About a month ago, I was sitting with some friends at dinner, just enjoying the conversation. We were all talking over each other and making stupid jokes. Someone made a reference to Fight Club, which is a movie I've never seen. They all responded in absolute shock and disgust when I told them I've never seen it. The next 30-45 minutes consisted of them listing off every good movie they've ever seen ever to see if I'd seen it. The answer was usually no.

This got me thinking: why have I never watched so many movies? Throughout my life, I've always loved reading books more than watching movies. But that's no real excuse. Film is such a beautiful art form, and I'm really missing out if I never take the time to watch movies.

So I decided to begin what I call "Mel's Movie Mission." My goal was to compile a list of all the movies I should have seen by now, and watch them all.

I started by scouring the internet for the "Best Movies of All Time" lists to get all the cliche, obvious movies (Schindler's List, Fight Club, The Godfather and Back to the Future). But for a solid two weeks, I asked everyone I could what their favorite movie is, and what other movies everyone should see at least once. I got all kinds of answers, ranging from Rocky Horror Picture Show to Napoleon Dynamite, and Space Jam to Inception, Les Miserables, and Silence of the Lambs. After every movie I watch, I'm going to give it a rating and jot down a few things I liked and a few things I didn't like about the movie and put them in a notebook to document this great adventure.

As of right now, there are 201 movies on my list and I am determined to watch all of them (plus any others people might recommend along the way). This is my Early New Years' Resolution, I guess. Next time you see me, ask me how life's going, and what movies I've watched lately.

Below is a list of some of the movies I'm most looking forward to watching. If you notice anything missing from the list, tell me! I'll add it to the collection.

~The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

~Slumdog Millionaire

~ Black Swan

~ Rent

~ The Graduate

~ Heart of Darkness

~ The Chronicles of Narnia

~ 12 Years A Slave

~ Scott Pilgrim V. The World

~ The Killing Fields

~ The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

~ No Country for Old Men

~ Stand and Deliver

~ Avatar

~ Jaws

~ The Revenant

~ The Color Purple

~ Django Unchained

~ Top Gun

~ St. Elmo's Fire

~ Crocodile Dundee

~ Love Actually

~ The Hangover

~ A Streetcar Named Desire

~ Rear Window

~ Inside Out

~50 First Dates