
4. The Bishop's Wife 4/5
5. White Christmas 4/5

Holiday Comedy
1. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 4.5/5
2. Home Alone 4.5/5
3. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York 3.5/5
4. Scrooged 5/5
5. A Christmas Story 5/5

Holiday Romance
1. Happiest Season 5/5
2. The Shop Around the Corner 4.5/5
3. Love Actually 4.5/5
4. The Preacher's Wife 3.5/5

Christmas?
1. Carol 5/5
2. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang 4.5/5
3. The Nice Guys 4.5/5
4. Gremlins 4/5
5. Die Hard 5/5

Family Holiday
1. Arthur Christmas 4.5/5
2. The Polar Express 5/5

Holiday Specials
1. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer 5/5
2. Santa Claus is Comin' to Town 4/5
3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas 5/5/The Little Drummer Boy 2.5/5
4. The Year Without a Santa Claus 3.5/5
5. Frosty the Snowman 3/5/Frosty Returns 1/5
6. Cricket on the Hearth 2/5/Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol 2.5/5
7. Prep & Landing 3.5/5/Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice 3.5/5
8. A Charlie Brown Christmas 5/5/The Leprechauns' Christmas Gold 2.5/5
9. Pinocchio's Christmas 2/5
10. The Stingiest Man in Town 1.5/5
11. Frosty's Winter Wonderland 2/5/'Twas the Night Before Christmas 2.5/5
12. Rudolph's Shiny New Year 3/5/Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey 3/5

New Years
1. Holiday Inn 3.5/5
2. The Apartment 5/5
3. About Time 5/5
4. When Harry Met Sally... 5/5

Recommendations
1. The Holdovers* 4.5/5 (Zodokai)
2. Eileen* 3.5/5 (Zodokai)
3. Uncle Buck* 3.5/5 (kingdoxie)
4. Grumpy Old Men* 3.5/5 (Travis)
5. Airport* 4/5 (kingdoxie)

2023 Films
1. Fingernails* 3/5
2. NYAD* 2.5/5
3. Theater Camp 4.5/5
4. Bottoms 5/5
5. Maestro* 3.5/5

Misc.
1. Mask* 3.5/5
2. The Starling Girl* 3.5/5
3. Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping 5/5

Total: 50

* denotes first-time viewing

Recommended
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
All That Heaven Allows
The Apartment
Living (2022)
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Ransom!
Topside
Black Legion
Young Man with a Horn
Welcome to Leith

[kingdoxie]

Recent:

Barbie.jpgKillersKiss.jpgMrLawrence.jpgYoungWinston.jpgInternational.jpg

Total: 85

Santa approved
1. The Grinch
2. Elf ½
3. The Shop Around the Corner
4. How The Grinch Stole Christmas
5. Home Alone ½
6. A Christmas Carrol (1938)
7. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
8. Rudolph/Charlie Brown/Grinch
9. Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town
10. Scrooge (A Christmas Carrol) ½
11. Holiday Inn
12. Cover Up (1949)
13. Scrooged
14. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
15. It’s a Wonderful Life ½
16. A Christmas Carrol (2009) ½
17. A Christmas Story

The naughty list
1. Violent Night ½
2. Silent Night, Deadly Night
3. Silent Night (2012)
4. 1941
5. Bad Santa
6. Die Hard
7. Gremlins
8. Krampus

These go to four thousand
1. The Nightmare Before Christmas ½
2. Saboteur ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
3. The Final Countdown ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
4. WarGames ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
5. Killer’s Kiss ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Olive Films
1. Assault on a Queen ⭐⭐⭐⭐
2. Pressure Point (1962) ⭐⭐⭐½
3. Project X (1968) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
4. Dragonfly Squadron ⭐⭐⭐⭐
5. Secret Beyond the Door… ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Blu-ray backlog
1. Day of the Outlaw ⭐⭐⭐⭐
2. My Name is Julia Ross ⭐⭐⭐⭐
3. Beast from Haunted Cave
4. Ski Troop Attack ⭐⭐⭐⭐
5. Outrage (1950) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
6. The Incredible Shrinking Man ⭐⭐⭐⭐
7. International Lady ⭐⭐⭐⭐
8. Young Winston ⭐⭐⭐⭐
9. Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence ⭐⭐⭐½
10. Barbie ⭐⭐⭐½

Horror
1. Dark Intruder
2. Return of the Ape Man ½
3. The Human Monster
4. Zombie ½
5. Return to House on Haunted Hill ½
6. House of Wax (2005) ½
7. Ghost Ship

Cleaning out the DVR
1. Bonnie Scotland ⭐⭐⭐
2. The Hucksters ⭐⭐⭐½
3. Hoffa ⭐⭐⭐
4. Amistad ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
5. The Mortal Storm (1940) ⭐⭐⭐½
6. A Christmas Story Christmas

Pre-code Hollywood
1. Night Nurse (1931) ⭐⭐⭐½
2. Island of Lost Souls (1932) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
3. 42nd Street (1933) ⭐⭐⭐
4. The Death Kiss (1933) ⭐⭐⭐½
5. I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
6. Kongo (1932) ⭐⭐⭐
7. The Maltese Falcon (1931) ⭐⭐⭐
8. Safe in Hell (1931) ⭐⭐⭐½

Big Brother tells me what to watch
1. Kill Me Again ⭐⭐⭐½
2. The November Man ⭐⭐⭐⭐
3. The Fourth Angel ⭐⭐
4. No Way Back ⭐
5. Quicksand (2004) ⭐⭐⭐

1001
1. Romper Stomper ⭐⭐⭐½
2. A Fish Called Wanda ⭐⭐⭐
3. Delicatessen ⭐⭐⭐
4. The Unbelievable Truth ⭐⭐½
5. Clerks ⭐⭐⭐⭐
6. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert ⭐⭐⭐½
7. Strictly Ballroom ⭐⭐⭐

The Outer Limits
1. The Outer Limits; S1 E19-20 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
2. The Outer Limits; S1 E21-22 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
3. The Outer Limits; S1 E23-24 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
4. The Outer Limits; S1 E25-26 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
5. The Outer Limits; S1 E27-28 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
6. The Outer Limits; S1 E29-30 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
7. The Outer Limits; S1 E31-32 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Recommendations: Winter and Lesser Known Films

[Show spoiler]

[cinemaphile]

Most Recent Watches:


Christmas/Holiday Movies:
1. Love Actually
2. Go
3. * Silent Night
4. Christmas Bloody Christmas
5. Better Watch Out

Theatrical Viewings:
1. Die Hard
2. The Abyss
3. * Anyone But You
4. * The Iron Claw
5. * Wonka
6. * Poor Things
Possible Watches:

[Show spoiler]
* Aquaman and The Lost kingdom

Streaming Originals:
1. * Leave the World Behind
2. * Rebel Moon (Part 1)
3. * Family Switch
4. * The Family Plan
5. Set It Up

3D Movies:
1. Kong: Skull Island 3D
Possible Watches:

[Show spoiler]
Men in Black 3

80's Flicks:
1. Road House
2. * Man on Fire (1987)
3. * The Experts
4. * Battle Beyond the Stars
5. * Mischief

Documentaries:
1. * Best Worst Movie
2. * In Search of the Last Action Heroes

2023 Rewatches:
1. Rebel Moon (Part 1)
2. The Hunger Games: A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
3. The Creator

Lesser Known Films:
1. Final Cut
2. * Comet
3. * Falling Sky
4. * Til Death Do Us Part
5. * Everybody's Talking About Jamie

2023 Smaller Films:
1. * She Came To Me
2. * 57 Seconds
3. * Outlaw Johnny Black
4. * Fast Charlie
5. * Suitable Flesh

Categories TBD:
Popstar: Never Stop never Stopping
Armageddon
Love & Monsters
* Laura
Black Dynamite
Aquaman
Devotion
The Big Hit

________________________________________

* denotes first-time viewings

Red - seen in theater
Sienna - 4K disc
Blue - Blu-ray, duh
Green - DVD
Purple - Vudu
Black - Other streaming (Netflix, Amazon, D+, HBO Max, Peacock, hoopla, tubitv, etc)

[Travis]

Recent

[Show spoiler] IMG_5465.jpg IMG_5458.jpg IMG_5459.jpg

Recommendations
1. Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) kingdoxie
2. Living (2022) odguitar 1/2
3. Odd Man Out (1947) october27
4. Night Train to Munich (1940) kingdoxie 1/2
5. Ice Station Zebra (1968) kingdoxie 1/2

Christmas Movies
1. Merry Little Batman (2023)
2. Candy Cane Lane (2023)
3. Fatman (2020) 1/2
4. Christmas with the Kranks (2004) 1/2
5. Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) 1/2

Classic Christmas Movies
1. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
2. Home Alone (1990) 1/2
3. A Christmas Story (1983)
4. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)

Christmas TV
1. Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas (2023) 1/2
2. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022) 1/2
3. Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983)
4. Shrek the Halls (2007) 1/2
5. A Very Murray Christmas (2015)
6. Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (1970)
7. The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974) 1/2
8. Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas (2022) 1/2
9. Blackadder's A Christmas Carol (1988)
10. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)

2023
1. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) 1/2
2. The Family Plan (2023) 1/2
3. Bottoms (2023) 1/2
4. John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) 1/2
5. Barbie (2023)1/2

WWII
1. Greyhound (2020) 1/2
2. The Caine Mutiny (1954)
3. The Longest Day (1962)
4. Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) 1/2

Sequels
1. Death Wish II (1982) 1/2
2. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
3. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
4. The Suicide Squad (2021) 1/2
5. Rocky II (1979) 1/2

Sci-Fi
1. Blade Runner (1982)
2. Dune (1984)
3. The Hunger Games (2012) 1/2
4. Moon (2009)
5. A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) 1/2

New 4K Discs
1. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) 1/2
2. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
3. Shrek (2001)
4. Eternals (2021) 1/2
5. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

Documentary
1. Timeless Heroes: Indiana Jones and Harrison Ford (2023)
2. The Green Planet (2022) 1/2
3. Sly (2023) 1/2
4. Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (2023)
5. Taylor Swift: Miss Americana (2020) 1/2

Noir
1. City That Never Sleeps (1953)
2. Cry Vengeance (1954) 1/2
3. Appointment with Crime (1946) 1/2
4. The Enforcer (1951)
5. The Glass Key (1942)

Recommendations

[Show spoiler]

[Al_The_Strange]

Recents



-----------------------------------------------

Christmasy
12/06: The Holly and the Ivy (1952 | BD) 5/10
12/17: A Christmas Tale (2008 | Library DVD) 5/10
12/18: Home Alone (1990 | UHD) 8/10
12/19: Home Alone 2 (1992 | BD) 8/10
12/20: Home Alone 3 (1997 | Disney+) 5/10
12/21: Home Alone 4 (2002 | Disney+) 2/10
12/21: Home Alone: The Holiday Heist (2012 | Disney+) 3/10
12/21: Home Sweet Home Alone (2021 | Disney+) 4/10
12/25: A Christmas Carol (2009 | BD) 7/10

Okay Fine, If Die Hard is Christmas Then So Are These!
12/02: Blast of Silence (1961 | Library DVD) 7/10
12/22: The Hudsucker Proxy (1994 | BD) 8/10
12/31: Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979 | BD) 9/10

Pleasant Screams
12/09: Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987 | BD) 5/10
12/11: Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out! (1989 | BD) 5/10
12/15: Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation (1990 BD) 6/10
12/16: Black Christmas (1974 | UHD) 7/10
12/23: Deadly Games (Dial Code Santa Claus) (1989 | UHD) 8/10

No Really, I Have To Catch Up on Recent Films
12/03: Beau Is Afraid (2023 | Library DVD) 8/10
12/06: Blue Beetle (2023 | Max) 6/10
12/07: The Whale (2022 | UHD) 7/10
12/08: Oppenheimer (2023 | UHD) 8/10
12/29: Barbie (2023 | Max) 7/10
12/30: Renfield (2023 | Amazon Prime) 7/10
12/30: Asteroid City (2023 | Amazon Prime) 5/10
12/30: Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023 | Max) 6/10
11/31: Saltburn (2023 | Amazon Prime) 8/10

House of Art
12/08: The Dreamers (2003 | Library DVD) 6/10
12/23: Shadows In Paradise (1986 | Library DVD) 6/10
12/26: Ariel (1988 | Library DVD) 8/10
12/26: The Idiots (1998 | BD) 6/10
12/27: The Match Factory Girl (1990 | Library DVD) 8/10

Recommendations
12/05: The Lodge (2019 | Library DVD) 6/10 (recommended by Zodokai)
12/09: Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984 | Unrated | BD) 8/10 (recommended by kingdoxie)
12/15: Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker (1991 | BD) 5/10 (recommended by filmbuffTX)
12/17: Wind River (2017 | Library DVD) 7/10 (recommended by Zodokai)
12/30: Welcome to Leith (2015 | Tubi) 7/10 (recommended by odguitar)

Total: 36 Films

-----------------------------------------------

Al's Winter Recommendations


Al's Lesser Known Recommendations


The recommendations list is being compiled by elves, which are paid only in cookies.

[starryeyes]

24535_20.jpg

Christmas with the Kranks (2004)

I always found this movie mean spirited but it has grown on me over the years.

[october27]

1. Elf




2. A Christmas Carol 2009

Let's start December with two favorites. One celebrating its' 20th anniversary, hard to believe it's been that long and my favorite animated version of Charles Dickens' classic.

[kingdoxie]

NightNurse.jpgBonnieScotland.jpg

Night Nurse (1931) ⭐⭐⭐½
Bonnie Scotland ⭐⭐⭐

[starryeyes]

22032_2 (1).jpg

The Ipcress File (1965)

[kingdoxie]

The Grinch

[starryeyes]

22272_1.jpg

Holiday Affair (1949)

[u2popmofo]

I'm doing my own theme this December, "Hitchcock Holiday". Started off with:

[Travis]

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) 1/2

[LokiMok]

The Man Inside (1958) 7/10 (1st viewing) While traveling across Europe in search of a diamond & jewel thief, Texan Jack Palance & Austrian Anita Ekberg encounter equally incongruous characters such as Lisbon organ-grinder Donald Pleasence & Madrid cab driver Anthony Newley. Don't know if it's good, but quirky enough to keep me entertained. Co-produced by Cubby Broccoli, directed by John Gilling, with camerawork from Nicolas Roeg.

[Travis]

Timeless Heroes: Indiana Jones and Harrison Ford (2023)