Welcome to the first day of this year’s challenge. Since this is the second time I’m doing this challenge, it counts as a sequel right? Thus, the first category up for your consideration is your Favorite Film Sequel.
​
Unfortunately, this was also a category I used last year, and I am challenging myself to pick different films this year. That said, my favorite film sequel remains the same as last year (The Empire Strikes Back), but I’m going to “officially” pick a different film here for the sake of variety.

This year’s pick is Terminator 2: Judgement Day. While technically not my favorite sequel, this certainly ranks right near the top of the list. It is also one of the few situations where the sequel is actually better than the original film. Last year, I went back and watched both the original 1984 Terminator film and T2, and I have to say that the sequel is a step up in nearly every aspect from the original. Arnold and Linda Hamilton helped create a new world in James Cameron’s original film, but they brought us deep in the world they created with the second film. The dystopian future was still there, but flipping the script and making Arnold the protector instead of the killer was a master stroke.

Not only did the story take things to a new level, but there is the obvious facet of the effects used in the film. While they look a little dated by today’s standards, the visual effects were state of the art at the time. The film was one of the first major motion pictures to make use of computer generated effects and set the stage for the expanded use of these effects throughout the motion picture industry. Just a year later, Spielberg’s Jurassic Park would make even wider use of computer animation with the introduction of virtual dinosaurs, and any moviegoer today can see hundreds or even thousands of effects shots in a single film.

To be honest, I could have selected this film for a few categories this year including Best Coming of Age Film or Best Road Trip/Travelling Film, but I decided to stick it here to start off the month with a bang. Be sure to leave a comment with your favorite movie sequel and check back tomorrow for the next category, a Film that starts with the last letter of your last name.

Full Category List
Day 2 - Film that starts with the last letter of your last name

I was trying VERY hard to stay away from Star Wars films on this list and this is already my second one (after The Last Jedi last week) so I’ve already broken that goal. But there really is no other answer for this category. Not only is it my favorite film sequel, I think many people would argue that it is the best sequel ever made.

I know my post last week about The Last Jedi identified some problems with The Empire Strikes Back, but while they derail the recent film, Empire is still a near perfect film. For fans of the franchise, this outing accomplishes what many other films in the series tried (and failed) to do. It goes in a very dark direction, while expanding the story and the universe of the original. We have the same familiar cast of characters, but also get a new crop of fan favorites from the Jedi Master Yoda to his evil counterpart Emperor Palpatine. The story also takes us to new locales, completely different from what we had in the first film.

But all this pales in comparison with one of the greatest plot twists in cinematic history. I don’t need to flag this as a spoiler, but Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker’s father. So much has been made about this moment in film that took place now 40 years ago. The Simpson’s have referenced it when Homer and Marge’s went to see the film on a date and Homer ruined the surprise for fans waiting in line for the next showing. Many films have parodied the line including Tommy Boy, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Toy Story 2, and Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. The reveal is so pervasive in popular culture that even people who have never seen a second of a Star Wars film know the line and the situation.

The film was nominated for several Oscars and won for Best Sound Mixing, the only other film in the series to win a competitive Oscar after the original 1977 release. The film has been heralded as the best Star Wars film ever made, many referring to the darker themes explored and the fact that unlike the first film, it ends with the bad guys on top, something you usually don’t see in popular cinema.

Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back is available on Disney+.

Day 16 – A film that is personal to you | Day 18 – A film that stars your favorite actor/actress

Since I did an updated post about movies based on books yesterday, I wanted to make sure the remakes and sequels received the same attention. With so many remakes, reboots, franchises, and sequels at the box office today, I often like to see the original film(s) before checking out a new addition to a series.

Just to remind you what we're looking at here, this is a list of the films scheduled for release in Fall 2019 that fall into one of the following categories:​

• Direct sequel/prequel or part of a franchise
• Remake of a previous film
• Inspired by or based on another film
• Documentary covering a specific movie, director, or actor

Click on the titles of the films for trailers where they are available.

After doing my list of movies based on books the other day, I realized I left out a potential category of films that might need some research prior to viewing, remakes and sequels. Just like wanting to read the book before seeing the movie, I usually like to see the original version of a film if there is a remake or the first in a series if there are sequels.

So today I am posting a list of upcoming films for the winter of 2019 that fall into one of the following categories:​

• Direct sequel/prequel or part of a franchise
• Remake of a previous film
• Inspired by or based on another film

I have included trailers for those films that have trailers as of this writing. Please let me know if I missed any that you know of!