Through 2022 I kept track of most the movies I watched. In this post I’ll talk about how I took that data and, combined with the OMDb API, used the data with Jekyll.
I’m subscribed to Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and Disney Plus. The movies I watched show a good mix of all of these services. I found that I would more often use Netflix or Disney Plus when choosing movies to watch with my wife, and Amazon Prime Video for movies that I watched on my own. I watched only one movie at the cinema (The Batman).
Each time I watched a movie, I added an entry to a list in Notion . Later on I went through the list and manually got the IMDB movie ID for each movie. I didn’t record ratings or anything, but it was interesting to me to be able to reference a list when suggesting movies to friends and family.
It looks like I didn’t watch any movies in January or October – this is probably right! In January my son was born, and in October we had a holiday.
In 2023 I’m considering tracking all of the series I watch too.
Presenting a list of movies
To put this post together I’ve used the OMDb API to gather movies details and posters. OMDb provides a simple endpoint that you can pass either a title or IMDB movie ID to and in return get a bunch of data back.
For example you can get the JSON formatted data for a specific movie using it’s IMDB movie ID and save that to a file using cURL:
curl -o _data/movies/2022/tt10298810.json -L -O "https://www.omdbapi.com/?apikey=<API KEY>&i=tt10298810"
This will give you the following:
{ "Title" : "Lightyear" , "Year" : "2022" , "Rated" : "PG" , "Released" : "17 Jun 2022" , "Runtime" : "105 min" , "Genre" : "Animation, Action, Adventure" , "Director" : "Angus MacLane" , "Writer" : "Angus MacLane, Matthew Aldrich, Jason Headley" , "Actors" : "Chris Evans, Keke Palmer, Peter Sohn" , "Plot" : "While spending years attempting to return home, marooned Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear encounters an army of ruthless robots commanded by Zurg who are attempting to steal his fuel source." , "Language" : "English" , "Country" : "United States" , "Awards" : "17 nominations" , "Poster" : "https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYTg2Zjk0ZTctM2ZmMi00MDRmLWJjOGYtNWM0YjBmZTBjMjRkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTM1MTE1NDMx._V1_SX300.jpg" , "Ratings" :[{ "Source" : "Internet Movie Database" , "Value" : "6.1/10" },{ "Source" : "Rotten Tomatoes" , "Value" : "74%" },{ "Source" : "Metacritic" , "Value" : "60/100" }], "Metascore" : "60" , "imdbRating" : "6.1" , "imdbVotes" : "107,450" , "imdbID" : "tt10298810" , "Type" : "movie" , "DVD" : "03 Aug 2022" , "BoxOffice" : "$118,291,449" , "Production" : "N/A" , "Website" : "N/A" , "Response" : "True" }
I then took that JSON into Jekyll. Outputting to the _data/movies/2022/*.json
path exposes this to Jekyll’s data like this:
site.data.movies['2022']['tt10298810']
Where you can then read the content, or access any of the properties:
site.data.movies['2022']['tt10298810'].Plot => "While spending years attempting to return home, marooned Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear encounters an army of ruthless robots commanded by Zurg who are attempting to steal his fuel source."
You can easily grab a copy of the movie poster in a similar way:
curl -o tt10298810.jpg -L -O "https://img.omdbapi.com/?apikey=<API KEY>&i=tt10298810"
I’m currently storing the list of movies and the date I watched them in a data file at _data/movies/2022/index.yml
. I loop through that list, and then pull in the further movie data from the OMDb JSON files I grabbed earlier (_data/movies/2022/*.json
). Once I had all of the movie data from OMDb I wrote a bunch of convoluted Jekyll/Liquid logic in this post to render it as you see below.
With all of the data collected I can do stuff like calculate the amount of time spent watching films in 2022 (72h 34m) 🤷♂️
Enough of the technical mumbo jumbo… Here’s the list of movies I watched in 2022:
February
The Colony (2021)
Genre: Action/Adventure/Sci-FiSet in the distant future, a female astronaut, shipwrecked on the long-decimated Earth, must decide the fate of the wasteland’s remaining populace. Internet Movie Database: 5.4/10Rotten Tomatoes: 54%Metacritic: 52/100
March
War Dogs (2016)
Genre: Biography/Comedy/CrimeLoosely based on the true story of two young men, David Packouz and Efraim Diveroli, who won a three hundred million dollar contract from the Pentagon to arm America’s allies in Afghanistan. Internet Movie Database: 7.1/10Rotten Tomatoes: 61%Metacritic: 57/100
The Batman (2022)
Genre: Action/Crime/DramaWhen a sadistic serial killer begins murdering key political figures in Gotham, Batman is forced to investigate the city’s hidden corruption and question his family’s involvement. Internet Movie Database: 7.8/10Rotten Tomatoes: 85%Metacritic: 72/100
The Adam Project (2022)
Genre: Action/Adventure/ComedyAfter accidentally crash-landing in 2022, time-traveling fighter pilot Adam Reed teams up with his 12-year-old self for a mission to save the future. Internet Movie Database: 6.7/10Rotten Tomatoes: 67%Metacritic: 55/100
The Imitation Game (2014)
Genre: Biography/Drama/ThrillerDuring World War II, the English mathematical genius Alan Turing tries to crack the German Enigma code with help from fellow mathematicians while attempting to come to terms with his troubled private life. Internet Movie Database: 8.0/10Rotten Tomatoes: 90%Metacritic: 71/100
April
Nightmare Alley (2021)
Genre: Crime/Drama/ThrillerA grifter working his way up from low-ranking carnival worker to lauded psychic medium matches wits with a psychologist bent on exposing him. Internet Movie Database: 7.0/10Rotten Tomatoes: 81%Metacritic: 70/100
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Genre: Drama/Romance/Sci-FiWhen their relationship turns sour, a couple undergoes a medical procedure to have each other erased from their memories for ever. Internet Movie Database: 8.3/10Rotten Tomatoes: 92%Metacritic: 89/100
Captain Marvel (2019)
Genre: Action/Adventure/Sci-FiCarol Danvers becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races. Internet Movie Database: 6.8/10Rotten Tomatoes: 79%Metacritic: 64/100
May
Blow the Man Down (2019)
Genre: Comedy/Crime/DramaMary Beth and Priscilla Connolly attempt to cover up a gruesome run-in with a dangerous man. To conceal their crime, the sisters must go deep into the criminal underbelly of their hometown, uncovering the town’s darkest secrets. Internet Movie Database: 6.4/10Rotten Tomatoes: 98%Metacritic: 72/100
June
Spiderhead (2022)
Genre: Action/Crime/DramaIn the near future, convicts are offered the chance to volunteer as medical subjects to shorten their sentence. One such subject for a new drug capable of generating feelings of love begins questioning the reality of his emotions. Internet Movie Database: 5.4/10Rotten Tomatoes: 39%Metacritic: 54/100
July
Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
Genre: Crime/Drama/MysteryWhen a murder occurs on the train on which he’s travelling, celebrated detective Hercule Poirot is recruited to solve the case. Internet Movie Database: 6.5/10Rotten Tomatoes: 61%Metacritic: 52/100
True Story (2015)
Genre: Biography/Crime/DramaWhen disgraced New York Times reporter Michael Finkel meets accused killer Christian Longo - who has taken on Finkel’s identity - his investigation morphs into a game of cat-and-mouse. Internet Movie Database: 6.3/10Rotten Tomatoes: 45%Metacritic: 50/100
The Bob’s Burgers Movie (2022)
Genre: Adventure/Animation/ComedyThe Belchers try to save the restaurant from closing as a sinkhole forms in front of it, while the kids try to solve a mystery that could save their family’s restaurant. Internet Movie Database: 7.0/10Rotten Tomatoes: 88%Metacritic: 75/100
August
The Gray Man (2022)
Genre: Action/ThrillerWhen the CIA’s most skilled operative, whose true identity is known to none, accidentally uncovers dark agency secrets, a psychopathic former colleague puts a bounty on his head, setting off a global manhunt by international assas… Internet Movie Database: 6.5/10Rotten Tomatoes: 46%Metacritic: 49/100
Coyote Ugly (2000)
Genre: Comedy/Drama/MusicAspiring songwriter Violet Sanford, after getting a job at a women-run NYC bar that teases its male patrons, comes out of her shell. Internet Movie Database: 5.7/10Rotten Tomatoes: 23%Metacritic: 27/100
Lightyear (2022)
Genre: Action/Adventure/AnimationWhile spending years attempting to return home, marooned Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear encounters an army of ruthless robots commanded by Zurg who are attempting to steal his fuel source. Internet Movie Database: 6.1/10Rotten Tomatoes: 74%Metacritic: 60/100
Man Up (2015)
Genre: Comedy/Drama/RomanceA single woman takes the place of a stranger’s blind date, which leads to her finding the perfect boyfriend. Internet Movie Database: 6.8/10Rotten Tomatoes: 80%Metacritic: 69/100
Monsters (2010)
Genre: Adventure/Drama/RomanceSix years after Earth has suffered an alien invasion, a cynical journalist agrees to escort a shaken American tourist through an infected zone in Mexico to the safety of the U.S. border. Internet Movie Database: 6.4/10Rotten Tomatoes: 73%Metacritic: 63/100
Samaritan (2022)
Genre: Action/Drama/FantasyA young boy learns that a superhero who was thought to have gone missing after an epic battle twenty years ago may in fact still be around. Internet Movie Database: 5.7/10Rotten Tomatoes: 38%Metacritic: 45/100
September
Licorice Pizza (2021)
Genre: Comedy/Drama/RomanceThe story of Alana Kane and Gary Valentine growing up, running around and going through the treacherous navigation of first love in the San Fernando Valley, 1973. Internet Movie Database: 7.2/10Rotten Tomatoes: 91%Metacritic: 90/100
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
Genre: Action/Adventure/ComedyA middle-aged Chinese immigrant is swept up in an insane adventure in which she alone can save existence by exploring other universes connecting with the lives she could have led. Internet Movie Database: 8.0/10Rotten Tomatoes: 95%Metacritic: 81/100
Killer Elite (2011)
Genre: Action/Crime/ThrillerWhen his mentor is taken captive by a disgraced Arab sheik, a killer-for-hire is forced into action. His mission: kill three members of Britain’s elite Special Air Service responsible for his sons’ deaths. Internet Movie Database: 6.4/10Rotten Tomatoes: 28%Metacritic: 44/100
Moonfall (2022)
Genre: Action/Adventure/Sci-FiA mysterious force knocks the moon from its orbit and sends it hurtling on a collision course toward earth. Internet Movie Database: 5.1/10Rotten Tomatoes: 36%Metacritic: 41/100
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016)
Genre: Comedy/Drama/MusicalWhen it becomes clear that his solo album is a failure, a former boy band member does everything in his power to maintain his celebrity status. Internet Movie Database: 6.7/10Rotten Tomatoes: 79%Metacritic: 68/100
How It Ends (2021)
Genre: ComedyIn this feel-good apocalyptic comedy, Liza (Zoe Lister-Jones) embarks on a hilarious journey through LA in hopes of making it to her last party before it all ends, running into an eclectic cast of characters along the way. Internet Movie Database: 5.2/10Rotten Tomatoes: 68%Metacritic: 57/100
Prospect (2018)
Genre: Adventure/Drama/Sci-FiA teenage girl and her father travel to a remote alien moon, aiming to strike it rich. They’ve secured a contract to harvest a large deposit of the elusive gems hidden in the depths of the moon’s toxic forest. But there are others… Internet Movie Database: 6.3/10Rotten Tomatoes: 89%Metacritic: 68/100
November
The Beach (2000)
Genre: Adventure/Drama/RomanceOn vacation in Thailand, Richard sets out for an island rumored to be a solitary beach paradise. Internet Movie Database: 6.6/10Rotten Tomatoes: 21%Metacritic: 43/100
Catherine Called Birdy (2022)
Genre: AdventureA 14 year old girl in medieval England navigates through life and avoiding potential suitors her father has in mind. Internet Movie Database: 6.6/10Rotten Tomatoes: 88%Metacritic: 74/100
Tenet (2020)
Genre: Action/Sci-Fi/ThrillerArmed with only one word, Tenet, and fighting for the survival of the entire world, a Protagonist journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time. Internet Movie Database: 7.3/10Rotten Tomatoes: 69%Metacritic: 69/100
December
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)
Genre: Action/Comedy/CrimeIn this action-packed comedy, Nicolas Cage plays Nick Cage, channeling his iconic characters as he’s caught between a superfan (Pedro Pascal) and a CIA agent (Tiffany Haddish). Internet Movie Database: 7.0/10Rotten Tomatoes: 87%Metacritic: 68/100
Tollbooth (2021)
Genre: Comedy/Crime/ThrillerA darkly-comic thriller about a lone toll-booth operator with a past that is fast catching up with him. Internet Movie Database: 5.7/10Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
Proximity (2020)
Genre: Drama/Sci-FiA young NASA JPL scientist is abducted by extraterrestrials, but when no one believes his story he becomes obsessed with finding proof, which leads him on a journey of discovery. Internet Movie Database: 4.8/10Metacritic: 38/100
Dave Made a Maze (2017)
Genre: Adventure/Comedy/FantasyDave, an artist who has yet to complete anything significant in his career, builds a fort in his living room out of pure frustration, only to wind up trapped by the fantastical pitfalls, booby traps, and critters of his own creation. Internet Movie Database: 6.3/10Rotten Tomatoes: 86%Metacritic: 60/100
Don’t Look Up (2021)
Genre: Comedy/Drama/Sci-FiTwo low-level astronomers must go on a giant media tour to warn humankind of an approaching comet that will destroy planet Earth. Internet Movie Database: 7.2/10Metacritic: 49/100
The Man from Earth (2007)
Genre: Drama/Fantasy/MysteryAn impromptu goodbye party for Professor John Oldman becomes a mysterious interrogation after the retiring scholar reveals to his colleagues he has a longer and stranger past than they can imagine. Internet Movie Database: 7.9/10Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
The Man from Earth: Holocene (2017)
Genre: Drama/Fantasy/Sci-FiA 14,000-year-old college professor notices that he has finally started showing signs of aging. Meanwhile, four of his students get suspicious of him and start investigating his past. Internet Movie Database: 5.2/10Rotten Tomatoes: 50%
Death on the Nile (2022)
Genre: Crime/Drama/MysteryWhile on vacation on the Nile, Hercule Poirot must investigate the murder of a young heiress. Internet Movie Database: 6.3/10Rotten Tomatoes: 62%Metacritic: 52/100
Lost in London (2017)
Genre: Comedy/DramaWithin the course of one night, Woody Harrelson finds himself in a misadventure in London that winds him up in jail. Internet Movie Database: 6.2/10Rotten Tomatoes: 75%
Amsterdam (2022)
Genre: Comedy/Drama/HistoryIn the 1930s, three friends witness a murder, are framed for it, and uncover one of the most outrageous plots in American history. Internet Movie Database: 6.1/10Rotten Tomatoes: 33%Metacritic: 48/100