February - the month that movies go to die or succumb to illness

...oh no wait, that's just me succumbing to illness!

One minute it was 30 Films in 31 Days, then February rolled around and work picked up, but before the brunt of that could hit me - the flu did instead. And that was that. I lost two weekends in an already short month, and spent about 2.5 work weeks in a fog.  Being able to speak at an audible level again was a triumph, and only coughing in the late night and early morning now is downright sensational.

I can't claim illness was the sole cause of my absence, there was also a little something called House of Cards (which I think took up one of the weekends where I wasn't so sick...).  I binged through 8 episodes, nothing to brag about I know, and when I went in to the office on Monday, was informed by my boss that he and his friends got through them all in one sitting (harkens back to the legends of the LOTR or GOT marathons doesn't it?)  Afterwards I thought "why did I stop Sunday night and go to bed? I would continued and when he found me facedown on my desk on Monday I could've claimed "house of cards" and he would have understood.  Next year...

So...how 'bout them Oscars? I don't know if there are any readers of this blog who only read the blog and not follow me on other forms of social media? I highly doubt it, therefore I'm sure you're aware that I like to use the major film/TV awards shows to practice my live tweeting.  Not that I've ever searched for the definition of "live tweeting" but I've been led to believe it involves recapping information as well as providing some commentary, I think this year I just leaned towards providing fashion commentary.  Pretty ludicrous coming from someone who's hardly an authority.  Still, I had my fun and as always I thank you for not unfollowing me over the past couple of months. I'm still trying to figure out why everyone was freaking out over Margot Robbie's outfit at the Oscars though, it's well-fitting dinner & cocktail attire on a beautiful woman, but that's about it.

As for Birdman taking Best Picture over Boyhood, I'll say it... it was a shame.  Not because Birdman doesn't deserve accolades, but because it didn't deserve to be titled 'best film of the year'.  It was 'the finest technical achievement of the year' and it was 'michael keaton's best performance ever'.  Period. No more. But moving on...

You'll get to see my Top 10 of 2014 at some point, now that no one cares I'm no longer feeling the pressure (my apologies to like the one reader who might care... Jerry? Maybe Lynette too?)

In attempts to get a little back on track (before I go on vacation next month... so maybe I can be "on track" for a couple of weeks?) I'm looking forward to seeing some of what the Canadian Film Fest has in store later this month, as well a couple of blog columns in their infancy on Toronto Film Scene about Canadian Film History and Movie Merch (yes, one is so related to the other...).  Here are the links to the inaugural entries in case you missed them:

http://thetfs.ca/2015/02/26/canadian-film-history-oscar-winning-actors/
http://thetfs.ca/2015/02/12/movie-merch-hot-topic-dresses-like-favourite-movie/

Lastly (for now) I had previously alluded to how I wanted to recap my media consumption like Steven Soderberg did, so I'll leave you with my notes from Jan/Feb to puruse/ignore as you see fit.

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numbered = films
not numbered = TV
" " = started books/plays
n = 2015 release
f = my first time viewing 
(#) = number of episodes watched

Jan 1-7
1.In Time - f
2.Fury - f
3.the avengers

4. How to steal a million - f
5. 71 - f n
6. The bling ring
7. Funny girl - f
8. Selma - f n
"The forbidden game trilogy"
"It's not easy being green"
9. What Richard Did

1/8
10. Kingsman: The Secret Service

1/9-11
11. The fifth element
12. Inherent vice - f n
13. A clockwork orange
"Dark crystal creation myths vol 1"
"Secret societies"

1/12

14. 13 Assassins

15. Foxcatcher - f

1/13

16. The Ides of March - f

"A bunch of pretty things I did not buy"

1/14

17. What we do in the shadows

18. The Babadook- f

1/15

"The cute girl network"

1/17

19. American Sniper - n f

1/18

20. Wild - f

21. 127 Hours

1/19

22. Lovelace - f

1/20

23. Out of Africa - f

1/21

24. American Hustle

25. A Place in the Sun

1/23

26. Triplets of Belleville- f

1/24

27. Two days, one night - f n

28. And god created woman

1/25

29. A girl walks home alone at night - n f

30. Once Upon a time in America

1/27

31. Revenge of the Green Dragons

32. The Killer

1/28

33. Hard Boiled

1/29

34. 20 Feet from stardom -f

1/30

35. Guardians of the Galaxy

1/31

36. Still Alice - n f

2/1

37. Cake - n f

2/2-5

38. Jupiter Ascending- n f

Banshee (3 ep)

"Shallow Grave" (John hodge)

2/6

Banshee (1)

39. Life as we know it - f

2/7

Banshee (1)

40. Bridget jones's diary

2/8

Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown (1)

2/9

Anthony Bourdain's parts unknown (1)

"Act like a lady, think like a man"

2/10

41. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason- f

2/11

The Walking dead (1)

Game of Thrones special 

2/12-14

42. About Time

43. The Philadelphia Story

Banshee (1)

Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown (1)

2/15

Better Call Saul (2)

44.War and Peace - f

Big Bang Theory (3)

2/16

The Walking dead (1)

"Trainspotting" screenplay by John Hodge

2/19

45.Xmen days of future past 

2/20

Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown (2)

2/21

46. (Korean movie whose title I could not translate) - f

47. It's Complicated 

48. Bringing Up Baby - f

2/22

Big Bang theory (2)

2/23

Big Bang theory (1)

2/24

Banshee (1)

Big Bang Theory (1)

2/25-26

The walking dead (1)

2/27-3/1

House of cards (8)