Every single video game I own: the complete list. Also: my backlog tracker!

Backlog Tracker updated

as of 12/31/2023

For this blog entry I am going to list each and every video game that I own. Why? Because I have always been curious as to how many video game titles I actually have in my possession.

Just a quick note before I begin: I will count digital copies as actually owning a game. If I have a digital copy of a classic game on a next generation system, I will count the game as being for the system it was originally made for. For example: I have Punch-Out!! for the NES on my Wii, which I purchased from the Virtual Console. I will count this on my list as being an NES game, not a Wii game. X-Men for the arcade, which I have on my PS3, I will count as an arcade game even though I don't own the actual arcade unit. Also, any game that I have as part of a collection will count as an individual game. For example: I have the Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection for the PS3. I will go through and count each game on the collection and add them as Genesis titles that I own. I will not count the collection disc itself as a game. I have several arcade collection discs, which you will note is the reason why I have so many arcade titles listed.

Games that have been re-released with graphical updates, I probably will count as the original game. For example, I have Nights Into Dreams HD for PS3. Seeing as it is basically the exact same game as Nights Into Dreams for Sega Saturn, plus I own the original Nights for Saturn, I will count it as a Saturn game rather than a PS3 game. The only time I will count each game separately is if the re-released game is drastically different from its original version. For example: Metal Gear Solid: the Twin Snakes vs plain old Metal Gear Solid. These would each count as their own game. If I own an HD remake of a game that I do not own or have never played, I will count the HD remake as the original. For example: Ducktales Remastered and TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled I count as PS3 games. I have played the original versions, but I don't remember them much, nor have I ever owned a copy of the original version. So I just go with the most recent edition that is on my mind.

I will only count DLC as a separate game if I feel that the DLC of a game could be considered a valid standalone title. Example: Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon I consider a valid standalone title. I do not consider the Walking Dead: 400 Days as a valid standalone title. If I buy a "complete edition" of a game that includes DLC (for example - Horizon Zero Dawn that includes the Frozen Wilds DLC or The Last of Us Remastered that includes Left Behind) then I will just review the game as a whole and not review the DLC separately, even though they may be big enough to be considered a standalone title.

I will not put games onto this list that are in my possession, but are only being lent to me. A couple of Fallout games have been loaned to me, as well as a box of Genesis games from my cousin Ryan. They're not mine, so duh I won't include them on a list of games I own! Also, if I have a game as a result of a free online promotion (for example, Batman: A Telltale Series for PS4) I won't count it as owning the game. When my PS Plus subscription expires - I lose access to the game. So it is not like I actually own it. Emulated games will not count as being owned by me.

That's a lot of "rules" to post for such a simple listing, but hopefully it all makes sense. So all in all, this is what I came up with after counting all my games:

Arcade: 10 of 57 reviewed (17.5%)
Alien Syndrome
Blaster
Bosconian
Bubbles
Congo Bongo
Contra
Defender
Defender II
Dig-Dug
Double Dragon
Dragon Spirit
Fantasy Zone
Galaga
Galaga '88
Galaxian
Gauntlet
Guerilla War
Hang-On
Joust
Joust 2
KLAX
Mappy
Mega Man: The Power Battle
Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters
Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat II
Mortal Kombat III
Ms. Pac-Man
Pac-Man
Pac-Mania
Paperboy
Pole Position
Pole Position II
Rally-X
Rampage
Rampart
RoadBlasters
Robotron 2084
Rolling Thunder
Root Beer Tapper
Satan's Hollow
720 Degrees
Shinobi
Sinistar
Sky Kid
Smash TV
Sonic the Fighters
Space Harrier
SPLAT!
Spy Hunter
Super Contra
Super Sprint
Toobin'
Vindicators
Xevious
X-Men
Zaxxon

NES: 29 of 50 reviewed (58%)
Bart vs the Space Mutants
Batman
Blaster Master
Castlevania
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
Contra
Double Dragon

Double Dragon 2
Dragon Warrior
Duck Hunt
Friday the 13th
Ghosts n Goblins
Goonies II
Gremlins 2: The New Batch
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
Jackal
Jurassic Park
Legend of Zelda, The
Kid Dracula
Kid Icarus
Marble Madness
Mega Man
Mega Man 2
Mega Man 3
Mega Man 4
Mega Man 5
Mega Man 6
Metal Gear
Metroid
Ninja Gaiden
Ninja Gaiden II
Ninja Gaiden III
Punch-Out!!
R.C. Pro-Am
Rush'n Attack
Rygar
Section Z
Snake's Revenge
Super C
Super Mario Bros

Super Mario Bros 2

Super Mario Bros 3
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project
Thundercade
Tom & Jerry
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Willow
World Class Track Meet

Sega Master System: 1 of 2 reviewed (50%)
Golden Axe Warrior
Phantasy Star

Genesis: 19 of 51 reviewed (37.25%)
Adventures of Batman and Robin, The
Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
Alien Storm
Altered Beast
Beyond Oasis
Bonanza Bros.
Castlevania: Bloodlines
Columns
Comix Zone
Contra: Hard Corps
Decap Attack
Dr Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
Dynamite Headdy
Ecco the Dolphin
Ecco 2: The Tides of Time
ESWAT: City Under Siege
Fatal Labyrinth
Flicky
Gain Ground
Golden Axe
Golden Axe II
Golden Axe III
Jungle Strike: The Sequel to Desert Strike
Jurassic Park: Rampage Edition
Kid Chameleon
Phantasy Star II
Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom
Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millenium
Revenge of Shinobi, The
Ristar
Separation Anxiety
Shining Force
Shining Force II: The Ancient Seal
Shining in the Darkness
Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Sonic & Knuckles
Sonic Spinball
Sonic 3D Blast
Streets of Rage
Streets of Rage 2
Street of Rage 3
Super Thunder Blade
Taz in Escape from Mars
Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster's Hidden Treasure
Vectorman
Vectorman 2
Wrestle War
X-Men 2: Clone Wars

Game Boy: 3 of 3 reviewed (100%)
Castlevania Adventure, The
Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge
Operation C

Game Gear: 0 of 5 reviewed (0%)
Sonic Drift 2
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble
Tails' Skypatrol
Tails Adventure

SNES: 20 of 34 reviewed (58.82%)
Aladdin
Beethoven: The Ultimate Canine Caper
Batman Returns
Captain America and the Avengers
Cliffhanger
Chrono Trigger
Cool Spot
Contra III: The Alien Wars
Deep Space Nine: The Crossroads of Time
Demolition Man
Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy V
Final Fantasy VI
Judge Dredd
Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park: The Chaos Continues
Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, The
Lord of the Rings Vol. 1, The
Mega Man 7
Secret of Evermore
Star Fox
Super Castlevania IV
Super Empire Strikes Back
Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts

Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
Super Mario Kart
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Super Mario World
Super Metroid
Super Punch-Out!!
Super Return of the Jedi
Super Star Wars
True Lies
X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse

Sega CD: 0 of 1 reviewed (0%)
Sonic CD

PS1: 21 of 45 reviewed (46.66%)
Austin Powers Pinball
Blaster Master: Blasting Again
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Chrono Cross
Dino Crisis
Dino Crisis 2
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy Tactics
Gex: Enter the Gecko
G-Police
Grandia
Grand Theft Auto 2
Herc's Adventures
Kartia
Lost World, The
Mega Man 8
Metal Gear Solid
Myst
Pandemonium
Parasite Eve
Parasite Eve II
Resident Evil: Director's Cut
Resident Evil 2
Silent Hill
Soviet Strike
Star Wars: Dark Forces
Star Wars: Episode 1: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars: Rebel Assault II
Suikoden
Syphon Filter
Tenchu: Stealth Assassins
Tomb Raider
Tomb Raider 2
Tomb Raider 3
Tomb Raider Chronicles
Tomorrow Never Dies
Total Eclipse Turbo
Vandal Hearts
Warhawk
Weakest Link, The
Who Wants to be a Millionaire: 2nd Edition
Wild Arms
Xenogears

Saturn: 10 of 10 reviewed (100%)
Alien Trilogy
Bug!
Congo: The Movie: The Lost City of Zinj
Fighters Megamix
Legend of Oasis, The
Nights Into Dreams
Panzer Dragoon
Solar Eclipse
Sonic R
Virtua Cop 2

N64: 10 of 16 reviewed (62.5%)
Banjo Kazooie
Banjo Tooie
Doom 64
Forsaken 64
Goldeneye 007
Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, The
Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, The
Mission Impossible
Paper Mario
Quake
Quake 2
San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing
Star Fox 64
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
Super Mario 64
Waverace 64

Dreamcast: 2 of 7 reviewed (28.6%)
Ecco The Dolphin: Defender of the Future
Sega Rally 2
Sega Swirl
Shenmue
Sonic Adventure
Virtua Fighter 3: Team Battle
Virtual-On: Oratorio Tangram

PS2: 19 of 49 reviewed (38.77%)
Bully
Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus
Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X-2
Final Fantasy XII
God of War
God of War 2
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
Half Life
Hot Shots Golf 3
Ico
Jak and Daxter
Jak 2
Jak 3
Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts II
Mark of Kri, The
Max Payne
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
Maximo
Medal of Honor Frontline
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Mojo
Odin Sphere
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within

Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones

Ratchet & Clank
Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando

Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal

Red Faction

Resident Evil Code Veronica X
Rygar
Shadow of the Colossus
Silent Hill 2
Silent Hill 4: The Room
Sly Cooper and the Thievius Racoonus
Sly 2: Band of Thieves
Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves
Star Wars: Bounty Hunter
Star Wars: Starfighter
Tomb Raider: Legend
Tomb Raider: Anniversary
Xenosaga
Xenosaga II
Xenosaga III

Gamecube: 10 of 16 reviewed (62.5%)
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
Legend of Zelda, The: The Wind Waker
Lord of the Rings, The: The Return of the King
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
Mario Kart: Double Dash
Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
Metroid Prime
Metroid Prime 2
Resident Evil
Resident Evil Zero
Resident Evil 4
Star Fox Adventures
Star Fox Assault
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike
Super Mario Sunshine

PC: 1 of 3 reviews (33.3%)
Doom
Doom 2
Wolfenstein 3D

PSP: 1 of 1 reviewed (100%)
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

Xbox: 5 of 6 reviewed 83.33%)
Half Life 2
Panzer Dragoon Orta
Shenmue 2
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
Super Monkey Ball Deluxe

Xbox 360: 3 of 6 reviewed (50%)

Dark Sector

Gears of War
Gears of War 2
Gears of War 3

LA Noire

Perfect Dark Zero

Xbox One: 0 of 1 reviewed (0%)

Call of Duty Black Ops III

Wii: 4 of 16 reviewed (25%)
Animal Crossing: City Folk
Jillian Michaels: Fitness Ultimatum 2010
Just Dance: Disney Party
Kirby's Epic Yarn
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, The
Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, The
Mario Kart Wii
Metroid Prime 3
Mini Golf Resort
Okami
Rec Room Games
Super Mario Bros. Wii
Super Paper Mario
Wii Fit Plus
Wii Sports
Wii Sports Resort

PS3: 28 of 50 reviewed (56%)
Assassin's Creed
Assassin's Creed 2
Assassin's Creed: Revelations
Back to the Future
Batman: Arkham Origins
Beyond Good and Evil HD
Bioshock
Braid
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Dishonored
Doom 3
Ducktales: Remastered
Earthworm Jim HD
Elder Scrolls V, The: Skyrim
Evil Within, The
Far Cry: Classic
Far Cry 2
Far Cry 3
Far Dry 3: Blood Dragon
Game of Thrones (Atlas)
Game of Thrones (Telltale)
God of War 3
Goldeneye 007: Reloaded
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto V
Heavenly Sword
Heavy Fire: Afghanistan
Heavy Rain
Infamous
Infamous 2
Jurassic Park: The Game
Little Big Planet
Mass Effect
Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 3
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
Super Stardust HD
Tekken Revolution
TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled
Tomb Raider: Underworld
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
Uncharted 2: Honor Among Thieves
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
Walking Dead, The
Walking Dead, The: Season 2
Walking Dead, The: Michonne

Mobile: 3 of 4 reviewed (75%)
Bubble Witch Saga 3
Candy Crush Saga
Candy Crush Jelly Saga
Candy Crush Soda Saga

PlayStation 4: 21 of 26 reviewed (80.76%)
Axiom Verge
Batman: Arkham Knight

Blaster Master Zero

Blaster Master Zero 2
Doom

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age
Final Fantasy XV
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
Horizon: Zero Dawn
Hyper Light Drifter

Immortals Fenyx Rising
Last of Us, The: Remastered
Life is Strange
Life is Strange: Before the Storm
Resident Evil 2

Resident Evil 4
Shenmue III
Sonic Mania Plus

Subnautica

Turok Remastered

Turok 2 Remastered
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
Undertale
Walking Dead, The: A New Frontier
Witcher III, The: Complete Edition

Witness, The

That is 459 games I own. I bolded all the games I have reviewed from my collection so far. There are 220 of them. That means I have reviewed about 47.9% of the games I own. I double checked the math on this and I think it is all correct, but forgive me if I may have made a mistake counting things.

Regardless, I have been playing and reviewing for over 9 years now. It is going to take me a loooong time at this rate to review every game I own. Especially if I keep adding games to my collection or playing and reviewing games I don't own. But it is a goal to at least get to 90% reviewed someday. It could happen!

Video Game Review: Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor

Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor

PlayStation 3

I've never been one to drop 50 or 60 bucks on a brand new game. And with rental stores like Blockbuster going the way of the dodo bird, it has gotten very hard for me to play new games. Even just to play newer games. Hell, even new-ish games.

But I've recently invested in a Gamefly account, and I am on a quest to check out all the games that I've been missing out on the last year or two. The very first game to cross my mind was Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor. It went straight to the top of my queue, and 3 or 4 days later it arrived at my house.

Being a big Lord of the Rings fan, I've been interested in playing this game for a while now. All I knew about the game coming in was that it was a brand new prequel story set completely within the confines of Mordor. I knew there would be some stealth as well as some brawler elements to it. But my knowledge on how the game would actually play was very limited.

My initial first impression of the game was actually severe disappointment. The story line at first looked like it was going to be a very interesting one, but it quickly fell apart in my opinion. Things moved too fast, events jumped around in time, and I had absolutely no idea what was going on. It felt rushed and a bit too sloppy for my taste. I expected the Empire Strikes Back as far as storytelling, and got the Phantom Menace instead.

I wasn't impressed with the game play either. Everything felt like it had been pulled directly from an Arkham game. The fighting system is nearly identical, in fact. Same buttons to punch, counter, stun, leap over enemies... Except nothing felt as fluid or as natural as in the Batman games.

So it was a rough start. Bad story, fast and confusing pace, copcyat game play mechanics. I didn't find the game's graphics very impressive either. And the loading time... dear Lord. That nearly killed it for me. Every time you pause or check the map it takes a good 30 seconds to get back to the action. This game actively makes you NOT want want to check where it is you are going simply because it takes so long to back up out of the map screen and return to the game. In a game like this where paying attention to the map is essential, that is not a good thing.

Needless to say I wasn't a fan and actually considered sending the game back immediately and getting something else. I played around with the game for an hour or so, but couldn't figure out what it was I should be doing with myself. It seemed like everywhere I would turn, their would be a horde of enemies for me to fight. There were missions to complete, but they all felt a little too similar in my mind and it didn't feel like I was really accomplishing anything.

As mentioned, I played the game for about an hour and then I went to bed, wholly unsatisfied with a title that I had such high hopes for.

Luckily I didn't give up on the game. I returned to it the next day with an open mind and found myself liking it more and more as I played on.

First off, I will say that there is a lot to do in the game. I'm a big fan of sandbox style games where there are a ton of things to collect, and this game definitely falls into that category. Everywhere you look, it seems like there is some little trinket to pick up or collect.

If you have ever played Assassin's Creed, the tower system here works similarly to that title. Many areas of the map are blacked out and items and missions don't appear on the map. Find the tower, scale it, and "forge", whatever that means, and the area you are in opens up and you can explore and collect things to your heart's content.

The side content continues. You can go on survival missions where you collect herbs and flowers. Hunting missions where you track down and kill the wild creatures of Mordor. Side missions where you must free slaves. Each of your three weapons (bow, sword, dagger) has missions attached to them which you must complete to fully unlock their potential. And I haven't even mentioned the main quest and all the captain slaying journeys you will go on. There is a LOT to do in the game.

The main quest itself is not very long. But it seems longer because, if you are like me, you will often be stopping to look for hidden artifacts or complete side quests.

As mentioned, the story line is nothing to get too excited about. If I had paid more attention perhaps I would have enjoyed it more. But I didn't. I lost track of what was going on very quickly. And while I didn't skip the cutscenes I very well could have and still enjoyed the game as much as I would have if I didn't bother watching them. I have a feeling it is an interesting story, if a little farfetched. You'll see a lot of neat Middle Earth history, such as the actual forging of the rings and a couple of interesting battles with Sauron. But like I said, I had no idea what was going on so the flashbacks didn't interest me nearly as much as they should have.

The game does play just like one of the Arkham titles, but I find that the stealth element is actually a bit of an improvement. Yeah the enemies are a lot dumber, but if you get spotted, it isn't the end of the world. You don't get killed immediately. You don't have to hide. You can very easily fight your way out of anything in this game. In fact, the enemies are so stupid, they often forget about you after mere seconds. If I am spotted while attacking a ruined stronghold, for example, all I have to do is duck outside, wait a few seconds, and sneak back in. They will have forgotten all about me and I can pick everyone off one by one.

Occasionally you will encounter a battle where there are simply too many enemies to destroy. Or perhaps there are archers and spear throwers making your life a living nightmare. This is really the only time I ever died in the game. The game is so forgiving, actually, that you can play a little quick time game before your death each and every time you run out of health. This brings you back with a little bit of health intact. Fail the game, however, and you are sent back to a restart point. AND the enemy that killed you gets more powerful and rises in the Uruk ranks.

Infiltrating the ranks of the Uruk is one of the game's more interesting challenges. Basically, there is an entire screen of Uruk chiefs and captains that you can access through the game's menus. Each one has its own specific strengths and weaknesses. You can discover these strengths and weaknesses by interrogating "worms" located throughout the Uruk army.

I don't know if you can actually destroy or wipe out the entire Uruk force, because it seemed like captains and chiefs kept sporadically popping up again and replacing the ones that fell as I worked my way through the game. Its an interesting dynamic though. Hunting these warriors and taking them out. As the game unfolds you can send death threats to the Uruks you are hunting. This makes them tougher in battle, but the reward for killing them is much greater. You also learn how to "brand" Uruk, which make them loyal to you. You can set the Uruk against one another, causing strife among their ranks.

As disappointed with the game as I was originally, it grew on me pretty fast. I found myself obsessed with the game, playing it for 5 hours or so at a time until I finally finished with it. I know that 5 hour playing sessions don't sound too absurdly long for hardcore gamers, but for me it is a big thing. I just simply don't get as much time to game as I would like. And when I do find the time, I have such a short attention span I usually find myself title jumping. But not in this instance.

The game is very addictive. There is so much to do, that I often had to tell myself "just one more mission and then its time for bed" or something along those lines. But then I'd complete it and move on to another mission. And then there would be an item nearby on my map to collect. And then another mission. And an item. I kept telling myself "just one more!" And it wasn't working. 

So that is the mark of a really good game for me. It is true that this game wasn't really what I was expecting. It is VERY Akrham-esque. It does some things to set itself apart, like the ability to ride Caragors and hunt wildlife.  And there is the whole War Chief/enemy captain system. But I couldn't help but feel that this game could have been a lot better if it had gone a slightly less action oriented route. So much of this game is one repetitive battle after another. I'm not knocking the game but it does get old after a while.

All in all I found my time with the game pretty enjoyable. This isn't a perfect game. The story line is pretty incoherent and can be a downright mess at times. Game play elements feel as if they have been pulled directly from other series' like Assassin's Creed or Arkham Asylum. There are a lot of repetitive battles. The load times are some of the worst I have ever seen in the PS3 era. The graphics, while not bad by any means, could have been a lot better, especially in the small details. So much of the areas you explore look exactly the same.

But on the positive side, the game is very, very fun. So fun in fact that these obvious shortcomings don't distract too much from your enjoyment of the game. I lost myself in this title for hours and hours at a time. There is so much to do, so much to collect. So many quests and sidequests to complete. Although the fighting can be repetitive, at least it is fun and there are several upgrades and powers you learn along the way to keep things interesting.

With some graphical tweaks and a stronger story line this game could have gotten an A from me. I feel as the game is a little too fast paced and action oriented, and all it has to do is step back on occasion to let you appreciate where you are and what it is you are doing in the game. Instead you just feel like a mindless killing machine, and the game comes across as lacking in substance. Sure there is a lot to do, but will the game be memorable or stick with you after you've beaten it, like, say - The Last of Us? No.

Overall:

B

2016 Movie Ranking Countdown: July

Only 6 movies watched in July. I am way, way behind my usual pace as far as movies watched this year. The reason I changed the format for my ranking was because I always watch so many movies it is very hard to rank them all at the end of the year.

Figures that the year I change my format to make it easier to do is the year that I've watched the least amount of movies in a loooooong time.

Oh well, the show must go on. 6 movies watched. 5 will move on to my year end ranking.

What will move on and what will be the film left out? We shall see.

 ---

This movie is good for a rewatch every couple of years. It is one of my favorite films of all time.

I'm not going to recap Forrest Gump, because if you are alive and drawing a pulse, you probably have at least a slight notion of what the movie is about.

As acclaimed as the film is, a lot of people I know in real life don't like the movie. Which I don't understand. It is touching, it is heartbreaking, it is funny, and it teaches you a little a bit of history in the process. There are parts in this movie that never fail to bring a tear to my eye. Every time! It is very well acted and has a great musical score. And it is filmed wonderfully too. The film really makes the 60's and 70's come to life before your eyes.

It is truly a great movie and worthy of all the accolades it has received. I've said it before and I'll say it again: if you don't like Forrest Gump, you have no soul.

I have been aware of this movie for quite some time now, and the idea of it has always intrigued me. Coming in, all I knew was that it was about an eccentric millionaire who takes in members of the US Olympic wrestling squad to help them train, and then ends up killing one of the members.

It turns out that that really is all the movie is about. This millionaire guy is played by Steve Carell who is apparently doing his best Alan Tudyk impression. Carell brings in Channing Tatum and some of his teammates to his estate to train at his massive gym. He seems like an off again/on again all right guy until he starts treating Tatum like crap. He then brings in Tatum's brother (in the movie, not his real brother. That would be weird, right?) to take his place. After the Olympics, where the team fails to win gold, the millionaire snaps and shoots the brother. And that's the end of the movie.

There, I saved you 2 and a half hours.

I found this movie to be really, really boring. I thought I would like it. I've heard it described as dark and depressing - and I like movies like that. But it didn't cut it for me. The majority of the film focuses on training for wrestling, which is about as boring as it can get. And then on Tatum/Carell's awkward relationship. It is not as bad as watching paint dry, but it is close.

The murder doesn't happen until the very, very end of the film. And we aren't given any resolution. We don't see a lot of the main characters' reaction to the murder. We get no insight as to Steve Carell's intentions behind the shooting.

It is all just very strange. I was bored, and likely will never watch this again. I don't know why it got such critical acclaim as it did.

Just like with Forrest Gump, I usually rewatch the Lord of the Rings movies every few years because they are so good.

I've always considered this the weakest of the trilogy, but this time around I found that I actually enjoyed it much more than I usually do. I wasn't bored by the endless "Smeagol getting dragged around by a rope" scenes, nor the "Merry and Pippin talking to trees" scenes. Plus, I really was able to get into the battle at Helm's Deep and appreciate it in a way that I never had before.

I still don't think it is the best Lord of the Rings film, but I definitely put it much closer to the original than I have in years past. It will be interesting to see which one comes out on top when I do my year end ranking.

It has been a long time since I've seen this movie, but I've been watching a lot of Walking Dead lately and have been in the mood for more zombie stuff. I enjoyed this movie when it first came out, and I am glad to see that it definitely stands the test of time.

For those who haven't seen the movie, it explores the "lighter side" of the zombie apocalypse (lol). Jesse Eisenberg plays a young man who finds himself as one of the last survivors in America. On his journeys he meets up with several colorful characters. Some who are out to help him, and some who are out to rob him blind.

I'm not a big comedy fan but I still really enjoyed this movie. Woody Harrelson's character is great, as is his love of Twinkies. Bill Murray has an amazing cameo. And this movie is also where I originally became acquainted with Emma Stone.

Definitely a fun time, especially if you like zombie movies. It's not the longest movie ever but it is funny and definitely a solid and worthwhile mashup of genres. I like this much more than Shaun of the Dead, actually.

Over the years I have heard endless references to this movie, but I had never actually seen it before. I've attempted to check it out the library but the discs have always been too beat up and scratched to watch. So when it finally came on Netflix, I jumped at the opportunity to watch the movie.

The premise is simple. A group of men go on vacation, rafting down a river through a natural area that is in jeopardy because of urbanization. These men encounter hostile rednecks on their journey, one of which rapes a member of the group and another who threatens to kill the rest. The rapist redneck is killed and the other one runs off.

The men panic about their actions, thinking that since this is in such a backwater location that the locals will lie and say that the murder wasn't committed out of self defense. So they dispose of the body and attempt to flee. On the way out, things fall apart. There's a rafting accident, someone dies, and the second redneck returns to finish the job.

It doesn't seem like a groundbreaking premise. We've seen movies where people on vacation battle hostile locals before. But this is one of the classics, very original for its time.

Great acting, memorable scenes (squeal like a pig!), intense action, and a few ambiguous scenes that are open to interpretation really make the movie memorable. It's hard to get too excited about the movie when I've seen a countless number of similar films, but I have to remember that this is one of the originals. Deliverance is definitely a pioneer in its field.

This is a movie I haven't seen since it originally came out. It was the year 1994 and I was only 12 years old. Back then I didn't think twice about the humor in the movie. I liked the Little Rascals and thought that the movie was hilarious and great.

Watching it now, I can't believe how risque/borderline offensive some of the jokes are. Especially when you consider that the actors and actresses in this movie were mainly between the ages of 5 and 12 years old. If this movie were made today, the people in charge of its creation would probably be crucified.

That being said, I still find it really hilarious. I am surprised at how much it has held up, to be honest. As mentioned in my Zombieland review, I am not a huge comedy fan. But this movie had me laughing out loud on more occasions than any single movie I have watched in recent memory. It's a fun movie, lots of great humor. Even if it is a little inappropriate considering the ages of some of these kids.

But I didn't give a shit. I had a great time.

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Well, if you've read my write up for each movie, it should be clear that Foxcatcher is the odd movie out. I really wanted to enjoy the movie, but it was just too boring for me. The good news is that the remaining 5 films are all very worthy of making the year end ranking list. No clunkers sneaking in this time around!

7 months in the books, a grand total of 35 movies moving on to my year end ranking. Each month I will continue to add 5 movies to the list. Once we roll over into 2017, I will eliminate 10 movies immediately from contention, and then rank the top 50 from least to most favorite.

It's been an interesting year so far. Definitely not one of my favorite years for movie watching that I've ever had. It's a wide open race with no clear front runners. Hopefully I can watch some better films in the last 5 months of 2016.

Here are the 35 so far that will be ranked at the end of the year:

 Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Cake
American Sniper
Predator
Friday the 13th Part 2
Locke
Evil Dead
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
Elysium
Snowpiercer
Room
Manson Family Vacation
Deadpool
Goodnight, Mommy
Unforgiven
Big Driver
The Martian
Pixels
JFK: The Smoking Gun
Crimson Peak
It
Creed
The Revenant
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
No Good Deed
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Krampus
The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition
The Night of the Living Dead
Mad Max: Fury Road
Forrest Gump
The Little Rascals
Deliverance
The Two Towers
Zombieland