Age of The Nerd
2015 was a different year for me. I moved to Chicago in May which shook things up a bit. I moved away from comfort and more importantly, my ability to go to movie screeners. As a result, I saw less movies in the theater than I had in many years. I was still able to catch some here and there, and certainly made up for it by watching as many as I could regardless. Along with losing my screeners, I had no internet or cable for seven months. Having said that, 2015 was a great year and I met a lot of great people. Here’s a list of MOST of the television and film I watched throughout the year that was 2015.
KEY
ALL CAPS- MOVIE I SAW IN THEATERS
Italics- Television Show (Complete Season)
No adjustments– Saw the movie outside of a theater
January
I saw a few movies in theaters this month, and re-saw a few. The Grand Budapest Hotel was insane. Selma showed Ava DuVernay is a force to be reckoned with. Blackout showed me Michael Mann may be on the out. American Sniper was pretty terrible, but made me want to join the army-and actually did make me finally register to vote. Cake was a Jen Anniston tour-de-force, and Project Almanac was ultimately forgettable.
1/9/15- Predestination
1/10/15-THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
1/11/15- Better Living Through Chemistry
1/12/15- BOYHOOD
1/12/15- SELMA
1/12/15- Rope
1/12/15- Collateral
1/13/15- BLACKHAT
1/15/15- RocknRolla
1/16/15- Contact
1/17/15- Ace Ventura Pet Detective
1/17/15- A.C.O.D.
1/17/15- Double Jeopardy
1/19/15- Goon
1/20/15- Sexy Beast
1/20/15- Transformers 4
1/21/15- Revolver
1/22/15- AMERICAN SNIPER
1/24/15- Rocky Balboa
1/26/15- Batman and Robin (Shumaker commentary)
1/27/15- CAKE
1/28/15- PROJECT ALMANAC
1/29/15- The Firm
1/29/15- Extract
1/30/15- Love
1/31/15- Thief
7- THEATER
21- At Home
February
February had Kingsman and A Most Violent Year, which was one of my favorite films of the year,
2/1/15- Horns
2/1/15- Idiocracy
2/2/15- I Confess
2/4/15- JUPITER ASCENDING
2/5/15- To Catch a Thief
2/5/15- Strangers on a Train
2/6/15- Strange Wilderness
2/6/15- John Wick
2/9/15- A MOST VIOLENT YEAR
2/10/15- KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE
2/11/15- Kill the Messenger
2/12/15- The Trial
2/13/15- Basquiat
2/15/15- Taken 3
2/17/15- Dumb and Dumber 2
2/17/15- HOT TUB TIME MACHINE 2
2/20/15- Batman (1989)
2/21/15- The Ring
2/21/15- Hard Boiled
2/22/15- Get Shorty
2/23/15- FOCUS
2/24/15- Synecdoche, New York
2/26/15- RUN ALL NIGHT
2/27/15- Whiplash
2/28/15- LAZARUS EFFECT
7-THEATER
18-At Home
March
Chappie wasn’t perfect, but certainly better than its reputation. It follows… great. Furious 7 was absolutely ridiculous. I expect ridiculousness with this franchise, but this movie wasn’t great
3/1/15- Maps to the Stars
3/3/15- Timecop
3/3/15- House of Cards: Season 3
3/3/15- CHAPPIE
3/6/15- Neighbors
3/8/15- Draft Day
3/9/15- Harmontown
3/10/15- Die Hard
3/11/15- Die Hard with a Vengeance
3/12/15- Three Days of the Condor
3/13/15- Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton: Stones Throw
3/14/15- Rocky 4
3/15/15- Demolition Man
3/15/15- Hard Target
3/15/15- Judge Dredd
3/15/15- Nightcrawler
3/16/15- Edge of Tomorrow
3/16/15- Last Action Hero
3/17/15- T2
3/17/15- Aziz Ansari Live From Madison Square (2015)
3/18/15- Saw
3/18/15- Culture High
3/19/15- Blue Ruin
3/22/15- Bitter Moon
3/25/15- Killing Them Softly
3/26/15- Collateral Damage
3/26/15- Deep Blue Sea
3/27/15- IT FOLLOWS
3/28/15- Whiplash
3/30/15- Going Clear
3/31/15- FURIOUS 7
3- THEATER
27- At Home
April
April is the month were I don’t have too much to say about any of the movies I saw. That is for the exception that is Ex Machina, easily fitting into my top 5 list of the year. Incredible performances.
4/1/15- Trailer Park Boys: Season 9
4/1/15- Swearnet: The Movie
4/2/15- WHILE WE’RE YOUNG
4/3/15- IT FOLLOWS
4/3/15- Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
4/6/15- Snake Eyes
4/6/15- Better Call Saul: Season 1
4/8/15- The Last Stand
4/8/15- Live Free or Die Hard
4/9/15- Rambo: First Blood
4/12/15- EX MACHINA
4/13/15- Louie: Season 4
4/19/15- Babadook
4/20/15- Daredevil: Season 1
4/20/15- UNFRIENDED
4/22/15- Legit: Season 2
4/23/15- The Fifth Estate
4/25/15- Mad Max: Beyond the Thunderdome
4/27/15- AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON
4/28/15- The Wedding Ringer
5- THEATER
9- At Home
5- TV Seasons
May
On May 1st I moved to Chicago and for many reasons, this month is lost in space. I’m like almost everyone else in that I thought Mad Max was bloody awesome.
5/10/15- MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
1- THEATER
?- At Home
June
It rained ALOT here in June, hence the large number of movies watched . June is also memorable for the reason that I didn’t see a flick in the theaters for the first time in YEARS.
6/1/15- Executive Decision
6/2/15- Army of Darkness
6/3/15- Midnight Run
6/4/15- The Fugitive
6/4/15- A Women Under the Influence
6/5/15- Watchmen
6/6/15- Drive
6/8/15- Flight of the Concords: Season 1
6/9/15- Flight of the Concords: Season 2
6/10/15- Children of Men
6/10/15- Bruce Almighty
6/10/15- The Last Samurai
6/11/15- Saving Private Ryan
6/11/15- Unforgiven
6/11/15- Mystic River
6/11/15- Gran Torino
6/12/15- Million Dollar Baby
6/12/15- The Bourne Identity
6/12/15- The Bourne Supremacy
6/12/15- The Bourne Ultimatum
6/13/15- Old School
6/13/15- Traffic
6/14/15- Once Upon a Time in America
6/15/15- Little Miss Sunshine
6/16/15- Absolute Power
6/16/15- The Deer Hunter
6/17/15- Laurence of Arabia
6/17/15- Born on the Fourth of July
6/18/15- Syriana
6/18/15- Drive, He Said
6/19/15- Mercury Rising
6/19/15- Road to Perdition
6/20/15- Blade Runner
6/21/15- Liar Liar
6/22/15- Heat
6/22/15- The Nutty Professor (1998)
6/25/15- Animal House
6/26/15- Harold and Maude
6/27/15- Broadcast News
37- At Home
2- TV Seasons
July
In July I went on another Hitchcock kick. It took me awhile to fully appreciate everything Hitchcock did in progressing the art that is cinema. I also liked Terminator: Genysis way more than Jurassic World, and the Vacation reboot/sequel was rough to get through.
7/1/15-12 Monkeys
7/2/15-Beasts of the Southern Wild
7/3/15- The Watcher
7/4/15- Mud
7/5/15- Into the Wild
7/6/15- American Gangster
7/7/15- TERMINATOR: GENYSIS
7/7/15- The Trouble With Harry
7/8/15- Rear Window
7/8/15- Psycho
7/9/15- The Man Who Knew Too Much
7/9/15- JURASSIC WORLD
7/10/15- Rope
7/10/15- Vertigo
7/11/15- Foreign Correspondent
7/12/15- The Birds
7/13/15- Marnie
7/14/15- Psycho
7/15/15- Frenzy
7/28/15- ANT-MAN
7/3015- VACATION
4- THEATER
17- At Home
August
Spent most of August outdoors exploring my new city, but still enjoyed a few flicks. The End of the tour was fantastic. It made me want to read David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest, but like most dummies, I never got around to it.
8/3/15- TRAINWRECK
8/6/15- Step Brothers
8/7/15- THE END OF THE TOUR
8/10/15- FANTASTIC FOUR
8/13/15- Dune
8/13/15- Taxi Driver
8/16/15- Get Hard
8/17/15- Poltergeist (2015)
8/18/15- Max Max: The Road Warrior
8/18/15- True Detective: Season 2
8/19/15- Gone Girl
8/19/15- THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.
8/24/15- Re-Animator
8/24/15- A Beautiful Mind
8/25/15- Momento
8/25/15- Cape Fear
8/28/15- Frailty
8/29/15- Chef
4- THEATER
12- At Home
1- TV Seasons
September
I saw only three flicks in the theaters this month. Straight Out of Compton was better than I expected, Black Mass was disappointing, and No Escape was pretty fun. Pierce Brosnan killed it. I also started watching Halloween movies earlier than I typically do, by going on a Friday the 13th kick.
9/2/15- Pulp Fiction
9/3/15- STRAIGHT OUTA COMPTON
9/4/15- Mad Max: Fury Road
9/5/15- Kill Bill Volume 2
9/6/15- Menace II Society
9/7/15- NO ESCAPE
9/7/15- True Grit
9/9/15- True Story
9/9/15- Unfinished Business
9/11/15- Area 51
9/12/15- Jurassic Park 3
9/13/15- Jurassic Park 2
9/15/15- Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang
9/16/15- Jurassic Park
9/17/15- Die Hard
9/18/15- Die Hard 2
9/18/15- Die Hard With A Vengeance
9/19/15- Sean of the Dead
9/21/15- BLACK MASS
9/23/15- Joyride
9/24/15- Jason X
9/25/15- Friday the 13th Part 5
9/26/15- Friday the 13th Part 8
9/26/15- Friday the 13th Part 7
9/27/15- Friday the 13th (2009)
9/28/15- Friday the 13th Part 6
9/28/15- Friday the 13th Part 2
9/29/15- Freddy Vs. Jason
9/29/15- Friday the 13th Part 3
9/30/15- Friday the 13th
3- THEATER
27- At Home
October
Continuing my Halloween movie spree, I watched mostly seasonal flicks in October. The Martian was great, and the Steve Jobs film was complete nonsense. I don’t get the Sorkin love on this one. It was a sloppy movie with a great performance or two. The three act structure they presented was frustrating.
10/1/15- The Omen
10/1/15- The Omen 2
10/2/15- The Omen 3
10/3/15- Friday the 13th Part 4
10/4/15- Halloween 5
10/5/15- Halloween 3
10/6/15- Seed of Chucky
10/12/15- Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
10/12/15- Lethal Weapon 3
10/12/15- Scream
10/13/15- Burn After Reading
10/13/15- Club Dread
10/13/15- Lethal Weapon 4
10/14/15- Susperia
10/14/15- Going Clear
10/15/15- Scream 2
10/15/15- Scream 3
10/16/15- Childs Play 2
10/16/15- Childs Play
10/17/15- The Exorcist 3
10/17/15- The Exorcist
10/18/15- Atlantis: The Lost Empire
10/19/15- THE MARTIAN
10/20/15- Insidious
10/20/15- The Box
10/21/15- Back to the Future 1, 2, and 3
10/22/15- Lifeboat
10/22/15- Notorious
10/23/15- North By Northwest
10/23/15- Forgetting Sarah Marshall
10/23/15- Charade
10/24/15- The Descendants
10/24/15- The Wrestler
10/25/15- Cliffhanger
10/26/15- STEVE JOBS
2- THEATER
35- At Home
November
Looking back at the entire year, Creed was one of my favorite movies. It had the right amount of nostalgic moments while doing something fresh and new. Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl was also a favorite of mine. It certainly made me cry.
11/2/15- Southpaw
11/5/15- The Final Girls
11/8/15- Star War Episode IV
11/9/15- SPECTRE
11/11/15- Her
11/14/15- Dial M for Murder
11/16/15- Oceans 12
11/16/15- Oceans 13
Warrior
Get Him to the Greek
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
The Skin I Live In
The Fighter
Skyfall
Star Wars Episodes V and VI
Dope
11/23/15- Touch of Evil
11/28/15- Confessions of A Dangerous Mind
11/29/15- Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl
11/30/15- CREED
2- THEATER
19- At Home
December
I finally got Internet access for my apartment, so it was time to catch up on all the television I’d missed over the past seven months. Star Wars but a helluva lot of fun. The Hateful Eight wasn’t Tarrintino’s best, but it was freakin great. Possibly my favorite film of 2015. If not my favorite film, easily my favorite theater experience. I am appreciative of his pretension as far as giving movie-goers the old school experience.
12/1/15- Rocky 2
Master of None
The Leftovers: Season 2
12/7/15- KRAMPUS
Marvel’s Jessica Jones
12/10/15- Creep
12/10/15- Manson Family Vacation
Silicon Valley: Season 2
Netflix’s Wet Hot American Summer
12/13/15- Primer
Nathan For You: Season 3
Fargo: Season 2
Community: Season 6
12/17/15- SPOTLIGHT
Home Alone 2
Christmas Vacation
It’s a Wonderful Life
12/25/15- Love and Mercy
12/27/15- STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS
12/28/15- Knock Knock
12/28/15- Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
12/30/15- THE HATEFUL EIGHT
4- THEATER
9- At Home
7– TV Seasons
Yearly Totals:
42: THEATER
230: At Home (or outside of a theater)
16- TV Seasons (Plus at some point I watched the entire series of Breaking Bad, The Wire, and Seinfeld)
Closing Thoughts
2015 was in no way a great year for cinema, but as always, I loved every minute of it. I love the bad movies just as much as the good ones. I’m sure this year will be remembered as being the year MOST people got the Star Wars film they’ve been waiting since 1983 for, but there were better pictures that went under the radar. My top five of the year in no particular order- Sicario, Ex Machina, The Hateful Eight, Mad Max, and A Most Violent Year. Besides these five, there are many more that I enjoyed but didn’t make the list. After close to 300 movies and only one book read, I’ve come to a realization. 2015 was a year of learning for me and helped teach me the most important thing of all- I NEED TO READ MORE BOOKS.
