A. The Human Condition
[
watch a film that prominently features the common themes listed below]
1. Blackmail
The Letter (1940)
2. Infidelity
Les Diaboliques (1955)
3. Theft
Big Deal on Madonna Street aka I soliti ignoti (1958)
4. Murder
Knives Out (2019)
B. Good old terra firma!
[
watch a film predominantly taking place in each of the landscapes listed below]
1. Desert
Sahara (1943) +++
2. Jungle
3. Open Sea
4. Snowland
C. Sophomore’s Choice
[
watch one film from each duo of subgenres listed below]
1. Screwball Comedy
My Little Chickadee (1940) +
2. Steampunk Sci-Fi
Steamboy aka Suchîmubôi (2004) +++
3. Film Noir
The Verdict (1946) +++
4. Hand-drawn Animation
The Twelve Tasks of Asterix aka Les 12 travaux d'Astérix (1976)
++
5. Spaghetti Western
Django (1966)
D. I coulda been a contender:
[
watch a film that has won the following awards]
1. Cannes Film Festival
Blow-Up (1966) Palme d'Or: Michelangelo Antonioni
2. Academy Award
Departures (2008) Best Foreign Language Film of the Year ++
REVIEW
3. Sundance Film Festival
4. Toronto International Film Festival
Belfast (2021) Best Film
E. I have always depended on the lists of strangers:
[
watch one film featured in each of the following prominent lists]
1. Roger Ebert’s Great Films
2. IMDb Top 250 (2023 edition)
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) REVIEW
3. Criterion Collection
4. BFI Top 100 British films
Whisky Galore! (1949)
5. MoFo Hall of Fame
F. I see dead people:
[
watch one film from each group of deceased directors, actors and cinematographers]
1. George Cukor, Oscar Micheaux, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Charles Chaplin
2. Lino Brocka, Federico Fellini, Agnes Varda, Yoshishige Yoshida
3. Gina Lollobrigida, Angela Lansbury, Jeanne Moreau, Natalie Wood
4. Marlon Brando, Lasse Pöysti, Leslie Cheung, Anthony Quinn
5. Kazuo Miyagawa, Leon Shamroy, Piotr Sobocinski, James Wong Howe
G. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
[
watch a film in which the protagonist has the following profession]
1. Journalist
2. Lawyer
Bank of Dave (2023) +++
3. Police Officer
Dark Blue (2002)
4. Teacher or Professor
H. Michael Jackson in Disneyland
[
watch one film for each category inspired by Michael Jackson songs]
1. Remember the Time: a time-travelling film
The Adam Project (2022)
2. Smooth Criminal: a Gentleman Thief film
Raffles (1930) ++
3. Black or White: a black & white film released between 1958-2009
H-8 (1958) ++
REVIEW
4. Beat it: a martial arts film
Fist of Fury aka Jing wu men (1972)
5. Bad: a film with an IMDb score below 5.0
Batman & Robin (1997) IMDb Rating: 3.8
I. The Golden Age Part 1: The Dirty 30s
[
watch a 1930s Hollywood film for each of the challenges relating to the decade]
1. a film that won an Academy Award
Dangerous (1935) Best Actress Bette Davis
2. a Universal Horror (or other monster) film
Werewolf of London (1935) +
3. a traditional Western
Three Godfathers (1936)
4. a film directed by Ernst Lubitsch
Bluebeard's Eighth Wife (1938)
5. a film starring James Cagney, Bela Lugosi, Jean Arthur or Ginger Rogers
J. There’s no place like home
[
watch a film corresponding to each of the settings below]
1. a road film
2. a stranger-in-a-foreign-place film
3. a film taking place in a confined space
4. a film that is an homage to a city
Blue Collar (1978) Detroit, Michigan
K. I need a hero
[
watch a film adhering to the conflict-inspired themes below]
1. Human vs Nature
2. Human vs Society
3. Human vs Technology
L. Are we there yet?
[
watch one film for each of the miscellaneous challenges listed below]
1. a biographical film
Missing (1982) +++
2. a film from a country you’ve visited or live in
God's Little Acre (1958) United States REVIEW
3. a film with more than 300k votes on IMDb
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) 344K
4. a film in theaters
Dune: Part Two (2024) ++