ebaths | Books and Movies 2022

Last year I posted a list of all the movies I watched in 2021. I have kept an offline list (sheet of paper taped up by my kitchen) since 2018 but I was never in the habit of posting it anywhere. This year, I’m going to post my list as is, which is movies and books in a single list.

Titles with years are movies, titles with names are books. It doesn’t make sense but this is how I do it!

Cure (1997)

I thought this was absolutely wonderful. It’s so unbelievably tense, and better than anything else I’ve seen or read represents the mundanity of killing and violence in a way that is extremely unsettling.

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

This is a childhood classic for me that I picked up again. I really love it…it reminds me of the When They Cry series because you’re meant to try and solve the mystery alongside the characters.

The Conversation (1974)

I saw this in the movie theater. It was so good. The final scene with the saxophone is haunting.

Heaven Official’s Blessing by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

This was good…I felt like there was way too much “plot” and the romance/relationship between the two characters was sort of put off to the side. I like MXTX’s stories but mostly for the interesting relationships between the romantic interests…her plot lines are Fine but not interesting enough to grab me. If you like any of her other books this is worth a read. (And the English editions are so beautiful!!)

Vampire Blood Drive by Mira Ong Chua

This is a graphic novel, I liked it. Lesbian vampire comedy…what more can I say!

The Batman (2022)

I forgot that I watched this movie this year! I liked it…I remember it being really long. The cast is good.

Encanto (2021)

I enjoyed this! I think the music is better on a second (third, fourth, fifth…) listen.

Turning Red (2022)

Great fun movie. I loved the girls so much.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

I watched the movie in 2021 and felt compelled to read the book. I enjoyed it a lot despite knowing all the twists ahead of time. I really recommend it honestly.

Fire (1996)

I loved this lesbian drama! It’s about “the choices we make in life”. Heartbreaking, exciting, gorgeous.

1947 Earth (1999)

Same director as Fire. This movie is so sad and very good. I learned a lot about the partition of India which I did not know much about before.

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

I agree with [everyone] about this movie, it’s life-changing. Absolutely worth a watch. I loved Waymond. I laughed, I cried, I cringed…what more can I ask for.

Evil Dead II (1987)

This is just like the first Evil Dead! I guess I should have expected this. I like these movies mostly from a filmmaking perspective—it’s fun to watch and think about how they pulled off the effects.

Darkman (1990)

Another Sam Raimi movie. I really liked this! On one side it’s a by-the-books “superhero” origin story movie, but on the other side it’s very wacky, subverts expectations, keeps you on your toes. If you like Raimi this is a good watch.

Army of Darkness (1992)

This is my unapologetic favorite of the Evil Dead series. It’s so fun and silly.

The Machine that Kills Bad People (La Macchina Ammazzacattivi) (1952)

I enjoyed this movie. The plot is almost identical to the plot of Death Note.

Finding Christa (1991)

Very interesting and complicated short documentary film about a woman who gave up her child for adoption. I saw a clip from this years ago at a museum and forgot about it until I watched it on the Criterion Channel.

Victor/Victoria (1982)

My friend recommended this to me years and years ago (gender bending and Julie Andrews!) and I finally got around to watching it. It was soooo much better than I was expecting. An absolutely great, fun, wacky movie with a great cast.

Cloudburst (2011)

I enjoyed this movie. Two old lesbians go on the road to escape an old folk’s home. It slightly reminded me of May Sarton’s As We Are Now for this reason. My favorite character was without a doubt Prentice.

The Watermelon Woman (1996)

I adored this movie! Watch it now!!! (I should write a post about it.)

The Black Phone (2022)

I went to go see this with a friend because we saw a trailer (pre pandemic?) and thought it was going to be funny-bad. It sort of was…but also it was genuinely good. The ending is absolutely worth the price of admission. I was literally screaming in my seat in the theater (with glee).

Rafiki (2018)

I really enjoyed this movie. It was so heartbreaking but did have a bit of hope at the end. The costuming and cinematography is so colorful and gorgeous.

Saving Face (2004)

I finally watched this! I thought it was absolutely great.

The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love (1995)

I really enjoyed this. It’s sort of different…but now that I say that, I’m not sure how. I think the script has this light farcical quality to it (but it’s not a farce at all).

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell (audiobook)

This is my first audiobook in ages. I enjoyed it. It was strange…but I liked the concept.

Desert Hearts (1985)

I really enjoyed this! It is a very Classic lesbian romance but what’s wrong with that after all…

Mikey and Nicky (1976)

I saw this described as a “feel bad” movie and that is absolutely true. This movie is like watching a car crash. Absolutely horrifying performances from Peter Falk and John Cassavetes. This is the definitive movie on toxic male relationships.

Mosquita y Mari (2012)

I really liked this movie. I thought the script and performances were very realistic and enjoyable.

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan (audiobook)

I watched the movie ages ago and read this because of a friend’s recommendation. I enjoyed the book. The ending was super strangely paced.

The Arm of the Starfish by Madeleine L’Engle (audiobook)

This was good…the pacing was sort of strange (it never felt to me like the book actually “begun”, if that makes sense. It felt like it was the introduction for the first half.) I also didn’t realize that some characters were from A Wrinkle in Time until I was reading the Wikipedia page later XD…

D.E.B.S. (2004)

Campy classic. I enjoyed it a lot! Lucy Diamond forever!

Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About his Father (2008)

This is a very depressing documentary about a man who was killed and left a very young son behind. I thought it was really well made. My understanding is that the man who made it isn’t a professional filmmaker and wasn’t expecting to release this as a movie, which will give you a sense of the intimacy of the film. It was extremely good but so depressing and frustrating.

Circumstance (2011)

What a depressing movie! It’s really good though.

Intimates (1997)

I really enjoyed this movie! I feel like our copy was edited or missing scenes.

Professor Marston and the Wonder Women (2017)

I liked this! It’s a biopic about the man who created Wonder Woman and the women in his life. It has biopic syndrome (where everything kind of comes together in a very convenient way) but I enjoyed it. The same director did D.E.B.S..

Blue Period (2021)

This is actually a TV series. I watched it all in one sleepless night. I really enjoyed it, it’s about a boy who starts taking art classes and what happens to him as he gets more involved in art.

Charade (1963)

This was good! A classic lightly comedic mystery romance movie.

The Lathe of Heaven (1980)

This was one of two movies that were produced by public television for a series of sci-fi movies (unfortunately there were never more than two). I really enjoyed it! You can Feel the small budget but I think the movie does a good job of playing within it’s boundaries (so it doesn’t feel limited, but intimate). It’s a good interpretation of the book.

Get Out (2017)

I finally watched it! I should write a whole post about this. Everything I can say has already been said. The script for this movie is FLAWLESS. This would go on my list of perfect films (alongside Parasite, and that’s it).

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy (audiobook)

The memoir everyone is raving about! It’s very very good. One of the biggest things I loved about this book was how she wrote in her “child’s voice” when speaking about her childhood.

Amsterdam (2022)

I should write a post about this movie too. Amsterdam was a complete question mark. I came out of the theater questioning everything about the production behind this movie, every decision that was made. Is Amsterdam art? Or just a series of very weird and inexplicable decisions?

Rocky (1976)

An absolute classic. Rocky is great. I love when he’s on TV and calling out to his girlfriend “Hey Adrien! It’s me, Rocky!”

The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg (audiobook)

This was…good. I really liked the “present” storyline, but the “past” storyline felt a little too much like a history book.

The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande (audiobook)

I really liked this. I’ve always been a fan of lists and writing steps down, so it was really interesting to see that habit backed up by research and industry applications. It made me appreciate how complicated building architecture really is.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo (audiobook)

I’m sure everyone has already read this, but I adore this book! I’m almost done with my tidying marathon now. I think Kondo does a great job with making tidying make sense on a psychological and emotional level. I’ve gotten rid of more stuff in the last 3 months than I have in a long time. I should write a post on this…

A Distant Neighborhood by Jiro Taniguchi

This is a graphic novel about a man who wakes up in his junior high body, one year before his father abandoned his family. I liked it quite a bit. Taniguchi’s artwork is just…amazing.

All Shining in the Spring: The Story of a Baby Who Died by Siobhán Parkinson, illus. by Donald Teskey

I found this in a little free library nearby my house. It’s a picture book meant to help explain a baby’s death to a child.

Benedetta (2021)

This movie is a highly fictionalized account of a real woman who became a nun and experienced several miracles. This movie made me actually vomit. I do like the story concept though.

The Husky and his White Cat Shizun by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou

I really really liked this. The title is so awful.

Pride (2014)

Great, fun, thoughtful movie! Highly recommend.

Sparking Joy by Marie Kondo

This is the follow up to Life-Changing Magic. It was good and had some interesting tidbits about storing things.

Books and Movies 2022