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Thursday, November 14, 2013

Film Log: 2013

2013 has been a truly rewarding and fun film viewing year mostly due to the 90+ films seen as part of the Wonders in the Dark Western Countdown. Another major highlight of the year has been finally seeing a Lav Diaz film, legally and free. This was made possible thanks to Mubi.com's Dialogue of Cultures International Film Festival (DCIFF).

Once again, the total number of films seen has exceeded my expectations. I never expected to see these many films but somehow I ended up going over 300 films yet again and reaching close to 400.

Total number of features (fiction and docs) seen: 390

The above total includes 54 features that won't be released until 2014. Those 54 titles are removed from the list below.

Film (Year, Country, Director): [optional rating out of 10]

Swapner Din (2004, India, Buddhadev Dasgupta): 8
Resident Evil: Extinction (2007, co-production, Russell Mulcahy): 5
Lockout (2012, France, James Mather/Stephen St. Leger): 4
Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010, co-production, Paul W.S. Anderson): 4.5
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011, USA, Rupert Wyatt): 8.5
This Means War (2012, USA, McG): 0
Good Hair (2009, USA, Jeff Stilson): 7.5
Carnage (2010, USA, Roman Polanski): 9
Zero Dark Thirty (2012, USA, Kathryn Bigelow): 8
Get the Gringo (2012, USA, Adrian Grunberg): 6
Robocop (1987, USA, Paul Verhoven): 7.5
Robocop2 (1990, USA, Irvin Kershner): 7
Bullit (1968, USA, Peter Yates): 9
Resident Evil (2002, USA, Paul W.S Anderson): 6
Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004, co-production, Alexander Witt): 5
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012, USA, Marc Webb): 7
Robocop 3 (1993, USA, Fred Dekker): 4
EasyA (2010, USA, Will Gluck): 6
The Woman in the Fifth (2011, France/Poland/UK, Pawel Pawlikowski): 8
In Another Country (2012, South Korea, Hong Sang-soo): 9
Liberal Arts (2012, USA, Josh Radnor): 7.5
Wanderers in the Desert (1986, Tunisia, Nacir Khemer)
The Expendables 2 (2010, USA, Sylvester Stallone): 5
The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008, South Korea, Kim Jee-Woon): 6
The Age of Ignorance/Days of Darkness (2007, Canada, Denys Arcand): 7
Greetings to the Devil (2011, Colombia/Mexico/USA, Juan Felipe Orozco): 6
The Bourne Legacy (2012, USA, Tony Gilroy): 2
Bab’Aziz (2005, Tunisia co-production, Nacer Khemir)
Atlas Shrugged: part I (2011, USA, Paul Johansson): 4

Payback (2012, Canada, Jennifer Baichawl): 8
Baraka (1992, USA, Ron Fricke): 10
Universal Soldier (1992, USA, Roland Emmerich): 5.5
Universal Soldier: Regeneration (2009, USA, John Hyams): 8
Terror’s Advocate (2007, France, Barbet Schroeder)
Cries and Whispers (1972, Sweden, Ingmar Bergman)
Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana (2012, India, Sameer Sharma): 5
Au Hasard Balthazar (1966, France, Robert Bresson): 10
Mouchette (1967, France, Robert Bresson): 10
The Imposter (2012, UK, Bart Layton): 7.5
Universal Solder: Day of Reckoning (2012, USA, John Hyams): 7.5
A Man Escaped (1956, France, Robert Bresson): 10
Matru ki Bijlee ka Mandola (2012, India, Vishal Bhardwaj): 6.5
End of Watch (2012, USA, David Ayer): 8
Samsara (2011, USA, Ron Fricke): 9.5
The Grey (2011, USA, Joe Carnahan): 7
The Exterminating Angel (1962, Mexico, Luis Buñuel): 9
The Driver (1978, USA, Walter Hill): 8
Escape from Planet Earth (2012, USA, Cal Brunker): 8
Fantasma (2006, Argentina, Lisandro Alonso): 9
The Conquerors (1932, USA, William A. Wellman): 9.5
La Libertad (2001, Argentina, Lisandro Alonso): 9
Diary of a Country Priest (1951, France, Robert Bresson): 9.5
Pickpocket (1959, France, Robert Bresson): 10
Southern Comfort (1981, USA, Walter Hill): 4
Goodbye First Love (2011, France/Germany, Mia Hansen-Løve): 7
Chakravyuh (2012, India, Prakash Jha): 5
Gamer (2009, USA, Mark Neveldine/Brian Taylor): 6
Side by Side (2012, USA, Christopher Kenneally): 7.5
Ted (2012, USA, Seth MacFarlane): 5
Atlas Shrugged Part II (2012, USA, John Putch): 2
The Wild Bunch (1969, USA, Sam Peckinpah): 9
White Lightnin’ (2009, UK, Dominic Murphy)
Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011, USA, David Gelb): 8.5
The Warriors (1979, USA, Walter Hill): 7
Searching for Sugar Man (2012, Sweden/UK, Malik Bendjelloul): 9
The Shining (1980, USA, Stanley Kubrick): 10
Room 237 (2012, USA, Rodney Ascher): 8
Resident Evil: Retribution (2012, USA/UAE, Paul W.S Anderson): 5
The Man with the Iron Fists (2012, USA/Hong Kong, RZA): 4
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011, USA/UAE, Mark Neveldine/Brian Taylor): 5

Ai WeiWei: Never Sorry (2012, USA, Alison Klayman): 8.5
A Late Quartet (2011, USA, Yaron Zilberman): 6.5
Bolt (2008, USA, Byron Howard/Chris Williams)
We Have a Pope (2011, Italy/France, Nanni Moretti): 7
Spring Breakers (2012, USA, Harmony Korine): 8.5
The Place Beyond the Pines (2012, USA, Derek Cianfrance): 8.5
Detropia (2012, USA, Heidi Ewing/Rachel Grady): 9
Berberian Sound Studio (2012, UK, Peter Strickland): 9
Upstream Color (2013, USA, Shane Carruth)
Pieta (2012, South Korea, Kim-ki Duk): 3
The Searchers (1956, USA, John Ford)
The Act of Killing (2012, Denmark/Norway/UK, Joshua Oppenheimer): 10
Computer Chess (2013, USA, Andrew Bujalski): 9
Neighboring Sounds (2012, Brazil, Kleber Mendonça Filho): 10
Down Terrace (2006, USA, Ben Wheatley)
Bronson (2008, UK, Nicolas Winding Refn): 7
Ministry of Fear (1944, USA, Fritz Lang)
The Last Man on Earth (1964, USA/Italy, Ubaldo Ragona/Sidney Salkow)
Robot & Frank (2012, USA, Jake Schreier)
5 Broken Cameras (2011, Palestine/Israel/France/Holland, Emad Burnat/Guy Davidi)
How to Survive a Plague (2012, USA, David France)

Unforgiven (1992, USA, Clint Eastwood): 10
Wreck-It Ralph (2012, USA, Rich Moore)
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968, Italy/USA, Sergio Leone): 10
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969, USA, George Roy Hill)
McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971, USA, Robert Altman)
The Man from Laramie (1955, USA, Anthony Mann): 8
The Shooting (1966, USA, Monte Hellman): 8.5
Hour of the Gun (1967, USA, John Sturges): 5
Vera Cruz (1954, USA, Robert Aldrich): 7
How the West was Won (1962, USA, multiple): 6
The Train Robbers (1973, USA, Burt Kennedy): 7.5
Jeremiah Johnson (1972, USA, Sydney Pollack): 9
High Noon (1952, USA, Fred Zinnemann): 9
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948, USA, John Huston): 8
Bad Day at Black Rock (1955, USA, John Sturges): 10
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962, USA, John Ford): 10
Johnny Guitar (1954, USA, Nicholas Ray): 9.5
Rancho Notorious (1952, USA, Fritz Lang)
Garden of Evil (1954, USA, Henry Hathaway): 6
Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973, USA, Sam Peckinpah): 7.5
The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976, USA, Clint Eastwood): 8.5
Death Race (2008, USA/Germany/UK, Paul W.S. Anderson)
Brave (2012, USA, Mark Andrews/Brenda Chapman/Steve Purcell): 8
Flight (2012, USA, Robert Zemeckis): 7.5
Sholay (1975, India, Ramesh Sippy): 10
Stagecoach (1939, USA, John Ford)
Rango (2011, USA, Gore Verbinski)
Tumbleweeds (1925, USA, King Baggot/William S. Hart)
Rio Bravo (1959, USA, Howard Hawks): 10
The Tall T (1957, USA, Budd Boetticher): 8
Escape from Fort Bravo (1953, USA, John Sturges): 6
Silverado (1985, USA, Lawrence Kasdan)
Strange Frame (2012, USA, G.B. Hajim): 5
The Gunfighter (1950, USA, Henry King): 10
Rawhide (1951, USA, Henry Hathaway): 5
The Magnificent Seven (1960, USA, John Sturges): 8
Ride Lonesome (1959, USA, Budd Boetticher): 10
Decision at Sundown (1957, USA, Budd Boetticher): 10
Comanche Station (1960, USA, Budd Boetticher): 8.5
My Darling Clementine (1946, USA, John Ford): 10
El Topo (1970, Mexico, Alejandro Jodorowsky)
Heaven’s Gate (1980, USA, Michael Cimino)
Warlock (1959, USA, Edward Dmytryk)
3 Bad Men (1926, USA, John Ford)
Young Mr. Lincoln (1939, USA, John Ford)
Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster Returns (2013, India, Tigamanshu Dhulia): 9
Red River (1948, USA, Howard Hawks/Arthur Rosson): 10
Special 26 (2013, India, Neeraj Pandey): 6.5
Paint Your Wagon (1969, USA, Joshua Logan)
Hombre (1967, USA, Martin Ritt)
Destry Rides Again (1939, USA, George Marshall)
Cat Ballou (1965, USA, Elliot Silverstein)
Wyatt Earp (1994, USA, Lawrence Kasdan)
Ride the High Country (1962, USA, Sam Peckinpah)
The Long Riders (1980, USA, Walter Hill)
True Grit (1969, USA, Henry Hathaway)
Rio Grande (1950, USA, John Ford)
Buffalo Bill and the Indians (1976, USA, Robert Altman)
Shane (1953, USA, George Stevens)
Westworld (1973, USA, Michael Crichton)
Seven Men from Now (1956, USA, Budd Boetticher)
The Professionals (1966, USA, Richard Brooks): 9
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957, USA, John Sturges): 5.5
Joe Kidd (1972, USA, John Sturges)
The Wind (1928, USA, Victor Sjöström)
Little Big Man (1970, USA, Arthur Penn)
Hang ‘em High (1968, USA, Ted Post)
High Plains Drifter (USA, Clint Eastwood)
Forty Guns (1957, USA, Samuel Fuller)
3:10 to Yuma (1957, USA, Delmer Daves): 10
The Shootist (1976, USA, Don Siegel)
Winchester ’73 (1950, USA, Anthony Mann)

Bombay Talkies (2013, India, K. Johar/D. Banerjee/Z. Akhtar/A. Kashyap): 8
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002, USA, Kelly Asbury/Lorna Cook)
Man of the West (1958, USA, Anthony Mann)
Pale Rider (1985, USA, Clint Eastwood)
Dances with Wolves (1990, USA, Kevin Costner)
Duel in the Sun (1946, USA, King Vidor)
The War Wagon (1967, USA, Burt Kennedy)
Dead Man (1995, USA/Germany/Japan, Jim Jarmusch)
Track of the Cat (1954, USA, William A. Wellman)
Yellow Sky (1948, USA, William A. Wellman)
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949, USA, John Ford)
The Big Trail (1930, USA, Raoul Walsh/Louis R. Loeffler)
The Ox-bow Incident (1943, USA, William A. Wellman)
Bring me the head of Alfredo Garcia (1974, USA/Mexico, Sam Peckinpah)
Wagon Master (1950, USA, John Ford)
The Westerner (1940, USA, William Wyler): 10
Before Midnight (2013, USA, Richard Linklater): 9.5
Fast & Furious 6 (2013, USA, Justin Lin): 7.5
The Rambler (2013, USA, Calvin Reeder): 7.5
Despicable Me 2 (2013, USA, Pierre Coffin/Chris Renaud): 7.5
Lootera (2013, India, Vikramaditya Motwane): 9
Dredd (2012, UK/USA/India/South Africa, Pete Travis) : 7.5
Compliance (2012, USA, Craig Zobel): 4
Stand Up Guys (2012, USA, Fisher Stevens): 2
The Last Stand (2013, USA, Kim Jee-Woon): 5.5
Jack Reacher (2012, USA, Christopher McQuarrie): 5
The Perks of being a Wallflower (2012, USA, Stephen Chbosky): 7.5
Pacific Rim (2013, USA, Guillermo del Toro): 6
Chicken with Plums (2011, France/Germany/Belgium, Vincent Paronnaud/Marjane Satrapi)
Little White Lies (2010, France, Guillaume Canet): 8
A Hijacking (2012, Denmark, Tobias Lindholm ): 9.5
Hard Times (1975, USA, Walter Hill)
Side Effects (2013, USA, Steven Soderbergh): 8
Rangeelay (2013, India, Navaniat Singh): 1
Infernal Affairs II (2003, Hong Kong/China/Singapore, Wai-keung Lau/Alan Mak)
Internal Affairs III (2003, Hong Kong/China, Wai-keung Lau/Alan Mak)
Raanjhanaa (2013, India, Aanand Rai): 5
Leviathan (2012, USA/France/UK, Lucien Castaing-Taylor/Verena Paravel): 10
Go Goa Gone (2013, India, Krishna D.K., Raj Nidimoru)
Hard-Boiled (1992, Hong Kong, John Woo)
Infernal Affairs (2002, Hong Kong, Wai-keung Lau/Alan Mak)
The Canyons (2013, USA, Paul Schrader): 6.5
Bottle Shock (2008, USA, Randall Miller)
Elysium (2013, USA, Neill Blomkamp): 7.5
Fruitvale Station (2013, USA, Ryan Coogler): 9
Frances Ha (2012, USA, Noah Baumbach): 9.5
Spirited Killer (1994, Thailand, Towatchai Ladloy/Panna Rittikrai)
Buenas noches, España (2011, Spain/Philippines, Raya Martin)
A Royal Affair (2012, Denmark/Sweden/Czech Republic, Nikolaj Arcel)
Blue Jasmine (2013, USA, Woody Allen): 9
Satyagraha (2013, India, Prakash Jha): 3
D-Day (2013, India, Nikhil Advani): 7.5

Like Someone in Love (2012, France/Japan, Abbas Kiarostami)
On the Road (2012, co-production, Walter Salles)
The Company You Keep (2012, USA, Robert Redford)
Laurence Anyways (2012, Canada/France, Xavier Dolan)
Charade (1963, USA, Stanley Donen)
The Grandmaster (2013, Hong Kong/China, Wong Kar-wai)
Ghanchakkar (2013, India,Raj Kumar Gupta)
Passion (2012, Germany/France, Brian De Palma)
The Grand Seduction (2013, Canada, Don McKellar): 8.5 

The Missing Picture (2013, Cambodia/France, Rithy Panh): 9
The Past (2013, France/Italy, Asghar Farhadi): 9.5
Like Father, Like Son (2013, Japan, Hirokazu Kore-eda): 10
The Tears (2013, Mexico, Pablo Delgado Sanchez)
Blackbird (2012, Canada, Jason Buxton): 8.5
Star Trek Into Darkness (2013, USA, J.J. Abrams): 4
Up the Yangtze (2007, Canada, Yung Chang)
Sarah Prefers to Run (2013, Canada, Chloé Robichaud)
Vic + Flo Saw a Bear (2013, Canada, (2013, Canada, Denis Côté): 10
In the Name of (2013, Poland, Malgorzata Szumowska)
OXV: The Manual (2013, UK/Australia, Darren Paul Fisher)
Golitzus and the Pelican Company (2012, UK/Holland/France/Croatia, Peter Greenaway)
The Rocket (2013, Australia, Kim Mordaunt)
The Broken Circle Breakdown (2012, Belgium/Holland, Felix Van Groeningen)
Mother, I Love You (2013, Latvia, Janis Nords)

The Fifth Season (2012, Belgium/Holland/France, Peter Brosens/Jessica Woodworth): 10
Thou Gild’st the Even (2013, Turkey, Onur Ünlü): 9
Borgman (2013, Holland, Alex van Warmerdam): 9
Antarctica: A Year on Ice (2013, New Zealand, Anthony Powell): 10
Pandi (2012, Canada/India, Maria Saroja Ponnambalam): 8.5
After Tiller (2013, USA, Martha Shane/Lana Wilson): 9
Lily (2013, USA, Matt Creed): 8.5
Gravity (2013, USA, Alfonso Cuarón): 9.5
The Suicide Club (2012, France/Canada/Belgium, Patrice Leconte)
Epic (2013, USA, Chris Wedge)
Pain & Gain (2013, USA, Michael Bay)
The Bling Ring (2013, co-production, Sofia Coppola): 4.5
The East (2013, USA/UK, Zal Batmanglij): 5
The Killing (1956, USA, Stanley Kubrick): 10
Killer’s Kiss (1955, USA, Stanley Kubrick)
The Croods (2013, USA, Kirk De Micco/Chris Sanders)
For a Few Dollars More (1964, Italy, Sergio Leone): 9
The Lunchbox (2013, India co-production, Ritesh Batra)
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013, India, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra): 3

Mud (2012, USA, Jeff Nichols): 6.5
Nuit #1 (2011, Canada, Anne Émond)
Death Rides a Horse (1967, Italy, Giulio Petroni)
La Pointe Courte (1955, France, Agnès Varda)
Drug War (2012, Hong Kong/China, Johnnie To): 9
A Simple Life (2011, Hong Kong, Ann Hui)
Bonsái (2012, co-production, Cristián Jiménez)
The Great Gatsby (2013, Australia/USA, Baz Luhrmann): 6.5
Iron Man 3 (2013, USA/China, Shane Black): 7
Watermark (2013, Canada, Jennifer Baichwal/Edward Burtynsky): 9
Post Tenebras Lux (2012, Mexico co-production, Carlos Reygadas)
The Fastest Gun Alive (1956, USA, Russell Rouse)
Paradise: Love (2012, Austria/Germany/France, Ulrich Seidl)
Detective Dee: Mystery of the Phantom Flame (2010, China/Hong Kong, Tsui Hark)
The Left Handed Gun (1958, USA, Arthur Penn)
Flying Swords of Dragon Gate (2011, China, Tsui Hark)
Beyond the Hills (2012, Romania/France/Belgium, Cristian Mungiu)
The Blue Kite (1993, China/Hong Kong, Zhuangzhuang Tian)
Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Dobaara (2013, India, Milan Luthria): 2
The Woman Next Door (1981, France, François Truffaut)
Now You See Me (2013, France/USA, Louis Leterrier): 5.5
Paradise: Faith (2012, Austria/Germany/France, Ulrich Seidl)
Paradise: Hope (2013, Austria/France/Germany, Ulrich Seidl)
All Is Lost (2013, USA, J.C. Chandor): 8.5


Century of Birthing (2011, Philippines, Lav Diaz): 9


It’s the Earth Not the Moon (2011, Portugal, Gonçalo Tocha)
After the Battle (2012, France/Egypt, Yousry Nasrallah)
Old is the New (2013, Switzerland, Dario and Mirko Bischofberger)
The Internship (2013, USA, Shawn Levy): 6.5
The Day He Arrives (2011, South Korea, Hong Sang-soo): 9.5
Warm Bodies (2013, USA, Jonathan Levine): 4
Gimme the Loot (2013, USA, Adam Leon): 8
Mapa (2012, Spain, León Siminiani)
She, a Chinese (2009, UK, Xiaolu Guo)
A World Not Ours (2012, UK/Lebanon/Denmark, Mahdi Fleifel)
Turbo (2013, USA, David Soren): 3
The Way Way Back (2013, USA, Nat Faxon/Jim Rash): 9
Captain Phillips (2013, USA, Paul Greengrass): 8
GMO OMG (2013, USA/Haiti/Norway, Jeremy Seifert)
12 Years a Slave (2013, USA/UK, Steve McQueen): 9
The Hunter (2010, Iran/Germany, Rafi Pitts)
Mr. Nobody (2009, co-production, Jaco Van Dormael)
Chasing Ice (2012, USA, Jeff Orlowski)
To the Wonder (2012, USA, Terrence Malick)
Stories We Tell (2012, Canada, Sarah Polley)
The Iceman (2012, USA, Ariel Vromen)
Parkland (2013, USA, Peter Landesman): 5
Man of Steel (2013, USA/Canada/UK, Zack Snyder): 6.5
Aurangzeb (2013, India, Atul Sabharwal): 9
ABCD (2013, India, Remo): 7.5
Bad Day to go Fishing (2009, Uruguay/Spain, Álvaro Brechner)
In the Fog (2012, Russia co-production, Sergei Loznitsa)
United Red Army (2007, Japan, Kôji Wakamatsu)
Blancanieves (2012, Spain/France/Belgium, Pablo Berger)
Blue is the Warmest Color (2013, France/Belgium/Spain, Abdellatif Kechiche)
Yumurta (Egg) (2007, Turkey, Semih Kaplanoglu)
Süt (Milk) (2008, Turkey/France/Germany, Semih Kaplanoglu)
Everyone Else (2009, Germany, Maren Ade)
Once Upon a Time Veronica (2012, Brazil, Marcelo Gomes)
Foreign Parts (2010, USA/France, Verena Paravel/J.P. Sniadecki)
The Great Beauty (2013, Italy/Japan, Paolo Sorrentino): 10
Chennai Express (2013, India, Rohit Shetty): 2
Monsters University (2013, USA, Dan Scanlon): 3
The Last Days of Emma Blank (2009, Holland, Alex van Warmerdam): 8
The New World (2013, South Korea, Hoon-jung Park): 5
Sightseers (2012, UK, Ben Wheatley): 4
Dabangg 2 (2012, India, Arbaaz Khan): 5
World War Z (2013, USA/Malta, Marc Forster): 3
John Day (2013, India, Aishor Solomon): 4
Bastards (2013, France, Claire Denis): 9.5
The World’s End (2013, UK, Edgar Wright): 7
Inside Llewyn Davis (2013, USA, Ethan Coen/Joel Coen): 9
American Hustle (2013, USA, David O. Russell): 6
Drinking Buddies (2013, USA, Jow Swanberg): 9.5
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013, USA, Martin Scorsese): 7.5
Blackfish (2013, USA, Gabriela Cowperthwaite): 7.5
Kai Po Che (2013, India, Abhishek Kapoor): 7.5
28 Hotel Rooms (2012, USA, Matt Ross)




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