Looking back at 2013... and thoughts for 2014.

So it's that time where we look back on the current year and decide whether it was good/bad. Mine has been good... in the way that nothing tragic has happened, but I'm not where I was hoping to be a year ago. Basically I can't complain but it hasn't been great. Regardless, I do have hopes for 2014. I won't bore you with my personal ones, but here are my discoveries in film and other things that I am happy with, followed by what I hope to improve on over the coming year.

2013:

• Discovered Woody Allen films - so far Hannah and her sisters is my favourite. 
• Watched Band of Brothers, Sex and the City, and North and South TV dramas in full. 
• Became a fan of Game of Thrones TV series.
• Finally read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy by JRR Tolkien after being a big fan of the films since they were first released over a decade ago. 
• Rediscovered my love for the actors Errol Flynn, Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Fredric March, and Richard Widmark. I have always loved their work but I rewatched their films recently and consider them in my list of favourite performers. 
• Became a fan of the actors Charles Boyer and Vincent Price.
• Found two actors of the present day whose upcoming films I genuinely anticipate. They are Christian Bale and Jennifer Lawrence. Both are very talented, speak beautifully, seem to focus on acting/script/film and not stardom, and have undeniable presence onscreen. 
• Attended one of the BBC Proms - Hollywood Rhapsody Night, and consequently, became a fan of the supremely gifted conductor John Wilson and his orchestra. 
• Watched The Seventh Seal for the first time. This has been on my to-watch list for years and I wasn't disappointed. It's going to need repeated viewings for me to fully understand it and be able to enjoy it properly, because my first viewing, although wonderful, I was too amazed and captivated by the film to truly comprehend it. 
• Rediscovered my love for film in general. In my final year and a half at university, it was easy to get caught-up in the immense workload and the grasp-as-much-as-you-can-of-your-student-days fever. I'm glad I did make the most of it because I'll never get those happy days back again. However, it did mean that I neglected films, especially my classics and favourites. 
• Got my YouTube channel up to date. 

2014:

• Update this blog once a week - whether it be thoughts on a new film I watched or analysis of a scene - whatever it is the blog will be active on a weekly basis. 
• Update my The Lord of the Rings blog once/twice a month.
• Expand my knowledge of classic Hollywood - read more and watch more, fill the gaps with more films, actors, directors, studies, and analysis.
• Watch more foreign films - I am really behind on the foreign front. I've never seen a Kirosawa picture (shame, yes I feel it). Recently I was added to a film forum on Facebook and it's been an eye-opener to all the films I haven't seen. Most of the members are quite a bit older than me, but still, they post about films I haven't heard of or ones I know I should have seen by now. I need to broaden my viewings.
• Watch more Hollywood silent films. I have seen only a handful, and that doesn't include Chaplin, Keaton, or Lloyd. I intend to remedy that this coming year. 
• Read the autobiographies of Errol Flynn and Gene Tierney, and the biography of Dana Andrews. Also read Truffaut's book on Hitchcock. 
• Keep up the YouTube channel and never get a year behind again. 
• Listen to more classical music. Get to know symphonies fully and explore the genre. 
• See another BBC Prom. Attend the Bath, Bristol, and BFI Film Festival. 
• Volunteer at an art gallery - learn more about art.
• Read more history books - I loved history in school and miss learning about it. 

Obviously I have more personal goals involving friends, health, career, and places to visit - enjoying life and living it to the full blah blah blah - but they're not relative to this blog. I doubt anyone will read this and if anyone does read it then I'm sure they'll want their 5 minutes back. But I thought I would post it anyway.

I am sorry for the lack of activity on this blog. I hope that by Spring 2014, I will have gathered a good pace on this blog. I wish you all the best for the new year.