Hi everyone! My name is Cody and I am THRILLED to be the host of Scavenger Hunt #102! I really tried my best to put thought into each and every prompt, so I really hope you discover some great films this month! preisman did an amazing job last month, so I hope to carry the torch to the lucky host of #103!
My ultimate goal here is for you to leave the month of September saying "Damn, I really watched some PHENOMENAL movies this month!" The prompts I have written below will hopefully achieve this!
With that said, these prompts will introduce you to who I am and what I've experienced in my own life! I hope by telling you about myself through these prompts, I'll get to know about you through your selections. After all, Letterboxd is more than just a movie app with usernames. We tend to forget this when browsing! But we're all individuals who have our own lives, thoughts and experiences!
For a lot of these prompts, I hope to bring some variety to your life by using my favorite feature on Letterboxd: LISTS! I will literally spend hours in lists, filtering things, reading reviews and looking at ratings!
Anyways, I'll save the rest of my rambling for the prompts below. I hope you enjoy taking part in Scavenger Hunt #102 as much as I enjoy hosting it!
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The Prompts:
1. I'd like to kick off this month, with you picking a movie from my personal top 4. I know, I know, not a lot of choice to start off with, but hear me out! My top 4 has had a profound impact on my life. I think it would be absolutely amazing to hear your thoughts on one of them, even if you didn't like it! Don't worry though, YOUR top 4 will get a chance to shine at the end of the month too! Part of the fun is what we take away from each movie. So to help guide you towards a decision, I'll briefly describe why each movie had a profound impact on me. Don't worry, there's no spoilers!
A. "I Origins": This is my current favorite of all time. It's a thought provoking, hauntingly beautiful film that completely changed the way I view life! It made me question everthing I had ever known and STILL throws me through a loop everytime I view it. Choose this if you're in need of an EXPERIENCE!
B. "Dear Zachary": I'm going to slap a big fat warning on this one. Try not to look at the reviews or trailer, it is best watched completely blind. And oh yeah, this documentary is NOT for the faint of heart. I had to pause multiple times to sob and gather myself to continue. When it ended, I had a full on mental breakdown. Never have I ever experienced something quite like this. I will NEVER forget it and I will advocate that everyone should watch it at least once!
C. "Hamilton": I do not typically enjoy musicals all that much, but Hamilton is the exception. It combines multiple styles of music (mostly hip hop) in telling the story of Hamilton and the Founders using a diverse cast. I watched it in 2020 and every year since, it somehow still holds the crown on my Spotify for most listened to. Choose this if you need a pick me up and are in the mood for dancing! đź•ş
D. "Freedom Writers": I saw this as a kid and it inspired me to be an English Teacher. Most teachers credit Dead Poets Society for inspiring them, I credit Freedom Writers! It's a true story as well! If you want something uplifting, choose this. Later in the month, there is a prompt for educators, so feel free to hang onto this movie for that prompt!
*E. "The Perks of Being a Wallflower": This is my most recent 5 star film. If none of the movies above interest you, perhaps this one will? It's possibly my favorite coming of age film out there! Didn't expect I'd like it as much as I did going into it. I wanted to include it in this list because it DESERVES to be here!
2. In 2018, I I woke up one day with a mysterious condition and wasn't diagnosed until mid 2023! Feel free to head on over to the bio on my profile to learn more about my rare condition! Take Care of Maya is a documentary I connected with recently about patients screwed by the Healthcare system and since then, I've been trying to find others like it! Pick a movie that follows someone with a chronic illness, rare disease or disability. It can be fiction or non-fiction!
3. I am a 90s baby and was born the day after Valentine's! Watch a 90s Rom-com!
4. I was born in Florida and have been here the vast majority of my life! Watch a movie that was shot in Florida!
- List of Movies Shot in Florida -
5. Charlie Chaplin is one of my favorite actors because his comedies are timeless! During some scenes, I will hurt so bad from laughing! It's quite spectacular how his 100+ year old movies can be funny even today! He's a great intro to people who have never watched or do not particularly enjoy silent films. Watch a movie starring Charlie Chaplin!
6. The AI revolution is upon us and I've been absolutely amazed at its capablities! Ask ChatGPT, Snapchat's My AI, Bing AI or any other AI to suggest you a movie based on your Letterboxd top 4! If it gives you a movie you've already seen, keep asking for another until it gives you one you haven't seen!
7. Disney World in Orlando holds many great memories for me. I've been more times that I can count! Choose something from this list of movies that are currently represented at Disney World!
8. Now let's do the same for Universal Studios Orlando!
9. "Freedom Writers" had a profound impact on me as a kid and is the film I credit with inspiring me to become a high school English teacher! Watch a movie about a teacher!
10. Since I teach English, it's only fitting to watch a movie inspired by the works of Shakespeare!
*Hint: Sort by Popular to get some more well known adaptations!*
11. Today is 9/11, a day none of us will ever forget. In honor of those who passed in the tragedy, let's watch a movie that features the beautiful World Trade Center Twin Towers
12. I'm a huge WWE fan! Watch a movie starring one of these three legends from my childhood: John Cena, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson or Dave Bautista!
13. I'd be remiss if I didn't dedicate at least one of these prompts to my best friend, Abby. She is my loyal, 13 year old, sidekick of a pug! She's been with me throughout so many life events and has been the only constant in my life. Unfortunatley, my time with her is running out, so I'd like to immortalize her in the annals of Letterboxd Scavenger Hunts! In her name, I'd like you to honor your pet(s) by watching a movie that stars the species/breed of YOUR pet!
14. I sometimes like searching for rare films that NONE of the people I follow have seen! Watch a movie that is on rarefilmm.com! Extra points for finding one that none of your mutuals have rated! Here is a Letterboxd list of movies on rarefilmm.com
15. Watch one of the "Similar Films" to a movie in your top 4, that is recommended by Letterboxd. (Go to the movie's profile, scroll all the way down and you should see it)
16. My favorite video game is the Mass Effect Trilogy! It has had such a enormous impact on my life! Watch a movie that stars one of the three major actors to portray a character in the Mass Effect Universe: Martin Sheen, Freddie Prinze Jr. or Seth Green
17. If you haven't realized yet, one of my favorite features on Letterboxd are lists! Let's all watch a movie from this list: Top 250 Films with the Most Fans
18. Random movie time! The universe shall pick what you watch today! Go to the Random Movie Roulette and go to the filters on the top right. Sort by "Shuffle" and then choose the decade after the one you were born in! (For example, 80s babies choose the 90s. 90s babies choose the 00s.) Save your filter and pick the 18th movie it gives you!
19. Everyone has watched a movie that made them cringe at some point or another (I'm looking at you, Twilight). Watch a movie that is considered to be cringeworthy by many people or any movie rated less than a 2.3 on Letterboxd.
Note: You can go to the Random Movie Roulette and "Sort By" lowest average rating!
20. Let's phone a friend for #20! Ask a friend or family member to reccommend you a favorite film of theirs that you haven't seen!
21. Because of the Hamilton musical, I became obsessed with early American history, especially Presidential History. I'm currently reading one biography of every President starting with Washington. I've learned so much about early American history by doing this! Like how Benjamin Franklin wrote an essay called "Fart Proudly". Anyways, watch a movie covering any American historical event or person prior to 2000.
*This can be anything from early Native settlers, American Revolution, Civil War, Slavery, World Wars, Space Race or even specific people that made significant contributions to American society like Oppenheimer, JFK, MLK, Lincoln, Harriet Tubman, etc.
22. Watch the first movie of a film franchise you've never seen, or continue a franchise you haven't entirely finished!
23. Today is the first day of autumn! Watch a movie that is set in the beautiful season of fall!
24. Going with that theme, Halloween is 5 weeks away! Let's watch a movie set on or around Halloween!
25. Another list?! Heck yeah! Let's watch a movie where you're not the same person once the film has finished!
26. It's a day for you! Watch a movie from your watchlist!
27. I love music! In fact, I am "theidolguy" on TikTok and have over 600k followers, which is still crazy to me! I cover American Idol performances new/old and when the season airs, I get in front of the camera myself and give breakdowns, personal opinions and predictions! Pick a movie that is centered around music!
*Bonus points if an American Idol alum stars in it!
28. On this day last year, my city was directly hit by Hurricane Ian. I was out of power for a whole week and the damage it did to my community was devastating. I remember driving around my neighborhood the day after to assess things and the utter destruction it left behind, rendered me speechless. I became emotional looking at the city I grew up in, torn to pieces. But I also witnessed people come together and help one another out! Watch a movie about a devastating weather event, natural disaster, or apocalyptic event!
29. I'm sure October's Scavenger Hunt will have some spoopy movies, so let's watch a comfort movie for our penultimate prompt!
30. Well here we are, we've reached the end! I just wanted to say I've had an absolute blast hosting this month! These Scavenger Hunt's have done so much for my mental health. My health journey has been filled with so many challenges and having these hunts have been a godsend. They've allowed me to escape and transport myself to other worlds! Not only that, but I've watched movies I normally wouldn't have EVER watched. So for #30 let's end it similar to how we started! Go to the comments tab on this list, go to a fellow scavenger hunter's profile, and pick a movie from their top 4!
I had so much fun creating these prompts and I'm excited to see everyone's lists! Thank you for participating, I'm sure I'll be seeing you around in other Hunts!
If you'd like to switch any of these prompts, here are 3 extra ones for you!
1. Watch the oldest movie by release date on your watchlist!
2. Watch a movie filmed in a country that you'd like to visit one day!
3. Watch a movie that was released when either your mother/father were 16 years old!
My Monthly Average: 2.89
Letterboxd Monthly Average: 3.58
