1. Movies seen (including movies watched more than once): 150
2. Top ten eleven new release movies I saw this year (based on numerical score):
3. Top Ten Movies I saw this year, made any year (based on numerical score):
4. FAQ #1:
Q: Did you really stop reading books this year after you reported Down and Dirty Pictures in April?
A: No! I just stopped writing about them, and have many half finished books on my list to write about. Maybe I'll do it at Hellbox.org from now on. Maybe not, though...
5. FAQ #2:
Q: What the heck is up with your indefensible numerical rating system, why have one at all?
A: It's true I've deflected criticism about my ratings habits by claiming that they're completely arbitrary and meaningless. That's not quite true. They have meaning to me, but they aren't an empirical score of what I witnessed. I'm not trying to be a rational critic here. So, when other more-rational critics call me on my numbers (how can you like THIS movie more than THAT movie based on your numbers?), I have no good answer. What I've discovered is that I'm a very emotional movie watcher, so my scores are partly measures of my suspension of disbelief, and partly my mood for the day. That means that any score is more a score of my relationship with that movie on that day instead of a rational approach to craft or merit in other fields. Of course, those issues play into my score, but I'm not a critic recommending movies to people, but a journaler remembering the movies that I have seen -- this list becoming my electronic memory to aid my poor synapse driven system. Thus, there are many holes in my system, and I don't recommend seriously comparing movies on my list based on their scores alone, but if somebody would like to challenge me on my scores in the future I promise not to play it off on my arbitrary system, but instead attempt to explain why I liked/didn't like the movie in question.
6. FAQ #3:
Q: Quips? I mean, really!
A: Well, I never claimed that I was good at quipping, only that I needed the practice. Still, I'm getting a little sick of them myself. Some were fine, but all-in-all it's a limited form, unless you're more brilliant than I, more sharp than I, and a fair amount quicker than I (like that turtle, over there -- that one that's winning the race because I'm kicking it under this tree writing this entry). Anyway -- I stuck with the quips for an entire year, which I'm pretty proud of, but enough is enough. So, for 2005 I'm now going to write a paragraph about every movie I see instead of quipping. I'll keep the scores and everything else the same, but maybe there will be a little more bloody meat on the bones this year. If not, I may resort to haiku, so watch out.
7. FAQ #4:
Q: Do you wish us well?
A: Why, yes I do! To the few of you who read this thing with regularity, Happy New Year -- I hope this year is a tremendous one for you. Feel free to drop comments in anytime -- and I always take movie recommendations to add to our 450+ long Netflix queue.