November Movie Grades:

A
The Martian (Sci Fi/Drama/Action) – 2015

A-
Dope (Drama/Comedy) - 2015

B+
Room 237 (Documentary) – 2012
Tomorrowland (Drama/Sci Fi/Action) – 2015
Bridge of Spies (Drama) – 2015
The Reconstruction of William Zero (Sci Fi/Drama) - 2015

B
Murder! (Drama) - 1930

B-
Rollercoaster (Action/Drama) – 1977
No Escape (Action/Drama) - 2015
San Andreas (Action) - 2015

C
Run all Night (Action/Drama) - 2015

C-
Get Hard (Comedy/Action) – 2015

D
The Parallax View (Action/Drama) – 1974

F
The Condemned 2 (Action) – 2015

201 (same,-7) 84k steps

I've been in a grove with running lately, but unfortunately yesterday at work I took a few steps and felt something pop/crack in my right knee (same one I have had problems with that MRI showed a small tear in). Hurts to put weight any weight on it now, have an appointment Tuesday, but looks like I might be headed towards the operation I thought I was going to have about 6 months back. Hoping somehow I make a miraculous recovery this weekend, but not counting on it.

202 (+1,-6) 70k steps

200 (-2,-8) 84k steps

Heading in for my surgery. S/b back running in 4-6 weeks, just have to try and do what I can til then.

Hey Scott,

Hope surgery turns out well.

Thanks, knee's doing well so far, very tight, but I've already ditched the crutches and have walked around a little with minimal pain. I only took the pain medication for a little over 1 day, only negative was my stomach not handling something very well (I'm guessing the pain medication) resulting in me not being able to keep anything down Sat/Sun. I'm back at work today though and so far so good (knock on wood) so hopefully all that's over with and I can just focus on continued recovery.

Ending 2015 at 201, -7 on the year, I'm quite satisfied with that.

Happy New Year!

December Movies Grades:

Blue were seen in theater, Red are available on Netflix Instant, Green are available on Amazon Prime, and Italics are re-watches.

A+
Casablanca (Drama) - 1942
Star Wars episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (Sci Fi/Action/Drama) -1980
Star Wars episode IV: A New Hope (Sci Fi/Action/Drama) – 1977
Back to the Future (Action/Sci Fi/Drama) - 1985
Star Wars episode VI: Return of the Jedi (Sci Fi/Action/Drama) – 1983
It’s a Wonderful Life (Drama) - 1946
12 Angry Men (Drama) - 1957

A
The Lady from Shanghai (Drama) – 1948
Judex (Action/Drama – French) – 1963
Star Wars episode 7: The Force Awakens (Action/Sci Fi/Drama) – 2015
The Hateful Eight (Action/Drama) - 2015

A-
Selma (Drama) - 2014
Amy (Documentary) – 2015
The Thing (Action/Sci Fi) - 1982

B+
Strangers on a Train (Drama) – 1951
Back to the Future 2 (Action/Sci Fi/Drama) – 1989
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (Action) - 2015

B
Bad Day at Black Rock (Drama/Action) - 1955
Star Wars episode III: Revenge of the Sith (Sci Fi/Action/Drama) – 2005
River of no Return (Drama/Action) – 1954
Ant-Man (Action/Sci Fi) – 2015
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 2 (Action/Sci Fi/Drama) - 2015

B-
Saw II (Horror) - 2005
Mississippi Grind (Drama) - 2015

C+
Bring me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (Drama/Action) - 1974

C
The Visit (Thriller) - 2015
Death on the Nile (Mystery/Drama) – 1978
Darkman (Action/Sci Fi) - 1990

C-
Saw III (Horror) - 2006
The Captive (Drama) - 2014

D+
Star Wars episode I: The Phantom Menace (Sci Fi/Action/Drama) – 1999
I’ll Follow you Down (Sci Fi/Drama) - 2013

D
One False Move (Drama) - 1992

F
Star Wars episode II: Attack of the Clones (Sci Fi/Action/Drama) - 2002

A Year late, but I don't like to put out a list until it feels complete, so here's my top 25 movies from 2014 (in reverse order):

25 - The Drop (Drama)
24 - Selma (Drama)
23 - Inherent Vice (Drama/Comedy)
22 - Nightcrawler (Drama)
21 - Ida (Drama)
20 - Gone Girl (Drama)
19 - Big Hero 6 (Action/Sci Fi/Drama)
18 - The Theory of Everything (Drama)
17 - Edge of Tomorrow (Action/Sci Fi)
16 - The Lego Movie (Action/Comedy)
15 - Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Action/Sci Fi)
14 - I Origins (Drama/Sci Fi)
13 - Boyhood (Drama)
12 - Birdman (Drama)
11 - Guardians of the Galaxy (Action/Sci Fi/Comedy)
10 - The Raid 2 (Action)
9 - The Grand Budapest Hotel (Drama/Comedy)
8 - Whiplash (Drama)
7 - Predestination (Drama/Sci Fi)
6 - Foxcatcher (Drama)
5 - Calvary (Drama)
4 - The One I Love (Drama/Sci Fi)
3 - The Skeleton Twins (Drama/Comedy)
2 - Wild (Drama)
1 - The Imitation Game (Drama)

In case you missed it, Bill Barnwell wrote a great piece about his experience gaining and losing weight:

https://medium.com/@billbarnwell/the...cc5#.vuai7qsh3

201 (same) 51K steps

Slowly increasing my walking each day, itching to get recovered so I can start running again.

203 (+2,+2) 73k steps

Actually had a very good week, guessing maybe last weeks weigh-in skewed low, now worried about it, expect next week's # to look better.

Just watched The Frame on Amazon Prime. Jamin Winans directed this mind-bindy thriller. His other feature film was Ink, which I loved and would describe as a fantasy physiological thriller mixed with a family drama. Anyway, The Frame was great for the 1st 1.6 hours, but fell apart for me over the last 30 minutes. I think I would've been much happier with an earlier and more ambiguous ending. Regardless, I'm extremely impressed with Winan's style (he writes and directs) and look forward to whatever he puts out next.

Watched some fantastic 2015 releases this weekend in Spotlight, Straight Outta Compton, and Love & Mercy. Some tremendous acting performances by Keaton/Ruffalo/McAdams/the entire supporting cast in Spotlight and Dano in Love & Mercy, and most surprisingly the entire cast of Straight Outta Compton, many of whom had very few acting credits to their name (zero in O'Shea Jackson Jr.'s case).

Also, after playing NWA's sleazy manager and Brian Wilson's sleazy manager/doctor/guardian, I think Paul Giamatti's found his niche.

200 (-3,-1) 71k steps

200 (same,-1) 85K steps

January Movie Grades:

Titles in red are available on Netflix Instant, green are available on Amazon Prime, blue were seen in theater, italics are re-watches.

A
Ex Machina (Sci Fi/Drama) – 2015
Spotlight (Drama) – 2015
The One I Love (Drama/Romance/Sci Fi) – 2014
Straight Outta Compton (Drama/Biopic) – 2015
Inside Out (Drama) - 2015
Slow West (Drama/Action/Western) – 2015
Beasts of no Nation (Drama) – 2015
Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau (Documentary) - 2013

A-
The Third Man (Drama) – 1949
The Revenant (Action/Drama) - 2015
Love & Mercy (Drama/Biopic) - 2015
Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (Documentary) – 1996
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (Documentary) – 2011
The Searchers (Western/Action/Drama) – 1956
An Honest Liar (Documentary) – 2014
Finders Keepers (Documentary) - 2015

B+
Into the Abyss (Documentary) – 2011
Cheyenne (Western/Drama) – 1947
Paradise Lost 2: Revelations (Documentary) – 2000
Black Mass (Drama) – 2015
The End of the Tour (Drama/Biopic) – 2015
Pacific Warriors (Documentary) – 2015
Capturing the Friedman’s (Documentary) – 2003
Queen of Earth (Drama) – 2015
The Frame (Sci Fi/Drama) – 2014
Secret in their Eyes (Drama) - 2015

B
Margin Call (Drama) – 2011
Cocaine Cowboys (Documentary) – 2006
A Walk in the Woods (Drama/Biopic) – 2015
Eyes in the Night (Drama) - 1942

B-
Goosebumps (Action/Fantasy) – 2015
Return to the Wild: The Chris McCandless Story (Documentary) – 2014

C+
Scout’s Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (Action/Comedy) - 2015
Taken 3 (Action)

C
Maze Runner: Scorch Trials (Action/Sci Fi) - 2015

C-
Zathura: A Space Adventure (Action/Fantasy) - 2005

D+
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (Action/Fantasy) - 2011

D
The Last Survivors (Action/Drama) – 2014
Cut Bank (Action/Drama) - 2015

201 (+1, same) 73K steps

Since I haven't written an actual blog post in over a year I figured I could at least start posting some movie recommendations.

Weekly Movie Recommendations:

REDBOX - Inside Out (Drama - Animated), Bridge of Spies (Drama), Finders Keepers (Documentary)

ON DEMAND - The Keeping Room (Drama)

NETFLIX - The Killer (Action - Chinese), Philomena (Drama), Big Fish (Drama)

AMAZON PRIME - Selma (Biopic/Drama), The Wolf of Wallstreet (Biopic/Drama/Comedy), Frequencies (Sci Fi/Drama)

HBO GO/HBO NOW - Calvary (Drama), The Theory of Everything (Biopic/Drama), The Purge: Anarchy (Thriller)

200 (-1,-1) 80K steps

Weekly Movie Recommendations

NETFLIX - Dope (Drama/Comedy), Time Lapse (Sci Fi/Drama), To Kill a Mockingbird (Drama)

AMAZON PRIME - Amy (Documentary), An American Werewolf in London (Thriller), Inside Man (Action/Drama)

HBO GO/HBO NOW - Jim: The James Foley Story (Documentary), I Origins (Sci Fi/Drama), Frailty (Thriller)

REDBOX - The Martian (Sci Fi/Drama), It Follows (Horror)

200 (same,-1) 84k steps

Weekly Movie Recommendations:

REDBOX - Straight Outta Compton (Biopic/Drama), 99 Homes (Drama), Cop Car (Action/Drama)

ON DEMAND - Steve Jobs (Biopic/Drama), Black Mass (Drama/Biopic)

NETFLIX - The Summit (Documentary), Black Coal, Thin Ice (Drama/Mystery - Chinese), Fruitvale Station (Drama)

AMAZON PRIME - Enemy (Mystery/Thriller), Bone Tomahawk (Action/Drama/Western), Braveheart (Action/Drama)

HBO GO/HBO NOW - The Drop (Drama), Furious 7 (Action), Double Jeopardy (Drama)

201 (+1,same) 101K steps

Weekly Movie Recommendations:

REDBOX - Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (Drama/Comedy), The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (Action), Freeheld (Biopic/Drama)

ON DEMAND - Room (Drama), Spotlight (Drama/Biopic)

NETFLIX - The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (Western), 180 South (Documentary), The Legend of Drunken Master (Action/Martial Arts - Chinese)

AMAZON PRIME - Dazed and Confused (Comedy), Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2 (Action)

HBO GO/HBO NOW - The Godfather I & II (Drama), V for Vendetta (Action/Drama)

Really like the way you're doing these weekly movie recommendations. 180 degrees south is one of my favorite docs on Netflix. See if you can find a way to watch Meru. Based on some of your recommendations I think you'd really enjoy it. I found it online somewhere but have since lost the link.

Thanks!

I started posting these recommendations on Twitter about 4 weeks ago and figured I could share here too.

Thanks for the recommendation for Meru, it's on Amazon Prime, I'll definitely check it out.

In honor of the Oscars here's my top 25 of 2015, I obviously missed a few, but I watched every film that was nominated and 90 total 2015 releases.

25) Time Lapse (Sci Fi/Drama)
24) Love & Mercy (Drama/Biopic)
23) Mr. Holmes (Drama)
22) Trainwreck (Comedy)
21) Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (Drama)
20) Dope (Drama/Comedy)
19) Mad Max: Fury Road (Action)
18) Furious 7 (Action)
17) Victoria (Drama/Action)
16) Brooklyn (Drama/Romance)
15) Slow West (Drama/Action)
14) The Hateful Eight (Drama/Action)
13) Sicario (Action/Drama)
12) Beasts of No Nation (Drama/Action)
11) The Revenant (Action/Drama)
10) The Big Short (Drama/Biopic)
9) Star Wars episode 7: The Force Awakens (Sci Fi/Action)
8) Straight Outta Compton (Drama/Biopic)
7) The Martian (Sci Fi/Drama)
6) Creed (Sports Drama)
5) Steve Jobs (Drama/Biopic)
4) Inside Out (Drama/Comedy)
3) Room (Drama)
2) Spotlight (Drama/Biopic)
1) Ex Machina (Sci Fi/Drama)

Movie nerd Super Bowl Sunday! Despite frustration with some nominees (as usual), still excited for tonight!

Later today I'll post what my nominations and winners would've been if I got to make the decisions. (I know all 11 of you regularly reading this "blog" are on the edge of your seats)