Civilian 2021 Wrap-Up and Year-End Stats!

And we’re back!

Having addressed the horror genre in the previous entry (hey, this is HORROR 101 after all), it’s now time to give the civilian flicks a moment in the sun. As always, the titles listed were encountered for the first time from January 1 to December 31, 2021 (i.e. no repeat viewings were eligible), with top picks denoted with an asterisk. (*)

It's a time of reflection, you see. Get it? Mirror? Reflection? Anyway....

Anyone who was paying attention (and odds are you weren't, given that there was plenty going on in the world), it was not business as usual this year at the Doc’s office. In fact, one could argue that there was barely any business at all. I initially attributed it to the fact that I was selected to serve on the 2021 SAG Awards Nominating Committee and, as is the way with such awards, there was very little consideration given to the shocking and the scary. By the end of January, I had watched two, count ’em, two fright flicks vs. 50+ Civilian views and I confess, I felt a bit conflicted taking up that much time and space reviewing a bunch of awards bait for a site supposedly devoted to horror. So I did what any normal human being would do….

I totally bailed.

"Class Act, Doc."

Reasons, Justifications, Excuses, and Denial followed, and ultimately, it doesn’t really matter. The end result was that with the exception of a few screener reviews and the annual October Challenge, 2021 was all tumbleweeds and dust in terms of marrying fingers and keyboard in service of capturing thoughts regarding the moving image. However, behind the scenes, I was still viddying the viddies.

And not bathing much.

As things drew to a close, I debated and ultimately decided to perform the annual ritual of recapping and for that I am glad. It allowed a sense of closure for an unusual period, as well as a welcome stroll down memory lane. I’d been engaging in my usual practice of various actor/director “projects” and it was fun to see the final tallies for artists as varied as Paul Verhoeven, Lucio Fulci, Martin Scorsese, and Olaf Ittenbach behind the camera and everyone from Paul Naschy to Robert Duvall before it, including follow-ups to last year’s June-Claude Van Damme and Sly in July. I hope you find some interesting titles and trends along the way as well.

"You know, this guy can really talk."

Let the madness begin!!!

FAVORITE CIVILIAN FILMS OF 2020/2021

Ammonite
The Devil All the Time
Emma.
The Father
I Care a Lot
Minari (*)
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
The Outpost
Promising Young Woman (*)
The White Tiger
Wild Mountain Thyme

HONORABLE MENTION:

Another Round
Judas and the Black Messiah
King of Staten Island
Land
Palm Springs
Penguin Bloom
The Personal History of David Copperfield
Pieces of a Woman
Randy Feltface: Purple Privilege
Supernova
The United States vs. Billie Holiday

MIXED BAGS:

Da 5 Bloods
Ma Rainy’s Black Bottom
Wonder Woman 1984

TOP CIVILIAN DISCOVERIES (First Time Views released before 2020)

Black Book (2006)
Blond, Blue Eyes (2006)
The Bouncer (2018)
Elle (2016)
Get Carter (1971)
Kontroll (2003)
The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot (2018)
Shade (2003)
The Super Cops (1974) (*)
Tomorrow (1972)
Turkish Delight (1973) (*)
You Don’t Nomi (2019)

HONORABLE MENTION:

The Blood of Heroes (1989)
Tomorrow, the World! (1944)
I Want My MTV (2019)
Farewell, My Lovely (1975)
Sudden Death (1995)
Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru (2016)
Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice (2019)
Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came? (1970)

GAHHHHHHHHH

The Assignment (2016)

WHAT THE $$#@%&$% DID I JUST WATCH??? (CIVILIAN EDITION)

Blind Fury (1989)




2021 Totals: 383 films, 198 first time views, 115 horror, 5 cinema

(2020 Totals: 434, 260, 148, 2)
(2019 Totals: 467, 222, 247, 41)
(2018 Totals 346, 211, 173, 41)
(2017 Totals: 251, 179, 111, 52)
(2016 Totals: 272, 183, 131, 31)
(2015 Totals: 352, 190, 224, 41)
(2014 Totals: 399, 203, 251, 48)
(2013 Totals: 306, 240, 185, 69)
(2012 Totals: 607, 520, 362, 166)
(2011 Totals: 640, 419, 355, 59)
(2010 Totals: 364, 253, 242, 45)
(2009 Totals: 472, 276, 289, 38)
(2008 Totals: 384, 278, 226, 39)
(2007 Totals: 409, 284, 260, 40)

SEEING DOUBLE (so nice we watched ’em twice)

City of the Living Dead
First Blood
Promising Young Woman
Shaun of the Dead

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Apostle/The Apostle
Driven/The Driver
Falling/Falling Down
Get Carter (1971, 2000)
A Star is Born (1937, 1954, 1976, 2018)
Tomorrow/Tomorrow, the World!

GOING FULL FRANCHISE:

Hammer Dracula (8 films)
Hammer Frankenstein (7 films)
Rocky (6 films)
Rambo (5 films)

THEY COME IN TWOS

Another 48 Hrs., Beyond Skyline, Birdemic 2: The Resurrection, Cold Prey II, Day Watch, Doctor Sleep, Dracula: Prince of Darkness, Escape Plan II: Hades, Grizzly II: Revenge, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, House II: The Second Story, Rambo: First Blood Part Two, The Revenge of Frankenstein, Rocky II, The Tagalong 2, xXx: State of the Union, Wonder Woman 1984

DOCUMENTARIES (22)

13th (2016)
685 Miles to Wausau: The Making of Dead Weight (2012)
Blond, Blue Eyes (2006)
Blood into Wine (2010)
Clarence Clemons: Who Do I Think I Am (2019)
The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing (2004)
Haunters: The Art of the Scare (2017)
I Want My MTV (2019)
Jim and Andy: The Great Beyond (2017)
Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist (2019)
Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice (2019)
Pearl Jam Twenty (2011)
The Queen of Versailles (2012)
Steve McQueen: The Essence of Cool (2005)
Surviving Gilligan’s Island (2001)
Tales of the Uncanny (2020)
They Came from the Swamp: The Films of William Grefe (2016)
Think and Grow Rich (2017)
Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru (2016)
Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (2018)
You Don’t Nomi (2019)
You Laugh But It’s True (2011)

MOST WATCHED DIRECTORS:

14
Paul Verhoeven (Flesh + Blood, Turkish Delight, Spetters, Keetje Tippel, Soldier of Orange, Showgirls, Basic Instinct, Hollow Man, Elle, Black Book, The Fourth Man, Starship Troopers, Total Recall, RoboCop)

10
Walter Hill (Geronimo: An American Legend, Another 48 Hrs, Undisputed, The Long Riders, Red Heat, The Assignment, Last Man Standing, Streets of Fire, Extreme Prejudice, The Driver)

8
Terence Fisher (The Curse of Frankenstein, Horror of Dracula, The Revenge of Frankenstein, Frankenstein Created Woman, Dracula: Prince of Darkness, The Gorgon, Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed, Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell)

Lucio Fulci (City of the Living Dead, The Beyond, The House by the Cemetery, Beatrice Cenci, One on Top of the Other, Aenigma, The Sweet House of Horrors, Don’t Torture a Duckling)

5
Sylvester Stallone (Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky IV, Rocky Balboa, Rambo)

4
William Grefe (Whiskey Mountain, Sting of Death, Death Curse of Tartu, Mako: The Jaws of Death)

Martin Scorsese (Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Casino, The Departed)

3
Olaf Ittenbach (Black Past, Burning Moon, No Reason)

2
John G. Avildsen: (Rocky, Rocky V)
Timur Bekmambetov (Night Watch, Day Watch)
George A. Cosmatos (Cobra, Rambo: First Blood Part Two)
Richard Donner (Ladyhawke, Assassins)
Robert Duvall (The Apostle, Assassination Tango)
John Flynn (The Outfit, Lock Up)
Freddie Francis (The Evil of Frankenstein, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave)
Alan Gibson (Dracula A.D. 1972, The Satanic Rites of Dracula)
William Girdler (Grizzly, Day of the Animals)
Christopher Guest (Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show)
Ringo Lam (In Hell, Replicant)
Rod Lurie (The Contender, The Outpost)
Dick Maas (Amsterdamned, Uncaged)
John McTiernan (The Hunt for Red October, Die Hard)
Paul Naschy (Night of the Werewolf, Human Beasts)
Roman Polanski (Death and the Maiden, Bitter Moon)
Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Blade Runner)
Shinya Tsukamoto (Tetsuo The Bullet Man, Hiruko the Goblin)
Ram Gopal Varma (Bhoot, Climax)
Peter Weir (Dead Poet’s Society, Witness)
Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz)

MOST WATCHED ACTORS:

Sylvester Stallone: 30
Death Race 2000, Driven, Victory, Assassins, Daylight, Demolition Man, Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky IV, Rocky V, Rocky Balboa, Judge Dredd, Tango & Cash, Spy Kids 3: Game Over, The Specialist, Get Carter, Shade, Lock Up, First Blood (x2), Rambo: First Blood Part Two, Rambo III, Antz, Rambo, Cobra, Rambo: Last Blood, Farewell My Lovely, Escape Plan 2: Hades, Escape Plan: The Extractors, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Robert Duvall: 14
Falling Down, Secondhand Lions, Bullitt, True Confessions, The Outfit, Tender Mercies, The Great Santini, Geronimo: An American Legend, The Apostle, Assassination Tango, Open Range, A Civil Action, Colors, Tomorrow

Rutger Hauer: 14
Flesh + Blood, Turkish Delight, Spetters, Keetje Tippel, Soldier of Orange, The Hitcher, Split Second, Omega Doom, The Blood of Heroes, Blonde Blue Eyes, Blade Runner, Ladyhawke, Blind Fury, The Legend of the Holy Drinker

Peter Cushing: 11
The Curse of Frankenstein, Revenge of Frankenstein, Horror of Dracula, Evil of Frankenstein, Frankenstein Created Woman, Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed, Dracula A.D. 1972, Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell, The Satanic Rites of Dracula, The Gorgon, The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires

Sam Elliott: 9
Ghost Rider, I Will Fight No More Forever, The Contender, The Hero, Prancer, The Man Who Killed Hitler and then the Bigfoot, Mask, The Company You Keep, Gettysburg, A Star is Born

Christopher Lee: 8
Curse of Frankenstein, Horror of Dracula, Dracula Prince of Darkness, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave, Taste the Blood of Dracula, Dracula A.D. 1972, The Satanic Rites of Dracula, The Gorgon

Christopher George: 7
Whiskey Mountain, City of the Living Dead (x2), Grizzly, Day of the Animals, Cruise into Terror, I Escaped from Devil’s Island, Mortuary

Jean-Claude Van Damme: 7
Death Warrant, Replicant, Sudden Death, Double Impact, In Hell, The Bouncer, Street Fighter

Robert De Niro: 6
The Deer Hunter, Bloody Mama, True Confessions, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Casino

Sharon Stone: 5
Basic Instinct, Antz, The Specialist, Total Recall, Casino

Brion James: 5
Blade Runner, Another 48 Hrs., Tango & Cash, Red Heat, Flesh + Blood

Kurt Russell: 5
The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit, The Strongest Man in the World, Now You See Him Now You Don’t, Tango & Cash, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Paul Naschy: 4
Human Beasts, Night of the Werewolf, The Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll, A Dragonfly for Each Corpse

Joe Pesci: 4
My Cousin Vinny, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Casino

Robert Redford: 4
The Old Man and the Gun, The Company You Keep, Little Fauss and Big Halsey, Havana

Sigourney Weaver: 4
Death and the Maiden, Copycat, The Cabin in the Woods, The Assignment

Michael Caine: 3
Get Carter, Get Carter, Secondhand Lions

Christopher Walken: 3
The Deer Hunter, Last Man Standing, The Dead Zone




LONGEST STREAK OF SEEING MOVIES FROM EACH YEAR:
1953-1964, 1966-2021 (oh, 1965, we hardly knew ye...)




GOING A-Z
Aftermath
The Banker
Claws
Driveways
Eve’s Bayou
First Reformed
Greyhound
Hostile
In the Cut
Jojo Rabbit
Kajillionaire
Looking for Mr. Goodbar
A Monstrous Corpse
News of the World
Office Space
Paris, J’Taime
The Queen of Versailles
Reality Bites
Siege
The Terror Within
The United States vs. Billie Holiday
Virus
Wrath of Daimajin
xXx: State of the Union
Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key
Zaat

EARLIEST FILM WATCHED:

The Front Page (1931)

FIRST VIEW OF 2021:

King of Staten Island

LAST VIEW OF 2021:

Won’t You Be My Neighbor?




COUNTRIES OF RECORD: 39 (Personal Best)
Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Laos, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Serbia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, UK, Uruguay, USA




VIEWINGS BY MONTH:

January – 55
February – 26
March – 14
April – 22
May – 32
June – 26
July – 33
August – 12
September – 30
October – 40
November – 36
December – 56





VIEWS BREAKDOWN BY DECADE:

1910s – 0
1920s – 0
1930s – 2
1940s – 4
1950s – 9
1960s – 21
1970s – 55
1980s – 64
1990s – 49
2000s – 39
2010s – 69
2020s – 66



That's all, folks! If you made it this far, you're clearly my kind of people. Wishing you a fantastic year and looking forward to seeing you at the movies!


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