Courtlin’s Resolution Movie List — Weeks 51 and 52

I did it! I finished out 2015 with two final movies; one that's very old and one that's very new!

Week 51: Casablanca (1942)

I had so many movie suggestions by the last 2 weeks of that year, that I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with choices. That's why I went for an ultimate classic, one that was named one of Roger Ebert's 10 greatest films of all time. Was it one of my favorite movies of all time? No, probably not. But, I did really enjoy it.

Because it is an older movie, I did find it kind of hard to follow at times. There were a lot of names to remember and things started moving very quickly right from the beginning, so it took me a while to finally catch up and understand what was going on. I loved the subtle humor and the twist ending, and even the romantic aspect (as cheesy as it was). Also, Ingrid Bergman was absolutely stunning.

The coolest thing about the movie was finding out how many quotes I have known for YEARS. I didn't realize that lines like, "Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine," "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship," and "Here's looking at you, kid," all originated in this flick. It's crazy how much one movie can influence culture so much.

Week 52: The Hateful Eight (2015)

Like I said previously, there were so many movies to watch and it was too hard to choose just one, so I opted for a brand new movie to finish out the year. I absolutely love Quentin Tarantino and I watched several of his famous films over the course of the year, so I felt it was a good note to end on.

The only complaint I have about this movie is how long it was. 3 hours and 10 minutes is long for ANY movie, no matter how good it is! The good thing is that I didn't really realize how long it was until it was over.

I'm such a big fan of Tarantino's style, and this movie had all of his signature moves and a ton of actors from past films. Samuel L. Jackson's character was my absolute favorite. There was humor, there was mystery, and there was blood - LOTS of blood! I don't want to go into too much detail, considering it is a brand new movie and a lot of people haven't seen it yet, but I will say that if you love Tarantino, you'll definitely enjoy "The Hateful Eight."

So, that's it! I'm done! My 2015 New Year's resolution is complete and I am super proud of myself for following through with it. Take that, Brain! I will continue on with my movie watching in 2016, just a little less structured. Thank you to everyone who recommended movies to me. You guys rock!