PopGap: The Potluck Film Festival is Over

One hundred and thirty-one feature films, plus three short films, totalling almost 240 hours. During 11 months of 2017, The Potluck Film Fest covered movies spanning 92 years of film history and... a bunch of different countries. I don't know how many. I just watched 240 hours of movies, I'm not going go back through them and figure out where they came from. A lot. There were a lot of countries involved. Like Japan and Sweden and... who knows?

This was a (perhaps stupidly) ambitious project made possible by the 25 participants who each recommended between three and eleven movies for me to watch during the course of the year. I watched whatever they told me to watch, even when it involved disgusting sights like teenagers eating feces, a man emitting fire from his urethra, or Rory Culkin making a wig out of spaghetti. I'm never going to shake that last one. I discovered so many new favorites, kicked a few stubborn hang-ups, learned to find more positives where I least expect them, and developed a sharper sense of what I dislike and why. There were surprising hits and misses and a whole lot of provocation and beauty, as well as doorways opened to an exponentially wider universe of movies that were previously off of my radar.

Every movie entered into the Potluck Film Fest was reviewed here on Medialifecrisis.com and ranked on my Flickchart. Below is the "Hall of Fame:" the 35 movies worthy of 4-star* ratings or higher, followed by a ranked list of every single film watched as part of this project. Clicking the titles will take you to the review.

Thanks to everyone involved, even if it consisted of looking at just one of my tweets, Facebook posts, Instagrams, or a single visit to this website.

After three years of PopGap movie challenges in different formats, and close to 700 movie reviews during that time, I'll be taking a break from formal projects in 2018. I still plan to post the occasional review here and on social media, and maybe some other fun stuff about both the movies that I've been watching and the movies that I love.

(* A couple of marginal 3.5-star movies slipped in there, too.)

ALL 134 MOVIES FROM 2017'S POTLUCK FILM FESTIVAL

1. The Fall (2006)

   Dir.: Tarsem Singh
   Ranking: #200 (95.05%)
   From: Josh Haysom, PopGap #25

2. Smiles of a Summer Night (1955)

   Dir.: Ingmar Bergman
   Ranking: #218 (94.60%)
   From: Josh Haysom, PopGap #25

3. Westward the Women (1951)

   Dir.: William A. Wellman
   Ranking: #235 (94.18%)
   From: Jandy Hardesty, PopGap #34

4. A Tree Grows In Brooklyn (1945)

   Dir.: Elia Kazan
   Ranking: #364 (90.98%)
   From: Bas Van Stratum, PopGap #31

5. A Man for All Seasons (1966)

   Dir.: Fred Zinnemann
   Ranking: #425 (89.47%)
   From: Andrew Kendall, PopGap #25

6. Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)

   Dir.: Mervyn LeRoy
   Ranking: #475 (88.23%)
   From: Dan Kocher, PopGap #24

7. Early Summer (1951)

   Dir.: Yasujirô Ozu
   Ranking: #512 (87.32%)
   From: Bas Van Stratum, PopGap #31

8. Underground (1995)

   Dir.: Emir Kusturica
   Ranking: #516 (87.22%)
   From: Nick Dallas, PopGap #32

9. Winter Sleep (2014)

   Dir.: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
   Ranking: #530 (86.87%)
   From: Wade McCormick, PopGap #35

10. The Man Who Loved Women (1977)

    Dir.: François Truffaut
    Ranking: #549 (86.40%)
    From: Grant Douglas Bromley, PopGap #27

11. Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975)

    Dir.: Pier Paolo Pasolini
    Ranking: #551 (86.35%)
    From: Grant Douglas Bromley, PopGap #27

12. Osama (2003)

    Dir.: Siddiq Barmak
    Ranking: #553 (86.30%)
    From: Mike Seaman, PopGap #28

13. Santa Sangre (1989)

    Dir.: Alejandro Jodorowsky
    Ranking: #554 (86.28%)
    From: Alan Ryman, PopGap #30

14. Le Cercle Rouge (1970)

    Dir.: Jean-Pierre Melville
    Ranking: #556 (86.23%)
    From: Josh Haysom, PopGap #25

15. Lone Star (1996)

    Dir.: John Sayles
    Ranking: #562 (86.08%)
    From: Josh Haysom, PopGap #25

16. Come Drink With Me (1966)

    Dir.: King Hu
    Ranking: #578 (85.68%)
    From: Rick Winters, PopGap #26

17. Much Ado About Nothing (2012)

    Dir.: Joss Whedon
    Ranking: #607 (84.96%)
    From: Rachel Gilbert, PopGap #28

18. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969)

    Dir.: Ronald Neame
    Ranking: #616 (84.74%)
    From: David Conrad, PopGap #29

19. Mildred Pierce (1945)

    Dir.: Michael Curtiz
    Ranking: #629 (84.42%)
    From: Alex Christian Lovendahl, PopGap #32

20. Le Million (1931)

    Dir.: René Clair
    Ranking: #711 (82.39%)
    From: Ben Shoemaker, PopGap #27

21. A Heart in Winter (1992)

    Dir.: Claude Sautet
    Ranking: #712 (82.36%)
    From: Bas Van Stratum, PopGap #31

22. Murmur of the Heart (1971)

    Dir.: Louis Malle
    Ranking: #740 (81.67%)
    From: Mike Seaman, PopGap #28

23. Night of the Juggler (1980)

    Dir.: Robert Butler
    Ranking: #751 (81.40%)
    From: Mike Russell, PopGap #30

24. In the Line of Duty 4 (1989)

    Dir.: Woo-ping Yuen
    Ranking: #758 (81.22%)
    From: Tory Kluender, PopGap #26

25. Branded to Kill (1967)

    Dir.: Seijun Suzuki
    Ranking: #767 (81.00%)
    From: Dan Kocher, PopGap #24

26. Artists and Models (1955)

    Dir.: Frank Tashlin
    Ranking: #774 (80.83%)
    From: Dan Kocher, PopGap #24

27. Empire of the Sun (1987)

    Dir.: Steven Spielberg
    Ranking: #775 (80.80%)
    From: Nathan Chase, PopGap #31

28. Irreversible (2002)

    Dir.: Gaspar Noé
    Ranking: #778 (80.73%)
    From: Wade McCormick, PopGap #35

29. Heroes of the East (1978)

    Dir.: Chia-Liang Liu
    Ranking: #795 (80.31%)
    From: Rick Winters, PopGap #26

30. Good Bye Lenin! (2003)

    Dir.: Wolfgang Becker
    Ranking: #808 (79.99%)
    From: Ben Shoemaker, PopGap #27

31. The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982)

    Dir.: Colin Higgins
    Ranking: #809 (79.96%)
    From: David Conrad, PopGap #29

32. Breaker Morant (1980)

    Dir.: Bruce Beresford
    Ranking: #815 (79.81%)
    From: David Conrad, PopGap #29

33. Meshes of the Afternoon (1943)

    Dir.: Maya Deren, Alexander Hammid
    Ranking: #843 (79.12%)
    From: Mike Seaman, PopGap #28

34. Spellbound (2002)

    Dir.: Jeffrey Blitz
    Ranking: #875 (78.33%)
    From: Hannah Keefer, PopGap #24

35. Pontypool (2008)

    Dir.: Bruce McDonald
    Ranking: #917 (77.29%)
    From: Nathan Chase, PopGap #31

36. Love Affair; or the Case of the Missing Switchboard Operator (1967)

    Dir.: Dusan Makavejev
    Ranking: #939 (76.74%)
    From: Dan Kocher, PopGap #24

37. The Only Son (1936)

    Dir.: Yasujirô Ozu
    Ranking: #948 (76.52%)
    From: Alex Christian Lovendahl, PopGap #32

38. From Russia With Love (1963)

    Dir.: Terence Young
    Ranking: #950 (76.47%)
    From: Nigel Druitt, PopGap #25

39. Rosetta (1999)

    Dir.: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne
    Ranking: #959 (76.24%)
    From: Mike Seaman, PopGap #28

40. One-Eyed Jacks (1961)

    Dir.: Marlon Brando
    Ranking: #965 (76.10%)
    From: David Conrad, PopGap #29

41. Tomboy (2011)

    Dir.: Céline Sciamma
    Ranking: #972 (75.92%)
    From: Rachel Gilbert, PopGap #28

42. Autumn Sonata (1978)

    Dir.: Ingmar Bergman
    Ranking: #982 (75.68%)
    From: Wade McCormick, PopGap #35

43. Jailhouse Rock (1957)

    Dir.: Richard Thorpe
    Ranking: #994 (75.38%)
    From: Connor Ryan Adamson, PopGap #35

44. The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)

    Dir.: Vincente Minnelli
    Ranking: #997 (75.30%)
    From: Grant Douglas Bromley, PopGap #27

45. The Odd Couple (1968)

    Dir.: Gene Saks
    Ranking: #1003 (75.15%)
    From: Ty Tag, PopGap #25

46. This is Not a Film (2011)

    Dir.: Mojtaba Mirtahmasb, Jafar Panahi
    Ranking: #1004 (75.13%)
    From: Jandy Hardesty, PopGap #34

47. The Seven Year Itch (1955)

    Dir.: Billy Wilder
    Ranking: #1008 (75.03%)
    From: Connor Ryan Adamson, PopGap #35

48. Lady for a Day (1933)

    Dir.: Frank Capra
    Ranking: #1011 (74.96%)
    From: Jandy Hardesty, PopGap #34

49. All is Lost (2013)

    Dir.: J.C. Chandor
    Ranking: #1019 (74.76%)
    From: Nigel Druitt, PopGap #34

50. Detour (1945)

    Dir.: Edgar G. Ulmer
    Ranking: #1032 (74.44%)
    From: Ben Shoemaker, PopGap #27

51. The Proposition (2005)

    Dir.: John Hillcoat
    Ranking: #1047 (74.06%)
    From: Alan Ryman, PopGap #30

52. Un chien andalou (1929)

    Dir.: Luis Buñuel
    Ranking: #1057 (73.82%)
    From: Mike Seaman, PopGap #28

53. Safety Last! (1923)

    Dir.: Fred C. Newmeyer, Sam Taylor
    Ranking: #1058 (73.79%)
    From: Josh Haysom, PopGap #25

54. Fish Story (2009)

    Dir.: Yoshihiro Nakamura
    Ranking: #1062 (73.69%)
    From: Nick Dallas, PopGap #32

55. Rescue Dawn (2006)

    Dir.: Werner Herzog
    Ranking: #1063 (73.67%)
    From: Nigel Druitt, PopGap #26

56. The Merry Widow (1925)

    Dir.: Erich von Stroheim
    Ranking: #1064 (73.64%)
    From: Dan Kocher, PopGap #24

57. Bad Santa (2003)

    Dir.: Terry Zwigoff
    Ranking: #1078 (73.30%)
    From: Nigel Druitt, PopGap #35

58. The Mission (1999)

    Dir.: Johnnie To
    Ranking: #1079 (73.27%)
    From: Tory Kluender, PopGap #26

59. Matewan (1987)

    Dir.: John Sayles
    Ranking: #1101 (72.73%)
    From: Ben Shoemaker, PopGap #27

60. Bad Boys (1983)

    Dir.: Rick Rosenthal
    Ranking: #1105 (72.63%)
    From: Ty Tag, PopGap #34

61. Samurai Rebellion (1967)

    Dir.: Masaki Kobayashi
    Ranking: #1108 (72.55%)
    From: Rick Winters, PopGap #26

62. Sleuth (1972)

    Dir.: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
    Ranking: #1156 (71.36%)
    From: Hannah Keefer, PopGap #24

63. Behind the Candelabra (2013)

    Dir.: Steven Soderbergh
    Ranking: #1167 (71.09%)
    From: Alex Christian Lovendahl, PopGap #32

64. F for Fake (1973)

    Dir.: Orson Welles
    Ranking: #1295 (67.92%)
    From: Alex Christian Lovendahl, PopGap #32

65. World's Greatest Dad (2009)

    Dir.: Bobcat Goldthwait
    Ranking: #1316 (67.40%)
    From: Nigel Druitt, PopGap #32

66. Martyrs (2008)

    Dir.: Pascal Laugier
    Ranking: #1326 (67.15%)
    From: Ryan Swinimer, PopGap #29

67. The Big Clock (1948)

    Dir.: John Farrow
    Ranking: #1335 (66.93%)
    From: Bas Van Stratum, PopGap #31

68. Detroit Rock City (1999)

    Dir.: Adam Rifkin
    Ranking: #1342 (66.76%)
    From: Ryan Swinimer, PopGap #29

69. Pariah (2011)

    Dir.: Dee Rees
    Ranking: #1346 (66.66%)
    From: Rachel Gilbert, PopGap #28

70. The Trial (1962)

    Dir.: Orson Welles
    Ranking: #1366 (66.16%)
    From: Rachel Gilbert, PopGap #28

71. Marwencol (2010)

    Dir.: Jeff Malmberg
    Ranking: #1412 (65.02%)
    From: Nick Dallas, PopGap #32

72. Who Wants to Kill Jessie? (1966)

    Dir.: Václav Vorlícek
    Ranking: #1414 (64.97%)
    From: Rachel Gilbert, PopGap #28

73. Outer Space (1999)

    Dir.: Peter Tscherkassky
    Ranking: #1416 (64.92%)
    From: Mike Seaman, PopGap #28

74. The Woman (2011)

    Dir.: Lucky McKee
    Ranking: #1420 (64.83%)
    From: Ryan Swinimer, PopGap #29

75. Ordet (1955)

    Dir.: Carl Theodor Dreyer
    Ranking: #1442 (64.28%)
    From: Hannah Keefer, PopGap #24

76. Dick Tracy (1990)

    Dir.: Warren Beatty
    Ranking: #1472 (63.54%)
    From: Ryan Hope, PopGap #34

77. Au Hasard Balthazar (1966)

    Dir.: Robert Bresson
    Ranking: #1526 (62.20%)
    From: Wade McCormick, PopGap #35

78. Alfie (1966)

    Dir.: Lewis Gilbert
    Ranking: #1533 (62.03%)
    From: Ryan Hope, PopGap #34

79. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006)

    Dir.: Scott Glosserman
    Ranking: #1547 (61.68%)
    From: Ryan Swinimer, PopGap #29

80. Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man (1976)

    Dir.: Ruggero Deodato
    Ranking: #1579 (60.89%)
    From: Mike Russell, PopGap #30

81. Dead Man's Shoes (2004)

    Dir.: Shane Meadows
    Ranking: #1580 (60.86%)
    From: Nick Dallas, PopGap #32

82. Taxidermia (2006)

    Dir.: György Pálfi
    Ranking: #1599 (60.39%)
    From: Wade McCormick, PopGap #35

83. Footlight Parade (1933)

    Dir.: Lloyd Bacon
    Ranking: #1692 (58.09%)
    From: Nathan Chase, PopGap #31

84. Timecrimes (2007)

    Dir.: Nacho Vigalondo
    Ranking: #1696 (57.99%)
    From: Nathan Chase, PopGap #31

85. Lavender Hill Mob (1951)

    Dir.: Charles Crichton
    Ranking: #1790 (55.66%)
    From: Ryan Hope, PopGap #34

86. Odd Thomas (2013)

    Dir.: Stephen Sommers
    Ranking: #1792 (55.61%)
    From: Nick Dallas, PopGap #32

87. Dark of the Sun (1968)

    Dir.: Jack Cardiff
    Ranking: #1827 (54.74%)
    From: Mike Russell, PopGap #30

88. Goldfinger (1964)

    Dir.: Guy Hamilton
    Ranking: #1836 (54.52%)
    From: Connor Ryan Adamson, PopGap #35

89. Rush Hour (1998)

    Dir.: Brett Ratner
    Ranking: #1858 (53.98%)
    From: Andrew Kendall, PopGap #25

90. Tetsuo, the Iron Man (1989)

    Dir.: Shinya Tsukamoto
    Ranking: #1868 (53.73%)
    From: Alan Ryman, PopGap #30

91. The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979)

    Dir.: Rainer Werner Fassbinder
    Ranking: #1874 (53.58%)
    From: Grant Douglas Bromley, PopGap #27

92. Whale Rider (2002)

    Dir.: Niki Caro
    Ranking: #1884 (53.33%)
    From: Bas Van Stratum, PopGap #31

93. Kung Fu Jungle (2014)

    Dir.: Teddy Chan
    Ranking: #1891 (53.16%)
    From: Rick Winters, PopGap #26

94. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (1990)

    Dir.: Tom Stoppard
    Ranking: #1921 (52.42%)
    From: Ben Shoemaker, PopGap #27

95. City on Fire (1987)

    Dir.: Ringo Lam
    Ranking: #1932 (52.14%)
    From: Tory Kluender, PopGap #26

96. Girl Shy (1924)

    Dir.: Fred C. Newmeyer, Sam Taylor
    Ranking: #1994 (50.61%)
    From: Jandy Hardesty, PopGap #34

97. Upside Down (2012)

    Dir.: Juan Diego Solanas
    Ranking: #2009 (50.24%)
    From: Andrew Kendall, PopGap #25

98. The Rocketeer (1991)

    Dir.: Joe Johnston
    Ranking: #2020 (49.96%)
    From: Nigel Druitt, PopGap #30

99. ABBA: The Movie (1977)

    Dir.: Lasse Hallström
    Ranking: #2028 (49.76%)
    From: Pat Nachtigall, PopGap #30

100. Wild Things (1998)

     Dir.: John McNaughton
     Ranking: #2030 (49.72%)
     From: Nigel Druitt, PopGap #27

101. Make Way for Tomorrow (1937)

     Dir.: Leo McCarey
     Ranking: #2040 (49.47%)
     From: Ryan Hope, PopGap #34

102. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006)

     Dir.: Tom Tykwer
     Ranking: #2042 (49.42%)
     From: Nathan Chase, PopGap #31

103. The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete (2013)

     Dir.: George Tillman Jr.
     Ranking: #2063 (48.90%)
     From: Ty Tag, PopGap #31

104. Following (1998)

     Dir.: Christopher Nolan
     Ranking: #2065 (48.85%)
     From: Connor Ryan Adamson, PopGap #35

105. The Court Jester (1956)

     Dir.: Melvin Frank, Norman Panama
     Ranking: #2069 (48.75%)
     From: Hannah Keefer, PopGap #24

106. Mary and Max (2009)

     Dir.: Adam Elliot
     Ranking: #2084 (48.38%)
     From: Ryan Swinimer, PopGap #29

107. The Disappearance of Alice Creed (2009)

     Dir.: J Blakeson
     Ranking: #2098 (48.03%)
     From: Nigel Druitt, PopGap #28

108. Miracles (1989)

     Dir.: Jackie Chan
     Ranking: #2105 (47.86%)
     From: Tory Kluender, PopGap #26

109. The Beaver (2011)

     Dir.: Jodie Foster
     Ranking: #2106 (47.83%)
     From: Nigel Druitt, PopGap #24

110. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

     Dir.: Charles Barton
     Ranking: #2131 (47.21%)
     From: Ty Tag, PopGap #24

111. Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)

     Dir.: Jim Jarmusch
     Ranking: #2146 (46.84%)
     From: Alex Christian Lovendahl, PopGap #32

112. Speed Racer (2008)

     Dir.: The Wachowskis
     Ranking: #2149 (46.77%)
     From: Andrew Kendall, PopGap #25

113. Visible Secret (2001)

     Dir.: Ann Hui
     Ranking: #2174 (46.15%)
     From: Rick Winters, PopGap #26

114. Diary of a Shinjuku Thief (1969)

     Dir.: Nagisa Ôshima
     Ranking: #2277 (43.60%)
     From: Grant Douglas Bromley, PopGap #27

115. About Time (2013)

     Dir.: Richard Curtis
     Ranking: #2298 (43.08%)
     From: Ty Tag, PopGap #30

116. Radioland Murders (1994)

     Dir.: Mel Smith
     Ranking: #2384 (40.95%)
     From: Mike Seaman, PopGap #28

117. Black Mountain Poets (2015)

     Dir.: Jamie Adams
     Ranking: #2438 (39.61%)
     From: David Conrad, PopGap #29

118. Exiled (2006)

     Dir.: Johnnie To
     Ranking: #2507 (37.90%)
     From: Mike Russell, PopGap #30

119. The Imitation Game (2014)

     Dir.: Morten Tyldum
     Ranking: #2510 (37.83%)
     From: Pat Nachtigall, PopGap #30

120. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)

     Dir.: Garth Jennings
     Ranking: #2521 (37.55%)
     From: Ty Tag, PopGap #28

121. Angels in America (2003)

     Dir.: Mike Nichols
     Ranking: #2566 (36.44%)
     From: Hannah Keefer, PopGap #24

122. Flight (2012)

     Dir.: Robert Zemeckis
     Ranking: #2616 (35.20%)
     From: Nigel Druitt, PopGap #31

123. Mr. Nobody (2009)

     Dir.: Jaco van Dormael
     Ranking: #2749 (31.90%)
     From: Jandy Hardesty, PopGap #34

124. The Flowers of War (2011)

     Dir.: Yimou Zhang
     Ranking: #2784 (31.04%)
     From: Ty Tag, PopGap #26

125. The Great Gatsby (2013)

     Dir.: Baz Luhrmann
     Ranking: #2846 (29.50%)
     From: Andrew Kendall, PopGap #25

126. Sergeant York (1941)

     Dir.: Howard Hawks
     Ranking: #2847 (29.48%)
     From: Ryan Hope, PopGap #34

127. Finder's Fee (2001)

     Dir.: Jeff Probst
     Ranking: #2954 (26.83%)
     From: Ty Tag, PopGap #27

128. Savages (2012)

     Dir.: Oliver Stone
     Ranking: #3072 (23.90%)
     From: Pat Nachtigall, PopGap #30

129. Time and Tide (2000)

     Dir.: Hark Tsui
     Ranking: #3098 (23.26%)
     From: Tory Kluender, PopGap #26

130. Road to Perdition (2002)

     Dir.: Sam Mendes
     Ranking: #3138 (22.27%)
     From: Ty Tag, PopGap #32

131. The Voices (2014)

     Dir.: Marjane Satrapi
     Ranking: #3176 (21.33%)
     From: Nigel Druitt, PopGap #29

132. The Mothman Prophecies (2002)

     Dir.: Mark Pellington
     Ranking: #3453 (14.47%)
     From: Connor Ryan Adamson, PopGap #35

133. A Simple Plan (1998)

     Dir.: Sam Raimi
     Ranking: #3511 (13.03%)
     From: Ty Tag, PopGap #29

134. The Mighty (1998)

     Dir.: Peter Chelsom
     Ranking: #3695 (8.47%)
     From: Ty Tag, PopGap #35