With the new year being only 13 days of age by now, I don't think I'm stretching it by posting my end-of-year post only now. Am I? Don't worry, I'll keep the celebrations short.
Movie-count: 239Book-count: 34Not bad, definitely not bad, there's always room for improvement. One thing I'd like to do - or rather need to do - is to watch more movies from 1900 - 1979. This year, I saw 10 or less movies for each of these seven decades and less than five for five of them! I haven't checked my movies for countries but I'm pretty sure about 80 or more percent of them are from the US or the UK - another thing I want to change. It's been a bad year for Indian movies for me too - most of them I watched at the film festival. This is something I want to try to change. Otherwise, the new year is all open. I definitely want to finish watching Supernatural and then dip my toes into either Mad Men or Breaking Bad (help?). Book-wise, I want to read more non-fiction, poetry and short stories. I have the feeling that YA Dystopian fiction is very overexposed, at least in the internet book-loving society, and I don't like following that trend blindly anymore.
Apart from those plans, I'm looking forward to watching these movies in particular in 2014:
9. The Fault in Our Stars
I have never seen a Shailene Woodley film or read a John Green novel - it's merely the faith that I have in other people's opinions that makes me anticipate this film so much. But anyone who has read this book so far has told me to shut up and read this book. So I think that's what I'll do once I'm finished with 1700 pages of Sherlock Holmes.
8. Posh
All I needed was the title of this film. When I found out that Lone Scherfig was directing it, Sam Claflin was starring in it and that it was about the Oxford University, I didn't have anything else to wish for.
7. The Hobbit: There and Back Again
The 'end' of the LOTR franchise (well, there's always The Simarillion to make three more movies out of), will hopefully be just as spectacular as Return of the King. And this time, I will be there when it happens.
6. Mockingjay - Part I
Although I'm a little disappointed in the decision to make this a two-parter, I have high hopes for Mockingjay. Catching Fire set high expectations though and a lot of people have problems with the book that is Mockingjay. We'll see.
5. Transcendence
Perhaps the trailer wasn't as great on second watch, but I'm very curious for this Sci-Fi film that focusses on Singularity, a topic I've been interested in for a long time. It also has Johnny Depp looking normal-ish so that's exciting.
4. The Grand Budapest Hotel
Remember me taking that crazy Wes Anderson marathon last year after I had fallen head over heels in love with Moonrise Kingdom? Well, no surprise then that I can't wait to see his latest movie. And at any rate, how often do we get a movie set in gorgeous Eastern Europe?
3. Interstellar
Anyone who has been frustrated by the flawed, spoiler-filled, unnecessary trailers that are currently filling most of the time before the movie you go to watch at the theater, this teaser is like a unicorn of hope sent from cinema heaven. To say that it intrigued me would be an absolute underestimation. Also, the combination of Nolan, McConnaughey and Chastain is insane.2. How To Catch a Monster
Ryan Gosling directs a movie that stars Matt Smith and Saoirse Ronan. Questions? ... As a person who types 'How To [insert random thing everybody knows how to do except me]' into Google every second day, I also highly approve of the title. Hopefully we'll find out how to do it so I can finally get my hands on that ghost under my bed.1. The LEGO Movie
Should I be concerned about this movie topping my Most Anticipated of 2014 list? I don't care. This is the best, I repeat; the best trailer I have seen since The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. It's hilarious, inventive and jam-packed with pop-culture. "Everything is awesome, awesome, aweeeesoooome".