SvdW | Movies I saw for the first time in 2019
- All the films I've seen for the first time in 2019. So every movie I watch for the first time from Tuesday, January. 1, 2019 till Tuesday, December. 31, 2019 counts.
- A New year, new movies, new chances!
- Last year's total was 345.
Update Wednesday, October. 30, 2019: I've passed 295 films, expect at least 345 first time watches this year!!!
- Another reason I'm not going to watch as much movies, is because of exams. Most of these exams will be in the months January, February, March & April 2019.
- A update for my rankings for rating films, but not for documentaries and short (animated) films. These gave me more freedom for more precise rankings and is easier to use:
- ✮✮✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮: Amazing
- ✮✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮: Fantastic
- ✮✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮: Pretty good
- ✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮: Okay
- ✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮: Meh
- ✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮: Not good
- ✮½/✮✮✮✮✮: Bad
- ✮/✮✮✮✮✮: Terrible
- ½/✮✮✮✮✮: Piece of shit
- Films I really liked have a icon: ♛
- My favorite films I saw for the first time in 2019 are:
2. Darkman (1990)
3. A Close Shave (1995)
4. The Wrong Trousers (1993)
5. April Fool's Day (1986)
6. Let the Right One In (2008)
7. The River Wild (1994)
8. American Psycho (2000)
9. Scrooged (1988)
10. Body Snatchers (1993)
- The best surprises / films that suprised me (films I thought I would have hated, but didn't/films I had low hopes for):
- Blue Streak (1999)
- Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
- A Monster Calls (2016)
- Three Kings (1999)
- Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
- Undisputed II: Last Man Standing (2006)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
- Joker (2019)
- Baantjer: Het Begin (2019)
- Films that disappointed me (films I thought I would have liked, but didn't):
- Welcome to Marwen (2018)
- Heaven (2002)
- Domino (2019)
- Wild At Heart (1990)
- Gone in 60 Seconds (1974)
- Invasion of the Saucer-Men (1957)
- Eastern Promises (2007)
- Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010)
- Penoza: The Final Chapter (2019)
- El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019)
- The Stepford Wives (1975)
- Like last year's list I'll add the date when I watched a film, but this year's list I will add when I started watching a film and when I finished it.
- Please free to leave a comment.
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- DirectorCarl SchultzStarsDemi MooreMichael BiehnJürgen ProchnowAbby Quinn is eagerly awaiting childbirth but is haunted by dreams where she suffers a miscarriage. When she decides to rent a room to a mysterious stranger, she realizes a chain of events that will unleash the end of humanity.Date Watched: Tuesday, January. 1, 2019 | How I Watched: dvd on PlayStation 3
✮✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮: Pretty good
Short thoughts contain spoilers
Watched this for the first time. It is easy for me to say that it’s a solid start for this year.
The Seventh Sign (1988) hits the spot with a solid build-up with it’s story, solid characters, beautiful moody score by Jack Nitzsche, and solid direction by Carl Schultz, but the emotional third-act is weak because it has a disappointing payoff with a very heavy handed discussion of religion. It makes the movie less remarkable as a hole.
Because of these problems the movie is bogged down immensely, this is why I give The Seventh Sign (1988) 3½ out of 5 stars. - DirectorDoug MurphyStarsMatt RyanLaura BaileyRobin Atkin DownesA decade after a tragic mistake, Chas Chandler and occult investigator John Constantine set out to cure Chas's daughter, Trish, from a demonically induced coma.Date Watched: Wednesday, January. 2, 2019 | How I Watched: dvd on PlayStation 3
✮✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮: Pretty good
Short thoughts contain spoilers
Constantine: City of Demons (2018) is a decent film. Yes. There are better films that use this concept like Constantine (2005), but there was still just enough creativity and insanity to make this film worth the price to pay.
The direction is well done, the writing is pretty good, the score is okay, the voice acting performances are solid and the editing is good.
Nergal is a villain that got under my skin. There is a scary scene with a projection of 1920s film, when people are thrown in, they get killed in a brutal way, but in a way like a silent film from the 1920s. Also this film is bloodier than Constantine (2005).
As much as I liked Matt Ryan as John Constantine, I think Keanu Reeves played a better version of Christine. However City of Demons follows the comic book ‘’Hellblazer’’ more.
I saw Constantine (2005) before this film, and I like that film better. I am not a fan of the ending, where in order to defeat Nergal, Constantine used a spell on Nergal to rescue Trish, which works, but the downside is that Chas loses his memory of his family, the rest of Chas’ family also forgets about Chas too. Yet another loss of memory is that of Chas and Constantine past as kids. It made the rescue Trish’s soul seem pointless.
This is why I give Constantine: City of Demons (2018) 3½ out of 5 stars.
I would say give it a watch if you are curious about it. And skip it if you could care less. - DirectorBrad BirdStarsCraig T. NelsonHolly HunterSarah VowellThe Incredibles family takes on a new mission which involves a change in family roles: Bob Parr (Mr. Incredible) must manage the house while his wife Helen (Elastigirl) goes out to save the world.Date Watched: Thursday, January. 3, 2019 | How I Watched: dvd on PlayStation 3
✮½/✮✮✮✮✮: Bad
Short thoughts contain spoilers
Listen, I’m a huge fan of The Incredibles (2004). And seeing them team up again is one of those 'Finally, it has happened' moments.
It is just too bad that is for an Extremely Dull, Uneventful, and Boring piece of crap like this one.
For one it has great animation and good music, but the film slips through the cracks with
annoying characters like Evelyn, Voyd, Dash and Violet. Not much Incredibles together in the
entire running time, for a movie called Incredibles 2. Predictable and annoying villain Evelyn.
Jack-Jack’s scenes takes away the pacing. Hate the feminism/SJW angle of Elastigirl being the only Incredible to get chosen to do superhero things. The Underminer & Evelyn get no real punishment, it feels very obvious like they want to use these characters in Incredibles 3. Or they didn't know write these characters fates.
Incredibles 2 (2018) is The Incredibles (2004) swapped. In the end of the first movie the struggle between Dash and Violet was resolved, but in Incredibles 2 they argue like that story ark didn’t happen. Also that sub plot with Tony and Violet going on a date together is dissolved in the second part because Dicker erases Tony’s memory. Because of this lazy writing, this sub plot needs to be explored again and resolved.
All the women in the are strong characters, yet all the male characters are bad at what they’re doing.
If you want to films that do a better job in handling a story like this. Watch The Incredibles (2004).
This is why I give The Incredibles 2 (2018) 1½ out of 5 stars. - DirectorDomee ShiStarsSindy LauKai LiSharmaine YeohA Chinese-Canadian woman suffering from empty nest syndrome gets a second shot at motherhood when one of her handmade dumplings comes alive.Date Watched: Thursday, January. 3, 2019 | How I Watched: dvd on PlayStation 3
- DirectorGeorge LucasStarsRobert DuvallDonald PleasenceDon Pedro ColleyIn the 25th century, a time when people have designations instead of names, a man, THX 1138, and a woman, LUH 3417, rebel against their rigidly controlled society.Date Watched: Thursday, January. 3, 2019 | How I Watched: dvd on PlayStation 3
✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮: Meh
Short thoughts contain spoilers
THX 1138 (1971) is the first George Lucas film I’ve watched in a long time. Even though this is my second least favorite Lucas’ film, I can respect this film a lot more than Attack Of The Clones (haven’t seen Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace (1999) or Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith (2005) yet).
Looking the film on its own as of now, the movie is interesting with a story kinda like George Orwell’s 1984. The third act is my favourite moment of this film, with the great car chase.
The pacing feels off, the CGI added in looks dated, and the characters are pretty imperfect and badly written. The worst thing about the film though is the screenplay, which makes most scenes not work. The score by Lalo Schifrin is solid, the performances by the cast are either good or somewhat bland.
A lot of effort was being put into this movie, but it is a unsettling mixed bag.
This is why I give THX 1138 (1971) 2½ out of 5 stars. - DirectorGeorge LucasStarsFrancis Ford CoppolaGeorge LucasWalter MurchA documentary about the sacrifice the actors and actresses had to make to be a part of THX 1138 (1971).Date Watched: Friday, January. 4, 2019 | How I Watched: dvd on PlayStation 3
- DirectorGary LevaStarsWalter MurchMatthew RobbinsGeorge LucasGeorge Lucas and others discuss the production and the making of THX 1138 (1971).Date Watched: Friday, January. 4, 2019 | How I Watched: dvd on PlayStation 3
- DirectorNick ParkStarsPeter SallisPeter HawkinsGromit butts heads with a mysterious penguin lodger, who hatches a sinister scheme involving the ex-NASA Techno Trousers that have been modified by Wallace for walkies.Date Watched: Friday, January. 4, 2019 | How I Watched: recorded off BBC1 on Ziggo Mediabox
✮✮✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮: Great | ♛
Read the book years ago in English class for an assignment, but I never got around seeing this wonderful film, until recently. - DirectorDavid CronenbergStarsJennifer O'NeillStephen LackPatrick McGoohanA scientist trains a man with an advanced telepathic ability called "scanning" to stop a dangerous Scanner with extraordinary psychic powers from waging war against non scanners.Date Watched: Saturday, January. 5, 2019 | How I Watched: youtube on ipad
✮✮✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮: Great | ♛
For a cult classic horror film, David Cronenberg (1981) is suspenseful, has wonderful action sequences, a solid lead with Lack’s performance being low-key as a contrast to the villain.
A creepy villain played by Michael Ironside. Great practical/gore effects and great direction.
This is why I give Scanners (2018) 5 out of 5 stars. - DirectorTommy Lee WallaceStarsTom AtkinsStacey NelkinDan O'HerlihyKids all over America want Silver Shamrock masks for Halloween. Doctor Daniel Challis seeks to uncover a plot by Silver Shamrock owner Conal Cochran.Date Watched: Sunday, January. 6, 2019 | How I Watched: youtube on ipad
✮✮✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮: Amazing | ♛
Along with other interesting elements and a great director, Halloween 3: Season of the Witch (1982) took everything that made the first two great films. You have cool characters, great cinematography, solid build-up of it’s story and good cliff-hanger ending.
This is why I give Halloween 3: Season of the Witch (1982) 4½ out of 5 stars. - DirectorTom TykwerStarsCate BlanchettGiovanni RibisiRemo GironeA woman takes the law into her own hands after police ignore her pleas to arrest the man responsible for her husband's death, and finds herself not only under arrest for murder but falling in love with an officer.Date Watched: Sunday, January. 6, 2019 | How I Watched: dvd on PlayStation 3
✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮: Not good
This film is nowhere near as good as it could have been. Cate Blanchett was fantastic in the lead role and really gave her it all character wise. But the rest of the cast lets her down big time. No one really stands out and most of them give forgettable performances. The lead villain is not intimidating.
The lack of high stakes and a legitimate threat hurts the film greatly and the movie's pacing. At times it is far too dull for an drama/crime film. Speaking of pacing, it takes forever to get going. It blows its wad too early and as a result, the climax is anti-climactic and total weak sauce.
The script needed a lot of work. From the dialogue to the characterization all the way down to the plot. Far too much of this film's time is wasted with a boring procedural plotline that bogs the film down considerably and feels like padding. This screenplay needed almost an entire overhaul. The direction by Tom Tykwer is solid.
The editing is also really solid. It has some inspired moments of slow motion in the climax. The score is also pretty forgettable except for a couple bits here and there.
This is why I give Heaven (2002) 2 out of 5 stars.
I would only recommend checking this out if you are really curious about it, or you are a big fan of Cate Blanchett. - DirectorJeff MalmbergStarsMark HogancampEmmanuel NnejiEdda HogancampDocumentary about Mark Hogancamp. After a vicious attack leaves him brain-damaged and broke, Mark seeks recovery in "Marwencol", a 1/6th scale World War II-era town he creates in his backyard. Inspired the movie Welcome to Marwen (2018)Date Watched: Tuesday, January. 8, 2019 | How I Watched: dvd on PlayStation 3
- DirectorDavid KelloggStarsMatthew BroderickRupert EverettJoely FisherA security guard's dreams come true when he is selected to be transformed into a cybernetic police officer.Date Watched: Wednesday, January. 9, 2019 | How I Watched: Ziggo Go On Demand on ipad
½/✮✮✮✮✮: Piece of shitInspector Gadget: I'm not me anymore. I'm a hardware store!
With an undisputingly terrible casting choice of Claw and Inspector Gadget, an incoherent and messy story, horrendously bad direction and bland characters, annoying sound effects and bad CGI. Inspector Gadget (1999) is one of the worst films of 1999.
This is why I give Inspector Gadget (1999) ½ out of 5 stars. - DirectorDaniel MyrickEduardo SánchezStarsHeather DonahueMichael C. WilliamsJoshua LeonardThree film students vanish after traveling into a Maryland forest to film a documentary on the local Blair Witch legend, leaving only their footage behind.Date Watched: Thursday, January. 10, 2019 | How I Watched: dvd on PlayStation 3
✮✮✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮: Great | ♛Josh Leonard: You gonna write us a happy ending, Heather?
Watched this for the first time. It is easy for me to say that I enjoyed the movie. The Blair Witch Project (1999) is the type of quintessential horror film that has pushed the envelope for a genre that was yet to be recognized. This is a classic from start to finish and is one of the best horror films I have witnessed.
The environment and atmosphere of the woods was perfectly represented in the film. The actors and actresses in this have done a phenomenal job. The lack of music were so effective, it could hardly be easy to recapture. The editing and cinematography is well done. Also the acting didn’t feel like acting.
No matter what found footage films today will offer for the genre, their impact will never compare to what people and company did with this classic gem.
This is why I give The Blair Witch Project (1999) 5 out of 5 stars. - DirectorDaniel MyrickEduardo SánchezStarsPeg O'KeefHeather DonahueMichael HooverA mockumentary exploring the life of the Blair Witch and the three missing student filmmakers.Date Watched: Started Watching Thursday, January. 10, 2019. Restarted over and Finished Watching Friday, January. 11, 2019 | How I Watched: dvd on PlayStation 3
- DirectorBørge RingThe story of a young man who gets hooked on drugs.Date Watched: Friday, January. 11, 2019 | How I Watched: youtube on ipad
- DirectorJames AlgarGaëtan BrizziPaul BrizziStarsJames LevineSteve MartinItzhak PerlmanAn update of the original film with new interpretations of great works of classical music.Date Watched: Saturday, January. 12, 2019 | How I Watched: Ziggo Go On Demand on tv
✮✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮: Fantastic | ♛
Fantasia 2000 (1999) has great animation, solid pacing and great music choices, but is bogged down a notch by annoying cameos before the animation segments and an overall convicting tone.
This is why I give Fantasia 2000 (1999) 4 out of 5 stars. - DirectorJ.A. BayonaStarsBelén RuedaFernando CayoRoger PríncepA woman brings her family back to her childhood home, which used to be an orphanage for handicapped children. Before long, her son starts to communicate with an invisible new friend.Date Watched: Wednesday, January. 16, 2019 | How I Watched: dvd on PlayStation 3
✮✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮: Fantastic | ♛Laura: 1, 2, 3. Toca la pared.
Despite some overbearing music and pacing issues, El orfanato (2007) has great cinematography, likeable characters, and a lack of jump scares makes this film a worthwhile experience.
This is why I give El orfanato (2007) 4 out of 5 stars. - DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsSteve CarellFalk HentschelMatt O'LearyA victim of a brutal attack finds a unique and beautiful therapeutic outlet to help him through his recovery process.Date Watched: Thursday, January. 17, 2019 | How I Watched: Pathé Zwolle
✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮: OkayGI Julie: [teaching Mark how to walk again] One foot in front of the other. You got it, Mark. You got... Mark Hogancamp: [Mark stumbles and falls] It hurts like hell! GI Julie: Relax, Mark, you got to embrace that pain. You've got love the pain. The pain is a rocket fuel.
Welcome to Marwen (2018) does suffer from pacing issues and inconsistent tone between real life and CGI scenes, but the direction by Robert Zemeckis is okay, the transitions between CGI and real life is seamless, some good CGI, a solid score by Alan Silvestri and a okay leading performance by Steve Carrell.
This is why I give Welcome to Marwen (2018) 3 out of 5 stars. - DirectorKevin SmithStarsBen AffleckMatt DamonLinda FiorentinoAn abortion clinic worker with a special heritage is called upon to save the existence of humanity from being negated by two renegade angels trying to exploit a loop-hole and reenter Heaven.Date Watched: Wednesday, January. 23, 2019 | How I Watched: youtube on pc
✮✮✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮: Amazing | ♛Metatron: You people. If there isn't a movie about it, it's not worth knowing, is it?
Dogma (1999) is well casted, well paced, an okay score by Howard Shore which isn’t all that memorable, good directing by Kevin Smith and good practical and CGI effects.
The only reason it's not a full 5 out of 5 stars? Once in a while, a joke doesn't work. Which is a tough thing to have an excellent ratio in these kind of flicks.
This is why I am going to give Dogma (1999) 4½ out of 5 stars. - DirectorTom TykwerStarsIsis KrügerThomas WolffSadly, there is nothing more left between Nadja and her husband, and as a grim epilogue, Rainer has to pack and go. But even now, is there a chance to salvage what's left of their tattered marriage?Date Watched: Friday, January. 25, 2019 | How I Watched: youtube on ipad
- DirectorDavid CronenbergStarsJude LawJennifer Jason LeighIan HolmA game designer on the run from assassins must play her latest virtual reality creation with a marketing trainee to determine if the game has been damaged.Date Watched: Tuesday, January. 29, 2019 | How I Watched: youtube on pc
✮½/✮✮✮✮✮: BadSeminar Leader: eXistenZ. Written like this. One word. Small 'E', capital 'X', capital 'Z'. 'eXistenZ'. It's new, it's from Antenna Research, and it's here... right now.
eXsitenZ (1999) has solid direction by David Cronenberg, an okay musical score by Howard Shore and good practical effects.
But this film is bogged down a lot with a boring lead performance by Jude Law. Jennifer Jason Leigh sleeping through her role. Dumb lines of dialogue like:eXistenZ is paused!
Is he dead?
The pacing felt off because I wasn’t interested in the characters and the story. There was a overabundance of distracting and obvious sexual references. The movie also has a moronic ending.
eXistenZ felt like Videodrome, but with video games. But Videodrome is more memorable, thrilling, has a better lead, etc.
This is why I am going to give eXistenZ (1999) 1½ out of 5 stars. - DirectorRussell MulcahyStarsChristopher LambertMike AnscombeJeff J.J. AuthorsChicago homicide detectives Prudhome and Hollingsworth are assigned to investigate a murder. Both become entangled in the plot of a serial killer whose goal is to recreate the body of Christ.Date Watched: Wednesday, January. 30, 2019 | How I Watched: youtube on pc
✮✮✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮: Great | ♛John Prudhomme: Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get away with murder? There are fifty ways to fuck up a crime and if you can think of twenty of them, you're a genius. So far, this guy is batting a thousand.
Resurrection (1999) might not be a game-changer, but is highly watchable with likeable characters like Prudhomme & Hollinsworth (played by Christopher Lambert & Leland Orser), who work wonderful together. An okay musical score. Great sense of dread and urgency throughout the film. Good direction by Russell Mulcahy. And a solid villain.
This is why I am going to give Resurrection (1999) 5 out of 5 stars. - DirectorLes MayfieldStarsMartin LawrenceLuke WilsonPeter GreeneA former convict poses as a cop to retrieve a diamond he stole years ago.Date Watched: Thursday, January. 31, 2019 | How I Watched: recorded off RTL 7 on Ziggo Mediabox
✮✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮: Pretty good[Miles grabs the diamond] Miles: Got the rock. Time to roll.
Despite some deadtime with the humour, Blue Streak (1999) is quickly pacing, has well-handled action sequences and an okay villain.
This is why I am going to give Blue Streak (1999) 3½ out of 5 stars. - DirectorClaude ZidiStarsChristian ClavierGérard DepardieuRoberto BenigniIn all of Roman territory, the village where Asterix and Obelix live is the only enclave that has not yet been dominated by the empire, thanks to the magic potion of the druid Panoramix. But Commander Detritus has a plan to change that.Date Watched: Started Friday, January. 25, 2019. Restarted and Finished Thursday, January. 31, 2019 | How I Watched: dvd on portable dvd-player & dvd on blu-ray player | Dutch/Flemish voice Dub
✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮: Meh
Short thoughts contain spoilers
With the Dutch voice dub, the voice acting is horrible. But with an interesting casting choice for Julius Caesar, great sets and a fine directing job by Claude Zidi makes Astérix et Obélix contre César (1999) worth it for one watch.
However the love subplot doesn’t work and ends on a downer. The pacing needed something which wasn’t there to make to flow better.
And as a comedy I didn’t find this film all that funny. Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre (2002) was more comedy-orientated, and flows extremely well. Astérix et Obélix contre César (1999) doesn’t have a strong foundation.
This is why I am going to give Astérix et Obélix contre César (1999) 2½ out of 5 stars.