Official <400 Checks Challenge - August 2019

[maxwelldeux]

<400 Checks Challenge



Goal:
Watch as many films with fewer than 400 checks on ICM as you can!

Challenge runs 1 August 2019 - 31 August 2019.

Rules:
- Rewatches allowed.
- A feature film (at least 40 min) counts as one entry.
- A total of 60 minutes of short films count as one entry.
- To qualify for the challenge, you must list the number of checks the film has, including your check. 399 or fewer, including your check, qualifies. Films with 400+ checks are ineligible.
- If you're not an ICM user, add one (1) to the number of checks listed when you report here.
- For mini-series, individual episodes may count if the series page has <400 checks; report the check count for the overall series.
- No TV series this challenge.

Stats & Formatting:
- Title (year) #Checks is the preferred format (Include your check in the total)
- New posts are preferred over edited posts
- I'll be tracking years and checks with this challenge
- Link to ICM import: https://beta.icheckmovies.com/import/movies/

Side Challenge: The Ultra-Obscurity Challenge!
Goal: Watch films with the fewest checks possible - the person with the lowest average number of checks on films watched wins!

Scoring: I'm going to use an Adjusted Average; this to account for averages based on small sample sizes (e.g., should a person who watches only one film, but was the first person to check it, win?). Basically, everyone starts out with five watches with 400 checks each (this only applies to the scoring for the side challenge). Each time you watch a film, your average is recalculated based on those 5 watches with 400 checks, plus the check counts for whatever films you've watched for this challenge. Note that shorts and features will be treated equally for this side challenge.

Example MathShow

(Remember, 400 + 400 + 400 + 400 + 400 = 5*400 = 2000)

Example 1a: ABC has watched their first film, and was the 50th check on it.

(2000 + 50)/(5 + 1) = 2050/6 = 341.67

Example 1b: DEF has watched 20 films, and was the 325th check on all twenty of them.

[2000 + (325*20)]/(5 + 20) = 8500/25 = 340

So DEF is currently in the lead, but only just barely. ABC watching a more obscure film, but only one versus twenty for DEF.

Example 2a: ABC has watched a second film, and was the 10th check on it.

(2000 + 50 +10)/(5 + 2) = 2060/7 = 294.29

Example 2b: DEF has watched another 20 films, and was the 300th check on all twenty in this batch.

[2000 + (325*20) + (300*20)]/(5 + 20 + 20) = 14500/45 = 322.22

So ABC is now leading, despite only watching two films, because the films had very few checks. DEF just isn't watching obscure enough films to stay in the lead.

Nerd TalkShow

Using a Bayesian Average, with m=400 and c=5.

---

Side Challenge LeaderboardShow

Adjusted Average	Participant	Average Checks	Number of Watches
52.99	jdidaco	30.16	76
62.46	PUNQ	6.20	30
79.82	albajos	64.86	107
80.11	ororama	48.75	51
82.85	RogerTheMovieManiac88	51.14	50
101.15	frbrown	30.00	21
110.39	St. Gloede	70.17	36
117.82	maxwelldeux	89.60	50
119.94	Cinepolis	3.25	12
123.23	Ebbywebby	67.88	25
131.04	allisoncm	56.33	18
138.46	jeroeno	117.37	62
139.82	3eyes	31.42	12
142.32	Mochard	50.29	14
142.79	72allinncallme	121.70	61
143.74	flavo5000	131.88	108
147.20	VincentPrice	84.00	20
150.72	hurluberlu	114.06	34
165.28	sol	121.81	27
167.48	cinephage	109.35	20
173.06	joachimt	85.77	13
184.74	mightysparks	135.82	22
203.80	Nathan Treadway	7.60	5
205.06	vortexsurfer	123.83	12
207.94	Onderhond	127.92	12
249.31	sebby	155.13	8
252.85	blocho	160.88	8
259.78	mathiasa	220.83	18
266.00	AB537	210.17	12
266.27	ChrisReynolds	154.83	6
277.64	connordenney	175.67	6
279.63	Tarris1	224.91	11
300.78	zzzorf	176.75	4
303.79	weirdboy	250.33	9
305.78	shugs	188.00	4
314.40	tazz_85	228.80	5
315.29	wasabi	103.50	2
323.00	nimimerkillinen	246.00	5
351.33	Daviddoes	108.00	1

Official Lists:
ICM Forum's 500<400
(But check eligibility - 40 films are currently ineligible. When you sort by checks (i.e., above link), everything above Salaam Cinema (1995) has at least 399 checks.)

Unofficial Lists:
1000<400 (2018 Update)
(But check eligibility - Everything from La Antena downwards is currently eligible.)

Participants:

Rank	Participant	Count
1	flavo5000	96
2	albajos	93
3	jdidaco	74
4	jeroeno	62
5	72allinncallme	58
6	RogerTheMovieManiac88	50
7	maxwelldeux	42
8	St. Gloede	36
9	PUNQ	30
10	hurluberlu	29
11	sol	27
12	ororama	25
13	mightysparks	22
14	frbrown	21
15	VincentPrice	20
15	cinephage	20
17	allisoncm	18
18	mathiasa	17
19	Ebbywebby	15
20	Mochard	14
21	joachimt	13
22	Cinepolis	12
22	vortexsurfer	12
22	3eyes	12
22	Onderhond	12
22	AB537	12
27	Tarris1	11
28	blocho	8
28	sebby	8
30	weirdboy	7
31	ChrisReynolds	6
31	connordenney	6
33	nimimerkillinen	5
33	tazz_85	5
35	Nathan Treadway	4
35	zzzorf	4
35	shugs	4
38	wasabi	2
39	Daviddoes	1

Fun Stats:
Week 1: viewtopic.php?p=591199#p591199
Week 2: viewtopic.php?p=592941#p592941

[72allinncallme]

I’m game. Mostly docs and romance. Might try to see some movies on the 1000<400 list as well.
Thanks for hosting Max.

[VincentPrice]

Of course

[72allinncallme]

What about movies that aren't on IMDb?

[albajos]

What about movies that aren't on IMDb?

Then you add it on imdb

[72allinncallme]

What about movies that aren't on IMDb?

Then you add it on imdb

I’m not going to bother with that if the movie sucked.

[3eyes]

In.

[jeroeno]

Well there are still 8 offical lists where I don't have a bronze award yet so my goal will be to get at least 4 new bronze awards.

[sol]

Another list to add the OP:

1000<400 (2018 Update)

Everything from La Antena downwards is currently eligible.

[hurluberlu]

Is this salad still fresh

[flavo5000]

I may do this one for my main challenge next month. I tend to watch a lot of random stuff.

[zuma]

Well there are still 8 offical lists where I don't have a bronze award yet so my goal will be to get at least 4 new bronze awards.

I find this hard to believe. Don't you mean there are still 8 official lists where you don't have a gold award yet?

[jeroeno]

Well there are still 8 offical lists where I don't have a bronze award yet so my goal will be to get at least 4 new bronze awards.

I find this hard to believe. Don't you mean there are still 8 official lists where you don't have a gold award yet?

[VincentPrice]

1. Cry 'Havoc'-1943: 7/10 (43 checks)

[sol]

It starts! In for second post even if I couldn't make first.

1. In the Soup (1992) 355 checks



As always, Steve Buscemi is great here as a struggling screenwriter, but this film belongs to Seymour Cassel as an eccentric film producer, prone to fits of laughter and with no sense of personal space or privacy - cradling Buscemi when he wakes in bed at one point. Cassel is, however, so lively and unpredictable that the film sags a bit when he is not on screen, but this is a pretty cool take on anxiety over selling work to someone you hardly know.

[albajos]

- No TV this challenge.

We are allowed to add stuff like Twilight Zone to the <400 nominations, shouldn't the same rule apply here?
Tales from the Crypt (1989) is at 385 cbecks now :p

[Tarris1]

1. Lazybones (1925) 8/10 - 114 checks

[maxwelldeux]

- No TV this challenge.

We are allowed to add stuff like Twilight Zone to the <400 nominations, shouldn't the same rule apply here?
Tales from the Crypt (1989) is at 385 cbecks now :p

I see your point, I just really don't want to deal with TV this challenge.

[Nathan Treadway]

I'm in an Oscar Nominee kick and most of what I'm watching is under 400 checks, so, sure.. I'm in.

1. The Woman of the Town (1943; 8 Checks)
2. Stop the World: I Want to Get Off (1966; 8 Checks) I really don't know what to think of this one... Peculiar and sort of creepy; one that I probably won't forget, yet, don't know if I loved it or not.
3. Small Wonders (1995; 10 Checks) Documentary on a NYC Violin instructor. Making a plea for Music in Education.... Doesn't really cover new ground, but, was enjoyable. The instructor was portrayed by Meryl Streep in a 1999 adaptation of this doc, Music of the Heart, directed by Wes Craven(?!)
4A. A Place in the Land (1998; 3 Checks; 32 Min.)
4B. The Collector of Bedford Street (2002; 9 Checks; 36 Mins)

[sebby]

I assume no tv simply means no tv shows, not no tv movies (a la us go home)?

[72allinncallme]

1. The Beach Bum (2019) 328 checks
2. Don't Knock Yourself Out (2007) 2 checks
3. Kdo chce zabít Jessii? (1966) 122 checks
4. La casa del sorriso (1991) 58 checks

[albajos]

01. America: Imagine the World Without Her (2014) USA 40 checks
Political propaganda
02. Faith of Our Fathers (2015) USA 6 checks
Religious propaganda from PureFlix. Not as extreme as God's Not Dead though
03. Twisted Pair (2018) USA 26 checks
Crazy man propaganda.
04. Supervized (2019) Ireland | UK 2 checks [double]
Retired superheroes
05. Everywhen (2013) Norway 26 checks
Amateur Sci-Fi.
06. I Am Here... Now (2009) USA 54 checks
Crazy man propaganda part deux.
07. Pass Thru (2016) USA 45 checks
Crazy man propaganda part maxwelldeux.
08. Farlig farvann (1995) Norway 24 checks
Norwegian thriller. We have only mad a handful of them, and this is basically the only one that works.
09. A House in the Hills (1993) USA | Luxembourg 7 checks [double]
Absurd thriller about a housesitter.
10. Carry on Cruising (1962) UK 170 checks [triple]
11. Carry on Cabby (1963) UK 153 checks [triple]
12. Carry On Jack (1964) UK 138 checks [triple]
Ocean Liner, Cabs and Jacks?

!seem 12

[maxwelldeux]

I assume no tv simply means no tv shows, not no tv movies (a la us go home)?

Correct - no TV series, but miniseries and tv-movies are all fine. I'll amend the OP.

[3eyes]

and some clarification here, please:

"- For mini-series, individual episodes may count if the series page has <400 checks; report the check count for the overall series."

Does this mean if there are 3 eps and the series has 100 ch overall, one would claim 3x100 checks or just 100 for whole series? (Thinking about the side challenge)

[maxwelldeux]

and some clarification here, please:

"- For mini-series, individual episodes may count if the series page has <400 checks; report the check count for the overall series."

Does this mean if there are 3 eps and the series has 100 ch overall, one would claim 3x100 checks or just 100 for whole series? (Thinking about the side challenge)

It would be 3x100 checks - each individual episode counts, but you claim the check count for the entire series for each episode.

The logic is that people tend to check the overall miniseries page, but not the individual episodes.

[3eyes]

ok, thanks.

[albajos]

Yes, I'll be watching Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit this month. Every episode have 1 check now, but the full mini series is 55, so I'll get 3x56 instead of 3x2

[Mochard]

Quick question: Is it the number of checks before we check it or the number of checks after we check it? So if we watch a movie with 399 checks we can post that it has 400 checks? And if we watch a movie with 0 checks we say it has 1 check?

[VincentPrice]

2. This Land Is Mine-1943: 8/10 (399 checks)

SpoilerShow

1. Cry 'Havoc'-1943: 7/10 (43 checks)

[frbrown]

1. The Intimate Stranger (1956) 61st check

[Ebbywebby]

I'll play, but I'm not going to change my viewing habits for the challenge. But 80 of my last 100 checks are <400 anyway.

1. Eric Clapton: A Life in 12 Bars 2017 (37 checks)

Since it'll pass 400 checks within a day or two, let me just insert a random gripe about how crummy the new Tarantino film is.

[Ebbywebby]

(Remember, 400 + 400 + 400 + 4000 + 400 = 5*400 = 2000)

Hey Maxwell, you goofed in your opening post.

[Mochard]

1. Never Say Goodbye (1956) - 20 Checks

1 Movie 20 Checks TotalShow

1. Never Say Goodbye (1956) - 20 Checks

[3eyes]

1. Operation Oman (UK 14) - [double] - 1st check

I had this on my Amazon watchlist because my son has spent time in Oman. The operation in question (to keep the Commies out of Oman) happened during the Vietnam War period. I could have done with more analysis and less of the old geezers giving a play-by-play account of past battles.

[VincentPrice]

3. The Green-Eyed Blonde-1957: 8/10 (2 checks)

SpoilerShow

1. Cry 'Havoc'-1943: 7/10 (43 checks)
2. This Land Is Mine-1943: 8/10 (399 checks)

[maxwelldeux]

Quick question: Is it the number of checks before we check it or the number of checks after we check it? So if we watch a movie with 399 checks we can post that it has 400 checks? And if we watch a movie with 0 checks we say it has 1 check?

After you check it - so that movie you import to ICM will have 1 check (yours).

[maxwelldeux]

(Remember, 400 + 400 + 400 + 4000 + 400 = 5*400 = 2000)

Hey Maxwell, you goofed in your opening post.

It's new advanced math - quantum calculus or something.

Fixed.

[maxwelldeux]

1. Whitney Cummings: Can I Touch It? (2019, 4 checks)
I've been hit-and-miss with her for a while - I love her roast material, but her stand-up specials have seamed pedestrian and a little sexist to me. Funny enough, but nothing particularly interesting. This one, though, is actually really good. By far, my favorite of hers. She talks about the "Me Too" movement in her comedy style and talks about how she's grown as a comedian. And she makes a sex robot of herself. And that's a big part of this comedy special. It's... interesting and different. Even if you've never been a fan of hers before, this one is worth checking out.

[Cinepolis]

1. Headless (2014) - 2 Checks
Slow-moving and obviously low-budget, but nice acting and cinematography all around.

[nimimerkillinen]

1. The Black Pirate (1926) 355 - meh