yes. this.
Read the books first, then watch the films. They aren't as great at the books, but the overall effect is much better. With the LOTR films, it's the opposite of The Hobbit films. The films are long, but they still are condensed from the books.

The second half of Two Towers is awesome: it just follows Frodo, Sam, Gollum, and gets aroundt to Shelob.

In this category, I finally read all of Alice in Wonderland, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and…

Yeah, it was in the "pretty good/okay" realm. When it happened, I questioned all of the character development from the beginning of the film. Let me be clear, the accident and the hospital scenes were excellent. The hospital scenes reminded me of being in the hospital when my brother was in a coma / in critical…

On the good end, It's a Wonderful Life is what it is because of where it takes you in the end.

I thought Million Dollar Baby was pretty good until *that* happened. After that, I thought it was an annoying movie that didn't feel justified.

See, for me it's just the opposite.

It worked for me.

I liked it a lot, but I also understood it better because I had read the book.

I agree, but his little speech to her at the diner gives the right context. He finally kinda grew up a little.

There's plenty of drama in the middle.

Inception took a little long getting to its emotional core, whereas Interstellar builds it up right from the beginning. Also, I related much more to the choices in Interstellar than in Inception. I didn't always like DiCaprio's character. I thought the film was much more about seeking resolution, but it never fully…

There is a visual motif in Requiem for a Dream that reminds me of Shell Beach in Dark City.

A lightsaber, Han's blaster, and Darth Vader's helmet.

yeah, that moment. I agree with your calling it a lampshade, though

He's not that great of a driver, though, is he? His extra long stop might be due to the fact that he has trouble working the breaks and the gas.

Yeah, I really liked those two. They were two of my favorite experiences in theaters their respective years.

This is not even a question.

Aronofsky doesn't make films that are necessarily meant to be enjoyed, but he certainly makes films that stick with you.

Wes Anderson is this case for me. Even though I wasn't thrilled by The Grand Budapest, I still was glad to be able to see it in the theaters. I've seen the last four movies of his in theaters, because I could.