Fairytale Year in Review

Now, when the year is almost over and I will be partying mostly what’s left of it and actually hang out with my real life friends, it’s time to take a look at my year in the blog-verse.

I had much less traffic this year than I did in 2014 but then again, I posted much less and I was very inconsistent, e.g. I didn’t write a word for five months… As my new year’s resolution, I promise I’ll try to do better. Apart from Homepage, other favourite posts have been my Analysis of Casablanca (made for school originally), “If You Can Dream It You Can Do It” and many of those Best of the Best lists (which I will be writing one more time this year when listing the best films of the year on the last day of the year). And apparently yesterday’s post of Jared Leto has been a huge success. 😀 My top-3 countries of visitors are US, Germany and for some weird reason, France. “Cary Fukunaga” has been, by far, the most popular search word(s) that will link people to my blog. No complaints there, he deserves all the attention coming to his way. Sunday seems to be the day I should post and the late hour of 11pm is the target time (no surprise there if my readers are from the States). Again, my dear readers, let me know if there are some special posts that you like more than others and I’ll try to do my best and write more about them. 🙂

Then… Let’s take a look how I did with all my self-challenges. Badly being the key word here.

50/50 ended up being 8/113 + 4 that I watched double or more times PLUS those that I will watch during these few days. I think that the next year I’ll go for 10/150 or something like it. Something I can actually reach. I definitely should read more though. The best book I read this year was the familiar one; Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. No surprises there. Films I will go through later. But apparently X-Men: Days of Future Past and Star Wars: The Force Awakens are high on my list of movies all in all as I watched them twice this year. And Jurassic World, or perhaps Chris Pratt’s nipples (yay for Chris’ take on objectifying men; it is their time), seems to be THE film for me since I’ve seen it three (!) times since July. Chris Pratt in general was THE crush for me this year.

I did watch two films from my IMDb-250 list. Two. Wohoo. What’s wrong with me, those films are great! I watched The Graduate, not my cup of tea and to me definitely too hyped. Hated the way it looks. Ugh. The other one I just watched yesterday; The General by Buster Keaton (1926). He was a funny man! I enjoyed the film. Obviously it’s old but the story works and so does Keaton. But he’s no Chaplin, I have to say. I will continue tackle the list next year as well (and probably the next one after that too…). I also set up a TV Challenge in September. I haven’t watched too many from that list but I did finish watching the first season of Orphan Black and will definitely continue. I started The Affair and while it’s not bad it hasn’t gotten me hooked either. I didn’t watch five episodes so I need to give it another chance still. And I need to finish Outlander season 1, still four more episodes to go.

On personal side I have two lists; former 101 Things in 1001 Days that I changed to 55 Things in 555 Days; take a look! I only managed to do one so far but that’s kind of huge one as it is living abroad. As I told in the beginning of autumn, I moved to Amsterdam to do my exchange. I’m still there (though right now I’m visiting Finland for Christmas) and I’m planning on staying. I don’t have a proper job, I will loose my student housing in a month and I really need to find an internship to finalize my studies. So, wish me luck! And  if anyone knows any nice marketing/branding/event management internships in Europe (or elsewhere if I can get a permit) preferably in entertainment/sports business, let me know! Oh, I did start to take selfies every month, here’s an example:

I also have my Bucket List here for everyone to see. I haven’t achieved any of those goals, I think I need to start now.

In general note, the end of the year has been great. I loved my studies in Amsterdam, I got to know a bunch of great people that I really, really want to keep in my life in the future too. I’ve been pondering a lot if I’ve deserved all this happiness that I’m feeling now but then again, the spring and the last year were heavy ones, so, I guess, I have deserved some easy times for a change.

New Year’s resolutions? I promise to graduate. I promise to make changes to make me healthier. I promise to be easy on me. I promise to stay in touch with people that matter and I promise to try to remember not to hold on to things that are not worth it and just let them go. Any resolutions there?

I’m not wishing you Happy New Year yet as I hope you’ll come back in few days to see which films I liked the best this year. 😉

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Back on the Saddle!

I thought about this a lot. If I have an interest to write this blog. And if I can find time. But as long as I have time to binge-watch Netflix, I also have time to write my blog.

Let’s take an update.

I live in Amsterdam now. I’m in exchange. For my studies that I started two years ago. If you’re interested in reading more about me and my actual life, not just about movies, feel free to browse “The List Lover” posts that you can find from the left side menu.

I’m still pursuing my dreams. One way or another. I will be studying Business of Sports and Events during my time in Amsterdam. That will start on Monday. And after that I will have my practical training aka Internship time. I have quite big dreams concerning that but I will talk about it later.

So, how about my lists. Well, as you, who have read my blog earlier, know I love the Oscars. And I already made my early (very long lists of) predictions for next February. Check them here. And please feel free to tell me if I’ve forgotten something. Or make suggestions for the best documentary category, I’m so lost with that one. Thankfully, I will be here in Amsterdam when they are having IDFA, International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam in November, the mother of documentary film festivals.

Then, IMDB top-250. Yeah, I haven’t watched any since January. Yay for me… Tomorrow I’ll be seeing Manhattan though. I’m going to visit the Eye that is contemporary movie culture centre in here Amsterdam and they are showing the film.

Ok. 50/50. I haven’t watched that many films this year to be honest. But I did see 15/64 in cinemas. That’s not bad, I think. I listed the series, just to explain to myself why there aren’t more films in the list.

Well, my Bucket List. I’ve started number 56. Hah, I actually had my IQ tested (66). It’s normal. I never thought it would be very high but at least a bt. To be honest. It’s not. Wow. I’ve been too honest there… Well, what’s written it’s written… I guess. Number 90. is thankfully getting closer everyday.

And lastly, my list of 101 things in 1001 days. The deadline is gone. I managed to do quite many things from the list:

1. Get into some school to study something you really want to study and stay there. 

Still there.

Then I volunteered at film festivals (though I still want to go to Sundance or Toronto), joined Pinterest and Twitter (still using both) and started a blog (actually two but other one is in Finnish). I unpacked and then packed again as I don’t have home in Finland anymore. I saw new artists and tried new foods and restaurants and shot more people with my camera. I got new haircuts and new glasses as well. I made a short film, I used earrings and started to use more feminine clothes altogether. I saw Wicked and Supernatural season 6 (it was a drag…). I visit Lapland and Louvre. I got a bicycle(s, actually). And I got a pasta machine from my friends for my birthday (didn’t by it myself but who cares!). I managed to do 36/101. Not bad. And I will continue it. From now on it’ll be list of 55 things in 555 days.

@Satumaah

Pinterest

Spring Rambling

Gosh, it’s been forever since I posted anything! Over a month! But for my excuse, I’ve been awfully busy and also sick, so basically exhausted. I didn’t think of writing anything today but I read some of my favourite bloggers blogs for the first time for a long time and I realised how much I actually missed this world! So, thanks to all of you who write the best blogs ever. My e-mail is full of mails that reminds me to read your posts but I just haven’t had time to properly read them and I don’t want to do it in a glance. You all deserve proper attention.

I’m just going to ramble about life in general this time. I’ll get back to films the next time I’ll post something. 🙂 As it has been that I’ve watched something like three films during the last month. All of them in cinema, thankfully, but still! THREE. Pathetic. But I’ve watched some “classy” television like The Vampire Diaries, Friends and Pretty Little Liars. Yeah, I know. But that shows how tired I’ve been. All of my energy has basically gone to the school work and actual work too. Too much of both of them. So, nothing educational to me. And that is also the reason why I haven’t started watching new season of Game of Thrones either. It also deserves proper attention. But I will, soon! I promise. 

Thankfully, spring is here. Finally. It’s still a bit grey, we don’t have leaves on the trees yet but at least it’s been sunny for the last four days or so. It’s still a bit cold (7 degrees in celsius) but still definitely spring. And it means that the school year is coming to end. We have only two semesters here, so the end of the term is in three weeks. Yay! I just finished this big marketing report that we did for local arthouse cinema today. We started it already in October, so getting it done is a huge thing. I’m so relieved. So, only few more exams, couple of presentations and a lot of essays of international law and I’m done! And quite well, I have to admit, I got a lot more credits that is expected of me. But I need them to get to the exchange school I want to.

Work-wise I’ve been bartending a lot lately. My colleagues are taking their holidays and that means I’m filling up for them. A bit too much to think that I still have school. But I can’t wait to get to summer when I only have to think of pouring those beers. I also have a new roommate and even though I’ve known him for 10 years it has taken quite a lot to get our habits to work together. But it’s good now. We even had a party that celebrated his housewarming and my birthday (I’m actually 34 years old now… that’s a lot, huh?).

Yeah, I don’t know if this was interesting to anyone but I’m glad I wrote something. Stay tuned, I’ll wrote short reviews for Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Only Lovers Left Alive (I didn’t get Hiddleston himself as a birthday gift but I did get a lot of messages including his pictures 😀 ) and Noah the next time. Thanks for reading this rambling!

P.S. I also managed to do one thing on my list of 101 Things; bought earrings and wore them for a day. In the spirit of Captain America:

 

The List Lover Updates (50/50, The Oscars and 101 Things)

I did check my Bucket List too but I haven’t done any of them. To explain a little to all of you who haven’t noticed my pages on the top of this, is that I love lists and challenges, so I’m basically all the time trying to achieve something. That’s in my nature. I’ve posted few List Lover’s (read: me) posts previously, they can be found by clicking the link of The List Lover on Themes (right hand side on the Home page). I mentioned I will be updating how I’m doing but guess movies have just taken me so thoroughly that I really haven’t paid that much attention to my personal life here in the blogverse. But let’s take a look.

The first, 50/50 Challenge. This is the third year I’m participating. And I never manage to read 50 books. But I’ll try again. I just updated the page so you can see I’ve watched 16 movies this year so far and read one lousy (well, to be honest, it’s almost 800 pages, but still…) book. Movie-wise I try to watch 200 films this year, let’s see how it goes. Here is how I did last year.

IMDb-250. I think I’ve tried to watch those films forever. And I’ve only managed to watch three more since last time I updated. Quite sad. But I’ve seen Pulp Fiction, Casablanca and Big Lebowski that I only watched yesterday. Only the middle one lived up to its hype. But because I own quite many of 250, I promise I’ll watch the following during the next two months:

• The Shawshank Redemption
• Goodfellas
• Cidade de Deus
• Vertigo
• The Green Mile
• Intouchables
• Reservoir Dogs
• Amadeus
• All About Eve
• Jodaeiye Nader az Simin
• El laberinto del fauno
• The Kid
• No Country for Old Men
• Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
• Trainspotting
• Annie Hall
• Warrior
• Into the Wild
• The Graduate
• Roman Holiday

The more personal one, 101 Things in 1001 Days. I have about 18,5 months left. Not that much then. And I just calculated that means doing one thing in a week. That’s a lot… Since last update, I have managed to get into school that I enjoy and have stayed there (1). Even have done quite well, so that area is nicely covered. I’m still studying International Business but I’m basically minoring in Media Studies and the combination is perfect. I’ll write more about it later. I also managed to throw the clothes that were broken away (30). And got some much closer to unpack my stuff that has been sitting in the boxes forever (28). I’ll probably manage to finish that in this month and same goes for filing the papers (29). I also saw a play when my friend had a part in one. And I visited to Paris and also Louvre (93). I really should edit those photos from there and make a photo post here! Here’s one:

And the last but not least, the Oscar winners predictions. I just updated it today. Took the lists straight from IMDb. I still have about 30 of the features to see and 13 of the shorts, so I can’t have a proper opinion yet. Only thing that is clear to me, I really think 12 Years a Slave should win the Best Picture just because how it handles the subject. And I thought Leo was better than Ejiofor but I haven’t seen Dallas Buyers Club yet, so let’s see if it changes my mind about my favourite. The ones in italics are my favourites, the ones in bold are the ones I’m predicting. What are your favourites?

The List Lover Went to School

Guess it’s a time to update my life after the Oscar predictions too.

The readers, who’ve been with me since the beginning, know that I’d like to be a part of the film industry or at least write about the films. And I’ve always been a big dreamer. On the right side of the home page you can find the themes I wrote mostly about. There’s also The List Lover and if you’re interested, you can read there more about the lists listed above and me trying to fulfill my dreams and goals. I try to update my success in regular basis.

So, I started an applied sciences university in my hometown Tampere a week ago, well eight days ago but still. Originally I applied to Media program but unfortunately didn’t get in. But now I’m studying International Business and still can take some courses from the Media curricula as well. Which is nice. So far, the school hasn’t exactly been that hard and some of the courses seem unbelievably boring (Financial Accounting, huh?) but I guess it’s always that way. But when it comes to my 101 Things in a 1001 Days, I have taken the step towards the first, and to me, the most important, goal on the list. With the school I will also get nearer couple of other targets. I will be starting German course the next Tuesday (#9) and also again learn the basics of Microsoft Office (#55).

As you’ve probably noticed I finally started using Twitter (#10). It’s not really my thing because I’m a blabber and it’s hard for me to write shortly (plus I’m not one of those “funny guys” either). But if you want to follow me on Twitter, the feed is on the homepage of the blog. I tweet mostly the most interesting film news, my blog posts and if I’ve seen a new film (feed from IMDb). I also have the blog at Facebook, so check that out too.

Otherwise I’ve been so badly lazy that it’s a bit hard to believe. I did get a massage (#88) though and finally watched the season six of Supernatural (#44). I also finished my goal to go to five different bars and different restaurants in my hometown (#36). I usually tend to go to the same, my kinda, places, so it was good for me to try different scenes. Tomorrow I will again try a new restaurant, Grillsson (apparently there’s no English site, so sad…) but I don’t have too high hopes for it. I only got the gift certificate.

From the Bucket List I managed to carry out zero things. Super-me… And when it comes to watching films or reading books, I’ve been the laziest ever! I shouldn’t even call myself a film fan after watching total of 15 (!) movies during the last ten weeks. That’s just sad. I did finish The Great Gatsby, the novel. It was so so so boring. Guess I don’t get great American literature?! For the films I’ve seen since the beginning of July, check 50/50. I might review some of them later this week, if I feel like it. Or just continue with the Oscar predictions. Which one would you prefer me to do?

Meanwhile, more wise words:

There’s Always a Reason to Celebrate

And today it’s that my blog has survived six months and a day, so that’s half a year celebration time! Toast to that!

To properly celebrate my success at keeping up my blog, maybe not as well as I had hoped for, I added a bunch of stuff to the sidebar.

The first it’s easier for everyone to follow my blog now. Via e-mail is the way I like the best when it comes to the blogs that I really like. It’s easier to keep up. Or there are now options to follow on Facebook or Twitter! I made the FB page a couple of hours ago and I will be posting a lot (I assume) of film and television news and rumours to that page. I’m already doing that in my personal FB profile and now when I have a page to do that, I can maybe give a little rest for my friends and not to force them to read all kinds of (not) so interesting news. So, if I were you, I’d “like” my FB page. Another option is Twitter. I registered to Twitter three years ago and posted one tweet and then stopped using it. I have on my 101 Things -list that I need to start using it and now I have. There’s already four new tweets! Anyway, I try to keep up there too from now on, so if you prefer it, follow me there. Or on Pinterest. I very much like my board for The Hottest. An example:

In and out beautiful Jennifer Lawrence

Besides the places to follow me there is now “Themes” that makes it easier to people find my so-called series. Apparently I’m not the only one who likes lists because The Best of the Best rankings are the most read posts of my blog. The ones about the TV shows were posted about a week ago and is already the fifth most read post of my blog. Guess I’m gonna wrote few more of those. I’m glad I enjoy doing lists as well. Any suggestions? What kind of rankings would you like to read and comment about? Or any other subjects you think I should write about? My readers seem to also enjoy my almost monthly (well…) updates of my life with lists that I try to carry out, so the List Lover will continue fulfill her dreams and the other goals.

At the sidebar there’s also the list of the most liked posts recently and the one that’s important to me: the other pages that I enjoy reading. I’ve ment to do that list for a while already but just haven’t gotten around it. But now it’s there! IMDb is, of course, like a Google to me and I do read The Hollywood Reporter and Rope of Silicon daily as well. And Rotten Tomatoes! I forgot that… I’ll add it there later. But yeah, check out my fave websites if you like movies, there’s a lot of good stuff. And talking about RT, anyone seen The Conjuring yet? Is it as scary as critics are saying? It has 85% Fresh score at RT.

The Liebster Award picture has been there a while and if you’re interested, by clicking it you end up reading my answers to movie related questions. I kinda like that post myself… And the last there are tags of my favourite subjects. Like Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. Or maybe travelling would be more interesting to other people or what you think? How do you like the blog so far? Or the sidebar, is it readable enough? Any bugs? I’d love to get some feedback if you have any.

I have now 47 followers. About 12 readers per day even the days when I’m not posting anything. From Finland to Guam. They’ve found me via Walt Disney’s immortal words and viewed my blog 1855 times so far. Because of them I love doing this even when I’m awfully slow (like today) and finding or editing images is taking forever, it’s definitely worth it. I promise to try to write a bit more often.

The List Lover on Holiday

Nyhavn at Copenhagen

To be honest, I’m not on a holiday anymore. But I thought I should probably  write this post before others I’ve planned, to explain why I’ve been somewhere else than here.

As I told you, I left my day job few weeks a go. It was the best decision for a while! I’m happy again. It feels unbelievably amazing to be able to feel free again. During the last six weeks, I’ve been working as a bartender that much I’m able to pay my rent, went to Prague, been participating as a volunteer to the film festivals and went to Copenhagen. I will post about the last two on next week. I’ve also been on a holiday. And it’s been fairly good summer so far weather-wise and it’s definitely been a great summer so far other wise!

My hometown Tampere on a bright summer day when we celebrated birthdays of our two friends.

As the readers that have been with me a while know, I have few challenges to accomplish. And I try to keep you updated about the task. It’s been a little while (…) since the last update (the one linked it the only one), so let’s do another.

I didn’t succeed to do anything from my Bucket List. Though Eetu, a friend of mine, came back to Finland, so I’m not going to visit him. And I also added one thing to the list. Travelling to Thailand and India. I’ve never had any interest to travel there but this spring couple of my friends travelled there and the other especially isn’t the type I would expect to like that kind of thing but she did. And the other is my ex/future-roommate and she loved it. So, I guess I need to go to check what’s the fuss. Plus I’m deadly seriously afraid of snakes, so it’s also going out of the comfort zone and that’s usually a good thing.

I didn’t watch any of the films from the IMDb-250. I think I need to have a week or a couple dedicated just for that to get it done.

I did manage to read two more books! (It’s still so unbelievably shameful how little I read…) The first one on the list (number three) was my reading for the entrance examination for the university. I applied to journalism. The fourth is the second book of the Mortal Instruments. The movie about the first part is in cinemas on 21st of August in the States and a week later in Finland. Here’s the trailer:

I also watched 15 more films for 50/50 challenge. Not much if you think it’s been seven weeks this one included. I reviewed some of the weeks and I will review the week that I spend on the film festival, the one beginning with Unbearable Lightness of Being. But it’s been kind of dry spell with the movies since Iron Man 3. Yes, I’ve watched few good or great ones but I haven’t seen a truly good new film since that one. I still need to catch the latest Star Trek, The Great Gatsby and Only God Forgives at the theatres. Have you seen any of those, which one I should absolutely see?

And then to my very favourite challenge! 100 Things in 1001 Days. The first of all, I’ll be enrolling to school on August 21st. It’s not my first option that I wanted to go but not the least either. I’ll start to studying International Business in Tampere University of Applied Sciences. I’m so excited! Let’s see if I manage to stay there. I hope so.

I volunteered at the film festival (the number 5th on the list). To be exact at Midnight Sun Film Festival in Sodankylä. It was different! And so much fun. I will be going back. With visiting to Sodankylä, I also travelled to Lapland for the first time (# 74).

The staff party after the festival. Photo by Santeri Happonen

I still want to participate to Toronto or Sundance. Preferably the former because I met so many great Canadians in Prague and Copenhagen that I want to visit their country too.

I can also mark the number 58. I started changing my wardrobe from black hoodies, jeans and t-shirts to more feminine few months ago and these days it’s mostly colours (red, green and even yellow) and mostly dresses. I love my new style, even though there’s still lot to be done.

Photo shooting session at outside, not as easy as one could imagine.

I got a bit closer to some of the tasks. I’ve been to five restaurants and three bars (#36). I also shot one of my friends with the cam (#20) to practice. I also bought a gift card for massage (#88) and made a deal to get a bike for free if I just retrieve it (#85). It’s unbelievable how “hard” it is to achieve things even when they are the simplest one. I’m happy that I have my 100-list but I do hope I manage to fulfill those easy tasks on it as well. I travelled to Lapland and took part of the film festival but I didn’t manage to pick up the bike ten minutes from my home and get it repaired?! Really? I do hope I will accomplish some of those easier goals during the next month. I will start a summer job today, it’s night shifts at gas station, five shifts on a row, then five off, I should have plenty of time to carry out my list.

I’ll leave you with the promise of writing about Midnight Sun Film Festival and Copenhagen during the next week. And with the quote I read a while ago and liked a lot.