Are You 2012's Cannes Connoisseur?

Last summer, I hosted a highly enjoyable (at least for myself) Criterion Collection blogathon. I tossed around the idea of starting it back up this summer and making it an annual thing, but in the rush of Cannes, something different came into being.

The second annual John Likes Movies blogathon, The 2012 Cannes Connoisseur, is set to kick off, and there are two Blu-Rays to be won for anyone worthy of that title.

I've selected 50 films, all from directors who showed at Cannes this year in some capacity (mostly Competition directors, plus a few from Un Certain Regard and Director's Fortnight), and assigned them all a point value. One point is for easier-to-find, staple films. Five points go for some of the more under-the-radar titles from foreign directors you might not have ever heard of.

From now until Labor Day (first weekend of September), I'll be collecting your reviews of these 50 films and tracking the points you earn. At the end of the blogathon, the blogger with the most points will be rewarded with a Blu-Ray (or DVD) of the film on this list of their choice (as long as it's available on Amazon).

Another Blu-Ray/DVD will be rewarded randomly. For every five points you earn, you'll one entry into the random drawing. Five points = one entry, ten points = two entries, and so on. At the end of the blogathon, I'll put the entries in a hat, pick out a name, and give that person a prize.

You can see the films below. Most should be available via streaming or Netflix. A lot, I'm sure, you've already seen and reviewed. To enter, just leave a comment on this or any other blogathon-related post. You can also tweet me a link (@johnlgilpatrick) or send me an e-mail (johnlikesmovies@gmail.com).

I hope you'll enjoy this, and can't wait to read your reviews! And good luck!

1 Point
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Andrew Dominik
Certified Copy, Abbas Kiarostami
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Michel Gondry
A History of Violence, David Cronenberg
Kill List, Ben Wheatley
Moonrise Kingdom, Wes Anderson
Precious, Lee Daniels
A Prophet, Jacques Audiard
The Road, John Hillcoat
Take Shelter, Jeff Nichols

2 Points
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, Cristian Mungiu
Beasts of the Southern Wild, Benh Zeitlin
Cache, Michael Haneke
Gomorrah, Matteo Garrone
Last Year at Marienbad, Alain Resnais
The Motorcycle Diaries, Walter Salles
The Proposition, John Hillcoat
The Royal Tenenbaums, Wes Anderson
The Science of Sleep, Michel Gondry
Videodrome, David Cronenberg

3 Points
The Beat That My Heart Skipped, Jacques Audiard
The Celebration, Thomas Vinterberg
The Fly, David Cronenberg
Mysteries of Lisbon, Raoul Ruiz
Night and Fog, Alain Resnais
Bottle Rocket, Wes Anderson
Shotgun Stories, Jeff Nichols
Taste of Cherry, Abbas Kiarostami
The White Ribbon, Michael Haneke
The Wind That Shakes the Barley, Ken Loach

4 Points
Central Station, Walter Salles
Close-up, Abbas Kiarostami
Heartbeats, Xavier Dolan
Hiroshima Mon Amour, Alain Resnais
The Housemaid, Im Sang-soo
Kes, Ken Loach
The Piano Teacher, Michael Haneke
Shadowboxer, Lee Daniels
Silent Light, Carlos Reygadas
Tony Manero, Pablo Larrain

5 Points
Chopper, Andrew Dominik
Dog Days, Ulrich Seidl
El Medina, Yousry Nasrallah
Klimt, Raoul Ruiz
The Lovers on the Bridge, Leos Carax
My Joy, Sergei Loznitsa
Post Mortem, Pablo Larrain
The President's Last Bang, Im Sang-soo
Read My Lips, Jacques Audiard
Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Hong Sang-soo