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Monday, January 2, 2023

Movies I Watched in 2022

Hello, friends!

I hope you guys enjoy this kind of post because it's always one of the highlights of my schedule! It's fun because it chronologically walks you through my year. Anyway, here's the list of all the movies I watched in 2022 that were new-to-me. I rewatch a lot of movies, too, but there are too many to keep track of. 

Usually I try to keep the comments to a minimum because or else this post gets too long, but there are some scattered through-out. This is especially thick in one area because, well, I lost my journal that I keep track of all of this in. So I started to keep track in a document on my computer and I kept a few extra notes because I could. Then, just a few days ago, my sister found my journal here in our house! So all's well that ends well.

Notes:
Ones with a ~ means I saw it in a theater.
Underlined for if I cried during. 
Ones with a caret (^) means I watched it for a class
 
Also, if ones college buys movie theater tickets and offers them to whoever wants them, you can bet that I am the kind of person to accept this deal every single time.

New-to-me movies:

Black Widow (2021)
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Eternals (2021) (Yes, my sisters and I went on a Marvel binge at the beginning of the year. We had to catch up. No, we still haven't seen No Way Home.)
Lars and the Real Girl (2007)^ 
The Royal Treatment (2022)
(Judge me all you want, but I was actually interested in watching a cheesy rom-com on Valentine's Day)
Moonfall (2022)~^
Death on the Nile (2022)~
 (I had been waiting for this movie for 4+ years, so I was very emotional when I finally got to see it)
Cold Mountain (2003)
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Just Like Heaven (2003)
Sierra Burgess is a Loser (2018)
Ted (2012) (Some friends were all excited about Mark Wahlburg and for whatever reason they decided to watch this. I was forced into it too. I hated every second of it, but also roasted every second of it. Because of these disclosed feelings, I will not be including an image.)

Father Stu (2022)~ (I was honestly not impressed? I'll save my critiques for a full on review)
The Passion of the Christ (2004)
Free Guy (2021) (My sister said it the best: "All the ads made it seem really dumb, but it was really funny. The ads were just dumb". I watched this with my PM on Easter.)
Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam (2010)
Hitch (2006)
Moxie (2021)
Tick, Tick...BOOM! (2021)
Encanto (2021)
Death on the Nile (1978)
The Patriot (2000)
Des hommes et des dieux (English title: Of Gods and Men) (2010)^
 (My sister, the French speaker, insists that I'm saying this title incorrectly. I am Ron Weasley and she is Hermione Granger.)
Todas las pecas del mundo (English title: All the Freckles in the World) (2019) (I was not yet familiar with the Spanish movie format, so back then I was so confused but now I would maybe get it?)
Belfast (2021)

Persuasion (2022) (Actually had a blast watching. It's not really Persuasion, but still fun. Was humorous, and I appreciated it, except a few parts where I yelled at the screen.)
Purple Hearts (2022) (Had a scene I very much could have done without, but mixed some tropes I usually hate and I actually enjoyed them. Mostly. The songs are a bop and I listen to them all the time.)
Handsome Devil (2016)
Los lobos (2019)^
 
Roma (2018)^
 (We have no words, not because of awe but because of what just happened. Why. What. What. Why. Huh? Why. After LOTS of class discussion I think I get it, but not really.)
Tall Girl 2 (2022) (Dare I say, I liked this better than the first one? Not in terms of message, but I thought it was really funny. Plus I was in a musical while watching it, so that amped up my enjoyment.)
Mother Teresa: No Greater Love (2022)~ (I don't usually count documentaries, but I saw it in the theater, and my college paid for it, so...)
La llorona (2019)^
El buen patron (English title: The Good Boss) (2022)~
The School for Good and Evil (2022) (I dug it a lot. And now want to read the books. Was it the best quality/plot/anything? No. But I had a rollicking good time)
Lo Que Arde (English title: Fire Will Come) (2019)^ (So stinking weird. The cinematography was gorgeous, I mean, I absolutely loved it. It was just so different than anything else I've ever seen. I need to watch it a lot more and actually understand the dialogue.)
Smile (2022)
~ (I'm not putting a picture because it was too scary. When your college gives you free tickets, you take them, though, I may have learned my lesson about that. And that I am a screamer when it comes to horror, but also mostly chant "Oh no, oh no")

Memorias de subdesarrollo (English title: Memories of Underdevelopment) (1968)^ (For the first time when my professor asked us if we liked it, we all yelled back, "no!". This was very disappointing because it was the oldest movie I watched this year by a long shot and I thought it was going to be amazing. It's my professor's favorite movie ever, however.)
La teta asustada (English title: The Sorrowful Milk) (2009)^ (It was so weird, but after making a whole presentation about it, I dig it.)
Gifted (2017)
 (I didn't really like Chris Evans's character, but the MATH. The math was swell. One of my best friends is an education major and she had to watch it for a class and she knew I loved math so she roped me into it.)
Pájaros de verano (English title: Birds of Passage) (2018)^. 
Noche de fuego (English title: Prayers for the Stolen) (2021)
^
Begin Again (2013)
Ladies in Lavender (2004)
Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
Enola Holmes 2 (2022) (After Death on the Nile, this was my most looked-forward-to movie of the year!)


Total: 46


Series/shows I watched in 2022:

No specific order, but definitely alphabetical (if you get that YT reference, kudos). As I said last year, rewatches are listed here because it requires a bigger time commitment than a movie. My sister thought the old format for this section was confusing, so I switched it up a little based on her suggestion. Thoughts?

Arcane: League of Legends
    Season 1: episodes 1-7 and half of 8. 
The A-Team:
    Season 1: episodes 1-7. (I think? It feels like I watched more than that)
Carmen Sandiego
    REWATCH: Seasons 1-4 (in Spanish)
Cinderella and the Four Knights (2016): Mini series. (First Impression Ramblings)
Dash and Lily (2020): Mini series.
Emma (2009): Mini series.
The Flash
    Season 1: episodes 1-9.
Gilmore Girls
    Season 6: episodes 18-22, season 7: episodes 1-19 (I swear, this show never ends) 
Hawkeye (2021): Mini series.
Heartstopper
    Season 1
High School Musical The Musical The Series
    Seasons 1-3. REWATCH: various episodes from season 1 and 2.
Jane the Virgin
    Season 1: episodes 15-22, season 2, & season 3: 1-14.
LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu
    Season 9: episodes 8-10, season 10.
Levarage:
    Season 1: episodes 4-9.
The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power
    Season 1: episodes 1-6 (I watched this much with my roommate and LOVED IT. I can't wait to watch the rest and only haven't because of time)
Merlin
    Season 5: episodes 6-13. REWATCH: Season 1, episodes 1-2.
Moon Knight
    Season 1 (Technically there isn't a second season announced yet, but one can hope. Also watched with my PM on Easter...)
Ninjago
    Season 1, episodes 1-13 (They’ve changed Lloyd’s voice! At least, in the Spanish version...)
Once Upon a Time
    Season 1-2, & season 3: episode 1 (I believe)
Sanditon
    Season 2 (First Impression Ramblings)
Shadow and Bone
    Season 1, REWATCH: Season 1: episodes 1-2
STAR WARS: Clone Wars
    Season 1: episodes 8-22, season 2, season 3: episodes 1-17 (I think. My progress is marked on my friend's account because she was making me watch it while she did homework.)
Stranger Things
    Season 1: episode 1 (and part of 2)
Umbrella Academy
    Seasons 1-2
Wednesday
    Season 1
What If…?
    Season 1: episodes 3-5. REWATCH: Season 1: episodes 1-2.

I think I watched some Wild Wild West episodes with my dad, but I don't know exactly...

I've had a hard time with my attention span this year. I feel often that I use this as an excuse to not try harder? I don't know. Anyway, I started a lot of movies and shows and would quit a few minutes in. Either I love it dearly and is my favorite thing ever (aka OUaT), or I felt mediocre about it.

Yow, that's still an awful lot. I think a goal for this year is more books and fewer movies or shows...


My 10 Favorite New-To-Me Movies:
1. Encanto (2021): We don't talk about Bruno-no-no-no. Everything about this is my favorite. I love the songs, the characters, the animation, the meaning, the conflict. 

2. Belfast (2021): All the love, it was amazing, and perfect for movie lovers. Heart destroying. This gave me an old movie feel because it was black and white and set in the 60s (I believe?) and filled me so much. Filled me with happiness and pain and all the things.

3. Los Lobos (2019): Aka the movie that destroyed me. Yes, destroyed is my word, but that's how I want to feel from all of my stories. This hit so close to home for many people I know. It's a story where nothing much happens, but it's so cute and everything changes.

4. Enola Holmes 2 (2022): Enola!! I love her so much. My baby boy Tewksbury was brilliant and I'm going to have to watch all of his scenes on repeat because I wasn't appreciating them enough. That's because this was the first movie in FOREVER that all of my family watched together and I was trying to keep myself together from laughing at him and screaming at him how proud I was. Sherlock was fabulous, too. All in all, such a tight sequel, even if I still like the first better.

5. Ladies in Lavender (2004): My sisters have been putting off watching this for years. If we had known how darlingly cute it was, we would have watched it faster. Such a good combination of laughter and crying like your life depends on it.

6. Death on the Nile (2022): This was my first Agatha Christie book and they did so much stuff with it to surprise new and old fans alike. I'm not mad, I'm more shocked. And broken. And reeling. AHHHHHHHH. I can't wait to make my sisters watch it.

7. Des hommes et des dieux (2010): *starts singing Imagine Dragons* "I'm a wreck...". That's how I felt. This revolutionized the way I see things. Based on true story for the win.

8. Lars and the Real Girl (2007): This could win an award for the weirdest movie ever, but by the end I think most of the class really enjoyed it.

9. Tick, Tick...BOOM! (2021): Now, the music isn't actually my favorite (I only really listen to "Louder Than Words" on a regular basis) but I think it fits the story so well. Another true story gut punch (I'm actually going to maybe do a post about gut punches in literature. Anyone interested?)

10. Handsome Devil (2016): It was so cool to have an LGBTQ+ story that wasn't a romance, you know? You don't get that a lot so it was a neat element. It was a kind and caring story. One about people and their struggles and their love of sports, and I thought it was really important. Andrew Scott slayed so hard.

Honorable mentions: Hitch (2006)Just Like Heaven (2003)Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)A Beautiful Mind (2001)La teta asustada (2009)The School for Good and Evil (2022), & Noche de fuego (2021).

I am a little disturbed that all of my favorites are from the 21st century. And all of the honorable mentions. In fact, I only watched 3 movies from the 20th century?? How can I call myself a classic movie fan!?


For those of you who are curious, I saw parts of: Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Cinderella (1997), Poltergeist (1982), Charming (2018), The Kissing Booth (2018), and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004). Some of those I fully intend to keep watching, one I only saw the end with my grandma and don't feel the need to see any more, and some I will not be continuing.

Also, this isn't an official movie, but have you guys seen the Princess Bride Home Movie? I watched it this year and it was one of the funniest things ever. A real ode to the original.


How many of these movies have you seen? What are movies you want to see? What are some of your favorites from 2022?

Do you want to read reviews for any of these movies? First impression ramblings posts for the shows? I have several of those planned but I would love to hear which ones you are interested in!

Thank you so much for reading! Tell me all your thoughts on this new year, 2023!

Chloe the MovieCritic

Sunday, January 1, 2023

Books I read in 2022

Happy 2023, friends!

What does one say for a new year without being cliche? Oh well, I'm going to encounter the cliche whether I want to or not, so I might as well get it over with: I can't believe I haven't written a blog post since last year...as we all say on January 1st.

On a more serious note, I just wish you all the best for this year! 

Today I will, as tradition commands, list all of the books I read in 2022. Which is not a lot. Last year I was a little woeful of how few there were...and now I have about half as many. Being a full time college student leaves little time for reading. As ashamed as I am to admit it, I watch more movies or TV shows to relax (which you will see in the post tomorrow!). I don't have any hopes for reading for 2023 but I'm excited to see what happens!

Anyway, time to talk about what you're all here for: 2022 books!

If you want another opinion, you can check out my Goodreads account HERE. I count books I read for classes there, but I don't have any nonfiction on this blog. As you may have noticed.

If you want to compare this list to the previous years, here are the links for 2021, 2020201920182017, and 2016 (Wow, I've been at this for awhile).

It is a well known fact that I am an intensely emotional person. So, I'm starting a new peek into my mind. If I cried during the book, I will underline it. Now, it's rare that I actually cry during books, but I overcompensate in movies. You'll see that later, but as for now:

New-to-me books:

100 Days of Sunlight - by Abbie Emmons
Everything, Everything - by Nicola Yoon
Six of Crows - by Leigh Bardugo
Spinning Silver - by Naomi Navok
Divergent - by Veronica Roth
Crooked Kingdom - by Leigh Bardugo
The Wednesday Wars - by Gary D. Schmidt
A Thousand Perfect Notes - by C. G. Drews
Insurgent - by Veronica Roth
Beverly, Right Here - by Kate DiCamillo
Beowulf - translated by Seamus Heaney
Great or Nothing - by Joy McCullough, Caroline Tung Richmond, Tess Sharpe, & Jessica Spotswood
Rebel of the Sands - by Alwyn Hamilton
Stargirl - by Jerry Spinelli

Total: 14


Rereads:

Anne of the Island - by L. M. Montgomery
Holes - by Louis Sachar
A Christmas Carol - by Charles Dickens

Total: 3

Grand total: 17

I warned you that it was unimpressive, guys. I don't even have a good excuse (besides college) like last year, when I read the 1200+ pages of The Count of Monte Cristo. I mean, some of these YA are pretty thick? It is also quality over quantity, because I only seriously disliked one of those books!


That doesn't tell you a lot about my opinions on all of this, so the moment you have all been waiting for:

My 10 Favorite New-To-Me Reads of 2022:

I have to say that the top two gave me a run for my money. I have been back and forth on which deserves the top spot. I finally decided on #1 because of the message it carries.

I'm going to have a sentence or two about why I love each but I hope to review these all one day!

1. 100 Days of Sunlight - by Abbie Emmons: I had been wanting to read this since 2019 and it paid off big time. I reread small parts of it in the summer and loved it just as much. I got my sister to read it, and she got her friend to read it, so it's a chain of loving it.

2. Six of Crows - by Leigh Bardugo: THE EPICNESS. I cannot even tell you all. If you've read it, you know. I love all of the characters so much and couldn't read it fast enough. I was not a fan of the Shadow and Bone series so I thought this would be much the same, but it's infinitely more complex and incredible.

3. A Thousand Perfect Notes - by C. G. Drews: My sister realized that as a side effect of being a math major, my favorite books of the year all have numbers in them. How epic is that? This was my treat for completing spring semester and it broke me into a thousand pieces.

4. Beverly, Right Here - by Kate DiCamillo: The Queen herself. I'm so sad to be done with this series because speaks to friendship and pain and healing.

5. The Wednesday Wars - by Gary D. Schmidt: Shout out to Sam, The Nutmeg, and Sarah for making me read this. It brought my Shakespeare love to another level.

6. Great or Nothing - by Joy McCullough, Caroline Tung Richmond, Tess Sharpe, & Jessica Spotswood: Fall semester treat and so peaceful yet broken and painful and full of growth. Sister books, man.

7. Stargirl - by Jerry Spinelli: Cannot wait to now watch the movie because all of Grace VanderWaal's music speaks these themes.

8. Rebel of the Sands - by Alwyn Hamilton: The most brilliant world building ever. I am now so discouraged that my "people who live in the desert with powers" WIP will never be to this level.

9. Spinning Silver - by Naomi Navok: This goes so low on the list only because there were one or two things that bugged me, but other than that this was AMAZING. It got me through spring semester, guys.

10. Crooked Kingdom - by Leigh Bardugo: Such a tight sequel. I was actually STRESSED because of the danger these kids were putting themselves in.



I also read most of The Awakening of Miss Prim, but it's not technically enough for me to count.


Usually I talk about blogging plans in my movies post but because I have the extra space here, why wait? I imagine for the next few years that I still will not be up to my old routine because college is a lot of work. But, I still hope to make a bit of a return with some reviews or more frequent posts! I love all the comments on each post and one of my first items on my agenda for this year is to reply to all of you. In the meanwhile, tell me how you're doing! What was your favorite part of 2022, fictional or otherwise?


There you have it folks. 2022! Have you read any of these books? Were would they rank for you? Which of these would you like me to review in more depth?

What was your favorite book you read in 2022? Any plans for 2023 reading? Speaking of reading, thanks for reading this post! See you all tomorrow for movies! You may have known most of this from Goodreads, but you have no sneak peeks there...

Chloe the MovieCritic