The 11th Hall of Fame [Archive] - Page 2

CosmicRunaway

09-17-16, 09:22 PM

http://nationalave.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/her-movie-poster.jpg

Her (2013)
Dir. Spike Jonze
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson

One of the reasons why it's taken me so long to get around to watching Her is that I was afraid I wouldn't be able to appreciate it. Don't ask why I felt that, because I honestly have no idea. If I had to guess though, I think I was worried that I'd find it boring. Luckily, that wasn't the case here at all. Her is a very engaging story, with beautiful colours, and a very charming set design. It was certainly a lot funnier than I was initially expecting, and the story is something I think a lot of audiences will be able to relate to. Theodore's situation is not beyond the realm of what's possible in our world, and I think that's part of what makes it so effective. It's not only a commentary on our current lives, but it's also a fairly realistic portrayal of what we all might have to look forward to.

The performances from Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson are truly spectacular, especially considering the fact that the role of Samantha was recast in the middle of production. Not only were Johansson's lines dubbed in after principle photography had finished, but Joaquin Phoenix had to rerecord some of his lines to suit the film's new tone as well. That's usually a huge warning sign for a movie, but the sound design in Her is practically seamless, and that should speak volumes about the quality of the performances and the editing team who worked on it. I'm glad that I finally got the chance to watch this movie, and I'm also glad that my room mates had already seen it, because otherwise that live chat near the start of the film would be hard to explain to anyone who overheard it, haha.

Citizen Rules

09-17-16, 09:57 PM

OK, I found a good link to Bashu, The Little Stranger, I just watched part of it and it does have English subtitles. Looks like a cool movie too. PM if you want the link

Citizen Rules

09-17-16, 10:04 PM

I also have a link to Embrace of the Serpent with English subtitles.

Camo

09-17-16, 10:24 PM

The Bashu one doesn't work for me as i said but The Embrace one does so i'll watch that tomorrow. Thanks again :up:

Miss Vicky

09-17-16, 10:51 PM

Embrace the Serpent is on Amazon Prime if any of you have it.
And yeah, the Bashu link isn't working for me either. Thanks anyway.

Miss Vicky

09-17-16, 10:55 PM

Cosmic - So glad to see you enjoyed Her.

I know I'm not exactly unbiased, but Phoenix's performance in that is my favorite performance of any actor, ever. I'm still miffed he didn't get an Oscar nom for it. I very nearly didn't nominate it because I was afraid that too many people had already seen it, but it appears that several haven't. Fingers crossed that the others react to it like you did. I think it's an incredibly beautiful story.

Citizen Rules

09-17-16, 11:25 PM

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qKcYoA7WImk/UxZWQcLeyYI/AAAAAAAAAgU/eNvHwqA9NrQ/w426-h283/her-movie-poster.jpg

...with beautiful colors, and a very charming set design...

I don't know how other people feel, but the look of the film does matter to me. So I'm glad to hear that visually this is an interesting film. The movie poster is certainly colorful and stylish.

Swan

09-17-16, 11:39 PM

I have to admit I'm a little nervous about people's responses to my nom. I don't know why.

Miss Vicky

09-17-16, 11:43 PM

I tried watching Embrace of the Serpent but fell asleep (not the fault of the movie). I'll start it over and try again, but probably not tonight.

I may still watch something else tonight.

Miss Vicky

09-17-16, 11:46 PM

I have to admit I'm a little nervous about people's responses to my nom. I don't know why.
I'm always nervous about people's reactions to my noms in these things. It's always great when others love what you love, but there's always that risk that they'll hate it.

Camo

09-18-16, 12:37 AM

The Dead Girl

http://i63.tinypic.com/20rwaj6.jpg

Wasn't a big fan of this Topsy, sorry. I think the way this is structured can work but i don't think it did here, we saw too little of all the stories and characters. Also i didn't like most of the acting or dialogue which is odd since it had a pretty great cast.

Sorry but i thought Toni Colette wasn't good at all. Her character got on my nerves mostly because i don't think she was good at bringing any of the emotions or reactions she was supposed to get across. OMG, her delivery on the "it doesn't really hurt, not when you're kissing me" line was one of the worst things i've ever seen. Felt like i had seen most of this before. Timid woman with an abusive, slightly mad parent is seriously imbalanced and possibly dangerous herself. I don't know i found nothing original or interesting in her story personally. Ribisi was alright in this part but even then all he was was a guy who was into serial killers. I was so glad when i realized she wasn't the main focus of the film, if she was i would've probably found this terrible.

I'm a fan of Rose Byrne but she wasn't very good either tbh. She had like no character to speak of, everything about her and her story felt so pointless. James Franco is always likeable but some of his dialogue was atrocious "i feel like if i let go of you you'll run away" "Then don't let go". "You have excellent posture" followed by an extremely awkward, unnatural laugh from Rose Byrne. Ugh.

The wife story was a bit more interesting. I've read quite a few true crime books, watched a lot of docs, etc, and i've always found it intersting how so many of these serial killers led perfectly normal lives with wives and children. She did a good job as the lonely, depressed wife and how far she went to protect him was interesting but i don't think they got the full potential out of this part. The discovery of his tropies was so underwhelming especially.

The mothers story wasn't bad i just didn't find much of interest there. Same as the first story i felt i'd seen it all before. Also i can't accept for a second that the hooker didn't think oh wait this must be her mother after she was showing so much interest in her. That was so laughable. I did like that she got the kid out of that hellhole at least.

The Dead Girl was easily my favourite part. Brittany was really good, would've loved her part to have been longer. Her story was pretty typical, girl gets abused by her step father runs away becomes a prostitute ends up dead. I like how she wasn't portrayed as an angel that had just made a few bad choices which is done too often, she was actually seriously messed up but still cared about her kid. The ending was pretty sad but a bit heartwarming since it at least showed for all her problems she still loved her daughter who now has a chance of having a better life than her, from the moment i found out her part was about getting a ride i knew how it would end.

Honestly i feel this was supposed to be powerful and depressing but i never found it that way because unlike Lilya for example i didn't care about most of the characters and i was aware i was watching a movie at all times because i found most of the acting and dialogue so bad. Brittany Murphy and to a lesser extent Mary Beth Hurt are the exceptions to this.

Really sorry Topsy for being so negative as you can tell i'm not a fan, i'm sure some others here will be though.

Embrace of the Serpent tomorrow since i have that link now.

Miss Vicky

09-18-16, 02:58 AM

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/samurairebellion.gif

Jôi-uchi: Hairyô tsuma shimatsu (Samurai Rebellion) (Masaki Kobayashi, 1967)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061847/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

Date Watched: 9/17/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: The 11th MoFo Hall of Fame
Rewatch: No

This is a really beautiful film about love, honor, duty, and the abuse of power. While I've certainly enjoyed other classic samurai films, this one really struck a chord with me in a way that the others have not. It feels much more human and intimate to me than the similar films I've seen before.

Toshirô Mifune, as always, turns in a solid performance but I was much more impressed by Yôko Tsukasa. Her role was a much quieter one, being the lord's former mistress and a near powerless woman in a man's world, yet she really conveyed the inner strength that someone in her position must have. Even with the limited amount of development she was given, she made Ichi's love and dedication to Yogoro believable.

The cinematography and costume design were impressive, too. And despite what the title suggests, there is relatively little swordplay and bloodshed, but the fights that are shown are well choreographed and really contribute to the story being told.

All in all, this sort of film isn't something that's likely going to hold a place in my list of favorites, and it's questionable whether I'll watch it again, but it's a powerful piece of art just the same. It's a shame I didn't see this before the 60s Countdown.

4+

Camo

09-18-16, 03:01 AM

I've decided i'm going to watch that third after Embrace then i'm going to rewatch my nom and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Not sure if i'm going to rewatch Her and Moonrise yet, i really don't have to but i love them so i may do so anyway.

Miss Vicky

09-18-16, 03:05 AM

I'm pretty much just choosing what to watch according to availability. This was on Hulu so it was really easy to access. I'll probably watch either Embrace of the Serpent, Ronin, or Flowers of War next, and Moonrise Kingdom when I get around to picking it up from the library.

CosmicRunaway

09-18-16, 07:47 AM

I know I'm not exactly unbiased, but Phoenix's performance in that is my favorite performance of any actor, ever. I'm still miffed he didn't get an Oscar nom for it. I very nearly didn't nominate it because I was afraid that too many people had already seen it, but it appears that several haven't.
Obviously I hadn't seen Her at the time, but considering everything I had heard about it from critics and friends, I was actually really surprised that he didn't get nominated as well. Considering how much of the film relied on his character and his performance, the snub seems even stranger now that I've seen it.

I'm glad you did nominate it, because I don't know how long it would've taken me to get around to seeing this otherwise. :up:

I don't know how other people feel, but the look of the film does matter to me. So I'm glad to hear that visually this is an interesting film. The movie poster is certainly colorful and stylish.
I am so tired of visually boring, colourless movies and tv shows (obviously this excludes B&W films). Her uses colour in a more subtle, clever way that's very beautiful to look at. Because of its setting the designs are more simple, sleek, and modern, so those accent colours don't need to be intense to be effective. I think it works really well.

I hope you like the colour red though. It's practically inescapable in this movie haha.

rauldc14

09-18-16, 10:33 AM

Have you seen Moonrise Miss Vicky? Very worried that you'll hate if not.

cricket

09-18-16, 10:59 AM

Have you seen Moonrise Miss Vicky? Very worried that you'll hate if not.

She has exceptional taste, (see her write up on Samurai Rebellion), so you can at least be assured you'll get an expert opinion:)

Citizen Rules

09-18-16, 12:49 PM

Jôi-uchi: Hairyô tsuma shimatsu (Samurai Rebellion) rating_4+ Wow, we agreed on every point of the film, I felt exactly the same way as you did about it. Good nom Cricket.

...Her uses colour in a more subtle, clever way that's very beautiful to look at. Because of its setting the designs are more simple, sleek, and modern, so those accent colours don't need to be intense to be effective. I think it works really well.

I hope you like the colour red though. It's practically inescapable in this movie haha. That's piqued my interest even more in Her.

Miss Vicky

09-18-16, 03:12 PM

Have you seen Moonrise Miss Vicky? Very worried that you'll hate if not.
No I haven't. And being a Wes Anderson movie, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to like it. But who knows, maybe this will be the movie that finally impresses me.

Clazor

09-18-16, 03:53 PM

I have to admit I'm a little nervous about people's responses to my nom. I don't know why.

You're not the only one. It's not that I think my nom's bad, but seeing the other's nominations I'm counting on coming in last. Felt a little better hearing that Cosmic also liked my nom but still think I'll have an up hill battle.

Citizen Rules

09-18-16, 03:56 PM

Somebody has to come in last, but...that doesn't mean that the last place movie sucked, it's just means somebody liked the other movies more:)

Clazor

09-18-16, 03:57 PM

Also, Cosmic, I think we need to come together to compare notes. I'm curious as to how close our tastes in movies aline.

CosmicRunaway

09-18-16, 03:58 PM

Felt a little better hearing that Cosmic also liked my nom but still think I'll have an up hill battle.
I don't think I've said anything about your nomination. You might be confusing me with cricket. I know I've seen it before, but I literally remember nothing about it.

Clazor

09-18-16, 04:00 PM

Somebody has to come in last, but...that doesn't mean that the last place movie sucked, it's just means somebody liked the other movies more:)

True. Maybe I'm just nervous, it's my first HoF after all.

Citizen Rules

09-18-16, 04:02 PM

True. Maybe I'm just nervous, it's my first HoF after all. In my first General Hof I came in second to last! Which only inspired me to try again:p

Clazor

09-18-16, 04:03 PM

I don't think I've said anything about your nomination. You might be confusing me with cricket. I know I've seen it before, but I literally remember nothing about it.

Crap, sorry to both Cosmic and Cricket. Been browsing too many posts too fast, lost track of who said what :facepalm:

Citizen Rules

09-18-16, 04:07 PM

I've never seen your nom Clazor.

Ronin (John Frankenheimer, 1998)...I just looked it up, it has a high IMDB rating, it's directed by a respected director and has a very well liked actor (Robert DeNiro)...it sounds like a perfect choice for a nomination. Of course there's a lot of great movies in this HoF, but I think your movie will have some fans. I'm looking forward to watching it.

Miss Vicky

09-18-16, 04:11 PM

The first HOF I joined, there were at least two people who straight up hated my nomination. That was particularly disappointing because I nominated my all time favorite movie. I tried not to get too discouraged though, and reminded myself that the whole reason I had signed up for it was to get people to watch it.

This time I signed up to give myself incentive to watch movies again. Also because I have a hard time saying no to Camo even though he sucks.

Clazor

09-18-16, 04:24 PM

Thanks all for the encouragement, it helps. Aside from how it ends, I think I'll enjoy the way there. The nominations look interesting, I know from Tongo that Embrace is awesome. I think I'll see that tomorrow, perhaps along with Her. Haven't had time/been up to seeing much of anything lately on account of working three hours overtime per day the last few days. Feel like I've bearly made through the front door before hitting the sack.

But no excuses. Tomorrow, movies!

CosmicRunaway

09-18-16, 04:40 PM

Crap, sorry to both Cosmic and Cricket. Been browsing too many posts too fast, lost track of who said what :facepalm:
No worries. And to be fair, it did sound like something I'd say haha.

Clazor

09-18-16, 04:46 PM

What, no more Doc Strange? Although, Will Graham is plenty strange too :p

CosmicRunaway

09-18-16, 04:53 PM

I've been going back and forth between Will Graham and my old avatar all afternoon. I didn't change my pic for any of the other Survivor games, but I was thinking about doing it for the new one. But I'm so used to Doctor Strange that anything else just looks too odd.

Clazor

09-18-16, 05:14 PM

CosmicRunaway

09-18-16, 05:29 PM

I'll send you a PM so as not to derail this thread too much.

Clazor

09-18-16, 05:31 PM

Much obliged.

Miss Vicky

09-18-16, 07:22 PM

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/embraceoftheserpent.jpg

El abrazo de la serpiente (Embrace of the Serpent) (Ciro Guerra, 2015)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4285496/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

Date Watched: 9/18/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: The 11th MoFo Hall of Fame
Rewatch: No

Embrace of the Serpent is a powerful tale of two physical and spiritual journeys of a man named Karamakate - a shaman and the last of his people - and the white scientists who come to him seeking a sacred plant.

It examines spirituality, greed, madness, the horrors of colonialism, the extinction of indigenous people, and the raping of the environment and of native culture. The performances are solid throughout - especially by Nilbio Torres and Antonio Bolivar - who each play Karamkate at different stages of his life. The story is both heartbreaking and infuriating.

But about the cinematography I was admittedly torn. The images are crisp and effective, but I couldn't help but be frustrated and saddened by Guerra's decision to shoot in black and white. Where we should be treated to the glorious hues of greens and blues of the jungle, river and sky, and the rich shades of brown, red and orange of the earth, its animals and its people we get only shades of gray.

And for that I couldn't quite love this film. I think Embrace is a considerable achievement and something that needs to be seen, but the decision to mute the natural beauty of what we see on the screen was a misstep in my eyes.

4-

cricket

09-18-16, 07:25 PM

I wonder if the decision to shoot in black and white was due to budget restraints.

neiba

09-18-16, 07:25 PM

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

So I started this HoF with a rewatch of my own nom.
I nominated this for 3 reasons: first, I remember loving this film, the first time I watched it; second, I wanted an excuse to rewatch it and finally, HoFs are usually filled with heavy movies, and I wanted to introduce a bit of lightness into this Hof and change my pattern of nominations.
It's not a movie I knew it would win or anything, I just wanted everyone to have a nice and entertaining watch, especially after I made most of you sit through Amour.

That being said, this movie is not a masterpiece and after this rewatch it will drop some places on my Top 100 (maybe fall from it). However, it's one of the most entertaining and funny movies I've ever seen. I laughed loudly in some moments (and that rarely happens to me).
The chemistry between the leading double is amazing, Robert Downey Jr. is doing the type of role he does best and Val Kilmer as the sarcastic gay detective is hilarious! The story is quite cliché to anyone who has ever seen a noir but it still manages to be thrilling at some points.
So, this nomination served its purpose, so get ready for a foreign heavily dramatic artistic thing on the next HoF! xD

rating_3_5

Citizen Rules

09-18-16, 07:34 PM

Embrace of the Serpent

But about the cinematography I was admittedly torn. The images are crisp and effective, but I couldn't help but be frustrated and saddened by Guerra's decision to shoot in black and white. Where we should be treated to the glorious hues of greens and blues of the jungle, river and sky, and the rich shades of brown, red and orange of the earth, its animals and its people we get only shades of gray.
That was Tongo's reaction to this film in the movie chain thread.

I wonder if the decision to shoot in black and white was due to budget restraints. Someone asked that in the movie chain thread, and I think it was Sean who said it cost more to shoot in black and white than in color these days. So I think going with B&W was an artistic decision by the director.

MovieMeditation

09-18-16, 07:44 PM

I think Embrace is magnificent and spellbinding in black and white and I wouldn't personally have it any other way. I think at least 25% of the reason for the greatness and voice of the film, if not more, is due the black and white cinematography. It creates a great fundament for the themes of the film and gives the setting a whole new look and feel to go hand in hand with what it wants to say.

Guaporense

09-18-16, 11:41 PM

And it's not a boring arthouse film.

Since I watched it Bashu The Little Stranger, over a year ago, I though: now that's a killer nomination for the HoF. And I think it's something many people here will like (as opposed to be very genre type of stuff I nominated before like Utena and Gunbuster), although it's very different from a western movie.

Bashu feels more or less like Italian neorealism like Bicycle Thieves and Umberto D. But in color and with some explosions.

I am excited for the nominations. :D Many movies that I planned to watch but didn't (like All Quiet in the Western Front in some previous HoF).

Camo

09-18-16, 11:48 PM

So are you going to provide a safe link with english subs or change it Guap? Don't think anybody said it's boring arthouse.

Guaporense

09-19-16, 12:19 AM

It needs a link with english subs? I didn't know that was a rule. I found it through not-perfectly legal means.

Well, you can buy the legal DVD on amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Bashu-Little-Stranger-Adnan-Afravian/dp/B0002JC6JM

375 dollars but worth every penny.

Camo

09-19-16, 12:26 AM

Well yeah no one has been able to find it from a safe site with english subs so it won't count until then. I sent you a PM about it yesterday.

gbgoodies

09-19-16, 12:29 AM

cricket

09-19-16, 12:32 AM

It's too bad, it looks like a good movie.

Camo

09-19-16, 12:34 AM

I agree. He picked an obscure Iranian movie though so he had to think about accessibility.

Camo

09-19-16, 12:51 AM

OK, i don't have a clue what is going on. I'm being told by someone that they think Guap is trolling with his nomination and that he usually doesn't watch all the films. Is this a serious nomination Guap and do you have the intention to watch all the films? I don't want a lot of stuff to start since we seem to have a good thing going here but we need to sort this out before we move on.

Citizen Rules

09-19-16, 02:28 AM

I don't think Guap is trolling, he told me about how much he liked Bashu The Little Stranger at the start of the 10th Hof which was many months ago. I have the movie with English subs and I think I'll watch it regardless if Guap is in or out.

neiba

09-19-16, 05:48 AM

And I disagree with whoever said he usually doesn't watch all the films!! He's always one of firsts to watch everything!

Swan

09-19-16, 08:40 AM

Her - 5
(Spike Jonze, 2013)

http://i66.tinypic.com/20zpk7q.jpg

Guys, I know I can be pretty hyperbolic about things I like, but allow me to embrace that for a second.

Read the text in the above GIF for a second. Do you ever feel confused? Not about little things, but the big picture. I know I do. I live in a constant state of confusion, not really getting this world I live in, or who I am, or what I want.

With that in mind, I don’t know how Spike Jonze wrote this movie. It feels like he had to have sold his soul to the devil in order to write something with what feels like such a clear understanding of the human condition. Laced with intimacy and an undeniable, enthusiastic passion both in its creation and its story, this film is incredibly intimate and heartbreaking but exists with a lot of hope as well. I think Her is one of the most important films of the modern age, and certainly one of the most meaningful.

I can’t understand how any young person my age wouldn’t be able to connect to this movie. I know these strange creatures exist, but I don’t understand them myself. It’s made for us and is a film that, though set in the future, tackles the modern technological age with a huge sense of humanity and love.

In the past year or so I’ve come to a realization about technology. We’re trying to find our humanity through it, right? Social media, music, all this stuff… it makes sense that we would utilize it for humanistic discovery. This is why it bugs me when people say there is no humanity in technology. I can’t think of anything more human besides humans themselves. And I think this movie understands that. It breaks that barrier, brings the already-prevalent humanity that exists in cell phones and computers pouring forth. It understands that technology can help us discover ourselves and better understand the world around us.

I’m so glad I rewatched it for this HoF. While Embrace is still one of my favorite recent discoveries, while I think it’s near flawless in what it sets out to be and is a masterpiece in it's own right, I think Her is simply divine, a gift from a computer simulated God, and like I said one of the more important films of the modern age. Unless one of the films I haven't yet seen proves to be better, I’m rooting for this one to win, right now.

cricket

09-19-16, 08:42 AM

Did you love it that much your first time?

Camo

09-19-16, 08:44 AM

Amazing review Swan :up:

Swan

09-19-16, 08:45 AM

Did you love it that much your first time?

It was my favorite movie of that year. I was pretty taken by it.

Swan

09-19-16, 08:46 AM

Amazing review Swan :up:

Thanks dude :docbrown:

Camo

09-19-16, 08:47 AM

I'll be watching Embrace of the Serpent later on as i've got stuff to do right now.

cricket

09-19-16, 08:50 AM

I'm expecting kind of an odd and quirky movie with Her. I never thought it would be something for me, but I'm going to watch it when I'm really ready to get into something.

Camo

09-19-16, 08:59 AM

I'm expecting kind of an odd and quirky movie with Her. I never thought it would be something for me, but I'm going to watch it when I'm really ready to get into something.

I was expecting something quirky as well but it is surprisingly not really, it is pretty heavy and made a big impact on me like Swan. I know Spike didn't write Being John Malkovich and i saw that after Her but it is still surprising to me that this didn't end up similar to BJM like a comedy that satirizes our relationship with technology.

cricket

09-19-16, 09:04 AM

I can just see his face and I want to smash it.

Swan

09-19-16, 09:09 AM

I can just see his face and I want to smash it.

http://i64.tinypic.com/4j3ixl.jpg

Camo

09-19-16, 09:09 AM

I can just see his face and I want to smash it.

haha i know, same here. I hate the look of him on the posters, and i remember MV had an avatar of him from it for ages and i just wanted to leave death threats on her profile (probably did anyway for unrelated reasons haha) because of it. Don't know what it is though, must be some amazing visual trickery going on because somehow his look isn't annoying in the film, well it wasn't for me anyway. It actually makes him seem more endearing and kind of timid like his character kind of is.

cricket

09-19-16, 09:11 AM

http://i64.tinypic.com/4j3ixl.jpg

I want to push him in the water so bad!

Swan

09-19-16, 09:11 AM

You guys just hate the 'stache. Haters.

Camo

09-19-16, 09:14 AM

Wait to you find out what he does for a job. The fact that a person is still doing something so mind numbingly dull and worthless for a living whenever this is supposed to be set in the future is infuriating. How was that job not taking over by computers? That's the main question i came away with from Her?

not really i actually kinda love that that is his job

Swan

09-19-16, 09:17 AM

Camo

09-19-16, 09:20 AM

Yah, i was joking. Agreed.

Swan

09-19-16, 09:21 AM

Yah, i was joking. Agreed.

Nah didn't mean to argue or anything, you just gave me the opportunity to say something I wanted to say but didn't get to in my review. :)

neiba

09-19-16, 09:22 AM

I find shocking that in two pages of posts about Her nobody mentioned Scarlet's voice!!! I'd make love to that voice!!!

Swan

09-19-16, 09:23 AM

I find shocking that in two pages of posts about Her nobody mentioned Scarlet's voice!!! I'd made love to that voice!!!

Yeah but that goes without saying, doesn't it? ;)

Camo

09-19-16, 09:23 AM

Nah didn't mean to argue or anything, you just gave me the opportunity to say something I wanted to say but didn't get to in my review. :)

I figured, was just clarifying in case anyone thought i was serious. :)

I hope it isn't the case but it would be pretty hilarious if no proper discussions broke out in this HOF and the highlight turned out be those 10 comments were we discussed Joaquins look in Her. Well Miss Vicky would be happy at least.

Camo

09-19-16, 09:27 AM

I find shocking that in two pages of posts about Her nobody mentioned Scarlet's voice!!! I'd made love to that voice!!!

Of course. Funny thing is i remember before this was released some commented on Joaquin looking weird but there was more focus on Scarlett being a terrible choice because she has a dull, monotone voice, from what i seen anyway. Agreed of course she is both delightful and devastating.

That scene were they are trying to have sex through the avatar or whatever the person gets called, and of course the reveal of her other relationships and goodbye are heartwrenching.

CosmicRunaway

09-19-16, 09:54 AM

Wait to you find out what he does for a job. The fact that a person is still doing something so mind numbingly dull and worthless for a living whenever this is supposed to be set in the future is infuriating. How was that job not taking over by computers?
I actually thought his job fit in well with the world they established in the movie. Everyone in the film's universe is so absorbed with new technology, that it's easy to imagine that anything involving pure sentimentality has become a lost art. I think that's why the other characters were always so impressed with his writing.

It's sort of become a novelty in our time as well. Can you even remember the last time you received a personal letter in the mail? And if so, was it from someone other than your grandparents? Probably not. I don't think that business would really succeed in our world right now, but I can actually see it being a real possibility in the near future.

Camo

09-19-16, 09:56 AM

Ugh. Note to Camo: Don't joke or you'll be harassed by the powerful greeting card lobbyists.

Topsy

09-19-16, 09:57 AM

https://www.wired.com/images_blogs/underwire/2014/01/Her.jpg

A quirky movie that is indeed very suitable for Joaquin Phoenix.Like someone else mentioned this consept isnt really all that far fetched,which is disturbing enough on its own.Joaquin is superb as always,but i didnt really care much for Scarletts parts,it just became a bit too much and took it too far for me in the machine vs human part.
I really liked the filming and staging,though i wish they would have kept him "normal" looking insted of the "yeah he would fall inlove with a computer" look.I like the plot but it wasnt able to pull me all the way in for some reason, though I was still entertained throughout.

CosmicRunaway

09-19-16, 10:05 AM

Ugh. Note to Camo: Don't joke or you'll be harassed by the powerful greeting card lobbyists.
I saw that you said you liked that it was his job in the small font below. I just didn't quote that bit because it was irrelevant to the point I wanted to bring up about how I thought his job was both very fitting and also fairly plausible.

It wasn't really a direct response to your comment, but more so a jumping off point.

Topsy

09-19-16, 10:09 AM

http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/vv299/pointy-san/kiss%20kiss%20bang%20bang/Untitled-5.png
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
(rewatch)
horrible title,awesome movie.I am veeeery picky about comedies,i usually dont like them,or atleast dont find them funny-however this one got me laughing hysterically from start to finish. Nevermind the actually plot,but Robert Downey Jr and Val Kilmer together were magic :lol: :lol: Ive heard a lot of not so nice things about Val Kilmer so this movie is really refreshing.Ive seen this a few times now and laugh just as much every single time.which is reeally rare for me.Again im not really a fan of the actress,and the movie definitly has its own issues,but this and hot fuzz are about the only comedies I genuinely laugh out loud at.the snappy dialogue,borderline behaviour and great chemistry.

CosmicRunaway

09-19-16, 10:09 AM

I wish they would have kept him "normal" looking insted of the "yeah he would fall inlove with a computer" look.
So is that your way of saying that you also wanted to punch him in the face? :p

Camo

09-19-16, 10:11 AM

I saw that you said you liked that it was his job in the small font below. I just didn't quote that bit because it was irrelevant to the point I wanted to bring up about how I thought his job was both very fitting and also fairly plausible.

It wasn't really a direct response to your comment, but more so a jumping off point.

Yeah, but quoting and directing it to me kind of looks like you are trying to argue a point with an obviously absurd post. I mean did you miss this part in big writing - That's the main question i came away with from Her?.

I know no one would actually take it that way (and that obviously that's not what you were doing) i just made the lobbyist joke because the idea of you quoting that post to make a serious point was pretty hilarious.

CosmicRunaway

09-19-16, 10:20 AM

Yeah, but quoting and directing it to me kind of looks like you are trying to argue a point with an obviously absurd post.
Yeah, I can see that now. I just wanted to bring up the job thing again because your post (though it wasn't serious) did make me think about it so I wanted to share my opinion, but the conversation had moved on to Scarlet's voice so I felt like I should quote something, and the parts of your post I included were the most relevant.

i just made the lobbyist joke because the idea of you quoting that post to make a serious point was pretty hilarious.
Maybe I do work for a major greeting card company, and this is all a ploy to get you to buy your gran a sappy card? :cool:

MovieMeditation

09-19-16, 10:36 AM

I actually thought you were serious too, Camo, and was about to write a thesis of the relevance of job in the film. :D

Miss Vicky

09-19-16, 11:15 AM

Fantastic write-up Swan. :up:

Topsy's tepid review aside, it looks like my nom will be doing quite well. Thrilled to see that.

As to the assertion that Theodore "looks like someone that would fall in love with a computer," I don't think that's true, at least not in the context of the film's world. If you look at this shot with Chris Pratt, you'll see their style of dress is very similar and both have the bushy mustache thing going on, yet Pratt's character is in a healthy relationship with a physical girlfriend. I don't think Phoenix's look is really meant to set him apart as any kind of misfit or oddball. It's just a touch of that Jonze quirkiness.

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MoFoPics/hercomparison.jpg

Anyway, I'll go ahead and post the review I wrote of Her when I rewatched it a few months ago.

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/her.gif

Her (Spike Jonze, 2013)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1798709/?ref_=nv_sr_4)

Date Watched: 4/26/16
Cinema or Home: At work on my portable DVD player
Reason For Watching: I needed a Phoenix fix.
Rewatch: Yes

At its most basic, this is the story of a man who falls in love with an operating system. But what it's really about is loneliness and the struggle to connect. I think a lot of us find it hard to forge real, healthy relationships with other people. We let our anxieties and insecurities stand in our way. We're desperate to find friendship, love, and understanding but don't really know how to make those things happen. I know I've felt that way and I find a really strong emotional connection with this film.

Of course that connection could never happen without a truly great central performance and who better to take on that role than Joaquin Phoenix. As Theodore Twomley - one of Her's few characters - Phoenix carries the entire film on his shoulders and he does it with a grace, sensitivity, and humanity that few actors can accomplish. I feel every emotion that Theodore feels. It's very raw, very real, and very believable. To me, it is truly the greatest performance of his career and probably my favorite performance of anyone in any movie.

Which is not to say that the other performances in the film are lacking. Scarlett Johansson's husky, sensual voice is perfect as Samantha and she infuses her performance with a curiosity, confidence, enthusiasm and sexuality that is palpable even though we cannot see her. And the smaller roles, too, are very well done. Amy Adams does well in her quiet role as Theodore's friend and confidante. Chris Pratt is awkwardly endearing as Theodore's colleague and admirer of his work. And Kristen Wiig turns in a brief but outrageous voice performance as SexyKitten - in a bizarre scene that I'll leave for the uninitiated to discover on their own.

But as great as these performance are, they would be nothing without an exceptional director and (Oscar winning) screenplay behind them. Jonze has created something truly special. He's crafted a very human love story that isn't even about two humans. As with any Jonze film, it has its quirks, but if you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor and forget your notions of Siri, look past the high-waisted pants and the bushy mustache and let yourself fall in love with Her.

5

Clazor

09-19-16, 01:06 PM

Embrace of the serpent (2015)

This was a mixed bag of a movie; some good parts, some not eaqualy good. I think I'll need to structure this review in a kind of boring way, just to make sure I get everything I want to cover out on the post. I also have to mention that I haven't red very much of the other reviews in this thread, just to make sure that what I write is my impressions and not a hodge podge of what everyone else has written. As such, if I go over stuff that the others have allready mentiond, bare with me. Also, I had some difficulties finding a working site to watch this. Neither the american nor the brittish version of Amazon allowed me to rent it(geographicly locked licencing or somthing) and to get a physical copy I'd be forced to pay $30. So I found a poorly subed, semi-legal workaround instead (who knew that a stumbling knowledge of spanish could actually come in handy):p

And now, what I thought.

I can deffinitely second Tongo's oppinion of how the movie looks. The cinematography is excellent and the visuals are fantastic. It's such a shame they chose to shoot in b&w, though. I would've loved to see the rainforest in all it's green glory. Also, for about a third of the movie I thought that the actor playing the young Shaman had been sunbathing with pants on before going to the set as his upper body was a few shades darker than his lower. In fact, he was wearing bodypaint,(:facepalm:) probably brightly colored too, but that was lost due to the choise of film. Is it a dealbreaker? No, the movie looks beautiful just the way it is, but such details could help sell the movie's climax even more.

Throughout the movie, the younger shaman wants to reunite with his people and all throughout the journey he's been furious at the companion of the scientist, berating him for leaving the old way behind as he sees it. When the shaman finally returns to his village, he's enraged to learn that the people there also have adapted more modern ways, above all western clothing. So when he, dressed up in his finest feather headdress and wearing the bodypaint, walks in to the main hut and finds a group of men in western clothing, they laugh at him. If you could've seen his bright bodypaint in contrast to their rather mundane khakis, it would've sold the point of him not fitting in even more.

Next up is the actors. I've never encountered any of them before to my knowledge, but I feel that the most praise goes to the three people we spend the most time with, and of those the prize for stealing the show goes to Nilbio Torres as the young Karamakate. A headstrong, verbaly abusive know-it-all who's laughter rings with derision. And a build that would make Schwarzenegger blush. He's hostile from the word go, even refusing to help a dying man with less than being bribed with the knowledge that his tribe still lives and that the sick man would show the way if Karamakate helped him. That said, the hostility doesn't come from nowhere, as white people and colombians attacked his village and forced him to flee, thinking that his entire tribe was slaughtered.

The sick man previously mentioned is the second of the three, Jan Bijvoet, portraying Theo, a german scientist on the hunt for a plant with healing properties. By his side is Manduca, his traveling companion, played by Yauenkü Migue. Together they've hunted for said flower for a very long time, establishing connections with local tribes and pushed themselves so far as to actually bring Theo to the brink of death from some unknown illness. They both get an opportunity to flex their acting muscles, but mostly they play second (and third) fiddle to Torres. The plot's mostly moved forward through him, either directly or through conversation between him and Theo.

Also, I've been calling him the young Karamakate for a reason. The character of Karamakate is portrayed by two actors, as this story runs parallel with another, set 40 years later as Karamakate again is confronted with the same rare flower. The old Karamakate is quieter, seems more weary and sufferes from a bad memory. He didn't make much of an impression on me, more than that of any stereotypical tribal elder; old, stoic and supposedly full of deep knowledge. Think old native american chieftain and you're pretty close. This part of the movie baerly cover a quarter of the running time, so heavy focus is put on the younger Karamakate, as well it should.

As to the story itself, I'm not going in to that here in any deapth, but all in all it's decent enough. The first 20-30 minutes draged a bit, and after that it was pretty much smooth sailing...err...canoing rather. They paddle a bit and talk, then they stop and somthing happens. Then they get into the canoe again and set off. Rinse and repeat. Infrequently the jump forward 40 years and spend some time with old Katamakate. Once you even get to see the same place twice, once with young Katamakate and then with the old one. It gets wierd.

So to sum up...good movie. Interesting plot, well acted and beautiful scenery. Not the most intense experience ever, but very competently put together. I liked it and could see myself rewatching it in a few years

Miss Vicky

09-19-16, 01:32 PM

That's pretty close to how I felt about Embrace, Clazor.

Topsy

09-19-16, 02:06 PM

So is that your way of saying that you also wanted to punch him in the face? :p

No,its joaquin Phoenix.i`d lick his face though :lol:

Miss Vicky

09-19-16, 02:11 PM

No,its joaquin Phoenix.i`d lick his face though :lol:

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MoFoMovieGifs/quillsrush.gif

MovieMeditation

09-19-16, 03:48 PM

Did you just purposely made your Joaquin avatar interact orally with that gif, MV? :randy::laugh:

Miss Vicky

09-19-16, 03:52 PM

Did you just purposely made your Joaquin avatar interact orally with that gif, MV? :randy::laugh:

Yes and no. Topsy's comment made me think of that gif (which is from Quills, another Phoenix film), but I've always loved how the two images look together when I post it.

MovieMeditation

09-19-16, 04:06 PM

I still need to see Quills...

Anyways, I have some good news to all y'all Hall of Famers! I'll finally, seriously, for real, no bullsh*t this time, act as a joker in this Hall of Fame. :)

I wanted to do it for the 10th, but we all knew that didn't go well... so, my plan is to participate as a joker in this one and then come strong with my own nom in the 12th HoF!

I already got the rewatch of Her down yesterday. Now I'm going for Moonrise Kingdom today, another rewatch. :up:

I'll get around some reviews tomorrow!

Camo

09-19-16, 04:11 PM

Glad to hear it MM :up:

CosmicRunaway

09-19-16, 04:29 PM

http://www.videoload.de/images/WUHosting10/images/warner/pic_2093871.jpg

Good Bye, Lenin! (2013)
Dir. Wolfgang Becker
Starring: Daniel Brühl, Chulpan Khamatova, Katrin Saß

Good Bye, Lenin! is a lot less comedic, and a lot more dramatic than I thought it was the last time I had seen it. The satire that exists within the film likely won't be as accessible to general audiences, but you don't need to be intimately familiar with the struggles of German reunification to sympathise with what the Kerners are going through, and luckily the film is still every bit as clever and moving as I remembered it being. The nostalgia for a place that no longer exists and the desire to create an idealized world, even if it is only for the sake of a sick family member, is not something you need to be German to understand.

The story starts just weeks before the fall of the Berlin Wall, and continues until German Unity Day the following year. Real documentary footage from this time is used throughout the film, and it serves to enhance both the dramatic and historical elements of the plot. Other than the political commentary, most of the comedy comes from the situations Alex finds himself in while trying to shield his mother from the truth of what's happening in the outside world. The Westernisation of the former Deutsche Demokratische Republik leads him into increasingly ridiculous predicaments, where he has to rely on his wits and improvisational skills to avoid “letting the cat out of the bag”. It may seem silly at face value, but it's fairly entertaining, and rather touching when you consider why Alex is trying so hard to succeed.

Good Bye, Lenin! is a film I seem to think about a lot, but I don't expect everyone to appreciate what it has to offer. At the very least I hope you guys can at find something enjoyable here, but I'd completely understand if you couldn't.

Guaporense

09-19-16, 06:14 PM

Miss Vicky

09-19-16, 10:12 PM

Just picked up Le Cercle Rouge, Good Bye Lenin! and Moonrise Kingdom from the library. I'm going to try to get another movie watched tonight, probably Moonrise Kingdom since it's pretty short.

rauldc14

09-19-16, 10:44 PM

By the time I get started, I'll be talking to myself :laugh:

seanc

09-19-16, 10:47 PM

By the time I get started, I'll be talking to myself :laugh:

I will be here. I haven't got to start either.

Guaporense

09-19-16, 10:49 PM

I will start with Moonrise Kingdom.

cricket

09-19-16, 10:54 PM

You seen any of these already, Guap?

Citizen Rules

09-19-16, 11:16 PM

I just picked up from my local library: Moonrise Kingdom, Bringing Up Baby and Flowers of War. But I think I'll watch a mindless car chase movie tonight:p

Guaporense

09-19-16, 11:17 PM

You seen any of these already, Guap?

Yes, Goodbye Lenin, Her and a couple of others. All really good movies among those I have watched.

Camo

09-20-16, 12:02 AM

No trolling. Had it in my top 50 last time I made, great movie.

I will try to find a way to make it easy for you guys to watch it.

If you cannot find it, PM me.

Thanks a lot about the nom, will most likely PM you myself if i can't find it later.

Miss Vicky

09-20-16, 01:16 AM

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/moonrisekingdom.gif

Moonrise Kingdom (Wes Anderson, 2012)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1748122/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

Date Watched: 9/19/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: The 11th MoFo Hall of Fame
Rewatch: No

This is my fifth Wes Anderson film and he has struck out with me every time. I don’t object to quirk. I don’t object to entertainment for the sake of entertainment. But there is just something about Anderson’s brand of filmmaking that fails to resonate with me time and time again.

His movies look good: Lots of bright colors and sharp images. The soundtracks are usually interesting. But his characters ruin it for me every single time. I don’t believe them. Flat out. No. People don’t talk this way. People don’t move this way. They are quirky for the sake of being quirky. Even within the context of Anderson’s bizarro movie worlds, I don’t believe his characters. When I don’t believe characters, I don’t care about them. When I don’t care about the characters, I get bored.

Moonrise Kingdom is no different from the other Wes Anderson films I’ve seen before. I don’t believe Sam. I don’t believe Suzy. I don’t believe the scout master. I don’t believe Suzy’s parents. I don’t believe the cop. And I don’t care about any of them so when the film attempts to strike an emotional chord, it only falls flat.

About the only praise I can give Moonrise Kingdom is that, while I didn’t care about any of its characters, I didn’t truly hate any of them either - though I did hate some of the scenes (lightning strike, anyone?) and found myself saying "F*** you, Wes Anderson" a time or two. Looking back at my rating for Rushmore, the last Anderson film I watched, I see I gave it a 3. I must have been feeling really generous that day. I think I disliked this one a little less than I disliked that one, but I’m not feeling particularly generous this time.

2.5-

seanc

09-20-16, 09:55 AM

rauldc14

09-20-16, 10:08 AM

I can understand how you don't like Anderson, Miss Vicky. Hes not for everybody. I really don't like Tenenbaums or Budapest. However, I really liked Moonrise (and Rushmore and Fox)

Miss Vicky

09-20-16, 10:58 AM

I have a question for you MV, just as way of discussion, not trying to be confrontational. Do you think Anderson is trying to draw naturalistic characters? Do you think Kauffman writes his characters in a naturalistic way?
Of course Anderson isn't, but they are so unnatural that they are off putting.

Kaufman's characters are different. For the most part, they inhabit absurd worlds, but they still behave and react to those worlds in very human ways. I believe Joel and Clementine. Hell, I even believe Craig and Lotte, as bizarre as they are. Through all his quirks, Kaufman's understanding of people really comes through in his work. Spike Jonze is the same.

Wes Anderson, on the other hand, just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

rauldc14

09-20-16, 01:45 PM

You don't like Fantastic Mr. Fox either?

Miss Vicky

09-20-16, 01:51 PM

You don't like Fantastic Mr. Fox either?

No. Probably disliked it the least of the Anderson films I've seen, but still didn't like it at all.

The other two I've seen are The Royal Tenenbaums and Life Aquatic.

Clazor

09-20-16, 02:02 PM

The Dead Girl (2006)
http://ilarge.lisimg.com/image/942496/855full-the-dead-girl-screenshot.jpg

This was a damn depressing movie. Not really what I usually go in for, but with some good moment...even if it took some trugging to get to them.

To be fair, I'm not this movie's intended audience. I'm the guy who hates Repo men (2010) because of the ending.

Jude Law's character have gone though some impossible feats to get him and the love interest the happy ever after. Only, we discover that thirty minutes earlier, when he hit his head, he fell into a coma and has been dreaming the happy ending. The girl's dead and he's a vegetable.

The movie itself is divided into five parts, each separated from the others by titlecard depicting the relationship the protagonist has to either the girl or the murderer. For there's a dead girl. Toni Collette finds her in the first scene. She plays a woman living with her verbally abusive mother. When she reports the body to the police she gets mobbed by reporters and OH HOLY ****, IT'S RIBISI!

Is this man incapable of NOT playing a skeevy basterd?

Anyway, he asks her out on a date, she wants him to rape her, she leaves the mother, story over. And that's the problem I have with this movie. It's like Love Actually (2003) in that it tries to tell multiple stories, but whereas Love weaves the stories into one another, this keeps them utterly separated. When a story's over, we never hear from that character again. I know the focus is the girl, but the stories ends so abruptley that I never felt that we were told a complete story. Except, again, for the girl's. There's not enough time spent with each character to get to know them or care for them.

Except for two of them. Which were the two parts I actually liked. Both are very well acted and during the few moment we have to get to know them they get alot across. In the chapter titled sister we meet Leah, a college student who's sister dissapeared 15 years ago. The parents are still putting up flyers and collecting info, which means that the daughter they still have never got to grieve or move on, as the mother still believe that the other daughter's out there somewhere. The actress playing Leah does a great job in portraying a girl who wants to move on but feels so guilty over giving up on her sister. And there's some James Franco in this, so YAY, levity.

The second to last chapter follows Marcia Gay Harden playing the mother of the dead girl and her attempt to map out her daughter's final days. This is also very well acted and as she discovers more about her daughter she recives several emotional gut-punches that puts her on her ass.

At the end of things, this is a one and done for me. Some really good acting, some good pieces of story, but not somthing I feel needs a rewatch. I don't know if this sounds like a posetive or negative review. I feel it's mixed emotionally, just like I am when it comes to this movie. I do recommend you watch this, at least for the acting which is good almost throughout.

Citizen Rules

09-20-16, 02:35 PM

Way to go Clazor! You're watching these movies fast:) I have to get my movie watching butt in gear and view some of these fine flicks! Hopefully I can watch one soon:p

Clazor

09-20-16, 03:00 PM

Way to go Clazor! You're watching these movies fast:) I have to get my movie watching butt in gear and view some of these fine flicks! Hopefully I can watch one soon:p

Thanks! I realize we have twelve weeks to see them, but I think I'll have some hard times finding some of them, so I thought I could watch the ones I have easy access to and then have a buffer zone in which I can spend on tracking down the others.

On an unrelated note, I'm glad you liked Payback, I was hoping you would find it interesting.

Citizen Rules

09-20-16, 03:42 PM

You're right some movies can be hard to find, so good plan to watch the easy to find ones now. Thank you! for suggesting Payback. Awesome flick!

Camo

09-20-16, 04:23 PM

Need to get moving on this, well not really we have ages i just want to. I'm too tired to watch something tonight but i'll watch Samurai Rebellion tomorrow. Was gutted when that Embrace link didn't actually have English Subs even though it said it did when i sat down to watch it, so i ended up just not watching anything. Will need to try and find another link for it.

cricket

09-20-16, 05:30 PM

Citizen Rules

09-20-16, 05:35 PM

The Dead Girl is the nomination I'm most looking forward to, even though I'm not expecting it to be the best. It looks like the one most suited to my taste, and it's the only one my wife will watch, with the possible exception of Flowers of War (because of Bale).Cricket see if wifey will watch Flowers of War with you, most of the dialogue is in English. My wife really liked that movie, in fact she helped me pick it for my nomination.

Guaporense

09-20-16, 05:57 PM

I can understand how you don't like Anderson, Miss Vicky. Hes not for everybody. I really don't like Tenenbaums or Budapest. However, I really liked Moonrise (and Rushmore and Fox)

I just watched it yesterday, I though it was an ok movie.

Miss Vicky

09-20-16, 06:00 PM

I just watched it yesterday, I though it was an ok movie.

You do realize that you're supposed to do write-ups for the movies and post them in here, right?

Camo

09-20-16, 06:26 PM

seanc

09-20-16, 06:44 PM

Of course Anderson isn't, but they are so unnatural that they are off putting.

Kaufman's characters are different. For the most part, they inhabit absurd worlds, but they still behave and react to those worlds in very human ways. I believe Joel and Clementine. Hell, I even believe Craig and Lotte, as bizarre as they are. Through all his quirks, Kaufman's understanding of people really comes through in his work. Spike Jonze is the same.

Wes Anderson, on the other hand, just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

I don't think either are very interested in naturalism. If you don't find Anderson's characters recognizable then that's fair enough. I think the young man that feels isolated and never a part of the crowd in Moonrise is very recognizable. The girl that is smarter than the others her age. Who feels different than her family and wants to run away with the first person she has felt a real connection with. The scout leader is yet another lonely soul who attaches his whole being to this world he loved as a kid. It makes sense, he can control it, and he has authority in it.

I could go on and on about hos characters. His style is certainly not for everyone but I don't think it's because his characters lack humanity.

MovieMeditation

09-20-16, 06:47 PM

I'm precious about my write-ups as you know, so I haven't had time to do them yet. Don't know if I'll just scatter something out without much structure or whatever of I don't get around them soon...

But movie-watching is going really well. Like I said, Her and Moonrise Kingdom is down. I also watched Ronin today, yet another (though long overdue) rewatch. I better get around the first watches soon too. But so far so good. :up:

Miss Vicky

09-20-16, 07:23 PM

I don't think either are very interested in naturalism. If you don't find Anderson's characters recognizable then that's fair enough. I think the young man that feels isolated and never a part of the crowd in Moonrise is very recognizable. The girl that is smarter than the others her age. Who feels different than her family and wants to run away with the first person she has felt a real connection with. The scout leader is yet another lonely soul who attaches his whole being to this world he loved as a kid. It makes sense, he can control it, and he has authority in it.

I could go on and on about his characters. His style is certainly not for everyone but I don't think it's because his characters lack humanity.

Their situations and motivations are recognizable but the characters themselves - their actual actions and the way in which they speak and move - are not. They're foreign. They're fake.

Even with the absurdities of the premises, I can get lost in a Kaufman or Jonze film. With Wes Anderson I never forget that I'm watching a movie. A fiction. I'm always observing from a distance.

cricket

09-20-16, 07:28 PM

Topsy

09-20-16, 07:49 PM

hah,i had two noms lined up for this,looks like i went with the wrong one :lol:
i really like it though i understand the criticism.I actually liked the fact that they didnt go all in,in every characters story and left us without letting us know what happened to them.

Moonrise kingdom
the flowers of war and
goodbye,lenin
are rewatches,and the rest looks pretty good-so im excited. I dont have as much time as normally to be online but I`ll try to watch 2 tomorrow :D

seanc

09-20-16, 07:52 PM

That's fine. Personally I think the major difference between Anderson and Kaufmann (I would add the Coens) is the aesthetic. I think there is a ton of humanity running through the characters in the writing of all three. A ton of humor, and a lot of artificiality, but the brokeneness and loneliness of humanity remains. Anderson's themes aren't different than those writers but his look sure is.

Camo

09-20-16, 08:04 PM

Really loving this discussion, and this has nothing to do with what you're saying it was just something i was thinking about earlier. When Sean first brought up Kaufmann characters in relation to Andersons,

I started to realize that some of their character are polar opposites pretty much, on the surface at least. I've seen all of Wes films and Anomalisa, Eternal Sunshine and BJM from Kaufmann for the record. It struck me that certain main characters in Kaufmanns films are often these lost males desperately looking for a sense of purpose in their lives. Craig in BJM is an unsatisfied puppeteer who clearly finds this portal as something he was meant to be involved with, his destiny was to discover this which gave him massive self importance validating his years of failure. Michael in Anomalisa is obvious, as much as i love the film it is a bit heavy handed. Joel in Eternal Sunshine is different since his state of loss and need for meaning in his life was self imposed but he still was a broken man who was desperately searching for Clementine again; even though he had no way of realizing this.

When you look at Max in Rushmore and Sam in Moonrise Kingdom they seem to be the opposite of these characters. Absolutely sure of what they want to do and why they want to do it. What they are going to do and why they are going to do it even.

Doubt anybody found this interesting or hadn't already made these connections but Sean bringing up Kaufmann in relation to Wes made me think about this while i was cleaning my house so keep stuff like this coming :laugh:

Camo

09-20-16, 08:05 PM

hah,i had two noms lined up for this,looks like i went with the wrong one

What was the other one Topsy?

Topsy

09-20-16, 08:07 PM

i was thinking about Hero (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0299977/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)
its visually stunning.

Camo

09-20-16, 08:12 PM

i was thinking about Hero (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0299977/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)
its visually stunning.

That's from the same director as Citizens nom: Flowers of War.

Absolutely love that film, one of the most beautiful films i've ever seen. So disappointed you didn't go with that :p

seanc

09-20-16, 08:12 PM

Camo

09-20-16, 08:17 PM

Good write-up Camo. Don't you think Max and Sam have an artificial confidence though? They seem just as broken and trying to hustle to make it as the Kauffman characters. Look at the way either react when rejected by females. I think their confidence is a facade.

They are certainly facades, i'm not saying that i believe these kids are completely honest with their intentions. I spent too much on the Kaufmanns while too little on the Andersons. I was mostly commenting on Sam and Max's self determination versus Kaufmann's characters fate.

Miss Vicky

09-20-16, 08:45 PM

Really loving this discussion

It'd be better if a certain late-comer would actually, you know, talk about the movies he's supposedly watched and actually participate in this thing. :rolleyes:

Camo

09-20-16, 09:36 PM

It'd be better if a certain late-comer would actually, you know, talk about the movies he's supposedly watched and actually participate in this thing. :rolleyes:

Yeah, Raul. Step it up :p

rauldc14

09-20-16, 09:41 PM

Sorry!!!! I know you are very worried about me since I haven't demonstrated completing all Hall of Fames. Only completed 2-10 :p

Camo

09-20-16, 09:49 PM

Sorry!!!! I know you are very worried about me since I haven't demonstrated completing all Hall of Fames. Only completed 2-10 :p

Pssh. You weren't in Survivor 1? Pathetic. :p

Gotta give you props for not even mentioning all the other HOFs you've been in.

Think this post from me in the HOF Organisation thread sums up you, Cricket, Sean and Citizens participation in the Hall of Fames here.

Cricket joins so many HOFs he even joins the HOF organization thread somehow

Guaporense

09-21-16, 02:01 AM

I was one of the few who completed the Utena HoF. I think most people were scared of watching Utena.

Anyway one thing I noticed in the HoFs is that I like conventional movies more than people here like nonstandard movies (like Utena), so that I usually liked the movies other people here nominated more than other people's impressions of the movies I nominated.

Anyway I participated in most HOFs since the 1st one.

Guaporense

09-21-16, 02:08 AM

I have to agree with Miss Vicky. I see the actions of characters in an Anderson film as just odd. There's an oddness to the Kaufman films, but I also see a very keen insight into human feeling and behavior. They're both quirky, yet totally different from my point of view. Anderson's movies are like fantasy even with a normal plot.

Well, I wouldn't associate fantasy films with unrealistic characters. Fantasy means unrealistic setting not characters, good fantasy like Spirited Away, has human-like character writing.

Now Moonrise kingdom felt pretty much like an sarcastic comedy to me, but without a point for the whole sarcasm, his style is:

Writing in a way for people to behave in a very awkward way to feel as artificial and awkward as possible because that feels "artsy" and "cool". Still I liked Moonrise Kingdom but I didn't think it was really great, actually I found my favoriteof his films to be the one of the guy who said "my safety is Harvard" 😂. Its comedic flavor fits his directorial style more.

Guaporense

09-21-16, 02:13 AM

Yeah Guap i'm sorry but as i told you in PM two different people have contacted me to say they don't think you watch the noms because you never participate and if you do you usually say a few vague things that make it seem like you are reading it from wikipedia or something. As i said to you in PM i trust you if you are telling me you watch them, i see no reason for you to lie. But from your recent response in PM and that Moonrise was an OK movie post, more or less confirming that you won't be saying much i have to ask why are you bothering to join? I get that you want people to watch an underseen movie that you are passionate about, but don't you think you could at least put some effort into joining in with discussions and giving even short write ups of the other members movies that they are passionate about in return?

This shouldn't even be a thing i need to ask of someone. It comes across like the sole reason you join these is so people can see your movie, while you have no interest in anyone elses.

Indeed, I have no interest at all in watching the others people's nominations. That's why I only have one movie that I discovered from HoF that I put into my top 10!!!!! (Sarcasm) Actually, I think I am the only one who discovered a top 10 favorite movie in a HoF here.

Again: my general impression is that I always liked way more other people's nominations than they liked mine. It was a mistake of mine to actually care so much about what other people think of my nomination although when I nominated I am usually thinking it's going to win for sure but it never is among the highest ranked.

neiba

09-21-16, 06:55 AM

Actually, I think I am the only one who discovered a top 10 favorite movie in a HoF here.

I have found 2 Top 10 movies in HoFs... :)

neiba

09-21-16, 06:59 AM

Think this post from me in the HOF Organisation thread sums up you, Cricket, Sean and Citizens participation in the Hall of Fames here.

https://cdn.meme.am/instances/500x/58989746.jpg

This is my 14th HoF! :(

Camo

09-21-16, 09:32 AM

Indeed, I have no interest at all in watching the others people's nominations. That's why I only have one movie that I discovered from HoF that I put into my top 10!!!!! (Sarcasm) Actually, I think I am the only one who discovered a top 10 favorite movie in a HoF here.

Again: my general impression is that I always liked way more other people's nominations than they liked mine. It was a mistake of mine to actually care so much about what other people think of my nomination although when I nominated I am usually thinking it's going to win for sure but it never is among the highest ranked.

You are completely missing the point. I'm not going to repeat myself, i'll just tell you that you should make a bit more of an effort with others nominations "this is an ok movie" is complete dogsh!t and if you aren't here to get others to watch your nom then i have no idea why you are part of it because you don't want to discuss the other noms either. It's pretty insulting when others are going to make an effort to tell you what they thought of your movie. Also just to let you know a third person contacted me last night to say they don't believe you watch the movies, it's starting to become a consensus because your absolute non-presence in the HOFs.

Miss Vicky

09-21-16, 11:01 AM

Again: my general impression is that I always liked way more other people's nominations than they liked mine.

I'd say that has a lot to do with the films you choose. You like to choose inaccessible films and I don't mean ones that are physically inaccessible like Bashu, but more often it's movies that appeal to a more niche audience - Utena, PMMM, f***ing K-On!. And you do so knowing damn well they're not going to be well received here. Then you have a fit when people don't like them. The one time I saw you choose something more sensible (Kagua), you tried to change your nomination to something more along the lines of your previous choices and had a fit when the host refused to allow it.

And you can't blame people for doubting your actual participation, since you refuse to go into any kind of detail about any film that isn't your own nomination. You seem to bring a lot of drama to HOFs, but not a whole lot of substance. Try actually being a true participant in this process or go away.

Now that I've gotten that off my chest, here's what I actually came to this thread to say: I watched about half of Good By Lenin! last night, but was getting too drowsy and had to stop. I'll finish it tonight and post a write-up. I'll try to get another one watched tomorrow, but probably won't have time for one Friday and I'll be out of town Saturday and Sunday, so I might not be on the forum at all those days.

Besides Lenin, I've still got Bringing Up Baby, Flowers of War, Le Cercle Rouge, Ronin and Bashu to watch. I'm not making that last one a priority, however, so I may not get to it until much closer to the deadline. Bringing Up Baby is waiting for me at the library, but I doubt I'll be able to make it back over there before the hold time expires, so it may be a week or two before I get to it.

CosmicRunaway

09-21-16, 11:05 AM

I watched about half of Good By Lenin! last night, but was getting too drowsy and had to stop.
Not exactly a good sign, haha.

Miss Vicky

09-21-16, 11:09 AM

Not exactly a good sign, haha.

Actually I was a enjoying it quite a bit, but I was just too tired and shouldn't have tried to watch a movie at all last night. I look forward to finishing it.

Topsy

09-21-16, 12:22 PM

That's from the same director as Citizens nom: Flowers of War.

Absolutely love that film, one of the most beautiful films i've ever seen. So disappointed you didn't go with that :p

I didnt know that!
Glad you agree!I decided to try the dead girl because every time i mention it nobody seems to have heard of it-which i find kind of odd considering how many famous faces are in it. also obviously i really like it
unless too many has seen Hero already i might try it for another HoF

Citizen Rules

09-21-16, 12:38 PM

I didnt know that!
Glad you agree!I decided to try the dead girl because every time i mention it nobody seems to have heard of it-which i find kind of odd considering how many famous faces are in it. also obviously i really like it
unless too many has seen Hero already i might try it for another HoF I've never seen Hero. But it's not a rule or anything that the noms have to be unknown. Some people think the noms should be the greatest of the great movies, which of course are very well known. So it's a personal choice if one goes with an unknown film or a well known film.:p

The director of my nom Flowers of War also directed another movie that was in an earlier Hof, Raise the Red Lantern. I haven't seen it either but people seemed to like it.

neiba

09-21-16, 12:41 PM

The director of my nom Flowers of War also directed another movie that was in an earlier Hof, Raise the Red Lantern. I haven't seen it either but people seemed to like it.

Didn't know this! If Flowers of War is half as good as Raise the Red Lantern, it'll be my #1! xD

cricket

09-21-16, 12:42 PM

I watched half a movie too last night (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) before getting too tired. I get up at 4:30 and don't put movies on until my wife goes to bed. Last night was later than usual since she decided to put out the Halloween decorations. I'll finish it tonight.

Citizen Rules

09-21-16, 12:44 PM

It's not the same style/type movie as Raise the Red Lantern is, so don't get your hopes up to high by comparing it to Raise the Red Lantern. But I think Flowers of War is a cool little film, but not real artsy in the way Raise the Red Lantern was.

Miss Vicky

09-21-16, 12:44 PM

The director of my nom Flowers of War also directed another movie that was in an earlier Hof, Raise the Red Lantern. I haven't seen it either but people seemed to like it.

Raise the Red Lantern is indeed an excellent movie. It's on YouTube if anyone who hasn't seen it is interested.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Yo8bvg0MAg

neiba

09-21-16, 12:51 PM

Please please please, don't ever watch a movie like Raise the Red Lantern on Youtube! :p Those visuals deserve something better than the Yt quality!!!

Citizen Rules

09-21-16, 12:52 PM

I've been wanting to watch Raise the Red Lantern for a long time. Thanks for the youtube link, I just now watched a couple minutes of it and it's a real nice looking link, high quality.

Edit: I see that Neiba and me have cross posted. (I didn't see your post Neiba until after my post was up on the site, I wasn't trying to contradict you):)

Miss Vicky

09-21-16, 12:54 PM

Please please please, don't ever watch a movie like Raise the Red Lantern on Youtube! :p Those visuals deserve something better than the Yt quality!!!

The quality on that video is actually quite good. I watched it on YT when it was nominated for a HOF and it didn't hinder my enjoyment of it at all.

Swan

09-21-16, 12:55 PM

Damn, I feel terrible for Guap.

Camo

09-21-16, 01:00 PM

Damn, I feel terrible for Guap.

Not sure why. I contacted him about this in private and his response was basically "oh cool, gonna still not contribute anything anyway" then he posted that "it was an ok movie" BS post. He's clearly trolling now, there's no other explanation.

Miss Vicky

09-21-16, 01:04 PM

It seems to me that if Guap thinks that real participation in this thread is optional for him, then watching his nomination should be optional for the rest of us.

Swan

09-21-16, 01:04 PM

I dunno, he participated more than me in that Moonrise discussion. Did you guys see this post?

Well, I wouldn't associate fantasy films with unrealistic characters. Fantasy means unrealistic setting not characters, good fantasy like Spirited Away, has human-like character writing.

Now Moonrise kingdom felt pretty much like an sarcastic comedy to me, but without a point for the whole sarcasm, his style is:

Writing in a way for people to behave in a very awkward way to feel as artificial and awkward as possible because that feels "artsy" and "cool". Still I liked Moonrise Kingdom but I didn't think it was really great, actually I found my favoriteof his films to be the one of the guy who said "my safety is Harvard" 😂. Its comedic flavor fits his directorial style more.

I don't care who is right or wrong anyway, I just wish people wouldn't be so vicious to the guy.

Miss Vicky

09-21-16, 01:08 PM

I dunno, he participated more than me in that Moonrise discussion. Did you guys see this post?

Yes, I saw it. He still said very little about the actual movie. As to your participation or lack thereof, have you actually watched the movie?

Also, I prefer the term "forthright." :p

Swan

09-21-16, 01:11 PM

I have seen it before but haven't revisited it for the HoF. I was going to respond to Sean's questions but couldn't really put my thoughts into words I guess, so I decided not to.

Honestly though, I'm not that bothered with people's participation. I remember there was one HoF where Sane (remember that guy?) said pretty much nothing the entire run. No one seemed worried about it then.

Miss Vicky

09-21-16, 01:12 PM

rauldc14

09-21-16, 01:13 PM

I believe that Sane actually watched the movies though I could be wrong. (Who am I to talk, I haven't watched any yet, but you know I ain't be dropping out yo)

Miss Vicky

09-21-16, 01:13 PM

Also, there's this from the opening post:

Everyone watches the nominated movies and will discuss them in this thread. You need to write at least a short paragraph about your thoughts on each movie, after you watch it. Part of the process is discussion of the movies as a group.

He needs to participate fully or GTFO.

Camo

09-21-16, 01:14 PM

He still said very little about the actual movie.

Exactly. I don't care how much or little someone discusses a movie but in this specific situation i do because i'm getting accusations of him not watching the movies and being told "you have to make a decision". Someone even threatened to drop out if Guap was still in, i don't think this is the case anymore but that post gives me zero confidence in him just going back to not posting/possibly watching the movies.

Plus he was trolling so he deserves any responses he gets to that. The timing of that "it's an ok movie" post right after he replied to my PM was so obviously an i'm gonna do this in the most obvious way possible to annoy people. Which is incredibly childish.

Swan

09-21-16, 01:16 PM

I believe that Sane actually watched the movies though I could be wrong. (Who am I to talk, I haven't watched any yet, but you know I ain't be dropping out yo)

Isn't Guap watching the movies, though? He watched Moonrise and posted that he was watching Embrace last night. That makes two, which again is more than I have watched.

Alas I checked the rules and it seems discussion is mandatory. But again, it seems Guap has added to the discussion.

I like Guap so it upsets me when people viciously bash the dude. Be a bit more civil about it. It doesn't matter if he's in the wrong or not, I think when you guys walk all over him like that you're no better.

Swan

09-21-16, 01:16 PM

Exactly. I don't care how much or little someone discusses a movie but in this specific situation i do because i'm getting accusations of him not watching the movies and being told "you have to make a decision". Someone even threatened to drop out if Guap was still in, i don't think this is the case anymore but that post gives me zero confidence in him just going back to not posting/possibly watching the movies.

Plus he was trolling so he deserves any responses he gets to that. The timing of that "it's an ok movie" post right after he replied to my PM was so obviously an i'm gonna do this in the most obvious way possible to annoy people. Which is incredibly childish.

Fine. If he's trolling kick him out. Don't attack him.

Camo

09-21-16, 01:18 PM

UGH. Seriously Swan you haven't had to deal with the PMs i have the last few days and you really don't have a clue what is happening so i find it incredibly awful that you are defending him. Sorry for being so blunt but that's the way it is.

Swan

09-21-16, 01:18 PM

Camo

09-21-16, 01:20 PM

Fine. If he's trolling kick him out. Don't attack him.

The only thing that came close to an attack was me calling that post Dogsh!t and BS. And wasn't it? Is he proud of it or something? If you look at my first post about this i was mostly on his side and i also was in the PMs but it is getting absurd now.

Miss Vicky

09-21-16, 01:22 PM

I'm not seeing any vicious attacks anyway, only blunt honesty.

We're all adults here. Do we really need to sugarcoat our opinions and put forth fake niceties? The concerns of the other members were brought to him in private and he dismissed them. They've also been addressed in public. He can either step up and do what is required or he can step down.

Miss Vicky

09-21-16, 01:32 PM

I should state for the record, too, that I am not among the people who have private messaged Camo about this and am not the one who threatened to drop out. All of my issues on the matter have been aired publicly.

Camo

09-21-16, 02:10 PM

I'll confirm that but i don't want everybody saying it wasn't me so it becomes obvious who the people who brought this up to me are.

Camo

09-21-16, 02:11 PM

Also i see no point in discussing this further. If Guap continues doing what he's doing then i'll kick him out, there's nothing worth saying about it left.

rauldc14

09-21-16, 02:16 PM

I should really watch my first movie.

Miss Vicky

09-21-16, 02:28 PM

I'll confirm that but i don't want everybody saying it wasn't me so it becomes obvious who the people who brought this up to me are.

Sorry if that seemed to imply something I didn't mean it to. I just said that to show that my concerns were in addition to those who had contacted you and it's not just one or two people who have a problem.

MovieMeditation

09-21-16, 02:56 PM

On the whole discussion about Anderson's characters, which seems to have been overshadowed by the discussion of Guap's participation in these HoFs, I would like to add or partly agree with what has already been said. Also, it might bring the thread back on track again...

I don't feel like Anderson's characters lack humanity, but I think Anderson's way of writing is unique and comes off as very specific and detailed dialogue, which might derail his characters for some audiences or make them come off unnatural. It is kind of like with Tarantino, who also have a special way of writing than isn't exactly natural, but it doesn't necessarily hold back his characters - mostly it actually enhances them. But I mean, who ever says the sentence "she stabbed me in the back with lefty scissors"? If you have ever read or just glanced over an Anderson screenplay, you would know his attention to detail is insane. And that reflects his way of writing, which is in the end comes off as quirky and then continues to be written off as "empty" or "hollow".

But it's just his way of making movies. Just like with Malick's visual style. He makes movies that are heavily relying on visual storytelling, but that doesn't mean he can't tell a good story, does it? Anderson isn't for everybody, but it is his style that is in some people's way, not that it lacks humanity, emotion or otherwise... he just doesn't present these elements like the norm of directors would do. Usually he hides them pretty well inside his own little crazy world of weirdness. But they are there. Royal Tennenbaums was surprisingly depressing to me.

MovieMeditation

09-21-16, 02:57 PM

I should really watch my first movie.
I watched 3 movies for this HoF already,

AND I'M NOT EVEN IN IT! :leo:

neiba

09-21-16, 03:02 PM

I watched 3 movies for this HoF already,

AND I'M NOT EVEN IN IT! :leo:

Shut up, I'll never forgive you for not completing the HoF where you nominated Beasts of the Southern Wild! :p

rauldc14

09-21-16, 03:04 PM

I watched 3 movies for this HoF already,

AND I'M NOT EVEN IN IT! :leo:

I've taken to your slacking ways.

MovieMeditation

09-21-16, 03:05 PM

Damn.

That badly backfired.

MovieMeditation

09-21-16, 03:54 PM

Okay, this review of Her kind of turned into a write-up, which in turn, turned into a discussion.

As a review, this write-up could use some structure and some tightening, tweaking and whatnot. But this is a Hall of Fame, not my review thread, so I'll just post this, unedited and as it is...

http://pic.kickass.re/20140528/824/2719e297273947a3a05878804332673f_140_200.jpg

'Her' draws a very vivid and dreamy image of an otherwise dark dystopian future. The setting of the film has been filled with colors and warmly saturated hues, making 'Her' even more disturbing for its showcase of a disconnected society, who are in a very daunting way, directly connected to their communitive little computer-companion. You sense the underlying dark and depressing atmosphere oozing over this otherwise warm and wonderful world, which oddly enough feels close to home in both ends of the time line; making a clear contrast with modern technology inside an otherwise retro setting.

Our main character, Theodore Twombly, played to perfection by one of my favorite actors, Joaquin Phoenix, really grants this character with slight glimpse of pain great enough to have the audience pity him but without putting him off as pathetic. It is all about the slight gestures to make the emotions feel significant and honest and Phoenix hits the bullseye with the arrow of Cupid. Theodore is a lonely and introverted individual, who writes letters for the loved ones of significant others, other than himself. These letters are presented in handwritten form, forged by a computer and falsely credited to the paying costumer of the service. This working position is perfect as a place in the story, in the time and in the telling of Theodore's character arc. The art of writing is long gone and the art of expression, especially emotional, has vanished with it.

People are now incapable of communicating properly with each other and thereby distancing themselves from their human relationships and day-to-day routines. The spark is artificially reanimated by words that are written by an observant – and not a participant – of the relationship, and is amplified by the undying art of putting emotion to paper. Theodore is admired by all his co-workers and seeing such a sweet and kind human being with so much love to give but so few to deliver it to, is simply heartbreaking enough as it is. Combined with the cold cut-off society, where people go about in their own little bobbles is really something that lingers in your mind, especially as I dictate this part right here and now using Siri... but as long as I dictate and not dedicate something to my OS I should be fine, right?

The idea of a connected companionship with a computer seemed rather crazy when I first read about 'Her', but envisioning something is not equal to experiencing it, so once I got past the overall oddness of it and thought about the originality and relevance of it, while playing around with the ideas of it, clinching onto the concept of it, as well as the conflict following the realization of it, and by then I really began to fall in love with 'Her'… and not solely because of Scarlett Johansson, I can (try to) assure you. But now that I brought it up myself, Scarlett Johansson really does have that unfiltered, warm and welcoming tone of voice, which definitely helps making the audience buy into the love of someone who has bought himself into love, if that makes sense. OS1 is an operating system, but somehow Johansson and Jonze makes magic together and creates something believable.

But it really is this showcase of the OS as the perfect companion in life – someone who is always there for you, someone who listens and someone who seems so enthusiastic about everything you share; even life itself. When presented with a fresh look on life, free from prejudice and passive aggressive negativity, you really do become a new person yourself, just like Theodore. But even for the everlasting evolution of technology, nothing lasts forever, but before OS1 disappears completely, there is a scene showcasing Theodore’s panic attack when he can’t connect to OS1 and his virtual wife, Samantha. Although a visual exaggeration of such situation, I think we can all relate to the feeling – especially the younger generation – when we can’t find our phone, for example… complete and utter panic, I can tell you.

‘Her’ is a spellbinding view on the spell of technology that we find ourselves in even now. But Jonze isn’t trying to frighten us about our future, he is trying to enlighten us. He does it in a way that have us connect with what we are seeing and then he slowly pulls the rug out from under us. I mean, even the small little hints send thoughts of resonance down our spine – seeing people find major interest in normal things, like sleeping, because it is so pure and humane as anything can be; It is the most honest state in many ways and obviously there is more to that scene than that. But I just love those smaller things too, like the game about being a perfect mom; games that we play for fun in our free time about things we don’t do that much anymore. Does this ring a bell? Farmville on Facebook, anyone?

https://67.media.tumblr.com/656c1b8230cda814ec02e72d21050c73/tumblr_n0uh0nRTRc1qduh7lo1_500.gif

5

cricket

09-21-16, 03:59 PM

A lot of love for Her so far

Miss Vicky

09-21-16, 04:01 PM

Fantastic write up, MM!

And you chose not to actually join this HOF why exactly?

MovieMeditation

09-21-16, 04:11 PM

Fantastic write up, MM!

And you chose not to actually join this HOF why exactly?
I really made you go from happy to sad real fast when you realised I wouldn't be able to boost your nomination to the number one spot, huh? :p

I didn't join because I didn't think I could finish it. I joined the 9th HoF which became the first HoF I ever dropped out of... I then said in the thread for the 10th HoF that I would participate as a joker, but I didn't watch a single movie for that one.

So, my plan was/is to join this HoF as a joker and see if I can complete it and if all goes well and it seems like I can commit to movie watching on a proper level again, I'll join the 12th for real. :)

rauldc14

09-21-16, 04:31 PM

Samurai Rebellion

http://www.martialartsactionmovies.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/The-final-Fight.jpg

I didn't have huge expectations going into this one, namely because I saw that Kobayashi was the same person who directed Harakiri, a movie that I liked but did not love. With this one, I felt there was more heart behind it and a bigger story to tell. Here we see a story about a husband and wife through the eyes of the husband's father, interesting enough because at the ending of the film he says nobody will ever know the story of the two to their own son. I really thought that was a pretty neat twist to the movie.

The film looked phenomenal. From everything to the cinematography and the design of the sets, it was a film that brought forth a really great atmosphere. I will echo was I believe Miss Vicky said in the sense that I thought it was great that there wasn't too many samurai scenes, instead we got to go in depth and learn about the characters in the film more. When there were sword scenes at the end, they were really well done and they weren't drawn on for too long.

The movie started rather slow for me but it gained steam real quick. I was fully invested in the story and the characters and this was a real good start to kicking off the 11th Hall of Fame for me. Glad Cricket nominated it because I wouldn't have had this film on my radar.

4

Swan

09-21-16, 04:35 PM

Wish MM joined this thing, could have cemented a Her win.

MovieMeditation

09-21-16, 04:36 PM

Wish MM joined this thing, could have cemented a Her win.
Well, I'm all for joining. :D

Swan

09-21-16, 04:37 PM

Camo. Hey Camo.

Well, I'm all for joining. :D

Camo.

Well, I'm all for joining. :D

Hint hint.

Well, I'm all for joining. :D

Miss Vicky

09-21-16, 04:40 PM

Fantastic write up, MM!

And you chose not to actually join this HOF why exactly?
I really made you go from happy to sad real fast when you realised I wouldn't be able to boost your nomination to the number one spot, huh? :p

No, I still have some hope that your opinion will matter. The first HOF I joined, gbg watched all of the movies and was given a vote even though she hadn't officially joined and didn't nominate a film.

I was none too pleased about that because she HATED my nomination, but I'll be quite happy if you end up getting a vote.

neiba

09-21-16, 04:43 PM

Go watch my movie! If you give it a 5 ++, I'll let you join! :p

Guaporense

09-21-16, 06:45 PM

Isn't Guap watching the movies, though? He watched Moonrise and posted that he was watching Embrace last night. That makes two, which again is more than I have watched.

Indeed.

Alas I checked the rules and it seems discussion is mandatory. But again, it seems Guap has added to the discussion.

Of course, but its true that in a couple of previous HoF I did not discuss all the movies nominated (I didn't talk about one of two movies in the sci fi HoF and in the war HoF). That applies to most people though, since I always notice that many people do not discuss the movies I nominate. For example, only 3-4 people out of 8 said anything at all about Gunbuster in the sci-fi HoF.

I like Guap so it upsets me when people viciously bash the dude. Be a bit more civil about it. It doesn't matter if he's in the wrong or not, I think when you guys walk all over him like that you're no better.

Indeed. Their behavior is extremely ignorant but it was my mistake to give attention to them in the first place.

Guaporense

09-21-16, 06:50 PM

You are completely missing the point. I'm not going to repeat myself, i'll just tell you that you should make a bit more of an effort with others nominations "this is an ok movie" is complete dogsh!t and if you aren't here to get others to watch your nom then i have no idea why you are part of it because you don't want to discuss the other noms either. It's pretty insulting when others are going to make an effort to tell you what they thought of your movie. Also just to let you know a third person contacted me last night to say they don't believe you watch the movies, it's starting to become a consensus because your absolute non-presence in the HOFs.

So how much do I have to post to count as someone contributing?

Is this enough or not?

Well, I wouldn't associate fantasy films with unrealistic characters. Fantasy means unrealistic setting not characters, good fantasy like Spirited Away, has human-like character writing.

Now Moonrise kingdom felt pretty much like an sarcastic comedy to me, but without a point for the whole sarcasm, his style is:

Writing in a way for people to behave in a very awkward way to feel as artificial and awkward as possible because that feels "artsy" and "cool". Still I liked Moonrise Kingdom but I didn't think it was really great, actually I found my favoriteof his films to be the one of the guy who said "my safety is Harvard" 😂. Its comedic flavor fits his directorial style more.

I have seen it before but haven't revisited it for the HoF. I was going to respond to Sean's questions but couldn't really put my thoughts into words I guess, so I decided not to.

Honestly though, I'm not that bothered with people's participation. I remember there was one HoF where Sane (remember that guy?) said pretty much nothing the entire run. No one seemed worried about it then.

Indeed. I already did better than him in this one.

cricket

09-21-16, 07:03 PM

Glad you liked Samurai Rebellion Raul:) The title is misleading and isn't the original title intended by the director, but rather the American title intended to draw action fans.

MovieMeditation

09-21-16, 07:21 PM

The discussion is done, Guap. Let it be.

How about proving yourself in the future instead of proving yourself in the past. The latter is impossible while the former is definitely plausible. We are going in circles by now.

Swan

09-21-16, 07:26 PM

Sorry for adding to that argument earlier, wasn't my place as I didn't have all the info. I'd rather just leave it up to Guap and Camo to figure out, so I won't get involved with it anymore.

Swan

09-21-16, 07:27 PM

Anyway.. I'm gonna try another one of these tonight, unless I decide to do one for the Silent HoF instead. I'm thinking Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang or Samurai Rebellion is in order.

Miss Vicky

09-21-16, 08:07 PM

So how much do I have to post to count as someone contributing?

Is this enough or not?

These questions were already answered. You're required to do a write up of at least a single paragraph where you talk about the nominated movie specifically.

Indeed. I already did better than him in this one.

Not necessarily. If he's planning to rewatch the film before the deadline, then he is under no obligation to say much if anything until he sees it again.

cricket

09-21-16, 08:55 PM

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/leggyslove/KKBB/KissKissBangBang_leggyslove1146.jpg

I saw this before and didn't think much of it. I didn't think much of it this time either, but I wanted to try it again so I'm glad it was nominated. I hate the narration at the beginning and end, especially with the little tricks that go with it. Downey plays what seems to be the same character he always plays, and that is fine. I like Val Kilmer even though I find him to be a very enigmatic actor, and he does a pretty nice job. I did not care for Michelle Monaghan in this movie, even though I usually like her in everything. I just feel like she was miscast. Overall, I think the movie is a basic, average action/comedy. Some of it is entertaining, and some of it feels forced and falls flat. I think the best part of the movie is the fact that Kilmer's character is gay, and the jokes that result from it. To me, one of the film's main goals is to be witty. That's what I see from the delivery, but the results are hit or miss. This seems to be a very popular movie, but I don't see the appeal.

2.5

Guaporense

09-22-16, 12:29 AM

Embrace the Serpent

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uymNkBuR-SY/maxresdefault.jpg

Behold, Aguirre the Wrath of God 3 (you should know which movie is supposed to be the Aguirre 2 if you are a serious cinephile). :D

When I began watching this film I had conflicting thoughts in the sense that I felt like this was one of those leftwing style movies depicting how bad "white men" is to the native populations of Latin America. Also, it's a movie in black and white made in 2015 which means it's certainly something with artistic pretensions. That can be a good or a bad thing. Anyway, when I embarked on this movie at first it felt boring and arid but slowly but surely it won over me.

As a South American myself, the vegetation depicted in the movie felt quite familiar, although I am from the south of Brazil, thousands of kilometers from where the amazon forest is, the "style" of the vegetation still is familiar. Also, among the films' multitude of characters there was one Brazilian guy (or at least Portuguese speaker), you know, the one pretending to be the messiah? That's a fellow Brazilian there, almost had an orgasm from hearing good'ol portuguese there. :D

Also, this movie represents the fascination the west has with primitive indigenous peoples. This fascination is very old and present for instance in Rousseau, who regarded native tribes as something uncorrupted by civilization. Still it feels a bit hypocritical to be advocating for the superiority and purity of uncivilized tribes and complaining about its violation by "white men", while being a westerner living in the center of western civilization.

Anyway, this film is an experience. It's value is not as a story but it's atmosphere, in a way it's similar to great movies like Tarkovsky's and represents the bright side of art films. As well as being something that looks like a thing that is just the type of stuff that Swan would like.

Anyway, it's ending even takes a bite of 2001. A great movie for serious film fans and right now my 2nd favorite for this HoF, after Bashu.

Guaporense

09-22-16, 12:39 AM

Wish MM joined this thing, could have cemented a Her win.

I though Her was very good but I wouldn't think it's "won" this HoF because there are several other excellent movies in there (like Bashu :D, perhaps the best Central Asian film ever dude).

gbgoodies

09-22-16, 01:07 AM

No, I still have some hope that your opinion will matter. The first HOF I joined, gbg watched all of the movies and was given a vote even though she hadn't officially joined and didn't nominate a film.

I was none too pleased about that because she HATED my nomination, but I'll be quite happy if you end up getting a vote.

I'm sorry about that, but I didn't ask to submit a list for that HoF. After I watched all the movies, they asked me to submit a list. I wouldn't have done it if I knew there were objections to my submitting a list. (But somebody's nom had to be last on my list. It just happened to be yours in that HoF.)

If it makes you feel any better, I've seen the movie Her and I liked it a lot. I think it has a good chance to do very well in this HoF.

Miss Vicky

09-22-16, 01:26 AM

I though Her was very good but I wouldn't think it's "won" this HoF because there are several other excellent movies in there (like Bashu :D, perhaps the best Central Asian film ever dude).

Clearly no film has won this HOF, it just got started and some people haven't watched any films for it yet. Her is just an early front-runner. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it stays in the lead, but I'm not holding my breath since my noms usually end up somewhere in the middle of the final voting.

Anyway, I just finished Good Bye Lenin!, need to collect my thoughts and then I'll post a write-up. I also was actually able to make it over to the library to pick up Bringing Up Baby so I'll get to it soon. I might even watch another film tonight.

Miss Vicky

09-22-16, 02:06 AM

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/goodbyelenin.gif

Good Bye Lenin! (Wolfgang Becker, 2003)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0301357/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)

Date Watched: 9/21/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: The 11th MoFo Hall of Fame
Rewatch: No

Going into this film, I knew virtually nothing about this period in Germany's history. I think the only other film I've seen that addresses it all is Hedwig and the Angry Inch, which doesn't exactly focus on it. I also did exactly zero research on the film and didn't actually read Cosmic's write-up on it (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1581221#post1581221) so I could watch it without prejudice.

Good Bye Lenin! is a very funny and heartfelt film about a young man's struggle to protect his ill mother from the drastic changes that occurred in East German culture while she had been in coma. Though the comedy is bittersweet, it feels a little wrong to laugh at the lengths the young man goes to conceal the truth and to build a fictional world for his mother, but his methods are both ingenious and absurd.

The two key performances - Daniel Brühl as Alex and Katrin Saß as his mother - are both excellent and I really enjoyed seeing Brühl in this sort of role. My previous experiences with him (Inglourious Basterds and Rush) had been with emotionally cold characters, but here there was none of that. Alex's unabashed love of his mother, his family, and his girlfriend actually warmed my cold, bitchy heart - just a little. Both actors also really seemed to capture and convey the conflicting emotions of their characters - particularly as each had to confront the other's lies - not just in their words but in their expressions and mannerisms.

Ultimately, there's nothing truly revelatory in this tale of familial love but it's effective and highly engaging just the same. This is a film I likely would never have seen if left to my own devices and I'm really glad I had this opportunity to give it a try.

4

CosmicRunaway

09-22-16, 04:13 AM

I was wondering how someone unfamiliar with East Germany would feel about the film, so I'm really glad you enjoyed it, and even though you hadn't read my write-up, we said very similar things. :up:

Camo

09-22-16, 06:41 AM

Embrace of the Serpent

http://i64.tinypic.com/2qlzcrp.jpg

When i heard what this was about i expected it to be a Dead Man like surrealist jourey. While i do think they are a bit similar to my surprise this turned out a lot more straight forward. Not that this is a good or bad thing, i just wanted to note that because it was a surprise to me. All the main performances were good but the best had to be both of the Kararmakate's, with the edge going to the younger. It was amazing how different they were, it actually took me a minute to realize they were the same person because i hadn't gotten a grasp of the name. The movie looked and sounded amazing. I can see an argument made for this being in colour because of all of the amazing scenery, and i don't know maybe that would've been better regardless though i thought it looked spectacular. The sounds of the jungle and the wildlife were amazing, especially since i was watching this late at night not exactly tired but kind of spent from doing a lot, it just made it such a comforting experience.

Sorry i don't have more to say Swan, i watched it late last night and i just kind of got immersed in everything which is of course a good thing. When i came to right this today i had forgotten some of my thoughts and feelings outside of the plot. I will say it was a very unique audio-visual experience with great performances and an interesting story. Not sure if it will become a favourite but i'm planning on rweturning to it at a later date. I'm actually thinking about buying this soon if i can find it for a decent price since the copy i watched particularly the subtitles weren't the best, so if i do before this ends i might do another better write up for it.

Samurai Rebellion tomorrow then i'm going for my three rewatches.

Camo

09-22-16, 06:46 AM

Well, I'm all for joining. :D

I'm fine with you sending a list but i'm going to need everybody to say they don't mind. So if your cool with it say so in the thread, if you have any objections and don't want to say so in the thread you can PM me.

cricket

09-22-16, 07:01 AM

^^Fine with me

MovieMeditation

09-22-16, 07:09 AM

And please people, if you DO mind say so. :p

I'm gonna watch all these films and dicuss them with y'all regardless. :up:

Swan

09-22-16, 07:48 AM

I encourage it!

Camo

09-22-16, 10:00 AM

When Sean saw that MM wanted in, he mentioned to me that he's been really busy and would it be cool if MM took his place. No one has watched his nom yet, so again thanks alot for telling me early Sean :up:. I've PM'd MM about nominating for this. If he takes the offer i'm sure nobody has a problem since we're just swapping out Seans nom for whatever MM picks?

Miss Vicky

09-22-16, 10:51 AM

As I said, I'm more than happy to have MM in this.
Sad to see Sean drop out, though. Especially this early.

I'll be watching Le Cercle Rouge regardless.

CosmicRunaway

09-22-16, 10:57 AM

If MM wants to take Sean's place and nominate a new movie/steal Sean's film, I have no problem with that. If he just wants to watch all the movies and send a list without nominating anything himself, I'd be fine with that too. :up:

rauldc14

09-22-16, 10:59 AM

Sean should stay in because he is the man. :up:

But Meds should join!

Camo

09-22-16, 11:11 AM

Looks like most are fine with it, just waiting for MM to respond. Again any objections either say in the thread or PM me. Don't think there will be anyway since it is just one member taking the place of another.

Sad to see Sean drop out, though. Especially this early.

Surely it's a good thing that he dropped out this early. Like you i'll be watching it anyway but i could see people getting annoyed if they watched his nom before he dropped out.

Camo

09-22-16, 11:17 AM

A silver lining to Sean dropping out for me is that i don't have to have Le Cercle Rouge on my list. Not because i don't want to see it as i said i'm going to watch it anyway but the other Melville's i've seen are probably top 20 films for me and from the few i've seen in this the ordering is already going to be incredibly difficult. haha.

Miss Vicky

09-22-16, 11:29 AM

Surely it's a good thing that he dropped out this early. Like you i'll be watching it anyway but i could see people getting annoyed if they watched his nom before he dropped out.

I suppose. Still it's going to be weird to me to be in a general HOF without him, even if our tastes don't often match up. I hope he'll at least continue to participate in discussion.

Camo

09-22-16, 11:31 AM

Me too. As he said he's been really busy lately, i'd noticed he hadn't been around much that's why i said before he joined that i didn't think he would be able to.

MM better nominate something great.

Swan

09-22-16, 11:33 AM

I'm dropping out too, and I hate you all.

GOTCHA

Camo

09-22-16, 11:38 AM

Dammit. Was ready to party until i saw that gotcha :p

Swan

09-22-16, 11:40 AM

Dammit. Was ready to party until i saw that gotcha :p

CAMOOOOOOO

http://i67.tinypic.com/2pooaci.jpg

Miss Vicky

09-22-16, 11:59 AM

MM better nominate something great.

Yeah.

He and I don't exactly have similar tastes either so this should be interesting.

Clazor

09-22-16, 12:10 PM

I'm also fine with you joining, MM. Le cercle rouge was one of the films I was having trouble finding, but still it's a shame to see you go Sean. Will make an effort to se Le cercle anyway.

Citizen Rules

09-22-16, 12:37 PM

I'm fine with MM joining, he adds a lot to the Hofs:) as long as he chooses his own nom (which it sounds like he will do). We tried the pitch hit idea when a couple members dropped out, other people joined the Hof and 'played' their movie...which didn't work out well. But yeah if MM has his own nom, welcome aboard!

As I said, I'm more than happy to have MM in this. Sure because he loved your movie:p I bet you wouldn't be so happy for late joiners if he panned Her.;)

Sorry to hear Sean leave, but he did say he was real busy so it's understandable. I won't call it dropping out as it's very early and no one has watched his movie yet, so all good:)

Miss Vicky

09-22-16, 12:41 PM

Sure because he loved your movie:p I bet you wouldn't be so happy for late joiners if he panned Her.;)

Of course not, but then I already said as much myself.

Citizen Rules

09-22-16, 12:43 PM

Fair enough! I suspect I will like Her.

I hope MM chooses a great nom (you have stiff competition MM!). Neiba and I were the only one's who liked his last nom. I almost wish he would go with that one again.

neiba

09-22-16, 12:44 PM

I'm all for MM joining and sean staying!!!

MM, don't try to please the members of this HoF, just please CR and me, like you did last time! :p

Camo

09-22-16, 12:48 PM

I hope he picks something i've not seen at least. I'd already watched 5/11 films in this before.

MovieMeditation

09-22-16, 01:15 PM

MM better nominate something great.
Suddenly I became reluctant to joining. :D

This HoF has a weird balance to it of sorts, but the movies seem individually strong and subjective and I really gotta think hard about what to nominate...

One thing's for sure, there is no way I'm gonna find something in the quality range of Le Cercle Rouge. Given I haven't seen it, but it is praised everywhere and I really loved Melville's Le Samouraï - probably became a favorite of mine too.

I will most likely watch sean's nom no matter what, but since I haven't seen it myself yet that's already good enough reason to not just "steal" his nom. Anyhow, these HoFs are a lot about personal picks that you want some light shined upon and that has been my goal with every HoF I've been in.

So... I guess I'm in then! I'll come back with a fresh nom in a few hours time. :up:

seanc

09-22-16, 01:17 PM

I'm really sorry guys. I have never dropped before so wanted to do it early. I was on the fence because I knew I was too busy but I also love these. Should have just stayed out. I will try and watch some of these for sure, and will be around to stick up for my boy Wes. ;)

Camo

09-22-16, 01:23 PM

Suddenly I became reluctant to joining

Don't be, i'm gonna reject what ever you come up with until i'm satisfied anyway. :p

CosmicRunaway

09-22-16, 02:23 PM

http://i.imgur.com/nF26x.jpg

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
Dir. Wes Anderson
Starring: Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Edward Norton

I know not every movie needs to have a point to it, but for almost half the film I really didn't understand what Moonrise Kingdom was trying to accomplish. I decided to quickly check its description on Wikipedia, where I saw it listed as a coming of age film. That made a lot of sense to me, particularly because that's a genre where I can never seem to connect to any of the characters or the experiences they have. They just don't resonate with me at all. Similarly, Wes Anderson is a director whose work I have yet to really enjoy, with this film actually being the first one I've been able to watch from start to finish.

I really tried to give this movie the benefit of the doubt. I waited until I was in just the right mood to watch it, and was very forgiving of Anderson's quirks – particularly that strange, fact-stating, monotone manner in which characters spout existential dialogue that always seems to take me out of the moment. I was more interested in the story towards the end, but...

...I was really hoping someone would die. With how ominous things were getting, it seemed possible.
That said, I didn't think the movie was bad by any stretch, it just wasn't my cup of tea. As per usual for Wes Anderson, the colours of the film were pleasing to the eye, and it had great editing and camera work that's very typical of his visual style. I plan to revisit this movie closer to the voting deadline to see if I feel any differently about it, and I might even try to finish some more Wes Anderson films in the meantime. I'm not holding my breath, but I'm going to try and keep an open mind.

Clazor

09-22-16, 05:21 PM

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

http://www.newyorker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/moonrise-kingdom.jpg
Wes Anderson proudly presents: Peter Pan: the untold story

I have to date watched three Wes Anderson films: The Grand Budapest, Fantastic Mr. Fox and now Moonrise Kingdom. I thought Budapest was very funny, one of Ralph Fiennes best comedic roles, and Fox was a childhood memory put to film (if with some wierd inserted midlife crisis feelings for Mr. Fox). Both, I think, are in serious need of a rewatch and a proper review. But let us discuss this latest film now, this story of a pair of kids on the run from their respective situations. Who plans to run away from their grown up guardians and find a new life for themselves.

I'm sorry, but am I the only one who gets Peter Pan vibes from this? A orphan boy meets a young girl and together they run away from her parents to find their own little world to live in. They even get some lost boys for the Wendy character to read stories to. It dosen't work in the end (not the way they thought, at least) and the young girl goes back to her family.

It's probably just me, especially since these are the only similarities I thought of during the movie, but they lingered and I thought I could chuck them into the review and see if anyone else thought the same thing. Discussion and such. But now, on to the structure.

This was the most unusual of the three movies I've seen by Anderson, in so far as in this movie, everyone is wierd. The background characters in Budapest were more or less normal (with a few exception koff koff Norton koff koff). The guests of the hotel seemed like normal folk and in Mr. Fox we have a suburb of people who decided to dress in Furrie costumes. They are as near to normal as characters in a movie gets. They work, they have families, they buy food, they simply live...until Mr. Fox gets restless. In Moonrise, every one's some degree of abnormal. Suzy's mother comunicates with her children exclusivley through bullhorn, for **** sake. I'd say Bill Murray didn't give a flying **** throughout this movie, only I think you have to act your @ss of to seem that aloof/oblivious to things going on. And when he does engage, he has to work of his residual emotions on a random tree. With an axe...and a bottle of wine...topless.

The story as such was...not what I expected. It took a while for me even to understand what was happening. 10 minutes in and we still hadn't a firm grasp on who the leads was. We'd met one of them, but that wasn't made clear and wouldn't be for another while yet.

Still, I liked it. Sam and Suzy were funny, in a deadpan kind of way. Camp Master Ward (Norton) seemed to truly enjoy his situation and still took his job deadly serious, if somewhat incopetently. Suzy's parents were a bit flat as was Bruce Willis portrayal of the local police officer. And the troups sudden, out of nowhere heel-turn regarding Sam annoyed the crap out of me. Establish feelings of guilt first, then you can succumb to them.

Overall though, the movie was funny and somthing I could watch again.