January 2020

It's a new year. Same me. Did a movie scavenger hunt and got out to the cinema a few times. Otherwise just trying to keep my head down and keep on moving. Watching Winter Love Island because I'm a glutton for such trash. I can't think of anything further to say right now.

January

1/1 Economics: The User’s Guide Ha-Joon Chang (2014) 460p King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
2/1 John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch (2019) After (2019) Little Women (2019)
3/1 It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2)
4/1 Fruitvale Station (2013)
5/1 A Quiet Place (2018) It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2) Step Brothers (2008)
6/1 It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (1) Glass (2019)
7/1 It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (1) Return From Witch Mountain (1978)
8/1 It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (1)
9/1 High Fidelity (2000) The Shape of Water (2017) Doctor Who: Season 12 (2) Coco Before Chanel (2009)
10/1 Chef (2014) Room (2015)
11/1 1917 (2019) Vertigo (1958)
12/1 Isabella: She-Wolf of France, Queen of England Alison Weir (2005) 377p Love and Death (1975) FINAL FANTASY VIII REMASTERED – Obtained platinum trophy This is Spinal Tap (1984) STARTED THE LAST OF US REMASTERED
13/1 Pride and Prejudice (2005)
14/1 Once (2007)
15/1 Love Island (1)
16/1 Love Story (1970) Valley of the Dolls (1967) Love Island (4) Uncut Gems (2019) Goldman v Silverman (2020)
17/1 Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) Love Island (1)
18/1 Eyes Wide Shut (1999) At Eternity’s Gate (2018)
19/1 Bombshell (2019) It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (1) Love Island (1)
20/1 Love Island (1) What Did Jack Do? (2017)
21/1 Love Island (1)
22/1 Her (2013) Love Island (1)
23/1 Midsommar (2019) Melancholia (2011) It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (1) Rush Hour (1998) Love Island (1)
24/1 The Personal History of David Copperfield (2019) Love Island (1)
25/1 Rush Hour 2 (2001) THE LAST OF US – FINISHED HARD MODE
26/1 Boogie Nights (1997) THE LAST OF US: LEFT BEHIND DLC FINISHED HARD MODE American History X (1998) Love Island (1)
27/1 Love Island (1)
28/1 Love Island (1)
29/1 Twelve Monkeys (1995) Love Island (1)
30/1 Forbidden Planet (1956) Le Trou (1960) Girl, Interrupted (1999) Love Island (1)
31/1 It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (1) Cape Fear (1962) Love Island (1)

December 2019

It is the end of the end of the year and a time of reflection. I have no complaints and time keeps moving along. I am trying my best and hoping for a good outcome. I've watched a whole lot of movies last year, I like keeping track of everything, it gives me some satisfaction and Letterboxd has been a nice experience.

As is customary I watched the new Star Wars movie at the cinema more than once and became more sad the more I thought about it. Also binge-watched all of the new season of You because Netflix clearly controls my brain. It's one of those things where I must know how it all ends otherwise I'll spend too much time contemplating. I'm very impatient. Otherwise it was a lot of Christmas films and re-watches which were nice.

Been playing Final Fantasy VIII the past few days with my husband. He's never played it before and I'm playing my own game concurrently with him. It's fun to watch him react to the crazy. It was never my favourite Final Fantasy but it definitely has it's charms.

December

1/12 Captain Marvel (2019) Knives Out (2019) Dolemite Is My Name (2019)
2/12 Game Night (2018)
3/12 Date With Love (2016) New Amsterdam: Season 1 (2)
4/12 The Undercover Economist Tim Harford (2006) 255p The Apprentice (1)
5/12 Port of Call (1948) Tokyo Godfathers (2003) Watchmen (1)
6/12 The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: Season 3 (4)
7/12 Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) I Could Never Be Your Woman (2007) Strictly Come Dancing (1) The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (4) Tangled (2010)
8/12 The Irishman (2019) Paterson (2016)
9/12 It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (1)
10/12 Life Itself (2018)
12/12 The Apprentice (1) Bus Stop (1956) Last Year at Marienbad (1961) Riverdale (2) Bo Burnham: Make Happy (2016) Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)
14/12 6 Underground (2019) It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (1)
15/12 Inside Out (2015) Life of Brian (1979)
17/12 It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (1) Brief Encounter (1945)
18/12 Birdsong: Part One (2012) Let it Snow (2019) It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2) The Apprentice (1)
19/12 Birdsong: Part Two (2012) Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
20/12 Made in Dagenham (2010) Bumblebee (2018)
21/12 Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) Jingle All the Way (1996) It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2) Russian Doll (1) Marriage Story (2019)
22/12 Elena and her Men (1956) Elf (2003) The Family Stone (2005) Russian Doll (2) The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
23/12 It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (1) Scrooged (1988)
24/12 It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2) Crown for Christmas (2015)
26/12 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) Gavin & Stacey: Christmas Special
27/12 Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)
28/12 You: Season 2 (10) Three Colours: Blue (1993) Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)
29/12 Three Colours: White (1994) The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
30/12 Three Colours: Red (1994)
31/12 The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2019 

Books of 2019

There seems to be a theme in the books I've read this year. You can glean as you go through the history book club topics but given the chance to read something independently I've been leaning toward the economic and political. I just find it interesting to be honest. Not that I can do much about the current state of things.

1. Battlecry of Freedom: The American Civil War James M McPherson (1990) 862p
2. The Joy of Tax: How a fair tax system can create a better society Richard Murphy (2015) 283p
3. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner (2007) 230p
4. The Production of Money: How to break the Power of Bankers Ann Pettifor (2016) 160p
5. The Long Walk (The Bachman Books) Stephen King (1979) 238p
6. The Darkening Age: The Christian Destruction of the Classical World Catherine Nixey (2017) 247p
7. Believe Me J P Delaney (2019) 385p
8. Black Edge: Inside Information, Dirty Money, and the Quest to Bring Down the Most Wanted Man on Wall Street Sheelah Kolhatkar (2017) 306p
9. Red Plenty: Inside the Fifties' Soviet Dream Francis Spufford (2010) 365p
10. Vikings: A History Neil Oliver (2012) 352p
11. Viking Britain: A History Thomas Williams (2017) 347p
12. Norse Mythology Neil Gaiman (2017) 281p
13. The Vikings Magnus Magnusson (2016) 307p
14. Red Notice: How I Became Putin's No.1 Enemy Bill Browder (2015) 470p
15. The Spider Network: The Wild Story of a Maths Genius and One of the Greatest Scams in Financial History David Enrich (2017) 449p 
16. Perilous Question: The Drama of the Great Reform Bill 1832 Antonia Fraser (2013) 278p
17. The Odyssey Homer (Translated by Emily Wilson) (2018) 525p
18. Spain: The Centre of the World 1519-1682 Robert Goodwin (2015) 490p
19. Conquistadors: The Spanish Explorers and the Discovery of the New World Michael Wood (2010) 289p
20. Space Race: The Battle to Rule the Heavens Deborah Cadbury (2006) 345p 
21. National Populism: The Revolt Against Liberal Democracy Roger Eatwell & Matthew Goodwin (2018) 292p
22. Talking to my Daughter: A Brief History of Capitalism Yanis Varoufakis (2019) 199p
23. The Churchill Factor: How One Man Made History Boris Johnson (2015) 356p
24. The Shortest History of Germany James Hawes (2018) 227p
25. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind Yuval Noah Harari (2014) 466p
26. Revolutionary Russia, 1891 – 1991 Orlando Figes (2014) 422p
27. The Undercover Economist Tim Harford (2006) 255p 

November 2019

A bit of a cloud has been hanging over me the past couple of months. I feel like it's dispersing but I can never tell when I'm on an upswing until I get out there and find out. Lately I just go to work and go home and can't really bring myself to do much, apart from watch movies. Christmas party was the other day and I danced a lot, it felt good. I'm optimistic.

Note: Films in red are ones I saw at Leeds International Film Festival

November

1/11 TALES FROM THE BORDERLANDS (Episode 2) The King (2019)
2/11 Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind Yuval Noah Harari (2014) 466p TALES FROM THE BORDERLANDS (Episode 3 and 4) The Wine Show (1) Strictly Come Dancing (1)
3/11 Maleficent (2014) TALES FROM THE BORDERLANDS (Episode 5) King Kong (1933)
4/11 His Dark Materials (1)
6/11 The Affair: Finale (1) The Apprentice (1) Legion: Season 2 (1)
7/11 Riverdale (1) Ready Player One (2018) Legion (1) Sicario (2015)
9/11 Strictly Come Dancing (1)
10/11 All About Eve (LIFF - 1950) Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK (1) Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories – Season 2 (2) Election (1999)
11/11 Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories (1) Revolutionary Russia, 1891 – 1991 Orlando Figes (2014) 422p
12/11 Little Monsters (LIFF - 2019)
13/11 Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories (1) The Limehouse Golem (2016)
14/11 Marriage Story (LIFF - 2019)
16/11 Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK (1) The Apprentice (1) Earthquake Bird (2019) Riverdale (1) It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (5) It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (1) Strictly Come Dancing (1) They Shall Not Grow Old (2018)
17/11 Vivarium (LIFF - 2019) The Crown: Season 3 (7) I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here (1)
18/11 Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories (1)
19/11 The Crown (3) Patriot Games (1992) Fighting with my Family (2019) Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories (1) Leader’s Debate (1) Brittany Runs a Marathon (2019)
20/11 Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories (1) Baywatch (2017)
21/11 Last Christmas (2019) Jojo Rabbit (LIFF - 2019)
22/11 Le Mans’ 66 (2019)
23/11 Frozen II (2019) Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK: Finale (1) Question Time: Leaders Questions (1) Strictly Come Dancing (1) Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories (1) The White Crow (2018)
24/11 Kramer vs Kramer (1970) The Palm Beach Story (1942) The Piano Teacher (2001) Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories (1) Three Days of Condor (1975)
25/11 It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (1) Barbarella (1965)
26/11 Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
27/11 Support the Girls (2018)
28/11 The Apprentice (1) Dial M for Murder (1954) Margot at the Wedding (2007) A Ghost Story (2017) Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator (2019) Rock of Ages (2012)
30/11 The Meaning of Life (1983) Sword of Trust (2019) Strictly Come Dancing (1) The Report (2019)

October 2019

I watched The Circle again, I loved it, I have a taste for trashy reality TV clearly. Watched a lot of TV this month and started another Tell Tale replay because I do that sometimes. I haven't played a new game in forever... I've tried a couple of bike rides. I won't be participating in NaNoWriMo this year because I can't bear to ever finish my novel I'm afraid. I'm feeling optimistic that someday it'll be finished, obviously that's all down to my own efforts.

October

1/10 The Circle (1) Great British Bake Off (1) The Politician (1)
3/10 The Circle (2) The Apprentice (1) Preacher (4) Salt (2010) In the Shadow of the Moon (2019)
4/10 Catherine the Great (4) The Circle (1)
5/10 The Politician (1) Strictly Come Dancing (1) The Terminal (2004)
6/10 My Life as a Courgette (2016) No Data Plan (2019) The Politician (5) It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (1) The Circle (1) FINAL FANTASY X: REMASTERED (Monster Arena)
7/10 Joker (2019) The Circle (1)
8/10 It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (1) Great British Bake Off (1) The Circle (1)
9/10 The Wine Show (1) To Catch a Thief (1955) The Circle (1)
10/10 The Affair (2) The Apprentice (1) Riverdale: Season 4 (1) Spoor (2017) The Wine Show (1) He’s Just Not That Into You (2009) The Circle (1) FINAL FANTASY X: REMASTERED (Dark Yojimbo)
11/10 El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019) It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (1) The Circle (1)
12/10 Due Date (2010) Sisters Brothers (2018) Strictly Come Dancing (1) The Deep Blue Sea (2011) It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (1)
13/10 Judy (2019) Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK (2) Burning (2018) The Circle (1)
14/10 The Wine Show (1) Stan and Ollie (2019) The Circle (1)
15/10 Great British Bake Off (1)
16/10 The Circle (2) The Wine Show (1) The Apprentice (1)
17/10 The Affair (1) Shoplifters (2018) Psycho (1960) The Wine Show (1) The Day Shall Come (2019) The Circle (1)
18/10 Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK (1) Riverdale (1) Wounds (2019) The Circle: Finale (1)
19/10 The Laundromat (2019) Strictly Come Dancing (1) Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love (2019)
20/10 Living with Yourself (8) Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)
21/10 The Wine Show (1) Psycho (1998)
22/10 Great British Bake Off (1) Gangster Squad (2013)
23/10 The Wine Show (1) The Seventh Veil (1945) The Apprentice (1)
24/10 The Affair (1) Modern Love (2) Official Secrets (2019) All the Presidents Men (1976) The Wine Show (1) The Commuter (2018)
26/10 Jerry Maguire (1996) Strictly Come Dancing (1) X Factor Celebrities (1)
27/10 Riverdale (1) Meet John Doe (1941) Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK (1) Modern Love (3)
28/10 The Wine Show (1) Cold Pursuit (2019)
29/10 Modern Love (3) Great British Bake Off (1)
30/10 The Wine Show (1) Going the Distance (2010) The Apprentice (1)
31/10 The Affair (1) Riverdale (1) The Transfiguration (2016) Doctor Sleep (2019) Hocus Pocus (1993) TALES FROM THE BORDERLANDS (Episode 1)

September 2019

Been a less culture-crunching month but I went to Berlin for a few days and enjoyed it massively. I wish I could get out more and do more but I'll settle with just having a happy life. I'm doing okay at the moment I think. Also remember when I went mad for The Circle last year? Well it's back baby! It's my life now.

September

1/9 Ask Me Anything (2014) It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (1) The Great Hack (2019) FINAL FANTASY X: REMASTERED (Calm Lands)
2/9 It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (1) Robot Jox (1989) FINAL FANTASY X: REMASTERED (Chocobo Race & most of Sunken Cave)
3/9 It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (1) Amanda Knox (2016) FINAL FANTASY X: REMASTERED (Started Gagazet) Great British Bake Off (1)
4/9 Vox Lux (2018) FINAL FANTASY X: REMASTERED (Defeated Yunalesca)
5/9 Fantastic Mr Fox (2009) The Gambler (2014) FINAL FANTASY X: REMASTERED (Reached Inside Sin)
6/9 THE BOOK OF MORMON (Musical)
7/9 It Chapter Two (2019) Documentary Now! (1) Strictly Come Dancing 2019 Launch Night
8/9 Sucker Punch (2011) FINAL FANTASY X: REMASTERED (Monster catching mostly, unlocked Omega Ruins)
9/9 It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (1) Travels with my Father: Season 3 (1) The To Do List (2013) FINAL FANTASY X: REMASTERED (Monster catching – Inside Sin & Omega Ruins)
10/9 Travels with my Father (1) Archipelago (2010) FINAL FANTASY X: REMASTERED (Omega Ruins grinding)
11/9 It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (1) Preacher (1) FINAL FANTASY X: REMASTERED (Omega Ruins grinding)
15/9 The Shortest History of Germany James Hawes (2018) 227p Goodybe Lenin! (2003) FINAL FANTASY X: REMASTERED (Baaj Temple, Remiem Temple)
16/9 It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (1) The Americans (1) Unbelievable (2) FINAL FANTASY X: REMASTERED (Blitzball)
17/9 It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (1) Unbelievable (3) FINAL FANTASY X: REMASTERED (Butterfly Hunt, Cactuar Valley & Blitzball)
18/9 Great British Bake Off (1) Unbelievable (3) FINAL FANTASY X: REMASTERED (Blitzball)
19/9 The Affair (1) Hustlers (2019) Great British Bake Off (1) The Snowman (2018) FINAL FANTASY X: REMASTERED (Blitzball – finshed! And Inside Sin)
20/9 UNTITLED GOOSE GAME Rise of the Nazis (1) Sweet Virginia (2017) FINAL FANTASY X: REMASTERED (Monster catcthing – Bikanel, Macalania & Omega Ruins)
21/9 Criminal: United Kingdom (3) Criminal: Germany (3) Strictly Come Dancing (1) Tall Girl (2019) FINAL FANTASY X: REMASTERED (Finished story, finished monster catching, grinding in Omega) UNTITLED GOOSE GAME
22/9 Criminal: Spain (3) Criminal: France (3) Rise of the Nazis (1) Columbus (2017)  FINAL FANTASY X: REMASTERED (Omega grinding)
23/9 Rise of the Nazis (1)  Between Two Ferns: The Movie (2019) FINAL FANTASY X: REMASTERED (Omega grinding)
24/9 The Circle (1)
25/9 Ad Astra (2019) The Circle (1)
26/9 The Affair (2) Lawless (2012) Mobile Homes (2017) Great British Bake Off (1) Killer Joe (2011) The Circle (1) FINAL FANTASY X: REMASTERED (Omega grinding and Monster Arena)
27/9 The Circle (1) FINAL FANTASY X: REMASTERED (Monster Arena)
29/9 Strictly Come Dancing (1) Hotel Mumbai (2018) The Policitian (1) A Scanner Darkly (2006)
30/9 Hitsville: The Making of Motown (2019)

August 2019

Been a weird month. Saying it was busy would like saying I did something worthwhile. Instead I gained a year in age and I watched 52 films! I set up a Scavenger Hunt on Letterboxd (31 films) and became extremely overzealous about it, anything to keep me occupied right? I also binge watched a couple of TV series and read a couple books. You'd think I had nothing better to do! By the end of the month I had an urge to play a game I've played, quite possibly, 20 times before, but I figured doing something I loved would be better than logging more movies. I also got a bike! Which I ride! Well I try to. Sometimes...

August

1/8 Highlander (1986)
2/8 ROCK OF AGES (Musical)
3/8 Knife + Heart (2018) Zero Dark Thirty (2012) The Truman Show (1998) Stranger Things (1) Con Air (1997)
4/8 The Wrong Man (1956) Any Which Way You Can (1980) Julie & Julia (2009) The Lion at World’s End (1971) Stranger Things (1) Documentary Now! (2) Half Nelson (2006) Love Island: Reunion (1)
5/8 Documentary Now! (1)  The Philadelphia Story (1940)
6/8 Documentary Now! (2) Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid (1969)
7/8 Alien (1979)
8/8 Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
9/8 To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018) National Populism: The Revolt Against Liberal Democracy Roger Eatwell & Matthew Goodwin (2018) 292p
10/8 Funny Face (1957) In the Mood for Love (2000) Jane the Virgin (4)
11/8 Adaptation (2002) Young Frankenstein (1974)
12/8 Documentary Now! (2) Cast Away (2000)
13/8 Talking to my Daughter: A Brief History of Capitalism Yanis Varoufakis (2019) 199p All That Jazz (1979)
14/8 NOVEL WRITING 998 words written and a plan for novel outline
15/8 Gladiator (2000) Preacher: Season 4 (3) Ed Wood (1994) Bronson (2008)
16/8 Documentary Now! (1) Goodfellas (1990) Mindhunter: Season 2 (1)
17/8 Mindhunter (7) Documentary Now! (1) Dirty Dancing (1987)
18/8 Green Room (2015) Full Metal Jacket (1987) Chasing Amy (1997) Enemy (2013)
19/8 Documentary Now! (1) Bob’s Burgers (1) The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
20/8 Scarface (1983)
21/8 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
22/8 Requiem for a Dream (2000) Beat the Devil (1953) Steve Jobs (2015) The Boys: Season 1 (4) Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
23/8 The Boys (4)
24/8 Upgrade (2018) Tulip Fever (2017) Little Voice (1998) The Churchill Factor: How One Man Made History Boris Johnson (2015) 356p
25/8 American Graffiti (1973) Searching for Sugar Man (2012) Face/Off (1997) Euphoria (1)  The Hills: New Beginnings (2) Darkest Hour (2017)
26/8 The Thing from Another World (1951) Videodrome (1983) The Hills: New Beginnings (3) Summer Hours (2008) Mad Max (1979) Indiscreet (1958)
27/8 The Hills: New Beginnings (4) Charade (1963)
28/8 The Affair: Season 5 (1) Preacher (1) Great British Bake Off (1)
29/8 Preacher (1) Certified Copy (2010) Blindspotting (2018) Broad City: Season 1 (3)
30/8 FINAL FANTASY X: REMASTERED (just left Kilika Island)
31/8 FINAL FANTASY X: REMASTERED (just before Spherimorph in Macalania Woods) It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (3) Baby Driver (2017)